Review of European Studies, Issue: Vol.17, No.2

Older Adults’ Health, Ethnicity, and Daily Life

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 13:23:54 +0000

This study examines the relationship between ethnicity and daily functional disabilities among older adults, focusing on Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). The analysis uses data from the 2020 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) survey, which included a sample of individuals aged 57-85 (n=3,005). Respondents provided information on their demographic background (e.g., income, gender, race, age, health, retirement, and marital status) and socioeconomic characteristics through telephone interviews. The study hypothesized that ethnic differences would be evident in perceived difficulties with ADLs and IADLs in later life. To assess these relationships, both MANOVA and regression analyses were conducted. The results showed that African American and Hispanic older adults reported greater difficulty with ADLs and IADLs compared to their Anglo counterparts, highlighting significant ethnic disparities in daily functional challenges. These findings are consistent with the convoy model, suggesting that ethnicity significantly influences health outcomes and functional abilities in later life. Future research should include a broader range of variables to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between demographic factors and health outcomes, including daily functional disabilities, among older adults.

Wider Computer-Test Use to Assess-Risk-Manage (ARM) Cuts U.S. Yearly 10,000-Violence-Deaths &Saves $322B-$1.2T-Violence-Cost-by Diverting High-Risk-Persons

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 13:41:26 +0000

Summary.—Ask Standard Predictor (AS) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2/A) computer-tests find high-risk persons with 3-or-4 out of a “7-point-high-risk-profile”(addiction-alcoholism, deception, depression, antisocial-behavior, paranoid-ideation, schizophrenic-thinking, violence), based on 320,051-persons, 212-studies, 95-years, with 97% objectivity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, validity, compared to current ways that miss 61% (homicidal, mass or serial-murdering, sex-offending, overdosing, suicide-completers), costing U.S. $2.36T/year. One solution is teaching insurance executives to copy in 100 cities, “1-summer-Chicago-youth-job-program” 311,599 high-risk youth, over 17-years, targeted with ASP-replicated-equation, diverted with jobs, mentors, anger-training [ROI = $6.42/$], saving $3.6B-$5.3B, preventing 1,242 homicides, lowering shootings 46%, violent offenses 77%. Another solution is weekend, business-university-department workshops on the math and science with 124 real-life-stories of finding-high-risk-persons and taking the 2 computer tests for leadership (education, energy, health, military, nonprofit-religious, police, prisons, transportation, ROI = $2-323/$) lowering high-risk, saving hundreds of billions. Insurance-brokers mandating workshop attendance in professional liability contracts lower victim payouts, lost profits, and trauma.

Combined Effects of Foreign Aid and Literacy Rate on Economic Growth

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:40:12 +0000

Purpose: This study examines how official development assistance (ODA) amounts and literacy rates complexly influence countries’ rates of economic growth.

Design/methodology/approach: We conduct a panel regression analysis of data from 2001 to 2020.

Findings: The major findings are: (1) ODA is more effective in countries with low literacy rates; (2) ODA can even have negative impacts in high-literacy countries; and (3) in addition to considering foreign aid and its applications, discussions of countries’ development should therefore take into account domestic systems and social geographies.

Research limitations/implications: Literacy rate is only one indicator of national development; a broader analysis is therefore needed to fully elucidate countries’ economic development.

Originality/value: While previous studies position foreign aid as a natural ground for examining economic development, this study widens the debate by highlighting the importance of countries’ domestic social infrastructure and the networks that undergird development.

Finding High-Risk Adults/Youth: Assessing Risk Management (ARM): Ask-Standard-Predictor (ASP): Reliable, Valid, 11-Question Survey: Finding High-Risk Saves USA $300B-$1.2T Annual Violence Expense & Prevents 10,000 Murders

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:18:29 +0000

Summary. - Ask-Standard-Predictor (ASP) surveys high-risk adults/youth before high-risk/self-harm [assessing risk management (ARM)]; 2,722 (1,595 adults, 1,127 youth) followed (in court, hospital, physician, school records) for 3-12-years, analyzed with robust, statistical methods (in-bag, out-of-bag, cross-validation, Shao’s bootstrapped, logistic-regressions), resulting in:: (a) predictive-accuracy [area-under-curve (AUC) = 0.99, adults, AUC = 0.91, youth, AUC = 0.96, combined]; (b) internal-consistency [Cronbach’s α = 0.61–0.62]; (c) test-retest-reliability [r_tt= 0.75–0.76]; (d) convergent-divergent-validity (ability, achievement, perception, personality tests); (e) replicated-sensitivity- specificity [96-97%]. Predictors are valid across many populations [including 311,599 targeted, Chicago youth, receiving jobs, mentors, and anger-training, over 17-years, saving $3.6B-$5.3B, 1,242 homicides, 46% less shootings, and 77 fewer violent-youth-crimes] in “1-Chicago-Youth-Summer-Jobs-Program.” ASP is an extension of 95-year-probation-parole-decision-making-tests, allowing lowering high-risk by targeting scientifically-proven, cost-effective treatments. ASP and MMPI-2/A have the same”7-point-high-risk-profile” for youth, adults, males, females, homicidal, mass-murdering, serial-killing, sex-offending, suicide-completers, and overdosing, namely: 1-violence, 2-deception, 3-depression, 4-antisocial-behavior, 5-paranoid-ideation, 6-schizophrenic-thinking, 7-addiction-alcoholism.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Asymmetric Cost Behavior Under the Influence of Corporate Governance

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 17:32:45 +0000

A sample of European firms engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities is investigated in this study with regard the occurrence of asymmetric cost behavior in their operating expenses under the umbrella of corporate governance structures. The empirical findings of the paper provide evidence that operating expenses exhibit cost stickiness in the case of firms with stronger engagement in CSR activities. The firms with high intensity of CSR engagement seem to exhibit less operating cost stickiness under stronger corporate governance mechanisms. The findings of this study suggest that in addition to economic factors, managers’ choices regarding adjusting costs may be influenced by corporate social responsibility engagement and governance mechanisms which could thus help explain operating costs’ behavior of European firms.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Review of European Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 14:20:01 +0000

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Review of European Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2