The Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden study's (OLIN) overall aim is prevention of obstructive airways diseases; asthma, chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The first part of the OLIN study was a cross- sectional study in three phases, which aimed to estimate the prevalence obstructive lung diseases and to collect data on possible determinants of diseases. This thesis is based on the first part of the OLIN study, and on a postal survey mainly performed in order to evaluate the external validity of the first part of the project Aims: * To assess the prevalences of asthma, chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms in adults. * To compare the influence of various diagnostic criteria on prevalence. * To identify subjects with obstructive lung diseases, in particular asthma, for case-referent and prospective longitudinal studies. * To examine whether the trend towards an increase in the prevalence of asthma persists. * Study factors that may influence the development of obstructive lung diseases; age, gender, smoking habit, occupation, socio-economic group, population density and area of domicile. The first part of the OLIN study consisted of three phases. A postal questionnaire regarding respiratory symptoms and diseases, smoking habit and profession was sent to all subjects aged 35-36 y, 50-51 y and 65-66 y (n=6,610) living in eight representative areas of Sweden's northernmost province; 86% completed the questionnaire. Those reporting symptoms suspicious of asthma or chronic bronchitis (n=l,340), together with a stratified sample (n=315) of those not suspected of having the diseases according to the postal questionnaire, were invited to structured interviews and lung function tests. The prevalence of asthma, 5- 6% according to both the postal questionnaire and to the structured interview, prompted a validity study, which included bronchial provocation tests. While the prevalence remained unchanged, the validity study better identified the subjects with asthma and chronic bronchitis, thus improving the representativeness of the subjects with the diseases. In 1992, the study base was expanded by a postal questionnaire study which included 20/489 subjects 20-69 y in order to assess whether the prevalence had changed, to create possibilities to estimate the incidence, and to be better able to detect determinants of diseases. The results show that the prevalence of asthma in adults in 1992 was 7-8% according to postal questionnaire and was considerably higher, approximately 10%, in young adults. Further, the prevalence of asthma in 1986-1987 in subjects aged 35-36 y, 50-51 y and 65-66 y was 5% by using a combination of epidemiological and clinical methods. Various operational criteria yielded a prevalence of 4-7%. Between 1986 and 1992 the prevalence of asthma in these age groups increased with 1% according to the postal questionnaire. Chronic bronchitis in subjects aged 35-36 y was 3% in 1986-1987. The prevalence of chronic bronchitis increased with age, particularly in men. The mean prevalence in the three age groups 35-36 y, 50-51 y and 65-66 y was 12% in men and 8% in women. Chronic bronchitis was strongly associated with smoking, age and a family history of obstructive airways disease. Regarding socioeconomic group chronic bronchitis was related to manual workers in industry and to self- employed other than professionals, and it was particularly common in miners and in those employed in agriculture. The strongest risk factor for asthma was a family history of asthma, and asthma was more common in manual workers in service, in non-manual assistant employees as well as in farmers. The results also indicate the presence of an urban factor in asthma in northern Sweden, in spite of the fact that respiratory symptoms in general tended to be more common in the colder interior of the province compared with the coastal area. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1993, härtill 7 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

This population-based retrospective cohort study describes breastfeeding patterns and identifies the determinants of longer exclusive breastfeeding among 4,533 mother-infants pairs in two regions of Nova Scotia, Canada between 2006 and 2009. Multivariate logistic and proportional hazard regression analyses were used to model breastfeeding practices. While 64.1% (95% CI=62.7-65.5) of mothers initiated breastfeeding, only 10.4% (9.5-11.4) of mothers exclusively breastfed for the recommended six months; 21% (19.7-22.3) of mothers continued to breastfeed at six months, but not exclusively. Six risk factors are independently associated with poorer breastfeeding practices: lower maternal education, no partner, higher pre-pregnancy body mass index, smoking during pregnancy, no breast contact between dyads within one hour of birth, and no intention of breastfeeding. Rates of exclusive breastfeeding remain lower in these districts than elsewhere in Canada. Understanding determinants of longer exclusive breastfeeding is critical to assist policy makers and health care providers in better supporting mothers and newborns.

Upstream social determinants of health (SDH) have become widely acknowledged as lying at the root of poor health outcomes in Canada and globally. Conditions of social disadvantage restrict access to both social and physical resources, limiting the opportunity to actively pursue a healthy lifestyle. The Commission on the Social Determinants of Health maintains that educating the public about the SDH is a key step towards population health equity. Educating adolescents may be the most efficient and effective route of SDH knowledge dissemination, as youth are in a stage of peak learning, and are also easily reached through health education curriculum delivered in secondary school. However, health curriculum in Ontario is lacking in SDH content, placing a much greater emphasis on individual, lifestyle behaviors, such as diet, physical activity, and sax sex practices. Identifying a gap in SDH knowledge within this population, and evaluating the benefits of SDH education, is required to advocate for health curriculum revision to include SDH material. This project is designed as both a research study and SDH educational intervention. Concept mapping exercises were used to determine students’ knowledge of the determinants of health and the SDH. The impact of short term SDH education on student retention of SDH material was also evaluated. Student concept maps indicated that students attributed their health primarily to physical determinants versus social determinants; 44% of maps contained no SDH content. Statistical analyses prior to delivering the SDH lessons indicated that students’ SDH knowledge varied by their relative socioeconomic status (SES). Post-lesson analyses indicated however that student SDH knowledge increased significantly, and final levels of SDH knowledge following the SDH lessons was unaffected by socio-demographic variables. Findings suggest that 1) there is an SDH knowledge gap in the adolescent population, 2) an inequity in adolescent SDH knowledge exists across socio-economic factors, and 3) that SDH education can potentially eliminate the inequity in SDH knowledge. Current Ontario health curriculum requires revision to include SDH material. Designing curricula to have an optimal influence on both student learning and adolescent health requires greater communication and collaboration from both educational institutions and health agencies in Canada / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 08:49:09.739

The susceptibility of individuals to illness and disease is greatly influenced by context specific social determinants of health (SDH), yet there is a dearth of literature pertaining to SDH among refugees, particularly those residing in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to identify and generate empirical evidence on SDH among female refugees in Malaysia. It focused specifically on Rohingya refugees, a stateless and persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar. Intersectionality formed the theoretical foundation of the study, which utilized a qualitative research design and employed an exploratory, applied research approach. Document review provided background and contextual information for primary data, which were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The study was undertaken in affiliation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and had two primary outputs: it provided UNHCR with information and recommendations to inform context-specific program and policy development, and it generated rich empirical findings that contribute to the nascent evidence base on SDH in the context of forced migration. Results indicate that key factors affecting the health and wellbeing of Rohingya women include: their journey from Myanmar to Malaysia, income, employment, food security, transportation, the physical environment, UNHCR, security issues, education, religion, healthcare, and social capital/the social safety net. These interacted, overlapped and compounded each other, forming a ‘web of interrelated factors’ that affected participants’ health. Findings provide insight into the instrumental role of the sociopolitical context in structuring the lives of urban refugee women, and emphasize the importance of extending current discourse beyond refugee women’s needs and vulnerabilities to consider their resilience and agency in situations of significant hardship. / Graduate / 0573

This research aimed to explore the nutritional vulnerability of homeless adult men. Using a mixed methods approach, risk factors for chronic illness, food security status, dietary intake adequacy, and how the study participants navigate the food supply system to obtain food were investigated. This study assessed differences in nutrition vulnerability between participants that use solvents and those that do not. The findings reveal that all participants were nutritionally vulnerable. A majority was overweight or obese; nearly all experienced food insecurity; and most did not meet the daily food intake guidelines established by Canada’s Food Guide. Daily efforts by participants to obtain food from charitable meal programs helped to meet physiological needs, as well as social, economic, safety and security needs. Participants using solvents had different nutritional and food experiences than non-solvent users. This was identified by a higher prevalence of severe food insecurity and social exclusion compared to non-solvent using homeless participants. This study provides important information to program planners and policy-makers necessary in order to help meet the food and nutritional needs of adult homeless populations. Findings may be translated into policies and programs aimed at improving accessibility to healthy foods.

This study seeks to explore whether social media plays an important role in determining a firm’s profits. Using data from 392 Large American firms from the period 2005-2013, obtained primarily from the database, COMPUSTAT, I find that a firm’s adoption of Social Media plays a minor role in determining profits, while higher Lagged Profits, Lagged Productivity, Firm Sizes, and Advertising Expenses lead to higher profits.

The susceptibility of individuals to illness and disease is greatly influenced by context specific social determinants of health (SDH), yet there is a dearth of literature pertaining to SDH among refugees, particularly those residing in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to identify and generate empirical evidence on SDH among female refugees in Malaysia. It focused specifically on Rohingya refugees, a stateless and persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar. Intersectionality formed the theoretical foundation of the study, which utilized a qualitative research design and employed an exploratory, applied research approach. Document review provided background and contextual information for primary data, which were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The study was undertaken in affiliation with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and had two primary outputs: it provided UNHCR with information and recommendations to inform context-specific program and policy development, and it generated rich empirical findings that contribute to the nascent evidence base on SDH in the context of forced migration. Results indicate that key factors affecting the health and wellbeing of Rohingya women include: their journey from Myanmar to Malaysia, income, employment, food security, transportation, the physical environment, UNHCR, security issues, education, religion, healthcare, and social capital/the social safety net. These interacted, overlapped and compounded each other, forming a ‘web of interrelated factors’ that affected participants’ health. Findings provide insight into the instrumental role of the sociopolitical context in structuring the lives of urban refugee women, and emphasize the importance of extending current discourse beyond refugee women’s needs and vulnerabilities to consider their resilience and agency in situations of significant hardship. / Graduate / 2015-03-28 / 0573

This dissertation investigates the determinants of economic growth in China since 1978, with a focus on the determinants of spatial growth. A study of the theories of economic growth shows that both proximate and fundamental factors can contribute to economic growth. In the case of China, institutional changes are the keys to the Chinese transitional economy. Given the special nature of China's economy, the main institutional reforms since 1978 are examined, together with the gradual transition process. Furthermore, from the overview of empirical literature, it is found that the proximate determinants such as initial gross domestic product (GDP), investment, population growth, human capital and openness are determinants of economic growth in China based on the findings in cross-country growth literature. From growth accounting exercises, capital formation and total factor productivity (TFP) growth can be seen to play important roles in the rapid economic growth in China. However, while the nationwide economic growth is impressive, the pace of reform and economic development has been uneven across provinces. In the existing literature, geography and preferential policy are emphasised as particular factors that affect coastal-interior disparity. This study incorporates the economic variables identified as important stimulants to growth, drawing on major findings in the study of convergence and economic growth to estimate the determinants of regional economic growth in China. To address the weaknesses of using ordinary least squares (OLS) for cross-country regression analyses, fixed-effects ordinary least squares (OLS) and random-effects generalised least squares (GLS) panel data estimators are applied to provincial data from 1994 to 2003. It is concluded that the convergence hypothesis does not hold in China, and that export, investment, education, foreign direct investment (FDI) growth and coastal dummy have a positive effect on regional GDP per capita growth in China while population growth affects the annual growth rate negatively. / Thesis (M.Com. (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

A review of the scientific literature revealed a lack of information regarding the integrated daily activity levels of low-risk pregnant women in contemporary Western society. A prospective, longitudinal study was therefore undertaken to (i) assess the impact of low-risk pregnancy on the daily activity levels of healthy, British primigravid women and (ii) examine the relationship between total maternal daily activity level and pregnancy outcome. The best combination of methods to measure daily activity levels during pregnancy was considered to be a subjective self-report measure used in conjunction with an objective ambulatory activity monitor. These methods were developed and were demonstrated to be both reliable and valid in non-pregnant women. However, the study identified some unique problems in using activity monitors in pregnant women. These problems emanated both from women's reluctance to wear an activity monitor when pregnant and from a need to measure extremely low levels of activity in late gestation. Both data from the ambulatory monitor and the new activity questionnaire demonstrated a overall decrease in mean maternal daily activity levels between 25 & 38 weeks gestation (n=51; p<0.01). This decline masked different maternal responses in different activity domains. The mean occupational activity ratios of women working full-time declined steadily between 16 & 34 weeks gestation (n=25, p<0.01). Women's working hours and the more flexible elements of their work were reduced whilst the frequency of work breaks increased. Between 25 & 38 weeks gestation, mean recreational activity ratios also declined (n=50, p<0.05). Participation in structured sports and exercise ceased and increasing amounts of time were spent within the home. In contrast, mean overall domestic activity ratios were maintained. Between 16 & 38 weeks gestation mean nocturnal activity ratios increased steadily (n=47; p=0.01) To maintain waking activity during pregnancy, women actively engaged in a number of different balancing strategies. These strategies comprised monitoring, prioritising, pacing and forward planning. Despite the changes that occurred in maternal activity behaviour, one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of maternal activity behaviour during pregnancy was that of maternal activity behaviour prior to pregnancy. Occupational activity levels pre-pregnancy were independently associated with maternal daily activity levels at 12,16 & 25 weeks gestation (p=0.004-0.020). Self-efficacy was the only significant predictor of the change in maternal daily activity levels between 25 & 38 weeks gestation (p=0.013). The women who reduced their activity the most were likely to be those individuals who had more difficulty in overcoming perceived barriers to physical activity participation. Five main barriers to physical activity were identified: (i) the physical symptoms of pregnancy (ii) the effect of outside influences (iii) a lack of motivation (iv) a low maternal body image and (v) a lack of time and/or appropriate facilities. Findings suggested that maternal daily activity may impact significantly on pregnancy outcome. Higher maternal daily activity at 16 weeks gestation was independently associated with a lower incidence of emergency caesarean section (p<0.05). Higher maternal daily activity at 38 weeks gestation was independently associated with a higher incidence of an induction of labour (p<0.05). Total daily activity at 25 & 34 weeks gestation was independently and negatively associated with infant birthweight (p<0.05).

Using Burris et al.’s model of law as a social determinant of health, this thesis postulates that the law and its application contribute to abortion-related morbidity and mortality among those women who qualify for a legal and safe abortion according to the justifications stipulated in the Criminal Code. This thesis proposes a circular model in order to show how the application of the law, through courts rulings, contributes to unsafe abortion. On the one hand, Argentine law acts as a pathway along which inequity in socioeconomic status exposes certain women to pathogenic practices, such as self-induced abortions. On the other hand, the law acts as a shaper of socioeconomic status as it perpetuates gender stereotypes, constructing a normative world where sex-role stereotypes are naturalized, and having an impact in women’s lack of access to legal and safe abortions.