OBJECTIVE To identify factors driving the rapid increase in caesarean section in China between 1988 and 2008. METHODS Data from four national cross-sectional surveys (1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008) and modified Poisson regression were used to determine whether changes in household income, access to health insurance or women's education accounted for the rise in caesarean sections in urban and rur...

The objective of our study is to identify the most relevant factors limiting the poverty reduction and growth potentials of rural micro and small scale enterprises (MSE) in the Northern region of Ghana. For that purpose, we profile the main characteristics of MSEs by means of literature review, focus group discussions (FGD), and personal interviews of key informants. The insight gained from thi...

Demographic factors have been transforming the Great Plains for decades. Although the region increased in population from 1950 to 2007, closer analysis reveals that much of that growth took place in the Core Based Statistical Areas. These population trends reflect the broader impact of urbanization. This article provides a contextual perspective of critical demographic factors influencing the s...

The present study evaluated the presence of Ehrlichia DNA in the blood samples of 320 dogs from the urban and rural areas of the municipality of Poconé, Pantanal region, Mato Grosso state, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), targeting the ehrlichial dsb gene. Risk factors for infection in dogs were also evaluated. Forty-eight (15%, 95% CI: 11.4-19.5%) dogs were positive: 25 (15.6%, 95% CI: 10.4...

The use of Mobile technology in developing rural environments so far has been mostly for call transactions and Short Message System (SMS) services. As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations penetrate deeper into these marginalised regions, the various ICT strategies employed to improve the socio-economic well being of the community are merely not based on specific user commu...

WHAT IS THE BLACK BELT? WHERE IS THE BLACK BELT? T he Black Belt is a string of counties that stretches from east Texas, through the deep South, and up into eastern Virginia. It is the largest, poorest, most rural region in the country. While definitions vary, the region typically is considered to encompass upwards of 623 counties across 11 states, mostly rural, crossing several smaller regions...

OBJECTIVE This study examined barriers to accessing three types of family planning service (emergency contraception, termination of pregnancy and options counselling) within the Grampians region of Victoria. In addressing the challenges faced by geographically marginalised women, the intention was to contribute to feminist psychological research in the field of women's health. DESIGN The qual...

CONTEXT Rates of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) vary by region, with disparities particularly evident in the Appalachian region of the South. Community conditions related to rurality likely contribute to adverse birth outcomes in this region. PURPOSE This study examined associations between rurality and related community conditions, and newborn outcomes in southern Appalachia,...

This paper utilizes spatial statistical techniques integrated with GIS to analyze regional development problems associated with the rapid expansion of the regional city of Chiang Mai – Lamphun in the Northern Thailand during the 1986–1994 period. A set of combined GIS procedures is used to integrate up-to-date information from remotely sensed, physio-graphical and socio-economic data in order t...

Mercury bioaccumulation in hair and skin of silver and arctic foxes farmed in typically rural and urbanized regions (Wielkopolskie Voivodship, Poland) was assessed. Hair and skin samples were collected and analyzed for total Hg content using atomic absorption spectrometry. Hairs and skin of foxes farmed in the rural region accumulated higher amount of Hg compared to animals from the urbanized o...