Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Literacy Skills across Life Stages

Abstract Literacy skills are essential adult competencies for economic, social, political and cultural participation, which are linked to higher quality of life. Literacy skills are known to be lower for older age groups. However, relatively little is known about cohort and period effects, which provide clues to the sociohistorical impacts on literacy, in addition to the well-known age effects, over the life course. This study analyzed three nationally representative cross-sectional survey data of the U.S. adults at five time points, from the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), 2003 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL), and the 2012/2014/2017 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The total analytic sample was 17,450 adults age between 18 and 65 years old. The literacy measures were re-scaled (0-500 points) to be comparable across the surveys. An age-period-cohort hierarchical linear model (i.e., cross-classified random effects model) was constructed using the Bayes estimator. Individuals were cross-classified based on 14 five-year birth cohort and 5 periods (survey years) information. Results showed that literacy skills improved [95% credibility-interval (CI) for linear effect of age = (0.31, 1.07), but the rate of improvement declined over time, faster rates of decline in later life stages [95% CI for quadratic effect of age = (-0.17, -0.09)]. Additionally, the notable variability across the cohorts and periods [95% CI variances = (5.34, 52.52) and (2.30, 172.01), respectively] were identified. Possible explanations for the identified age, period and cohort effects on literacy and implications for adult competencies in later life are evaluated.

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Possible Selves Across the Lifespan

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1454 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 449-449

Author(s):

Victoria Chen ◽

Alysson Light

Keyword(s):

Possible Selves ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Concept ◽

Life Stages ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Midlife Adults ◽

Age Range ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Possible selves are defined as “personalized representations of one’s self in future states” (Cross & Markus, 1991). Research has also found that thinking frequently about possible selves predicts lower well-being, whereas thinking clearly about possible selves is associated with higher well-being (McElwee & Haugh, 2010). However, possible selves differ across the lifespan (Hooker & Kaus, 1994; Cross & Markus, 1991) and life stages can impact exploration of possible identities (Arnett, 2000). Thus we hypothesize that the relationship between thought about possible selves and well-being differs across the lifespan. In a cross-sectional survey, 240 participants (age range: 18-92) reported on frequency and clarity of possible selves, as well as general self-clarity (Campbell et al., 1996). Results indicate curvilinear moderation by age of the link between possible self-clarity and well-being, with the association being stronger among midlife adults than among younger adults and older adults. Also, as clarity of feared possible selves increases, self-concept clarity decreases. Similarly, frequency of thinking about feared possible selves was negatively correlated with self-concept clarity. However, clarity and frequency of thought about hoped-for positive possible selves had no correlation with self-concept clarity.

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Clients’ means of influence on mortgage valuation in Nigeria

Property Management ◽

10.1108/pm-03-2014-0016 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 367-385 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chukwuma C. Nwuba ◽

Uche S. Egwuatu ◽

Babatunde M. Salawu

Keyword(s):

Risk Mitigation ◽

Hierarchical Linear Model ◽

Firm Characteristics ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Mortgage Valuation ◽

Research Designs ◽

Client Pressure ◽

The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate client influence on mortgage valuation in Nigeria to establish and rank the means of influence clients employ, and the impact of firm characteristics on client influence. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of cross-sectional survey and focus groups research designs was adopted. Questionnaire structured on five-point Likert format was used to collect data from a sample of valuation firms in five Nigerian cities. Descriptive statistics, χ2, and moderated hierarchical linear model were used for data analysis. Findings – Clients’ means of influence on valuation are more of subtle approach than threat or coercion. The most prevalent means are respectively, plea for assistance, promise of continued retainership on banks’ valuer panels, and disclosing the loan amount. Client influence differs across cities; firm characteristics have no influence on client pressure. Practical implications – The research provides basis for valuation bodies to review practice rules and standards and seek for legislation for valuer independence. It can serve as material for teaching and training in professional ethics. Social implications – Biased valuations jeopardises credit risk mitigation process with potential for destabilising banks, finance sector, and consequences for the economy. Originality/value – The study provides empirical evidence of the nature of client influence across several major Nigerian cities. In contrast to existing Nigerian studies that focus on single cities, the study covers several cities. It therefore provides a broad basis for problem-solving and decision-making.

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School Management Committee Monitoring Skills and Performance of Government Aided Muslim Founded Primary Schools in Uganda: A Case of Bugisu Muslim District Council

East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences ◽

10.37284/eajass.4.1.473 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 45-55

Author(s):

Habiba Namagembe ◽

Christopher Samuel Mayanja ◽

Rashid Kinsambwe

Keyword(s):

Adult Literacy ◽

Financial Literacy ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Survey Design ◽

Monitoring And Evaluation ◽

School Management ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

School Activities ◽

The Government

The performance of Muslim Founded educational institutions has picked a lot of interest globally over the years. The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council established structures at different levels of administration to participate in the monitoring of Muslim-founded Schools. This study premised on Osborne and Gaebler's (1992) constructs of monitoring, aimed at investigating how monitoring skills of the foundation body representatives on the School Management Committees contribute to the performance of Government Aided Muslim Founded Primary Schools in Uganda, taking a case of the BMDC. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted for this study, with quantitative and qualitative data approaches, while multivariable linear regression was used to obtain the magnitude of the contribution of SMC monitoring skills to the performance of the primary schools under BMDC. The study revealed that monitoring skills have a positive correlation with the performance of the Government Aided Muslim Founded Primary Schools, though, the correlation is moderate. The moderate correlation is caused by insufficient monitoring skills exhibited by the foundation body representatives in areas such as the development of performance indicators, collection of relevant data during monitoring, designing of monitoring tools, and usage of appropriate methods during monitoring. The study, therefore, concluded that such insufficient monitoring skills have hindered them to adequately monitor which has partly affected the performance of the schools. It is as such recommended that BMDC needs to incorporate specific non-financial empowerment capacity-building components into school activities tailored to train the members on the SMC in aspects of monitoring and evaluation, adult literacy, and financial literacy for improved skills, knowledge, and leadership.

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Association between early-life exposure to the Great Chinese Famine and poor physical function later in life: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027450 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. e027450

Author(s):

Tao Tao ◽

Lingyan Dai ◽

JinXiang Ma ◽

Yusi Li ◽

Zhuoyuan Guo

Keyword(s):

Physical Function ◽

Early Life ◽

Later Life ◽

Exposed Group ◽

Self Report ◽

Postnatal Exposure ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fetal Period ◽

Early Life Exposure

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the association between early-life exposure to the Great Chinese Famine (1959–1961) and the prevalence of poor physical function in midlife.DesignA population-based historical prospective study was performed as part of a wider cross-sectional survey. Exposure to famine was defined by birthdate, and participants were divided into non-exposed group, fetal-exposed group and infant-exposed group.Setting and participantsA total of 3595 subjects were enrolled into the study from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2015 based on random selection of households that had at least one member aged 45 years old and older in 28 provinces of mainland China.Main outcome measuresPhysical function status was assessed by a six-item self-report on the Barthel scale which rated basic activities of daily living (BADL).Results743 (20.7%) out of all participants were exposed to the Great Chinese Famine in their fetal periods, while 1550 (43.1%) participants were exposed at the age of an infant. The prevalence of poor physical function in the non-exposed group, fetal period-exposed group and infant period-exposed group were 12.3%, 15.5% and 17.0%, respectively. Among males, after stratification by gender and severity of famine, the prevalence of poor physical function in the fetal period was significantly higher (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.18 to 4.89, p=0.015) than the non-exposed group in severely affected areas, even after adjusting for the number of chronic diseases, place of residence, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, marital status, educational level and body mass index. A similar connection between prenatal and early postnatal exposure to the Great Chinese Famine and the prevalence of poor physical function in midlife, however, was not observed from female adults.ConclusionsMales who were exposed to the Great Chinese Famine (1959–1961) present considerably decreased physical function in their later life.

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Flavonoid intake in relation to cognitive function in later life in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114510005738 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 106 (1) ◽

pp. 141-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Catherine Butchart ◽

Janet Kyle ◽

Geraldine McNeill ◽

Janie Corley ◽

Alan J. Gow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Regression Coefficient ◽

Later Life ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Confounding Variables ◽

Flavonoid Intake ◽

Lothian Birth Cohort

Previous studies have suggested a link between flavonoid intake and better cognitive function in later life but have not been able to control for possible confounding by prior intelligence quotient (IQ). The aim of the present study was to address this issue in a cross-sectional survey of 1091 men and women born in 1936, in whom IQ was measured at age 11 years. At the age of 70 years, participants carried out various neuropsychological tests and completed a FFQ. Associations between test scores and nutrient intake were assessed by linear regression with adjustment for potentially confounding variables. Total fruit, citrus fruits, apple and tea intakes were initially found to be associated with better scores in a variety of cognitive tests, but the associations were no longer statistically significant after adjusting for confounding factors, including childhood IQ. Flavanone intake was initially found to be associated with better scores in verbal fluency (P = 0·003, with standardised regression coefficient 0·10), but, again, the association was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for confounding factors. These findings do not support a role for flavonoids in the prevention of cognitive decline in later life. Studies of diet and cognitive function should include measurement of potential confounding variables, including prior IQ wherever possible.

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Gender-specific temporal trends in overweight prevalence among Chinese adults: a hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis from 2008 to 2015

Global Health Research and Policy ◽

10.1186/s41256-020-00169-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yinmei Yang ◽

Mohammedhamid Osman Kelifa ◽

Bin Yu ◽

Carly Herbert ◽

Yongbo Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Analysis ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

General Social Survey ◽

Cohort Effects ◽

Chinese Adults ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Gender Specific ◽

Overweight Prevalence ◽

Age And Cohort Effects

Abstract Background As a key health risk, the prevalence of overweight has been strikingly increasing worldwide. This study aimed to disentangle the net age, period, and cohort effects on overweight among Chinese adults by gender. Methods Data came from the Chinese General Social Survey from 2008 to 2015, which was a repeated cross-sectional survey (n = 55,726, aged 18 and older). χ2 or t tests were used to estimate the gender disparities in overweight and socioeconomic status (SES). A series of hierarchical age-period-cohort cross-classified random-effects models were performed using SAS version 9.4 to estimate the overall and gender-specific temporal trends of overweight, as well as the association between SES and overweight. Further, a series of line charts were used to present the age and cohort variations in overweight. Results After controlling for covariates, significant age and cohort effects were observed among adults in China (b = 0.0205, p < 0.001; b = 0.0122, p < 0.05; respectively). Specifically, inverted U-shaped age effects were identified for both genders, with a high probability of overweight occurring in middle age (b = –0.0012, p < 0.001). Overweight was more prevalent among men than women before 60 years old, and this trend reversed thereafter (b = –0.0253, p < 0.001). Moreover, men born during the war (before 1950) and reform cohorts (after the 1975s) demonstrated a substantial decline in overweight, while men born in 1950–1975 showed an increasing trend in overweight prevalence (b = 0.0378, p < 0.05). However, the cohort effect on women was not statistically significant. Additionally, a higher SES was related to an elevated probability of overweight. Conclusion Gender-specific age and cohort effects on the prevalence of overweight were observed among Chinese adults. Both China and other developing countries need to pay attention to the coming obesity challenge and related health inequality. Full life-cycle overweight prevention interventions should focus on middle-aged adults, men born in the war and reform eras, and adults with a higher SES.

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21st Century Skills for Sustainable Education: Prediction Level of Teachers’ Information Literacy Skills on Their Digital Literacy Skills

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education ◽

10.2478/dcse-2021-0007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 85-101

Author(s):

Seda Gündüzalp

Keyword(s):

Information Literacy ◽

Digital Literacy ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Information Literacy Skills ◽

The Relationship

Abstract The current digital environment offers a unique access opportunity to information, tools, and sources for teachers to educate and teach using digital. It is vital for teachers, who have important roles to raise future generations, to have information literacy and digital literacy skills. It is essential that teachers who educate individuals raised with a technology called the Z generation to have both, information literacy and digital literacy skills. Within this context, the present study aims to define the relationship between information literacy skills and digital literacy skills of teachers in the age of digitalization, in which the transformation has been experienced in the education sector. A cross-sectional survey was used within this study, which was prepared according to the quantitative research paradigm. The research includes random and disproportionate cluster sampling methods and focuses on teachers who worked in a preschool, or in primary, secondary and high schools in the Eastern and Southeast Anatolia Regions in the 2018–2019 academic year. Structural equation modeling was used to determine to what extent teachers’ information literacy skills predict their digital literacy skills. The relationship between the teachers’ information literacy and digital literacy skills was calculated using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and the frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation values of the data collected from teachers through scales were calculated. As a result of the analysis, one of the results is that the teachers’ information literacy skills affect their digital literacy skills positively.

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Association of Leisure Activities With Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Older Adults in Colombia: A SABE-Based Study

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.629251 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Alejandra Guerrero Barragán ◽

Diego Lucumí ◽

Brian Lawlor

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Later Life ◽

Multinomial Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

State Examination

Observational and interventional studies suggest that participation in leisure activities may help protect against cognitive decline in older people. This study aimed to examine the association between participation in leisure activities and cognitive impairment in older adults in Colombia. Data for this study were derived from the Colombian National Survey of Aging (SABE 2015), a cross-sectional survey with a sample size of 23,694 older adults representing the total population (mean age, 70.8 years; 57.3% females). Cognitive impairment was classified as cognitive impairment without dementia (CIWD) and dementia, according to the revised version of the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination and the Lawton and Brody functional scale. Leisure activities were evaluated using six items of a questionnaire. Sex-stratified multinomial regression models were used to analyze the association of leisure activities with CIWD and dementia after adjusting for educational attainment, literacy, and other potential confounders. In adjusted models for men, leisure activities in later life were associated with a decreased risk of CIWD (odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68–0.78) and dementia (OR, 0,52; 95% CI, 0.48–0.58). For women, leisure activities in later life were associated with a decreased risk of CIWD (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.66–0.78) and dementia (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.43–0.53). The findings suggest that greater participation in leisure activities in later life may act as a protective factor against CIWD and dementia among older adults in Colombia, independent of educational attainment and literacy.

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Health Literacy Status and Understanding of the Prescription Instructions in Diabetic Patients

Journal of Diabetes Research ◽

10.1155/2018/4517243 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shivangini Singh ◽

Sahana Devadasa Acharya ◽

Ashwin Kamath ◽

Sheetal D. Ullal ◽

Rathnakar P. Urval

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Adult Literacy ◽

Educational Status ◽

Reading Level ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Comprehensive Strategy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Health Related

This study aimed to assess the health literacy (HL) of patients having diabetes mellitus, their understanding of prescription instructions (PI), and the correlation between HL and understanding of PI. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 263 adult diabetic patients who were assessed for their understanding of route of intake of the prescribed medication(s), frequency of intake, number of medication(s) to be consumed each time, indication for the medication(s), and the relation of drug intake with food. The HL of the patients was assessed by using Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, a screening test comprising of 66 health-related words. The number of correctly pronounced words was used to assign a grade-equivalent reading level. There was a significant difference in the understanding of PI in patients with low and high HL levels. A significant difference was observed between the mean total score for interpreting PI in patients with 7 or fewer years of education compared with the other groups with a higher educational status (P<0.001). To conclude, diabetic patients with low HL level will have difficulty in understanding PI. Hence, an alternative comprehensive strategy needs to be adopted in clinical practice in these patients to provide them the instructions to take medications properly.

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The Mediating Role of the Patient Health Engagement Model on the Relationship Between Patient Perceived Autonomy Supportive Healthcare Climate and Health Literacy Skills

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17051741 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 1741 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Serena Barello ◽

Lorenzo Palamenghi ◽

Guendalina Graffigna

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Healthcare Systems ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Chronic Patients ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Main Hypothesis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Patient Health ◽

The Relationship

Individuals with low health literacy (HL) are known to have poorer health outcomes and to have higher mortality rates compared to individuals with higher HL; hence, the improvement of HL is a key outcome in modern healthcare systems. Healthcare providers are therefore asked to support patients in becoming more and more engaged in their healthcare, thus augmenting their literacy skills. Our main hypothesis is that the well-known relationship between patients’ perceived autonomy supportive healthcare climate and HL skills is mediated by the Patient Health Engagement Model (PHE-model) which describes the patients’ progressive maturation of a psychological readiness to become active players in their healthcare. The purpose of this study was to formulate a hypothetical structural equation model (SEM) linking an autonomy-supportive healthcare climate to PHE-model and HL. A cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 1007 Italian chronic patients. The hypothetical model was tested using SEM to verify the hypothesized mediation of the PHE-model between autonomy-supportive healthcare climate and HL. Results show that the theoretical model has a good fit indexes and that PHE-model fully mediates the relationship between autonomy-supportive healthcare climate and HL. This finding suggests healthcare systems to implement a new paradigm where patients are supported to play an autonomous role in their own healthcare.

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