In European countries, people, whatever the socio-economic group or nationality they belong to, men or women, the young or the elderly without distinction, should be guaranteed the right to health as well as its promotion and support measures (Javtokas, 2009). Personal health promotion reflects the general idea stating that in order to enhance health it is necessary to change the way of life (Tones, Tilford, 1994; Donev et al., 2007). In this era of radical modernity related to the increased personal anxiety and uncertainty, there appear new alternative ways to enhance a person’s health: taking a variety of medications, trying different diets, engaging in traditional and non-traditional forms and ways of physical education (Cavill et al., 2006). In turn, physical education specialists and health educators bring out the importance of exercise encouraging a person to understand the social value and significance of their health promotion and physical development (Schneider and Becker, 2005; Netz et al., 2005). It is widely recognized that a major health risk factor associated with a person’s lifestyle, is low physical activity, the importance of which for human health has been shown in numerous scientific studies. They have emphasized the positive interface between active leisure time physical activity and a range of health indicators (Kalėdienė et al., 1999; Domarkienė, 2000; Borodulin, 2006; Kallings, 2008; Klumbienė, 2008, Gill et al., 2010; Weiler et al., 2010). The... [to full text] / Visuotinai pripažįstama, kad esminis sveikatos rizikos veiksnys, susijęs su asmens gyvensena, yra mažas fizinis aktyvumas, kurio svarba žmogaus sveikatai yra įrodyta daugelyje mokslinių studijų. Jose pabrėžiama pozityvi aktyvios fizinės veiklos laisvalaikiu sąsaja su įvairiais sveikatos rodikliais (Kalėdienė ir kt., 1999; Domarkienė, 2000; Borodulin, 2006; Kallings, 2008; Klumbienė, 2008; Gill et al., 2010; Weiler et al., 2010). Nekelia abejonių faktas, kad dažnai deklaruojama sveikatos stiprinimo idėja yra tiesiogiai susijusi su gyvensenos ypatumais, kuriuos lemia tiek atskiro individo požiūris į savo sveikatą, tiek įvairūs išoriniai veiksniai, visų pirma gyvenimo sąlygos. Savaime suprantama, daugiausia dėmesio stiprinant žmonių sveikatą turėtų būti skiriama įvairiose sveikatos ugdymo (sveikatinimo) programose. Šių programų pagrindinis tikslas turėtų būti asmens elgesio keitimas panaudojant žiniasklaidos ir individualaus poveikio priemones (Van der Bij et al., 2002; Rise, 2004; Roux et al., 2008). Reiškiama nuomonė, kad supažindinus gyventojus su aktyvaus gyvenimo būdo principais, propaguojant ir skatinant pastovų jų realizavimą, tobulinant fizinę parengtį, pagerėtų ir žmonių gyvenimo kokybė (Aхвердова, Maгин, 2002; Taylor et al., 2002; Netz et al., 2005; Kallings, 2008; Miller, Miller, 2010). Kita vertus, kada kalbama apie fizinį aktyvumą laisvalaikiu kaip apie asmens visapusiškos gerovės sąlygą bei ligų profilaktikos veiksnį labiau akcentuojama jo reikšmė vaikystės ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The main objective of the study is to analyze the role of family planning program in reducing maternal mortality in Bangladesh. A conceptual framework has been developed in which family planning is shown to be integrated in reducing maternal mortality. This study found that the risk factors of maternal mortality e.g. unwanted pregnancy, high parity, and early and old age at child birth still prevail in Bangladesh. It is hypothesized that the prevalence of these factors can be substantially reduced by a proper practice of family planning. There is a high level of unmet need for family planning Bangladesh, and its removal will substantially help in reducing maternal mortality in the country. The risk factors of maternal mortality are strongly associated with lack of family planning practice and other socio-economic and demographic background characteristics of women. By using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) of 2004 and the Bangladesh Maternal Health and Maternal Mortality Survey (BMMS) of 2001 the study has analyzed the relationship of the risk factors of maternal mortality, namely wantedness of pregnancy, age at child birth, parity and birth interval with various socio-demographic factors. The analysis has shown that use status of family planning is influenced by the risk factors of maternal mortality. Wantedness of pregnancy has been found to be significantly related with age at birth, parity and birth interval. It has been also found that the risk factors of maternal mortality also affect on antenatal care. The study has identified some policy implications regarding family planning and maternal mortality, and has made appropriate recommendations. One of the major aspects of the strategies to reduce maternal mortality through family planning is to provide family planning services to all women, regardless of any group affiliation. Fulfilment of unmet for family planning has been recommended as an important strategy to reduce maternal mortality in the country. It addition, it is also recommended to raise the age at marriage and child birth, to space births and to limit family size by empowering women through education.

Introduction: The quality of life related to oral health is a multidimensional concept that includes the subjective evaluation of the oral health of the individual, functional aspects, general well-being, emotional well-being, expectations and satisfaction with their self-care. Furthermore, it is part of the general state of health and wellness. This paer is to assess the impact of oral health and sociodemographic factors in life quality of elderly people. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with elderly participants in a social group in Santa Maria, RS state, was performed. Data were collected in the same living group by previously trained interviewers. It was used for data collection, the instrument Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP -14), and a structured interview addressing sociodemographic and health issues. Data were analyzed using STATA 13.0 (Stata 13.0 for Windows; Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). The descriptive analysis provided the statistics of clinical and sociodemographic characteristics as well as the average values of OHIP-14 scores and their respective domains. The differences between the mean scores of OHIP-14 according to the clinical and sociodemographic variables were statistically compared using the Mann- Whitney test, adopting a significance level of 5%. The conducted study design was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Santa Maria and all participants signed a term of consent form. Results: A total of 64 subjects were analyzed. The average age was 69.8 years, ranging from 60 to 88 years. BMI ranged from 17.99 to 42.64 kg/m (average of 28.28 ± 5.05 kg/m²), and 53, 13% (34/64) had normal weight, 15.62% (10/64) low weight and 31.25% (20/64) had obesity according to BMI classification. The mean weight was 68.7 kg ranging from 46.3 kg to 107.9 kg. The highest average of the total scores of OHIP-14 was observed in subjects who had low education (<5 years), low income (≤ R $ 2,500), altered taste, difficulty in feeling the taste of food, which were depressed and malnourished. Schooling also associated with OHIP-14 scores in the psychological discomfort and disability fields, just as changes in taste also influenced the areas of functional limitation and disability. Individuals malnourished worsened their quality of life when compared to individuals with excess weight in the total scores and disability domain. Conclusion: Oral disorders associated with worse quality of life were found in elderly women who had low family income, low education and those who had a worse nutritional diagnosis. / Introdução: A qualidade de vida relacionada com a saúde oral é um conceito multidimensional que inclui a avaliação subjetiva da saúde oral do indivíduo, aspectos funcionais, bem-estar geral, bem-estar emocional, expectativas e satisfação com o seu auto cuidado. Além disso, é parte integrante do estado geral de saúde e bem estar. Objetivos: Avaliar o impacto da saúde oral e dos fatores sociodemográficos na qualidade de vida de idosas. Métodos: Foi realizada uma pesquisa do tipo transversal com idosas participantes de um grupo de convivência na cidade de Santa Maria RS. Os dados foram coletados no próprio grupo de convivência por entrevistadores previamente capacitados. Foram utilizados para coleta dos dados o instrumento Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP -14), e uma entrevista estruturada abordando questões sociodemográficas e de saúde. Os dados foram analisados utilizando-se o programa STATA 13.0 (Stata 13.0 for Windows; Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). As análises descritivas forneceram as estatísticas das características clínicas e sociodemográficas, bem como os valores médios dos escores do OHIP-14 e seus respectivos domínios. As diferenças entre os escores médios do OHIP-14 de acordo com as variáveis clínicas e sociodemográficas foram comparadas estatisticamente através do teste de Mann-Whitney, adotando nível de significância de 5%. O projeto do estudo realizado foi previamente aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria e todos os participantes assinaram um termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. Resultados: Um total de 64 sujeitos foram analisados. A média de idade foi de 69,8 anos, variando de 60 a 88 anos. O IMC variou de 17,99 a 42,64 kg/m² (média de 28,28 ± 5,05 kg/m²), sendo que 53,13% (34/64) apresentava-se eutrófico conforme IMC, 15,62% (10/64) magreza ou desnutrição e 31,25% (20/64) apresentava excesso de peso de acordo com a classificação do IMC. A média de peso corporal foi de 68,7 kg, variando de 46,3 kg a 107,9 kg. As maiores médias dos escores totais do OHIP-14 foram observadas em indivíduos que possuíam baixa escolaridade (<5 anos), baixa renda familiar (≤ R$2.500), alteração do paladar, dificuldade de sentir o gosto dos alimentos, depressivos e desnutridos. A escolaridade também se associou com escores do OHIP-14 nos domínios desconforto psicológico e incapacidade física, do mesmo modo que as alterações no paladar influenciaram também os domínios de limitação funcional e incapacidade física. Indivíduos desnutridos apresentaram piora de qualidade de vida quando comparados aos indivíduos com excesso de peso nos escores totais e no domínio de incapacidade física. Conclusão: As desordens orais associadas a pior qualidade de vida foram encontradas em idosas que possuíam baixa renda familiar, baixa escolaridade e que apresentavam um pior diagnóstico nutricional.

This diploma thesis deals with ethnic differences in the incidence of colorectal cancer. One of the primary aims is to analyze the influence of selected socio-demographic factors, health factors and lifestyle factors on the incidence of colorectal cancer. Another main aim is to find out if there are ethnic differences in the incidence of colorectal cancer in the United States to determine the contribution of the influence of selected socio-demographic and lifestyle factors using the data from the PLCO database. PLCO is a case-control study which includes individual data collected from approximately 155,000 respondents in the United States. The main finding is a significant influence of respondents' age structure, gender, ethnicity, education, family history of colorectal cancer as well as diabetes on the incidence of colorectal cancer. It has also been suggested that alcohol consumption, smoking and obesity increase the risk of colorectal cancer. On the contrary, an increased intake of vitamin D and drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid (in this case aspirin) reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. The influence of age structure and gender on the risk of developing colorectal cancer has been determined as statistically significant in African Americans, Caucasians and others (including the remaining...

Modeindustrin är en stor miljöbov som genererar utsläpp från fabriker, långa transporter och från en påtaglig överkonsumtion. I ett modesamhälle med trender i fokus kommer behovet av nyproducerade plagg alltid att finnas kvar. Men cirkulära affärsstrategier, såsom olika typer av delningsekonomier, kommer att spela en avgörande roll för modebranschens framtidaöverlevnad. Om ett plagg används under tre gånger så lång tid som de används idag kan det minska plaggets klimatavtryck med hela 65%, vilket påvisar vikten av cirkulära strategier, där konceptet hyrkläder är en av dessa. Denna studie syftar att kartlägga vilka sociodemografiska faktorer som påverkarkonsumenters hållbara attityd samt viljan att hyra kläder. Vidare undersöks sambandet mellankonsumenters hållbara attityd samt dennes vilja att hyra kläder och ingå i delningsekonomi. Detta för att komma närmare lösningen på problemet om vem den potentiella hyrkunden är och bana väg för företags anpassning av hyrkonceptet. För att besvara frågeställningarna har data samlats in via en kvantitativ online-enkät där en sluten grupp på Facebook fått besvarafrågor kring deras sociodemografiska status, attityd till miljö och hållbarhet samt frågor om benägenheten att hyra. Svaren har sedan sammanställts och ligger till grund förhypotesprövningar som genomförs. Resultatet av studien påvisar inga samband mellan sociodemografiska faktorer gällande varken hållbar attityd eller viljan att hyra kläder med undantag för svag korrelation mellangeografisk plats och viljan att hyra kläder. Däremot visas ett samband mellan konsumenters hållbar attityd och deras vilja att hyra. / The fashion industry has a big impact on our environment and generates emissions from transports, factories, and a significant overconsumption. Studies show that by extending the life of a garment three times longer than its average lifetime today, its climate impact can be reduced by 65%. For this reason, circular business models have grown in importance since they can have a major positive impact on our challenge to decrease our emissions. One answer to this is sharing economy and collaborative fashion consumption, which aims to lengthen the life of a product and ensure a more frequent use. Previous studies have identified both drivers and barriers for consumers to take part in collaborative fashion consumption but not yet described the customer who rents. In this study, attention is therefore paid to collaborative fashion consumption and the customer who wishes to take part. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on the consumer's attitude to environmental sustainability and on the willingness to rent clothes. Further, the study aims to investigate whether there is a connection between an environmentally sustainable attitude and the willingness to rent clothes. Data were collected via a quantitative online survey where members in a closed group on Facebook were able to answer questions about their socio-demographic status, attitude to sustainability as well as questions about the propensity to rent. The results of the study show no correlations between socio-demographic factors regarding neither environmentally sustainable attitude nor the willingness to rent clothes. However, a connection is shown between geographic location and willingness to rent as well as between consumers' environmentally sustainable attitude and their willingness to rent. This study is written in Swedish.

This study aimed at identifying the socio-demographic and service related factors influencing intra uterine contraceptive device (IUD) utilization among family planning clients in Addis Ababa. With a quantitative, cross sectional descriptive design approach, data was collected using structured questionnaires administered by healthcare supervisors. A total of 366 family planning clients and 35 family planning service providers were interviewed. The findings indicated that the level of education, occupation, parity and fertility plan have significant (p<0.05) association with utilization of IUD. Healthcare service provider’s knowledge and skills for provision of intra uterine contraceptive device services were low. Community members lack awareness and knowledge of the benefit and side effects of the device. Therefore, community members need education to promote adherence and effective use of IUD. Similarly, healthcare service providers need skill training and education to ensure quality provision of IUD service / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

This study aimed at identifying the socio-demographic and service related factors influencing intra uterine contraceptive device (IUD) utilization among family planning clients in Addis Ababa. With a quantitative, cross sectional descriptive design approach, data was collected using structured questionnaires administered by healthcare supervisors. A total of 366 family planning clients and 35 family planning service providers were interviewed. The findings indicated that the level of education, occupation, parity and fertility plan have significant (p<0.05) association with utilization of IUD. Healthcare service provider’s knowledge and skills for provision of intra uterine contraceptive device services were low. Community members lack awareness and knowledge of the benefit and side effects of the device. Therefore, community members need education to promote adherence and effective use of IUD. Similarly, healthcare service providers need skill training and education to ensure quality provision of IUD service / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Background. Within the South African context there is a large body of research regarding the associations between maternal gestational drinking and diagnosable child FASDs. However, there remains a paucity of local research regarding the impacts of other kinds of maternal drinking behaviours (e.g. past and present maternal drinking) and related socio-demographic factors on developmentally sensitive areas of child neurocognitive functioning, such as executive functioning (EF). Methods. This study was cross-sectional in design, utilising a gender balanced sample of N=464 children between the ages of 9.00 and 15.12 (year.months) in three rural areas within the Western Cape. Information regarding maternal drinking behaviours (before, during and after pregnancy) and related socio-demographic factors was collected via structured interviews with mothers or proxy respondents. Six subtests from the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Battery (CANTAB), were used to assess three aspects of child EF namely: (1) processing speed, assessed by the MOT and RTI subtests, (2) attention, assessed by the MTT and RVP subtests and (3) memory, assessed by the SWM and PAL subtests. Findings. For all three maternal alcohol use behaviours examined, there was an apparent non-significant trend whereby children of mothers who reported alcohol use (before, during and after pregnancy) performed worse (on average) than children of mothers reporting non-alcohol use on the EF subtests. Several of the socio-demographic factors were found to act as significant predictors of subtest specific EF performance including child sex (RTI: B=.46, p<. 01; MTT: B=.05, p<.05), child age (RTI: B=.27, p<.05; MTT: B=.11, p<.01), home language (MOT: B=- .13, p<.05), maternal employment (MTT: B=-.04, p<.05) and household size (SWM: B=-1.29, p<.05). Conclusions. These study findings provide initial insights into the impacts of different types of maternal drinking behaviours and related socio-demographic factors on child EF outcomes within the context of an LMIC, South Africa.

The quest towards resolving concerns about transportation energy consumption and emissions across nations has created more interests to investigate factors responsible for households’ car ownership. While literature holds an extensive body of investigation usually compartmentalised in individual different disciplines, limited efforts have been made to promote inter-linkages of this strand of research across different disciplines. To fill this gap, this study developed an integrating Multinomial logit (MNL) model to examine the impact of some rarely-investigated and conventional explanatory variables, including: ethnicity, accommodation tenure, settlement nature, mental belief, environmental concern, geographical regions, household structure, driving licence, number of household income earners and household income, on car ownership. Analysis based on rich data sets of British Household Survey and US Consumer Expenditure Survey found not only the conventional explanatory variables to be significantly linked to the number of cars in the US and UK households, but also the rarely-investigated psychological variables were found to be significantly linked as well. As Socio-demography, Geography and Psychology impact on how people and households process information and assess market offers (e.g., products and services), this study presents findings which have beneficial implications for policymakers and transportations planners, including those who would like to alter people’s behaviour from private car ownership to public transportation use, car sellers in terms of how to identify and reach potential customers, provision of alternative forecasting approaches to car ownership scholars as well as possible consideration for general car ownership decision making. Caution should be taken when interpreting the relationship between psychological factors and car ownership since the psychological factors adopted are measure representatives from databases used with limitations in the factor structure for a representative sample of the countries’ population.