Recent educational reforms in China have placed greater emphasis on students’ holistic development and well-being, highlighting the growing importance of understanding family educational processes. However, little is known about how students’ perceptions of parental psychological resources and educational processes vary across demographic groups in the current educational context. This study aimed to examine demographic differences in junior high school students’ perceptions of parental psychological capital, parental educational involvement, parent–child relationships, and academic self-efficacy. A total of 472 junior high school students completed self-report questionnaires. Independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVAs revealed several significant demographic differences. Female students reported higher academic self-efficacy and perceived higher levels of mother’s psychological capital and both father’s and mother’s educational involvement. Significant cross-sectional differences across grade levels were observed, with Grade 7 students reporting higher levels of academic self-efficacy, parental psychological capital, parental educational involvement, and parent–child relationships than students in higher grades. Urban students generally reported higher levels of several measured variables than town and rural students, whereas only children reported higher perceived PPC and PEI than children with siblings; these differences varied across domains. These findings highlight the importance of considering demographic characteristics in understanding family educational processes and suggest the value of targeted family support strategies and context-sensitive educational practices.
Education–job mismatch is an important labor market concern in developing countries, particularly among upper-secondary graduates navigating heterogeneous urban and rural employment opportunities. This study examines the factors associated with vertical education–job mismatch and the associations between mismatch and worker welfare among graduates of general and vocational upper-secondary schools in Indonesia, with particular attention to urban–rural differences. Using the August 2023 National Labor Force Survey (SAKERNAS), we estimate multinomial logit models for mismatch status and weighted linear regression models for worker welfare outcomes. Results indicate that only 49.3% of workers are well matched; 40.4% are educationally overqualified, and 10.3% are educationally underqualified. Age, gender, training participation, and urban residence are systematically associated with mismatch status. Educational underqualification is positively associated with the Job Quality Index in the baseline model, whereas educational overqualification is not statistically significant. The associations between mismatch and earnings vary across spatial contexts. Educational overqualification is positively associated with earnings in the rural reference group, although this association is offset in urban areas, whereas educational underqualification is negatively associated with rural earnings but positively associated with earnings in urban areas. Multinomial probit estimates are broadly consistent with the multinomial logit results, whereas selection-corrected analyses indicate that the welfare associations are sensitive to non-random sorting across mismatch categories. Favorable outcomes among some mismatched workers may therefore reflect unobserved skills, selective retention, and labor market adaptation rather than efficient initial allocation. The findings suggest that policies should combine locally differentiated worker–job matching systems with measures to improve job quality and expand productive employment opportunities.
Amidst declining birth rates, policymakers are urging businesses to implement family-friendly measures. This article presents an analysis of the Russian experience in integrating business into demographic policy and birth rate support systems. The mixed-methods research followed an explanatory sequential design. In the first phase, we identified components of Russian working-age employees’ attitudes toward corporate family-friendly measures (factor analysis) and developed profiles of workers with differing attitudes toward these measures (cluster analysis). In the second phase, we elucidated the mechanisms underlying these types and addressed how subjective perceptions of family-friendly policies either trigger or fail to trigger the social exchange process. Data sources included a survey of 2,520 working-age respondents (Phase 1) and 60 semi-structured interviews (Phase 2), conducted in three major Russian regions (North-West, Urals, and Siberia). We identified three perception models. The “Ideal Beneficiaries” cluster (31.3%) exhibited strong trust in employer family-friendly programs, viewing them as natural and fair support for parental responsibilities; this cluster also demonstrated the highest reproductive intentions. The “Pragmatic Skeptics” cluster (42.7%) held ambivalent attitudes—while questioning the appropriateness of business-supported programs, they acknowledged their potential to facilitate reproductive decisions. The “Indifferent” cluster (26.0%) neither endorsed nor responded to employer-implemented measures. We translated these findings into practical recommendations to help employers design differentiated family-friendly policies that target the specific stage at which social exchange breaks down for each perception type, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving desired reproductive and organizational outcomes.
Digital transformation has increased the importance of digital technology in daily life, yet older adults remain vulnerable to the digital divide. Limited digital access and competency may restrict opportunities to obtain health information and utilize services, potentially affecting mental health and self-rated health. This study examined the relationship between the digital divide and self-rated health among older adults and investigated the mediating effect of depression. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2023 National Survey of Older Koreans. A total of 9,951 older adults who completed the survey themselves were included in the analysis. The digital divide was measured using three dimensions: digital access, digital use competency, and adaptation to the digital society. Depression was assessed using the Short Form of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Hierarchical regression analysis and PROCESS Macro (version 4.2) were used to test the mediating effect of depression while controlling for sociodemographic and health-related factors. Higher levels of digital access, digital use competency, and adaptation to the digital society were associated with lower depression and higher self-rated health, whereas depression was negatively associated with self-rated health. Depression significantly mediated the relationships between all three dimensions of the digital divide and self-rated health, indicating partial mediation. The findings suggest that the digital divide affects self-rated health both directly and indirectly through depression. Reducing the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion may help improve mental health and self-rated health among older adults.
China’s rapid population aging raises important challenges for understanding how social relationships shape well-being in later life. While both offline social networking and online communication have been linked to life satisfaction, existing studies rely largely on cross-sectional data and rarely examine how these two forms of social engagement jointly shape well-being. Using three waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS, 2018–2023; N = 18,294), we estimated within-person (fixed-effects) associations between offline social networking, social-communicative internet use, and life satisfaction. The results show that online social networking was positively associated with life satisfaction, whereas offline social networking did not exhibit a significant within-person association. More importantly, a positive interaction effect indicates that offline and online social networking were complementary rather than substitutive, such that the well-being benefits of online social networking were greater for individuals with richer offline social ties. This complementary pattern was more pronounced among younger older adults, men, and those living with others. These findings suggest that digital engagement operates within, rather than independently of, existing social structures, and that policies promoting digital inclusion alongside offline social participation may yield greater well-being gains in aging societies.
In Greater Nokoué (Benin) and Greater Lomé (Togo), it is evident that land liberalization has significant implications for access to affordable housing. This study assesses how land liberalization in Greater Nokoué and Greater Lomé constitutes a barrier to affordable housing access. Using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative), this study combined household surveys (258 in Greater Lomé and 219 in Greater Nokoué) with in-depth semi-structured interviews (27 in Greater Lomé and 29 in Greater Nokoué). The results reveal that, in both of these metropolitan areas, land liberalization poses enormous challenges, including land speculation. This speculation, which manifests in various forms, not only affects the production of affordable housing but also exposes households to the risks of eviction and social and spatial marginalization. In light of these challenges, it is essential to rethink urban planning in these cities to facilitate the production of and access to affordable housing.
As Millennial and Generation Z professionals increasingly co-exist in the global workforce, understanding how demographic factors shape their organizational commitment has become a critical concern. This study employs a demographic-generational comparative framework to examine organizational commitment among Millennial (born 1981–1996) and Generation Z (born 1997–2012) young professionals. The central focus addresses how key demographic drivers—educational attainment, rural-to-urban migration background, and family structure—differentially affect three commitment dimensions: affective, continuance, and normative commitment. These effects are examined within a visionary leadership context. A stratified probability sampling design was employed to collect 600 valid responses, with multi-group confirmatory factor analysis applied to test measurement invariance across cohorts. Multi-group structural equation modeling and relative weight analysis were used to identify generational difference effects. The results indicate that educational attainment had a stronger effect on affective commitment among Millennials (β = 0.41) than among Generation Z respondents (β = 0.33). Rural-to-urban migration background and migrant identity explained substantially greater variance among Generation Z, with relative weights of 21.3% and 17.5%, respectively, representing a marked increase compared to the Millennial cohort. The path coefficient from visionary leadership to affective commitment differed across generations (Δβ = 0.17, p < 0.001). Despite this generational divergence, the boundary effects of demographic moderating variables demonstrated a systematic pattern across cohorts. These results contribute important empirical evidence to the intersection of international demography and youth labor behavior research and offer evidence-based guidance for designing differentiated leadership intervention policies targeting young professionals across distinct generational cohorts.
East Asia faces divergent demographic challenges: Japan confronts acute population aging with an old-age dependency ratio exceeding 50%, while China experiences accelerating labor force contraction. International population mobility serves as a key mechanism for cross-border demographic redistribution. Pre-migration linguistic capital formation, shaped through differentiated language education, influences the selectivity and composition of bilateral flows. This study provides a carefully executed descriptive, pathway-based comparison of how distinct migration pathways are associated with divergent patterns of migrant selectivity, demographic composition, and settlement outcomes between China and Japan. Integrating bilateral migration statistics (2019–2025) and qualitative narratives, the research analyzes two pathways: education-led migration (academic track) and Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker program (vocational track). These pathways generate systematically differentiated populations. Academic-track migrants are younger (mean age 19.8), predominantly female (55.2%), and exhibit a high propensity to settle (68.4% five-year retention). Vocational-track migrants are older (mean age 26.8), predominantly male (71.8%), and display circular migration patterns (48.7% return within three years). Linguistic capital accumulated pre-migration functions as an institutional gatekeeping mechanism contributing to these demographic differences. Through this interpretive framework, the study illustrates how migration pathway design shapes the demographic and settlement trajectories of international migrants, highlighting the importance of institutionally embedded linguistic capital formation for demographic sustainability in aging East Asian societies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted family formation among young people worldwide, contributing to a sharp decline in fertility rates. This study examines whether the relationship between young people’s economic and family circumstances and their transition to marriage changed temporarily or persistently before and after the pandemic in Japan, a context characterized by prolonged pandemic control measures and a rigid gender division of labor. Using data from the Japanese Panel Study of Employment Dynamics (2016–2024), we conducted discrete-time logistic regression analyses with marital events as the dependent variable, restricted to unmarried individuals. The results indicate that men with lower incomes were temporarily more likely to delay marriage after the pandemic. In addition, men in non-regular employment tended to marry later than those in regular employment, and this pattern persisted after the pandemic; however, the gap between these groups narrowed because men in regular employment also delayed marriage compared to the pre-pandemic period. Changes in the effects of employment status and income on marriage were observed exclusively among men following the pandemic. Furthermore, young people living with their parents were more likely to delay marriage during the pandemic period. These findings suggest that the association between marriage transitions and individual attributes shifted both temporarily and persistently after the pandemic, contributing to the observed decline in marriage rates. This empirical analysis of Japan during the pandemic extends our understanding of how COVID-19 affected marriage behavior in other national contexts.
Having a husband/partner as a companion of choice (COC) throughout labor and delivery is an intervention for improving women’s birth experience and outcomes. Despite these advantages, experiences of husband/partner involvement as a COC in Nigeria remain poorly documented. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the experiences of men and women in a union who had recently experienced husbands/partners involvement as a COC during labor and childbirth. A total of 31 in-depth interviews were conducted in two states in Nigeria. All interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed using the hybrid approach with the aid of NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software. Three broad themes emerged from the narratives: (i) the process and practice of male involvement as a COC, (ii) the benefits of male involvement as a COC, and (iii) the disadvantages. The process and practice included male COC participation as either an unwritten rule or optional, no prior preparation, insistence on presence, voluntary participation/joint choice, primarily a role of emotional support, and motives beyond promoting a positive birth experience. The benefits revolved around compassion and empathy, postpartum support, curbing intimate partner violence and son preference, facilitated/smoother delivery, and acceptance of family planning. Participants expressed disadvantages such as the potential to induce intimate partner violence and postpartum sexual strain. The findings provide valuable insights for policy development in Nigeria to harness the benefits of male involvement as COC during labor and childbirth and minimize the disadvantages.
The emergence of middle-class populations represents a critical demographic transition with profound implications for social stratification, mobility patterns, and economic development across African societies. This study examines the bidirectional relationship between economic development and middle-class expansion over 2000–2020, investigating whether development drives middle-class formation or whether middle-class growth catalyzes broader development outcomes. Using an unbalanced panel of 44 African countries observed at five-year intervals (approximately 196 country-year observations), we employ a two-step system generalized method of moments estimator to simultaneously address endogeneity, control for unobserved country heterogeneity through fixed effects, and capture the dynamic persistence of middle-class formation. We focus on populations with daily expenditures between $2 and $20, disaggregated into the floating class ($2–$4), lower-middle class ($4–$10), and upper-middle class ($10–$20). Our panel findings reveal that per capita income growth robustly drives the expansion of floating and lower-middle-class segments within countries over time, whereas the relationship weakens for upper-middle-class segments—a result that holds after including country and time fixed effects. Significant persistence in middle-class formation (coefficients 0.451–0.567) confirms path dependence and underscores the cumulative nature of development. Regional heterogeneity analysis demonstrates significant differences between North African and Sub-Saharan African countries. Income inequality and multidimensional poverty independently constrain middle-class formation, indicating that growth alone is insufficient for broad-based middle-class development.
Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disease for which there is currently no cure. This study investigated how the birth order of a child with cystic fibrosis influences both the likelihood and timing of subsequent births. We hypothesized that the position of the child with cystic fibrosis within the family birth order is more important than the mere occurrence of the affected birth in determining subsequent fertility behavior. Our results indicate that family characteristics and diversity are strongly shaped by the child’s birth order. First, the birth order position of the child with cystic fibrosis significantly affected the timing of the next birth. Second, accurate estimation of sibling count and age spacing required the inclusion of children with cystic fibrosis whose data were right-censored. Excluding children with cystic fibrosis who were either only children or last-born children led to biased estimates. We conclude that the position of the child with cystic fibrosis within the birth sequence is a key determinant for understanding how the disease influences parental decisions about additional childbearing, as well as how it shapes sibling structure. Our findings have implications for understanding how families change when they face autosomal recessive genetic diseases, because parents must make difficult decisions about whether and when to have another child after the birth of an affected child.
India’s non-communicable disease burden has increased rapidly, but chronic conditions remain unevenly distributed across socioeconomic groups. This study examines wealth-related disparities in four major outcomes: anaemia, diabetes, thyroid disorder, and high blood pressure among women aged 15–49 years in six North Indian states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Using nationally representative data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015–2016) and NFHS-5 (2019–2021), women are grouped into low, middle, and high wealth categories based on the NFHS wealth index. Multivariable logistic regression models are used to estimate the relationship between socioeconomic position and disease outcomes. Wealth-related inequality is clearly condition-specific and varies across states. Anaemia remains concentrated among women in the Poor wealth category and predominantly rural women, pointing to persistent nutritional and health-service deficits. By contrast, diabetes and high blood pressure are more common among older and relatively better-off women, with some urban concentration. Thyroid disorder shows a more mixed wealth gradient. Overall, the evidence points to a continuing double burden in which deprivation-related and cardiometabolic risks coexist among women in North India. The study highlights the need for state-specific and equity-sensitive strategies that combine nutrition interventions with early detection and long-term management of chronic conditions.
This study presents findings from the first national-level survey since 2011 on the socioeconomic and cultural challenges faced by women in rural Cyprus. The study uses a quantitative design with stratified random sampling to survey a representative sample of 610 women. Data were collected using pen and paper, through an interviewer–facilitator paper-and-pencil interview and a structured questionnaire. Research identifies gender inequalities in education, employment, healthcare access, and financial independence. Respondents prioritized childcare, elderly care, infrastructure, and female entrepreneurship over issues such as gender-based violence. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we conclude to three components that describe the barriers and challenges women face in rural Cyprus. That is: (i) basic life necessities and economic stability, (ii) cultural engagement and environmental concerns, and (iii) caregiving responsibilities to children or to elders and gender representation. Similarly, PCA grouped the areas that can enhance the improvement of the quality of life of women in their communities. The first component focuses on social development and infrastructure support, the second component reflects cultural and entertainment facilities, and the last component focuses on the improvement of the economic status of women and the provision of basic services. The findings urge for women’s empowerment, and rural development policies that move from gender neutral to gender sensitive.
With a few notable exceptions, systematic comparative analyses of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected migration-related policies remain limited. This documentary study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped migration-related travel restrictions and mobility policies, with a comparative focus on Thailand and the United States. This article begins by examining shifts in global migration policy during the pandemic. Then it focuses on Thailand and the United States as a comparative case study. Thailand adopted a more conservative approach to the pandemic, resulting in a low cumulative number of reported cases and a relatively low initial infection rate. Conversely, the United States took a more liberal stance and experienced both high infection rates and the highest number of recorded COVID-19 cases. The findings suggest that migration policy shifted according to the severity of the pandemic. Most countries initially imposed strict travel restrictions because of the perceived severity and mortality risk of COVID-19; however, as vaccination efforts progressed and the number of COVID-related fatalities decreased, many nations began to loosen their regulations. This article contributes to our current understanding of migration policy by showing that, even in response to a shared crisis, governments may pursue different strategies that produce divergent outcomes. In the case of another pandemic, the results of this research will aid in determining future paths for international migration policy.
South Korea’s rapid population aging and persistent ultra-low fertility raise fundamental questions about the demographic sustainability of industrial labor systems. This study develops a demographic feasibility framework that assesses whether existing industry-specific employment structures can be maintained as birth cohorts contract. Using microdata from the Korean Regional Employment Survey (2008–2023) and national population projections to 2040, we estimate required labor volumes and required employment shares through a LASSO-assisted log-linear model and assess whether future labor requirements remain demographically compatible with the maximum feasible supply, rather than forecasting realized employment paths. The analysis reveals widening gaps between the labor that industries require and the maximum feasible supply that future populations can provide. Scientific and technical services show the steepest increases in required employment shares, driven by their reliance on shrinking high-skill cohorts. Manufacturing, while facing more stable overall demand, displays rising dependence on older workers and intensifying replacement pressures as these cohorts diminish. These patterns demonstrate that emerging labor shortages reflect structural demographic ceilings rather than cyclical or market-correctable imbalances. The findings situate demographic feasibility as a generalizable framework for evaluating industrial sustainability in aging societies and underscore the need for long-term workforce strategies that account for cohort dynamics rather than short-term economic conditions.
Drug-related juvenile crimes in refugee camps are a growing concern, shaped by structural vulnerabilities. This review synthesizes existing literature on drug-related juvenile crimes in refugee settings, focusing on how social disorganization, structural neglect, and psychosocial deprivation increase vulnerability among displaced children, and argues for a public health–oriented decriminalization approach to prevention and rehabilitation. Drawing upon international and regional studies published between 2017 and 2024, the paper highlights how poverty, forced migration, trauma, limited education, and exposure to drug trafficking networks contribute to youth delinquency in refugee camps. Using social disorganization, delinquent subculture, rational choice, and structural functionalism theories, the review identifies five key thematic drivers: economic marginalization, peer and gang influence, normalization of drug culture, lack of family supervision, and absence of rehabilitation services. In light of contemporary debates on drug decriminalization, the review argues that punitive approaches to drug-related juvenile offences often reinforce structural disadvantages, criminalize poverty, and hinder social reintegration. Instead, a public health-oriented decriminalization framework can mitigate these harms by shifting focus from punishment to rehabilitation, prevention, and community reintegration. The consequences of maintaining criminalization extend beyond individual harm, contributing to broader community insecurity, increased drug dependency, and undermined law and order. The paper concludes by recommending a multisectoral prevention and recovery framework that aligns with decriminalization principles, emphasizing community-based rehabilitation, psychosocial counseling, drug awareness education, and integrated child protection systems anchored in social work and public health models. Such an approach advances restorative justice and promotes long-term well-being for at-risk juveniles in fragile and displaced settings.
Small coastal settlements rely heavily on marine ecosystems yet are highly exposed to climate variability, market shocks, and resource depletion. This study evaluates the social resilience and livelihood vulnerability of small-scale fishers in Kabila Bone subdistrict, Bone Bolango Regency, using the multi-aspect sustainability analysis framework. We surveyed 91 fisher households across nine villages through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews, and constructed a composite sustainability index across five livelihood capitals. Results indicate that natural capital is the most sustainable (75.0%), followed by human (70.0%), social (60.0%), and physical (55.5%) capital, while financial capital scores the lowest (37.5%). These findings suggest that inclusive financial services, cold-chain and transport upgrades, and targeted capacity-building through local institutions are priorities to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and intensified pre-existing gender inequalities in Iraq. This study examines the gendered consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq, focusing on how entrenched patriarchal structures, alongside inequalities and tribal authority, heightened women’s vulnerability during the crisis. Conducted in Baghdad, Anbar, and Salah al-Din governorates, the research utilized a mixed-methods design with stratified random sampling to survey 1,200 individuals through structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The study explores the pandemic’s impact on women’s economic participation, access to education, exposure to gender-based violence, and healthcare use. Results show that 73.3% of women experienced job loss or major income decline, while 59.4% reported repeated domestic violence during lockdowns. Around 80% of households restricted girls from online learning, citing cultural taboos, digital gaps, and safety concerns rooted in patriarchal norms governing honor, mobility, and gender roles. Over half of the participants avoided healthcare services due to infection fears, familial restrictions, or financial hardship. Widespread emotional strain was reported, including anxiety, fear, and decision paralysis. These findings reveal that the pandemic magnified pre-existing gender disparities and exposed significant weaknesses in Iraq’s crisis preparedness and gender-inclusive policy frameworks. Unlike global studies centered in higher-income or urban contexts, this research offers unique, field-based insights from a fragile Middle Eastern setting characterized by patriarchal governance, tribal authority, and institutional instability. The study calls for urgent gender-responsive strategies to address digital exclusion, economic resilience, healthcare access, and violence prevention. A combination of institutional reforms and localized, community-based engagement is crucial to ensuring that future emergencies do not perpetuate or exacerbate gender-based inequalities.
Analysis of the under-five mortality rate allows policy makers to identify disparities in health outcomes across populations defined by characteristics such as place of residence, income levels, or educational attainment. It also provides guidance for designing health interventions and policies, and for monitoring progress toward program targets. When estimating the under-five mortality rate for a given region using an indirect method based on survey reports, all reported child deaths are typically attributed to the mother’s region of residence at the time of the survey. This assumption can substantially affect regional under-five mortality rates in areas that receive migrants from regions with markedly different mortality regimes. The aim of this study was therefore to establish trends in the under-five mortality rate for rural and urban regions in Kenya while accounting for migration between these regions. This study used secondary data from six demographic and health surveys conducted in Kenya from 1989 to 2014. The Q-FIVE program was used to indirectly derive the set of the under-five mortality rates. These rates were then adjusted for the effects of migration using a sub-area mortality estimation approach. The results reveal that population movement between regions with different mortality rates can alter regional under-five mortality rates. By adjusting the under-five mortality rates derived for each region, we obtained clear and consistent trends across the two regions. Further research should consider the effects of migration across the socioeconomic spectrum.
