scholarly journals WIC Participation and Breastfeeding after the 2009 WIC Revision: A Propensity Score Approach

Author(s):  
Li ◽  
Wen ◽  
Reynolds ◽  
Zhang

In this study, we examined the association between participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and breastfeeding outcomes before and after the 2009 revisions. Four-thousand-three-hundred-and-eight WIC-eligible children younger than 60 months were included from the 2005–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We compared two birth cohorts with regard to their associations between WIC participation and being ever-breastfed and breastfed at 6 months. We estimated the average effect of the treatment for the treated to assess the causal effect of WIC participation on breastfeeding based on propensity score matching. The results showed that WIC-eligible participating children born between 2000 and 2008 were significantly less likely than WIC-eligible nonparticipating children to ever receive breastfeeding (p < 0.05) or to be breastfed at 6 months (p < 0.05). Among children born between 2009 and 2014, WIC-eligible participating children were no longer less likely to ever receive breastfeeding compared to WIC-eligible nonparticipating children; the gap remained in breastfeeding at 6-months (p < 0.05). The disparities in prevalence of ever breastfed between WIC-eligible participants and nonparticipants have been eliminated since the 2009 WIC revision. More efforts are needed to improve breastfeeding persistence among WIC-participating mother–infant dyads.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Wen Lin ◽  
Tsung-Chin Wu ◽  
Hung-Yu Lin ◽  
Chao-Ming Hung ◽  
Pei-Min Hsieh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) is an infrequent type of primary liver cancer that comprises hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC). This study investigated the clinicopathological features and prognosis among cHCC-CC, HCC, and CC groups. Methods We prospectively collected the data of 608 patients who underwent surgical resection for liver cancer between 2011 and 2018 at E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Overall, 505 patients with cHCC-CC, HCC, and CC were included, and their clinicopathological features, overall survival (OS), and recurrence were recorded. OS and recurrence rates were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results In the entire cohort, the median age was 61 years and 80% were men. Thirty-five (7.0%) had cHCC-CC, 419 (82.9%) had HCC, and 51 (10.1%) had CC. The clinicopathological features of the cHCC-CC group were more identical to those of the HCC group than the CC group. OS was significantly lower in the cHCC-CC group than in the HCC group but was not significantly higher in the cHCC-CC group than in the CC group. The median OS of cHCC-CC, HCC, and CC groups was 50.1 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 38.7–61.2], 62.3 months (CI: 42.1–72.9), and 36.2 months (CI: 15.4–56.5), respectively. Cumulative OS rates at 1, 3, and 5 years in cHCC-CC, HCC, and CC groups were 88.5%, 62.2%, and 44.0%; 91.2%, 76.1%, and 68.0%; and 72.0%, 48.1%, and 34.5%, respectively. After propensity score matching (PSM), OS in the cHCC-CC group was not significantly different from that in the HCC or CC group. However, OS was significantly higher in the HCC group than in the CC group before and after PSM. Furthermore, the disease-free survival was not significantly different among cHCC-CC, HCC, and CC groups before and after PSM. Conclusion The clinicopathological features of the cHCC-CC group were more identical to those of the HCC group than the CC group. The OS rate was significantly lower in the cHCC-CC group than the HCC group. However, after PSM, OS and disease-free survival in the cHCC-CC group were not significantly different from those in the HCC or CC group.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e043532
Author(s):  
Kazutaka Sekine ◽  
Rogie Royce Carandang ◽  
Ken Ing Cherng Ong ◽  
Anand Tamang ◽  
Masamine Jimba

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate whether child marriage had causal effects on unmet needs for modern contraception, and unintended pregnancy, by estimating the marginal (population-averaged) treatment effect of child marriage.DesignThis study used secondary data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Applying one-to-one nearest-neighbour matching with replacement within a calliper range of ±0.01, 15–49 years old women married before the age of 18 were matched with similar women who were married at 18 or above to reduce selection bias.SettingNationally representative population survey data.ParticipantsThe sample consisted of 7833 women aged 15–49 years who were married for more than 5 years.Outcome measuresUnmet needs for modern contraception and unintended pregnancy.ResultsThe matching method achieved adequate overlap in the propensity score distributions and balance in measured covariates between treatment and control groups with the same propensity score. Propensity score matching analysis showed that the risk of unmet needs for modern contraception, and unintended pregnancy among women married as children were a 14.3 percentage point (95 % CI 10.3 to 18.2) and a 10.1 percentage point (95 % CI 3.7 to 16.4) higher, respectively, than among women married as adults. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the estimated effects were robust to unmeasured covariates.ConclusionsChild marriage appears to increase the risk of unmet needs for modern contraception and unintended pregnancy. These findings call for social development and public health programmes that promote delayed entry into marriage and childbearing to improve reproductive health and rights.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moghniuddin Mohammed ◽  
Amit Noheria ◽  
Seth Sheldon ◽  
Madhu Reddy

Introduction: There are no randomized controlled trials that compared the outcomes of leadless pacemaker (L-PPM) implantation with transvenous pacemaker (TV-PPM) and there is scarcity of data on real world outcomes. Methods: We queried National Inpatient Sample to identify all adult patients who had primary discharge diagnosis of conduction disorders or tachy-arrhythmias and excluded patients who had a concomitant procedure for valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting, ablation and/or cardiac implantable electronic device removal so that complications can be attributed to the pacemaker implantation. We included only procedures from November 2016 to December 2017 as Micra was the only available L-PPM during that period. For the comparison cohort we selected patients, during the same time period, who had a procedure code for single chamber pacemaker implantation in conjunction with right ventricular lead placement. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching and the variables used for matching are marked with asterisk in Table 1. All the codes used to identify complications has been previously validated from the Micra Post-approval registry and Coverage with Evidence Study. Results: Total of 1,305 patients for L-PPM and 13,905 patients in the TV-PPM group were included. Baseline characteristics with standardized mean difference before and after matching are shown in Table 1. Briefly, patients in L-PPM group were younger but had higher co-morbidities compared to TV-PPM group. The complications before and after matching are shown in Table 2. Conclusions: In conclusion, we found no significant difference between in-hospital complications after propensity score matching, with the exception of deep venous thrombosis. There was no difference between length of stay but cost for L-PPM was significantly higher. In this real-world analysis, we found that the leadless PPM implantation is safe in comparison to transvenous PPM.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Widya Alwarritzi ◽  
Teruaki Nanseki ◽  
Yosuke Chomei

<p>In order to solve serious problem on the lack of job opportunity and poverty in Indonesia, oil palm expansion driven by smallholders have been taken into the economic development agenda. The evidence shows that oil palm expansion by smallholders have a great performance for improving livelihood of rural community. Thus, this study aims to estimate the causal effect of oil palm expansion on farmers’ livelihoods in Indonesia. Using cross-sectional data from 271 households in Riau Province, the determinants of farmers’ decisions to expand oil palm farm size and the impacts of expansion are analyzed. Propensity Score Matching was employed in order to deal with self-selection biased in the evaluation of oil palm expansion impact. In the first step, logit model was applied to analyze the determinant of oil palm expansion. In the second step, each observation is matched with a similar propensity score value in order estimate the average treatment effect for the treated (ATT). Empirical results show that number of family members actively involved in oil palm cultivation, farmers’ financial assets, contract farming, and distance to the market are significantly associated with likelihood for expanding farm size. Positive and significant impacts of crop income from oil palm and <em>per capita </em>expenditures, confirms that oil palm expansion help reducing the problem of job opportunity and poverty in Indonesia. This study implicates that, to improve oil palm expansion practice in Indonesia, several schemes must be considered: enhancing human resources development, integrating oil palm marketing schemes, and improving infrastructure facilities.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Yang ◽  
Morley Gunderson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate the causal effect of minimum wages (MWs) on the wages, employment and hours of migrant workers in China, and to show their inter-relatedness and how employers can offset some of the costs through subtle adjustments. This paper also illustrates the importance of disaggregating by region and sex. Design/methodology/approach Causal estimates are provided through difference-in-differences (DID) analysis, and robustness checks through propensity score matching. The analysis is based on micro data at the individual level from the household survey on migrant workers by the National Population and Family Planning Commission, combined with macro data regarding municipalities’ population, GDP and employment information based on the China Economic Information Network database. Findings MW increases for those paid by the month increased the earnings of both low-wage males and females. However, males tend not to experience an adverse employment effect because part of the cost increase is offset by employers increasing their monthly hours of work. Hours of work do not increase for females, so they experience an adverse employment effect. This highlights the importance of examining cost offsets such as increases in hours of work, as well as analyzing effects separately for males and females. Research limitations/implications The reason behind why employers offset some of the cost increase for males paid by the month by increasing their hours of work, but this cost-offsetting adjustment does not occur for females is uncertain. Social implications For workers paid by the month, employers can offset some of the cost increase by increasing their hours of work, leading to no reductions in employment. But this adjustment occurs only for males. Hours are not increased for females, but they experience reductions in employment. Clearly, MW increases have adverse effects either in the form of employment reductions (for females) or increases in hours of work for the same monthly pay (for males). Originality/value This paper provides causal estimates through DID analysis and robustness checks through Propensity Score Matching, and also indicates how employers can offset the cost of MW increases by increasing hours for those paid by the month, resulting in no adverse employment effect for such workers, but an adverse employment effect when such an adjustment does not occur.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 1031-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Zotti ◽  
Nino Speziale ◽  
Cristian Barra

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of religious involvement on subjective well-being (SWB), specifically taking into account the implication of selection effects explaining religious influence using the British Household Panel Survey data set. Design/methodology/approach In order to measure the level of religious involvement, the authors construct different indices on the base of individual religious belonging, participation and beliefs applying a propensity score matching estimator. Findings The results show that religious active participation plays a relevant role among the different aspects of religiosity; moreover, having a strong religious identity such as, at the same time, belonging to any religion, attending religious services once a week or more and believing that religion makes a great difference in life, has a high causal impact on SWB. The authors’ findings are robust to different aspects of life satisfaction. Originality/value The authors offer an econometric account of the causal impact of different aspects of religiosity finding evidence that the causal effect of religious involvement on SWB is better captured than through typical regression methodologies focussing on the mean effects of the explanatory variables.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing-Yong Xu ◽  
Xiao-Dong Tian ◽  
Yin-Mo Yang ◽  
Jinghai Song ◽  
Jun-Min Wei

Abstract Background: Preoperative anaemia is a common clinical situation that was proved to be associated with severe outcomes in major surgery but not pancreatic surgery alone. We aimed to study the impact of preoperative anaemia on morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing open pancreaticoduodenectomy by using propensity score matching (PSM) to balance the basal data and reduce bias. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing open pancreaticoduodenectomy with complete record of preoperative haemoglobin at two pancreatic centers in China between 2015 to 2019 were analysed. Haemoglobin less than 12g/dl for male and 11g/dl for female were defined as anaemia in Chinese population. Clinical and economic outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess correlation between variables and anaemia. Results: The unmatched initial cohort consist of 517 patients. 148 cases (28.6%) were diagnosed as anaemia at admission, and no case received preoperative blood transfusion or anti-anaemia therapy. After PSM, 126 cases were in each group. The rate of severe postoperative complications was significantly higher in anaemia group than in normal group (43.7% versus 27.0%, P=0.006), among which prevalence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (31.0% versus 15.9%, P=0.005) and cardiac and cerebrovascular events (4.0% versus 0.0%, P=0.024) were most significant. It costed more in the anaemia group (26958.2±21671.9 versus 20987.7±10237.9 USD, P=0.013). Among all patients, multivariate analysis showed that preoperative obstructive jaundice [OR 1.813, 95%CI (1.206-2.725), P=0.004] and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [OR 1.861, 95%CI (1.178-2.939), P=0.008] were predictors of anaemia. Among paired patients, preoperative anaemia [OR 2.593, 95%CI (1.481-5.541), P=0.001] and malignant pathology [OR 4.266, 95%CI (1.597-11.395), P=0.004] were predictors of postoperative severe complications.Conclusions: Preoperative anaemia is a predictor of cacoethic postoperative outcomes following open pancreatoduodenectomy and needs identified and treated.


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