Studies over the past couple of decades have depicted loneliness as a significant concern to physical health, although its meaning for overall health outcomes is still unclear. The precise impact of loneliness on life expectancy and on specific disease processes remains unknown. With regression modeling techniques, this thesis uses data from the Alameda County Health and Ways of Living Study to characterize the impact of loneliness on self-rated health, mortality, and fatalities from specific diseases. A key hypothesis is that loneliness as a health problem hinges on its persistence over time. This hypothesis is also tested by examining the reliability of the loneliness measure across the full 34 years of the survey. A second test is to examine its interplay with marital status as a mutable social circumstance. Results show that loneliness is a risk factor for poor self-rated health, non-ischemic cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, infections, and overall mortality. Results also show that loneliness need not be a stable problem across the life span in order to pose health risks. The reliability of the loneliness measure fades across time and levels of loneliness also vary with changes in marital status. Loneliness did not clearly mediate the impact of marital status on self-rated health, mortality, or specific causes of death.

Studies over the past couple of decades have depicted loneliness as a significant concern to physical health, although its meaning for overall health outcomes is still unclear. The precise impact of loneliness on life expectancy and on specific disease processes remains unknown. With regression modeling techniques, this thesis uses data from the Alameda County Health and Ways of Living Study to characterize the impact of loneliness on self-rated health, mortality, and fatalities from specific diseases. A key hypothesis is that loneliness as a health problem hinges on its persistence over time. This hypothesis is also tested by examining the reliability of the loneliness measure across the full 34 years of the survey. A second test is to examine its interplay with marital status as a mutable social circumstance. Results show that loneliness is a risk factor for poor self-rated health, non-ischemic cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, infections, and overall mortality. Results also show that loneliness need not be a stable problem across the life span in order to pose health risks. The reliability of the loneliness measure fades across time and levels of loneliness also vary with changes in marital status. Loneliness did not clearly mediate the impact of marital status on self-rated health, mortality, or specific causes of death.

Studies over the past couple of decades have depicted loneliness as a significant concern to physical health, although its meaning for overall health outcomes is still unclear. The precise impact of loneliness on life expectancy and on specific disease processes remains unknown. With regression modeling techniques, this thesis uses data from the Alameda County Health and Ways of Living Study to characterize the impact of loneliness on self-rated health, mortality, and fatalities from specific diseases. A key hypothesis is that loneliness as a health problem hinges on its persistence over time. This hypothesis is also tested by examining the reliability of the loneliness measure across the full 34 years of the survey. A second test is to examine its interplay with marital status as a mutable social circumstance. Results show that loneliness is a risk factor for poor self-rated health, non-ischemic cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, infections, and overall mortality. Results also show that loneliness need not be a stable problem across the life span in order to pose health risks. The reliability of the loneliness measure fades across time and levels of loneliness also vary with changes in marital status. Loneliness did not clearly mediate the impact of marital status on self-rated health, mortality, or specific causes of death. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Sept. 9, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-126).

The assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has become an area of particular interest in the field of atmospheric pollution due to their adverse health and environmental effects. This study is aimed to identify, quantify and characterize VOC in different urban areas and industrial areas in Bursa. The spatial distribution, seasonal variation as well as health risks assessment of VOC were discussed. Air samples were collected by means of sorbent passive sampling at over 50 sampling points in Bursa and analyzed by GC-thermal desorption. A total of seven weekly measurement periods were completed across the city center from 2005 to 2007. The source of VOC was apportioned with the commonly used receptor model, namely Factor Analysis. Motor vehicles and industrial solvent usage are the most abundant VOC sources to contribute to urban atmosphere in Bursa, 63% and 20%, respectively. The health risks of VOC were also evaluated. The questionnaire was filled out by selected people living in Bursa to obtain time-activity pattern for health risk assessment. Lifetime cancer risks were estimated with the measured VOC data. All the statistical parameters used to represent cancer risks for the selected compounds exceeded the stated level. Benzene had the highest adverse health effect among these compounds according to USEPA (2009) calculation with the mean cancer risk 3x10-4. In addition to intensive field sampling campaigns conducted in Bursa, the VOC measurement were completed for a period of six months to evaluate uptake rate of VOC in Ankara. Uptake rate equations depending on relative humidity and wind speed were developed for 25 VOCs.