Factors Determining the Three-Year Dynamics of Lipid Metabolism Indicators in Residents of a Large Industrial Region of Siberia

Aim. To assess the contribution of traditional and socio-economic factors to the development and dynamics of dyslipidemia based on the results of an epidemiological study in a large region of Siberia.Material and methods. Clinical and epidemiological prospective study of the population 35-70 years old was carried out. At the basic stage, 1600 participants were examined, including 1124 women and 476 men, the prospective stage included 807 respondents (the response was 84.1%). A survey was carried out to find out the state of health (presence of diseases, taking medications), socio-economic status (level of education and income, marital status) and the presence of behavioral risk factors (tobacco and alcohol use).Results. The proportion of people with hypercholesterolemia increased 1.2 times, low LDL – 1.1 times, and hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL – 1.7 times. In persons with hypertriglyceridemia, the frequency of detected obesity and hypertension decreased by 7.9% and 4.6%, respectively (p = 0.046). Obesity was associated with an increased risk of developing hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.49, CI: 1.0-2.2), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 2.14, CI: 1.5-3.0), high LDL cholesterol (OR = 2.16, CI: 1.3-3.6) and low HDL cholesterol (OR = 2.07, CI: 1.5-2.9). The presence of hypertension - with an increased risk of developing hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 2.19, CI: 1.5-3.1) and low HDL (OR = 2.49, CI: 1.8-3.5). Among people with low HDL levels, the number of smokers and drinkers decreased (by 7.0% and 5.7%, respectively), as well as those with obesity by 8.6%. The prevalence of dyslipidemia increased in all socioeconomic groups.Conclusion. Over 3 years of follow-up, there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of persons with dyslipidemia in all socio-economic groups. There was a significant decrease in such risk factors as obesity, hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption and an increase in the number of respondents taking lipid-lowering therapy.

Inequality of household consumption and PM2.5 footprint across socioeconomic groups in China

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have highlighted the challenge posed by increasing air pollution. This study allocates PM2.5 footprint to household consumption expenditure based on multi-regional input-output model and survey data collected from 30 thousand households. The household indirect PM2.5 footprint related to spending on food, hospital, electricity, and education rank as the top four items, plus direct PM2.5 emissions, which in combination contribute more than 55% of total air pollution. Compared with the poor, the responsibilities for air pollution on the wealthy are more sensitive to changes in income, especially for high-end consumption categories, such as luxury goods and services, education and healthcare. Further, the wealthiest 20% of households cause 1.5 times PM2.5 footprint per capita than exposure to PM2.5 emissions. The high-footprint household samples are concentrated in high-exposure areas. It is recommended that mitigation policies address inequality of PM2.5 footprint by targeting the top 20% footprint groups with tags of wealthy, urban resident, well-educated, small family, and apartment living.

Exploring the effects of increasing underutilized crops on consumers’ diets: the case of millet in Uganda

Known in the literature as underutilized, neglected or orphan crops, these crops have been cited as having the potential to improve food and nutritional security. The literature also highlights however that consumers in developing countries are increasingly abandoning their traditional diets that these crops are part of, and are replacing them by western diets. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumption and nutritional implications of expanding the participation of underutilized crops in current diets. This was done using a modified version of the microeconomic consumer problem. This was augmented with a linear constraint using generalized rationing theory that can be found in the economics literature. The method was applied to the case study of the consumption of millet (finger millet, botanical name: Eleusine coracana) by rural, urban-poor and urban-affluent Ugandan socioeconomic groups. The results indicated that millet could contribute to improving the intake of macronutrients and of some micronutrients, though the overall picture is complex. However, under current preferences and given its demand inelasticity, to achieve a substantial increase in the quantity of millet in the diet will require a significant reduction of its price. Otherwise, the net impact on nutrition as measured by the mean adequacy ratio will be only slightly positive for rural and urban-poor households. Our findings indicate that supply-side initiatives aimed at increasing the productivity of underutilized crops (reducing crop price) are likely to produce disappointing results in restoring their importance unless accompanied by specific interventions to expand demand.

The equity implications of TOD in Curitiba

In this paper we analyze how socio-spatial inequalities have been shaped by transport and land-use planning in Curitiba (Brazil), a city internationally recognized for its Transit Oriented Development (TOD) planning based on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). We examine how the spatial organization of the BRT system is associated with the distribution of population densities, socioeconomic groups, and real-estate values and its implications in terms of inequalities of access to employment and health services. The results show that Curitiba's TOD has had limited influence on population densities, but has shaped the concentration of high-income classes and premium real-estate along its main BRT corridors. These effects contribute to the peripheralization of low-income communities with limited accessibility benefits from the transit system. Our findings suggest that Curitiba’s success story should be seen as a cautionary tale about the consequences of TOD planning, which perpetuate the spatial concentration of resources and reinforce inequalities of access to opportunities.

Dietary Intake, Cost, and Affordability by Socioeconomic Group in Australia

Few Australians consume diets consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines. A major problem is high intake of discretionary food and drinks (those not needed for health and high in saturated fat, added sugar, salt and/or alcohol). Low socioeconomic groups (SEGs) suffer particularly poor diet-related health. Surprisingly, detailed quantitative dietary data across SEGs was lacking. Analysis of the most recent national nutrition survey data produced habitual intakes of a reference household (two adults and two children) in SEG quintiles of household income. Cost and affordability of habitual and recommended diets for the reference household were determined using methods based on the Healthy Diets Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing protocol. Low SEGs reported significantly lower intakes of healthy food and drinks yet similarly high intakes of discretionary choices to high SEGs (435 serves/fortnight). Total habitual diets of low SEGs cost significantly less than those of high SEGs (AU$751/fortnight to AU$853/fortnight). Results confirmed low SEGs cannot afford a healthy diet. Lower intakes of healthy choices in low SEGs may help explain their higher rates of diet-related disease compared to higher SEGs. The findings can inform potential policy actions to improve affordability of healthy foods and help drive healthier diets for all Australians.

Orthodontic treatment need and perception: A comparative study between different socio-economic groups of patients

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare parents’ perceptions of their children’s malocclusion and clinician-measured normative orthodontic treatment need with the socioeconomic status of the parents as a means of assessing whether demand for treatment is uniform across socioeconomic groups. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 212 (125 girls and 87 boys) subjects between the ages of 8 and 25 years (mean age 17.03 ± 3.9) were assessed. The parents were asked to score the dental attractiveness of their children and their socioeconomic status (SES) based on the aesthetic component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the modified Kuppuswamy scale (2018), respectively. The subjects recorded their self-perception using the OASIS scale. These scores were then compared within themselves and with those of the clinician who also scored the Dental Health Component (DHC) and AC of the IOTN. The AC grade of the IOTN and parents’ SES was tested with the Chi-square test. The association between the AC scores of the IOTN, DHC, and the characteristics of the subjects was tested with Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rho). Results: Treatment uptake was uniform throughout the different socioeconomic groups. Association between the SES group and DHC group and clinician-measured AC were statistically not significant (P = 0.3958), (P = 0.3447). Parents, in this study population, irrespective of their socioeconomic status rated their children’s orthodontic treatment need less severely than the clinician (P = 0.0001). Severity of malocclusion as measured by DHC was much higher in male subjects than in females (P = 0.0348). Conclusion: Socioeconomic status of the parents did not seem to affect their perception of dental appearance. Self-perception of appearance and perceived treatment need was uniform throughout the different socioeconomic groups.

State, Market, and Media in Indian Cricket

Avipsu Halder’s essay distils a watershed moment when big private broadcasters muscled out state media, and sports became vulnerable to global market forces. Using a political economy perspective the author points out that the socioeconomic groups that dominate the state and its agencies are also at the helm in sports, especially cricket and its governance. Further the differences among these forces over India’s globalisation played itself out in the disputes over broadcast rights and regulations in the early years. The author examines two moments, one, the Hero Cup and how the Doordarshan lost its rights to broadcast. and the allocation of television rights for Indian Premier League matches in and after 2004. In both cases the roles played by the state, its media arm, a private players and the cricketing bodies.

How to approach childhood obesity

Childhood obesity has a rising prevalence and is associated with significant morbidity, social and psychological consequences. In England, 21% of children aged between 10 and 11 are obese, with the highest rates being among children from lower socioeconomic groups. Primary care is responsible for managing most children who are overweight or obese. Consultations should generate positive conversations about childhood obesity and rule out underlying conditions and co-morbidities. Families may need support to recognise contributing factors and should be encouraged to identify simple, achievable strategies to promote healthier choices. Follow-up is essential, and families should be referred on to appropriate services for ongoing support.

Are we really all in this together? The social patterning of mortality during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium

Background Belgium was one of the countries that was struck hard by COVID-19. Initially, the belief was that we were ‘all in it together’. Emerging evidence showed however that deprived socioeconomic groups suffered disproportionally. Yet, few studies are available for Belgium. The main question addressed in this paper is whether excess mortality during the first COVID-19 wave followed a social gradient and whether the classic mortality gradient was reproduced. Methods We used nationwide individually linked data from the Belgian National Register and the Census 2011. Age-standardized all-cause mortality rates were calculated during the first COVID-19 wave in weeks 11-20 in 2020 and compared with the rates during weeks 11-20 in 2015-2019 to calculate absolute and relative excess mortality by socioeconomic and -demographic characteristics. For both periods, relative inequalities in total mortality between socioeconomic and -demographic groups were calculated using Poisson regression. Analyses were stratified by age, gender and care home residence. Results Excess mortality during the first COVID-19 wave was high in collective households, with care homes hit extremely hard by the pandemic. The social patterning of excess mortality was rather inconsistent and deviated from the usual gradient, mainly through higher mortality excesses among higher socioeconomic groups classes in specific age-sex groups. Overall, the first COVID-19 wave did not change the social patterning of mortality, however. Differences in relative inequalities between both periods were generally small and insignificant, except by household living arrangement. Conclusion The social patterning during the first COVID-19 wave was exceptional as excess mortality did not follow the classic lines of higher mortality in lower classes and patterns were not always consistent. Relative mortality inequalities did not change substantially during the first COVID-19 wave compared to the reference period.