scholarly journals Factors associated with drinking behaviour during COVID-19 social distancing and lockdown among adults in the UK

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Sarah E Jackson ◽  
Melissa Oldham ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Drinking Behaviour ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Seriously Ill ◽  
Protective Behaviours ◽  
Key Worker

Abstract Aim: To assess what factors were associated with reported changes to usual alcohol drinking behaviour during the start of lockdown in the UK. Design: Online cross-sectional survey from 21st March to 4th April 2020. Setting: UK. Participants: 30,375 adults aged ≥18y. Measurements: Changes in drinking over the past week, sociodemographic characteristics, diagnosed or suspected COVID-19, adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviours, stress about COVID-19, finances or boredom, recent drop in household income, key worker status, and health conditions. Findings: Of 22,113 drinkers (65.7% of analytic sample), 48.1% (95% CI=47.0-49.1%) reported drinking about the same as usual, 25.7% (24.8-26.6%) reported drinking less than usual, and 26.2% (25.4-27.1%) reported drinking more than usual over the past week. Drinking less than usual was independently associated with being younger (OR=0.88 [95% CI=0.83-0.93]), male (OR=0.76 [0.68-0.84]), of an ethnic minority (OR=0.76 [0.61-0.97]), low annual household income (OR=0.74 [0.66-0.83]), having diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 (OR=2.04 [1.72-2.41]), adhering to COVID-19 protective behaviours (OR=1.58 [1.08-2.32]), being significantly stressed about becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 (OR=1.26 [1.08-1.48]) and not being a key worker (OR=0.87 [0.76-0.99]). Drinking more than usual was independently associated with being younger (OR=0.73 [0.69-0.78]), female (OR=1.36 [1.22-1.51]), post-16 qualifications (OR=1.21 [1.04-1.40]), high annual household income (OR=1.43 [1.27-1.61]), being significantly stressed about catching (OR=1.22 [1.03-1.45]) or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 (OR=1.28 [1.10-1.48]), being significantly stressed about finances (OR=1.43 [1.24-1.66]), and having a diagnosed anxiety disorder (OR=1.24 [1.05-1.46]). Conclusions: In a representative sample of adults in the UK, about half of drinkers reported drinking the same amount of alcohol as usual during the start of the COVID-19 related lockdown, with a quarter drinking more and a quarter drinking less than usual. Drinking more than usual was associated with being younger, female, high socioeconomic position, having an anxiety disorder, and being stressed about finances or COVID-19. These groups may benefit targeted alcohol reduction support if there are further periods of lockdown.

The changing fortunes of UK retired households, 1977–2017

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Gilleard
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Temporal Contiguity ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Working Age ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Improve Access

PurposeThis study aims to explore whether trends in the pattern of income inequality over the past 40 years apply equally to working and retirement age households in the UK, and if so, why this might be so.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on data from the Office of National Statistics, various indices of income inequality have been calculated among retired and working-age households for the period 1977–2017.FindingsDespite a broadly similar trend towards increasing inequality during the 1980s and into the 1990s among both types of household, income inequality among UK retired households has always remained below than that of working-age households. For retired and working-age households alike, the fortunes of those in the upper half of the income distribution have seen themselves do better. Despite the temporal contiguity, different explanations for both sets of inequalities seem to be required, and likely different strategies needed to ameliorate their more negative effects.Originality/valueFew studies have conducted comparisons of inequality between retirement and working-age households over four decades in any country. The present study's long view suggests that factors creating inequality in the upper half of the income distribution may differ in both their cause and impact, compared with inequalities in the lower half. Arguably, the greatest need is to improve access to benefits for those retired householders at the bottom of the income distribution.

scholarly journals Awareness of marketing for high fat, salt or sugar foods, and the association with higher weekly consumption among adolescents: a rejoinder to the UK government’s consultations on marketing regulation

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (14) ◽  
pp. 2637-2646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Critchlow ◽  
Linda Bauld ◽  
Christopher Thomas ◽  
Lucie Hooper ◽  
Jyotsna Vohra
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Past ◽  
High Consumption ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjective:Exposure to marketing for foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) reportedly influences consumption, nutritional knowledge and diet-related health among adolescents. In 2018/2019, the UK government held two consultations about introducing new restrictions on marketing for HFSS foods. To reinforce why these restrictions are needed, we examined adolescents’ awareness of marketing for HFSS foods, and the association between past month awareness and weekly HFSS food consumption.Design:Cross-sectional survey that measured past month awareness of ten marketing activities for HFSS foods (1 = everyday; 6 = not in last month). Frequencies were converted into aggregate past month awareness across marketing activities and grouped into three categories (low/medium/high). Consumption was self-reported for fifteen foods (twelve HFSS) (1 = few times/d; 9 = never). For each food, frequency was divided into higher/lower weekly consumption.Setting:United Kingdom.Participants:11–19-year-olds (n 3348).Results:Most adolescents (90·8 %) reported awareness of a least one marketing activity for HFSS foods, and at least half reported seeing ≥70 instances in the past month. Television, social media and price offers were the marketing activities most frequently reported. Awareness was associated with higher weekly consumption for ten of the twelve HFSS foods. For example, those reporting medium marketing awareness were 1·5 times more likely to report higher weekly consumption of cakes/biscuits compared with those reporting low awareness (AOR = 1·51, P = 0·012). The likelihood of higher weekly HFSS food consumption increased relative to the level of marketing awareness.Conclusions:Assuming there is a causal relationship between marketing awareness and consumption, the restrictions proposed by the UK government are likely to help reduce HFSS consumption.

scholarly journals Measuring Catastrophic Costs Due to Tuberculosis in Myanmar

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Si Thu Aung ◽  
Aung Thu ◽  
Htin Lin Aung ◽  
Min Thu
Keyword(s):  
Household Income ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Baseline Measure ◽  
Tb Treatment ◽  
Mdr Tb

Background: This is the first survey to use the World Health Organization (WHO) methodology to document the magnitude and main drivers of tuberculosis (TB) patient costs in order to guide policies on cost mitigation and to produce a baseline measure for the percentage of TB-affected households experiencing catastrophic costs in Myanmar. Methods: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was administered to 1000 TB patients in health facilities from December 2015 to February 2016, focusing on costs of TB treatment (direct and indirect), household income, and coping strategies. A total cost was estimated for each household by extrapolating reported costs and comparing them to household income. If the proportion of total costs exceeded 20% of the annual household income, a TB-affected household was deemed to have faced catastrophic costs. Results: 60% of TB-affected households faced catastrophic costs in Myanmar. On average, total costs were USD 759, and the largest proportion of this total was accounted for by patient time (USD 365), followed by food costs (USD 200), and medical expenses (USD 130). Low household wealth quintile and undergoing MDR-TB treatment were both significant predictors for households facing catastrophic costs. Conclusions: The high proportion of TB-affected households experiencing catastrophic costs suggests the need for TB-specific social protection programs in patient-centered healthcare. The survey findings have led the government and donors to increase support for MDR-TB patients. The significant proportion of total spending attributable to lost income and food or nutritional supplements suggests that income replacement programs and/or food packages may ameliorate the burdensome costs.

Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with genitourinary malignancies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-38
Author(s):  
Hala Borno ◽  
Sylvia Zhang ◽  
Scarlett Lin Gomez ◽  
Celia Kaplan ◽  
Christine Miaskowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
The Impact

38 Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has vast implications on the health system. Patients with a cancer diagnosis may face greater challenges in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We sought to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with genitourinary malignancies. We performed a cross-sectional survey study at a Comprehensive Cancer Center during the current pandemic. Results: A total of 86 participants were recruited to the study to date, 72.1% had prostate, 19.8% had kidney, and 12.8% had bladder cancer. A subset (n = 5) had more than one primary tumor. The mean time from diagnosis was 6.47 years (std dev 6.01, range from 0 to 27 years). Overall, 73% reported having metastatic disease and prior treatment with surgery (62%), radiation (71%), or systemic therapy (68%), with 68.6% currently receiving cancer treatment. In the study, 78.9% of patients were >65 years of age and 88.2% were White. The majority of participants had a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education (74.4%), were legally married (82.6%), were homeowners (91.9%), and reported an annual household income of >$100,000 (56.0%). Among respondents, 7% reported loss/change of health insurance and 30% reported a decrease in household income. Among patients with reduced household income, 23% reported a reduction of more than 50%. In this study, 28% of patients reported that the pandemic impacted their cancer treatment. Overall 7% reported decrease in frequency of labs, 11% reported a delay in obtaining a scan, 5% reported treatment delays, and 96% reported use of telemedicine (video or telephone) visit. Overall, 59% reported fear of hospitalization, 23% reported delays in seeking medical care, and 16% reported missing required medications. Conclusions: The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with genitourinary malignancies is extensive. Ongoing research is evaluating the impact across socio-demographically groups and examine clinical outcomes associated with delays in care and medication non-adherence.

Exploring Health Literacy in Patients with Chronic Diseases in Chongqing, China in 2018: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Liu ◽  
Chengbin Wu ◽  
Yu Zhao ◽  
Weiyun Lai ◽  
Yong Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Junior College ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Status

Abstract Background: Improving health literacy is the key to chronic disease prevention and improved interventions. However, little is known about the status of health literacy and its influencing factors in patients with chronic diseases. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the different aspects and factors influencing health literacy among patients with chronic diseases in Chongqing, China.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in areas of Chongqing using the 2018 National Questionnaire on Health Literacy of Residents administered to 27,336 patients with chronic diseases. The research investigated the prevalence and factors of health literacy in patients with chronic diseases in Chongqing, China using χ 2 tests and logistic regression analysis.Results: Among the participants (n = 27,336), 51.3% were males and 48.7% were females. Only a small number of patients with chronic diseases were health literate (21.6%). Regression analyses indicated that inadequate health literacy was associated with rural area residents (OR: 0.92), minorities (OR: 1.31), farmers (OR: 1.18), nonlocal registered permanent residents (OR: 1.05), and patients with self-rated unhealthy status (OR: 1.80). Patients with chronic diseases aged 25–34 (OR = 1.18) and 35–44 (OR = 1.18) were more likely to have health literacy than patients with chronic diseases aged 65–69. Illiterate or slightly literate patients (OR = 0.10) were less likely to have health literacy than patients who were in the junior college or had a bachelor’s degree or above. Patients with an average annual household income of less than 3,000 yuan (OR = 0.65) were all less likely to have health literacy than patients with an average annual household income of more than 15,000 yuan.Conclusions: Health literacy of patients with chronic conditions remains at a low level and varies significantly with their demographic and sociological characteristics. Therefore, developing and adopting appropriate health promotion programs would be necessary to improve the health literacy of all patients with different types of chronic diseases.

scholarly journals Adherence to protective measures among health care workers in the UK; a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise E. Smith ◽  
Danai Serfioti ◽  
Dale Weston ◽  
Neil Greenberg ◽  
G James Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Protective Behaviours

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are frontline responders to emergency infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. We investigated factors associated with adherence to personal protective behaviours in UK HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic using an online cross-sectional survey of 1035 healthcare professionals in the UK. Data were collected between 12th and 16th June 2020. Adjusted logistic regressions were used to separately investigate factors associated with adherence to use of personal protective equipment, maintaining good hand hygiene, and physical distancing from colleagues. Adherence to personal protective measures was suboptimal (PPE use: 80.0%, 95% CI [77.3 to 82.8], hand hygiene: 67.8%, 95% CI [64.6 to 71.0], coming into close contact with colleagues: 74.7%, 95% CI [71.7 to 77.7]). Adherence to PPE use was associated with having adequate PPE resources, receiving training during the pandemic, lower perceived fatalism from COVID-19, higher perceived social norms and higher perceived effectiveness of PPE. Adherence to physical distancing was associated with one's workplace being designed, using markings to facilitate physical distancing and receiving training during the pandemic. There were few associations with adherence to hand hygiene. Findings indicate HCWs should receive training on personal protective behaviours to decrease fatalism over contracting COVID-19 and increase perceived effectiveness of protective measures.

scholarly journals COVID-19, smoking, and inequalities: a cross-sectional survey of adults in the UK

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Jackson ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Disparities ◽  
List Type ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adherence To Guidelines ◽  
Current Smoking ◽  
Never Smokers ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Seriously Ill ◽  
Lower Adherence

AbstractObjectivesTo examine associations between smoking and COVID-19 relevant outcomes, taking into account the influence of inequalities and adjusting for potential confounding variables.DesignOnline cross-sectional survey.SettingUK.Participants53,002 men and women aged ≥18y.Main outcome measuresConfirmed and suspected COVID-19, worry about catching and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, and adherence to protective behaviours. Socioeconomic position was defined according to highest level of education (post-16 qualifications: yes/no).ResultsCompared with never smokers (0.3% [95%CI 0.2-0.3%]), prevalence of confirmed COVID-19 was higher among current (0.6% [0.4-0.8%]) but not ex-smokers (0.2% [0.2-0.3%]). The associations were similar before (current: OR 2.14 [1.49-3.08]; ex-smokers: OR 0.73 [0.47-1.14]) and after (current: OR 1.79 [1.22-2.62]; ex-smokers: OR 0.85 [0.54-1.33]) adjustment for potential confounders. For current smokers, this was moderated by socioeconomic position, with higher rates relative to never smokers only seen in those without post-16 qualifications (OR 3.53 [2.04-6.10]). After including suspected cases, prevalence was higher among current smokers (11.2% [10.6-11.9%], OR 1.11 [1.03-1.20]) and ex-smokers (10.9% [10.4-11.5%], OR 1.07 [1.01-1.15]) than never smokers (10.2% [9.9-10.6%]), but remained higher only among ex-smokers after adjustment (OR 1.21 [1.13-1.29]). Current and ex-smokers had higher odds than never smokers of reporting significant stress about catching (current: OR 1.43 [1.35-1.52]; ex-smokers: OR 1.15 [1.09-1.22]) or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 (current: OR 1.34 [1.27-1.43]; ex-smokers: OR 1.22 [1.16-1.28]). Adherence to recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was generally high (96.3% [96.1-96.4%]), but lower among current than never smokers (OR 0.70 [0.62-0.78]).ConclusionsWhen assessed by self-report in a population sample, current smoking was independently associated with confirmed COVID-19 infection. There were socioeconomic disparities, with the association only apparent among those without post-16 qualifications. Smokers reported lower adherence to guidelines despite being more worried than non-smokers about catching or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.RegistrationThe analysis plan was pre-registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/pcs49/).What is already known on this topicFormer or current smoking can increase the risk of respiratory viral and bacterial infections and is associated with worse outcomes for those infected.However, data from several countries indicate that rates of current smoking are substantially lower among hospitalised COVID-19 patients than would be expected based on population-level smoking prevalence.What this study addsData from a large population-based sample of adults in the UK conflict with the hypothesis that smoking is protective against COVID-19 infection; rather, we found that current smoking was independently associated with increased odds of confirmed COVID-19 infection after adjusting for relevant confounders.Socioeconomic disparities were evident, with the association between smoking and confirmed COVID-19 only apparent among those without post-16 qualifications.Smokers reported lower adherence to guidelines despite being more worried than non-smokers about catching or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.

Dowagers, Debs, Nuns and Babies: The Politics of Nostalgia and the Older Woman in the British Sunday Night Television Serial

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 769-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estella Tincknell
Keyword(s):  
Older Women ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Mature Female ◽  
Older Woman ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
The Past ◽  
Political Position ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Popular Television

The extensive commercial success of two well-made popular television drama serials screened in the UK at prime time on Sunday evenings during the winter of 2011–12, Downton Abbey (ITV, 2010–) and Call the Midwife (BBC, 2012–), has appeared to consolidate the recent resurgence of the period drama during the 1990s and 2000s, as well as reassembling something like a mass audience for woman-centred realist narratives at a time when the fracturing and disassembling of such audiences seemed axiomatic. While ostensibly different in content, style and focus, the two programmes share a number of distinctive features, including a range of mature female characters who are sufficiently well drawn and socially diverse as to offer a profoundly pleasurable experience for the female viewer seeking representations of aging femininity that go beyond the sexualised body of the ‘successful ager’. Equally importantly, these two programmes present compelling examples of the ‘conjunctural text’, which appears at a moment of intense political polarisation, marking struggles over consent to a contemporary political position by re-presenting the past. Because both programmes foreground older women as crucial figures in their respective communities, but offer very different versions of the social role and ideological positioning that this entails, the underlying politics of such nostalgia becomes apparent. A critical analysis of these two versions of Britain's past thus highlights the ideological investments involved in period drama and the extent to which this ‘cosy’ genre may legitimate or challenge contemporary political claims.

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