• Land and Housing Review
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2013

Over the past three decades, neoliberalism has been pervasive and even normative in reorganizing housing systems, encouraging a decline in low-income housing. However, the way in which neoliberal prescriptions have impacted on housing processes has not necessarily been the same but has rather differed according to the indigenous social, economic, political, and institutional contexts of particular countries. In the case of Japan, neoliberalization has effectively combined with a traditionally residualized public housing to affect housing circumstances surrounding low-income people. This article explores transformations in low-income housing in Japan to demonstrate the importance of specific housing contexts in particular societies, in terms of looking at the impact neoliberalism has had on housing processes.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2018

Objectives : To compare the degree of achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) among 39 developing countries in Africa and to investigate the correlation between health care financing and the UHC index. Methods : For data, 14 UHC indexes were used in 2015 supplied by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, this study used a 10% of threshold point corresponding to the catastrophic health expenditures and a 25% of threshold points as a health care financing index. Results : It was found that there were significant difference among Least Low Developed Countries (LLDCs), Other Low Income Countries (Other LICs), Lower Middle Income Countiies (LMICs), Upper Middle Income Countires (UMICs) to compare the average value by nation on the UHC index. This study showed that the UHC index of LLDCs was lowest, but the average value was higher as it moved towards LMICs and UMICs. In addition, it was found that there was an average value difference among the groups like LLDCs, Other LICs, LMICs and UMICs. As a result of comparison, it was found that the spending of household health expenditure increased as LLDCs moved towards UMICs when the burden of household health expenditure was 25%. Conclusions : This study aimed to compare the UHC indexes of African nations and to investigate the correlation between the degree of spending of total expenditure on health and burden of household health expenditure and UHC, and its effect.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.207-220
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this exploratory study is to explain where, when and how the introduction of user fee system works in low and middle income countries using context, mechanism, and outcome configuration. Methods: Considering advanced research in realist review approach, we made a review process including those following 4 steps. They are identifying the review question, initial theory and mechanism, searching and selecting primary studies, and extracting, analyzing, and synthesizing relevant data. Results: User fee had a detrimental effect on medical utilization in low and middle income countries. Also previous and current interventions and community participation were critical context in user fee system. Those contexts were associated with intervention initiation and recognition and coping strategies. Such contexts and mechanisms were critical explanatory factors in medical utilization. Conclusion: User fee is a series of interventions that are fragile and dynamic. So the introduction of user fee system needs a comprehensive understanding of previous and new intervention, policy infrastructure, and other factors that can influence on medical utilization.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.494-502
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• 2017

This study examines how the Netherlands and Denmark lowered the increase in income inequality, at a period in time when income inequality in the world was deepening. This study investigates the level and trend of income inequality in the Netherlands and Denmark compared to those in Korea, the United States, Germany and Sweden. Using the method of the decomposition of changes in income inequality, this study identifies which factors are associated with the changes in inequality in these countries. It also explores which labor market policies mitigated inequality in these two countries. One of the major reasons for the reduction in earned income inequality in the Netherlands is the increased participation of women in economic activity through the increase in voluntary part-time working. In particular, the policies designed to promote equal treatment between full-time and non-regular workers contributed to the active participation of women in part-time work. Using active labor market policies, Denmark improved the proficiency of low skilled and low-wage workers, thereby alleviating the wage gap between high-income and low-income workers. Based on the experiences of the Netherlands and Denmark, this study discusses policy directions to mitigate income inequality in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.5035-5042
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• 2014

Background: Knowledge and individual perceptions about adverse effects of all forms of tobacco exert direct influence on the level of tobacco consumption in various socio-demographic groups. The objective of this study was to determine the nature, extent and demographic correlates of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of use of tobacco among adults in low and middle income countries. Materials and Methods: The Global Adult Tobacco Survey, conducted in fourteen different countries from 2008-2010, was sourced for the data analyzed in this study. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to determine the prevalent knowledge and individual perceptions amongst adults about all forms of tobacco consumption. Results: There was relatively high awareness about the harmful effects of smoking tobacco with main awareness being about its relationship with lung cancer (>90% in most countries). In contrast, there was relatively low awareness about harmful effects of smokeless tobacco (< 90% in all countries except India and Bangladesh), and observed correlation of smoking tobacco with heart attack (40.6% in China, 65.1% in India) and stroke (28.2% in China, 50.5% in India). Conclusions: A large proportion of adults living in low and middle income countries possess adequate knowledge about smoking tobacco but have inadequate awareness as well as false perceptions about smokeless forms of tobacco. Popular beliefs of inverse relationships of tobacco consumption with knowledge, attitudes and perception of populations towards tobacco are challenged by the findings of this study.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper empirically investigates the relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods imports and economic growth with a focus on the 13 Asia-Pacific economies during 2005-2016. In particular, this paper extends the study by breaking down the data of Asia-Pacific countries into High Income Countries (HICs) and Low Income Countries (LICs) according to the difference of income levels. Design/methodology - Our empirical model employs the standard growth model based on the Barro (1998)-type growth framework. Using static panel-data technique, we estimate the effect of ICT goods imports on economic growth in the 13 Asia-Pacific economies. In addition, we also estimate a difference of the ICT goods imports-economic growth link between HICs and LICs. Findings -The estimation results indicate that ICT goods import has a significant positive effect on economic growth, while ICT goods export has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on it. When we break down the panel data into HICs and LICs in order to gain further insight, ICT goods imports has been effective in spurring growth in only LICs but not in HICs. The other supplementary results show that both domestic investment (GCF) and life expectancy (LE) have a significantly positive impact on economic growth in both HICs and LICs. Originality/value - The main findings of the paper suggest that ICT goods imports has a positive effect on economic growth in only LICs but not in HICs. This result supports the so-called 'leapfrogging' hypothesis through ICT goods imports in the Asia-Pacific countries, in which LICs are gaining more from ICT goods imports than HICs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.407-409
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• 2012

The ACTION (Asean CosTs In ONcology) Study will be one of the largest observational studies of the burden of cancer ever conducted in Asia. The study will involve 10,000 newly diagnosed patients with cancer and will be carried out across eight low- and middle income countries within the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Viet Nam, Laos and the Philippines). Patients will be interviewed three times over 12 months to assess their health, use of health care services, out of pocket costs related to their illness, social and quality of life issues. The project is a collaboration between the George Institute for Global Health, the ASEAN Foundation and Roche. The aim of the study is to assess the health and socioeconomic impact of cancer on patients in ASEAN communities, and the factors that may impact on these outcomes.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.143-166
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• 2015

This paper investigates the empirical evidence on the relationship between financial accessibility and economic growth to test the conventional hypothesis that improved financial accessibility leads to financial development and economic growth. First, we built a dynamic panel model on the relationship between financial accessibility and economic growth with a set of controlled variables. We then used several financial access indicators from 165 countries, collected from 2004 to 2011, applying the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators to estimate their relationship. From these estimations, we found that high financial accessibility leads to high income in general. In addition, we found that an increase in financial access indicators had a greater impact on economic growth in low-income countries than it did on economic growth in high-income countries.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.131-141
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• 2020

This study is designed to investigate the impact of China exchange rate policy on its trading partners by using a country multi-dataset GVAR model. Our model includes samples of 30 countries, six from high-income, six from middle-income and eighteen from low-income countries. This study used annual time series data over the period 1992 to 2017. We constructed currency misalignment index and it provided some interesting features about the currency undervaluation and overvaluation. The results of the currency misalignment shows that China's Renminbi is structurally more undervalued over the sample period as compared to other countries, and fluctuation in major currencies effects the global trade around the world. The overall empirical results of the GVAR model indicate that RMB undervaluation affects the trade pattern and macroeconomic performance of China's trading partners. Overall, China's exchange rate undervaluation has mixed effects on trading partner's GDP, exports and imports. The devaluation of China's RMB efficiently stimulated China's exports and reduced imports. While, in some countries, this effect is reverse, the RMB undervaluation increases the GDP of partner countries and also increases their exports to China. The results confirm the strong and leading role of the Chinese Renminbi in the global trade.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.485-486
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• 2023