Expanding the Scope of Diverse Contexts in Affective Science.

The Future of Affective Science special issue covered a broad range of topics, ranging from the valuation and experience of emotions to their expression and regulation. Despite the breadth of these topics, consideration of diverse contexts was limited in that most studies relied on Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) samples and/or failed to explore the rich diversity present in those countries with vast population heterogeneity. We argue that a more systematic approach is essential to advance theory and research on how diverse contexts impact and interact with different components of emotion processes. Specifically, future research should compare a wider range of cultures; examine the interplay between culture, individual, and situation; and transcend the traditional Eastern/Western or WEIRD/non-WEIRD dichotomy and other group comparisons by embracing a dimensional approach to diverse contexts. We provide concrete examples of how leveraging these three approaches to expand the scope of diverse contexts can benefit the future development of affective science, a field heavily impacted by sociocultural context.

Subjective Valuation of Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Analysis of its Influencing Factors: Evidence from Iran.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that typically leads to severe physical disability. The present study aimed to determine the subjective evaluation of this disorder screening and analyze its influencing factors in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using data from the second survey of women either pregnant or planning to become pregnant in Tehran, the capital of Iran, in 2022. The dependent variable was the willingness to pay for this disease screening test. The independent variables included sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics, the history of this disease or other diseases of the person and family, and knowledge about this disease in the included population. Logistic regression was utilized to identify independent variables associated with the dependent variable, and the results were reported as unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios and P values with 95% CIs. A questionnaire was used as a research tool, and STATA 17 software was used for data analysis. The monetary value of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) screening was calculated by estimating willingness to pay using the congenital valuation method. Results: In total, 578 women were included. About 64.85% of respondents had a willingness to pay for SMA screening as the dependent variable, with a mean of $526. University education (P = 0.009) and pregnancy experience (P = 0.021) were associated with the dependent variable. Conclusion: Iranian women expressed their willingness to undergo screening tests, but due to financial constraints, they expected the government and nongovernmental organizations to bear most of the cost.

Patient's willingness to pay for improved community health insurance in Tanzania.

Globally, achieving universal health coverage remains significant challenge. Health insurance coverage in low- and middle-income countries is still low with only a few African countries managed to reach 50% coverage. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing patients' willingness to pay (WTP) for medication and various versions of the improved Community Health Insurance Fund (iCHF) in Tanzania. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in all hospitals, health centres, and eight randomly sampled dispensaries, sampling participant from the queue, one out of every three patient based on their order of entry into consultation room, and interviewed 1,748 patients in Kilombero and Same districts in Tanzania. We used multi-stage Contingent Valuation Methods exploring data collected during client exit interviews. We employed a random utility model and estimated WTP through an ordered logit model. The independent variables were; patient's gender, age, marital status, education, employment status, Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) status, health insurance status, and the type of healthcare facility level. Our findings revealed that most patients exhibited a WTP of an amount equivalent to the current iCHF premiums and would also be willing to pay for an augmented iCHF premium inclusive of additional medication coverage. Upon adjusting for demographic characteristics, we observed that patients enrolled in an insurance program or benefiting from user fee waivers demonstrated a lower WTP for medication, while those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and seeking care in private facilities exhibited a higher WTP. Furthermore, patients with a secondary education level or above generally displayed higher WTP for premiums. Conversely, patients enrolled in private insurance and availing user fee waivers, along with those accessing care in public facilities, demonstrated a lowered WTP for iCHF premiums. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to address systemic deficiencies and improve access to medicines. Our conclusions is that policies considering NCD status, education levels and income status are important when designing health insurance schemes for the informal sector in Tanzania, with the goal of increasing uptake of CHF.

Assessing determinants and readiness for willingness-to-pay (WTP) for unit-based pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) waste tariff structures: A case study of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Many cities in developing countries are searching for financially motivated behavior-based alternatives, such as pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) tariff mechanisms, over conventional methods. This study explores the determinants and readiness for willingness-to-pay (WTP) for introducing unit-based PAYT tariff structures in Kathmandu, Nepal. Two distinct colored volume-based recyclable plastic bags (1 L and 20 L) waste collection systems were introduced, and their acceptability was assessed using the contingent valuation method (CVM) spike model. The findings from a survey of 401 households revealed that the public shows their willingness to replace existing fixed tariff structures with PAYT systems, with WTP values of NRs 36.1 and NRs 42.14 (USD 0.28 and 0.32) for each 1 L and 20 L bags, respectively. Income, age, sex, family size, and household status were the key determinants. Tenants were more willing to pay than homeowners. The PAYT system has a substantial additional revenue generation of 326 % compared to conventional fixed tariff structures and reduces the financial burden of waste financing for public entities. Innovative PAYT tariff structures are also expected to be an effective tool not only from a revenue generation perspective, but also as a financially motivated behavioral tool for waste segregation, reduction, and recycling for sustainable waste management in developing countries.

Can Australian plantation forest carbon offset methods increase carbon storage and timber supply? A case study from the Green Triangle plantation forestry region in Australia.

The plantation forestry estate in Australia has been in decline for a decade or more. Previous studies attribute observed investment inertia to factors including the long-term nature of forestry investments, high up front establishment cost and more recently water resource constraints. The introduction of plantation forestry methods as part of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme in 2017 has generated renewed interest in plantation forestry as a carbon abatement option. To assess this opportunity, we performed high spatial resolution bioeconomic modelling of southeastern Australia's Green Triangle forestry region to understand the joint influence of site productivity, species selection and spatially variable costs including agricultural land prices and transport distances on land use change and additional future timber flows. We found that additional plantations may be economically viable at a carbon price of AU$39/t CO2e. New softwood (P. radiata) plantations provide the lowest cost option across the region when compared to hardwood (E. globulus). However, at carbon prices below AU$50/t CO2e comparatively little technically feasible abatement is possible for both plantation species with only 632,000 t CO2e from hardwood and 12.9 Mt CO2e, from softwood under economically optimised conditions which equates to 0.13 and 2.5 percent of Australia's 2023 emissions respectively. We found however that this may translate to significant additional timber flows for the region's processing industry even at lower carbon prices. We estimated an additional 62,600 green metric tonnes of hardwood (1 percent of annual Australian plantation hardwood harvest) and 6.6 million m3 of cumulative softwood (44 percent supply of annual Australian plantation softwood harvest) over a 50-year period at AU$40/t CO2e. However, the results were found to be sensitive to discount rate assumptions. The discussion focuses on the economic and policy factors that may enable/limit the use of carbon markets to expand the Australian plantation forestry estate.

An initial game-theoretic assessment of enhanced tissue preparation and imaging protocols for improved deep learning inference of spatial transcriptomics from tissue morphology.

The application of deep learning to spatial transcriptomics (ST) can reveal relationships between gene expression and tissue architecture. Prior work has demonstrated that inferring gene expression from tissue histomorphology can discern these spatial molecular markers to enable population scale studies, reducing the fiscal barriers associated with large-scale spatial profiling. However, while most improvements in algorithmic performance have focused on improving model architectures, little is known about how the quality of tissue preparation and imaging can affect deep learning model training for spatial inference from morphology and its potential for widespread clinical adoption. Prior studies for ST inference from histology typically utilize manually stained frozen sections with imaging on non-clinical grade scanners. Training such models on ST cohorts is also costly. We hypothesize that adopting tissue processing and imaging practices that mirror standards for clinical implementation (permanent sections, automated tissue staining, and clinical grade scanning) can significantly improve model performance. An enhanced specimen processing and imaging protocol was developed for deep learning-based ST inference from morphology. This protocol featured the Visium CytAssist assay to permit automated hematoxylin and eosin staining (e.g. Leica Bond), 40×-resolution imaging, and joining of multiple patients' tissue sections per capture area prior to ST profiling. Using a cohort of 13 pathologic T Stage-III stage colorectal cancer patients, we compared the performance of models trained on slide prepared using enhanced versus traditional (i.e. manual staining and low-resolution imaging) protocols. Leveraging Inceptionv3 neural networks, we predicted gene expression across serial, histologically-matched tissue sections using whole slide images (WSI) from both protocols. The data Shapley was used to quantify and compare marginal performance gains on a patient-by-patient basis attributed to using the enhanced protocol versus the actual costs of spatial profiling. Findings indicate that training and validating on WSI acquired through the enhanced protocol as opposed to the traditional method resulted in improved performance at lower fiscal cost. In the realm of ST, the enhancement of deep learning architectures frequently captures the spotlight; however, the significance of specimen processing and imaging is often understated. This research, informed through a game-theoretic lens, underscores the substantial impact that specimen preparation/imaging can have on spatial transcriptomic inference from morphology. It is essential to integrate such optimized processing protocols to facilitate the identification of prognostic markers at a larger scale.

Psychometric Evaluation of Cognitive and Positive Valence Tasks Chosen for the NIMH Research Domain Criteria Project.

The NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative seeks to utilize multidimensional patterns of socio-cognitive behavior to improve understanding of mental illness. We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a subset of RDoC tasks. Specifically, we investigated two positive valence tasks and five cognitive tasks. Participants (N = 320) were recruited through an online research platform. We used generalizability theory to estimate reliability, and factor analysis to examine factor structure. Reliability was average to excellent with some notable exceptions. Factor analysis results raised concerns about whether the factor structure of task scores aligns with the proposed RDoC model. Effects of cognitive manipulations generally supported the construct representation of tasks. Results indicate that the majority of RDoC task scores examined have acceptable reliability or can be made reliable through modest increases in task length. Future research in diverse populations is needed to better understand the factor structure of RDoC cognitive and positive valence measures.

Individuals' willingness to pay for HIV vaccines in Iran: Contingent valuation method.

Background and Aims: This study aims to assess individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine in Iran, focusing on key determinants influencing vaccine acceptance. Utilizing the contingent valuation method (CVM), we aim to provide insights into the economic and socio-cultural factors shaping WTP in Iran. Methods: We conducted face-to-face surveys with 468 participants in Tehran province using purposive sampling. We analyzed demographic characteristics, perspectives on HIV/AIDS, and financial considerations alongside participants' WTP. Statistical analyses, including maximum likelihood estimation, identified factors influencing WTP. Mean WTP values were calculated to quantify the economic valuation of an HIV vaccine. Results: Higher education and monthly income significantly correlated with increased WTP, while gender, age, marital status, and health insurance showed no substantial impact. The mean WTP was 12,590.83 to 12,599.63 thousand Rials in different models, both showing statistically significant WTP values. Conclusion: Higher education and income levels are key determinants of WTP for an HIV vaccine in Iran. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to enhance vaccine accessibility and acceptance in Iran.

Modelling monetary and non-monetary flows of recreational ecosystem services in Germany.

While policy interest and research on recreational ecosystem services (RES) has increased substantially, insights into the actual flows of benefits to people have remained scarce, especially at levels beyond local communities. This paper aims to model RES Flows and Benefits for Germany in monetary and non-monetary terms. We use Germany as a case study due its diversity of landscapes and availability of relevant spatial and empirical data. We develop and apply an assessment approach that considers RES Demand and Supply based on user preferences. Our results show distinct demand-supply matches and mismatches, for example in southwest Germany, and highest flows near population centres. Monetary benefits are highest in counties with high RES Supply that are close to densely populated areas. Our results can usefully inform planning and decision-making, for example to improve and further justify destination management, landscape development, and investments in RES at local, regional, and national levels.

What Affects the Value of Our Time? The Case of Buying a Present vs. Buying for Ourselves and the Impact of Decision-Making Styles.

We study how the buying purpose affects the trade-off between time and money. We consider the case of buying something for ourselves versus buying a gift and the decision whether to spend time traveling to a cheaper store to save money. We hypothesized that when purchasing a gift, people make less effort to save money, and therefore will be less willing to spend time traveling to a cheaper store when they buy a gift. In experiments with several scenarios, we fail to find support for this hypothesis. We also explore the impact of telling subjects that the purchase is made abroad. This is hypothesized to increase the valuation of the buyer's time. We also hypothesize that the interaction of being abroad and buying a gift will be negative. The data support both hypotheses. Subjects answered 15 questions about their decision-making style (rational, intuitive, and spontaneous). Subjects with more rational decision-making exhibit lower time value, which is likely to be closer to the real one. Subjects with more rational decision-making also show more strongly that time abroad is more valuable. These results suggest that questions about decision-making style are correlated with decision-making in scenarios of realistic purchase decisions.

At least two accounting systems for Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) are needed.

Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) denotes the aggregate value of ecosystem services (ESs) supplied by all ecosystem types within an accounting area for a given accounting period in monetary units and represents one of the multiple types of measures of ES values. The value of each ES is typically calculated by multiplying the ES's quantity by the ES's unit value that may be reflected by various proxies, such as market price, replacement cost, and avoided damage cost. As an economic, ecological, or environmental indicator, GEP should be calculated based on certain standards, allowing for comparison over time and across regions. While many standards, including which ESs to account for and what proxies for ESs' values to use, should be unified to improve the comparability of GEP, this standardization does not mean a single GEP accounting system is sufficient to achieve multiple goals. Instead, at least two accounting systems with different applicability and levels of sophistication are needed. (1) To assess environmental status, ecosystems' capacities to provide ESs, and the performance of environmental governance, there should be a simplified system that accounts for both realized ESs (actually received by humans) and potential ESs (beyond actual humans demands) and adopts a nationwide unified constant unit value of each ES. (2) To assess ESs' actual contributions to socioeconomic development and human well-being, there should be a more sophisticated system that accounts for realized ESs only and adopts a dynamic unit value of each ES. This dynamic unit value should be adjusted to fit local socioeconomic and ecological contexts, consider the tipping point or threshold in each ES's quantity, and reflect the diminishment or increment in the marginal utility of each ES.

Validating costly protected area restoration after (increasing) disasters.

Protected areas such as national parks constitute an increasing land mass globally, but these areas are under increasing threat from climate change events such as drought, flooding, and bushfires. The recent Yosemite National Park fires in California provide an example of this issue. After any such disaster, authorities will need to restore those protected areas to their former state at significant costs within any public funding cycle. To corroborate that request, clear economic assessments of total costs and benefits will be required. However, in previous studies of these issues a complete set of government cost and/or benefit data may not be provided, skewing assessment results accordingly. Using South Australia's Kangaroo Island protected areas-which were significantly destroyed by bushfire in 2019-20-as a case study with a unique set of State government cost data we calculate a set of analyses via economic methods. Despite significant restoration costs the study found the discounted net present value of returning tourists to the Island is 3.15 over ten years for park tourism and regional economic impacts, providing an internal rate of return of 22%. The rebuild work is also expected to support around 430 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs during construction, with a return to full tourism supporting another 744 FTEs across relevant sectors (e.g. accommodation, retail) of the Kangaroo Island economy. This robust assessment makes it far easier for protected area managers to argue their funding case.

Agroecosystem's contributions to people: how ranchers and specialists perceive threatened Espinal forests used for cattle-grazing.

Scientists and managers seek to implement more inclusive and effective conservation strategies by incorporating plural valuations of nature and nature's contributions to people (NCP) into research and decision-making. For Argentina's threatened Espinal ecoregion, this need is particularly acute. In Entre Ríos province, practically all of these forests are devoted to production, and the expanding agricultural frontier increases their conversion to crops. We surveyed family ranchers and agricultural/environmental specialists, two key stakeholders for managing Espinal forests used for cattle grazing. Employing a sociocultural valuation, we determined i) stakeholder recognition of the Espinal's NCP and its support for quality of life, ii) similarity between stakeholder valuations (importance: 0 = none; 4 = very) of NCP and dimensions of well-being derived from the Espinal, and iii) relationship between ecological (e.g., forest degradation) and social (e.g., place of residence) factors and perceptions of the forest. Ranchers recognized more NCP and quality-of-life aspects, and the importance to their well-being tended to be greater than specialists. Both groups valued regulating and non-material NCP above material contributions and considered that forests are very important for physical and mental health. Finally, only rancher perceptions varied with tested variables, depending on degradation levels of forests with which they have the most contact and/or carry out their activities, the number of uses and recreational activities they carry out in forests, their knowledge of forests, and their place of residence. This study illustrates common ground upon which to promote synergies between production and conservation in Espinal-cattle agroecosystems.

Valuation of the EQ-5D-3L in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: In Jordan, no national value set is available for any preference-accompanied health utility measure. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a value set for EQ-5D-3L based on the preferences of the Jordanian general population. METHODS: A representative sample of the Jordanian general population was obtained through quota sampling involving age, gender, and region. Participants aged above 18 years were interviewed via videoconferencing using the EuroQol Valuation Technology 2.1 protocol. Participants completed ten composite time trade-offs (cTTO) and ten discrete choice experiments (DCE) tasks. cTTO and DCE data were analyzed using linear and logistic regression models, respectively, and hybrid models were applied to the combined DCE and cTTO data. RESULTS: A total of 301 participants with complete data were included in the analysis. The sample was representative of the general population regarding region, age, and gender. All model types applied, that is, random intercept model, random intercept Tobit, linear model with correction for heteroskedasticity, Tobit with correction for heteroskedasticity, and all hybrid models, were statistically significant. They showed logical consistency in terms of higher utility decrements with more severe levels. The hybrid model corrected for heteroskedasticity was selected to construct the Jordanian EQ-5D-3L value set as it showed the best fit and lowest mean absolute error. The predicted value for the most severe health state (33333) was - 0.563. Utility decrements due to mobility had the largest weight, followed by anxiety/depression, while usual activities had the smallest weight. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first EQ-5D-3L value set in the Middle East. The Jordanian EQ-5D-3L value set can now be used in health technology assessments for health policy planning by the Jordanian health sector's decision-makers.

An EQ-5D-5L Value Set for Ghana Using an Adapted EuroQol Valuation Technology Protocol.

OBJECTIVES: Ghana's economic evaluation reference case recommends quality-adjusted life-years as an outcome measure for the conduct of cost-utility analysis. There is no Ghanaian value set available to be used in estimating quality-adjusted life-years. This study aimed to develop a value set for Ghana using the EQ-5D-5L instrument. METHODS: Face-to-face preference data were collected from 300 adults across 3 regions of Ghana using the adapted version of the EuroQol valuation technology (EQ-VT) standardized valuation protocol; with composite time-trade-off (cTTO) and discrete-choice experiments (DCEs) elicitation techniques. The cTTO and DCE data were modeled individually or together to provide complementary results on respondents' utility preferences. Models explored were generalized least squares, Tobit, heteroskedastic, logit, and hybrid. The best-fitting model for the value set was selected based on its logical consistency, accounting for left-censored and heteroscedasticity data, and the statistical significance of parameters. RESULTS: The 300 interviews provided 4500 cTTO responses and 4200 DCE responses. The preferred model chosen for the Ghana value set was the Hybrid Tobit random effect heteroscedastic-constrained model. The predicted value for the worst attainable health state (55555) was -0.493 and the best health state (11112) was 0.969. The largest decrement was registered for level 5 mobility (0.369) followed by pain/discomfort (0.312), self-care (0.273), anxiety/depression (0.271), and usual activities (0.268). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first Ghanaian EQ-5D-5L value set based on social preference derived from a nationally representative sample. The value set will play a key role in the use of economic evaluation studies to inform priority setting in Ghana where different health technologies can be compared.

Methods and data needs to estimate the economic market value of livestock at different spatial scales.

Assessing the economic value of livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and fish can offer information about their financial performance and economic importance at farm, national and global scale. Such information is needed for decision-making surrounding livestock finance, investment and strategic development. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the key livestock valuation methods and associated data requirements. The study was conducted using a literature review. Five key livestock valuation methods were identified and described: historical costs, net current market value, replacement costs, net present value and cost of production. The findings of this study may be of interest to livestock scientists, veterinarians, policy-makers and other stakeholders who aim to assess the economic value of livestock herds. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme relied on the outcomes of this study to identify methods for the estimation of the economic value of livestock at the global scale and for its Ethiopia and Indonesia case studies.

L'estimation de la valeur économique des animaux d'élevage (bovins, caprins, ovins, porcins, poulets et poissons d'élevage) peut apporter un éclairage sur leurs performances financières et leur intérêt économique à l'échelle d'une exploitation, d'un pays ou du monde. Ces informations sont indispensables pour étayer les décisions de financement, d'investissement et de développement stratégique des élevages. L'étude présentée par l'autrice vise à donner une vue d'ensemble des principales méthodes d'estimation de la valeur des animaux d'élevage et des exigences qui leur sont associées en termes de données. L'étude repose sur un examen de la littérature sur le sujet. Cinq méthodes principales d'estimation de la valeur des animaux d'élevage y sont répertoriées et décrites : coûts historiques, valeur marchande courante nette, coûts de remplacement, valeur actuelle nette et coûts de production. Les résultats de cette étude pourraient intéresser les spécialistes de l'élevage, les vétérinaires, les décideurs politiques et d'autres parties prenantes qui cherchent à évaluer la valeur économique des cheptels. Le programme " Impact mondial des maladies animales " s'est appuyé sur les résultats de cette étude pour retenir les méthodes d'estimation de la valeur économique des animaux d'élevage appliquées à l'échelle mondiale ainsi que dans les études de cas conduites en Ethiopie et en Indonésie.

Evaluar el valor económico del ganado, como vacas, cabras, ovejas, cerdos, pollos y peces, puede ofrecer información sobre su desempeño financiero y su importancia económica tanto a nivel de la explotación como a escala nacional y mundial. Esta información es necesaria para la toma de decisiones en materia de financiación, inversión y desarrollo estratégico de la ganadería. El objetivo de este estudio era ofrecer una visión general de los principales métodos de valoración del ganado y de las necesidades de datos conexas. Para ello, se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica y se distinguieron y describieron cinco métodos fundamentales de valoración de la ganadería: costes históricos, valor actual de mercado neto, costes de reposición, valor actual neto y costes de producción. Las conclusiones de este estudio pueden ser de interés para científicos que trabajan en el ámbito de la ganadería, veterinarios, responsables de la toma de decisiones y otras partes interesadas en la evaluación del valor económico del ganado. El programa sobre el Impacto Global de las Enfermedades Animales se basó en los resultados de este estudio para definir métodos de estimación del valor económico del ganado a escala mundial y para sus estudios de caso de Etiopía e Indonesia.

Investigating children's valuation of authentic and inauthentic objects: Visible object properties vs. invisible ownership history.

In human culture, an object's value is influenced by tangible properties (e.g. visual desirability and constituent materials) and intangible ownership history (e.g. authentic objects owned by celebrities are often worth more than similar inauthentic objects). Children are sensitive to both of these factors as independent determinants of value, but research has yet to elucidate how they interact. Here, we investigate whether children aged 5-11 years consider object properties or authentic ownership history to be the greater determinant of value and examine how their object valuations are influenced by owners' characteristics. In Study 1, visually desirable and undesirable items belonging to 'famously good' owners received higher valuations than similar items belonging to non-famous owners, whereas desirable items belonging to 'famously bad' owners received significantly lower values. In Study 2, children considered items made from cheap materials belonging to famously good owners, but not famously bad owners, to be as valuable as similar items made from expensive materials belonging to non-famous owners. In Study 3, physical contact with a famously bad owner had a detrimental impact on value, but worn and unworn objects belonging to famously good owners did not significantly differ in value. Across studies, we documented evidence that children's sensitivity to authentic ownership history and physical contact as determinants of value increases with age. Together, these findings demonstrate that children's valuation of ownership history relative to object properties depends on the owner's 'essence', and their sensitivity to owner contact as a mediator of value indicates awareness of 'magical contagion'.

Willingness to Pay for Telemedicine Services Among Uninsured Individuals in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the Willingness To Pay (WTP) of uninsured individuals in Saudi Arabia and the factors influencing their decisions regarding telemedicine services. Patients and Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey design and convenience sampling to gather data from respondents aged 18 years or older who had visited healthcare facilities at least once in the past year and were uninsured. WTP was determined using the contingent valuation method, and a two-part regression model was applied to analyze the factors influencing WTP. Results: The study included 4232 participants and discovered that approximately 17.41% were willing to pay for telemedicine services. Those aged 60 and older, employed in the government or private sector, in higher socioeconomic quintiles, and experiencing chronic health issues showed a positive association with their WTP value. Conversely, individuals aged between 30 and 44 years, married, and unemployed exhibited a negative association with a lower WTP value. Conclusion: The findings indicate that most respondents hesitated to pay for telemedicine services, with a significant influence from sociodemographic characteristics, underscoring the need to promote telemedicine use among underserved populations and address health disparities.

Measuring the harm of sugar sweetened beverages and internalities associated with it.

Introduction: Obesity, which is partly driven by the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), significantly increases the risk of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, leading to substantial health and economic burdens. Methods: This study aims to quantify the monetary value of health harms caused by SSB consumption, along with the associated internalities, through a contingent valuation survey. The results are crucial for determining the socially optimal tax rate. Results: We surveyed 293 residents of Wellington, New Zealand, to assess their willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in the risks of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease associated with SSB intake. Logistic regression analysis revealed the marginal WTP for a 1% risk reduction in diabetes, stroke, and heart disease to be NZ$404.86, NZ$809.04, and NZ$1,236.84, respectively. Based on these values, we estimate the marginal harm from SSB consumption to be approximately NZ$17.37 per liter in New Zealand, with internalities amounting to NZ$6.43 per liter, suggesting an optimal tax rate of NZ$6.49 per liter. Discussion: Implementing such a tax is feasible and would likely double or triple the price of SSBs in New Zealand.

Chinese utility weights for the EORTC cancer-specific utility instrument QLU-C10D.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to provide Chinese utility weights for the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Utility Measure-Core 10 Dimensions (EORTC QLU-C10D) which is a preference-based cancer-specific utility instrument derived from the EORTC QLQ-C30. METHODS: We conducted an online survey of the general population in China, with quota sampling for age and gender. Each respondent was asked to complete a discrete choice experimental survey consisting of 16 randomly selected choice sets. The conditional logit model and mixed logit model were used to analyze respondents' preferences, and the goodness of fit of the model was tested. RESULTS: A total of 2003 respondents were included in the analysis. Utility decrements within dimensions were typically monotonic. Monotonic inconsistency issues in the Fatigue, Sleep, and Nausea dimensions were normalized by monotonicity correction. Physical functioning, Pain, and Role functioning were associated with the greatest utility weights, with the smallest decrements being in Bowel problems and Emotional functioning. The utility value for the worst health state was 0.083, i.e. slightly higher than being dead. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first China-specific set of value for the QLU-C10D based on societal preferences of the Chinese adult general population. The value set can be used as a cancer-specific scoring system for economic evaluations of new oncology therapies and technologies in China.

1. This study provides the first China-specific set of value for the QLU-C10D based on societal preferences of the Chinese adult general population. 2. The value set can be used as a cancer-specific scoring system for economic evaluations of new oncology therapies and technologies in China.