Multivariate Models and Dependence Concepts

Abstract Increasing longevity has led to a rising number of adult children who are at higher ages when they provide care for their parents. Drawing on the lifecourse approach and exchange theory, the paper addresses similarities and differences in parent care between late middle-aged and older adult children. The study uses the UK Household Longitudinal Study, restricting the analysis sample to individuals aged 50 and older with a living parent or parent-in-law. It presents multivariate models to examine differences between late middle-aged (aged 50–64) and older (aged 65+) children in being a parent carer, providing intensive care, the duration of parent care and providing selected types of help to parents. The involvement in parent care increases among women up to the end of their seventh decade of life and for men up to their eighth decade of life. At higher ages, the proportion of parent carers decreases more strongly for women than men. Older carers have shorter care-giving episodes than younger carers, but there is no significant difference in the type of care provided. Even past retirement age, parent care remains classed and gendered, with women from lower social classes having the highest likelihood of providing intensive parent care in old age. Having dependent children or living in a non-marital union depress the likelihood of caring for a parent even past retirement age.

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Comparison of Different Measures of Fat Mass and Their Association with Serum Cystatin C Levels

Advances in Nephrology ◽

10.1155/2014/375614 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Boon Wee Teo ◽

Jonathan J. H. Soon ◽

Qi Chun Toh ◽

Hui Xu ◽

Jialiang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cystatin C ◽

Information Criterion ◽

C Reactive Protein ◽

Multivariate Models ◽

Serum Cystatin C ◽

Serum Cystatin ◽

Percentage Body Fat ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Skin Fold ◽

Triceps Skin Fold

Introduction. Cystatin C (CysC) is a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) marker affected by GFR and obesity. Because percentage body fat (%BF) distribution is affected by ethnicity, different measures of %BF may improve CysC prediction. This study aims to create multivariate models that predict serum CysC and determine which %BF metric gives the best prediction. Methods. Serum CysC was measured by nephelometric assay. We estimated %BF by considering weight, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, triceps skin fold, bioimpedance, and Deurenberg and Yap %BF equations. A base multivariate model for CysC was created with a %BF metric added in turn. The best model is considered by comparing P values, R2, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Results. There were 335 participants. Mean serum CysC and creatinine were 1.27 mg/L and 1.44 mg/dL, respectively. Variables for the base model were age, gender, ethnicity, creatinine, serum urea, c-reactive protein, log GFR, and serum albumin. %BF had a positive correlation with CysC. The best model for predicting CysC included bioimpedance-derived %BF (P=0.0011), with the highest R2 (0.917) and the lowest AIC and BIC (−371, −323). Conclusion. Obesity is associated with CysC, and the best predictive model for CysC includes bioimpedance-derived %BF.

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