Disability Onset among Aging Canadians: Evidence from Panel Data

Author(s):  
Derek Hum ◽  
Wayne Simpson

ABSTRACTPast studies of aging and disability have been restricted to and by cross-sectional data. When cross-sectional surveys measure income, disability status and age at a common point in time, it is impossible to discern the process, and consequences, of a disability onset. In other words, it is not possible to examine the circumstances of the same individuals before, and after, the disability onset; nor whether effects differ according to the age at which the disability occurs. The present study uses a new panel data set, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID), to examine the prevalence of disability with respect to age, gender, and other socio-economic characteristics; however, its unique contribution is its investigation of disability onset, and the rates of entry into, and exit from, disability status by age group and gender. Further, we assess the financial circumstances of those who become disabled vis-à-vis a “control group”.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lajos Horváth ◽  
Zhenya Liu ◽  
Gregory Rice ◽  
Yuqian Zhao

Abstract The problem of detecting change points in the mean of high dimensional panel data with potentially strong cross–sectional dependence is considered. Under the assumption that the cross–sectional dependence is captured by an unknown number of common factors, a new CUSUM type statistic is proposed. We derive its asymptotic properties under three scenarios depending on to what extent the common factors are asymptotically dominant. With panel data consisting of N cross sectional time series of length T, the asymptotic results hold under the mild assumption that min {N, T} → ∞, with an otherwise arbitrary relationship between N and T, allowing the results to apply to most panel data examples. Bootstrap procedures are proposed to approximate the sampling distribution of the test statistics. A Monte Carlo simulation study showed that our test outperforms several other existing tests in finite samples in a number of cases, particularly when N is much larger than T. The practical application of the proposed results are demonstrated with real data applications to detecting and estimating change points in the high dimensional FRED-MD macroeconomic data set.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Saad Rashid Saud Al Alawi ◽  
Muhammad Muqeet Ullah ◽  
Ahmed Yar Mohammed Dawood Al Balushi ◽  
Rajeev Kashyap ◽  
Vandita Kailas Patil

BACKGROUND: Due to one of the highest HIV prevalent province in Oman, Voluntary Counselling Testing (VCT) services were integrated in health system of Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman since December 2014. AIM & OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyze the situation on HIV rapid testing in Al Buraimi Governorate with objective to identify client’s risk factor among common age group and gender. METHODOLOGY: Cross sectional retrospective study was conducted in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman among 1412 registered adult VCT clients, unbooked pregnant women with no documented HIV status at the time of delivery or abortion at Buraimi Hospital and clients during outreach community awareness activities on HIV. Retrospective analysis was performed for 3 years from December 2014 to December 2017 on parameters like Age, gender, nationality, risk factors, outcome and place of testing (Hospital and Outreach) using standard national client information form. Descriptive statistics was applied in Microsoft excel and SPSS version 24. Clients’ personal information and confidentiality of the record was maintained during entire study period with approval from regional research and ethical review committee. RESULTS: Of 1412 clients for Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), 990 (70.1%) were females and 422 (29.9%) were males with mean age 27.13±7.02. Majority, 806 (57.1%) RDTs were in outreach followed by 470 (33.3%) and 136 (9.6%) at Maternity ward and Couselling Clinic respectively. Clients included 1294 (91.6%) Omani nationals and 118 (8.4%) non-Omani nationals. The risky behavior was found to be 126 (9%) among clients with heterosexual contributes 65 (4.6%). Among all risk factors, male clients contributed 124 (8.7%) with common age group 26-35 years 56 (3.9%). CONCLUSION: RDTs were utilized mainly during outreach activities that highlight the need of promoting VCT facilities in the clinical setting as services are available 24/7 through hotline. This baseline study would facilitate to develop plan for client’s risk reduction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-137
Author(s):  
Valeria Prada ◽  
Laura Mori ◽  
Elena Prato ◽  
Mehrnaz Hamedani ◽  
Accogli Susanna ◽  
...  

AIMS: The musician’s hand represents a complex system, which requires important motor skills. Although several studies have already investigated rehabilitation outcomes and techniques in musicians after hand lesions, none have been addressed specifically to objectively quantifiable functional parameters. The purpose of our study was to study hand functionality in violinists in order to provide foundations on which to establish and develop more appropriate rehabilitation protocols. STUDY DESIGN: An observational cross-sectional cohort study consisting of 34 subjects, including 23 students and 11 professional violinists who were either studying or working at a conservatory. Results were compared to a data set of a non-musician control group. METHODS: Nine-hole peg test and hand test system (HTS) were used to perform the study. A hand-held dynamometer was used to measure hand grip and tripod pinch maximal isometric voluntary contraction of both hands. RESULTS: Hand strength did not significantly differ on either side between professional and student violinists. A significant difference was seen when comparing violinists as a whole versus the non-musician control group. HTS highlighted significant differences in dexterity. CONCLUSION: Violinists develop better overall motor performances of the left hand, and their performance is better than normal “non-musician” controls. Dexterity and precision of execution positively correlate to years of practice. We conclude that rehabilitation of a violinist’s hand should be aimed at enhancing motor performance of the left hand and should be focused to maximize dexterity of both hands.


2020 ◽  
pp. 001391652095245
Author(s):  
Travis N. Ray ◽  
Scott A. Franz ◽  
Nicole L. Jarrett ◽  
Scott M. Pickett

Previous research suggests that meditation, a mindfulness exercise, could result in increased connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behavior. Exposure to nature also is associated with these outcomes. It was hypothesized that meditation alongside stimuli reminiscent of the natural environment would produce enhanced effects. Participants ( N = 97) were randomly assigned to complete a 4-week online meditation program consisting of a guided meditation paired with either nature sounds (“nature group”) or spa-like sounds (“control group”). Mindfulness, connectedness to nature, and pro-environmental behavior were assessed before and after the program. Meditation, in general, produced increases in mindfulness, connectedness to nature, and pro-environmental behavior. Additionally, the nature group had a greater rate of change in connectedness to nature when compared to the control group. The results extend previous cross-sectional research by demonstrating the beneficial effects of meditation on pro-environmental behavior and its theorized mechanisms, which may be informative for future research and interventions.


2020 ◽  
pp. oemed-2020-106660
Author(s):  
Christian Hakulinen ◽  
Petri Böckerman ◽  
Laura Pulkki-Råback ◽  
Marianna Virtanen ◽  
Marko Elovainio

ObjectivesTo examine employment and earnings trajectories before and after the first sickness absence period due to major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodsAll individuals (n=158 813) in Finland who had a first sickness absence period (lasting longer than 9 days) due to MDD between 2005 and 2015 were matched with one randomly selected individual of the same age and gender with no history of MDD. Employment status and earnings were measured using register-based data annually from 2005 to 2015. Generalised estimating equations were used to examine the trajectories of employment and earnings before and after MDD diagnosis in men and women separately.ResultsSickness absence due to MDD was associated with increased probability of non-employment during and after the year of the first sickness absence period. In men, but not in women, the probability of being employed was lower 5 years before the sickness absence period due to MDD. When compared with the individuals in the control group, men had around 34% and women 15% lower earnings 1 year, and 40% and 23%, respectively, 5 years, after the first sickness absence period due to MDD. More severe MDD and longer duration of sickness absence period were associated with lower probability of being employed.ConclusionsSickness absence due to MDD was associated with considerable reduction in employment and earnings losses. For men and individuals with more severe MDD, this reduction was before the first sickness period. This supports a reciprocal association between employment and earnings with MDD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kordian Staniszewski ◽  
Henning Lygre ◽  
Trond Berge ◽  
Annika Rosén

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is characterized by pain and dysfunction in the temporomandibular join (TMJ) and the masticatory apparatus. Associations with autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, and nutrition deficiencies have been reported in previous studies of TMD patients. To evaluate essential proteins, hormones, electrolytes, and vitamins in serum from TMD patients, a standard blood sample analysis was performed in 60 TMD patients and 60 healthy controls matched for age and gender, retrieving 19 different analyses. We found that TMD patients had significantly higher values of hemoglobin (p=0.036), cobalamin (p=0.023), albumin (p=0.005), parathyroid hormone (PTH) (p=0.038), and vitamin D (p=0.005), and significantly lower values of creatinine (p=0.006) and potassium (p=0.011), compared to controls. In the TMD group, most of the determinants had a wider range, and several subjects, compared to the control group, had values outside the normal reference area. However, most of the TMD patients and controls had values within normal biological range. Our findings could not associate any severe systemic disease, malnutrition, or systemic inflammation with the TMD. Results from our study suggest that serum analyses should neither be used as a biomarker of TMD nor a diagnostic tool for an individual subject with TMD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 137-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ravndal Kostøl ◽  
Magne Mogstad

Two key questions in thinking about the size and growth of the disability insurance program are to what extent it discourages work, and how valuable the insurance is to individuals and families. These questions motivate our paper. We begin by describing the earnings, disposable income, and consumption of awarded and rejected DI applicants, before and after the disability onset and the allowance decision. Next, we discuss how these descriptive results can be interpreted through the lens of alternative empirical approaches. Our analysis uses a Norwegian population panel data set with detailed information about every individual and household.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. B. Samarakoon ◽  
S. Vithoosan ◽  
S. Kokulan ◽  
M. M. Dissanayake ◽  
D. J. Anthony ◽  
...  

Introduction. Cadaveric dissections and prosections have traditionally been part of undergraduate medical teaching. Materials and Methods. Hundred and fifty-nine first-year students in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, were invited to participate in the above study. Students were randomly allocated to two age and gender matched groups. Both groups were exposed to identical series of lectures regarding anatomy of the abdomen and conventional cadaveric prosections of the abdomen. The test group (n=77, 48.4%) was also exposed to cadaveric cross-sectional slices of the abdomen to which the control group (n=82, 51.6%) was blinded. At the end of the teaching session both groups were assessed by using their performance in a timed multiple choice question paper as well as ability to identify structures in abdominal CT films. Results. Scores for spatial and radiological anatomy were significantly higher among the test group when compared with the control group (P<0.05, CI 95%). Majority of the students in both control and test groups agreed that cadaveric cross section may be useful for them to understand spatial and radiological anatomy. Conclusion. Introduction of cadaveric cross-sectional prosections may help students to understand spatial and radiological anatomy better.


2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Creighton ◽  
Melinda Tenant-Flowers ◽  
Christopher B Taylor ◽  
Rob Miller ◽  
Nicola Low

A cross-sectional study of new clients with either gonorrhoea or chlamydia attending King's College Hospital in 1998. One thousand two hundred and thirty-nine women and 1141 men had gonorrhoea, chlamydia or both. Overall, 24.2% (124/512) of heterosexual men and 38.5% (136/353) of women with gonorrhoea also had chlamydia ( P<0.001). Of heterosexual males 18.8% (124/660) and 13% (136/1022) of females with chlamydia also had gonorrhoea ( P=0.002). Ethnicity had no effect on the proportion of co-infection after controlling for age and gender. Clients with dual infection were younger than those with either infection alone ( P=0.0001). Over half of women and a quarter of men aged 15 to 19 years were dually infected so testing for both gonorrhoea and chlamydia may be appropriate in this age group in settings outside genitourinary clinics. The high proportion of cases of gonorrhoea that also have chlamydia justifies the policy of epidemiological treatment for chlamydia.


2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duygu Bozkaya ◽  
Heng Zou ◽  
Cindy Lu ◽  
Nicole W. Tsao ◽  
Byron L. Lam

Abstract Background Choroideremia is a rare inherited retinal disease that leads to blindness. Visual acuity (VA) is a key outcome measure in choroideremia treatment studies, but VA decline rates change with age. An accurate understanding of the natural deterioration of VA in choroideremia is important to assess the treatment effect of new therapies in which VA is the primary outcome measure. We conducted a meta-analysis of data on individuals with choroideremia to determine the rate of VA deterioration between the better- and worse-seeing eye (BSE and WSE, respectively). Methods Data were collected from the prospective Natural History of the Progression of Choroideremia (NIGHT) study (613 eyes, baseline data only), studies included in a recent meta-analysis, and studies identified in a targeted literature search performed on March 25, 2020, including individual best-corrected VA (BCVA) and age data in male individuals with choroideremia. Best-corrected VA decline rates (measured by logMAR units) by age and trends in BCVA decline rates in the BSE and WSE were evaluated.  Results Data from 1037 males (1602 eyes; mean age, 41.8 years) were included. Before and after an age cutoff of 33.8 years, BCVA decline rates for the WSE were 0.0086 and 0.0219 logMAR per year, respectively. Before and after an age cutoff of 39.1 years, BCVA decline rates for the BSE were 0.00001 and 0.0203 logMAR per year, respectively. Differences in absolute BCVA and decline rates increased between the 2 eyes until age ~ 40; thereafter, differences in absolute BCVA and decline rates were similar between eyes. Conclusions Using the largest choroideremia data set to date, this analysis demonstrates accelerated BCVA decline beginning between 30 and 40 years of age. Disparate interocular progression rates were observed before the transition age, with similar interocular progression rates after the transition age.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document