Characteristics and Birth Outcomes of Pregnant Adolescents Compared to Older Women: An Analysis of Individual Level Data from 140,000 Mothers From 20 RCTs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Akseer ◽  
Emily Catherine Keats ◽  
Pravheen Thurairajah ◽  
Simon Cousens ◽  
The Global Young Women’s Nutrition Group ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Women ◽  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Pregnant Adolescents ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data

Linking Individual-level Facebook Posts with Psychological and Health Data in an Epidemiologic Cohort: A Feasibility Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter James ◽  
Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald ◽  
Harold H Lee ◽  
Hayami K Koga ◽  
Laura D Kubzansky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Exit Survey ◽  
Level Data

BACKGROUND Psychological factors (e.g., depression, optimism) and related biological and behavioral responses are associated with numerous physical health outcomes. The majority of research in this area relies on self-reported assessments of psychological factors, which are difficult to scale because they may be expensive to administer and time-consuming to complete. Investigators are increasingly interested in using social media as a novel and convenient platform for obtaining information rapidly in large populations. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the feasibility of obtaining Facebook data from a large ongoing cohort of midlife and older women which may be used to assess psychological functioning efficiently with low cost. METHODS This protocol was conducted with participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII) which was started in 1989 with biennial follow-ups. Facebook does not share data readily; therefore, we developed procedures to enable women to download and transfer their Facebook data to the cohort servers (for linkage with other study data they have provided). Since privacy is a critical concern when collecting individual-level data, we partnered with a third-party software developer, Digi.me, to enable participants to obtain their own Facebook data and to send it securely to our research team. In 2020, we invited a subset of the 18,519 NHSII participants (aged 56-73 years) via email to participate. Women were selected if they reported on the 2017-2018 questionnaire that they regularly posted to Facebook and were still active cohort participants. We included an exit survey for those who chose not to participate to gauge reasons for non-participation. RESULTS We invited 309 women to participate. Few women signed the consent form (N=52) and only three used the Digi.me app to download and transfer their Facebook data. These low participation rates were observed despite modifying our protocol between waves of recruitment, including by 1) excluding active healthcare workers, who might be less available to participate due to the pandemic; 2) developing a Frequently Asked Questions factsheet to provide more information regarding the protocol; and 3) simplifying the instructions for using the Digi.me app. On our exit survey, reasons most commonly reported for not participating were concerns regarding data privacy and hesitation sharing personal Facebook posts. The low participation rates suggest that obtaining individual-level Facebook data in a cohort of middle-aged and older women may be challenging. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of midlife and older women who were actively participating for over three decades, we were largely unable to obtain permission to access to individual-level data from participants’ Facebook accounts. Despite working with a third-party to customize an app to implement safeguards for privacy, data privacy remained a key concern in these women. Future studies aiming to leverage individual-level social media should explore alternate populations or means of sharing social media data.

scholarly journals Review of Associations between Built Environment Characteristics and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Risk

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7561
Author(s):  
Jingjing Wang ◽  
Xueying Wu ◽  
Ruoyu Wang ◽  
Dongsheng He ◽  
Dongying Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Transit Accessibility ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Transmission Pathways

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has stimulated intensive research interest in its transmission pathways and infection factors, e.g., socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, climatology, baseline health conditions or pre-existing diseases, and government policies. Meanwhile, some empirical studies suggested that built environment attributes may be associated with the transmission mechanism and infection risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, no review has been conducted to explore the effect of built environment characteristics on the infection risk. This research gap prevents government officials and urban planners from creating effective urban design guidelines to contain SARS-CoV-2 infections and face future pandemic challenges. This review summarizes evidence from 25 empirical studies and provides an overview of the effect of built environment on SARS-CoV-2 infection risk. Virus infection risk was positively associated with the density of commercial facilities, roads, and schools and with public transit accessibility, whereas it was negatively associated with the availability of green spaces. This review recommends several directions for future studies, namely using longitudinal research design and individual-level data, considering multilevel factors and extending to diversified geographic areas.

scholarly journals The Role of Snack Choices, Body Weight Stereotypes and Smoking Behavior in Assessing Risk Factors for Adolescent Overweight and Obesity

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Elena Raptou
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Frequent Consumption ◽  
Adolescent Overweight ◽  
Relationship Of

This study investigated the relationship of behavioral factors, such as snack choices, obesity stereotypes and smoking with adolescents’ body weight. Individual-level data for 1254 Greek youths were selected via a formal questionnaire. Snack choices seem to be gender specific with girls showing a stronger preference for healthier snacks. Frequent consumption of high-calorie and more filling snacks was found to increase Body Mass Index (BMI) in both genders. Fruit/vegetable snacks were associated with lower body weight in females, whereas cereal/nut snacks had a negative influence in males’ BMI. The majority of participants expressed anti-fat attitudes and more boys than girls assigned positive attributes to lean peers. The endorsement of the thin-ideal was positively associated with the BMI of both adolescent boys and girls. This study also revealed that neglecting potential endogeneity issues can lead to biased estimates of smoking. Gender may be a crucial moderator of smoking–BMI relationships. Male smokers presented a higher obesity risk, whereas female smokers were more likely to be underweight. Nutrition professionals should pay attention to increase the acceptance of healthy snack options. Gender differences in the influence of weight stereotypes and smoking on BMI should be considered in order to enhance the efficacy of obesity prevention interventions.

When Marriage Gets Hard: Intra-Coalition Conflict and Electoral Accountability

2021 ◽  
pp. 001041402110243
Author(s):  
Carolina Plescia ◽  
Sylvia Kritzinger
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Responsibility Attribution ◽  
Electoral Accountability ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Coalition Governments ◽  
Level Data ◽  
European Election ◽  
Election Studies

Combining individual-level with event-level data across 25 European countries and three sets of European Election Studies, this study examines the effect of conflict between parties in coalition government on electoral accountability and responsibility attribution. We find that conflict increases punishment for poor economic performance precisely because it helps clarify to voters parties’ actions and responsibilities while in office. The results indicate that under conditions of conflict, the punishment is equal for all coalition partners when they share responsibility for poor economic performance. When there is no conflict within a government, the effect of poor economic evaluations on vote choice is rather low, with slightly more punishment targeted to the prime minister’s party. These findings have important implications for our understanding of electoral accountability and political representation in coalition governments.

Missing Data in Research on Youth and Family Programs

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110268
Author(s):  
Jaime Ballard ◽  
Adeya Richmond ◽  
Suzanne van den Hoogenhof ◽  
Lynne Borden ◽  
Daniel Francis Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Multilevel Data ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Individual

Background Multilevel data can be missing at the individual level or at a nested level, such as family, classroom, or program site. Increased knowledge of higher-level missing data is necessary to develop evaluation design and statistical methods to address it. Methods Participants included 9,514 individuals participating in 47 youth and family programs nationwide who completed multiple self-report measures before and after program participation. Data were marked as missing or not missing at the item, scale, and wave levels for both individuals and program sites. Results Site-level missing data represented a substantial portion of missing data, ranging from 0–46% of missing data at pre-test and 35–71% of missing data at post-test. Youth were the most likely to be missing data, although site-level data did not differ by the age of participants served. In this dataset youth had the most surveys to complete, so their missing data could be due to survey fatigue. Conclusions Much of the missing data for individuals can be explained by the site not administering those questions or scales. These results suggest a need for statistical methods that account for site-level missing data, and for research design methods to reduce the prevalence of site-level missing data or reduce its impact. Researchers can generate buy-in with sites during the community collaboration stage, assessing problematic items for revision or removal and need for ongoing site support, particularly at post-test. We recommend that researchers conducting multilevel data report the amount and mechanism of missing data at each level.

scholarly journals How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Oshio ◽  
Hiromi Kimura ◽  
Toshimi Nishizaki ◽  
Takashi Omori
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019 and 2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N = 12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p < 0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications. Conclusion Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

scholarly journals Variations in reproductive events across life: a pooled analysis of data from 505 147 women across 10 countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 881-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Age At First Birth ◽  
First Birth ◽  
Natural Menopause ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Reproductive Events ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Reproductive Indices

Abstract STUDY QUESTION How has the timing of women’s reproductive events (including ages at menarche, first birth, and natural menopause, and the number of children) changed across birth years, racial/ethnic groups and educational levels? SUMMARY ANSWER Women who were born in recent generations (1970–84 vs before 1930) or those who with higher education levels had menarche a year earlier, experienced a higher prevalence of nulliparity and had their first child at a later age. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The timing of key reproductive events, such as menarche and menopause, is not only indicative of current health status but is linked to the risk of adverse hormone-related health outcomes in later life. Variations of reproductive indices across different birth years, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic positions have not been described comprehensively. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Individual-level data from 23 observational studies that contributed to the International Collaboration for a Life Course Approach to Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease Events (InterLACE) consortium were included. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Altogether 505 147 women were included. Overall estimates for reproductive indices were obtained using a two-stage process: individual-level data from each study were analysed separately using generalised linear models. These estimates were then combined using random-effects meta-analyses. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Mean ages were 12.9 years at menarche, 25.7 years at first birth, and 50.5 years at natural menopause, with significant between-study heterogeneity (I2 &gt; 99%). A linear trend was observed across birth year for mean age at menarche, with women born from 1970 to 1984 having menarche one year earlier (12.6 years) than women born before 1930 (13.5 years) (P for trend = 0.0014). The prevalence of nulliparity rose progressively from 14% of women born from 1940–49 to 22% of women born 1970–84 (P = 0.003); similarly, the mean age at first birth rose from 24.8 to 27.3 years (P = 0.0016). Women with higher education levels had fewer children, later first birth, and later menopause than women with lower education levels. After adjusting for birth year and education level, substantial variation was present for all reproductive events across racial/ethnic/regional groups (all P values &lt; 0.005). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Variations of study design, data collection methods, and sample selection across studies, as well as retrospectively reported age at menarche, age at first birth may cause some bias. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This global consortium study found robust evidence on variations in reproductive indices for women born in the 20th century that appear to have both biological and social origins. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) InterLACE project is funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council project grant (APP1027196). GDM is supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellowship (APP1121844).

scholarly journals Geographic variation in work injuries: a multilevel analysis of individual-level data and area-level factors within Canada

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 260-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Morassaei ◽  
F. Curtis Breslin ◽  
Selahadin A. Ibrahim ◽  
Peter M. Smith ◽  
Cameron A. Mustard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Multilevel Analysis ◽  
Work Injuries ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data

scholarly journals Individual Preferences for Giving

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1858-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Fisman ◽  
Shachar Kariv ◽  
Daniel Markovits
Keyword(s):  
Utility Maximization ◽  
Social Preferences ◽  
Graphical Representations ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Individual Preferences ◽  
Dictator Games ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Budget Sets ◽  
Baseline Experiment

We utilize graphical representations of Dictator Games which generate rich individual-level data. Our baseline experiment employs budget sets over feasible payoff-pairs. We test these data for consistency with utility maximization, and we recover the underlying preferences for giving (trade-offs between own payoffs and the payoffs of others). Two further experiments augment the analysis. An extensive elaboration employs three-person budget sets to distinguish preferences for giving from social preferences (trade-offs between the payoffs of others). And an intensive elaboration employs step-shaped sets to distinguish between behaviors that are compatible with well-behaved preferences and those compatible only with not well-behaved cases. (JEL C72, D64)

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