Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Daily Lives, Agricultural Working Lives, and Mental Health of Farmers in Northern Thailand

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Agricultural, Livestock, Poultry and Fish Sectors: COVID-19 Impact on Agriculture, Livestock, Poultry and Fish Sectors

COVID-19 pandemic is considered a global crisis that adversely impacted the world economy. The virus possessed a serious threat to different sectors including agricultural, livestock, poultry and fish sectors in both developing and developed countries. COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown for a long period have not only caused enormous distress to the millions of poor and marginal farmers for saving their crops and/or livestock but also affected livestock, poultry production systems and associated value chains, nutrition, health care and labour availability. In addition, COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the fishery sector through disruption in fish supply and value chains and had noteworthy effects on income of fish stakeholders, especially in developing countries. In this regard, the current review discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural, livestock, poultry and fish sectors.

The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on social and economic welfare in Uganda

BACKGROUND

As a measure to slow down the transmission of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), governments around the world placed their countries under various stringent lockdown measures. Uganda is one of the countries that had a strict lockdown in Africa. This qualitative study explored the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown in both an urban (Kampala) and rural (Wakiso) setting in Central Uganda.

METHODS

The study used focus group discussions (FGDs), household interviews, and key informant interviews (KIIs). 14 FGDs were conducted among several stakeholders including community health workers, health professionals, and members of the community. 40 household interviews were conducted among low, middle, and high-income households, while 31 KIIs were held among policy makers, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector. Data were analysed thematically in NVivo 2020 (QSR International).

RESULTS

Findings from the study are presented under six themes: family disruption; abuse of children's rights; disruption in education; food insecurity; impact on livelihoods; and violation of human rights. The study found that the COVID-19 lockdown led to family breakups, loss of family housing, as well as increased both caring responsibilities and gender-based violence especially towards females. Children's welfare suffered through increased child labour, sexual exploitation, and early marriages. The extended closure of schools led to delayed educational milestones, poor adaptation to home-based learning, and increased school drop-out rates. Increased food insecurity led to changes in feeding patterns and reduced food varieties. Livelihoods were negatively affected hence people depleted their savings and capital. Unlawful detention and beating by law enforcement officers increased during the lockdown.

CONCLUSION

Future pandemic planning needs to consider the consequences of lockdown on the social and economic wellbeing of communities hence put in place appropriate mitigation measures during and after the outbreak.

Does the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown affect risk attitudes?-Evidence from rural Thailand

Empirical research provides evidence on changes in individuals' risk attitudes after experiencing exogenous shocks. The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had various adverse impacts on economies and households. This study utilizes the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying lockdown to explore its impact on risk attitudes in rural Thailand using a difference-in-difference (DiD) approach. Overall, we do not find evidence on considerable changes in the willingness to take risks of rural household members after experiencing a lockdown during the pandemic. However, a significant heterogenous effect is found between individuals working inside and outside the agricultural sector. Individuals working outside the agricultural sector have a statistically significant reduction in their willingness to take risks after experiencing a lockdown. Our study provides additional empirical evidence to understand the impact of shocks on rural households' risk attitudes. This sheds light on how policy designs can better help mitigate downward economic trends following exogenous shocks.

Parent's Attitudes toward Their Children's Oral Health Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health and presented challenges to maintaining oral health in children. Efficient management and prevention of oral diseases are therefore crucial in this population.

Aim

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess parents' self-reported oral and dental hygiene habits for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A total of 256 parents of primary school children in Qazvin completed an online questionnaire containing demographic, general, and cardinal questions. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software, and accurate analytical tests were run to reach the results.

Results

The study found that 69.1% of parents and 87.1% of children brushed their teeth regularly during the pandemic. Additionally, 80.5% of parents monitored their children while brushing. While some parents expressed concerns about COVID-19 infection, parents from lower socioeconomic status reported a higher willingness to attend dental centers than those from more prosperous areas.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that parents' supervision and attitude toward oral health care significantly affect children's oral hygiene habits during the pandemic, possibly due to increased time spent together during lockdowns.

The coordinated impacts of agricultural insurance and digital financial inclusion on agricultural output: Evidence from China

The coordinated development of agricultural insurance and digital financial inclusion is crucial to agricultural production, previous research on the subject is unclear. Based on the data of some provinces in China from 2011 to 2019, the entropy method is used in this paper to construct indexes measuring the development of agricultural insurance and digital financial inclusion. Their coupling coordination index is calculated, and the basic characteristics of the coupling coordination degree are analyzed. The influence of the coupling coordination degree of agricultural insurance and digital financial inclusion on agricultural output is empirically analyzed by constructing a regression model. The results show that the coupling coordination degree of agricultural insurance and digital financial inclusion significantly improves farmers' agricultural output, and the promotion effect is more prominent in eastern China and mountainous areas. And the threshold effect analysis show that there is a nonlinear relationship between the coupling coordination degree of agricultural insurance and digital financial inclusion on agricultural output. The conclusion of this paper provides a theoretical basis and empirical evidence for the coordinated development of rural financial system and agricultural construction.

Important role of the government in reducing pesticide use and risk sustainably in Thailand: Current situation and recommendations

Agriculture is an important aspect of Thailand's GDP and development. It ranks as the 8th largest exporter in the world, however, pesticide use associated with the agriculture is ranked 18th in the world and 5th in Asia. Previous studies have clearly stated that pesticides are a threat to human health and the environment. The government is now making efforts to address pesticide use and the health impacts of pesticide use, however, these efforts are still in need of completion. This paper aims to summarize: (1) the current situation with regard to pesticide use in Thailand; (2) the current situation with regard to pesticide poisoning in Thailand; and (3) important role of government in reducing pesticide use and risk sustainably in Thailand: current situation and recommendations. This article suggests that government is a significant driver for reducing pesticide use and risk sustainably and the establishment of push and pull policies, legislation, and strategies. The government needs to strictly adhere to international conventions. Introducing a pesticide tax is essential to reduce redundant pesticide use. Updating of the current act, specific regulations with regard to pesticides and strict enforcement are urgently required. Licensing pesticide applicators should be implemented continuously. Promotion of alternative pest management is needed by supportive production inputs, technology, and markets as well as the development of a monitoring and certification system. Educating consumers on how to choose safe agricultural products and reduce risk from pesticide residues in the products is also necessary. All approaches should be implemented simultaneously and instantly. Importantly, the government needs to cooperate with agricultural sectors, health and environmental sectors, private sectors, as well as food industries to tackle complicate issues in a sustainable manner and lower pesticide use and risk sustainably in Thailand.

Exploring Tech-Savviness and Digital Mental Health: The moderating role of Innovation Adoption and Digital Nudging

Objectives: Employees in China face significant difficulties in adapting to the dynamism of organizational culture. Organizational culture standards have improved due to the modernization and integration of technology. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between tech-savviness (TS) and digital mental health (DMH) as moderated by innovation adoption (IA) and digital nudging (DN). Methods: A total of 900 questionnaires were delivered using a random sampling technique to collect primary data on the Likert scale questionnaire. Employees of private-sector manufacturing businesses in the Chinese province of Shanghai constitute the research population. Results: The study finds that the organizational culture in China can be improved with the use of IA and DN by providing DMH services for employees. Conclusion: This study provides a substantial theoretical framework of significant variables that describe the link between TS and DMH in Chinese organizational culture. Additionally, the research has important theoretical implications for knowledge and practical consequences for enhancing employee performance in China.

Changes in agricultural context and mental health of farmers in different regions of Thailand during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Thailand's agricultural sector is crucial to the country's development and economy. The COVID-19 pandemic caused negative effects on the agricultural context and the mental health of Thai farmers. This study aimed to compare changes in the agricultural context and mental health among farmers in different regions of Thailand during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also investigated the determinants associated with the mental health of farmers.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out from December 2021 to January 2022 in Thailand, with 1,676 Thai farmers interviewed.

Results

The results found that the Central region found to be the highest impact of increased agrochemical costs (91.0%) and decreased crop yields (92.0%), while the highest in the North and the North-East was found in decreased crop product prices (84.0 and 66.4%). In the context of economic status, the greatest impact in the Central region was found to be in increased household expense (96.3%), while the highest impact in the North, the North-East, and the South was found in decreased household income (91.5, 80.0, and 69.8%, respectively). Regarding mental health, the Central region was found to be the highest prevalence of extremely high stress and severe depression symptoms (18.3 and 23.4%), whereas the South region was found to be the highest prevalence of severe anxiety symptoms (7.4%). Interestingly, the multivariate analysis also found that the agricultural factors associated with mental health were decreased working days, changes in agrochemical type and crop cultivation, decreased crop rotation, increased difficulty in accessing agrochemicals and markets, decreased crop yields, and increased household debt.

Conclusion

The findings of this study are useful for government and relevant organizations to plan and implement supportive measures and improve mental health services to mitigate both short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic suit on the regions. Specific measures and facilities should be tailored toward the target regions.