Challenges confronting rural hospitals accentuated during COVID-19

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created a designation for critical access hospitals(CAHs)to sustain care for people living in rural communities who lacked access to care due to hospital closures over the preceding decade.Twenty-five years later,1350 CAHs serve approximately 18% of the US population and a systematic policy evaluation has yet to be performed.This policy analysis serves to define challenges faced by CAHs through a literature review addressing the four major categories of payment,quality,access to capital,and workforce.Additionally,this analysis describes how current challenges to maintain sustainability of CAHs over time are accentuated by gaps in public health infrastructure and variability in individual health care plans exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Does E-Commerce Policy Affect Consumption Disparities of Rural Households?-Evidence from China

In the context of China’s ongoing efforts to promote countryside revitalization and facilitate domestic economic circulation,it is of great significance to reduce the consumption disparity among rural households and unleash the consumption potential in the countryside.Based on data from China Family Panel Studies,this paper adopts a staggered difference-in-differences method to assess the impact of the e-commerce to enter rural areas on the consumption disparity among rural households.Findings:the comprehensive demonstration work of promoting e-commerce to enter rural areas has reduced the consumption disparity among rural households through the following mechanisms.Firstly,this policy initiative has mitigated the consumption-inhibiting effect on rural household consumption due to the local market size and external market accessibility by promoting the distribution of consumer goods to villages.Secondly,this policy initiative has also increased the agricultural income of rural households and reduced their consumption disparity by distributing farm produce to cities and enhancing the agricultural income of rural households.Moreover,the work is characterized by inclusive growth and is not susceptible to the“elite capture”phenomenon.

The impact of the Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)Program on child nutrition outcomes

The Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)is an important unconditional cash transfer program to alleviate poverty in rural China.Despite the importance of children’s nutrition in breaking poverty cycles,little is known about the impact of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes.Using China Family Panel Studies(CFPS),this paper examines the effects of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes and investigates potential pathways and heterogeneous effects.We exploit propensity score matching and difference-in-differences techniques to evaluate the effects of the Rural Dibao program on child nutrition outcomes.Our results suggest that Rural Dibao significantly impacts the nutrition outcomes of children up to 15 years of age.Specifically,our results suggest that Rural Dibao improves child height-to-age z-scores by 1.05 standard deviations and lowers the probability of stunting by 11.9 percentage points.Additional analyses suggest that increased protein intake is the main pathway through which Rural Dibao participation contributes to better nutrition outcomes.We also find that the effect of the program is more pronounced among girls,children who are non-left-behind or live with highly educated mothers,and those from low-income families and poor areas.Our findings suggest that Rural Dibao participation helps improve child nutrition outcomes through improving diet quality.

Unpacking the‘supply-utilization-demand’interplay:Keys to multifunctional sustainability in rural China

Sustainable rural development is predicated on a delicate balance between rural territorial functions and eco-logical constraints.While various functions can catalyze economic growth in rural settings,aligning them with inherent ecological variables is essential.An exhaustive analysis of Beijing’s Pinggu District elucidated specific supply-demand thresholds and evaluated the adaptability of current utilization within these boundaries,culmi-nating in a novel optimization strategy.Notably,while locals place significant emphasis on production functions,the area’s topography and soil characteristics present palpable challenges to achieving these goals.We discov-ered that‘shackle type’predominantly characterize individual rural territorial functions,while‘diversified weak function optimization type’define multifunctional aspects,showcasing varied development paths and uncov-ering potential strategies for sustainable improvement.This study contributes a groundbreaking perspective to sustainable rural development,offering key insights and strategic recommendations for policy formulation.

Strategies and Paths for Constructing Rural Landscape Ecological Security Pattern in the Context of Rural Revitalization

It is one of the fundamental research contents of rural revitalization by constructing a ecological security pattern of rural landscape,providing important basis for scientifically formulating rural spatial planning and sustainable rural development.The research on ecological security patterns of landscape at home and abroad is mainly focused on urban areas.In the context of rural revitalization,the research on strategies and paths for constructing the ecological security pattern of rural landscapes aims to provide important references for the overall planning and design of rural areas and the optimization of rural resource allocation.Using 3S(GPS,RS,GIS)technology methods,this paper systematically analyzes and elaborates on the construction strategies and paths of rural water ecological security pattern,rural biological protection security pattern,rural geological disaster security pattern,and local cultural landscape security pattern.Through the comprehensive superposition of the patterns,a comprehensive ecological security pattern of rural landscape is finally constructed.In the process of constructing and improving the ecological security pattern of rural landscape,emphasis is placed on top-level design,long-term planning,multi-party participation,mechanism improvement,technological innovation,and the strategy of“integrating knowledge with action”.

Research on the Reform of"Separation of Three Rights"for Rural Homesteads in Juancheng County,Shandong Province

In order to realize rural revitalization in an all-round way and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the economy and society,China is committed to deepening the pace of building a new countryside with Chinese characteristics.The reform of the"Separation of Three Rights"of rural homesteads is a key measure,which aims to activate rural resources,enhance the vitality of rural economic development,and then promote the overall process of rural revitalization.This study selects Juancheng County,Heze City,Shandong Province as a typical case.Through an in-depth analysis of the relevant policy orientation of the national homestead reform and the specific practice of local promotion work,it systematically sorts out the registration of homestead rights,transfer of use rights and relevant policy measures adopted in paid use,qualification conversion,policy publicity and system establishment.After in-depth research on the system reform practice of the"Separation of Three Rights"of homesteads in Juancheng County,this paper reveals the main problems existing in the current reform,including the lack of clear policy support for the mechanism of paid use of homesteads,difficulties in the process of identifying qualification rights and challenges,the imperfection of the transfer mechanism of use rights,and the lack or lag of relevant policies.A series of problem-oriented policy suggestions are put forward,including establishing and improving the system of paid use of rural homesteads,improving the income distribution mechanism,promoting the innovation of the mortgage guarantee system for the right to use homesteads,and optimizing the homestead qualification certification procedures.These suggestions aim to provide a useful reference for the Juancheng County Government in promoting the reform of"Separation of Three Rights"of homesteads,and then promote the rational allocation and efficient utilization of rural homestead resources.

Ethnic Customs and Rural Tourism Development in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County of Fushun City

The development of ethnic minority tourism is currently a hot topic in domestic tourism development.As an important component of Chinese civilization,the Manchu people have created brilliant culture in the long river of historical development.As the hometown of the Manchu people,Fushun has unique folk cultural tourism resources and a strong ethnic flavor.Nowadays,under the promotion of the rural revitalization strategy,the construction of new rural areas is constantly developing,and rural tourism is gradually becoming a new industry.Therefore,in the context of the increasingly prosperous rural tourism industry,it has become increasingly important to combine the ethnic customs of Manchu culture with rural tourism.Taking the ethnic customs and integrated development of rural tourism in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County of Fushun City,Liaoning Province as the research object,this paper mainly sorts out the current situation and characteristics of rural tourism development in the region,systematically explores the problems in development and how to further optimize development,and proposes new models suitable for the development of folk tourism in Xinbin of Fushun,in order to achieve maximum economic and social benefits and provide a reference for promoting the development of tourism in the region.

Inequality of rural residents'income in China since the targeted poverty alleviation strategy:New trends,causes,and policy implications

Poverty and income inequality are problems faced by many countries including China.Since the implementation of Targeted Poverty Alleviation(TPA),absolute poverty has been eradicated,meanwhile,Chinese rural residents' income and inequality have experienced unprecedented new dynamics,but still,very few studies have focused on them.Hence,we attempt to examine the new trends in Chinese farmers' income inequality and to understand its causes during this period.We observe that China's urban-rural income ratio has been shrinking and the urban-rural inequality has been decreasing from 2014 to 2021.The reduction in the Theil index indicates a decrease in the regional inequality of farmers' income as well,and the decline in inter-regional inequality among eight economic zones contributes about 80% to increased equality.These new trends are caused by the fact that,with the TPA,the incomes of rural residents especially that in destitute areas,grew faster than that of urban residents and farmers in prosperous areas.The higher share of non-agricultural industry and agricultural mechanization level have significant positive impact on regional equality of farmers' income,while urban-rural dual structure has significant negative inhibitory effects.The lowest farmers' income and the highest inequality in the Northwest,and the slowest growth in the Northeast deserve more attention in rural Revitalization.From these findings,we propose four policy implications that would be applied to improve Chinese farmers' income equality,govern relative poverty,and achieve common prosperity in the post-poverty era.

Theoretical Research and Practical Application of the Rural Cultural Enhancement by Creative Designs Under Rural Vitalization-A Case Study of Shanxi Province

To revive the nation,the rural area must be revitalized.Every regional cultural and creative industry has its own development path and practical mode.From the perspective of rural revitalization,this paper conducts research on the development model of cultural and creative design,and analyzes the significance of the integration of creative design with rural regional culture.Based on the current situation of rural cultural and creative development in Shanxi Province,this study proposes to form a brand communication chain through the integration between cultural design and rural culture,and the establishment of cultural and creative brands,furthermore,to establish trending topics through multiple channels.Finally,the important practical significance of cultural and creative design in promoting rural economic development and enhancing rural culture value is discussed in this design strategy,so as to actively help the new journey of rural revitalization.

Research on Evaluation of Spatial Vitality and Influencing Factors of Guesthouses Public Areas Based on Rural Tourism Development

In recent years,China has continued to promote the strategy of rural revitalization.The rural tourism industry has developed rapidly in the context of rural revitalization.Now the rural B&B industry has become an important pillar in solving the problem of rural tourism accommodation.Most of the villages in China have begun to carry out the construction of rural lodging,for example,there are residents who use idle houses to carry out construction on their own initiative and projects developed by village collectives,so the rural lodging industry has been vigorously developed.The vitality of supporting industries and landscape resources around the distribution of rural lodging has become a hot spot of rural issues research in recent years.Therefore,we can use the method of data analysis to analyze the industry and function of the public area around the distribution of rural B&B.Through the comparison of data and the interpretation of related cases,the core elements affecting the spatial vitality of B&B public areas can be identified.We will analyze and improve the related elements to find a reasonable way to enhance the spatial vitality value.Finally,the article will put forward suggestions to improve the related spatial vitality as a way to promote the development of rural B&B industry and the progress of rural tourism.

The effect of"rural cultural auditorium"on the revitalization of rural culture:A case study of villages A and B in Zhejiang Province

The construction of rural cultural auditorium is conducive to gathering local popularity,excavating history and continuing civilization,and it has become a powerful driving force for cultural revitalization in rural revitalization.However,the development of"Rural Cultural Auditorium"encountered many problems so far.From the perspective of rural cultural revitalization,and under the background of the new socialist rural cultural construction in China,this paper takes the rural cultural auditorium as the topic.The field questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview were constructed in Village A and Village B of Zhejiang Province,.SPSS software is used to analyze the collected questionnaire data.On the basis of combing related concepts and theories,it summs up the problems of"rural cultural auditorium",such as the existence of cultural auditorium,low participation rate of cultural auditorium activities,poor information communication,etc.Through visiting and investigating,going deep into the local area,according solutions are put forward such as increasing content diversity,paying attention to publicity and increasing interaction,so as to promote the healthy and sustainable development of rural cultural auditorium.It is hoped that this paper will explore the significance of the construction of rural cultural auditorium to the revitalization of rural culture in China,and put forward ideas on how to further build rural cultural auditorium,so as to provide reference for rural cultural construction services.

Challenges and Enhancement Pathways in County-Level Rural Industry Revitalization: Insights from Ningyang

The development status and development mode of rural industry have been widely concerned by all sectors of the country. Through investigation, it is found that the development of rural industry cannot be achieved without the participation of the party committee, government, enterprises, village collectives, and farmers. Starting from the theory of collaborative governance, this paper takes the rural industry as the main research object and conducts an in-depth exploration of the industrial model, management, radiation, and planning. Through practical case research, three improvement paths are formulated according to the difficulties of industrial development, including collaborative governance mechanism, talent cultivation mechanism, and industrial development mechanism. The focus is on the participation degree of farmers and the distribution of farmers’ interests, so that the rural revitalization results can truly benefit farmers and lead them.

Selection of New Energy Development Models in Rural Jilin Province under Different Situations

Jilin Province’s vast rural areas are endowed with abundant new energy resources,which provide a fundamental condition for the development of new energy in rural Jilin.This paper will explore the various possibilities of new energy development in rural Jilin under the background of grid infrastructure construction,the deepening of electricity market reform,the modernization of agriculture and rural areas,and the transformation of energy.It will draw conclusions on the reasonable development models of new energy in rural Jilin under different scenarios,providing a reference for the development of new energy in rural Jilin and rural revitalization.

Spatial-temporal differentiation and influencing factors of rural settlements in mountainous areas: an example of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Southwestern China

Rural settlement is the basic spatial unit for compact communities in rural area. Scientific exploration of spatial-temporal differentiation and its influencing factors is the premise of spatial layout rationalization. Based on land use data of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture(hereinafter referred to as Liangshan Prefecture) in Sichuan Province, China from 1980 to 2020, compactness index, fractal dimension, imbalance index, location entropy and the optimal parameters-based geographical detector(OPGD) model are used to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of the morphological characteristics of rural settlements, and to explore the influence of natural geographical factors, socioeconomic factors, and policy factors on the spatial differentiation of rural settlements. The results show that:(1) From 1980 to 2020, the rural settlements area in Liangshan Prefecture increased by 15.96 km^(2). In space, the rural settlements are generally distributed in a local aggregation, dense in the middle and sparse around the periphery. In 2015, the spatial density and expansion index of rural settlements reached the peak.(2) From 1980 to 2020, the compactness index decreased from 0.7636 to 0.7496, the fractal dimension increased from 1.0283 to 1.0314, and the fragmentation index decreased from 0.1183 to 0.1047. The spatial morphological structure of rural settlements tended to be loose, the shape contour tended to be complex, the degree of fragmentation decreased, and the spatial distribution was significantly imbalanced.(3) The results of OPGD detection in 2015 show that the influence of each factor is slope(0.2371) > traffic accessibility(0.2098) > population(0.1403) > regional GDP(0.1325) > elevation(0.0987) > poverty alleviation(0). The results of OPGD detection in 2020 show that the influence of each factor is slope(0.2339) > traffic accessibility(0.2198) > population(0.1432) > regional GDP(0.1219) > poverty alleviation(0.0992) > elevation(0.093). Natural geographical factors(slope and elevation) are the basic factors affecting the spatial distribution of rural settlements, and rural settlements are widely distributed in the river valley plain and the second half mountain area. Socioeconomic factors(traffic accessibility, population, and regional GDP) have a greater impact on the spatial distribution of rural settlements, which is an important factor affecting the spatial distribution of rural settlements. Policy factors such as poverty alleviation relocation have an indispensable impact on the spatial distribution of rural settlements. The research results can provide decisionmaking basis for the spatial arrangement of rural settlements in Liangshan Prefecture, and optimize the implementation of rural revitalization policies.

The impact of Internet access on household dietary quality:Evidence from rural China

Over the past few decades,the Internet has rapidly diffused across China.The spread of the Internet has had a profound economic and social impact on Chinese rural areas.Existing research shows that Internet access significantly impacts agricultural production and improves smallholder farmers’income.Beyond these,the Internet can affect other dimensions of social welfare.However,research about the impact of Internet access on dietary quality in rural China remains scarce.This study utilizes multi-period panel data from Fixed Observation Point in rural China from 2009 to 2015 to estimate the impact of Internet access on dietary quality and food consumption of rural households and conducts a causal analysis.Regression models with time and household fixed effects allow robust estimation while reducing potential issues of unobserved heterogeneity.The estimates show that Internet access has significantly increased rural household dietary quality(measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index).Further research finds that Internet access has increased the consumption of animal products,such as aquatic and dairy products.We also examine the underlying mechanisms.Internet access improves dietary quality and food consumption mainly through increasing household income and food expenditure.These results encourage the promotion of Internet access as a valuable tool for nutritional improvements,especially in rural areas.

Accelerating the Digitalization Process in Rural China and Promoting Common Prosperity

Under the historical background of promoting agricultural and rural modernization in an all-round way,this paper deeply analyzes the practical significance of digital construction in rural China,and explores the problems in the digitalization level of rural infrastructure,farmers digitalization awareness and accomplishment,and agricultural digital system.Countermeasures and suggestions are put forward from four aspects:digital village construction policy system,rural digital infrastructure construction,rural digital talent cultivation system,and agricultural digital system,and the rural digital construction of Huzhou City is taken as an example,in order to further realize the goal of empowering rural farmers with digital technology for common prosperity.

Circulation of Development Factors Promoted by Innovation of Land Management Under Background of Rural Vitalization:A Case Study of Tengtou Village in Zhejiang Province,China

Land is the space carrier for the existence and flow of other development factors.Activating rural land and promoting the circulation of other development factors through land management innovation is necessary to realize rural vitalization.This paper identifies the connotation of factor flow in the rural vitalization context,the action mechanism of land management innovation to boost the flow of development factors,the issues and obstacles restricting factor circulation,and the realization mechanism of the flow of development factors in rural vitalization.Based on the analytic paradigm constructed in the paper,the successful practice of promoting the flow of development factors through innovative land management in a model village is examined.The results show that:1)the unreasonable systems characterized by the land use system in rural areas are the main obstacles causing circulation issues in development factors.It is essential to engage in comprehensive reform to break down these long-lasting obstacles to the smooth flow of development factors.2)The land should play a leading role in the circulation of development factors in the background of rural vitalization;the main purpose of land management innovation is to activate the land factor,thereby promoting the circulation of other factors.3)The activated land factor will act as a‘trigger’to promote capital and technology in rural settings and use capital and technology to attract the inflow of talents and the return of migrant workers,whereby the population factor will act as a‘catalyst’for the cultivation of rural culture,bringing about the integration of various development factors.4)The innovation of land use and management,increased funding,and new technologies have brought multiple talents to Tengtou Village.The high-frequency mutual feedback between the village’s own and the external development factors resulted in its successful integration of industrial development.

Understanding livelihood vulnerability:a perspective from Western Sichuan’s ethnic rural settings

To explore the livelihood status and key influencing factors of rural households in the minority areas,we collected flat data from 284 rural households in 32 villages across 12 counties of Western Sichuan from 2021 to 2022.We conducted participatory household survey on the livelihood status of the rural households and try to identify the key factors to influence their livelihood vulnerability using multiple linear regression.The results showed that:the livelihood situation of the rural households is relatively vulnerable.The vulnerability varies significantly with the income levels,education levels,and income sources.The vulnerability of farm households,categorized from low to high livelihood types,follows the sequence:non-agricultural dominant households,non-agricultural households,agricultural dominant households,and pure agricultural households.The degree of damage to the natural environment,education costs,loan opportunities,the proportion of agricultural income to annual household income,and the presence of sick people in the household have significant positive effects on the livelihood vulnerability index(LVI)of rural households;while help from relatives and friends,net income per capita,household size,household education,agricultural land area,participation in industrial organizations,number of livestock,purchase of commercial houses,drinking water source,and self-supply of food have significant negative effects.Based on the findings,we believe that local rural households operate in a complex livelihood system and recommend continuous interventions targeting key influences to provide empirical research support for areas facing similar situations.

The Burden of Undiagnosed Hypertension and Associated Risk Factors among Adults in a Rural Community in Imo Sate, South-East Nigeria

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally and hypertension is a major contributor to this burden. Many people with hypertension have poorly controlled blood pressure and up to half of the adults with hypertension are unaware of their hypertensive status due to factors that bother on poor management and poor screening approaches. The implication is that people who have poor access to healthcare especially those in the rural communities are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications and all-cause mortality. Unfortunately, not much has been done to ascertain the burden of undiagnosed hypertension and associated risk factors in rural communities in Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in a rural community in Imo State, Nigeria, on burden of undiagnosed hypertension with participants recruited via a multi-stage sampling method. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used, and standardized instruments were applied to obtain, process and analyze the data. Tests of association between the independent variables and outcome were conducted using logistic regression. P-value of Results: A total of 380 adults participated in the study. The mean age was 44.2 years. The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 35.8%. Logistic regression revealed that age, with the respondents in the age groups 26 - 35 years (OR = 10.647, 1.910 - 59.345, p-value = 0.007), 36 - 45 (OR = 3.680, 1.263 - 10.723, p-value = 0.017), 46 - 55 years (OR = 2.737, 1.114 - 6.727, p-value = 0.039), 56 - 65 years old (OR = 3.384, 1.610 - 7.115, p-value = 0.001);and being married (OR = 3.846, 1.118 - 13.233, p-value = 0.033), were independent risk factors for undiagnosed hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension in the rural population of South-East Nigeria is high. Younger age (26 - 35 years) had the highest odds of risk for occurrence of hypertension. Also being married was identified as a risk factor for undiagnosed hypertension.

A Preliminary Study on the Rural Land System Reform in the Context of Rural Revitalization

With the deepening of reform and opening up,the rural land system has experienced the evolution from contracting to transfer to the current rural revitalization strategy,and has always been closely linked to the well-being of farmers and the vigorous development of the rural economy.The reform of this system is not only a key driving force for rural economic development,but also an important cornerstone for realizing the rural revitalization strategy.Through in-depth analysis of the connotation of rural revitalization and rural land system reform,this study discusses in detail the internal dynamic mechanism of rural land system reform driving rural revitalization,and comprehensively analyzes the current implementation of rural land system reform.On this basis,this study puts forward the strategic concept of promoting the rural land system reform in the context of rural revitalization.Studies have shown that the rural land system reform has mainly played a positive role in the following four aspects in promoting rural revitalization:providing a solid material foundation for rural revitalization,optimizing the allocation of rural resources,promoting the transformation and upgrading of rural industrial structure,and promoting rural social harmony and stability.In the context of the current rural revitalization,the rural land system reform is undoubtedly one of the core issues of China s rural development.In order to further improve this system,we need to continue to optimize and innovate the rural land transfer system,the homestead reform system,and the rural collective construction land market entry system.