scholarly journals Measuring socioeconomic position in New Zealand

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Salmond ◽  
Peter Crampton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Socioeconomic Deprivation ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Individual Level

INTRODUCTION: Measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) are widely used in health research. AIM: To provide future researchers with empirically based guidance about the relative utility of five measures of SEP in predicting health outcomes. METHODS: Data from 12 488 adults were obtained from the 2006 New Zealand Health Survey. Seven health-related outcome measures with expected variations by SEP are modelled using five measures of SEP: a census-based small-area index of relative socioeconomic deprivation, NZDep2006; a questionnaire-based individual-level index of socioeconomic deprivation, NZiDep; an index of living standards, ELSI; education, measured by highest qualification; and equivalised household income. RESULTS: After including the individual measure of deprivation, the area-based measure of deprivation adds useful explanatory power, and, separately, the broader spectrum provided by the living standards index adds only a small amount of extra explanatory power. The education and household income variables add little extra explanatory power. DISCUSSION: Both NZiDep and ELSI are useful health-outcome predictors. NZiDep is the cheapest data to obtain and less prone to missing data. The area index, NZDep, is a useful addition to the arsenal of individual SEP indicators, and is a reasonable alternative to them where the use of individual measures is impracticable. Education and household income, using commonly used measurement tools, may be of limited use in research if more proximal indicators of SEP are available. NZDep and NZiDep are cost-effective measures of SEP in health research. Other or additional measures may be useful if costs allow and/or for topic-related hypothesis testing. KEYWORDS: Deprivation; inequalities; living standards; New Zealand; socioeconomic position

scholarly journals Improving knowledge transfer: A realist evaluation of the implementation of knowledge transfer pathways by a health research funder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lesley Middleton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Transfer Policy ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Final Theory

<p>Organisations whose mission is to fund health research are increasingly concerned with ensuring that the research they fund is used productively. The resulting interest in the concept of “knowledge transfer” has involved introducing policies to prompt researchers to think about their role, not just as knowledge producers, but as translators of research findings. In New Zealand, researchers can be asked, in their application for funds, to provide an account of what will happen to their research results. They are then judged on the quality of that account. However, little is known about how effectively this type of policy influences researchers to do more to make connections with those who use their findings.  Using the explanatory power of the realist evaluative approach, this thesis examines the implementation of new instructions by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) for providing knowledge transfer pathways in research applications. A focus of the research is on how these instructions change (or do not change) the mind-set of researchers. Key informant interviews were held, and the scholarly and grey literature examined, to develop an initial theory on how researchers would be influenced by such instructions. Individual interviews were then held with researchers, seeking their reflections on what they had originally written in a specific knowledge transfer pathway and how this then matched up with what actually happened; these interviews were then used to refine the initial theory. Finally, an on-line survey was conducted with those who sat on the HRC’s research assessing committees in the 2014/15 funding round in order to refine the theory further.  The final theory identified six mechanisms, which under different contexts, explain how the HRC’s knowledge transfer policy works (or does not work) to prompt researchers to reason differently. A continuum of reasoning in the form of a dimmer switch was used to explain circumstances where researchers may become more mindful of what is involved in knowledge transfer, but were not likely to markedly change their behaviours. Based on the assumption that the HRC wants to be more active in encouraging researchers to undertake activities other than producing research results, two recommendations are made: (1) knowledge transfer policies should support self-reflexivity by different groups of researchers rather than creating more hoops within the research application process, and (2) the processes by which knowledge transfer sections are judged needs to be strengthened if researchers are going to be confident that this is a “serious” part of the application process.</p>

scholarly journals 0356 Associations Between Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Deprivation and Preschoolers’ Sleep Health in Aotearoa/New Zealand

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A136-A136
Author(s):  
D Muller ◽  
S Paine ◽  
L J Wu ◽  
T L Signal
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Large Problem ◽  
Sleep Health ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Short Sleep ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Falling Asleep ◽  
Deprived Areas

Abstract Introduction In Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) ethnic and socioeconomic inequities exist in adult sleep health but less is known about relationships between ethnicity, socioeconomic position and sleep in early childhood. Methods Maternally-completed questionnaire data from a pregnancy-birth cohort were analysed cross-sectionally. Log-binomial regression models investigated independent associations between ethnicity, socioeconomic position and sleep of 340 Māori (Indigenous) and 570 non-Māori 3-4 year olds. Independent variables included child ethnicity, gender, area-level deprivation (NZDep quintiles; 5=most deprived) and individual-level deprivation (NZiDep scores 1-5; 5=most deprived). Dependent variables included typical weekday and weekend sleep duration (&lt;10hrs/10-13hrs), difference in week/weekend sleep duration (&gt;1hr/≤1hr) and midsleep time (≥1hr/&lt;1hr), problems falling asleep and problematic sleep patterns (no vs. moderate/large problem). Results Māori preschoolers were more likely to have short sleep (weekdays: PR=2.23, 95% CI 1.31-3.82; weekends: PR=2.04, 95% CI 1.24-3.36), week/weekend sleep duration difference &gt;1hr (PR=2.47, 95% CI 1.59-3.84), week/weekend midsleep difference ≥1hr (PR=2.38, 95% CI 1.30-4.36) and a moderate/large problem falling asleep (PR=1.43, 95% CI 1.00-2.06) than non-Māori preschoolers. Preschoolers living in most deprived areas were more likely to have short sleep on weekdays (NZDep quintile 4: PR=3.91, 95% CI 1.43-10.72; NZDep quintile 5: PR=4.14, 95% CI 1.54-11.12) and week/weekend sleep duration difference &gt;1hr (NZDep quintile 4: PR=2.34, 95% CI 1.23-4.43) than preschoolers in least deprived areas. Children with higher individual-level deprivation scores were more likely to have short sleep on weekends (NZiDep 5: PR=2.38, 95% CI 1.21-4.67) and a moderate/large problem falling asleep (NZiDep 3: PR=1.72, 95% CI 1.10-2.67) compared to children with lowest scores. Conclusion Ethnic and socioeconomic sleep health inequities exist as early as 3 years of age in NZ. Socio-political drivers of social and economic disadvantage experienced by Māori children and children from families who hold low socioeconomic position must be addressed to achieve equitable sleep health early in the lifecourse. Support Funding support was provided by Massey University New Zealand (Massey University Strategic Innovation Fund; Massey University Research Fund; and Massey University Doctoral Scholarship) and the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC 09/233, 08/547).

scholarly journals The Swiss-SEP neighbourhood index of socioeconomic position: Update

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radoslaw Panczak ◽  
Claudia Berlin ◽  
Marieke Voorpostel ◽  
Marcel Zwahlen ◽  
Matthias Egger
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Household Income ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Component Analysis ◽  
Individual Level

Background The Swiss neighbourhood index of socioeconomic position (Swiss-SEP) was published in 2012, based on neighbourhoods of 50 households and data from the 2000 census on rent, education and occupation of the household head, and crowding. We developed updated Swiss-SEP versions and validated them against income and mortality data.Methods We replicated the 2012 analyses, creating a new index based on the micro censuses 2012-2015. We used principal component analysis on neighbourhood-aggregated indicators and standardised the index to a range of 0-100. We also created a hybrid version, with updated values for neighbourhoods centred on buildings constructed after 2000 and original values for remaining neighbourhoods.Results Analyses were based on 1.54 million neighbourhoods, with 892,129 households captured in the micro censuses. The distance by road between reference and other buildings of neighbourhoods doubled. All three versions of the Swiss-SEP index (old, new, hybrid) correlated well with household income and mortality.Conclusion The Swiss-SEP index captures area-based SEP at a high resolution. The hybrid version maintains a high spatial resolution while adding information on new neighbourhoods. The indices allow the study of SEP when data on individual-level SEP are missing, or area-level effects are of interest.

scholarly journals Improving knowledge transfer: A realist evaluation of the implementation of knowledge transfer pathways by a health research funder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lesley Middleton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Transfer Policy ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Final Theory

<p>Organisations whose mission is to fund health research are increasingly concerned with ensuring that the research they fund is used productively. The resulting interest in the concept of “knowledge transfer” has involved introducing policies to prompt researchers to think about their role, not just as knowledge producers, but as translators of research findings. In New Zealand, researchers can be asked, in their application for funds, to provide an account of what will happen to their research results. They are then judged on the quality of that account. However, little is known about how effectively this type of policy influences researchers to do more to make connections with those who use their findings.  Using the explanatory power of the realist evaluative approach, this thesis examines the implementation of new instructions by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) for providing knowledge transfer pathways in research applications. A focus of the research is on how these instructions change (or do not change) the mind-set of researchers. Key informant interviews were held, and the scholarly and grey literature examined, to develop an initial theory on how researchers would be influenced by such instructions. Individual interviews were then held with researchers, seeking their reflections on what they had originally written in a specific knowledge transfer pathway and how this then matched up with what actually happened; these interviews were then used to refine the initial theory. Finally, an on-line survey was conducted with those who sat on the HRC’s research assessing committees in the 2014/15 funding round in order to refine the theory further.  The final theory identified six mechanisms, which under different contexts, explain how the HRC’s knowledge transfer policy works (or does not work) to prompt researchers to reason differently. A continuum of reasoning in the form of a dimmer switch was used to explain circumstances where researchers may become more mindful of what is involved in knowledge transfer, but were not likely to markedly change their behaviours. Based on the assumption that the HRC wants to be more active in encouraging researchers to undertake activities other than producing research results, two recommendations are made: (1) knowledge transfer policies should support self-reflexivity by different groups of researchers rather than creating more hoops within the research application process, and (2) the processes by which knowledge transfer sections are judged needs to be strengthened if researchers are going to be confident that this is a “serious” part of the application process.</p>

Understanding Rising Income Inequality and Stagnating Ordinary Living Standards in Germany

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Bosch ◽  
Thorsten Kalina
Keyword(s):  
Income Inequality ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Wage Bargaining ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Real Wages ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

This chapter describes how inequality and real incomes have evolved in Germany through the period from the 1980s, through reunification, up to the economic Crisis and its aftermath. It brings out how reunification was associated with a prolonged stagnation in real wages. It emphasizes how the distinctive German structures for wage bargaining were eroded over time, and the labour market and tax/transfer reforms of the late 1990s-early/mid-2000s led to increasing dualization in the labour market. The consequence was a marked increase in household income inequality, which went together with wage stagnation for much of the 1990s and subsequently. Coordination between government, employers, and unions still sufficed to avoid the impact the economic Crisis had on unemployment elsewhere, but the German social model has been altered fundamentally over the period

scholarly journals Productivity and Profitability of Poplars on Fertile and Marginal Sandy Soils under Different Density and Fertilization Treatments

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 869
Author(s):  
Solomon B. Ghezehei ◽  
Alexander L. Ewald ◽  
Dennis W. Hazel ◽  
Ronald S. Zalesny ◽  
Elizabeth Guthrie Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Rust ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Populus Deltoides ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Foliar Nitrogen ◽  
Fertile Soil ◽  
Marginal Soils ◽  
Chrysomela Scripta ◽  
Beetle Damage

We evaluated the productivity and profitability of four highly productive poplars including Populus deltoides × P. deltoides (DD ‘140’ and ‘356’), P. deltoides × P. maximowiczii (DM ‘230’), and P. trichocarpa × P. deltoides (TD ‘185’) under two densities (2500 and 5000 trees ha−1), and three fertilization treatments (0, 113, 225 kg nitrogen ha−1) at three sandy coastal sites varying in soil quality. Green stem biomass (GSB) was estimated from the sixth-year stem diameter. Leaf-rust (Melampsora castagne) and beetle damage (by Chrysomela scripta Fabricius), the leaf area index (LAI) and foliar nitrogen, were measured in year two. At all sites, DD and DM had higher survival (>93%) than TD (62–83%). DD produced greater GSB (92.5–219.1 Mg ha−1) than DM (54–60.2 Mg ha−1) and TD (16.5–48.9 Mg ha−1), and this was greater under the higher density (85.9–148.6 Mg ha−1 vs. 55.9–124.9 Mg ha−1). Fertilization significantly increased GSB on fertile soil but not marginal soils; a higher rate did not significantly enhance GSB. Leaf rust was higher for fertile soil (82%) than marginal soils (20–22%), and TD ‘185’ (51% vs. others 34%). C. scripta damage was higher for the higher density (+42%) than lower density, and TD ‘185’ (50% vs. others >38%). LAI was higher on fertile soil (1.85 m2 m−2) than marginal soils (1.35–1.64 m2 m−2), and under the lower density (1.67 m2 m−2 vs. 1.56 m2 m−2). The high GSB producer DD ‘356’ had the lowest LAI (1.39 m2 m−2 vs. 1.80 m2 m−2). Foliar nitrogen varied among genomic groups (DD ‘140’ 1.95%; TD ‘185’ 1.80%). Our plots were unprofitable at a 27 USD Mg−1 delivered price; the biggest profitability barriers were the high costs of higher density establishment and weed control. The best-case treatment combinations of DD (‘140’, ‘356’) would be cost-effective if the price increased by 50% (USD 37.54 Mg−1) or rotations were 12 years (fertile-soil) and longer (marginal soils). The requirement for cost-effectiveness of poplars includes stringent and site-specific weed control which are more important than fertilizer applications.

scholarly journals Correlating elements content in mosses collected in 2015 across Germany with spatially associated characteristics of sampling sites and their surroundings

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Nickel ◽  
Winfried Schröder
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Spatial Density ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Tree Layer

Abstract Background The aim of the study was a statistical evaluation of the statistical relevance of potentially explanatory variables (atmospheric deposition, meteorology, geology, soil, topography, sampling, vegetation structure, land-use density, population density, potential emission sources) correlated with the content of 12 heavy metals and nitrogen in mosses collected from 400 sites across Germany in 2015. Beyond correlation analysis, regression analysis was performed using two methods: random forest regression and multiple linear regression in connection with commonality analysis. Results The strongest predictor for the content of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and N in mosses was the sampled species. In 2015, the atmospheric deposition showed a lower predictive power compared to earlier campaigns. The mean precipitation (2013–2015) is a significant factor influencing the content of Cd, Pb and Zn in moss samples. Altitude (Cu, Hg and Ni) and slope (Cd) are the strongest topographical predictors. With regard to 14 vegetation structure measures studied, the distance to adjacent tree stands is the strongest predictor (Cd, Cu, Hg, Zn, N), followed by the tree layer height (Cd, Hg, Pb, N), the leaf area index (Cd, N, Zn), and finally the coverage of the tree layer (Ni, Cd, Hg). For forests, the spatial density in radii 100–300 km predominates as significant predictors for Cu, Hg, Ni and N. For the urban areas, there are element-specific different radii between 25 and 300 km (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, N) and for agricultural areas usually radii between 50 and 300 km, in which the respective land use is correlated with the element contents. The population density in the 50 and 100 km radius is a variable with high explanatory power for all elements except Hg and N. Conclusions For Europe-wide analyses, the population density and the proportion of different land-use classes up to 300 km around the moss sampling sites are recommended.

scholarly journals Geographical variation and clustering are found in atrial fibrillation beyond socioeconomic differences: a Danish cohort study, 1987–2015

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirstine Wodschow ◽  
Kristine Bihrmann ◽  
Mogens Lytken Larsen ◽  
Gunnar Gislason ◽  
Annette Kjær Ersbøll
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Geographical Variation ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Socioeconomic Differences ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Geographical Variations

Abstract Background The prevalence and incidence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) increase worldwide and AF is a risk factor for more adverse cardiovascular diseases including stroke. Approximately 44% of AF cases cannot be explained by common individual risk factors and risk might therefore also be related to the environment. By studying geographical variation and clustering in risk of incident AF adjusted for socioeconomic position at an individual level, potential neighbourhood risk factors could be revealed. Methods Initially, yearly AF incidence rates 1987–2015 were estimated overall and stratified by income in a register-based cohort study. To examine geographical variation and clustering in AF, we used both spatial scan statistics and a hierarchical Bayesian Poisson regression analysis of AF incidence rates with random effect of municipalities (n = 98) in Denmark in 2011–2015. Results The 1987–2015 cohort included 5,453,639 individuals whereof 369,800 were diagnosed with an incident AF. AF incidence rate increased from 174 to 576 per 100,000 person-years from 1987 to 2015. Inequality in AF incidence rate ratio between highest and lowest income groups increased from 23% in 1987 to 38% in 2015. We found clustering and geographical variation in AF incidence rates, with incidence rates at municipality level being up to 34% higher than the country mean after adjusting for socioeconomic position. Conclusions Geographical variations and clustering in AF incidence rates exist. Compared to previous studies from Alberta, Canada and the United States, we show that geographical variations exist in a country with free access to healthcare and even when accounting for socioeconomic differences at an individual level. An increasing social inequality in AF was seen from 1987 to 2015. Therefore, when planning prevention strategies, attention to individuals with low income should be given. Further studies focusing on identification of neighbourhood risk factors for AF are needed.

Medication Adherence: Expanding the Conceptual Framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Krousel-Wood ◽  
Leslie S Craig ◽  
Erin Peacock ◽  
Emily Zlotnick ◽  
Samantha O’Connell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Implicit Attitudes ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Time Preferences ◽  
Adherence Behavior ◽  
Individual Level

Abstract Interventions targeting traditional barriers to antihypertensive medication adherence (AHMA) have been developed and evaluated, with evidence of modest improvements in adherence. Translation of these interventions into population-level improvements in adherence and clinical outcomes among older adults remains suboptimal. From the Cohort Study of Medication Adherence among Older adults (CoSMO), we evaluated traditional barriers to AHMA among older adults with established hypertension (N=1544; mean age=76.2 years, 59.5% women, 27.9% Black, 24.1% and 38.9% low adherence by proportion of days covered (i.e., PDC&lt;0.80) and the 4-item Krousel-Wood Medication Adherence Scale (i.e., K-Wood-MAS-4≥1), respectively), finding that they explained 6.4% and 14.8% of variance in pharmacy refill and self-reported adherence, respectively. Persistent low adherence rates, coupled with low explanatory power of traditional barriers, suggest that other factors warrant attention. Prior research has investigated explicit attitudes toward medications as a driver of adherence; the roles of implicit attitudes and time preferences (e.g., immediate versus delayed gratification) as mechanisms underlying adherence behavior are emerging. Similarly, while associations of individual-level social determinants of health (SDOH) and medication adherence are well-reported, there is growing evidence about structural SDOH and specific pathways of effect. Building on published conceptual models and recent evidence, we propose an expanded conceptual framework that incorporates implicit attitudes, time preferences and structural SDOH, as emerging determinants that may explain additional variation in objectively and subjectively measured adherence. This model provides guidance for design, implementation and assessment of interventions targeting sustained improvement in implementation medication adherence and clinical outcomes among older women and men with hypertension.

The potential cost of environmental certification to vegetation management in plantation forests: a New Zealand case study

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 986-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Rolando ◽  
Michael S. Watt ◽  
Jerzy A. Zabkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Rate Of Return ◽  
Internal Rate Of Return ◽  
Mechanical Control ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Plantation Forests

Plantation forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council have restrictions on herbicide use. Since certified plantations are dependant on herbicides for cost-effective vegetation management, compliance requires a shift from current chemical practices. Using New Zealand plantation forests as a case study, discounted cash flow analyses were used to estimate the cost of certification-compliant vegetation control regimes compared with current non-compliant methods. We examined methods that (i) reduce the quantity of herbicides by using spot control and (ii) avoid the use of herbicides by using weed mats, manual, and mechanical control. Cost analyses were undertaken for low-, medium-, and high-productivity sites. The internal rate of return of the non-compliant regime was between 5% and 5.8% across the productivity range. Spot control was cheaper than current non-compliant practice. However, spot control is limited by site suitability and the availability of labour. Non-chemical control methods were expensive relative to other regimes. Reductions in the internal rate of return varied across low- and high-productivity sites between 0.8% and 0.5% for manual control, 1.3% and 0.8% for mechanical control, and 1.7% and 1.0% for weed mats. Meeting the goals of certification while retaining cost-effective vegetation control presents a challenge to the plantation forestry sector.

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