Mr. Cheung Wai Lok

PhD in Philosophy, CUHK

An equality of opportunity conception of equity

Abstract
Equality is distinguished with of outcome and of chance. An equality of outcome shall be when wealth distribution is equal among all citizens. Equality of chance is when every citizen had a chance at acquiring certain thing, and, with power as a good, it is when everyone has the same capability of developing some capacity. Empowerment through formal education, for example, equips the otherwise illiterate with the capacity to read, and equality of opportunity is achieved if everyone receives such formal education, with each student’s own effort in achieving their reading capacity, and, in the end, in being empowered further with the office – public, private, or of listed company – with the corresponding power on one’s right and duty. Equity as equality of opportunity is thus constituted by equal chances, through several institutions of further chances on effort, with access to power. Health equity, in particular, shall thus be an equality of opportunity of empowerment with regard to health. From a pathology point-of-view, illness is when one needed treatment, but from an empowerment point-of-view, it is when one wanted improvement. One wants perfect health, with the corresponding dignity, and thus the power to act on self-respect, and, for example, a cold thus inhibits one’s behavioural response in some situation one would have wanted one to emit. It is thus on a want of having a good life that some medical treatment is needed. The inequality of biological luck with, for example, inborn physiological disability such as congenial blindness, shall raise further questions on equity: do students with mental disability having more time for examination the only amelioration towards better equity?

Mr. Yang Han

PhD in Public Health, CUHK

One Country, Two Populations? Associations of Neighborhood Social Capital with  Health among Rural and urban Chinese Residents

Abstract
Background: In the classic “community lost” vs. “community saved” debate, the community ties and solidarities may either attenuate or persist. Given the two opposing arguments, how individuals’ neighborhood social capital is associated with health is, therefore, an unsettled issue. Considering the difference in the degree of urbanization between rural and urban areas, we compared the difference in their associations of neighborhood social capital with health in China, where a huge rural-urban difference existed.

Methods: Data were from the 2012 Chinese General Social Survey. Health outcome was a factor score constructed by three self-rated health items. We conducted multivariable linear regression models and interaction tests for rural and urban samples separately to examine the association of neighborhood social capital (i.e., neighborhood network size, frequency of socializing with neighbors, voting in neighborhood committee election, participation in neighborhood voluntary activities, and perceived neighborhood social cohesion) with health.

Results: Greater perceived neighborhood social cohesion was associated with better health in both rural and urban areas. In rural areas, a neighborhood network of 10 or more persons was associated with better health than no neighborhood network. Our interaction analysis showed that with the increase of neighborhood network size, the health gap between the income-poor and the non-income-poor in rural areas decreased generally. However, in urban areas, neighborhood network size had neither a significant association with health nor an interaction effect with income-poverty on health.

Conclusions: A cohesive neighborhood is beneficial for both rural and urban residents’ health. Health interventions to improve neighborhood social cohesion should be designed to cope with the challenge of urbanization. Moreover, policymakers should avoid damaging neighborhood social capital when implementing other public policies; this is especially true for rural areas where neighborhood network seems to matter more for health.

Ms. Yan Huang

PhD in Education, CUHK

IntergenerationABILITY: Enhancement of Physical Literacy for Students with Special Educational Needs and Older Baby Boomers in Hong Kong

Abstract
There has been an increasing number of students with special educational needs studying in the public sector in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the cohort of older baby boomers (born between 1946-1955) is growing rapidly as aging continues. However they are often the neglected populations compared to other groups especially in public policies making.

Youngsters and elderly are at two ends of the physical literacy journey. Students with special educational needs, like their able-bodied peers, need to experience physical activity, as developing physical literacy will enhance confidence, self-esteem. Developing physical literacy for elderly is consistent with the goal of healthy aging and will improve well-being of this population.

There is evidence showing that physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes (Sallis et al., 2021). The emphasize of physical literacy development is extraordinarily crucial. Hence this study proposed an intergenerational physical literacy developing program for both students with special educational needs and older baby boomers in Hong Kong. Student participants were from a government-funded secondary school serving special-needs students and elderly participants were recruited from elderly day care centers in Hong Kong. The IntergenerationABILITY program will enhance physical literacy for participants from three domains of the concept “physical literacy”: physical domain will be enhanced through functional fitness training in pairs, cognitive functions will be enhanced by handwriting (older adults) and drawing (students), during the activity sessions, programs such as “Bus Social Classroom” will be offered to enhance their communication skills and intergenerational relationships in between. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated from objective and self-reported assessment tools and focus group interviews will be adopted after the implementation.

This study not only hopes to promote physical literacy among primary beneficiaries of this study but also contribute to social integration and health equity.

Mr. Timothy Sumerlin

MPhil – PhD in Public Health, CUHK

Employment Conditions and Health among Female Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong

Abstract
There are an estimated 160 million migrant workers globally. Foreign domestic workers (FDWs) make up 11.6 million, or 7%, of the total migrant worker population. Previous studies as well as news media have pointed to these FDWs experiencing poor physical and mental health due to poor living and working conditions that can be easily exploited by their employers. However, the majority of these studies have utilized qualitative data collection methods and cannot be generalized to the population as a whole. Hong Kong, a modern city of 7.5 million, is home to 399,320 FDWs primarily from the Philippines (54.9%) and Indonesia (42.8%). Because of this, Hong Kong is an ideal setting for doing a quantitative study to look at FDWs living and working conditions and their health outcomes.

A multi-stage, cluster random sampling method will be utilized to conduct 1067 face-to-face interviews of FDWs. Respondents will be asked about their demographics, living and working conditions, lifestyle factors, and health conditions. EQ5D will be used to assess health related quality of life. We will look at associations between employment conditions, lifestyle factors, and demographic factors on the FDW’s health. We will also look at whether social support and family networks moderate the associations. Furthermore, due to the ongoing complications of the coronavirus in Hong Kong, we will discuss how we’re adjusting our current study plan to accommodate for the restrictions created from repeated outbreaks locally. Preliminary data findings will also be examined.

Ms. Xiaofan Zhou

PhD in Social Welfare, CUHK

The Relationship between Income, Physical Function, Caregivers’ Interaction and Meaning in Life in Institutional Care Elderly

Abstract
Based on the meaning making model, the potentially stressful situation of includes low-income level and poor physical function will influence elderly’s meaning in life. This study contains two research. The first one investigated the relationship between income, physical function and meaning in life and the mediating effect of physical function among urban elderly persons in institutional care. The second one discussed the relationship between physical function and meaning in life, the mediating effect of caregivers’ interaction and the moderating effect of income level. The results show that income and physical function have positive relationships with meaning in life; physical function partially mediated the relationship between staff income and meaning in life; caregivers’ interaction partially mediated the relationship between the physical function and meaning in life. This study provided evidence that the elderly’s income level not only affect their physical health but also shown positive relationship with spiritual health, which lays a practical foundation for the professional development of residential care services.