scholarly journals Trends and geographical variation in population thriving, struggling and suffering across the USA, 2008–2017: a retrospective repeated cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e043375
Author(s):  
Carley Riley ◽  
Jeph Herrin ◽  
Veronica Lam ◽  
Brent Hamar ◽  
Dan Witters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Variation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Evaluation ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Worthy Goal ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Over Time

ObjectivesWell-being is a holistic, positively framed conception of health, integrating physical, emotional, social, financial, community and spiritual aspects of life. High well-being is an intrinsically worthy goal for individuals, communities and nations. Multiple measures of well-being exist, yet we lack information to identify benchmarks, geographical disparities and targets for intervention to improve population life evaluation in the USA.DesignUsing data from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, we conducted retrospective analyses of a series of cross-sectional samples.Setting/participantsWe summarised select well-being outcomes nationally for each year, and by county (n=599) over two time periods, 2008–2012 and 2013–2017.Main outcome measuresWe report percentages of people thriving, struggling and suffering using the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale, percentages reporting high or low current life satisfaction, percentages reporting high or low future life optimism, and changes in these percentages over time.ResultsNationally, the percentage of people that report thriving increased from 48.9% in 2008 to 56.3% in 2017 (p<0.05). The percentage suffering was not significantly different over time, ranging from 4.4% to 3.2%. In 2013–2017, counties with the highest life evaluation had a mean 63.6% thriving and 2.3% suffering while counties with the lowest life evaluation had a mean 49.5% thriving and 6.5% suffering, with counties experiencing up to 10% suffering, threefold the national average. Changes in county-level life evaluation also varied. While counties with the greatest improvements experienced 10%–15% increase in the absolute percentage thriving or 3%–5% decrease in absolute percentage suffering, most counties experienced no change and some experienced declines in life evaluation.ConclusionsThe percentage of the US population thriving increased from 2008 to 2017 while the percentage suffering remained unchanged. Marked geographical variation exists indicating priority areas for intervention.

scholarly journals Quality of life evaluation of coinfected patients with HIV/tuberculosis in a hospital in northeast Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 0346
Author(s):  
Amanda D. SILVA ◽  
Thaylany C. AMORIM ◽  
Ádeny M. ARAGÃO ◽  
Maria J. IBAÑEZ ◽  
José A. FILHO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Socioeconomic Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Evaluation ◽  
General Quality ◽  
And Performance

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life of patients coinfected with HIV/tuberculosis and to understand their perception of their health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a hospital in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected between November 2017 and April 2018 through interviews. The WHOQOL-HIV Bref instrument was used, obtaining the total score and performance in the domains: physical, psychological, level of independence, social relationships, environment, spirituality. Sociodemographic and clinical data from the Logistic Control System of Medicines (SICLOM®) were also collected through a questionnaire. Results: Twenty-six patients were interviewed, 76.9% were male, mostly heterosexual, single, 43.1% presented an advanced state of immune system compromise. 73.1% considered their health "good" or "very good" and 69.2% did not consider themselves sick. The general quality of life, score from zero (worst quality of life) to one hundred (best quality of life) obtained an average of 69.6 ± 9.1. In the domains, the worst average was obtained at the independence level (11.1 ± 2.6) and the highest scores were in the spirituality (15.5 ± 3.8) and psychological (15.3 ± 2.2) domains. Conclusions: The low level of independence and the unfavorable socioeconomic conditions were important aspects influencing in the quality of life of the studied population. Knowledge about the most affected domains in the quality of life allows the elaboration of clinical guidelines and public assistance policies that contribute to the well-being of these patients.

scholarly journals A cross-sectional study of self-rated health among older adults: a comparison of China and the United States

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e027895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongjuan Xu ◽  
Greg Arling ◽  
Kefang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Ordered Logistic Regression ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa

ObjectivesWe used nationally representative samples of China and the US older population to investigate (1) whether factors influencing self-rated health among older Chinese were similar to those among older Americans; and (2) whether there was a significant cross-national difference in self-rated health between China and the USA after controlling those available influencing factors.DesignA cross-sectional study. Data came from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study conducted from 2014 to 2015.ParticipantsOur final sample size totaled 8905 older adults in the USA and 4442 older adults in China.OutcomeThe response variable was self-rated health. Ordered logistic regression models were conducted to investigate factors influencing self-rated health among older adults.ResultsMore than three-fourths (78%) of older adults in China reported fair or poor health status, while almost 74% of older adults in the USA reported excellent, very good or good health status. In the overall ordered logistic regression model, when controlling statistically for sociodemographics, family structure, functional limitations, cognition, chronic conditions, mental health and health-related behaviours, the Chinese survey respondents were much more likely to rate their health as being poorer than the US respondents. The odds of having better versus poorer health was almost five times greater in American older adults than those in China (OR=4.88, 95% CI 4.06 to 5.86). Older adults in China living alone rated their health better than those living with spouse/partner; however, no significant difference was found between these two living arrangements in older Americans. In contrast, older adults in the USA living with others rated their health worse compared with those living with spouse/partner. In addition, older adults who had more activities of daily living limitations, poorer self-reported memory, worse mental health and chronic health conditions had lower self-rated health in both countries.ConclusionsWe found a striking difference in self-rated health between China and the USA even after controlling for measures of disease, functional status and other influencing factors. Relative to their American counterparts, Chinese elders were much more likely to report worse health.

scholarly journals Predictors of Self-Reported Growth Following Religious and Spiritual Struggles: Exploring the Role of Wholeness

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 445
Author(s):  
Allison C. Hart ◽  
Kenneth I. Pargament ◽  
Joshua B. Grubbs ◽  
Julie J. Exline ◽  
Joshua A. Wilt
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Spiritual Struggles ◽  
Using Data

Religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles have been robustly linked to negative outcomes, such as greater psychological distress, reduced well-being, and difficulty finding meaning in life. R/s struggles, however, do not inevitably lead to decline. Many people report post-traumatic and spiritual growth through their r/s struggles, even though correlational studies linking r/s struggles to perceptions of growth have produced mixed results. How do we make sense of this overall pattern of findings? Perhaps growth following r/s struggles occurs under certain conditions. Prior conceptual work by Pargament suggests that specific aspects of one’s orienting system (i.e., the confluence of r/s, dispositional, and psychosocial factors which help guide people in their search for significance and purpose) may play a pivotal role in predicting growth or decline in the wake of an r/s struggle. In the present empirical study, we expected to find that among r/s strugglers, those with orienting systems marked by greater wholeness would be more likely to report growth and less decline. Four dimensions of greater wholeness (purposiveness, breadth and depth, life affirmation, cohesiveness) were measured by the presence of meaning in one’s life, self-control, universality, optimism, compassion, openness to change while tolerating doubt, and a collaborative problem-solving relationship with God. We tested these hypotheses using data from a cross-sectional study (N = 1162) of undergraduates at three universities. Results generally supported our hypotheses, with a few exceptions. Greater wholeness was associated with reports of more growth and less decline after an r/s struggle.

scholarly journals Exposure to the US Criminal Legal System and Well-Being: A 2018 Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (S1) ◽  
pp. S116-S122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Sundaresh ◽  
Youngmin Yi ◽  
Brita Roy ◽  
Carley Riley ◽  
Christopher Wildeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legal System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Us ◽  
Criminal Legal System

scholarly journals Trends in thinness prevalence among adolescents in ten European countries and the USA (1998–2006): a cross-sectional survey

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 2207-2215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Lazzeri ◽  
Stefania Rossi ◽  
Colette Kelly ◽  
Carine Vereecken ◽  
Namanjeet Ahluwalia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Adjusted Logistic Regression ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Using Data

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the prevalence of ‘graded thinness’ in children aged 11, 13 and 15 years in eleven developed countries and to identify trends in the prevalence of ‘thinness’ (BMI < 17 kg/m2 at age 18 years) by age and gender.DesignCross-sectional study using data collected through self-reported questionnaires.SettingData were taken from the 1997/1998, 2001/2002 and 2005/2006 surveys of the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study.SubjectsChildren and adolescents from ten European countries and the USA (n 158 000).ResultsPrevalence of grades 1, 2 and 3 of thinness was higher among 11-year-old students compared with the 13- and 15-year-olds in all countries. A higher prevalence of thinness was observed in girls than in boys. Since 1998 the prevalence of thinness decreased steadily in Czech boys and girls, while it increased for French girls. In the total European sample of females, thinness decreased from 1998 to 2006 (χ2 for trend, P < 0·01). Age-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that Czech boys and girls, and Flemish and American girls were less likely to be thin in 2006 than in 1998; while a noteworthy increment, even if borderline significant, was observed for French girls with a 41 % increase in the likelihood to be thin.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that thinness is an important overlooked phenomenon with wide variation in prevalence and trends across developed countries. It deserves further longitudinal studies in a multinational context that could increase the understanding of the factors associated with thinness and contribute to developing preventive and nutritional programmes targeted at controlling obesity and chronic diseases, while monitoring thinness.

scholarly journals Professional Life Satisfaction Based on Dimensions of Well-being among Firefighters in South Korea and the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongwoo Song ◽  
Haejun Park ◽  
Changhoon Bang ◽  
Sohee Kim ◽  
Jaehong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Us

Upgrading firefighters’ life satisfaction can enhance their job skills, and contribute to their safety and that of the public. This study’s purpose was to identify general life satisfaction levels and national characteristics, including firefighters’ occupational issues in Korea and the US. The final sample sizes in this cross-sectional study were 1,523 for South Korea and 229 for the US. The findings were based on firefighters’ physical/mental health and satisfaction with occupational problems. To measure their life satisfaction, six dimensions were examined: social, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, and occupational. The average satisfaction score of firefighters was 3.50 in Korea and 4.00 in the US. The US showed high satisfaction in most subitems. However, US firefighters showed low satisfaction in the physical context and Korean firefighters in the occupational context. Multiple regression analysis of the variables affecting firefighters’ life satisfaction showed that the occupational dimension was significant in both Korea and the US, and a similar analysis of demographic characteristics as independent variables showed that differences in satisfaction by gender were important in both countries. For Korea, the key variables were in the working hours section; for the US, in the specialty section. The results of this study should make it easier to identify and focus on the relevant areas of firefighters’ working lives in Korea and the US, thereby improving their life satisfaction.

scholarly journals Professional Life Satisfaction Based on Dimensions of Well-being among Firefighters in South Korea and the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongwoo Song ◽  
Haejun Park ◽  
Changhoon Bang ◽  
Sohee Kim ◽  
Jaehong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Us

Upgrading firefighters’ life satisfaction can enhance their job skills, and contribute to their safety and that of the public. This study’s purpose was to identify general life satisfaction levels and national characteristics, including firefighters’ occupational issues in Korea and the US. The final sample sizes in this cross-sectional study were 1,523 for South Korea and 229 for the US. The findings were based on firefighters’ physical/mental health and satisfaction with occupational problems. To measure their life satisfaction, six dimensions were examined: social, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, and occupational. The average satisfaction score of firefighters was 3.50 in Korea and 4.00 in the US. The US showed high satisfaction in most subitems. However, US firefighters showed low satisfaction in the physical context and Korean firefighters in the occupational context. Multiple regression analysis of the variables affecting firefighters’ life satisfaction showed that the occupational dimension was significant in both Korea and the US, and a similar analysis of demographic characteristics as independent variables showed that differences in satisfaction by gender were important in both countries. For Korea, the key variables were in the working hours section; for the US, in the specialty section. The results of this study should make it easier to identify and focus on the relevant areas of firefighters’ working lives in Korea and the US, thereby improving their life satisfaction.

scholarly journals Adiponectin/leptin ratio and Metabolic Syndrome in a Mexican American population

2011 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaper Mirza ◽  
Hui-Qi Qu ◽  
Quan Li ◽  
Perla J Martinez ◽  
Anne R Rentfro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Mexican Americans ◽  
Mexican American ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Circulating Levels

Objective: Adiponectin and leptin play critical roles in the development of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). This study was designed to assess the feasibility of using circulating levels of adiponectin and leptin for the early diagnosis of MetS. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using data from 367 participants randomly selected from a well-characterized cohort of Mexican-Americans living at the US-Mexico border. Results: Significant differences in circulating levels of adiponectin and leptin were observed between males and females. Adiponectin/leptin correlated significantly with MetS in this population. A receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that adiponectin/leptin showed a high sensitivity (70.9% for males, 78.9% for females) and specificity (90.2% for males and 69.8% for females) for the diagnosis of MetS, independent of BMI measurements. Conclusion: These data support the central role of adiponectin and leptin in MetS, and demonstrated that adiponectin/leptin can be used as a highly sensitive and specific biomarker for MetS.

scholarly journals Can a collective-impact initiative improve well-being in three US communities? Findings from a prospective repeated cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e048378
Author(s):  
Carley Riley ◽  
Brita Roy ◽  
Veronica Lam ◽  
Kerianne Lawson ◽  
Lauren Nakano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Collective Impact ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Perceived Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Improve Health

IntroductionCommunities are seeking to learn if and how they can improve the well-being of their residents. We therefore examined the impact of a community-led, collective-impact initiative, deployed through Blue Zones Project by Sharecare, aimed at improving health and well-being in one set of US communities.MethodsWe used data from cross-sectional surveys of the Well-Being Index (2010–2017) to assess how the Life Evaluation Index (LEI) in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach in California (Beach Cities) changed over time and how this change compares with change for similar cities (Beach Cities-like) and for the USA as a whole. We examined types of interventions, perceived impacts, and relationships between intervention type and change in LEI.ResultsThe Beach Cities experienced greater increases in LEI than Beach Cities-like communities and the nation. The entire portfolio of interventions was positively associated with change in LEI in the Beach Cities (+1.12, p=0.012), with process-oriented interventions most closely associated with improvement.ConclusionsCommunity-led collective action that leverages community engagement and activation, strategic use of programming and large-scale built-environment and policy change can improve health and well-being at scale.

Local government retail incentives for healthier food retailers in the USA, 2014

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 2521-2529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha J Lange ◽  
Latetia V Moore ◽  
Deborah A Galuska
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Food Retail ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Using Data

AbstractObjective:National public health organizations recommend that local governments improve access to healthy foods. One way is by offering incentives for food retailer development and operation, but little is known about incentive use nationwide. We aimed to describe the national prevalence of local government reported incentives to increase access to healthy food options in three major food retail settings (farmers’ markets, supermarkets, and convenience or corner (smaller) stores) overall and by municipality characteristics.Design:Cross-sectional study using data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living.Setting:USA, nationally representative survey of 2029 municipalities.Participants:Municipal officials (e.g. city/town managers or planners; n 1853).Results:Overall, 67 % of municipalities reported incentives to support farmers’ markets, 34 % reported incentives to encourage opening new supermarkets, and 14 % reported incentives to help existing convenience or corner stores. Municipality characteristics significantly associated with incentive use were larger population size (all settings), location in Midwest v. West (supermarkets, smaller stores), higher poverty level (farmers’ markets) and ≤50 % of the population non-Hispanic White (supermarkets, smaller stores). The most commonly reported individual incentives were permission of sales on city property for farmers’ markets, tax credits for supermarkets and linkage to revitalization projects for smaller stores.Conclusions:Most municipalities offered food retail incentives for farmers’ markets, but fewer used incentives to open new supermarkets or assist existing smaller stores. National data can set benchmarks, provide relative comparisons for communities and identify areas for improvement.

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