scholarly journals The Utah Population Database. The Legacy of Four Decades of Demographic Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken. R. Smith ◽  
Geraldine P. Mineau
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Population Database ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Administrative Records ◽  
Novel Studies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Numerous Data ◽  
The Individual

This paper summarizes the unique characteristics of the Utah Population Database (UPDB) and how it has catalyzed demographic, social and medical research since the mid-1970s. The UPDB is one of the world’s richest sources of linked population-based information for demographic, genetic, and epidemiological studies at the Individual-level. UPDB has supported hundreds of demographic and biomedical investigations, with heavy emphasis on families, in large part because of its size, representativeness, inclusion of multi-generational pedigrees, and linkages to numerous data sources. The UPDB contains data on over 11 million individuals from the late 18th century to the present. UPDB data represent Utah’s population that appear in administrative records and many of these data are updated due to longstanding efforts to add records as they become available including statewide birth and death certificates, hospitalizations, ambulatory surgeries, and driver licenses. The depth of information within UPDB has been used to support a wide range of family, medical and historical demographic studies which are described here arranged into four broad categories: fertility, mortality, life course analyses and some selected special topics. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future areas of innovation within the UPDB and the types of novel studies that they are likely to facilitate.

scholarly journals A Tale of Odds and Ratios: Political Preference Formation in Postindustrial Democracies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Wineroither ◽  
Rudolf Metz
Keyword(s):  
Social Stratification ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Preference Formation ◽  
Political Preference ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Gene Environment Interaction ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThis report surveys four approaches that are pivotal to the study of preference formation: (a) the range, validity, and theoretical foundations of explanations of political preferences at the individual and mass levels, (b) the exploration of key objects of preference formation attached to the democratic political process (i.e., voting in competitive elections), (c) the top-down vs. bottom-up character of preference formation as addressed in leader–follower studies, and (d) gene–environment interaction and the explanatory weight of genetic predisposition against the cumulative weight of social experiences.In recent years, our understanding of sites and processes of (individual) political-preference formation has substantially improved. First, this applies to a greater variety of objects that provide fresh insight into the functioning and stability of contemporary democracy. Second, we observe the reaffirmation of pivotal theories and key concepts in adapted form against widespread challenge. This applies to the role played by social stratification, group awareness, and individual-level economic considerations. Most of these findings converge in recognising economics-based explanations. Third, research into gene–environment interplay rapidly increases the number of testable hypotheses and promises to benefit a wide range of approaches already taken and advanced in the study of political-preference formation.

Culture’s Constraints

2018 ◽  
pp. 61-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele J. Gelfand ◽  
Nava Caluori ◽  
Sarah Gordon ◽  
Jana Raver ◽  
Lisa Nishii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Societal Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cultural Processes ◽  
The Individual

Research on culture has generally ignored social situations, and research on social situations has generally ignored culture. In bringing together these two traditions, we show that nations vary considerably in the strength of social situations, and this is a key conceptual and empirical bridge between macro and distal cultural processes and micro and proximal psychological processes. The model thus illustrates some of the intervening mechanisms through which distal societal factors affect individual processes. It also helps to illuminate why cultural differences persist at the individual level, as they are adaptive to chronic differences in the strength of social situations. The strength of situations across cultures can provide new insights into cultural differences in a wide range of psychological processes.

scholarly journals Predicting the duration of sickness absence spells due to back pain: a population-based study from Sweden

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-121
Author(s):  
Annina Ropponen ◽  
Katalin Gémes ◽  
Paolo Frumento ◽  
Gino Almondo ◽  
Matteo Bottai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Final Model ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Discriminatory Accuracy ◽  
C Statistic ◽  
International Statistical Classification ◽  
The Individual

ObjectivesWe aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for the duration of sickness absence (SA) spells due to back pain (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision: M54), using Swedish nationwide register microdata.MethodsInformation on all new SA spells >14 days from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2012 and on possible predictors were obtained. The duration of SA was predicted by using piecewise constant hazard models. Nine predictors were selected for the final model based on a priori decision and log-likelihood loss. The final model was estimated in a random sample of 70% of the SA spells and later validated in the remaining 30%.ResultsOverall, 64 048 SA spells due to back pain were identified during the 2.5 years; 74% lasted ≤90 days, and 9% >365 days. The predictors included in the final model were age, sex, geographical region, employment status, multimorbidity, SA extent at the start of the spell, initiation of SA spell in primary healthcare and number of SA days and specialised outpatient healthcare visits from the preceding year. The overall c-statistic (0.547, 95% CI 0.542 to 0.552) suggested a low discriminatory capacity at the individual level. The c-statistic was 0.643 (95% CI 0.634 to 0.652) to predict >90 days spells, 0.686 (95% CI 0.676 to 0.697) to predict >180 spells and 0.753 (95% CI 0.740 to 0.766) to predict >365 days spells.ConclusionsThe model discriminates SA spells >365 days from shorter SA spells with good discriminatory accuracy.

scholarly journals Cohort Profile: The China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Zhao ◽  
Feng Hong ◽  
Jianzhong Yin ◽  
Wenge Tang ◽  
Gang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Study Participants

AbstractCohort purposeThe China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) is a community population-based prospective observational study aiming to address the urgent need for understanding NCD prevalence, risk factors and associated conditions in resource-constrained settings for ethnic minorities in China.Cohort BasicsA total of 99 556 participants aged 30 to 79 years (Tibetan populations include those aged 18 to 30 years) from the Tibetan, Yi, Miao, Bai, Bouyei, and Dong ethnic groups in Southwest China were recruited between May 2018 and September 2019.Follow-up and attritionAll surviving study participants will be invited for re-interviews every 3-5 years with concise questionnaires to review risk exposures and disease incidence. Furthermore, the vital status of study participants will be followed up through linkage with established electronic disease registries annually.Design and MeasuresThe CMEC baseline survey collected data with an electronic questionnaire and face-to-face interviews, medical examinations and clinical laboratory tests. Furthermore, we collected biological specimens, including blood, saliva and stool, for long-term storage. In addition to the individual level data, we also collected regional level data for each investigation site.Collaboration and data accessCollaborations are welcome. Please send specific ideas to corresponding author at: [email protected].

scholarly journals Sickness absence among privately employed white-collar workers: A total population study in Sweden

2020 ◽  
pp. 140349482093427
Author(s):  
Kristin Farrants ◽  
Kristina Alexanderson
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
White Collar Workers ◽  
The Individual

Background: Knowledge about sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) among privately employed white-collar workers is very limited. Aims: This study aimed to explore SA and DP among privately employed white-collar women and men using different measures of SA to investigate differences by branch of industry, and to analyse the association between sociodemographic factors and SA. Methods: This was a population-based study of all 1,283,516 (47% women) privately employed white-collar workers in Sweden in 2012, using register data linked at the individual level. Several different measures of SA and DP were used. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations of sociodemographic factors with SA. Results: More women than men had SA (10.9% women vs. 4.5% men) and DP (1.8% women vs. 0.6% men). While women had a higher risk of SA than men and had more SA days per employed person, they did not have more SA days per person with SA than men. The risk of SA was higher for women (odds ratio (OR)=2.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.51–2.58)), older individuals (OR age 18–24 years=0.58 (95% CI 0.56–0.60); age 55–64 years OR=1.43 (95% CI 1.40–1.46) compared to age 45–54 years), living in medium-sized towns (OR=1.05 (95% CI 1.03–1.06)) or small towns/rural areas (OR=1.13 (95% CI 1.11–1.15)), with shorter education than college/university (OR compulsory only=1.64 (95% CI 1.59–1.69); OR high school=1.38 (95% CI 1.36–1.40)), born outside the EU25 (OR=1.23 (95% CI 1.20–1.27)) and singles with children at home (OR=1.33 (95% CI 1.30–1.36)). Conclusions: SA and DP among privately employed white-collar workers were lower than in the general population. SA prevalence, length and risk varied by branch of industry, sex and other sociodemographic factors, however, depending on the SA measure used.

scholarly journals Cystic fibrosis carriers are at increased risk for a wide range of cystic fibrosis-related conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 1621-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron C. Miller ◽  
Alejandro P. Comellas ◽  
Douglas B. Hornick ◽  
David A. Stoltz ◽  
Joseph E. Cavanaugh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Failure To Thrive ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Carrier State ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Relative Odds ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Autosomal Recessive Diseases

Autosomal recessive diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), require inheritance of 2 mutated genes. However, some studies indicate that CF carriers are at increased risk for some conditions associated with CF. These investigations focused on single conditions and included small numbers of subjects. Our goal was to determine whether CF carriers are at increased risk for a range of CF-related conditions. Using the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims database (2001–2017), we performed a population-based retrospective matched-cohort study. We identified 19,802 CF carriers and matched each carrier with 5 controls. The prevalence of 59 CF-related diagnostic conditions was evaluated in each cohort. Odds ratios for each condition were computed for CF carriers relative to controls. All 59 CF-related conditions were more prevalent among carriers compared with controls, with significantly increased risk (P < 0.05) for 57 conditions. Risk was increased for some conditions previously linked to CF carriers (e.g., pancreatitis, male infertility, bronchiectasis), as well as some conditions not previously reported (e.g., diabetes, constipation, cholelithiasis, short stature, failure to thrive). We compared our results with 23,557 subjects with CF, who were also matched with controls; as the relative odds of a given condition increased among subjects with CF, so did the corresponding relative odds for carriers (P < 0.001). Although individual-level risk remained low for most conditions, because there are more than 10 million carriers in the US, population-level morbidity attributable to the CF carrier state is likely substantial. Genetic testing may inform prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for a broad range of CF carrier-related conditions.

scholarly journals Fair data for next-generation management of multiple sclerosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1151-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liesbet M Peeters
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Multidisciplinary Treatment ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Disease Modifying Drugs ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Precision Level ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Individual

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive demyelinating and degenerative disease of the central nervous system with symptoms depending on the disease type and the site of lesions and is featured by heterogeneity of clinical expressions and responses to treatment strategies. An individualized clinical follow-up and multidisciplinary treatment is required. Transforming the population-based management of today into an individualized, personalized and precision-level management is a major goal in research. Indeed, a complex and unique interplay between genetic background and environmental exposure in each case likely determines clinical heterogeneity. To reach insights at the individual level, extensive amount of data are required. Many databases have been developed over the last few decades, but access to them is limited, and data are acquired in different ways and differences in definitions and indexing and software platforms preclude direct integration. Most existing (inter)national registers and IT platforms are strictly observational or focus on disease epidemiology or access to new disease modifying drugs. Here, a method to revolutionize management of MS to a personalized, individualized and precision level is outlined. The key to achieve this next level is FAIR data.

scholarly journals The Scanian Economic-Demographic Database (SEDD)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Dribe ◽  
Luciana Quaranta
Keyword(s):  
Data Resource ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Intermediate Data ◽  
Linkage Methods ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Rural Parishes ◽  
The Family ◽  
Source Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The City

The Scanian Economic-Demographic Database (SEDD) is a high-quality longitudinal data resource spanning the period 1646-1967. It covers all individuals born in or migrated to the city of Landskrona and five rural parishes in western Scania in southern Sweden. The entire population present in the area is fully covered after 1813. At the individual level, SEDD combines various demographic and socioeconomic records, including causes of death, place of birth and geographic data on the place of residence within a parish. At the family level, the data contain a combination of demographic records and information on occupation, landholding and income. The data for 1813-1967 was structured in the model of the Intermediate Data Structure (IDS). In addition to storing source data in the SEDD IDS tables, a wide range of individual- and context-level variables were constructed, which means that most types of analyses using SEDD can be conducted without the need of further elaboration of the data. This article discusses the source material, linkage methods, and structure of the database.

scholarly journals Anti-Corruption Expertise in Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 689-698
Author(s):  
Tatyana Sudakova ◽  
Natalya Vasilyeva
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Expert Evaluation ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Irkutsk Region ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Strategic Measures ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Quantitative Indicators

The effectiveness of currently implemented wide range of strategic measures aimed at reducing the corruption and criminogenic potential in many spheres of life directly depends on their effectiveness in some key areas. The institute of anti-corruption expertise (ACE) of legislation, which now incorporates a considerable theoretical and methodological basis, requires further improvement and elimination of identified drawbacks. An almost decade of its history has been characterized by a steadily growing number of expert evaluations and the corresponding increase in the number of identified corruption-generating factors and the number of changes and amendments to normative acts. However, this dynamics is subject to controversial evaluations by analysts who talk about a routine formalistic approach and stereotyped, one-size-fits-all actions of experts and other parties involved in the multilateral mechanism of ACE. The analysis of information on the websites of professional bodies implementing ACE from the standpoint of quantitative indicators shows that this institute is effective. At the same time, the true criteria of effectiveness, connected with the improvements in the quality of the lawmaking process as a desirable result of implementing ACE, cannot be reduced to the evaluation of quantitative indicators alone. The monitoring of the effectiveness of measures implemented today within the ACE framework duly stresses the qualitative criteria of such effectiveness. Using them in the expert evaluation of municipal normative legal acts (NLA) and draft acts makes it possible to update the task of improving the quality of the lawmaking process at all levels of public administration. Municipal NLAs hold an important place both in the volume of the decisions made and the scope of public relations that they regulate, which sets the task of evaluating the quality of such acts to a new level. The analysis of the regional expert evaluation of municipal NLAs (using the example of Irkutsk Region) made it possible to compare the existing practices in this sphere and to identify typical circumstances that reduce the anti-criminogenic potential of ACE. The expertise aimed at identifying the corruption-generating factors in the law enforcement acts - in the personified decisions of the municipal bodies - is not common practice. At the same time, such NLAs at the individual level act as serious regulators of the legal sphere of peoples lives because they are connected with decisions on the provision of state support, the allocation of quotas, the distribution of expenses, etc.

scholarly journals The forward testing effect is reliable and independent of learners’ working memory capacity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Pastötter ◽  
Christian Frings
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Testing Effect ◽  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

The forward testing effect refers to the finding that retrieval practice of previously studied information enhances learning and retention of subsequently studied other information. While most of the previous research on the forward testing effect examined group differences, the present study took an individual differences approach to investigate this effect. Experiment 1 examined whether the forward effect has test-retest reliability between two experimental sessions. Experiment 2 investigated whether the effect is related to participants’ working memory capacity. In both experiments (and each session of Experiment 1), participants studied three lists of items in anticipation of a final cumulative recall test. In the testing condition, participants were tested immediately on lists 1 and 2, whereas in the restudy condition, they restudied lists 1 and 2. In both conditions, participants were tested immediately on list 3. On the group level, the results of both experiments demonstrated a forward testing effect, with interim testing of lists 1 and 2 enhancing immediate recall of list 3. On the individual level, the results of Experiment 1 showed that the forward effect on list 3 recall has moderate test-retest reliability between two experimental sessions. In addition, the results of Experiment 2 showed that the forward effect on list 3 recall does not depend on participants’ working memory capacity. These findings suggest that the forward testing effect is reliable at the individual level and affects learners at a wide range of working memory capacities alike. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

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