Interdisciplinary research on global health problems through the lenses of economics, nutrition and politics.
Research Spotlight
Intergenerational Persistence of Health in Indonesia: the Importance of Using Biomarkers
Data from researchers at the Asia Health Policy Program suggests that Indonesia has higher intergenerational persistence and lower intergenerational health mobility than other higher income countries.
Impact of Urban-Rural Health Insurance Integration on Mental Health Among Rural Adults in China
Analysis shows that the overall likelihood of depressive symptoms for rural adults in China decreased following the implementation of the urban–rural health insurance integration policy.
Aging, Alcohol, and Attrition: The Economic and Political Ramifications of Public Health in Contemporary Russia
Public health concerns in Russia related to alcohol addiction, an aging population, and attrition from the ongoing war are poised to cause significant economic and political ramifications if not addressed effectively.
Essay within "Designing Europe’s Future: AI as a Force of Good," published by the European Liberal Forum EUPF (ELF), edited by Francesco Cappelletti, Maartje Schulz, and Eloi Borgne.
China’s urbanization has created growing peri-urban communities, where children face challenges to early childhood development (ECD) despite proximity to developed urban areas. Little is known about how the environmental factors of ECD differ between rural migrants and new urban residents. To address this, we sampled 77 peri-urban households with 18–24-month-old Han Chinese children to examine the associations between early cognitive and language development, parental self-efficacy, stimulating parenting practices, and the home language environment measured with Language Environment Analysis (LENA). We find that rural migrants and new urban residents exhibited no significant difference in any child or household characteristic except parental residency. There was no significant difference in the family environment factors or early cognitive or language development, either. However, parental self-efficacy and stimulating parenting practices both predicted better cognitive and language development in rural migrant households, whereas only conversation turn counts predicted better language development in new urban resident households.
Background The quality of parenting can affect the developmental outcomes of young children. This study aims to investigate the associations between parenting quality and the early childhood development of children under age 3 across four major rural subpopulations in China.
Methods Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 760 children aged 6–36 months and their primary caregivers in four rural subpopulations from four provinces and a metropolis in China were surveyed. Child development was assessed by the Third Edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Parenting quality was measured using the Family Care Indicators. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, multivariable regression analysis, and linear regression analysis.
Results Across the four subpopulations, prevalences of delays of the sample children in four domains — cognition, language, social-emotional, and motor development are 52%, 45%, 52%, and 19%, respectively. The proportion of children with any type of delay is 82%, while over half (53%) have delays in at least two areas, and 27% have delays in three or more areas. Child’s mother as the primary caregiver, maternal education levels, and family asset values are all positively associated with the quality of parenting. Notably, low levels of parenting quality in rural China are linked to high rates of developmental delays.
Conclusions This study demonstrates that the level of parenting quality is significantly associated with early childhood developmental outcomes. Results highlight the need for raising investments in family care to improve early childhood development in different rural subpopulations in China.
In November 2025, the Department of War finally killed the last vestiges of Robert McNamara’s 1962 Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS).
The DoW has pivoted from optimizing cost and performance to delivering advanced weapons at speed. Taking decades to deliver weapons is no longer an option. The DoW has joined the 21st century and adopted Lean Methodology.
Two organizations ought to be very concerned – China and the defense prime contractors.
