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Sousa S, de Morais IL, Albuquerque G, Gelormini M, Filipović-Hadžiomeragić A, Stojisavljevic D, Damasceno A, Moreira P, Breda J, Lunet N, Padrão P. Street Food and Takeaway Food Purchasing Patterns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159086. [PMID: 35897456 PMCID: PMC9330047 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to describe street food and takeaway food purchasing patterns in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, throughout the day and by city location. A cross-sectional evaluation of street food and takeaway food customers was conducted in 2017. All eligible vending sites (n = 348) in the vicinity of selected markets and bus stops were included. Data on the food items purchased, and time and geographic location of the purchases were collected. A total of 755 customers purchased 929 food items. Takeaway venues showed higher customer influx (5.0 vs. 2.0 customers observed per 10 min of observation, p < 0.001) and buying rates (6.7 vs. 2.0 items bought per 10 min of observation, p < 0.001; 1.5 vs. 1.0 items bought per customer, p < 0.001) than street food sites. These rates were higher in city peripheries for street food venues, and in city centres for takeaway establishments. The purchase of industrial food products prevailed throughout the day in street food venues, whereas most takeaway purchases comprised homemade foods, with or without industrial beverages. The proportion of customers buying foods and beverages together was higher in takeaway venues (15.3% vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001), especially during lunchtime and in city centres. In street food vending sites, sweet and savoury snacks seemed to be preferred in the afternoon, whereas in takeaway food establishments, savoury pastries and main dishes were mostly purchased at breakfast or lunch, and bread during the morning. Soft drinks and industrial juices were frequently purchased in both types of vending site and at all hours of the day, particularly in the afternoon. Our findings provide an overview of street food and takeaway food buying habits and consumer demands in these cities, reflecting local food culture and dietary behaviours. The identification of the meal contexts and city sub-regions in which specific purchasing practices emerge point to potential priority targets. These insights can be useful when designing interventions adapted to the specificities of these food environments and the food habits of customers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Sousa
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Lança de Morais
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme, Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Life-Course, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, UN City, Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (I.L.d.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Gabriela Albuquerque
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marcello Gelormini
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme, Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Life-Course, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, UN City, Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (I.L.d.M.); (M.G.)
| | - Aida Filipović-Hadžiomeragić
- Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tahtali Sokak 17, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
| | - Dragana Stojisavljevic
- Public Health Institute of the Republika Srpska, Jovana Dučića 1, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, 14 Save Mrkalja, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Albertino Damasceno
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Avenida Salvador Allende 702, Maputo 1100, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Moreira
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Atividade Física, Saúde e Lazer, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa, 91, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Breda
- WHO Regional Office for Europe, 10675 Athens, Greece;
| | - Nuno Lunet
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Padrão
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (S.S.); (G.A.); (A.D.); (P.M.); (N.L.)
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Rua das Taipas 135, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-225074320; Fax: +351-225074329
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Batinti A, Costa-Font J. Does democracy make taller men? Cross-country European evidence. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022; 45:101117. [PMID: 35193042 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We study whether a democracy improves a measure of individual wellbeing: human heights. Drawing on individual-level datasets, we test the democracy and height hypothesis using a battery of eight different measures of democracy and we account for several potential confounders, regional and cohort fixed effects. We document that democracy - or its quality during early childhood - shows a strong and positive conditional correlation with male, but not female, adult stature. Our preferred estimates suggest that being born in a democracy increases average male stature from a minimum of 1.33 to a maximum of 2.4 cm. We also show a positive association when democracy increases from childhood to adolescence, and when we adopt measures of existing democratic capital before birth, and at the end of height plasticity in early adulthood. We also document that democracy is associated with a reduction in inequality of heights distribution. Our estimates are driven by period-specific heterogeneity, namely, early democratizations are associated with taller people more than later ones. Results are robust to the inclusion of countries exposed to communism.
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3
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Lazareva O. The effect of labor market shocks on health: The case of the Russian transition. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2020; 36:100823. [PMID: 31575466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2019.100823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
During the first years of the transition to the market economy in Russia, many people experienced the whole range of stressful labor market events, including job loss, wage cuts and nonpayments; some people had to change occupations or take on additional work. These events were caused externally by the unprecedented structural shifts in the economy. This natural experiment provides an opportunity to estimate the causal effect of various labor market shocks on individual health and health-related behaviors. Propensity score matching and difference-in-difference estimates using household survey data show that labor market shocks during the early transition had long-term negative effects on individual health. I also find an increased incidence of smoking and alcohol consumption as well as a higher risk of certain types of chronic health problems for the people affected by labor market shocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Lazareva
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Pokrovsky Blvd. 11, 109028, Moscow, Russia.
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4
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Wang Q, Tapia Granados JA. Economic growth and mental health in 21st century China. Soc Sci Med 2019; 220:387-395. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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5
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Dominis S, Yazbeck AS, Hartel LA. Keys to Health System Strengthening Success: Lessons from 25 Years of Health System Reforms and External Technical Support in Central Asia. Health Syst Reform 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/23288604.2018.1440348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dominis
- International Development Division, Abt Associates, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Abdo S. Yazbeck
- International Development Division, Abt Associates, Rockville, MD, USA
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Liczbińska G, Czapla Z, Piontek J, Malina RM. Age at menarche in Polish University students born before, during and after World War II: Economic effects. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2018; 28:23-28. [PMID: 29197239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Although the relationships between economic conditions and biological variables over the past two centuries in Poland are reasonably well-documented, the influence of economic and political disruptions, including nutritional privation, during the years immediately before, during and shortly after World War II (WWII) has received less attention. This paper considers the association between age at menarche and body size of university students born before, during and after WWII and father's level of education, a commonly used indicator of family economic status in Poland. Subjects were 518 university students surveyed between 1955 and 1972, birth years 1931 through 1951. The sample was divided into three birth cohorts: before (n=237), during (n=247) and after (n=34) WWII. Age at menarche was compared among birth cohorts, and by weight status and father's level of education. Age at menarche increased slightly but significantly among women born during WWII (14.4 yrs) compared to those born before (14.2 yrs) and after (13.9 yrs) the war. Controlling for year of birth and age of the student, age at menarche was significantly earlier in overweight (13.42±0.35 yrs) than in normal weight (14.33±0.06 yrs) and thin (14.54±0.21 yrs) women. Adjusted mean ages at menarche in small samples of overweight women did not differ by father's level of education, and were earlier than corresponding ages of thin and normal weight women. Adjusted mean ages at menarche did not differ between thin and normal weight women with fathers having primary or no education, but were slightly later in thin than in normal weight women with fathers having a vocational, secondary or higher education. Although age at menarche was associated with father's level of education, young adult weight status was a somewhat more important correlate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grażyna Liczbińska
- Department of Human Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Zbigniew Czapla
- Department of Human Biological Development, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Janusz Piontek
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Robert M Malina
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
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7
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Mangiavacchi L, Piccoli L. Parental alcohol consumption and adult children's educational attainment. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2018; 28:132-145. [PMID: 29413887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2017.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study analyses whether an excessive parental alcohol consumption during childhood can affect long run children's educational attainments. Using 19 waves of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), where individuals and their families are followed from childhood to adulthood, this study analyses parental alcohol consumption during childhood (between 1994 and 2001) and its relation with children's educational attainment about twelve years later (from 2005 to 2014). Panel estimations show that mother's excessive alcohol consumption during childhood is consistently negatively associated with children educational outcomes, as years of education, the highest education grade achieved and the probability of having a tertiary education degree, a finding that is robust to possible endogeneity issues. In particular, while moderate drinking is not an issue, an additional standard glass of vodka (15.57 g of pure alcohol) consumed by the mother per day, reduces years of education by almost one year (0.88), and by 5.8 percentage points (or about 27%) the probability of having a university degree. The study also explores the transmission mechanisms suggested by the literature, identifying a significant role for prenatal exposure to alcohol and, to a lesser extent, for intergenerational transmission of drinking habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mangiavacchi
- Department of Applied Economics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Crt Valldemossa km. 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; IZA, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Luca Piccoli
- Department of Applied Economics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Crt Valldemossa km. 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; IZA, Bonn, Germany.
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8
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Lorenzoni G, Rtskhladze IL, Azzolina D, Manza E, Soriani N, Gregori D. How different is the country of Georgia in developing obesity? An international comparison from the OBEY-AD database. MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM 2017. [DOI: 10.3233/mnm-17154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Lorenzoni
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | - Danila Azzolina
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Emiliano Manza
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Soriani
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Dario Gregori
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
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9
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Lorenzoni G, Rtskhladze IL, Vecchio MG, Zangurashvili L, Kankia N, Lomidze M, Andriadze ZT, Soriani N, Gregori D. Effect of TV advertising on energy intake of Georgian children: Results of an experimental study. MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM 2017. [DOI: 10.3233/mnm-17153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Lorenzoni
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nicola Soriani
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Dario Gregori
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
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10
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Gregori D, Chkhaidze I, Negrin LC. Non-traditional risk factors for obesity and overweight in children: First insights on Georgia. MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM 2017. [DOI: 10.3233/mnm-17156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Gregori
- Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Ivane Chkhaidze
- M. Iashvili Central Children Hospital, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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11
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Baten J. Economics, human biology and inequality: A review of "puzzles" and recent contributions from a Deatonian perspective. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017; 25:3-8. [PMID: 27908610 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Nobel laureate Angus Deaton concentrated his work on puzzling developments and phenomena in economics. Puzzles are exciting elements in economics, because readers feel challenged by the question of how they can be solved. Among the puzzles analyzed by Deaton are: (1) Mortality increase of white, U.S. non-Hispanic men (2000 to today); (2) Why are height and income sometimes closely correlated, but not always?; (3) Height inequality among males and females; and (4) The Indian puzzle of declining consumption of calories during overall expenditure growth. This article reviews these "puzzles" and the main insights that Deaton derived from their discussion insofar as they pertain to the biological aspects of human development. I will focus on the field of this journal, Economics and Human Biology, in which Deaton has been very active over the last two decades. I will also document some of the responses by other scholars and their contributions to these puzzles, as they relate to the field of economics and human biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Baten
- University of Tübingen, CEPR and CESifo, Germany.
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12
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Goryakin Y, Suhrcke M. The impact of poor adult health on labor supply in the Russian Federation. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2017; 18:361-372. [PMID: 27086321 PMCID: PMC5355512 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-016-0798-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We examine the labor supply consequences of poor health in the Russian Federation, a country with exceptionally adverse adult health outcomes. In both baseline OLS models and in models with individual fixed effects, more serious ill-health events, somewhat surprisingly, generally have only weak effects on hours worked. At the same time, their effect on the extensive margin of labor supply is substantial. Moreover, when combining the effects on both the intensive and extensive margins, the effect of illness on hours worked increases considerably for a range of conditions. In addition, for most part of the age distribution, people with poor self-assessed health living in rural areas are less likely to stop working, compared to people living in cities. While there is no conclusive explanation for this finding, it could be related to the existence of certain barriers that prevent people with poor health from withdrawing from the labor force in order to take care of their health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yevgeniy Goryakin
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Marc Suhrcke
- Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK
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Petrenya N, Dobrodeeva L, Brustad M, Bichkaeva F, Menshikova E, Lutfalieva G, Poletaeva A, Repina V, Cooper M, Odland JØ. Fish consumption and socio-economic factors among residents of Arkhangelsk city and the rural Nenets autonomous area. Int J Circumpolar Health 2016; 70:46-58. [DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v70i1.17798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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14
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Schierhorn F, Meyfroidt P, Kastner T, Kuemmerle T, Prishchepov AV, Müller D. The dynamics of beef trade between Brazil and Russia and their environmental implications. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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15
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Lipowicz A, Szklarska A, Mitas AW. Biological costs of economic transition: Stress levels during the transition from communism to capitalism in Poland. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2016; 21:90-9. [PMID: 26799229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
At the end of the 1980s, Poland began the transformation from an essentially one-party communist system to a politically pluralistic democratic system. These political and economic changes had major social consequences, among others unemployment and a sharp decrease in real personal income. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship between stress in adult men, measured by the Allostatic Load, and the socio-economic deterioration during the first part of the economic transition. The Allostatic Load included eleven markers assessing adverse nutritional intake, cardiovascular activity, inflammatory processes, and lung, hepatic and renal functions. The results indicate a significantly higher risk of metabolic dysregulation in men examined after 1990, compared to men from previous years. After adjustment for socioeconomic variables and lifestyle variables, men examined in 1991 had a 31% greater risk of higher Allostatic Load compared with men examined in 1985 (OR=1.31; p=0.0541), in 1992, this risk was 50% greater (OR=1.50; p<0.01), and in 1993, the risk was 66% greater (OR=1.66; p<0.05). The conclusion is drawn that significantly more stressogenic factors for men were those directly connected with the financial situation of their families, than a sudden but short increase of prices for goods and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lipowicz
- Department of Anthropology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Alicja Szklarska
- Unit of Anthropology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej W Mitas
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Informatics and Medical Equipment, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
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16
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Gomula A, Nowak-Szczepanska N, Danel DP, Koziel S. Overweight trends among Polish schoolchildren before and after the transition from communism to capitalism. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2015; 19:246-257. [PMID: 26439757 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to reveal the secular trends in body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Polish schoolchildren between the years 1966-2012, during which intense socio-political changes took place. Four surveys were conducted in several districts of Poland looking at 69,746 schoolchildren aged 7-18. Significant increase in mean BMI as well as in the prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed. During this time the highest increase in both mean BMI and excess weight was observed between 1988 and 2012, i.e. after the political transformation, resulting in the improvement of living conditions. However, with respect to girls in late adolescence, between these years, the mean BMI as well as the prevalence of overweight were leveling off, while the percentage of boys with excess body fat in the same developmental category significantly increased in 2012. In the years 1966-1978 and 1978-1988 the pattern of changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity reflected the social and economic circumstances, i.e. temporary economic improvements, or deepening political crises and food shortage. In conclusion, the weight status of schoolchildren strongly reflects socio-political changes that took place in Poland, as well as in most of the Central European countries in the last half century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Gomula
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Unit of Anthropology, Podwale 75, 50-449 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | | | - Dariusz P Danel
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Unit of Anthropology, Podwale 75, 50-449 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Slawomir Koziel
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Unit of Anthropology, Podwale 75, 50-449 Wroclaw, Poland
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Tapia Granados JA, Rodriguez JM. Health, economic crisis, and austerity: A comparison of Greece, Finland and Iceland. Health Policy 2015; 119:941-53. [PMID: 25979416 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Reports have attributed a public health tragedy in Greece to the Great Recession and the subsequent application of austerity programs. It is also claimed that the comparison of Greece with Iceland and Finland-where austerity policies were not applied-reveals the harmful effect of austerity on health and that by protecting spending in health and social budgets, governments can offset the harmful effects of economic crises on health. We use data on life expectancy, mortality rates, incidence of infectious diseases, rates of vaccination, self-reported health and other measures to examine the evolution of population health and health services performance in Greece, Finland and Iceland since 1990-2011 or 2012-the most recent years for which data are available. We find that in the three countries most indicators of population health continued improving after the Great Recession started. In terms of population health and performance of the health care system, in the period after 2007 for which data are available, Greece did as good as Iceland and Finland. The evidence does not support the claim that there is a health crisis in Greece. On the basis of the extant evidence, claims of a public health tragedy in Greece seem overly exaggerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Tapia Granados
- Department of History and Political Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - Javier M Rodriguez
- Mathematica Policy Research and Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan,, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Herzfeld T, Huffman S, Rizov M. The dynamics of food, alcohol and cigarette consumption in Russia during transition. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2014; 13:128-143. [PMID: 23562250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2011] [Revised: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents evidence on the impact of individual as well as regional characteristics on the dynamics of fat, protein, alcohol and cigarette consumption, and on the diversity of the diet in Russia between 1994 and 2005. All those aspects of nutritional behavior are important inputs to the production of health. A dynamic panel data model is used to estimate demand functions for fat, protein, alcohol, cigarettes and diversity of the diet. The results suggest the existence of strong habits in drinking and smoking, and the absence of habits in fat and protein consumption. We also found evidence of habit formation for food diversity. Comparing nutritional behavior of younger and older consumers, we find significant differences in the demand for fat and cigarettes. Older consumers seem to be more persistent in their drinking and smoking behavior. Similarly, men show higher habit persistence for alcohol and cigarette consumption. The results also suggest that among individual determinants, especially education, income and employment have statistically significant impacts on consumption behavior. Regarding the macroeconomic variables, economic growth is negatively related to protein consumption, while regional unemployment rate is negatively affecting the demand for protein and food diversity. Finally, Russian consumers react to the price changes of alcohol, cigarettes, fat and protein as suggested by theory. Consumer demand for food diversity responds negatively to price changes of alcohol and cigarettes, but positively to the price of fat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Herzfeld
- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO), Halle, Germany; Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sonya Huffman
- 368D Heady Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Marian Rizov
- Middlesex University Business School, London, UK
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Goryakin Y, Rocco L, Suhrcke M, Roberts B, McKee M. The effect of health on labour supply in nine former Soviet Union countries. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2014; 15:57-68. [PMID: 23292272 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-012-0455-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines for the first time the consequences of ill health on labour supply for a sample of nine countries from the former Soviet Union (FSU), using a unique multicountry household survey specifically designed for this region. We control for a wide range of individual, household, and community factors, using both standard regression techniques and instrumental variable estimation to address potential endogeneity. Specifically, we find in our baseline ordinary least squares specification that poor health is associated with a decrease in the probability of working of about 13 %. Controlling for community-level unobserved variables slightly increases the magnitude of this effect, to about 14 %. Controlling for endogeneity with the instrumental variable approach further supports this finding, with the magnitude of the effect ranging from 12 to 35 %. Taken together, our findings confirm the cost that the still considerable adult health burden in the FSU is imposing on its population, not only in terms of the disease burden itself, but also in terms of individuals' labour market participation, as well as potentially in terms of increased poverty risk. Other things being equal, this would increase the expected "return on investment" to be had from interventions aimed at improving health in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yevgeniy Goryakin
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK,
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Changing patterns of fruit and vegetable intake in countries of the former Soviet Union. Public Health Nutr 2013; 16:1924-32. [PMID: 23701712 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980013001316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess how the frequency of low fruit and vegetable consumption has changed in countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) between 2001 and 2010 and to identify factors associated with low consumption. DESIGN Cross-sectional surveys. A standard questionnaire was administered at both time points to examine fruit and vegetable consumption frequency. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between demographic, socio-economic and health behavioural variables and low fruit and vegetable consumption in 2010. SETTING Nationally representative population samples from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. SUBJECTS Adults aged 18 years and older. RESULTS Between 2001 and 2010 notable changes occurred in fruit and vegetable consumption in many countries resulting in a slight overall deterioration in diet. By 2010 in six countries about 40% of the population was eating fruit once weekly or less often, while for vegetables the corresponding figure was in excess of 20% in every country except Azerbaijan. A worse socio-economic situation, negative health behaviours (smoking and alcohol consumption) and rural residence were all associated with low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. CONCLUSIONS International dietary guidelines emphasise the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption. The scale of inadequate consumption of these food groups among much of the population in many FSU countries and its link to socio-economic disadvantage are deeply worrying. This highlights the urgent need for a greater focus to be placed on population nutrition policies to avoid nutrition-related diseases in the FSU countries.
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Abstract
SUMMARYFollowing the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, there was an increase in the number of cases of human echinococcosis recorded throughout central Asia. Between 1991 and 2001 incidence rates of cystic echinococcosis (CE) increased by 4 fold or more. There also appeared to be increases in prevalence of CE in livestock and prevalences of Echinococcus granulosus reported in dogs. The increase in human echinococcosis was associated with changes in livestock husbandry, decline in veterinary public health services, increases in dog populations and increased poverty, all of which served to promote transmission of E. granulosus. A few years after reports of increased transmission of E. granulosus, the first reports of E. multilocularis infection in dogs were recorded. Further studies indicated that in both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan prevalences of up to 18% were present. Recently there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases of human alveolar echinococcosis recorded in Kyrgyzstan with over 60 cases reported in 2011.
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Tapia Granados JA. Repression, famines, and wars: major impacts of politics on population health. Soc Sci Med 2013; 86:103-6. [PMID: 23523264 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José A Tapia Granados
- Social Environment & Health Program (SEH/SRC), Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Room 3320, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1248, United States.
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Granados JAT. Health at advanced age: social inequality and other factors potentially impacting longevity in nine high-income countries. Maturitas 2012; 74:137-47. [PMID: 23276601 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This article surveys the evolution of health at advanced age in nine high-income countries over the last three decades, and the variables that might explain that evolution. Life expectancy at age 65 for males and females is used as summary indicator to conceptualize "health at advanced age." A comparison of the nine countries - Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States - reveals excellent health performance for Japan, which has the greatest proportion of elderly people in the population and also the best health indicators for both males and females; the United States and Denmark perform poorly. Of all nine countries, the United States has the youngest population, the highest income per capita, and the greatest expenditure on health care, but also the highest levels of income inequality and relative poverty, and lacked universal health care coverage during the study period. Experts have considered that these three factors have probably contributed to the poor progress in the health of the elderly in the United States in recent decades. Tobacco consumption appears to be a key influence on the health of the elderly and probably explains to a large extent - with a lag of several decades - the differential evolution of health in these countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Tapia Granados
- SEH/SRC, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, United States.
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Abstract
Few prior studies have investigated the health of U.S. immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU). Utilizing data from the 2000 U.S. census and the 2000-2007 National Health Interview Survey (NIHS), we compare levels of disability of FSU immigrants with U.S.-born whites (ages 50-84). Our findings suggest an "epidemiologic paradox" in that FSU immigrants possess higher levels of education compared with U.S.-born whites, but report considerably higher disability with and without adjustment for education. Nonetheless, FSU immigrants report lower levels of smoking and heavy alcohol use compared with U.S.-born whites. We further investigate disability by period of arrival among FSU immigrants. Changes in Soviet emigration policies conceivably altered the level of health selectivity among émigrés. We find evidence that FSU immigrants who emigrated during a period when a permission to emigrate was hard to obtain (1970-1986) displayed less disability compared with those who emigrated when these restrictions were less stringent (1987-2000). Finally, we compare disability among Russian-born U.S. immigrants with that of those residing in Russia as a direct test of health selectivity. We find that Russian immigrants report lower levels of disability compared with Russians in Russia, suggesting that they are positively selected for health despite their poor health relative to U.S.-born whites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil K Mehta
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Watson K, Roberts B, Chow C, Goryakin Y, Rotman D, Gasparishvili A, Haerpfer C, McKee M. Micro- and meso-level influences on obesity in the former Soviet Union: a multi-level analysis. Eur J Public Health 2012; 23:291-8. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cks054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
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Jahns L, Adair L, Mroz T, Popkin BM. The declining prevalence of overweight among Russian children: income, diet, and physical activity behavior changes. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2012; 10:139-146. [PMID: 21840274 PMCID: PMC3268832 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2011.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2011] [Revised: 07/18/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among income, diet, physical activity behaviors and overweight among Russian children during a period of economic upheaval. Subjects include 2151 schoolchildren aged 7-13 derived from cross-sectional waves of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Surveys in 1995 and in 2002. Diet was assessed by 24-h recall and physical activity (h/week) and household income by parental questionnaire. Hours spent in vigorous activities were low (1.0-1.5 h/week), and time spent in sedentary behaviors increased from 31 to 37 h/week between 1995 and 2002. In 1995 there was a direct relationship of income to energy and fat intake, and time spent in vigorous activity, and an inverse relationship of income to h/week spent in moderate activities (such as walking to school). The effect of having low income parents was less in 2002 than in 1995. Overweight prevalence did not differ significantly by income in either year, but there was a significant decline in overweight among high income children. Only hours spent in moderate physical activity was moderately protective against overweight. Income disparities do not explain trends in overweight among Russian children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Jahns
- Department of Nutrition and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, CB # 8120 University Square, Chapel Hill, NC 27516-3997, USA.
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Mortality from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in Europe and other areas of the world: an update. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 16:333-50. [PMID: 19369880 DOI: 10.1097/hjr.0b013e328325d67d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To update trends in mortality from coronary heart diseases (CHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) over the period 1981-2004 in Europe, the USA, Latin America, Japan and other selected areas of the world. METHODS Age-standardized mortality rates were derived from the World Health Organization database. Joinpoint analysis was used to identify significant changes in trends. RESULTS In the European Union (27 countries), CHD mortality in men declined from 139/100,000 in 1985-1989 to 93/100,000 in 2000-2004 (-33%). In women, the fall was from 61/100,000 to 44/100,000 (-27%). In this area, a decline by over 30% was also registered in CVD mortality for both sexes. In the Russian Federation and other countries of the former Soviet Union, CHD rates in 2000-2004 were exceedingly high, around 380/100,000 men and 170/100,000 women in Russia, 430 for men and 240 for women in Ukraine, 420 and 200 in Belarus. For CVD, a similar situation was registered, with mortality rates of 226/100,000 for men and 159/100,000 for women in 2004 in the Russian Federation, and more than 24% increase since the late 1980s for men and 15% for women. CHD and CVD mortality continued to decline in most Latin American countries, Australia and other areas considered, including Asia (even if with marked differences). CONCLUSION Although mortality from CHD and CVD continues to decline in several areas of the world including most countries of Europe and of the America providing data and Australia, unfavourable trends were still observed in the Russian Federation and other countries of the former Soviet Union, whose recent rates remain exceedingly high.
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Russian consumers’ motives for food choice. Appetite 2009; 52:363-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2008] [Revised: 11/03/2008] [Accepted: 11/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Abstract
Body height differentiation by season of birth: Girls from Cracow, PolandPublished studies world wide demonstrate that measures of human development and health status vary depending on the month of birth but these patterns are not always consistent and sometimes even conflict. Direct factors related to the birth season that may significantly differentiate morphological and functional traits and mechanisms causing these relations have not been found so far. On the basis of cross-sectional material, gathered in the years 1983 and 2000 by the Department of Anthropology of the Academy of Physical Education in Cracow, two main hypotheses have been verified: (1) average body height differences by month of birth are statistically insignificant, (2) the magnitude of these differences does not change with time. Metric data of 4672 girls aged 5-18 years, born in 1965-1978 and 1982-1995, were used. The total sample was also subdivided into prepubertal (5-9 years) and adolescent (10-18 years) groups. The age of the individuals was calculated to the nearest day and the procedure of standardization on the interpolated values of regional norms was applied. A highly significant relationship between the birth month and average values of height was revealed in preadolescent girls. The results obtained for the entire material proved insignificant. The patterns of the month-of-birth effect on body height for girls born in 60./70. and 80./90. show high similarity, though the effect seems weaker in the latter sample. Winter proved to be the most favorable birth season for later body height.
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Huffman SK, Rizov M. Determinants of obesity in transition economies: the case of Russia. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2007; 5:379-91. [PMID: 17702676 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2007.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2007] [Revised: 07/10/2007] [Accepted: 07/11/2007] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines human obesity, measured as weight and body mass index (BMI), and its determinants in Russia. Obesity increased dramatically during transition from a planned to a market economy, by 38%. We determine the factors contributing to rising obesity using individual level data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey for 1994 and 2004. We find a strong positive effect of diet/caloric intake and a strong negative effect of smoking on weight and BMI. Gender, education, and income are other major determinants of obesity. Our analysis provides information on dietary patterns and other determinants of obesity in Russia which is essential for formulation and implementation of effective policies designed to reduce the problem and improve the health of the population.
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Ulijaszek SJ, Koziel S. Nutrition transition and dietary energy availability in Eastern Europe after the collapse of communism. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2007; 5:359-369. [PMID: 17933595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2007.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2007] [Revised: 08/31/2007] [Accepted: 08/31/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
After the economic transition of the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a rapid increase in overweight and obesity in many countries of Eastern Europe. This article describes changing availability of dietary energy from major dietary components since the transition to free-market economic systems among Eastern European nations, using food balance data obtained at national level for the years 1990-92 and 2005 from the FAOSTAT-Nutrition database. Dietary energy available to the East European nations satellite to the former Soviet Union (henceforth, Eastern Europe) was greater than in the nations of the former Soviet Union. Among the latter, the Western nations of the former Soviet Union had greater dietary energy availability than the Eastern and Southern nations of the former Soviet Union. The higher energy availability in Eastern Europe relative to the nations of the former Soviet Union consists mostly of high-protein foods. There has been no significant change in overall dietary energy availability to any category of East European nation between 1990-1992 and 2005, indicating that, at the macro-level, increasing rates of obesity in Eastern European countries cannot be attributed to increased dietary energy availability. The most plausible macro-level explanations for the obesity patterns observed in East European nations are declines in physical activity, increased real income, and increased consumption of goods that contribute to physical activity decline: cars, televisions and computers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley J Ulijaszek
- Unit for Biocultural Variation and Obesity, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, 51 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PF, UK.
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Ulijaszek SJ. Frameworks of population obesity and the use of cultural consensus modeling in the study of environments contributing to obesity. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2007; 5:443-457. [PMID: 17928280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2007.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2007] [Revised: 08/30/2007] [Accepted: 08/30/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Obesity in Eastern Europe has been linked to privilege and status prior to the collapse of communism, and to exposure to free-market economics after it. Neither formulation is a complete explanation, and it is useful to examine the potential value of other models of population obesity for the understanding of this phenomenon. These include those of: thrifty genotypes; obesogenic behaviour; obesogenic environments; nutrition transition; obesogenic culture; and biocultural interactions of genetics, environment, behaviour and culture. At the broadest level, obesity emerges from the interaction of thrifty genotype with obesogenic environment. However, defining obesogenic environments remains problematic, especially in relation to sociocultural factors. Furthermore, since different identity groups may share different values concerning the obesogenicity of the environment, a priori assumptions about group homogeneity may lead to flawed interpretations of the importance of sociocultural factors in obesogenic environments. A new way to identify cultural coherence of groups and populations in relation to environments contributing to obesity is put forward here, that of cultural consensus modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley J Ulijaszek
- Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Unit for Biocultural Variation and Obesity, University of Oxford, 51 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PF, UK.
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Kołodziej H, Lopuszańska M, Bielicki T, Jankowska EA. Social inequality in premature mortality among polish urban adults during economic transition. Am J Hum Biol 2007; 19:878-85. [PMID: 17724742 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Rates of premature mortality among adults are important measures of the economic and psychosocial well-being of human populations. In many countries, such rates are, as a rule, inversely related to the level of attained education. We examined changes in educational group-specific mortality rates among urban adults in Poland during the country's rapid transition in the 1990s from a socialist command economy to a free market system. Two census-based analyses of individual death records of urban dwellers aged 35-64 years were compared. We utilized all records of death, which occurred during the 2-year periods 1988-89 and 2001-02. Population denominators were taken from the censuses of 1988 and 2002. The age-specific mortality rates were used to evaluate absolute differences in mortality. To assess relative differences between educational levels, mortality rate ratios (MRRs) with 95% CI (confidence interval) were calculated using Poisson regression. A regular educational gradient in mortality persisted in each 10-year age group throughout the period covered by our data. Moreover, age-specific mortality rates declined steadily in all educational groups, and this decline was most marked in the two oldest age groups (45-54 and 55-64 years). The trend was accompanied by widening of educational differences in mortality as expressed by MRRs. Systemic political transformation in Poland has brought a mixture of beneficial and detrimental effects on the well-being of society. With regard to the changes in rates of premature mortality among adults, the benefits have prevailed, although individuals with the lowest educational level benefited less than those with the highest education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halina Kołodziej
- Institute of Anthropology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kuznicza 35, 50-951 Wrocław 56, Poland.
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Tapia Granados JA. Salud, economía y libertad: 40 años de crecimiento económico, transición política y condiciones de salud en España. Med Clin (Barc) 2007; 128:463-7. [PMID: 17408541 DOI: 10.1157/13100564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José A Tapia Granados
- Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, School of Social Work, Universidad de Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2054, USA.
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GRANADOS JOSÉATAPIA. Centrally planned economies, economic slumps, and health conditions. Int J Epidemiol 2006. [DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyl076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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