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Summary: Background: Energy balance‐related behaviours (EBRBs), that is, dietary intake, screen, outdoor play and sleep, tend to combine into 'lifestyle patterns', with potential synergistic influences on health. To date, studies addressing this theme mainly focused on school children and rarely accounted for sleep, with a cross‐country perspective. Objectives: We aimed at comparing lifestyle patterns among preschool‐aged children across Europe, their associations with socio‐demographic factors and their links with body mass index (BMI). Methods: Harmonized data on 2–5‐year‐olds participating in nine European birth cohorts from the EU Child Cohort Network were used (EBRBs, socio‐demographics and anthropometrics). Principal component analysis and multivariable linear and logistic regressions were performed. Results: The most consistent pattern identified across cohorts was defined by at least three of the following EBRBs: discretionary consumption, high screen time, low outdoor play time and low sleep duration. Consistently, children from low‐income households and born to mothers with low education level had higher scores on this pattern compared to their socioeconomically advantaged counterparts. Furthermore, it was associated with higher BMI z‐scores in the Spanish and Italian cohorts (β = 0.06, 95% CI = [0.02; 0.10], both studies). Conclusion: These findings may be valuable in informing early multi‐behavioural interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities in health at a European scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is a phenomenon that poses a danger to all parts of society. It is highly likely that there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic indices and suicide rates. The study's goal is to research the relationship between suicide and socioeconomic indicators. In the study, suicide frequency for the period 1990-2017 (per 100 thousand people), per capita income, mean schooling, unemployment rate, and the share of cancer cases in the population variables of the BRICS and MIST country group members analyzed using the Panel ARDL method. According to results, suicide is negatively associated with per capita income and mean schooling. The relationship between the share of cancer cases in the population and suicide is positive. No significant relationship found between the unemployment rate and suicide. Due to certain limitations of the study and the multifaceted determinants of suicide, more studies are needed on the subject. In middle-income countries, increasing wealth and improving educational opportunities play a role in reducing suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is understudied how a patient's or psychotherapist's socioeconomic status (SES) might influence psychotherapeutic treatments. This project addressed this gap in research by investigating how doctoral therapists-in-training understood the impact of SES in their psychotherapeutic work. Reflexive thematic analysis with a phenomenological approach was used to analyze conversations with doctoral student therapists at a university clinic. Specific themes emerged concerning therapist self-worth, addressing patient SES, self-disclosing about one's SES, and working through SES fantasies. It was found that therapists-in-training routinely avoided conversations with patients related to SES. These findings suggest that doctoral training is not adequately preparing psychoanalytic psychotherapists to work with patients in lower SES positions. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has shocked the world with an overwhelming number of people infected by it. Without a doubt, Malaysia is no exception to this pandemic chaos. Within weeks, Malaysia made the top of the list in Southeast Asia with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases. As a consequence, the Prime Minister had no choice but to call for a sudden Movement Controlled Order (MCO) that affected most of the workers and businesses. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Malaysia's socioeconomic condition. We surveyed the entire Malaysian population from the age of 18 to 65 years and above, with a 516 minimum sample size. A convenience sampling technique is utilised where the respondents receive a URL link through WhatsApp group and email. According to Krejcie and Morgan, 384 was the minimum sample size for this study. This study applied Raosoft software to determine the sample size with a 95% confidence level. From the software, the sample size is estimated at 385. The result of the study proved that the COVID-19 pandemic does influence the socioeconomic status of society, as there is a significant association between the COVID-19 pandemic and socioeconomic factors. To conclude, future researchers can further explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socioeconomic status of a population. Researchers can include other relevant socioeconomic factors with a more scattered demographic profile of respondents to achieve a more robust and unbiased result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male, racial/ethnic minority, middle and low-income U.S. adults disproportionately reported experiencing job automation during the COVID-19 pandemic and may particularly benefit from retraining and vocational assistance programs. Broad-scale interventions and policies are needed to alleviate concerns about future job automation. Objective: This study examined job automation and concerns about job automation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data from a national sample of 6607 middle- and low-income US adults in May to June 2020 were analyzed. Results: Among recently employed participants, 19.1% reported partial or complete job automation during the pandemic. Male sex, racial/ethnic minorities, students, higher education, full-time employment, and any history of psychiatric disorder were associated with job automation. In the total sample, 57.5% had concerns about job automation, which were associated with younger age, male, racial/ethnic minorities, students, veterans, more minors in the household, Northeast residence, any history of psychiatric diagnosis, COVID-19 infection, and any recent job changes. Conclusions: Job automation is impacting the lives of middle- and low-income US adults, and particular groups are vulnerable to ongoing changes in the nature of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Youth initiation may drive differences in smoking prevalence across Canadian provinces. Provincial differences in initiation relate to tobacco control strategies and public health funding, but have also been attributed to population characteristics. We test this hypothesis by examining the extent to which seven characteristics--immigration, language, family structure, education, income, home ownership and at-school status--explain differences in initiation across provinces. Methods: We used data from 16 897 youth aged 12 to 17 years in the Canadian Community Health Survey collected from 2015 to 2018. To examine the proportion of provincial differences explained by population characteristics, we compared average marginal effects (AMEs) from partially and fully adjusted models regressing "having ever initiated" on province and other characteristics. We also tested interactions to examine differences in the association between population characteristics and initiation across provinces. Results: Initiation varied from 4% in British Columbia to 10% in Quebec. Being born in Canada, speaking French, not living in a two-parent household, being in the lowest household income quintile, having parents without postsecondary education, living in rented accommodation and not being in school were each associated with initiation. Taking these results into consideration, the AME of residing in another province compared with Quebec was attenuated by between 3% and 9%. Family structure and household income were more strongly associated with initiation in the Atlantic region and Manitoba, but not in Quebec. Conclusion: Differences in initiation between Quebec and other provinces are unlikely to be substantially explained by their demographic or socioeconomic composition. Reprioritizing tobacco control and public health funding are likely key in attaining the "tobacco endgame" across provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Darwinian shortfall, i.e. the lack of knowledge of phylogenetic relationships, significantly impedes our understanding of evolutionary drivers of global patterns of biodiversity. Spatial bias in the Darwinian shortfall, where phylogenetic knowledge in some regions is more complete than others, could undermine eco‐ and biogeographic inferences. Yet, spatial biases in phylogenetic knowledge for major groups – such as plants – remain poorly understood. Using data for 337 023 species (99.7%) of seed plants (Spermatophyta), we produced a global map of phylogenetic knowledge based on regional data and tested several potential drivers of the observed spatial variation. Regional phylogenetic knowledge was defined as the proportion of the regional seed plant flora represented in GenBank's nucleotide database with phylogenetically relevant data. We used simultaneous autoregressive models to explain variation in phylogenetic knowledge based on three biodiversity variables (species richness, range size and endemism) and six socioeconomic variables representing funding and accessibility. We compared observed patterns and relationships to established patterns of the Wallacean shortfall (the lack of knowledge of species distributions). We found that the Darwinian shortfall is strongly and significantly related to the macroecological distribution of species' range sizes. Small‐ranged species were significantly less likely to have phylogenetic data, leading to a concentration of the Darwinian shortfall in species‐rich, tropical countries where range sizes are small on average. Socioeconomic factors were less important, with significant but quantitatively small effects of accessibility and funding. In conclusion, reducing the Darwinian shortfall and smoothen its spatial bias will require increased efforts to sequence the world's small‐ranged (endemic) species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of our children continue to live in book deserts, neighborhoods bereft of reading materials. It is an educational problem that, at times, may seem unsolvable. In this article, my colleagues and I approach the problem from a perspective of a small win, a term first coined by organizational theorist Karl Weik. Small wins act like micro‐innovations, tackling big problems by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable projects which can demonstrate promise. The article describes an innovative book distribution program through vending machines in a neighborhood, and provides examples of the ways in which a small win can lead to progress in our understanding of reading and its importance in a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of national guidelines should eliminate previously observed associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and colorectal cancer treatment. The aim of the study was to investigate whether inequalities remain. CRCBaSe, a register-linkage originating from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry, was used to identify information on patient and tumour characteristics, for 83,460 patients with stage I-III disease diagnosed 2008–2021. SES was measured as disposable income (quartiles) and the highest level of education. Outcomes of interest were emergency surgery, multidisciplinary team (MDT) conference discussion, and oncological treatment. Differences in treatment between SES groups were explored using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, sex, civil status, comorbidities, tumour location and stage. Patients in the highest income quartile had a lower risk of emergency surgery (OR 0.73 95%CI 0.68–0.80), a higher chance of being discussed at the preoperative (OR 1.39 95%CI 1.28–1.51) and postoperative MDT (OR 1.41 95%CI 1.30–1.53), receiving neoadjuvant (OR 1.15 95%CI 1.06–1.25) and adjuvant treatment (OR 2.04 95%CI 1.88–2.20). Higher education level increased the odds of MDT discussion but was not associated with oncological treatment. The proportion of patients discussed at the MDT increased, with almost all patients discussed since 2016. Despite this, treatment differences remained when patients diagnosed since 2016 were analysed separately. There were significant differences in how patients with different SES were treated for colorectal cancer. Further action is required to investigate the drivers of these differences as well as their impact on mortality and, ultimately, eliminate the inequalities. • Emergency surgery for colorectal cancer is more common in patients most deprived. • Most deprived patients get less oncological treatment for resected colorectal cancer. • Almost all patients were discussed at Multidisciplinary team conferences by 2016. • Despite MDT discussion, differences in treatment remained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Optimal management of neuroblastoma depends on accurate risk stratification at diagnosis. Many low- and middle-income countries lack access to specific genetic tests used globally for this purpose. Aim: To determine whether socioeconomic factors predict prognosis in neuroblastoma and could therefore provide alternative measures for risk stratification in resource-constrained settings. Setting: The three main paediatric oncology units in Johannesburg, South Africa: Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. Methods: This retrospective record review included 145 patients presenting with biopsy-proven neuroblastoma between 01 January 2000 and 31 December 2018. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed in relation to biological and socioeconomic factors, the latter including parental employment status, nationality, and distance of residence from treating facility. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis assessed the significance and effect of these prognostic factors. Results: Factors with significant effect on survival were age below 18 months (p < 0.0001), extra-abdominal primary tumour site (p = 0.02), lower stage (p < 0.001), serum ferritin level< 0.0001) and favourable International Neuroblastoma Pathological Committee histology (p < 0.0001), race (p = 0.005), nationality (p = 0.05) and paternal employment (p = 0.02). The association between distance from treating facility and stage at diagnosis was not significant (T b = 0.108, p = 0.06). Conclusion: Biological factors exert a great influence on neuroblastoma survival than the socioeconomic factors analysed. This suggests that tumour biology exerts an overriding influence on prognosis in neuroblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine what socioeconomic factors affect follow-up in a glaucoma screening program. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of six health fairs in South Florida from October 2012 to March 2013 among socially and economically disadvantaged populations. Visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), cup-to-disc ratio (CDR), and visual field testing were obtained to identify glaucoma suspects. Glaucoma suspects were defined as having intraocular pressure ≥ 24 mm Hg, cup-to-disc ratio of ≥ 0.6 in either eye, or glaucomatous defects on visual field testing. In July 2015, telephone surveys were administered to assess follow up and socioeconomic factors. Results: Seventy-two out of 144 (50%) glaucoma suspects responded to the survey and were included in the analysis. Of the 72 respondents, average age was 52.8 years old and 65% were female. The most common race was African American (69%) and ethnicity was Haitian (51%). Glaucoma suspects who followed up were significantly more likely to have health insurance compared to those who did not follow up (74% vs 43%, p = 0.014). No significant difference in follow-up based on age (p = 0.125), education (p = 0.151), gender (p = 0.48), or ethnicity (p = 0.707) was identified. Of the 30 respondents, who did not follow up, the most common reasons were "no insurance" (57%, 17/30) and "not worried" (33%, 10/30). Conclusion: Insurance was the main socioeconomic factor in determining whether glaucoma suspects followed up after community health screenings. Streamlining social services could increase clinical access of glaucoma suspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health disparities between urban and rural areas in Turkey have not been fully known yet, which remained under-researched in the relevant literature. To investigate the distribution of health and its social determinants, including demographics, socio-economic characteristics, and behavioral factors in the rural and urban population, who live in Turkey. In this study, we used cross-sectional data, namely the Nilüfer Social Determinants of Health Survey 2014. The findings showed that 799 of the houses (79.3%) and 79.9% of the respondents (2481 people) were in the city. In this study, 20.1% of the respondents (n=624) were reported to live in 208 (20.7%) of the houses that were located in the rural area. The socioeconomic indicators (education, employment status, household appliances, car ownership, household income, income status and money-saving) explored in this study were correlated with the health indicators (p<0.01). Socioeconomic indicators were strongly associated with health in both rural and urban area. The residential area was an important determinant of health. Our study, however, has revealed that socioeconomic factors are highly likely to determine the health status of people more than urban-rural settings. Thus, the higher the socioeconomic status is the better the health indicators are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and other lifestyle-related factors on severe COVID-19 risk is understudied. The present study aims to investigate lifestyle-related and socioeconomic factors as possible predictors of COVID-19, with special focus on CRF, and to further study whether these factors may attenuate obesity- and hypertension-related risks, as well as mediate associations between socioeconomic factors and severe COVID-19 risk. Methods: Out of initially 407,131 participants who participated in nationwide occupational health service screening between 1992 and 2020, n = 857 cases (70% men, mean age 49.9 years) of severe COVID-19 were identified. CRF was estimated using a sub-maximum cycle test, and other lifestyle variables were self-reported. Analyses were performed including both unmatched, n = 278,598, and sex-and age-matched, n = 3426, controls. Severe COVID-19 included hospitalization, intensive care or death due to COVID-19. Results: Patients with more severe COVID-19 had significantly lower CRF, higher BMI, a greater presence of comorbidities and were more often daily smokers. In matched analyses, there was a graded decrease in odds for severe COVID-19 with each ml in CRF (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.970 to 0.998), and a two-fold increase in odds between the lowest and highest (< 32 vs. ≥ 46 ml·min−1·kg−1) CRF group. Higher BMI (per unit increase, OR = 1.09, 1.06 to 1.12), larger waist circumference (per cm, OR = 1.04, 1.02 to 1.06), daily smoking (OR = 0.60, 0.41 to 0.89) and high overall stress (OR = 1.36, 1.001 to 1.84) also remained significantly associated with severe COVID-19 risk. Obesity- and blood pressure-related risks were attenuated by adjustment for CRF and lifestyle variables. Mediation through CRF, BMI and smoking accounted for 9% to 54% of the associations between low education, low income and blue collar/low skilled occupations and severe COVID-19 risk. The results were consistent using either matched or unmatched controls. Conclusions: Both lifestyle-related and socioeconomic factors were associated with risk of severe COVID-19. However, higher CRF attenuated the risk associated with obesity and high blood pressure, and mediated the risk associated with various socioeconomic factors. This emphasises the importance of interventions to maintain or increase CRF in the general population to strengthen the resilience to severe COVID-19, especially in high-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite having very high life expectancy, Japan has relatively poor self-rated health, compared to other high-income countries. We studied trends and socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health in Japan using nationally representative data.Methods: The Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions was analyzed, every 3 years (n ≈ 0.6-0.8 million/year) from 1986 to 2016. Whereas previous studies dichotomized self-rated health as an outcome, we used four categories: very good, good, fair, and bad/very bad. Proportional odds ordinal logistic regression models are used, with ordinal scale self-rated health as an outcome, and age category, survey year and occupational class or educational level as independent variables.Results: In 2016, the age-adjusted percentages for self-rated health categorized as very good, good, fair, and bad/very bad, were 24.0, 17.1, 48.7, and 10.2% among working-age men, and 21.6, 17.5, 49.4, and 11.5% among working-age women, respectively. With 1986 as the reference year, the odds ratios (ORs) of less good self-rated health were lowest in 1995 (0.69; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 0.66-0.71 of working-age men), and highest in 2010 (1.23 [95% CI: 1.19-1.27]). The ORs of male, lower non-manual workers (compared to upper non-manual) increased from 1.12 (95% CI: 1.07-1.17) in 2010 to 1.20 (95% CI: 1.15-1.26) in 2016. Between 2010 and 2016, the ORs of working-age men with middle and low levels of education (compared to a high level of education) increased from 1.22 (95% CI: 1.18-1.27) to 1.34 (95% CI: 1.29-1.38), and from 1.47 (95% CI: 1.39-1.56) to 1.75 (95% CI: 1.63-1.88), respectively. The ORs of working-age women with middle and low levels of education also increased from 1.22 (95% CI: 1.17-1.28) to 1.32 (95% CI: 1.26-1.37), and from 1.74 (95% CI: 1.61-1.88) to 2.03 (95% CI: 1.87-2.21) during the same period.Conclusion: Japan has the unique feature that approximately 50% of the survey respondents rated their self-rated health as fair, but with important variations over time and between socioeconomic groups. In-depth studies of the role of socioeconomic conditions may shed light on the reasons for the high prevalence of poor self-rated health in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescent multiple risk behaviour (MRB) is associated with negative outcomes such as police arrests, unemployment and premature mortality and morbidity. What is unknown is whether MRB is associated with socioeconomic status (SES) in adulthood. We test whether adolescent MRB is associated with socioeconomic status (SES) in young adulthood and whether it is moderated by early life SES variables. Methods: Prospective cohort studies; British Cohort Study 1970 (BCS70) and Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), born in 1991–1992, were used and two comparable MRB variables were derived. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between MRB and young adult SES. The moderating effect of three early life SES variables was assessed using logistic regression models with and without interaction parameters. Evidence to support the presence of moderation was determined by likelihood ratio tests ≤p = 0.05. Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data. Results: Adolescents had a median of two risk behaviours in BCS70 and three in ALSPAC. Adolescent MRB was negatively associated with young adult SES (university degree attainment) in BCS70 (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.76, 0.86) and ALSPAC (OR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.88). There was a dose response relationship, with each additional risk behaviour resulting in reduced odds of university degree attainment. MRB was associated occupational status at age 34 in BCS70 (OR 0.86 95% CI: 0.82, 0.90). In BCS70, there was evidence that maternal education (p = 0.03), parental occupational status (p = 0.009) and household income (p = 0.03) moderated the effect of adolescent MRB on young adult SES in that the negative effect of MRB is stronger for those with low socioeconomic backgrounds. No evidence of moderation was found in the ALSPAC cohort. Conclusions: Adolescence appears to be a critical time in the life course to address risk behaviours, due to the likelihood that behaviours established here may have effects in adulthood. Intervening on adolescent MRB could improve later SES outcomes and thus affect health outcomes later in life. Evidence for a moderation effect in the BCS70 but not ALSPAC suggests that more detailed measures should be investigated to capture the nuance of contemporary young adult SES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is a region with one of the highest solar energy adoption rates per capita in the world. This study investigated the spatial distribution and related socioeconomic factors behind residential solar energy adoption. Residential solar panel installation data were collected for the 2563 postal areas of Australia. Through spatial autocorrelation analysis, this study revealed spatial aggregation and identified hot and cold spots in terms of the installation rate (the proportion of households with solar panels). Areas with high installation rates were clustered in South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia, while areas with low installation rates were clustered in the Northern Territory, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania. Furthermore, this study selected eight out of 25 socioeconomic factors and found their influential mechanisms on the solar panel installation rate. Areas with high installation rates had some similar characteristics, such as a mid-level of population density and personal income, with a low housing density and a young age profile, while areas with low installation rates were diverse in their socioeconomic profile. Energy policy should address the regional differences and the related socioeconomic factors identified in this study to formulate more effective incentives to promote solar technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the UNWTO (2020), Spain received 83.7 million tourists in 2019. To our knowledge, few studies have delved into the impact of tourism on Spanish semi-depopulated areas. This article aims to develop an explanatory model of tourist motivations and expectations in visiting those areas in the Region of Extremadura, in south-west Spain. The model uses Maslow's hierarchy of needs to rank factors such as the destinations' socioeconomic conditions and tourists' satisfaction with their experience. The sample consisted of 6,106 personal interviews with visitors. The hypotheses about causal relationships were formulated by using a multivariate analysis model. The variables that explained the reasons for making a trip to these types of regions were essentially socioeconomic (SEC). The model can be applied to other social and territorial contexts to verify whether the hierarchy of motivations takes different forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently in this journal, Sciffer, Perry, and McConney (2020) argued that school socioeconomic-background (SES) compositional effects are important for both research and policy. In response, this commentary argues that realistic school SES effects can only be identified in properly specified models. Otherwise, the estimated school effects are very likely to be spurious due to the correlation between school SES and important, but omitted, individual-level influences, most notably prior achievement. In properly specified models with reliable student-level measures, school SES effects are either small or very small. This commentary includes an empirical demonstration of moderate school SES effects becoming small or very small with appropriate controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The early language environment is important for language development and a child's life-course trajectory. Risk factors associated with poor language development outcomes in children include maternal anxiety and depression, low educational attainment, substance misuse, and low socioeconomic status. Language Environment Analysis (LENA) is a wearable technology designed to promote caregivers' engagement in supporting their children's language development. LENA provides quantitative linguistic feedback, which has been shown to improve caregiver language output, thus enhancing a child's language environment. There is limited research on the uptake of this technology by families with developmentally at-risk children. Objective: This qualitative study aims to explore the conditions under which mothers with children at risk of poor developmental outcomes are willing to adopt the use of LENA to monitor and improve caregiver language output. Methods: Using a qualitative interpretive design, semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 mothers. Participants were recruited purposively to select the maximal variation of socioeconomic and ethnodemographic backgrounds. The transcribed interview data were analyzed thematically and interpretatively. Themes were mapped abductively to an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, which included contextual factors for LENA acceptance. Results: Factors that influenced the intention to use LENA included both technology-specific acceptance factors and contextual factors. Technology acceptance themes included reassurance, feeling overwhelmed, and trust. These themes were mapped to performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence. Contextual themes included emergent success and the intrusion of past difficulties. These were mapped to parenting self-efficacy and perceived risk. The theme of building on success described behavioral intention. Mothers were more likely to adopt LENA when the technology was viewed as acceptable, and this was influenced by parenting self-efficacy and perceived risk. Conclusions: LENA is a technology that is acceptable to mothers with children who are at risk of poor language development outcomes. Further studies are needed to establish LENA's effectiveness as an adjunct to strategies to enrich a child's early language environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is necessary to recognize the influence of socioeconomic factors on oral cancer indicators in Latin American countries. This study aimed to analyze the influence of socioeconomic indicators and economical investments on oral cancer mortality rates in Latin American countries.Methods: This cross-sectional study considered the age-standardized mortality rate (ASR) of oral cancer within the period 2000-2015. The oral cancer mortality rate (for both sexes and age groups 40-59 and 60 years old or more), socioeconomic aspects (Gini Inequality Index, unemployment rate and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita) and investments in different sectors (%GDP invested in health per capita and by the government, %GDP invested in education by the government and %GDP invested in research and development) were considered. Tweedie multivariate regression was used to estimate the effect of independent variables on the mortality rate of oral cancer, considering p < 0.05.Results: This study showed that being male and aged 60 or over (PR = 14.7) was associated with higher mortality rate for oral cancer. In addition, greater inequality (PR = 1.05), higher health expenditure per capita (PR =1.09) and greater investment in research and development (PR = 1.81) were associated with a higher mortality rate from oral cancer.Conclusion: Socioeconomic factors and economical investments influence the mortality rate of oral cancer in Latin American countries. This emphasizes oral cancer is a socioeconomic-mediated disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Black patients with RCC exhibit worse survival outcomes compared to white patients. • Socioeconomic factors differ by race and influence survival in RCC. • Targeting social factors may help close the racial gap in RCC outcomes. Racially driven outcomes in cancer are challenging to study. Studies evaluating the impact of race in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) outcomes are inconsistent and unable to disentangle socioeconomic disparities from inherent biological differences. We therefore seek to investigate socioeconomic determinants of racial disparities with respect to overall survival (OS) when comparing Black and White patients with RCC. We queried the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for patients diagnosed with RCC between 2004 and 2017 with complete clinicodemographic data. Patients were examined across various stages (all, cT1aN0M0, and cM1) and subtypes (all, clear cell, or papillary). We performed Cox proportional hazards regression with adjustment for socioeconomic and disease factors. There were 386,589 patients with RCC, of whom 46,507 (12.0%) were Black. Black patients were generally younger, had more comorbid conditions, less likely to be insured, in a lower income quartile, had lower rates of high school completion, were more likely to have papillary RCC histology, and more likely to be diagnosed at a lower stage of RCC than their white counterparts. By stage, Black patients demonstrated a 16% (any stage), 22.5% (small renal mass [SRM]), and 15% (metastatic) higher risk of mortality than White patients. Survival differences were also evident in histology-specific subanalyses. Socioeconomic factors played a larger role in predicting OS among patients with SRMs than in patients with metastasis. Black patients with RCC demonstrate worse survival outcomes compared to White patients across all stages. Socioeconomic disparities between races play a significant role in influencing survival in RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal and child health have shown important advances in the world in recent years. However, national averages indicators hide large inequalities in access and quality of care in population subgroups. We explore wealth-related inequalities affecting health coverage and interventions in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health in Latin America and the Caribbean.Methods: We analyzed representative national surveys from 15 countries conducted between 2001 and 2016. We estimated maternal-child health coverage gaps using the Composite Coverage Index - a weighted average of interventions that include family planning, maternal and newborn care, immunizations, and treatment of sick children. We measured absolute and relative inequality to assess gaps by wealth quintile. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to test the association between the coverage gap and population attributable risk.Results: The Composite Coverage Index showed patterns of inequality favoring the wealthiest subgroups. In eight countries the national coverage was higher than the global median (78.4%; 95% CI: 73.1-83.6) and increased significantly as inequality decreased (Pearson r = 0.9; p < 0.01).Conclusions: There are substantial inequalities between socioeconomic groups. Reducing inequalities will improve coverage indicators for women and children. Additional health policies, programs, and practices are required to promote equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State incarceration rates have been a topic of much policy discussion. One notable issue missing from much of the literature concerns the various determinants that account for state differences in incarceration rates. Why are some states more or less likely to incarcerate their citizenry than other states? The article examines the 50 states in a cross‐sectional state comparative model. Using a dependent variable of state incarceration rates, we offer and test several explanatory models, including socioeconomic factors, political explanations, social control mechanisms, and structural factors. We find that socioeconomic explanations to be the most robust, but we find varying degrees of support for each of our four models. Related Articles: Garrett, Terence Michael. 2020. "The Security Apparatus, Federal Magistrate Courts, and Detention Centers as Simulacra: The Effects of Trump's Zero Tolerance Policy on Migrants and Refugees in the Rio Grande Valley." Politics & Policy 48 (2): 372‐395. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12348 Mitchell, Joshua L., and Adam M. Butz. 2019. "Social Control Meets New Public Management: Examining the Diffusion of State Prison Privatization, 1979‐2010." Politics & Policy 47 (3): 506‐544. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12309 Morris, John C. 2007. "Government and Market Pathologies of Privatization: The Case of Prison Privatization." Politics & Policy 35 (2): 318‐341. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2007.00062.x [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rat‐associated zoonoses transmitted through faeces or urine are of particular concern for public health because environmental exposure in homes and businesses may be frequent and undetected. To identify times and locations with greater public health risks from rats, we investigated whether rat characteristics, environmental features, socioeconomic factors, or season could predict rat infection risk across diverse urban neighbourhoods. In partnership with a pest management company, we sampled rats in 13 community areas along an income gradient in Chicago, a large city where concern about rats has increased in recent years. We collected kidneys for Leptospira spp. testing and colon contents for aerobic bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. Of 202 sampled rats, 5% carried Leptospira spp. and 22% carried E. coli. Rats were significantly more likely to carry Leptospira spp. on blocks with more standing water complaints in higher‐income neighbourhoods (OR = 6.74, 95% CI: 1.54–29.39). Rats were significantly more likely to carry E. coli on blocks with more food vendors (OR = 9.94, 2.27–43.50) particularly in low‐income neighbourhoods (OR = 0.26, 0.09–0.82) and in the spring (OR = 15.96, 2.90–88.62). We detected a high diversity of E. coli serovars but none contained major virulence factors. These associations between environmental features related to sanitation and infection risk in rats support transmission through water for Leptospira spp. and faecal–oral transmission for E. coli. We also found opposing relationships between zoonotic infection risk and income for these two pathogens. Thus, our results highlight the importance of sanitation for predicting zoonotic disease risks and including diverse urban areas in pathogen surveillance to mitigate public health risks from rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector is an important sector in the agro-industry considering the number of sectors of the processing industry which sets the input of the agricultural sector, which means that the agricultural sector has a high potential, but despite having a high potential of the agricultural sector also has a big risk as crop failure due to anomalous weather and pests, and therefore in need of a tersistematis efforts to ensure agricultural activities such as paddy farming insurance (AUTP). This study will examine the effect of socioeconomic farmers include age (X1), formal education (X2), nonformal education (X3), reception (X4), land (X5), benefits (X6), time (X7), premium (X8) and dissemination (X9)the response (Y) using multiple regression analysis in which samples are 71 people spread across five farmer groups. The test results stated simultaneously independent variables include age (X1), formal education (X2), non-formal education (X3), reception (X4), land (X5), benefits (X6), time (X7), premium (X8) and socialization (X9) simultaneously have a significant effect on the response (Y) with a magnitude of effect of 77.6%, while in partial age (X1) and non-formal education (X3) had no significant effect on the response (Y). The greatest influence there is on land (X5) that is equal to 29.7 percent, and most are innon-formal education (X3) that is equal to 1.50 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis is a CNS disorder that leads to an important disability and cognitive impairment among young adults worldwide, with a meaningful emotional and socioeconomical impact. There is growing evidence pointing to the immune mediated mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of the disease. Recent studies have redefined the brain's unique concept of immune privileged organ, with the remarkable discovery of the glymphatic system and the presence of meningeal lymphatic vessels required for the transport of metabolic interstitial waste. In this review, we take a brief look at the complex connection between the central nervous system and the peripheral immune system, in which the immune cells gain access through the brain blood barrier and mediate the disease development and to the brain's peculiar lymphatic drainage, involved in the etiology of MS. The immune system, with its contrasting roles in neuronal damage and tissue regeneration, becomes a honorable partner in the efforts of finding a well-suited treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, the prevalence of chronic disease continues to rise and is likely to grow further over the coming decades due to population ageing. Since older age is associated closely with development of chronic disease, it stands to reason that demographic changes will increase the proportion of older workers with chronic disease. The aim of the present study was to determine how chronic diseases affect employment status in Korea and the USA.Methods: The study was based on National Health and Nutrition Survey data (2007-2014) obtained by the Korean and American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 44,693 subjects were categorized into two geographical groups: Korea (29,260 subjects) and the USA (15,433 subjects). A chi-square test was used to compare the groups in terms of socio-demographic factors, health-related factors, and chronic disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of five chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer) on employment status.Results: There were 29,260 Korean and 15,433 American respondents. Chronic disease increased the risk of unemployment in Korea markedly (Odds ratio [OR] range, 1.17-2.47). Cardiovascular disease and cancer had the most profound negative effect on Korean unemployment (OR = 2.47 and 2.03, respectively). The risk of unemployment was generally 2-3-fold lower in the USA (OR range, 0.5-1.04).Conclusions: Chronic disease had a significant impact on economic activity in Korea, but a smaller impact in the USA. This difference may be related to different health insurance schemes and cultural approaches to people with diseases in the two countries. It is important to explore factors that limit economic participation by people with chronic diseases, and to identify social policies that will overcome these factors. Further between-country studies are needed to identify social solutions to the socio-economic burden of chronic illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is an important indicator of maternal health and socioeconomic development. Although China has experienced a large decline in MMR, substantial disparities across regions are still apparent. This study aims to explore causes of socioeconomic related inequality in MMR at the province-level in China from 2004 to 2016.Methods: We collected data from various issues of the China Health Statistics Yearbook, China Statistics Yearbook, and China Population and Employment Statistics Yearbook to construct a longitudinal sample of all provinces in China. We first examined determinants of the MMR using province fixed-effect models, accounted for socioeconomic condition, health resource allocation, and access to health care. We then used the concentration index (CI) to measure MMR inequality and employed the direct decomposition method to estimate the marginal impact of the determinants on the inequality index. Importance of the determinants were compared based on logworth values.Results: During our study period, economically more deprived provinces experienced higher MMR than better-off ones. There was no evidence of improved socioeconomic related inequality in MMR. Illiteracy proportion was positively associated with the MMR (p < 0.01). In contrast, prenatal check-up rate (p = 0.05), hospital delivery rate (p < 0.01) and rate of delivery attended by professionals (p = 0.02) were negatively associated with the MMR. We also find that higher maternal health profile creation rate (p < 0.01) was associated with a pro-poor change of MMR inequality.Conclusion: Access to healthcare was the most important factor in explaining the persistent MMR inequality in China, followed by socioeconomic condition. We do not find evidence that health resource allocation was a contributing factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood injuries are a significant and growing global public health problem, often with high morbidity and, at times, mortality. A large proportion of injuries in preschool children occur in or around the home. We aimed to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with preschool children injuries in Egypt.Methods: Secondary data analysis were done for the Egyptian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), 2014. Potential associated factors were measured from data on child welfare and questions on the prevalence of accidents and injuries of preschool children. These data were linked to the children demographic data, maternal age at marriage, working status of the mother, and questions on childcare arrangements.Results: Out of the 634 injured children, 520 (83.4%) children required medical care for their injuries. The most common reported injury was an open wound 288 (45.5%), followed by fractures 237 (35.7%), burns 124 (19.7%), electrical shock 12 (1.9%) and other unknown types of injury 15 (2.4%). There was a positive correlation between injury and child's age, household wealth, mother's age at marriage, and unsupervised children or children left in the care of a minor.Conclusion: Leaving children unsupervised or in the presence of other young children is significantly associated with the occurrence of child injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major and growing cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. However, there remains a limited understanding of the association between individual socioeconomic status (SES) and COPD diagnosis and treatment worldwide, including in China. This study investigates socioeconomic variations in prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of COPD in rural China.Methods: The present study employed a cross-sectional survey design. The study population was composed of Han majority as well as Na Xi and Bai ethnic minority individuals 35 years of age and older living in Yunnan Province from 2017 to 2019. In total, 7534 individuals consented to participate in the study and complete a structured interview as well as a post-bronchodilator spirometry test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between individual socioeconomic status variables and the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of COPD.Results: The age-standardized prevalence of COPD in the present study was 14.3%. Prevalence differed by gender: prevalence for men was 17.1%, versus 11.4% for women (P = 0.0001). Overall, levels of diagnosis and treatment of COPD for participants with COPD were 24.2 and 23.1%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that higher educational levels and good access to medical services was associated with an overall lower risk of COPD (P = 0.032 vs. P = 0.018) as well as a higher probability of COPD diagnosis among those with COPD (P = 0.0001 vs. P = 0.002). Participants with COPD with higher educational levels (P = 0.0001) and higher annual household incomes (P = 0.0001) as well as good access to medical services (P = 0.016) were more likely to receive COPD medications and treatment than their counterparts. While Na Xi and Bai participants had a higher probability of having COPD (P = 0.0001), they had a lower probability of having received a diagnosis or treatment for COPD than Han participants (P = 0.0001 vs. P = 0.0012).Conclusions: Future interventions to further control COPD and improve diagnosis and treatment should focus on ethnic minority communities, and those with low education levels, low annual household incomes, and poor access to medical services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) is one of the leading public health problems in Thailand especially among the working age and elderly population. MSDs is the disease that can be affected by many factors such as working environment, abnormal body structure and age related degenerative conditions. Aim: To explore the prevalence and association between Socioeconomic Status factors (SES) and MSDs in Thai population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by using the data from the National Socioeconomics Survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in 2010 and 2012. A total of 17,040 and 16,905 participants who met the inclusion criteria of this study were recruited in 2010 and 2012 respectively. The required information was collected by face-to-face interview with structured questionnaires. Multilevel mixedeffects logistic regression analysis was performed to determine potential socioeconomic factors associated with MSDs. Results: The prevalence of MSDs in 2010 and 2012 was 3.90% (95%CI: 3.61 to 4.19) and 2.96% (95%CI: 2.70 to 3.21) respectively. The multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression observed that odds of having MSDs were significantly higher among those who had low education attainment (ORadj=1.52: 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.95), were agriculturist (ORadj=1.69; 95% CI: 1.32 to 2.18), aged 40 year old or greater (ORadj=9.10; 95% CI: 7.02 to 11.80) and were female (ORadj=1.22; 95%CI: 1.04 to 1.44). In addition, the factors that were associated with MSDs in 2012 data were respondents residing in the North region (ORadj=2.25; 95% CI: 1.36 to 3.70), were agriculturist (ORadj=1.72; 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.32), had low education attainment (ORadj=1.51; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.99) and aged 40 year old or greater (ORadj=11.28; 95% CI: 7.96 to 15.98). Conclusion: The study indicated that socioeconomic status was associated with musculoskeletal disorders. Those who were female, agriculturalist and had low educational attainment were vulnerable to MSDs in Thai population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There are limited data on typhoid fever cost of illness (COI) and economic impact from Africa. Health economic data are essential for measuring the cost-effectiveness of vaccination or other disease control interventions. Here, we describe the protocol and methods for conducting the health economic studies under the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) program. Methods The SETA health economic studies will rely on the platform for SETA typhoid surveillance in 4 African countries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Madagascar. A COI and long-term socioeconomic study (LT-SES) will be its components. The COI will be assessed among blood culture–positive typhoid fever cases, blood culture–negative clinically suspected cases (clinical cases), and typhoid fever cases with pathognomonic gastrointestinal perforations (special cases). Repeated surveys using pretested questionnaires will be used to measure out-of-pocket expenses, quality of life, and the long-term socioeconomic impact. The cost of resources consumed for diagnosis and treatment will be collected at health facilities. Results Results from these studies will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences to make the data available to the wider health economics and public health research communities. Conclusions The health economic data will be analyzed to estimate the average cost per case, the quality of life at different stages of illness, financial stress due to illness, and the burden on the family due to caregiving during illness. The data generated are expected to be used in economic analysis and policy making on typhoid control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We sought to determine the socioeconomic and patient factors that influence the utilization of urethroplasty and location of management in the treatment of male urethral stricture disease. Methods: A retrospective review using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient and Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases for California and Florida was performed. Adult men with a diagnosis of urethral stricture who underwent treatment with urethroplasty or endoscopic dilation/urethrotomy between 2007 and 2011 in California and 2009 and 2014 in Florida were identified by ICD-9 or CPT codes. Patients were categorized based on whether they had a urethroplasty or serial dilations/urethrotomies. Patients were assessed for age, insurance provider, median household income by zip code, Charlson Comorbidity Index, race, prior stricture management, and location of the index procedure. A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to assess factors influencing treatment modality (urethroplasty vs endoscopic management) and location (teaching hospital vs non-teaching hospital). Results: Twenty seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-eight patients were identified that underwent treatment for USD. 25,864 (93.8%) treated via endoscopic approaches and 1704 (6.2%) treated with urethroplasty. Factors favoring utilization of urethroplasty include younger age, lower Charlson Comorbidity score, higher zip code median income quartile, private insurance, prior endoscopic treatment, and management at a teaching hospital. Conclusion: Socioeconomic predictors of urethroplasty utilization include higher income status and private insurance. Patient-specific factors influencing urethroplasty were younger age and fewer medical comorbidities. A primary driver of urethroplasty utilization was treatment at a teaching hospital. Older and Hispanic patients were less likely to seek care at these facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes ecological distribution, with a focus on the socioeconomic and environmental conflicts generated by coal exploitation in the Sinifaná coalfield (SCF), in Antioquia, Colombia. The methodology incorporated a descriptive approach which focused on socioeconomic and environmental conflicts, and an analytical approach with a relational emphasis. The hypothesized relation between socioeconomic and environmental conflicts and the Sustainable Development Goals was corroborated. In conclusion, the main conflict present in the study area surrounds the environmental sustainability that derives from informal and illegal mining practices. This causes countless socioeconomic and environmental conflicts that are impacting the wellbeing of people living in the SCF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Schools are thought to have an important impact on adolescent behaviors, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We hypothesize that there are measurable constructs of peer- and teacher-related extrinsic motivations for adolescent behaviors and sought to develop measures of school culture that would capture these constructs.Methods: We developed several survey items to assess school behavioral culture and collected self-reported data from a sample of adolescents age 14-17 attending high school in low income neighborhoods of Los Angeles. We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to inform the creation of simple-summated multi-item scales. We also conducted a cultural consensus analysis to identify the existence of shared pattern of responses to the items among respondents within the same school.Results: From 1159 adolescents, six factors were identified: social culture regarding popular (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) and respected (alpha = 0.83) behaviors, teacher support (alpha = 0.86) and monitoring of school rules (alpha = 0.85), valued student traits (alpha = 0.67) and school order (alpha = 0.68). Cultural consensus analysis identified a shared pattern of responses to the items among respondents at 8 of the 13 schools. School academic performance, which is based on standardized test results, is strongly correlated with social culture regarding popular behaviors (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.64), monitoring of school rules (r = 0.71), and school order (r = 0.83).Conclusions: The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses did not support a single, overall factor that measures school culture. However, the six identified sub-scales might be used individually to examine school influence on academic performance and health behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents evidence of political, socioeconomic and generational polarization among the Chilean population between 1990 and 2017. Using data from the Public Opinion Survey of the CEP, the ideology of the individuals is estimated indirectly using the methodology developed by Poole (1998). The main findings are the following: (i) in 1993, adherents and opponents of the current government initiated a process of ideological distancing that was consolidated in mid-2008; (ii) the ideological distance between high and low socioeconomic levels began to increase from 2005 onwards; and finally, (iii) the generation born before 1955 began to distance itself ideologically from the one born after 1980, since 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel research on whether and how contextual socioeconomic disadvantage affects adolescent suicidal behaviors is scarce. Using data from the first two waves (1994/95 and 1996) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 13,335; 49.63% girls; Mage = 15.02 years), this study examined (1) the association between area-level socioeconomic disadvantage and adolescent suicide attempts over and above individual-level socioeconomic factors, (2) the moderating role of gender, and (3) the mediating roles of contextually relevant stressors and available psychosocial resources. The results revealed that area-level socioeconomic disadvantage increased the risk of attempting suicide even after adjusting for individual-level socioeconomic status, especially for boys. Consistent with the stress process perspective, reports of exposure to violence and lack of safety explain this contextual effect. National suicidal behavior prevention strategies across the U.S. should recognize the strong association with the socioeconomic context, along with individual-level risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare and describe gender differences and the associations between symptoms of depression and family conflict and economics, lifestyle habits, school satisfaction and the use of health-care services among adolescents. Methods: Data were retrieved from Ungdata which is a cross-sectional study. Adolescents (n=8052) from secondary school grades 8, 9 and 10 (age 13–16 years) participated in the study from 41 municipal schools in four counties. Results: Girls reported a higher prevalence of symptoms of depression than boys. Gender differences were seen on all items related to symptoms of depression, family conflict and economics, lifestyle habits, school satisfaction and health-care services. Multiple regressions showed that family conflicts and economics contributed to 19.2% of the variance in symptoms of depression in girls and 12.4% in boys. School satisfaction made a strong contribution: 21.5% in girls and 15.4% in boys. The total model explained 49% of the total variance in symptoms of depression in girls and 32.5% in boys. Conclusions: Gender demonstrated a pattern through a higher proportion of girls reporting symptoms of depression, family conflict and economics, lifestyle habits, school satisfaction and use of health-care services. Even though the adolescents reported symptoms of depression, few used the school health-care services and public health nurses. This indicates that they need a person-centered approach for symptoms of depression. The findings may have important implications for planning for adolescents in school health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from The Theory of Moral Sentiments of Adam Smith and the sociology of the reference groups, the aim is to show the relationship between poverty, wealth and university education in General Studies. These should provide an adequate weighting of the true wealth that leads to the formation of a virtuous middle class, something that misses in Mexico and Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the Norwegian welfare model, the object of which has been the protection and maintenance of the middle class in the country. In order to understand it, the concept of middle class and its relationship with public policies is analyzed. In Scandinavian countries, the role of the State in the economy is crucial for the generation of the middle class, which has allowed a successful socio-economic model that is difficult to apply in other countries where the concept of the State differs substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While certain elements laid the foundations of the Japanese middle class in the postwar period, its consolidation and the changes undergone in society since the 1990s gave way to a thinned and precarious middle class, which has suffered from economic inequality, alterations in the labor pattern and the tendencies marked by structural reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlight • An environmentally-extended input-output simulation model is developed. • Production-consumption rate indicator is proposed to support systematic optimization. • Production- and consumption-based industrial GHG mitigation policies are analyzed. • Industrial GHG mitigation policy for each industry is developed. • Optimized emission reduction pathways across the entire system is identified. Abstract Industrial GHG mitigation policies are prevalent across the world to realize global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets. It is essential to simulate the impacts of different policies on various industries in the socio-economic system to find out the most effective emission reduction pathways. In this study, an Environmentally-Extended Input-Output Simulation (EEIOS) model is developed to facilitate integrated GHG mitigation policy development for multiple industries from both production and consumption sides. In addition, a Production-Consumption Rate is proposed to reflect the differences between Production-Based Policies (PBP) and Consumption-Based Policies (CBP) for a certain industry, which further supports the optimized and systematic emission reduction strategy development. A special case study of the Province in Saskatchewan, Canada, is conducted to illustrate the applicability and superiority of the Environmentally-Extended Input-Output Simulation model. It is found that Production-Based Policies applied to primary industries will lead to larger GHG reductions, and that Consumption-Based Policies should be applied to industries that are located at the end of industrial chains. The results provide a solid scientific basis for supporting industrial greenhouse gas mitigation policy development for each industry and identifying the optimized emission reduction pathways for the entire socio-economic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-grade glioma (LGG) usually occurs in young patients who enjoy an active family, social, and professional life. Because awake surgery for patients with LGG has resulted in significant improvement in both functional and oncological outcomes and because the surgery per se is not very expensive, it is currently performed in many countries worldwide. Nonetheless, in addition to the necessity of tailoring the surgical strategy to the patient (e.g., neurological and cognitive status) and tumor (e.g., brain location and volume) characteristics, the legal, cultural, and socioeconomic parameters could also play a key role in the therapeutic strategy. These include clear information to the patient and relatives during the first meeting, the adapted selection of tasks for awake mapping, and active collaboration of the patient throughout the resection and during the early postoperative rehabilitation. In the present study, our goal was to analyze these socioenvironmental aspects, which have been neglected for many decades, in LGG management, with a special emphasis on epilepsy and the awake procedure. These criteria are relevant with respect to the diagnosis, surgery, functional remediation, and long-term follow-up for patients who now benefit from a longer life expectancy. However, although such factors are essential to resume an active life, including returning to work, they vary greatly across countries. Therefore, they should be considered more systematically to allow for greater reproducibility of results of awake surgery worldwide. Highlights • Awake surgery for LGG is performed in many countries on all continents. • In addition to the patient and tumor characteristics, socioenvironmental factors are also critical. • We reviewed the effect of legal, cultural, and socioeconomic parameters on management of LGGs. • These parameters, long neglected, vary substantially across countries. • These factors should be considered for awake resection of LGGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a social determinant of both health and receipt of health care services, but its impact is under-studied in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to examine the influence of SES on in-hospital care, and clinical events for patients presenting with an ACS to public hospitals in Australia.Methods: Data from 9064 ACS patient records were collected from 41 public hospitals nationwide from 2009 as part of the Cooperative National Registry of Acute Coronary Syndrome Care (CONCORDANCE) registry. For this analysis, we divided the cohort into four socioeconomic groups (based on postcode of usual residence) and compared the in-hospital care provided and clinical outcomes before and after adjustment for both patient clinical characteristics and hospital clustering.Results: Patients were divided into four SES groups (from the most to the least disadvantaged: 2042 (23%) vs. 2104 (23%) vs. 1994 (22%) vs. 2968 (32%)). Following adjustments for patient characteristics, there were no differences in the odds of receiving coronary angiogram, revascularisation, prescription of recommended medication, or referral to cardiac rehabilitation across the SES groups (p=0.06, 0.69, 0.89 and 0.79, respectively). After adjustment for clinical characteristics, no associations were observed for in-hospital and cumulative death (p=0.62 and p=0.71, respectively). However, the most disadvantaged group were 37% more likely to have a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) than the least disadvantaged group (OR (95% CI): 1.37 (1.1, 1.71), p=0.02) driven by incidence of in-hospital heart failure.Conclusions: Although there may be gaps in the delivery of care, this delivery of care does not differ by patient's SES. It is an encouraging affirmation that all patients in Australian public hospitals receive equal in-hospital care, and the likelihood of death is comparable between the SES groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assesses the potential for an intervention of m-commerce in the fisher women retailer community of coastal Karnataka region of India. The study was conducted using primary data with a sample size of 383 fisher women across 26 markets in Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka, who are engaged in fishing practices. This study analyses m-commerce adoption and digital literacy among fisher woman retailers. Study identifies an insight into the degree of acceptance, zeal to learn and willingness to experiment technology change and shift in the trade practices with a digital platform. The result, using binary logistic regression also identifies variation of significant variable and behaviour of the population across 3 districts. The present study provides the basis for further research to build m-commerce model for the fish retailers in coastal Karnataka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the association between socioeconomic determinants and Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) in Thailand. The data were used from the National Socioeconomics Survey (NSS), a cross-sectional study conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), in 2010 and 2012. The survey used stratified two-stage sampling to select a nationally representative sample to respond to a structured questionnaire. A total of 17,040 and 16,905 individuals in 2010 and 2012, respectively, were included in this analysis. Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify the association between socioeconomic factors while controlling for other covariates. The prevalence of CRDs was 3.81% and 2.79% in 2010 and 2012, respectively. The bivariate analysis indicated that gender, family size, geographic location, fuels used for cooking and smoking were significantly associated with CRDs in 2010, whereas education, family size, occupation, region, geographic location, and smoking were significantly associated with CRDs in 2012. Both in 2010 and 2012, the multiple logistic regression indicated that the odds of having CRDs were significantly higher among those who lived in urban areas, females, those aged ≥41-50 or ≥61 yr old, and smokers when controlling for other covariates. However, fuels used for cooking, wood and gas, are associated with CRDs in 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower rates of smoking cessation are a major reason for the higher prevalence of smoking among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults. Because barriers to quitting are both more numerous and severe, socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers may benefit from more intensive intervention. We sought to determine whether a smoking cessation intervention delivered by public housing residents trained as Tobacco Treatment Advocates (TTAs) could increase utilization of cessation resources and increase abstinence.Methods: We conducted a group-randomized trial among Boston public housing residents who were interested in quitting smoking. Participants at control sites received standard cessation materials and a one-time visit from a TTA who provided basic counseling and information about cessation resources. Participants at intervention sites were eligible for multiple visits by a TTA who employed motivational interviewing, cessation counseling, and navigation to encourage smokers to utilize cessation treatment (Smokers' Quitline and clinic-based programs). Utilization and 7-day and 30-day point prevalence abstinence were assessed at 12 months. Self-reported abstinence was biochemically verified.Results: Intervention participants (n = 121) were more likely than control participants (n = 129) to both utilize treatment programs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-4.91) and 7-day and 30-day point prevalence abstinence (aOR: 2.60 (1.72-3.94); 2.98 (1.56-5.68), respectively). Mediation analysis indicated that the higher level of utilization did not explain the intervention effect.Conclusions: An intervention delivered by peer health advocates was able to increase utilization of treatment programs and smoking abstinence among public housing residents. Future studies of similar types of interventions should identify the key mechanisms responsible for success.Implications: In order to narrow the large and growing socioeconomic disparity in smoking rates, more effective cessation interventions are needed for low-income smokers. Individual culturally-relevant coaching provided in smokers' residences may help overcome the heightened barriers to cessation experienced by this group of smokers. In this study among smokers residing in public housing, an intervention delivered by peer health advocates trained in motivational interviewing, basic smoking cessation skills, and client navigation significantly increased abstinence at 12 months. Future research should address whether these findings are replicable in other settings both within and outside of public housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As socioeconomic contexts of cities influence urban expansion and development, urban structures should be seen from both physical and socioeconomic perspectives. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between urban socioeconomic segregation and spatial driving forces of expansion of Shiraz, a city in the south of Iran. To this end, the association of environmental, planning, neighborhood and accessibility factors with the expansion of different areas of Shiraz was investigated from 2006 to 2011. By using the geographically weighted logistic regression, the local effect of each driving force on urban growth was calculated and then, the relationship between urban growth factors and socioeconomic segregation was explored by averaging the parameters of independent variables in different socio-spatial classes of Shiraz categorized according to the occupation of the inhabitants and the state of informal settlements. Although the results obtained from spatial driving forces of urban expansion of Shiraz were mostly in accordance with the results of previous studies, the magnitude of the effects of driving forces changed across different socio-spatial classes. The results revealed that urban expansion of Shiraz was a reflection of socioeconomic segregation in a way that the poorer strata of Shiraz were seeking closer access to essential services such as schools, health centers, and major roads. However, at the same time, they were unable to live near major economic centers of the city and were pushed to rural areas. On the other hand, the affluent residents of Shiraz were more likely to reside near major urban centers and conservation areas that are far superior in terms of environmental features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]