https://dspace.aua.am/xmlui/handle/123456789/54 This collection includes all presentations, research findings and publications authored by faculty at AUA 2026-04-15T06:47:53Z https://dspace.aua.am/xmlui/handle/123456789/2457 Becoming Aurora: Translating the Story of Arshaluys Mardiganian Avagyan, Shushan This article was published in the Dissidences : Hispanic Journal of Theory and Criticism, Volume 4, Issue 8 Reconciliation and its Discontents, Article 13, November 2012. 2012-11-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.aua.am/xmlui/handle/123456789/2417 Are all deposit products in the microfinance world created equal? Grigoryan, Aleksandr; Khachatryan, Knar; Hartarska, Valentina; Mersland, Roy Building on the economies of scope framework, we estimate how the use of mandatory deposits alone in credit-only microfinance institutions (MFIs) or in combination with voluntary deposits in credit-plus-deposit MFIs is associated with the performance of MFIs in terms of financial sustainability, breadth, and depth of outreach. We account for MFIs’ double bottom line with the seemingly unrelated regressions method and use data from 544 MFIs worldwide for the period 2000–2015. We show that, for credit-only MFIs, mandatory deposits are associated with improved depth of outreach to the poor. For credit-plus-deposit MFIs, we find a trade-off: mandatory deposits are associated with a decrease in financial sustainability but an increase in breadth of outreach. We also analyze the moderating role of mandatory deposits. High-risk loans collateralized by mandatory deposits are more likely to reach poorer clients in credit-only MFIs and help to reach more borrowers in credit-plus-deposit MFIs, but at a higher cost. Focusing on Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), a unique type of social enterprise, the article explores the following questions: When firms diversify their service portfolio by introducing new services, how do economies of scope work? How does service diversification fit into the business model of social enterprises and affect their financial and social performance? Emerging Markets Finance and Trade Journal, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/1540496X.2024.2413172 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.aua.am/xmlui/handle/123456789/2407 Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus and Factors Associated with It in Armenia, 2021 Demirchyan, Anahit; Mozalevskis, Antons; Sahakyan, Serine; Musheghyan, Lusine; Aslanyan, Lusine; Muradyan, Diana; Sargsyants, Narina; Ghukasyan, Gayane; Petrosyan, Varduhi Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is among the leading causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Knowledge of its prevalence and risk factors can help to effectively fight the virus. This study was the first to investigate the seroprevalence of HCV, its genotypes, and factors associated with it among the general adult population of Armenia selected countrywide via cluster sampling. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected using third-generation immunoassay. Polymerase chain reaction and genotyping was performed among anti-HCV-positive individuals. Shortly after testing, the participants underwent a telephone survey. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with anti-HCV antibody positivity and chronic HCV infection. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among 3831 tested individuals was 2% (99% CI 1.4, 2.5), and chronic HCV infection was 0.7% (99% CI 0.4, 1.0), with genotypes 3 and 2 being the most common. The risk factors for chronic HCV infection included self-reported chronic liver disease (95% CI 1.47, 15.28), having tattoos (95% CI 1.34, 10.94), ever smoking (95% CI 1.16, 9.18), and testing positive for hepatitis B virus core antibody (95% CI 1.02, 7.17). These risk factors demonstrate that there could be room for strengthening infection control measures to prevent the transmission of HCV in Armenia. The Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS) at the American University of Armenia has published an article entitled “Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus and Factors Associated with It in Armenia, 2021.” The article was published in Viruses, a highly cited, peer-reviewed, open access journal of virology, published online by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) and affiliated with societies of virology in many countries. Volume 16, Issue 9, 2024. DOI: 10.3390/v16091446 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.aua.am/xmlui/handle/123456789/2398 Socio-demographic determinants of infectious disease-related health literacy and knowledge in Armenia: Results from a nationwide survey Sargsyan, Zhanna; Grigoryan, Zaruhi; Sahakyan, Serine; Agopian, Anya; Harutyunyan, Tsovinar The success of health education programs heavily depends on the individuals’ ability to comprehend information and apply it when making decisions regarding health. Low health literacy can lead to poor health in the context of both chronic and infectious diseases, as it influences a range of health-related behaviors. Little is known about infectious disease-related health literacy in Armenia and countries of similar socio-economic profiles. We aimed to quantify the levels of infectious disease-related health literacy and knowledge among the Armenian population and explore the underlying socio-economic factors. The Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) has published this article on health literacy in Armenia in PLOS ONE, an open-access, high impact peer-reviewed scientific journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307300 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z