scholarly journals What Really Matters: The Effect of Covid-19 on the Factors of Life Satisfaction

Author(s):  
Julius Janacek

This article investigates the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the structure of factors of life satisfaction in the city of Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. The dataset is based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Subsequent data analysis is conducted using ordinal logistic regression models. The results show that the emergence of the pandemic had a significant impact on life satisfaction factors. Firstly, the importance of family came to the fore: being in a relationship or being married proved to be a significant factor of life satisfaction during the pandemic but not before the pandemic. Secondly, a negative association between drinking alcohol and life satisfaction emerged during the pandemic. Alcohol probably started to be the tool for stress relief. Thirdly, sport became a significant positive factor of women’s life satisfaction. Sport most likely became an effective way of keeping oneself in balance. Results indicate that during a difficult time period there are different ways of how to deal with it. In this way doing sports and drinking alcohol seem to be substitute activities.

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-62
Author(s):  
D.J. Marlin ◽  
J.M. Williams ◽  
T. Parkin

Many consider the English Derby on Epsom Downs to be ‘The Blue Riband of the Turf’. The Epsom Derby has been run annually since 1780 and the colt Diomed was the first winner. Today the Epsom Derby, run over 1.5 miles, is one of five classic races and is the second leg of the English Triple Crown, preceded by the 2,000 Guineas and followed by the St Leger. The prize money for 2010 has been in excess of £1.25 million. To the best of our knowledge, whilst epidemiological techniques have previously been applied in an attempt to identify risk factors for injury, the purpose of the present study, which we believe is unique, was to use an epidemiological approach to analyse factors that may be predictive of success (or failure) in a single race over the course of a number of consecutive years: The Epsom Derby. Information on the horses competing in the last 22 runnings of the Epsom Derby between 1988 and 2009. Univariate and multivariable single-level and mixed effects logistic regression models were developed using winning the Epsom Derby as the dependent variable. Between 1988 and 2009 in 22 runnings of the Derby, a total of 344 horses started the Epsom Derby. The number of runners in the race has varied between 12 and 25 over the same time period. On average the probability of winning the Derby between 1988 and 2009 was approximately 6% (22/344), without accounting for any potentially predictive variables. Variables that were related to an increased chance of success were being the favourite (odds ratio (OR) 4.75; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.58-14.3; P=0.006), the number of 2-year old wins (OR 1.45; CI 1.03-2.04; P=0.03), being foaled in Ireland (OR 2.80; CI 1.12-7.04; P=0.041) and having the same jockey in all races throughout the horses career up to and including the Derby (OR 2.53; CI 1.0-6.41; P=0.05). The highest predictive probability was for horses that started the race as a favourite, were Irish bred, had been ridden by a single jockey and had won twice as a 2-year old. Although the point estimate for this probability was 52% the degree of uncertainty around this estimate was wide, i.e. the 95% CI was 17.5 to 86.5%. Nevertheless even at the lower confidence interval this still represents a significant improvement on the approximately 6% chance of picking a winner at random. In conclusion, using mixed effects logistic regression models would allow one to improve the odds of picking the winner of the Epsom Derby over the past 22 runnings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-107
Author(s):  
Farzin Rezaei ◽  
Hero Hassan ◽  
Arezoo Fallahi ◽  
Reza Gheshlagh ◽  
Shahram Sadeghi ◽  
...  

Social trust and spiritual health play an important role in social communication. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual health and social trust among Iranian students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Sanandaj, in the West of Iran, in 2018. 686 students from 5 universities were included in the study through simple random sampling. The data were collected using established, reliable instruments for the assessment of social trust and spiritual health. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between social trust and spiritual health. We reported estimated logits and Odds Ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The students with a literate father had substantially higher odds of social trust (OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.19-3.28, p<0.01). Also, similar findings were obtained for students with a literate mother compared to those with an illiterate mother (OR=2.09, 95% CI=1.33-3.28, p<0.01). The odds of social trust also increased with the father’s employment status (OR=13.06, 95% CI=4.16-41, p<0.01). The odds of social trust increased with religious health (OR=1.05, 95% CI=1.03-1.08, p<0.01). It is essential to increase spiritual health and the parents’ literacy to promote social trust among the students.


Weed Science ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Karn ◽  
Roland Beffa ◽  
Marie Jasieniuk

Reduced control of Italian ryegrass in California with herbicides has raised concerns about the evolution of populations with resistance to multiple herbicides. The goal of this study was to investigate variation among populations in plant response and resistance to glyphosate and glufosinate in Italian ryegrass from vineyards and orchards in northwest California. Population resistance screening using field-collected seed revealed up to 56.9% of individuals surviving glyphosate treatment at 1,678 g ae ha−1, and 53.5% of individuals surviving glufosinate treatment at 2,242 g ai ha−1in the same population. Frequencies of surviving plants within populations varied among screening times, particularly for glufosinate. Treating vegetatively propagated, genetically identical tillers with each herbicide pointed to separate mechanisms of resistance rather than cross-resistance to glyphosate and glufosinate. Dose–response experiments were conducted for each herbicide at two different screening times using a subset of populations, field-collected seed, and 10 herbicide rates. Plant survival and biomass were evaluated for each population at 3 wk after treatment and for plant regrowth 1 wk thereafter. Log-logistic regression models fit to the data were used to estimate LD50, GR50, and RD50values and calculate resistance indices (R/S ratios). Based on LD50values, the most highly resistant population was 14.4- to 19.2-fold more resistant to glyphosate than the most susceptible population tested but only 1.6- to 2.0-fold more resistant to glufosinate than the most susceptible population tested. Levels of resistance to both herbicides varied with screening time period and variable measured. Results indicate high frequencies of glyphosate-resistant plants but an early stage in the evolution of glufosinate resistance in some Italian ryegrass populations of northwest California.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos H. Orces

Objectives. To estimate the prevalence and determinants of fall-related injuries in the previous year among adults aged 60 years or older in Ecuador.Methods. The prevalence of fall-related injuries was estimated using cross-sectional data from the first national survey of Health, Wellbeing, and Aging study. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between participants’ demographic characteristics and fall-related injuries.Results. Of 5,227 participants with a mean age of 72.6 years, 11.4% (95% CI, 10.3%–12.7%) reported a fall-related injury in Ecuador, representing an estimated 136,000 adults aged 60 years or older. Fall-related injuries were more frequently reported among older adults residing in the most urbanized and populated provinces of the country. After controlling for potential confounders, self-reported race as Indigenous (OR 2.2; 95% CI, 2.11–2.31), drinking alcohol regularly (OR 2.54; 95% CI, 2.46–2.63), subjects with greater number of comorbid conditions (OR 2.03; 95% CI, 1.97–2.08), and urinary incontinence (OR 1.83; 95% CI, 1.79–1.87) were factors independently associated with increased odds of sustaining fall-related injuries.Conclusions. Fall-related injuries represent a considerable burden for older adults in Ecuador. The present findings may assist public health authorities to implement fall prevention programs among subjects at higher risk for this type of injury.


Author(s):  
Lisbeth Weitensfelder ◽  
Hanns Moshammer

In times of rising temperatures, the question arises on how the human body adapts. When assumed that changing climate leads to adaptation, time series analysis should reveal a shift in optimal temperatures. The city of Vienna is especially affected by climate change due to its location in the Alpine Range in Middle Europe. Based on mortality data, we calculated shifts in optimal temperature for a time period of 49 years in Vienna with Poisson regression models. Results show a shift in optimal temperature, with optimal temperature increasing more than average temperature. Hence, results clearly show an adaptation process, with more adaptation to warmer than colder temperatures. Nevertheless, some age groups remain more vulnerable than others and less able to adapt. Further research focusing on vulnerable groups should be encouraged.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lew ◽  
H Xian ◽  
Z Qian ◽  
M G Vaughn

Abstract Background There are many known risk factors associated with youth substance use. Nonetheless, the impact of life satisfaction (LS) on the use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana by adolescents still remains largely unknown. Methods The present analysis utilized data from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children 2009–10 US study. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between LS and individual substance use. Multilevel multinomial regression models examined the relationship with total number of substances used. Results After controlling for numerous variables associated with substance use, individuals reporting low LS were significantly more likely to ever use tobacco (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = [1.01, 1.78]), alcohol (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = [1.10, 1.92]) and marijuana (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = [1.39, 2.82]). Additionally, students with low LS were significantly more likely to use two substances (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = [1.15, 3.14]) and three substances concurrently (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = [1.27, 3.16]). Conclusions The present study identified strong associations between LS and individual, as well as concurrent, substance use among adolescents. Interventions aiming to reduce adolescent substance use may benefit from incorporating components to improve LS.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loren Kock ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
Graham Moore ◽  
Marie Horton ◽  
...  

Background: Changes in the prevalence of mental health problems among smokers due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England have important implications for existing health inequalities. This study examined the prevalence of psychological distress among smokers following the onset of the pandemic compared with previous years. Methods: Cross-sectional data were used from a representative survey of smokers (18+) in England (n = 2,927) during four months (April to July) in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Adjusted logistic regressions estimated the associations between past-month psychological distress across two time periods (2016/17 and 2020), and age. Weighted proportions, chi-squared statistics and stratified logistic regression models were used to compare the distributions of minimal, moderate and severe distress, respectively, within socio-demographic and smoking characteristic categories in 2016/17 and 2020. Results: The prevalence of moderate and severe distress among past-year smokers was higher in 2020 (moderate: 28.79%, 95%CI 26.11-31.60; OR=2.08, 95%CI 1.34-3.25; severe: 11.04%, 9.30-13.12; OR=2.16, 1.13-4.07) than in 2016/17 (moderate: 20.66%, 19.02-22.43; severe: 8.23%, 7.16-9.47). While there was no overall evidence of an interaction between time period and age, young (16-24 years) and middle-age groups (45-54 years) may have experienced greater increases in moderate and older age groups (65+ years) in severe distress from 2016/17 to 2020. There were also increases in 2020 of moderate distress among those from more disadvantaged social grades and of both moderate and severe distress among women and those with low cigarette addiction. Conclusions: Between April-July 2016/17 and April-July 2020 in England there were increases in both moderate and severe distress among smokers. The distribution of distress differed between 2016/17 and 2020 and represents a widening of established inequalities, with increases in distress among socio-economically disadvantaged groups, women and diverging age groups.


Objective: While the use of intraoperative laser angiography (SPY) is increasing in mastectomy patients, its impact in the operating room to change the type of reconstruction performed has not been well described. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether SPY angiography influences post-mastectomy reconstruction decisions and outcomes. Methods and materials: A retrospective analysis of mastectomy patients with reconstruction at a single institution was performed from 2015-2017.All patients underwent intraoperative SPY after mastectomy but prior to reconstruction. SPY results were defined as ‘good’, ‘questionable’, ‘bad’, or ‘had skin excised’. Complications within 60 days of surgery were compared between those whose SPY results did not change the type of reconstruction done versus those who did. Preoperative and intraoperative variables were entered into multivariable logistic regression models if significant at the univariate level. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: 267 mastectomies were identified, 42 underwent a change in the type of planned reconstruction due to intraoperative SPY results. Of the 42 breasts that underwent a change in reconstruction, 6 had a ‘good’ SPY result, 10 ‘questionable’, 25 ‘bad’, and 2 ‘had areas excised’ (p<0.01). After multivariable analysis, predictors of skin necrosis included patients with ‘questionable’ SPY results (p<0.01, OR: 8.1, 95%CI: 2.06 – 32.2) and smokers (p<0.01, OR:5.7, 95%CI: 1.5 – 21.2). Predictors of any complication included a change in reconstruction (p<0.05, OR:4.5, 95%CI: 1.4-14.9) and ‘questionable’ SPY result (p<0.01, OR: 4.4, 95%CI: 1.6-14.9). Conclusion: SPY angiography results strongly influence intraoperative surgical decisions regarding the type of reconstruction performed. Patients most at risk for flap necrosis and complication post-mastectomy are those with questionable SPY results.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronghua Xu ◽  
Tingting Zhang ◽  
Qingpeng Zhang

BACKGROUND Internet hospitals, or e-hospitals, as one kind of e-health platforms in China, provided novel channels through which physicians present their medical or health-care knowledge to patients and provide online counseling services. The sustainable development of Internet hospitals and e-health platforms relied on the participation of both the patients and the physicians, especially on the provision of health consultation services by the physicians. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to explore the factors motivating Chinese physicians to provide online health counseling services from the perspectives of their online reputation and offline reputation. METHODS We collected the data of 141,030 physicians from 6,173 offline hospitals and 350 cities on WeDoctor, an Internet hospital platform authorized by the China Health and Family Planning Committee. We selected the physicians’ online consultation volume, the total amount of counseling conversations from all channels of the platform, as the investigated dependent variable, reflecting the actual online counseling behaviors of the physicians in the platform. Based on the reputation theories and prior study, we incorporated patients’ feedback as the physicians’ online reputation (i.e. patients’ comments and their satisfaction scores), and incorporated the physicians’ offline professional status as the offline reputation (i.e. professional titles and the rankings of their offline working hospitals). We also delved the moderated effects of the city levels where the physicians lived offline and the number of patients who were watching the physicians online. Eight research hypotheses were proposed. Step-wise linear regression models were used to test our hypotheses. Durbin-Watson test and robustness tests were also conducted to ensure the fitness and reliability of our models. RESULTS As a result of the regression models, we found that, 1) physicians’ online reputation, including the number of comments written by the patients (beta=0.588, P<0.001), the satisfaction scores (beta=0.034, P<0.01), significantly and positively influence physicians’ online counseling behaviors; 2) Physicians’ offline reputation, including their professional titles (beta=-0.084, P<0.001) and the hospital rankings (beta=-0.163, P<0.001), significantly and negatively influence physicians’ online counseling behaviors; 3) the city levels where the physicians lived strengthen the negative effect between their offline hospital rankings and their online consulting services (beta=-0.177, P<0.001), indicating that physicians of higher offline reputation spend less time on online counseling, possibly due to the relative heavier offline workload; 4) the number of watching patients weakens the positive effect between patients’ comments and physicians’ online consulting services (beta=-0.216, P<0.001), indicating that the watching patients may switch the channels from online consultation to offline hospital visits after using the Internet hospitals. CONCLUSIONS This study contributed to the literature on physicians online counseling behaviors in Internet hospitals by verifying the contrasting effects of the online reputation and the offline reputation. It then contributed to the motivation theory by separating the online reputation from the offline reputation when the acting entities have constraints of limited time and effort. This study can also provide practical insights for the hospital managers to better arrange for the online counseling services and for the policy makers to consider the patients’ online feedback into the overall evaluation of the physicians’ reputation.


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