1,721,031 research outputs found
Modelling socioeconomic trajectories: an optimal matching approach
Full text linkPurpose: the aim of this paper is to describe the use of sequence analysis to model trajectories of life-course economic activity status, within a broader research agenda aimed at improving understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic position and health.Design/methodology/approach: the analysis used data on 288 participants of the Boyd Orr Stratified Sub-Sample, comprising a combination of prospective and retrospective information on economic activity status, as well as health in early old age. Economic activity was coded as a time-based sequence of states for each participant based on six-month periods throughout their lives. Economic activity was classified as: pre-labour market; full-time employment; part-time employment; housewife; made redundant; stopped work due to illness; retired; other unemployed; or not applicable. Optimal matching analysis was carried out to produce a matrix of distances between each sequence, which was then used as the basis for cluster analysis.Findings: the optimal matching analysis resulted in the classification of individuals into five economic activity status trajectories: full-time workers (transitional exit), part-time housewives, career breakers, full-time workers (late entry, early exit), and full-time housewives.Originality/value: the paper presents the case for using sequence analysis as a methodological tool to facilitate a more interdisciplinary approach to the measurement of the life-course socioeconomic position, in particular attempting to integrate the empirical emphasis of epidemiological research with the more theoretical contributions of sociology. This may in turn help generate a framework within which to examine the relationships between life-course socioeconomic position and outcomes such as health in later lif
The role of childhood social position in adult type 2 diabetes: evidence from the English longitudinal study of ageing
Full text linkBackground: socioeconomic circumstances in childhood and early adulthood may influence the later onset of chronic disease, although such research is limited for type 2 diabetes and its risk factors at the different stages of life. The main aim of the present study is to examine the role of childhood social position and later inflammatory markers and health behaviours in developing type 2 diabetes at older ages using a pathway analytic approach.Methods: data on childhood and adult life circumstances of 2,994 men and 4,021 women from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) were used to evaluate their association with diabetes at age 50 years and more. The cases of diabetes were based on having increased blood levels of glycated haemoglobin and/or self-reported medication for diabetes and/or being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Father’s job when ELSA participants were aged 14 years was used as the measure of childhood social position. Current social characteristics, health behaviours and inflammatory biomarkers were used as potential mediators in the statistical analysis to assess direct and indirect effects of childhood circumstances on diabetes in later life.Results: 12.6 per cent of participants were classified as having diabetes. A disadvantaged social position in childhood, as measured by father’s manual occupation, was associated at conventional levels of statistical significance with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood, both directly and indirectly through inflammation, adulthood social position and a risk score constructed from adult health behaviours including tobacco smoking and limited physical activity. The direct effect of childhood social position was reduced by mediation analysis (standardised coefficient decreased from 0.089 to 0.043) but remained statistically significant (p =?0.035). All three indirect pathways made a statistically significantly contribution to the overall effect of childhood social position on adulthood type 2 diabetes.Conclusions: childhood social position influences adult diabetes directly and indirectly through inflammatory markers, adulthood social position and adult health behaviour
The role of sports clubs in helping older people to stay active and prevent frailty: a longitudinal mediation analysis
Full text linkBackground
Frailty is a common syndrome in older adults characterised by increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes as a result of decline in functional and physiological measures. Frailty predicts a range of poor health and social outcomes and is associated with increased risk of hospital admission. The health benefits of sport and physical activity and the health risks of inactivity are well known. However, less is known about the role of sports clubs and physical activity in preventing and managing frailty in older adults. The objective of this study is to examine the role of membership of sports clubs in promoting physical activity and reducing levels of frailty in older adults.
Methods
We used data from waves 1 to 7 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Survey items on physical activity were combined to produce a measure of moderate or vigorous physical activity for each wave. Frailty was measured using an index of accumulated deficits. A total of sixty deficits, including symptoms, disabilities and diseases were recorded through self-report and tests. Direct and indirect relationships between sports club membership, levels of physical activity and frailty were examined using a cross-lagged panel model.
Results
We found evidence for an indirect relationship between sports club membership and frailty, mediated by physical activity. This finding was observed when examining time-specific indirect pathways and the total of all indirect pathways across seven waves of survey data (Est = −0.097 [95% CI = −0.124,-0.070], p = <0.001).
Conclusions
These analyses provide evidence to suggest that sports clubs may be useful in preventing and managing frailty in older adults, both directly and indirectly through increased physical activity levels. Sports clubs accessible to older people may improve health in this demographic by increasing activity levels and reducing frailty and associated comorbidities. There is a need for investment in these organisations to provide opportunities for older people to achieve the levels of physical activity necessary to prevent health problems associated with inactivity
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Costs of healthy living for older adults: the need for dynamic measures of health-related poverty to support evidence-informed policy-making and real-time decision-making
Full text linkObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the dynamic properties of the costs of healthy living for older adults and to compare these costs to the timing and levels of Pension Credit for older adults on low incomes.Study designThis was a longitudinal descriptive study.MethodsWe used monthly inflation data and the concept of a ‘Minimum Income for Healthy Living’ (MIHL) to estimate the dynamic changes in MIHL from 2003 to 2022 and compared these costs with Pension Credit levels for older adults on low incomes.ResultsProgress in closing the gap between the MIHL and Pension Credit has been reversed by recent sharp increases in costs. From April 2021 to April 2022, the MIHL for single older adults rose from £5.57 per week below to £8.29 per week above Pension Credit levels.ConclusionsThere is a need for dynamic measures of health-related poverty to support evidence-informed policy-making and real-time decision-making to mitigate the health impacts on older adults
Pro-environmental behaviours and attitudes are associated with health, wellbeing and life satisfaction in multiple occupancy households in the UK Household Longitudinal Study
Full text linkPro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) and attitudes (PEAs) may influence different domains of health and wellbeing through several mechanisms. The household plays an important role in this relationship; however, there is no previous research on household level PEBs or the PEAs of other household members in relation to health and wellbeing. We used data from 22,427 people in 9344 multiple occupancy households in the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Explanatory variables were household level PEBs, individual PEAs and PEAs of other household members. We used five common physical and mental health and wellbeing outcome measures. Household PEBs were associated with higher life satisfaction. Individual PEAs were associated with lower life satisfaction and worse mental health. PEAs of other household members were associated with higher physical health, mental health and life satisfaction scores for all outcome measures. Findings suggest that ‘greener’ households can produce a ‘win-win’ result for the environment and public health
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Public health aspects of oral calculus: An analysis of trends and future scenarios
Full text linkThe public health importance of calculus emanates from its ubiquity as well as the large cost of its removal. The main aim of this thesis was to model future trends in calculus levels based on the epidemiology of calculus, and changes in demography, cigarette smoking, and patterns of using anti-calculus toothpastes. The methods used included epidemiological analysis using regression modelling, meta-analysis and an algorithm-based estimation of scaling time. The results showed that calculus was universally present and was more in the socially disadvantaged, less educated, irregular dental attendee, those brushing the teeth less frequently, and in smokers. The systematic review of clinical trials revealed that anti-calculus toothpastes might reduce calculus by 27% after 3 months, 34% after 6 months and 54% after 12 months use. A per capita scaling time of 15 minutes was found for both British and American populations and the scaling times varied according to the social class, education, dental attendance behaviour, toothbrushing habits and smoking. Different scenarios tested showed that reduction in the scaling time might occur when the proportion of smokers was reduced and number of people brushing their teeth more frequently increased. Under the scenario where the widest range of effect sizes for anti-calculus toothpastes were postulated population scaling time may be reduced by 10% while the scenario on the use of the most effective formulation may reduce the time for scaling by 25%. The anti-calculus dentifrice use may prolong the interval between visit to dentist for scaling and narrow the gap between social groups. Reductions in risk factors were essential to feel the full benefit of the preventive agent. In conclusion, improved dental health behaviour, reduced smoking and increasing use of anticalculus toothpastes can result in significant reduction in population scaling times
- …
