Impact of Disadvantaged Neighborhoods and Lifestyle Factors on Adult Obesity: Evidence From a 5-Year Cohort Study in Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-37
Author(s):  
Syed Afroz Keramat ◽  
Khorshed Alam ◽  
Jeff Gow ◽  
Stuart J. H. Biddle

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of disadvantaged neighborhoods and lifestyle factors on obesity among Australian adults. Design: Quantitative, longitudinal research design. Setting: Cohort. Sample: Data for this study came from a cohort of 10 734 adults (21 468 observations) who participated in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The participants were interviewed at baseline in 2013 and were followed up in 2017. Measures: Generalized Estimating Equation model with logistic link function was employed to examine within-person changes in obesity due to disadvantaged neighborhoods and lifestyle factors at 2-time points over a 4-year follow-up period. Results: Adults living in the most disadvantaged area were 1.22 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.08-1.38) and 1.30 (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.20-1.42) times, respectively, more prone to be overweight and obese compared with peers living at least disadvantaged area. Study results also revealed that adults who consume fruits regularly and perform high levels of physical activity were 6% (OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98) and 12% (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85-0.92) less likely to be obese, respectively, compared to their counterparts. Current alcohol drinkers were 1.07 (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13) times more likely to be obese compared to peers not consuming alcohol. Highly psychologically distressed adults were 1.08 times (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13) more likely to be obese than their peers. Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature regarding disadvantaged neighborhoods and lifestyle factors, which have an influence on adult obesity rates and thus help health decision-makers to formulate effective obesity prevention strategies.

2018 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 03007
Author(s):  
Jinling Wang ◽  
Guangwen Jiang ◽  
Jun Shen ◽  
Chujun Hu

The sharp 90°corner of bow found on American Tarawa class general amphibious assault ship LHA-1 will produce large separated region in the airwake over the ship, and the turbulence in the separation region seriously affects the operation safety of the helicopter. In order to reduce the separation in bow region of the LHA-1, and optimize the helicopter operating environment, the numerical simulation method is used to study the influence of the bow flap on the airwake of LHA-1. The study results show that: the ANSYS k-ε two equation model based on the hybrid grid can be used to predict the steady-state characteristics of the ship airwake; the bow flap can improve the flow field downwind of the flap installation position, and the impact range can cover two spots; in headwind, the optimal installation angle of the bow flap is 15°~25°. The research results of this paper can provide modification and improvement reference for the amphibious assault ship in-service and under construction, so as to achieve the purpose of optimizing the ship airwake, thereby improving the safety of helicopter landing process and extending the service life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Atika Atika ◽  
Basri Modding ◽  
Baharuddin Sammaila ◽  
Hamzah Hafied

<p>The apparatus performance is a fundamental problem affecting the organizational performance of West Sulawesi Province Government. Many factors affect it, both individual characteristics and organizational, especially commitment, leadership, compensation and job satisfaction. This study analyzes the effect of organizational commitment, leadership and compensation on job satisfaction and the impact on apparatus performance. The study was conducted on 358 respondents of Government apparatus in West Sulawesi Province. The data was collected by five point Likert scale and analyzed by Structural Equation Model (SEM). The study results found that commitment and leadership affect on job satisfaction and apparatus performance. While compensation only affects job satisfaction and does not affect on performance apparatus.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1667-1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Richter ◽  
J Listing ◽  
M Schneider ◽  
T Klopsch ◽  
A Kapelle ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThis observational cohort study investigated the impact of biological (b) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the outcomes of serious infections (SIs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.MethodsWe investigated outcomes of SIs observed in 947 patients enrolled in the German biologics register RABBIT(Rheumatoid arthritis: observation of biologic therapy). Outcomes were (1) recovery without complication, (2) sepsis following SI (≤30 days), and (3) death after SI without known sepsis (≤90 days). We applied a multinomial generalised estimating equation model for longitudinal data to evaluate the risks of sepsis and death simultaneously.ResultsSepsis within 30 days after SI was reported in 135 out of 947 patients, 85 of these had a fatal outcome. Fifty-three patients died within 90 days after SI without known sepsis. The adjusted risk of developing sepsis increased with age and was higher in patients with chronic renal disease. Compared with conventional synthetic (cs)DMARDs, the risk was significantly lower when patients were exposed to bDMARDs at the time of SI (OR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.81). Risk factors of fatal SI were higher age, use of glucocorticoids at higher doses and heart failure. Patients treated with bDMARDs and those with better physical function had a significantly lower mortality risk.ConclusionsThese results suggest a beneficial effect of bDMARDs on the risk of sepsis after SI and the risk of a fatal outcome. Successful immunosuppression may prevent an unregulated host response to SI, that is, the escalation to sepsis. Further investigation is needed to validate these results.


Author(s):  
Mohammad Mehdi Moghimi ◽  
Ali Shabani ◽  
Abdol Rasoul Zarei

Abstract This research aims at assessing the impact of drought (in the form of original and modified reconnaissance drought indices (ORDI and MRDI)) on water productivity of rainfed winter wheat in some arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. It focuses on different timescales of drought to determine which period of the year had the greatest significant impact. RDI was modified using the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation method (FAO) (MRDI-1), US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) (MRDI-2), the Simplified version of Soil Conservation Service of the US Department of Agriculture method (USDA-SCS-simplified) (MRDI-3), and the CROPWAT version of USDA-SCS method (USDA-SCS CROPWAT) (MRDI-4). Results showed that in Tabriz and Zanjan stations, 3-month scale of MRDI-2; in Ghazvin, Arak, and Kerman stations, 6-month scale of MRDI-4; in Sanandaj station, 12-month timescale of MRDI-3; and in Shiraz stations, 1-month timescale of MRDI-1 resulted in the highest values of correlation coefficients. According to the goodness-of-fit parameters, in Tabriz and Zanjan stations, MRDI-1; in Ghazvin, Arak and Kerman stations, MRDI-2; in Shiraz station, MRDI-3; and in Sanandaj station, ORDI resulted in the best generalized estimating equation model. These results can be useful to plann for the management of cultivation in impressive timescales.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-649
Author(s):  
Janae K. Heath ◽  
C. Jessica Dine ◽  
Denise LaMarra ◽  
Serena Cardillo

ABSTRACT Background Standardized patient (SP) encounters are commonly used to assess communication skills in medical training. The impact of SP and resident demographics on the standardized communication ratings in residents has not been evaluated. Objective To examine the impact of gender and race on SP assessments of internal medicine (IM) residents' communication skills during postgraduate year (PGY) 1. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of all SP assessments of IM PGY-1 residents for a standardized communication exercise from 2012 to 2018. We performed descriptive analyses of numeric communication SP ratings by gender, race, and age (for residents and SPs). A generalized estimating equation model, clustered on individual SP, was used to determine the association of gender (among SP and residents) with communication ratings. A secondary analysis was performed to determine the impact of residents and SP racial concordance in communication scores. Results There were 1356 SP assessments of 379 IM residents (199 male residents [53%] and 178 female residents [47%]). There were significant differences in average numeric communication rating (mean 3.40 vs 3.34, P = .009) by gender of resident, with higher scores in female residents. There were no significant interactions between SP and resident gender across the communication domains. There were no significant interactions noted with racial concordance between interns and SPs. Conclusions Our data demonstrate an association of resident gender on ratings in standardized communication exercises, across multiple communication skills. There was not an interaction impact for gender or racial concordance between SPs and interns.


Author(s):  
Chih-Wei Lin ◽  
Wei-Ming Chen ◽  
Wei Peng Tan ◽  
Su-Shiang Lee ◽  
Wen-Hua Yang

Objective - This study aims to construct a model for the willingness to develop sports tourism, using the factors of place attachment, the impact of sports tourism, attitude and willingness to develop sports tourism. Methodology/Technique - The study gathers data via questionnaires. Following this, purposive sampling is used to distribute the questionnaires and the collected data is analysed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model. Findings - Once the aforementioned analysis is conducted, the following conclusions were drawn. First, the model construction fits well. Second, the factor of place attachment has a significant positive influence on the perceived impact of sports tourism. Both the positive perception of sports tourism and the attitude for developing sports tourism have a positive impact on willingness to develop sports tourism. Contrary to this, negative perceptions of sports tourism have a negative impact on the attitude to develop sports tourism, although it has no significant impact on the willingness to develop sports tourism. Novelty - This study demonstrates that the higher the degree of place attachment associated with the inhabitants of Taiwan, the greater recognition there is of the impact of sports tourism. The most important finding of this study is that this positive impact enhances the attitude and willingness of inhabitants to develop sports tourism. The study also develops some practical strategies based on the study results. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Place Attachment; Willingness; Sports Tourism; Tourism Impact. JEL Classification: Z30, Z39.


Author(s):  
Kyungduk Hurh ◽  
Hin Moi Youn ◽  
Yoon Sik Park ◽  
Eun-Cheol Park ◽  
Sung-In Jang

This study identifies the effects of transitions in caregiving status on depressive symptoms among middle-aged or older adults who care for family members with limitations in activities of daily living (ADL). Data were collected from the 2006–2018 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. A total of 7817 subjects were included. On the basis of their caregiving status transition, participants were categorized into four groups: started caregiving, continued caregiving, stopped caregiving, and noncaregivers. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10 item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Analysis using a generalized estimating equation model and subgroup analyses were conducted. Compared to noncaregivers, women who started caregiving showed more depressive symptoms in the following year (β 0.761, p < 0.0001). Regardless of sex, older adults who continued caregiving had more depressive symptoms than noncaregivers did (β 0.616, p < 0.0277 in men, and β 1.091, p < 0.0001 in women). After relinquishing caregiving responsibilities to other caregivers, participants’ depressive symptoms in the following year showed no statistically significant difference from that of noncaregivers. Thus, starting or continuing caregiving was associated with increased depressive symptoms, and those symptoms could be normalized by stopping caregiving. Intervention strategies to reduce family caregivers’ depressive symptoms are needed.


2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 524
Author(s):  
Rezzy Eko Caraka ◽  
Maengseok Noh ◽  
Youngjo Lee ◽  
Toni Toharudin ◽  
Yusra ◽  
...  

Background: In this paper, we examine how social media influencers can influence visit intention, especially in the case of Raffi Ahmad and Nagita Slavina, a top influencer who by 2 September 2021 had reached 21.3 M subscribers on YouTube and 54.9 m followers on Instagram with an engagement rate of 0.42%. The focus of this study is Generation Y or Millennials (born 1981–1996) and Generation Z (born 1997–2012). Design/methodology/approach: Snowball sampling was performed to arrive at a representative group of Millennials. Data analysis was performed using hierarchical likelihood via structural equation modeling. Findings: The study results are helpful for a comprehensive understanding of factors affecting visit intention. Effects of the study results summary, tourists from Generations Y and Z are thriving within the internet of things and the digital age, an era in which information can be accessed via various forms of technology across multiple platforms. Practical implications: We discuss and identify the relative importance of each factor through the use of logistics with variational approximation and structural equation models using hierarchical likelihood. Originality: The technique we use is an integrated and extended version of the structural equation model with hierarchical likelihood estimation and features selection using logistics variational approximation.


Author(s):  
Stéphane Sanchez ◽  
Jan Chrusciel ◽  
Biné Mariam Ndiongue ◽  
Caroline Blochet ◽  
Jean François Forget ◽  
...  

Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a collaborative therapeutic optimization program on the rate of potentially inappropriate prescription of drugs with anticholinergic properties in nursing homes. Methods: Quasi-experimental study in 37 nursing homes in France. The intervention included the use of quality indicators for prescriptions combined with educational sessions and dedicated materials for nursing home staff (unlimited access to study material for staff, including nurses, general practitioners, pharmacists). Indicators were calculated based on routine data collected from an electronic pill dispenser system. The primary outcome was the presence of at least one prescription containing ≥1 drug from a list of 12 drugs with anticholinergic properties. A difference-in-differences analysis was conducted at 18 months as well as propensity score weighting to minimize any potential indication bias. A generalized estimating equation model estimated the probability of being prescribed at least one target drug at any time during a 9-month period for each resident. Results: In total, 33 nursing homes (intervention group: n = 10; control group: n = 23) were included, totalling 8137 residents. There was a decrease in the use of drugs with anticholinergic properties over time in both groups, as well as a decline in the intervention group compared to the control group (Odds Ratio: 0.685, 95% CI: 0.533, 0.880; p < 0.01) that was attributable to the intervention. An estimated 49 anticholinergic properties drug prescriptions were avoided by the intervention. Conclusion: This study found that an intervention based on indicators derived from routine prescription data was effective in reducing use of drugs with anticholinergic properties prescriptions in nursing homes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Balinskaite Violeta ◽  
Bottle Alex ◽  
Aylin Paul

Abstract Background To assess the impact on seven-day in-hospital mortality following the introduction in 2012 of a shadowing programme for new UK medical graduates requiring them to observe the doctor they are replacing for at least 4 days before starting work. Methods Data on emergency admissions were derived from Hospital Episode Statistics between 2003 and 2019. A generalised estimating equation model was used to examine whether the introduction of the programme was associated with a change in mortality. Results There were 644,018 emergency admissions, of which 1.8% (7612) ended in death in hospital within a week following the admission. Throughout the study period, there was an annual increase in the number of emergency admissions during July and August, though in-hospital mortality rates declined. The generalised estimating equation analysis found no significant change in the odds of death within 7 days after admission for patients admitted on the first Wednesday in August compared with patients admitted on the last Wednesday in July (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.94–1.13, p = 0.53). Furthermore, there was no significant change observed for any clinical diagnosis category following the introduction of the shadowing programme. Conclusion There was a rising trend in the number of emergency admissions over the study period, though mortality was decreasing. We found no significant association between the introduction of shadowing programme and in-hospital mortality; however, lack of power means that we cannot rule out a small effect on mortality. There are other outcomes that might have changed but were not examined in this study.


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