[ABSTRACT] The objective of this paper is to ascertain the pervasiveness of HIV/AIDS-related Stigma and Discrimination (HSAD) in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Since HSAD is manifested at different levels – individual, group and societal, the paper focuses on the indicators that measure the socio-cognitive aspects of HSAD from the perspective of the different age groups within the general population based on the results from a Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices (KABP) survey. Indicative data on perceived and experienced stigma are presented through the responses given to questions about reactions to and perceptions of persons whose HIV positive status is known. Other survey data collected were based on questions concerning the individual‘s willingness to have casual interactions with persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)…see more.
[ABSTRACT] Introduction: Within healthcare settings, HIV-related stigma is a recognized barrier to access of HIV prevention and treatment services and yet, few efforts have been made to scale-up stigma reduction programs in service delivery. This is in part due to the lack of a brief, simple, standardized tool for measuring stigma among all levels of health facility staff that works across diverse HIV prevalence, language and healthcare settings. In response, an international consortium led by the Health Policy Project, has developed and field tested a stigma measurement tool for use with health facility staff. Methods: Experts participated in a content-development workshop to review an item pool of existing measures, identify gaps and prioritize questions. The resulting questionnaire was field tested in six diverse sites (China, Dominica, Egypt, Kenya, Puerto Rico and St. Christopher & Nevis). Respondents included clinical and non-clinical staff. Questionnaires were self- or interviewer-administered. Analysis of item performance across sites examined both psychometric properties and contextual issues…see more.
[ABSTRACT] Objectives: To determine the extent to which increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco products in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries might successfully reduce consumption of those products and raise revenues, which could then be channeled into noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and control initiatives. Methods: The Tobacco Tax Simulation (TaXSiM) model, which was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), was used to simulate the impact of tax changes on alcohol and tobacco products in three CARICOM member countries. Estimates of the NCD response cost in the 15 countries that are full members of CARICOM were also produced...see more.
[ABSTRACT ] Objective: To investigate the feasibility of addressing the public health concerns of tobacco consumption through increased taxation, while preserving or augmenting government revenues in Grenada. Methods: Purposive sampling methods were used to ensure data availability and geographical representativeness. Average price per 20-pack of the most-sold brands of cigarettes was calculated using data from three major supermarkets. The World Health Organization’s Tax Simulation Model was used, with excise tax rates adjusted to effect 5%, 10%, and 15% consumption decreases...see more.
[ABSTRACT] This paper focuses on the financing of health care for the elderly in small countries. Apart from the usual vulnerability characteristics of these small countries, fiscal difficulties have made it more important for appropriate measures to be taken to protect the quality of life of the elderly population. The paper examines the demographics of ageing in these countries and after recognizing that the elderly is not a homogenous group with homogeneous health needs and capabilities...see more.
[ABSTRACT] The purpose of this study is to identify consumers’ retail outlet choice for Roots and Tubers in Trinidad and Tobago between traditional and modern retail outlets, and also to find out what influences consumers’ shopping preferences for one or the other retail format. A Probit model, where both demographics and store attributes were used to predict outlet choice was the methodology utilized in the study… see more
[ABSTRACT] This study was undertaken to determine the normative and perceived orthodontic treatment need of patients in Trinidad, a Caribbean island. The study sample comprised 30 child dental health clinic patients, 30 of their accompanying parents, and 52 adult patients from other University of the West Indies clinics and the Dental Hospital in Mount Hope, Trinidad. Two clinicians used the Dental Health Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) to assess normative need, and the patient’s perceived needs were assessed using the Aesthetic Component (AC) of the IOTN and the Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale (OASIS). Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the differences between the subgroups of the sample for both normative and perceptive treatment need. Association between normative need and perception assessment measures was tested using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Two-thirds of the sample of 112 subjects were female and each subgroup had a similar gender distribution…see more
[ABSTRACT] International trade and rising wages are at the heart of Lewis's development model for small island developing states (SIDS). This paper examines the effects of trade liberalization on the distribution of wages in Jamaica. Trade-related wage effects for Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) categories were decomposed for skilled and unskilled workers by direction of trade and by type of trading partner. The study finds that the wage gap was impacted differently by this decomposition, implying a more complex relationship than espoused by the standard theory…see more
[ABSTRACT] Labor and skill premiums and their relationships with trade measures are simultaneously estimated within the framework of an individual level labor supply model for Jamaica using truncated regression models. Increased imports from the US were found to reduce the return to unskilled labor, and increase the skill premium in Jamaica. Increased exports to the US had the opposite effects on returns to Jamaican skilled and unskilled labor…see more
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