A prospective longitudinal study was carried out to establish the relationship between growth, development and social milieu in Coloured pre-school children in Cape Town. This population was selected because, on the basis of previous studies, a wide range of nutritional status as well as a spectrum of socio-economic conditions were known to exist. A pilot study was conducted to establish the feasibility of obtaining information about factors to be included in the study as well as to determine the most suitable sampling methods. A cohort of 1 000 consecutive Coloured infants born in the Cape Town municipal area and notified to the Cape Town City Council was identified. A random sample of 187 was selected from the cohort for long-term study. Anthropometric data were documented from birth until 5 years and compared to the NCHS reference values. Developmental data consisted of milestones recorded during infancy, language assessment on the Reynell Language Scale at 2½ years carried out by the Logopaedics Department, University of Cape Town, and at 5 years, a specially constructed developmental assessment designed to assess gross motor function, fine motor development including visuo-motor skills and language, both comprehension and expression as well as basic colour and number concepts. Social data were collected during home visits by two experienced, full-time research social workers, who were both integrally involved in the planning of the study. At birth infants were relatively light and short for gestational age. Size at birth correlated with social class. A rapid post-natal weight gain rendered them relatively overweight between 3 and 6 months. Thereafter they again became lighter and shorter than the NCHS reference values and this persisted during the pre-school period. Mother's weight was related to weight at birth, 12 months and 30 months. The genetic influence on growth was reflected in a correlation between parental height and child's length from 12 months onwards. Environmental influences as assessed by social class by occupational grading of the breadwinner, income and family stability were also correlated with growth from 12 months onwards. Infant development as indicated by milestones was very similar to internationally reported studies. Motor development was not associated with social class by occupational grading of the breadwinner but with father's education, mother's personality and family stability. It was also highly correlated with growth during infancy. Early language milestones were associated with the child's micro-environment as indicated by marital status, family unit, setting and stability. Language development at 30 months reflected a general lag in verbal skills and was correlated with parental education and family stability. At five years there was a good correlation between growth, development and social milieu, although the social variables accounted for far more of the variation in development than did growth. Social class by occupation grading of the breadwinner and income reflected the general socio-economic status and there was a good cross-correlation between the social variables. Approximately one third of the families lived in a middle cl ass environment. However, poor maternal education, low incomes and over-crowding were prevalent and must constitute risk factors in child rearing. Sixty five percent of the mothers were not educated further than primary school level and over half of the families were living below an effective minimum level of income. Similarly, over half the families lived in grossly overcrowded conditions. In conclusion, therefore, during infancy developmental milestones were similar to those reported in the literature. Later, however, there was a fall-off in development and this coincided with a greater association with social circumstances. Just prior to school entry social factors far outweighed growth indices as predictors of developmental variation. Social stability of the family a composite evaluation based on a number of social characteristics, was most consistently associated with development. The implications for intervention are that this would need to be broad based and aimed at improving incomes, housing, family cohesion and child centredness and eliminating social pathology. Such intervention would require a concerted effort from a variety of sources which should include administrators, community workers and health professionals.

Objetivo: Evaluar desigualdades en la mortalidad por Diabetes Mellitus (DM) en Perú. Métodos: Estudio Ecológico tipo series de tiempo. La población objetivo fueron los fallecidos por DM en los años 1986-2015. La desigualdad se analizó con el exceso absoluto y relativo, el Índice y Curva de concentración, que se aplicaron en la tasa de mortalidad (TM) y la razón de años de vida potencialmente perdidos (RAVPP) en las dimensiones género, geografía y económica. Resultados: En Perú, la TM (1986: 13.8; 2015: 26.8) y la RAVPP (1986: 44.9; 2015: 194.8) tuvieron una tendencia ascendente; este comportamiento se observó en todas las dimensiones de estudio. Por género, en el 2015 los hombres respecto a las mujeres tuvieron la mayor TM (33.6 vs 24.4) y la RAVPP (238 vs 172); el exceso relativo y absoluto aumentaron en el periodo de estudio. Según geografía, en el 2015 la TM urbana fue mayor que la rural (29.4 vs 16.5); lo mismo ocurrió para la RAVPP (206.6 vs 150.8); el exceso relativo y absoluto disminuyeron. La región Costa siempre tuvo la mayor TM y la RAVPP, pero las regiones Sierra y Selva aumentaron en mayor medida sus cifras en el periodo 2005-2015, determinando un aumento en el exceso relativo y absoluto. Por nivel económico, en el 2015 la TM fue mayor en los No pobres (30.1 vs 25.2), mientras que la RAVPP fue mayor en los Pobres (213.8 vs 199.3); sin embargo, no se encontró desigualdad entre las dimensiones estudiadas. Conclusiones: Existen desigualdades en la mortalidad por DM en el Perú. / Objectives: To evaluate inequalities in mortality of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Peru. Methods: The study was of the time-series analysis type. The target population was those who died of DM in Peru between 1986-2015. We used simple measures of absolute and relative excess and complex measures like the Concentration Index (CI) that were applied to the Mortality Rate (MR) as well as to the ratio of Years of Potential Lost Life (YPLL) in the geographic, gender and socioeconomic dimensions. We analyzed the CI and curve using the socioeconomic dimension. The analysis was carried out specifically as well as historically for the years before mentioned. Results: In Peru, MR (1986: 13.8; 2015: 26.8) and YPLL (1986: 44.9; 2015: 194.8) had an upward trend; this pattern was observed in all study dimensions. By gender, in 2015 males had the highest MR vs females (33.6 vs 24.4) and YPLL (238 vs 172); the relative and absolute excess increased across the periods studied. By geography, in 2015 urban MR was higher than rural MR (29.4 vs 16.5); the same occurred for YPLL (206.6 vs 150.8). Relative and absolute excess decreased as well. The Coast region always had the highest MR and YPLL, but Sierra and Selva regions increased their figures to a greater extent during the 2005-2015 period, determining increases in relative and absolute excess. By economic aspect, in 2015 the MR was higher in the Non-poor (30.1 vs. 25.2), while the YPLL was higher in the Poor (213.8 vs. 199.3); however, no inequality was found between the studied dimensions. Conclusions: Inequalities in mortality attributed to DM exist in Peru / Tesis

This dissertation reports on an evaluation of the home visiting programme of the SACLA Rehabilitation Worker project against the background of the socio-economic context of the community and the history of the project. The evaluation had two aims. Firstly, it aimed to highlight the programme's strengths and weaknesses so that the work could become both more efficient and more effective. Secondly, it aimed to establish whether the SACLA rehabilitation project is an effective model of a community based rehabilitation project on which other local projects could be based. Quantitative data was collected by interviewing the caregivers of disabled children who were involved in the project. In-depth interviews with the rehabilitation workers provided qualitative data which was used to confirm the validity of some of the quantitative data. The foremost findings were that the mothers were very positive about the support received from the RWs. The majority of the caregivers remembered the activities that they had been taught by the RWs and performed them well. Poor communication with the caregivers and a lack of skills on the part of the RWs gave rise to a number of problems. A number of changes highlighted by the evaluation were suggested. In conclusion, the project was found to be an effective model of local community based rehabilitation on which other projects could be based.

African American women (AAW) suffer from disproportionately high death rates due to coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to Caucasian women. Although there have been a number of studies targeting African American adults with CHD in clinical interventions, very few studies have addressed the social determinants of health and the influence of AAW's perceptions of health factors on health outcomes. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to fill the gap in the existing knowledge base by examining the lived experiences of 10 AAW diagnosed with CHD with a focus on the perceptions of environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural factors related to their disease. The framework for this study was Stokol's socioecological theory. Data were collected through individual semi structured interviews that were audio recorded, transcribed, inductively coded, and organized into themes. Results confirmed an expected connection between CHD and key external factors such as smoking, poor nutrition, and low exercise. The findings also indicated that financial considerations were a factor, including the affordability of healthy foods, although the historical cultural connections to cooking and eating were a greater impediment. The financial burden of medical treatment was less troublesome for the participants of this study, as all had access to private or public insurance plans. Other significant barriers included the inability to schedule appointments with physicians due to work and home commitments. The findings from this study contribute to social change by providing insight into the need for public policy that encourages a more culturally-competent health care system to better educate people about CHD, amend AAW's perceptions on CHD, and aid in the possible reduction of CHD.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which socioeconomic factors, demographic factors, parent and student attitudes, and parent involvement were associated with math achievement. Students in Grade 5 were selected as the population for this study. Random sampling procedures were used to select the sample. Students in the sample completed a modified version of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. Normal Curve Equivalent Scores (NCEs) from the math scales on the TerraNova Standardized Achievement Test were obtained for all students from the individual school records. Parents of the students also participated by answering questions pertaining to their attitudes toward math, their level of involvement in the classroom, and questions that pertained to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The findings from this study suggested that each of the six scales used from the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales were all significantly associated with the math, computation, and composite scores of the TerraNova Standardized Achievement Test. Family annual income, parents' educational level, and parent involvement were also significantly associated with math achievement. Four of the six attitudinal scales; the Mathematics as a Male Domain, Confidence in Learning Mathematics, Parent, and Mathematics Anxiety Scales, were significantly related to parents' educational level, family's annual income, and gender. Socioeconomic and attitudinal factors were the most powerful predictors of math achievment, while gender and parent involvement were not strong predictors.

Den psykiska ohälsan har ökat bland befolkningen i Sverige vilket förutom ett personligt lidande ger stora samhällsekonomiska konsekvenser. Orsaken till denna ökning har inget definitivt svar men kan potentiellt förklaras av makro- och socioekonomiska faktorer. Denna rapport undersöker därför om det finns ett samband mellan psykisk ohälsa och makro- och socioekonomiska faktorer. Det sker även en analys av hur dessa faktorer kan förklara ökningen av psykiska ohälsa. För att ta reda på om ett samband existerar utförs en multipel linjär regressionsanalys där den beroende variabeln definieras som svåra besvär av oro, ängslan och ångest och de förklarande variablerna utgörs av förgymnasial-, gymnasial- och eftergymnasial utbildning, BNP per capita, hushållens disponibla inkomst och arbetslöshet. Analysen delas upp i grupperna kvinnor, män och totala befolkningen där data från åren 2002-2017 används. Analysen visar på ett visst samband mellan de olika regressionsvariablerna och makro- och socioekonomiska faktorer. Totala befolkningens psykiska ohälsa har framförallt ett samband med förgymnasial utbildning. De signifikanta variablerna för kvinnors psykiska ohälsa är gymnasial utbildning, BNP per capita och disponibel inkomst. För modellen för mäns psykiska ohälsa är arbetslöshet och disponibel inkomst mest signifikanta. Modellerna har approximativt uppfyllda antaganden och multikollinearitet närvarande vilket bidrar till en bristande tillförlitlighet. Vidare forskning krävs för ytterligare validering av sambanden samt för en djupare förståelse av makro- och socioekonomiska faktorers påverkan och möjliga orsakssamband. / The mental health has increased in Sweden, which besides the personal suffering affects both the society and economy. The reason behind the increase does not have any definite explanation but the answer may, at least partly, be found in macroeconomic and socioeconomic factors. This report will therefore investigate if there exists a relationship between mental health problems and macroeconomic and socioeconomic factors. An analysis of how these factors may explain the increase of mental health problems is also performed. To see if a relationship exists, a multivariable regression analysis is performed, where the dependent variable is defined as severe problems with anxiety and worry. The regression variables are education level, GDP per capita, the households disposable income and unemployment. The analysis is performed on the groups; women, men and total population and the data is collected over the years 2002 to 2017. The analysis indicates a certain relationship between the different macro and socioeconomic variables and mental health problems. For the total population, education level is the most significant. For women, education level, GDP per capita and the households disposable income are most important. For men, unemployment and disposable income are the strongest correlated variables. The models approximately fulfills the assumptions for the least square method and have multicollinearity present, which in total makes them less reliable. Further research to validate these relationships and to contribute to explanations of potential causality is needed.

No description available.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka sambandet mellan socioekonomiska faktorer, oral hälsa och oral hälsorelaterad livskvalitet. Material och metod: Det gjordes en systematisk litteratursökning som gav totalt 454 träffar varav 24 artiklar var relevanta. Artiklarna granskades efter relevans och kvalitet och inkluderades därefter i studien. Resultat: Socioekonomiska faktorerna inkomst, utbildning, yrke, social status, kön och etnicitet var associerade med oral hälsa, dock var inkomst och utbildning det som var mest korrelerat med oral hälsa. Sämre oral status kunde verifieras med klinisk undersökning som oftast undersökte antal tänder, karies och parodontit, vilket antogs kunna påverka oral hälsorelaterad livskvalitet. Detta tillsammans med patientens självskattade orala hälsa formar patientens egentliga orala hälsa ur ett biomedicinskt och biopsykosocialt perspektiv. Slutsats: Denna studie har beskrivit sambanden mellan oral hälsorelaterad livskvalitet, socioekonomiska faktorer och oralt hälsostatus. De socioekonomiska faktorer som har mest påverkan på oral hälsa är inkomst och utbildning för alla ålderskategorier. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between socio-economic factors, oral health and oral health-related quality of life. Material and methods: A systematic literature search yielded a total of 454 hits of which 24 articles were relevant. The articles were reviewed for relevance and quality before inclusion in the study. Results: Socio-economic factors such as income, education, occupation, social status, gender and ethnicity were associated with oral health status. However, income and education were strongly correlated with oral health status. Poorer oral health status such as fewer number of teeth, dental caries and periodontal disease could affect the oral health-related quality of life. This, together with the patient's self-rated oral health mold the patient's actual oral health from both a biomedical and biopsychosocial perspective. Conclusions: This study described links between oral health-related quality of life, socioeconomic factors and oral health status. The socio-economic factors that have the most impact on oral health in all age categories are income and education.

Cybercrime victimization is a pervasive and evolving threat in the digital age, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of its underlying dynamics and risk factors. This cross-sectional study explores the prevalence and risk factors of cybercrime victimization among Swedish adults, drawing insights from a diverse sample of 384 participants. The study examines demographic characteristics, educational backgrounds, financial circumstances, computer skills, protective measures, and victimization experiences through a combination of descriptive statistics, Fisher’s Exact Test, and logistic regression analysis. Key findings reveal significant correlations between gender, age, education level, income, computer skills, protective measures, and specific types of cybercrime victimization. Malware infection emerges as the most prevalent form of victimization, followed by sexual harassment, hacking, general harassment, and fraud. The study highlights the complex interplay between socioeconomic factors and victimization risk, and emphasizes the need for tailored interventions to enhance digital resilience and mitigate cybervictimization threats among Swedish adults. Future research directions include conducting larger-scale studies, exploring the effectiveness of protective measures, investigating polyvictimization, and examining age-related differences in cybercrime vulnerability.

Yes / The frequency of visits to Emergency Departments (ED) varies greatly between populations. This may reflect variation in patient behaviour, need, accessibility, and service configuration as well as the complex interactions between these factors. This study investigates the relationship between distance, socio-economic deprivation, and proximity to an alternative care setting (a Minor Injuries Unit (MIU)), with particular attention to the interaction between distance and deprivation. It is set in a population of approximately 5.4 million living in central England, which is highly heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity, socio-economics, and distance to hospital. The study data set captured 1,413,363 ED visits made by residents of the region to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals during the financial year 2007/8. Our units of analysis were small units of census geography having an average population of 1,545. Separate regression models were made for children and adults. For each additional kilometre of distance from a hospital, predicted child attendances fell by 2.2% (1.7%-2.6% p<0.001) and predicted adult attendances fell by 1.5% (1.2% -1.8%, p<0.001). Compared to the least deprived quintile, attendances in the most deprived quintile more than doubled for children (incident rate ratio (IRR) = 2.19, (1.90-2.54, p<0.001)) and adults (IRR 2.26, (2.01-2.55, p<0.001)). Proximity of an MIU was significant and both adult and child attendances were greater in populations who lived further away from them, suggesting that MIUs may reduce ED demand. The interaction between distance and deprivation was significant. Attendance in deprived neighbourhoods reduces with distance to a greater degree than in less deprived ones for both adults and children. In conclusion, ED use is related to both deprivation and distance, but the effect of distance is modified by deprivation.