scholarly journals 311Effective prospective study sampling from an existing large-scale national survey using propensity score methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Stanley ◽  
Ricci Harris ◽  
Donna Cormack ◽  
Andrew Waa ◽  
Richard Edwards

Abstract Focus of Presentation Cohort study recruitment can be complex, often requiring extensive pre-screening to recruit sufficient numbers of exposed and unexposed participants. We discuss a prospective study of the impact of racism on adult health in New Zealand (NZ), with emphasis on propensity-score based sampling and recruitment methods accessing participants from a national survey (NZ Health Survey 2017/18, n = 12,530 eligible adults). Discussion will cover sampling design, response rate, and confounder balance in the final sample. Key empirical results will be summarised. Findings The NZHS provided a sampling frame with complete baseline exposure and covariate data, giving n = 2,099 exposed individuals (reported racial discrimination on NZHS). A propensity-score model (stratified by ethnicity) allowed invitation of unexposed individuals balanced on key sociodemographic confounders. Recruitment used postal invitations with telephone follow-up: individuals could respond by paper survey, online questionnaire or telephone interview. Response rate was 54%, with comparable rates in exposed/unexposed individuals, with key sociodemographic factors well-balanced by exposure status. Conclusions/Implications Racism is an important determinant of health inequity, with limited prospective research in New Zealand. Our approach enabled appropriate recruitment from a sampling frame with baseline exposure status (NZHS), including allowance for exposure variability by ethnicity. Propensity-score matching on baseline covariates allowed for balance on key confounders at invitation, with balance maintained in the final sample. Key messages Secondary sampling from large national surveys can provide efficient recruitment for prospective studies. We achieved a highly satisfactory response rate, and propensity-score based sampling substantially balanced confounders between exposed and unexposed groups, enhancing study validity.

Author(s):  
Rafael Goldszmidt ◽  
Patrick Behr ◽  
Cesar Zucco ◽  
Anna-Katharina Lenz ◽  
Lauro Gonzalez ◽  
...  

AbstractThis paper studies the impact of microcredit in Brazil. We use a propensity score matching on original primary data on business and personal outcomes to compare veteran clients of BNDES—Brazil’s largest government-owned development bank—to a matched sample of more recent clients. Based on administrative data as well as data from a survey of 2107 clients from the South and Northeast regions of Brazil, the findings show no significant impacts on income, employment generation, access to credit, and business formalization, except for the poorest Municipalities of the Northeast, where microcredit presented positive effects.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anne Isaac

<p>For decades, New Zealand historians and architects have sought answers to the question: What is New Zealand architecture? New Zealand longs for a place in the architectural world, seeking the significance of our buildings in the wider realm of world architecture. In 2016, in a presentation based on his book Worship: a history of New Zealand church design, Bill McKay suggested that perhaps, “our most interesting architecture lies in the intersections of our cultures”.  An opportunity is offered by the current shifts of New Zealand society where the impact of immigration on society is one of the most pressing issues that currently needs addressing. This thesis endeavours to explore the specific relationship between the heritage and culture of the existing Assyrian community and its context of Wellington, with reference to McKay’s suggestion that our most interesting architecture is birthed from the intersection of different cultures.  Socially speaking, sense of identity and place attachment play a vital role in the integration of migrant communities into their new home country. Recalling and employing elements of not only tangible Assyrian heritage, but also the intangible qualities found in traditional Assyrian architecture, has the potential to create the connection and enhance the sense of identity which allows for the feeling of belonging in migrants in their host society. This thesis focuses on the space of worship.   This project of an Assyrian Orthodox church building in New Zealand might reflect the life of the migrants who occupy it. Is it a replica of the traditional building in its original context, unchanged and uninfluenced by the shift to a new place? Or is it influenced and integrated; a building which can identify with the soil it stands on? Furthermore, if one considers that architecture reflects society, it is hoped that this design led research will participate in the discussion about New Zealand architecture’s unique identity and emerging new societal makeup.  This design led research discovers that creating a sense of belonging relies on both keeping aspects of the traditional and gaining influence from its new context. As focus shifts from the design of the building at a large scale to details and objects at a small scale, it becomes more important to reflect and retain the traditional qualities of the architecture. At a large scale, the building may be influenced by its context so as to be integrated into its new place, as if it belongs within its new urban fabric. As we move into the smaller scale in design, we draw closer to the body. It is these elements of the design which an occupant experiences more intimately, and through sensory experience and triggering memories of home, can help to create a feeling of belonging. The main findings of this research express the close relationship between architectural scales of intervention and the effects of individual and collective memory.</p>


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 204-204
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Church ◽  
Robert D. Adams ◽  
Laura H. Hendrix ◽  
Jordan A. Holmes ◽  
Lawrence B. Marks ◽  
...  

204 Background: The presence of a "just culture" is often noted to be critical in optimizing safety, since workers need to feel comfortable reporting errors. We performed a national survey of radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists to assess their comfort in reporting errors. We herein quantify the impact of workers’ perceptions of their workplace culture (based on prior experiences in reporting errors) on their comfort in reporting safety concerns. Methods: In 2011, a survey was mailed to 1,500 therapists and 528 dosimetrists assessing their comfort in reporting errors. The metric used to assess their perceptions of their workplace culture was if they had, or knew of staff who had been, reprimanded in the past for reporting errors. Comfort in reporting new errors among workers who have (vs. have not) experienced prior reprimand were compared using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Overall, 356 therapists from 47 states (24% response rate) and 190 dosimetrists from 35 States (36% response rate) responded to the survey. 16% of therapists and 5% of dosimetrists reported that they have been personally reprimanded for reporting an error. The proportion of workers comfortable reporting errors was lower among those with prior personal reprimand vs. those without such reprimand (47% vs. 90%, p<.0001). Similarly, 29% of therapists and 8% of dosimetrists reported that other staff members have been reprimanded for reporting, and these reprimands had a similar deterrent effect on reporting errors. On multivariate analysis, previous personal reprimand for reporting errors (OR 4.13, p=.001) and reprimand of other therapists/dosimetrists (OR 2.55, p=.03) were significantly associated with discomfort in error reporting. Conclusions: A sizable proportion of respondents in our study has been personally reprimanded or knows of staff in their facility reprimanded for reporting errors. Prior reprimand has a dramatic detrimental impact on workers’ comfort to report future concerns regarding safety. A potential opportunity for future improvement in radiation oncology treatment facilities is to encourage a culture that allows error reporting without fear of reprimand.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bram Spruyt ◽  
Filip Van Droogenbroeck

The use of pre-notification letters is thought to increase the response rate of postal surveys. The empirical evidence for that claim, however, is not conclusive. In this research note we assessed the impact of pre-notification by means of data from a large-scale survey-experiment conducted in Flanders (N: 4000). Three outcomes were studied: overall response rate, timing of the response and quality of the response. No significant positive impact was found on the overall response rate and quality of response. However evidence indicated that respondents who received a pre-notification letter were more inclined to respond earlier.


Urban Studies ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 004209802094060
Author(s):  
Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy ◽  
Gail Pacheco ◽  
Kade Sorensen

We study the short-run effects of a large-scale upzoning on house prices and redevelopment premiums in Auckland, New Zealand. Upzoning significantly increases the redevelopment premium but the overall effect on house prices depends on the economic potential for site redevelopment, with underdeveloped properties appreciating relative to intensively developed properties. Notably, intensively developed properties decrease in value relative to similar dwellings that were not upzoned, showing that the large-scale upzoning had an immediate depreciative effect on pre-existing intensive housing. Our results show that the economic potential for site redevelopment is fundamental to understanding the impact of changes in land use regulations on property values.


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2279-2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Robinson ◽  
T. R. H. Davies

Abstract. The Alpine Fault in New Zealand's South Island has not sustained a large magnitude earthquake since ca. AD 1717. The time since this rupture is close to the average inferred recurrence interval of the fault (~300 yr). The Alpine Fault is therefore expected to generate a large magnitude earthquake in the near future. Previous ruptures of this fault are inferred to have generated Mw = 8.0 or greater earthquakes and to have resulted in, amongst other geomorphic hazards, large-scale landslides and landslide dams throughout the Southern Alps. There is currently 85% probability that the Alpine Fault will cause a Mw = 8.0+ earthquake within the next 100 yr. While the seismic hazard is fairly well understood, that of the consequential geomorphic activity is less well studied, and these consequences are explored herein. They are expected to include landsliding, landslide damming, dam-break flooding, debris flows, river aggradation, liquefaction, and landslide-generated lake/fiord tsunami. Using evidence from previous events within New Zealand as well as analogous international examples, we develop first-order estimates of the likely magnitude and possible locations of the geomorphic effects associated with earthquakes. Landsliding is expected to affect an area > 30 000 km2 and involve > 1billion m3 of material. Some tens of landslide dams are expected to occur in narrow, steep-sided gorges in the affected region. Debris flows will be generated in the first long-duration rainfall after the earthquake and will continue to occur for several years as rainfall (re)mobilises landslide material. In total more than 1000 debris flows are likely to be generated at some time after the earthquake. Aggradation of up to 3 m will cover an area > 125 km2 and is likely to occur on many West Coast alluvial fans and floodplains. The impact of these effects will be felt across the entire South Island and is likely to continue for several decades.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sook Ling Leong ◽  
Andrew Gray ◽  
Caroline C Horwath

AbstractObjectiveTo conduct the first nationwide population survey to examine the associations between changes in speed of eating and weight gain over 3 years. The study also explored whether faster eating at baseline was related to healthy-weight women becoming overweight after 3 years.DesignLongitudinal. At baseline, participants were randomly selected from a nationally representative sampling frame to participate in a prospective study. Women completed self-administered baseline questionnaires on demographic and health measures. Self-reported speed of eating, smoking status, physical activity, menopause status, and height and weight were collected at baseline and again 3 years later.SettingNationwide study, New Zealand.SubjectsWomen (n 1601) aged 40–50 years were recruited at baseline from New Zealand electoral rolls.ResultsThere was no evidence of associations between 3-year BMI adjusting for baseline BMI and either baseline speed of eating (slower and faster; P=0·524) or change in speed of eating (consistently faster eating, consistently slower eating, slower eating at baseline but not at 3 years, faster eating at baseline but not at 3 years; P=0·845). Of the 488 women with healthy BMI (18·5 to <25·0 kg/m2) at baseline, seventy-seven (15·8 %) became overweight (BMI≥25·0 kg/m2) after 3 years. Compared with those who were slower eaters at baseline, faster eating at baseline did not increase the risk of becoming overweight 3 years later (P=0·958) nor did change in speed of eating (P=0·236).ConclusionsResults suggest that once women have reached mid-life, faster eating does not predict further weight gain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 319 ◽  
pp. 01010
Author(s):  
Abdelghani Asraoui ◽  
Chems Eddouha Khassouani ◽  
Abdelmajid Soulaymani

The National Survey on Population and Family Health (NSPFH) is an important source of data in Morocco. Its objective is to assess, periodically, the state of population health and the impact of policies and programs put in place, by updating the main demographic and health indicators. The report of the sixth NSPFH, conducted during the period October 2017-January 2018, illustrates updated socio-demographic data and the new prevalence of several diseases. As the NSPFH results are a reference for decision-makers, researchers and professionals, it seems necessary to promote them and give them more credibility. The objective of this paper is to verify the reliability of the NSPFH data and results using demographic data quality assessment methods (graphic methods: age-gender pyramid and distribution by gender and area of residency, and statistical methods: non-response rate and age accuracy indexes) to ensure if they are of good quality. This study showed that the NSPFH-2018 data were of good quality. Indeed, the non-response rate did not exceed 1.1% for all questionnaires (household 1.1%, woman 0.5% and elderly 1.1%). The age-gender pyramid confirmed the demographic transition towards ageing and the downward trend of fertility in Morocco. The distribution by area of residency confirmed the trend towards urbanization of the country (61% urban and 39% rural). The Whipple (1.05), Myers (4.73), Bachi (2.31) indexes and the United Nations Combined Index (31.21) were all within the standards for a good quality of age declaration. In addition, the results were consistent with each other and in line with the national and international health context.


Stats ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-549
Author(s):  
Tingting Zhou ◽  
Michael R. Elliott ◽  
Roderick J. A. Little

Without randomization of treatments, valid inference of treatment effects from observational studies requires controlling for all confounders because the treated subjects generally differ systematically from the control subjects. Confounding control is commonly achieved using the propensity score, defined as the conditional probability of assignment to a treatment given the observed covariates. The propensity score collapses all the observed covariates into a single measure and serves as a balancing score such that the treated and control subjects with similar propensity scores can be directly compared. Common propensity score-based methods include regression adjustment and inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score. We recently proposed a robust multiple imputation-based method, penalized spline of propensity for treatment comparisons (PENCOMP), that includes a penalized spline of the assignment propensity as a predictor. Under the Rubin causal model assumptions that there is no interference across units, that each unit has a non-zero probability of being assigned to either treatment group, and there are no unmeasured confounders, PENCOMP has a double robustness property for estimating treatment effects. In this study, we examine the impact of using variable selection techniques that restrict predictors in the propensity score model to true confounders of the treatment-outcome relationship on PENCOMP. We also propose a variant of PENCOMP and compare alternative approaches to standard error estimation for PENCOMP. Compared to the weighted estimators, PENCOMP is less affected by inclusion of non-confounding variables in the propensity score model. We illustrate the use of PENCOMP and competing methods in estimating the impact of antiretroviral treatments on CD4 counts in HIV+ patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12788
Author(s):  
Alamzeb Aamir ◽  
Sharif Ullah Jan ◽  
Abdul Qadus ◽  
Abdelmohsen A. Nassani ◽  
Mohamed Haffar

The prime objective of the current study is to examine the impact of knowledge sharing and employee ambidexterity on the sustainable performance of manufacturing firms operating in the KPK province of Pakistan. In addition to this, the study has examined the mediating role of employees’ ambidexterity in the relationship between knowledge sharing and sustainable performance. The final sample included 240 respondents, which represented a response rate of 68%. The study employed SEM-PLS for data analysis. The results indicate that the employee’s ambidexterity fully mediates between knowledge sharing and sustainable performance. Knowledge sharing appears as a significant determinant of employees’ ambidexterity and sustainable performance. Meanwhile, the employee’s ambidexterity also has a positive and significant relationship with sustainable performance. In the field of Management Sciences and other disciplines, knowledge sharing is considered a significant field of study. Globally, very little research has targeted these variables. This research offers conceptual highlights for developing the influence of knowledge sharing on the sustainable performance of employees particularly in the manufacturing sector.


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