scholarly journals Methodological Perspectives on the Study of the Health Effects of Unemployment – Reviewing the Mode of Unemployment, the Statistical Analysis Method and the Role of Confounding Factors

Author(s):  
Fredrik Norström ◽  
Anne Hammarström

Abstract Introduction: Studying the relationship between unemployment and health raises many methodological challenges. In the current study, the aim was to evaluate how different ways of measuring unemployment and the choice of statistical model affects the effect estimate. Methods: The Northern Swedish cohort was used, and two follow-up surveys thereof from 1995 and 2007, as well as register data about unemployment. Self-reported current unemployment, self-reported accumulated unemployment and register-based accumulated unemployment were used to measure unemployment and its effect on self-reported health was evaluated. Analyses were conducted with G-computation, logistic regression and three estimators for the inverse probability weighting propensity scores, and 11 potentially confounding variables were part of the analyses. Results were presented with absolute differences in the proportion with poor self-reported health between unemployed and employed individuals for all estimators but logistic regression. Results: Of the initial 1083 pupils in the cohort, 488–693 individuals were defined as employed and 61–214 individuals were defined as unemployed in our different analyses. In the analyses, the deviation was large between the unemployment measures, with a difference of at least 2.5% in effect size when unemployed was compared with employed for the self-reported and register-based unemployment modes. The choice of statistical method only had a small influence on effect estimates and the deviation was in most cases lower than 1%. When models were compared based on the choice of potential confounders in the analytical model, the deviations were rarely above 0.6% when comparing models with 4 and 11 potential confounders. Our variable for health selection was the only one that strongly affected estimates when it was not part of the statistical model. Conclusions: Misspecifications of the statistical model or choice of analytical method might not matter much for effect estimates of the relationship between unemployment and health except for the inclusion of a variable measuring earlier health status before becoming unemployed. On the other hand, how unemployment is measured is highly important.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (G) ◽  
pp. 168-171
Author(s):  
Hery Ernawati ◽  
Anni Fithriyatul Mas'udah ◽  
Ova Emilia ◽  
Lely Lusmilasari ◽  
Laily Isroin ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION: Fertility in adolescents is closely related to the incidence of early marriage which will have an impact on increasing the incidence of pregnancy in adolescents so that it will directly affect the health of mothers and babies. The younger the age at marriage, the higher the fertility rate. AIM: This study aimed to determine the relationship between contraception and fertility among ado­lescents. METHODS: This quantitative study used a cross-sectional design. The population of this study was adolescents aged 15–19 years in Indonesia. The total sample of 7,547 adolescents was selected from the 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS). Multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression was used to analyze the independent variable (contraception use) on the dependent variable (fertility) with education, work status, region, age at first sexual intercourse, economic status, and marital status as the controlled variables. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to report the relationship between independent and dependent variables controlled by potential confounder variables. The results showed that the odds ratio of contraceptives users was 46 times compared to non-user after being controlled by confounding variables (AOR=4.8; 95%CI 33.857 – 441.046) after controlled by economic status, age at first exual intercourse, and marital status. CONCLUSION: The relationship between contraceptive use and fertility in adolescents is affected by confounding variables such as age at first sexual intercourse, economic status, and marital status. In addition, the odds ratio of contraceptives users was 46 times compared to non-users after being controlled by confounding variables.


Author(s):  
Aryo Wibisono ◽  
R. Amilia Destryana

This study aims to determine the index of public satisfaction in public health center services in Sumenep Regency and the relationship between the services to the public satisfaction. The analysis measured the index of public satisfaction and logistic regression methods to determine the effect of the relationship on total satisfaction in the health services of Public Health Center. The results of the study are the alignment between interests and patient satisfaction is still not aligned, there are still differences between interests and satisfaction, the pattern of the result is the relationship between the assurance dimension to the service satisfaction of the public health center, and the results of the index of public satisfaction  values show that the results of the community assess the public health center performance is very good by getting an A grade. Keywords: public service, logistic regretion, index of public satisfaction


Author(s):  
Himanshu Rajput

Smartphone-based messaging applications have shown phenomenal growth with the proliferation of the internet coupled with the high penetration of smartphones into masses. The current study is an attempt to understand the relationship between the individuals personality and their use of WhatsApp, a popular smartphone-based messaging application in Indian context. For personality assessment the study takes Big Five Inventory. A questionnaire consisting items on individual WhatsApp use and Big Five Inventory was administered to students in an Indian University. Multiple regression and logistic regression revealed significant relationships between personality and WhatsApp usage and use of its different inbuilt functions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maiko Kokubu ◽  
Masaru Matsui ◽  
Takayuki Uemura ◽  
Katsuhiko Morimoto ◽  
Masahiro Eriguchi ◽  
...  

Abstract Peritonitis is a critical complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Investigators have reported the risk of peritonitis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) versus automated peritoneal dialysis (APD), but the available evidence is predominantly based on observational studies which failed to report on the connection type. Our understanding of the relationship between peritonitis risk and PD modality thus remained insufficient. We studied 285 participants who began PD treatment between 1997 and 2014 at three hospitals in Nara Prefecture in Japan. We matched 106 APD patients with 106 CAPD patients based on their propensity scores. The primary outcome was time to first episode of peritonitis within 3 years after PD commencement. In total, PD peritonitis occurred in 64 patients during the study period. Patients initiated on APD had a lower risk of peritonitis than did those initiated on CAPD in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the primary endpoint were 0.30 (0.17–0.53) in the fully adjusted model including connection type. In the matched cohort, APD patients had a significantly lower risk of peritonitis than did CAPD patients (log-rank: p < 0.001, HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16–0.59). The weighting-adjusted analysis of the inverse probability of treatment yielded a similar result (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18–0.67). In conclusion, patients initiated on APD at PD commencement had a reduced risk of peritonitis compared with those initiated on CAPD, suggesting APD may be preferable for prevention of peritonitis among PD patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongxin Wang ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Shuiqing Hu

Abstract Background The etiology of reflux esophagitis (RE) is multi-factorial. This study analyzed the relationship of depression, anxiety, lifestyle and eating habits with RE and its severity and further explored the impact of anxiety and depression on patients’ symptoms and quality of life. Methods From September 2016 to February 2018, a total of 689 subjects at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University participated in this survey. They were divided into the RE group (patients diagnosed with RE on gastroscopy, n = 361) and the control group (healthy individuals without heartburn, regurgitation and other gastrointestinal symptoms, n = 328). The survey included general demographic information, lifestyle habits, eating habits, comorbidities, current medications, the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire (GerdQ), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression scale and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 anxiety scale. Results The mean age and sex ratio of the two groups were similar. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following factors as related to the onset of RE (p < 0.05): low education level; drinking strong tea; preferences for sweets, noodles and acidic foods; sleeping on a low pillow; overeating; a short interval between dinner and sleep; anxiety; depression; constipation; history of hypertension; and use of oral calcium channel blockers. Ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between sleeping on a low pillow and RE severity (p = 0.025). Depression had a positive correlation with the severity of symptoms (rs = 0.375, p < 0.001) and patients’ quality of life (rs = 0.306, p < 0.001), whereas anxiety showed no such association. Conclusions Many lifestyle factors and eating habits were correlated with the onset of RE. Notably, sleeping on a low pillow was positively correlated with RE severity, and depression was positively related to the severity of symptoms and patients’ quality of life.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A305-A306
Author(s):  
Jesse Moore ◽  
Ellita Williams ◽  
Collin Popp ◽  
Anthony Briggs ◽  
Judite Blanc ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Literature shows that exercise moderates the relationship between sleep and emotional distress (ED.) However, it is unclear whether different types of exercise, such as aerobic and strengthening, affect this relationship differently. We investigated the moderating role of two types of exercise (aerobic and strengthening) regarding the relationship between ED and sleep. Methods Our analysis was based on data from 2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative study in which 2,814 participants provided all data. Participants were asked 1) “how many days they woke up feeling rested over the past week”, 2) the Kessler 6 scale to determine ED (a score &gt;13 indicates ED), and 3) the average frequency of strengthening or aerobic exercise per week. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine if the reported days of waking up rested predicted level of ED. We then investigated whether strengthening or aerobic exercise differentially moderated this relationship. Covariates such as age and sex were adjusted in the logistic regression models. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine if subjective reporting of restful sleep predicted level of ED. We investigated whether strengthening exercise or aerobic exercise differentially moderated this relationship. Covariates such as age and sex were adjusted in the logistic regression models. Results On average, participants reported 4.41 restful nights of sleep (SD =2.41), 3.43 strengthening activities (SD = 3.19,) and 8.47 aerobic activities a week (SD=5.91.) We found a significant association between days over the past week reporting waking up feeling rested and ED outcome according to K6, Χ2(1) = -741, p= &lt;.001. The odds ratio signified a decrease of 52% in ED scores for each unit of restful sleep (OR = .48, (95% CI = .33, .65) p=&lt;.001.) In the logistic regression model with moderation, aerobic exercise had a significant moderation effect, Χ2(1) = .03, p=.04, but strengthening exercise did not. Conclusion We found that restful sleep predicted reduction in ED scores. Aerobic exercise moderated this relationship, while strengthening exercise did not. Further research should investigate the longitudinal effects of exercise type on the relationship between restful sleep and ED. Support (if any) NIH (K07AG052685, R01MD007716, K01HL135452, R01HL152453)


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chittaranjan Andrade

Students without prior research experience may not know how to conceptualize and design a study. This article explains how an understanding of the classification and operationalization of variables is the key to the process. Variables describe aspects of the sample that is under study; they are so called because they vary in value from subject to subject in the sample. Variables may be independent or dependent. Independent variables influence the value of other variables; dependent variables are influenced in value by other variables. A hypothesis states an expected relationship between variables. A significant relationship between an independent and dependent variable does not prove cause and effect; the relationship may partly or wholly be explained by one or more confounding variables. Variables need to be operationalized; that is, defined in a way that permits their accurate measurement. These and other concepts are explained with the help of clinically relevant examples.


Machines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Kyratsis ◽  
Anastasios Tzotzis ◽  
Angelos Markopoulos ◽  
Nikolaos Tapoglou

In this study, the development of a 3D Finite Element (FE) model for the turning of AISI-D3 with ceramic tooling is presented, with respect to four levels of cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut. The Taguchi method was employed in order to create the orthogonal array according to the variables involved in the study, reducing this way the number of the required simulation runs. Moreover, the possibility of developing a prediction model based on well-established statistical tools such as the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was examined, in order to further investigate the relationship between the cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut, as well as their influence on the produced force components. The findings of this study point out an increased correlation between the experimental results and the simulated ones, with a relative error below 10% for most tests. Similarly, the values derived from the developed statistical model indicate a strong agreement with the equivalent numerical values due to the verified adequacy of the statistical model.


Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Kugimiya ◽  
Masanori Iwasaki ◽  
Yuki Ohara ◽  
Keiko Motokawa ◽  
Ayako Edahiro ◽  
...  

Oral hypofunction, resulting from a combined decrease in multiple oral functions, may affect systemic-condition deterioration; however, few studies have examined the association between oral hypofunction and general health among older adults. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. We included 878 adults (268 men and 610 women, mean age 76.5 ± 8.3 years). Tongue coating index, oral moisture, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis (/pa/,/ta/,/ka/), tongue pressure, mas-ticatory function, and swallowing function were evaluated as indicators of oral hypofunction. Grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass index were measured as diagnostic sarcopenia parameters. The association between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia was examined via logistic regression using sarcopenia as the dependent variable. Oral hypofunction prevalence was 50.5% overall, 40.3% in men, and 54.9% in women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.6% overall, 9.7% in men, and 22.5% in women. A logistic regression showed oral hypofunction, age, body mass index, higher-level functional capacity, and serum albumin level were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia occurred at an increased frequency in patients diagnosed with oral hypofunction (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–2.47); accordingly, oral hypofunction appears to be significantly associated with sarcopenia.


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