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Aşık Z, Kılınç Ş, Kurşun Ö, Özen M. Validation of the Clinical Frailty Scale version 2.0 in Turkish older patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22:730-735. [PMID: 35871523 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AIM Frailty is a syndrome that affects certain older adults more than others, and it has physical, cognitive, psychological, social and environmental aspects. The aim of our study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) version 2.0 in Turkish. In total, 204 older adults aged ≥65 years took part in this study. METHODS The necessary permissions were obtained from Rockwood et al. The Turkish version of CFS version 2.0 had been appropriately translated through translation to the back-translation process. A questionnaire was used to investigate certain descriptive features, as well as the newly edited Turkish translation of CFS version 2.0, the Turkish version of the FRAIL Scale and the Turkish version of the Edmonton Frail Scale. RESULTS The age range was 65-95 years. In a Pearson correlation analysis, a positive link was discovered between FRAIL and CFS (r = 0.761 and P = 0.000) as well as CFS and Edmonton (r = 0.895 and P = 0.000). CONCLUSION The Turkish translation of CFS version 2.0 has been determined to be suitable, valid and reliable for use in frailty screening in outpatient clinics. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 730-735.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Aşık
- Department of Family Medicine Antalya Training and Research Hospital Antalya Turkey
| | - Şule Kılınç
- Department of Family Medicine Karaman Sarıveliler Country State Hospital Sarıveliler Turkey
| | - Özge Kurşun
- Department of Family Medicine Çaldıran Soğuksu Family Health Center Çaldıran Turkey
| | - Mehmet Özen
- Department of Family Medicine Antalya Training and Research Hospital Antalya Turkey
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Ouh YT, Min KJ, Lee S, Hong JH, Song JY, Lee JK, Lee NW. Analysis of the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Incidence of Hysterectomy Using Data of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10060997. [PMID: 35742048 PMCID: PMC9223165 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10060997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hysterectomy remains a frequent gynecologic surgery, although its rates have been decreasing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether socioeconomic status affected the risk of hysterectomy in Korean women. This prospective cohort study used epidemiologic data from 2001 to 2016, from the Korean Genomic and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the association between household income or education level and hysterectomy. Among 5272 Korean women aged 40−69 years, 720 who had a hysterectomy and 4552 controls were selected. Variable factors were adjusted using logistic regression analysis (adjusted model). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for insurance type and hysterectomy were not statistically significant. The aOR was 1.479 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.018−2.146, p < 0.05) for women with education of high school or lower compared to college or higher. Women whose monthly household income was <KRW 4,000,000 had a higher risk of undergoing hysterectomy than women whose monthly household income was ≥KRW 4,000,000 (aOR: 2.193, 95% CI: 1.639−2.933, p < 0.001). Overall, the present study elucidated that lower socioeconomic status could increase the incidence of hysterectomy. Our results indicate that the implementation of stratified preventive strategies for uterine disease in those with low education and low income could be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Taek Ouh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24289, Korea;
| | - Kyung-Jin Min
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan 15355, Korea;
- Correspondence:
| | - Sanghoon Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul 02841, Korea; (S.L.); (J.Y.S.)
| | - Jin-Hwa Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Korea; (J.-H.H.); (J.-K.L.)
| | - Jae Yun Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul 02841, Korea; (S.L.); (J.Y.S.)
| | - Jae-Kwan Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Korea; (J.-H.H.); (J.-K.L.)
| | - Nak Woo Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan 15355, Korea;
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Durmus V. Trends in life expectancy and mortality rates in Turkey as Compared to organization for economic co-operation and development countries: An analysis of vital statistics data. INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES OF HEALTH SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/iahs.iahs_227_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Vafaei A, Yu J, Phillips SP. The intersectional impact of sex and social factors on subjective health: analysis of the Canadian longitudinal study on aging (CLSA). BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:473. [PMID: 34454440 PMCID: PMC8399822 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02412-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Self-rated health (SRH) is a widely validated measure of the general health of older adults. Our aim was to understand what factors shape individual perceptions of health and, in particular, whether those perceptions vary for men and women and across social locations. Methods We used data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) of community-dwelling adults aged 45 to 85. SRH was measured via a standard single question. Multiple Poisson regression identified individual, behavioural, and social factors related to SRH. Intersections between sex, education, wealth, and rural/urban status, and individual and joint cluster effects on SRH were quantified using multilevel models. Results After adjustment for relevant confounders, women were 43% less likely to report poor SRH. The strongest cluster effect was for groupings by wealth (21%). When wealth clusters were subdivided by sex or education the overall effect on SRH reduced to 15%. The largest variation in SRH (13.6%) was observed for intersections of sex, wealth, and rural/urban status. In contrast, interactions between sex and social factors were not significant, demonstrating that the complex interplay of sex and social location was only revealed when intersectional methods were employed. Conclusions Sex and social factors affected older adults’ perceptions of health in complex ways that only became apparent when multilevel analyses were carried out. Utilizing intersectionality analysis is a novel and nuanced approach for disentangling explanations for subjective health outcomes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02412-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afshin Vafaei
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. .,Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Centre for Studies in Primary Care, 220 Bagot St, Kingston, ON, K7L 5E9, Canada.
| | - Janelle Yu
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Susan P Phillips
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Centre for Studies in Primary Care, 220 Bagot St, Kingston, ON, K7L 5E9, Canada
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Shibre G, Zegeye B, Woldeamanuiel GG, Negash W, Lemma G, Taderegew MM. Observed magnitude and trends in socioeconomic and geographic area inequalities in obesity prevalence among non-pregnant women in Chad: evidence from three waves of Chad demographic and health surveys. Arch Public Health 2021; 79:133. [PMID: 34301337 PMCID: PMC8299664 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-021-00658-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, the growing rates of overweight and obesity in developing countries are disquieting. Obesity is widely recognized as a risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Available evidence on whether obesity has been more prevalent among higher or lower socioeconomic groups, across regions and urban-rural women's are inconsistent. This study examined magnitude of and trends in socioeconomic, urban-rural and sub-national region inequalities in obesity prevalence among non-pregnant women in Chad. METHOD Using cross-sectional data from Chad Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) conducted in 1996, 2004 and 2014; we used the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) to analyze socio-economic, urban-rural and regional inequalities in obesity prevalence among non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years. Inequalities were assessed using four equity stratifiers namely wealth index, educational level, place of residence and subnational region. We presented inequalities using simple and complex as well as relative and absolute summary measures such as Difference (D), Population Attributable Risk (PAR), Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) and Ratio (R). RESULTS Though constant pattern overtime, both wealth-driven and place of residence inequality were observed in all three surveys by Difference measure and in the first and last surveys by Ratio measure. Similarly, including the recent survey (D = -2.80, 95% CI:-4.15, - 1.45, R = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.50) absolute (in 1996 & 2014 survey) and relative (in all three surveys) educational status inequality with constant pattern were observed. Substantial absolute (PAR = -2.2, 95% CI: - 3.21, - 1.34) and relative (PAF = - 91.9, 95% CI: - 129.58, - 54.29) regional inequality was observed with increasing and constant pattern by simple (D) and complex (PAR, PAF) measures. CONCLUSION The study showed socioeconomic and area-based obesity inequalities that disfavored women in higher socioeconomic status and residing in urban areas. Prevention of obesity prevalence should be government and stakeholders' priority through organizing the evidence, health promotion and prevention interventions for at risk population and general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebretsadik Shibre
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Betregiorgis Zegeye
- HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field Office, Shewarobit, Ethiopia
| | | | - Wassie Negash
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Gorems Lemma
- Chacha Health Center, Angolela Tera Health Office, Chacha, Ethiopia
| | - Mitku Mamo Taderegew
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, Wolketie University, Wolkite, Ethiopia.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wolkite University, P.O. Box 07, Wolkite, Ethiopia.
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Zegeye B, Shibre G, Garedew Woldeamanuel G. Time trends in socio-economic, urban-rural and regional disparities in prevalence of obesity among non-pregnant women in Lesotho: evidence from Lesotho demographic and health surveys (2004-2014). BMC Public Health 2021; 21:537. [PMID: 33740943 PMCID: PMC7976702 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10571-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The growing rates of obesity in developing countries are alarming. There is a paucity of evidence about disparities of obesity in Lesotho. This study examined socioeconomic and area-based inequalities in obesity among non-pregnant women in Lesotho. METHODS Data were extracted from the 2004, 2009 and 2014 Lesotho Demographic and Health Surveys (LDHS) and analyzed through the recently updated Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) of the World Health Organization. Obesity prevalence was disaggregated by four equity stratifiers, namely education, wealth, residence and sub-national region. For each equity stratifier, simple and complex as well as relative and absolute summary measures were calculated. A 95% confidence interval was used to measure statistical significance of findings. RESULTS We noticed substantial wealth-driven (D = -21.10, 95% CI; - 25.94, - 16.26), subnational region (PAR = -11.82, 95%CI; - 16.09, - 7.55) and urban-rural (- 9.82, 95% CI; - 13.65, - 5.99) inequalities in obesity prevalence without the inequalities improved over time in all the studied years. However, we did not identify educational inequality in obesity. CONCLUSIONS Wealth-driven and geographical inequalities was identified in Lesotho in all the studied time periods while education related inequalities did not appear during the same time period. All population groups in the country need to be reached with interventions to reduce the burden of obesity in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betregiorgis Zegeye
- HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field Office, Shewarobit, Ethiopia.
| | - Gebretsadik Shibre
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Banerjee S, Puddu A. Outcomes in Pulmonary Hypertension in Relation to Insurance Status: National Hospital Discharge Survey, 2000-2010. Turk Thorac J 2021; 22:182-183. [PMID: 33871345 PMCID: PMC8051291 DOI: 10.5152/turkthoracj.2021.19163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta Banerjee
- Walden University, Core Faculty, School of Health Sciences, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Alessandro Puddu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New England, Biddeford, United States
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Sikalidis AK, Öztağ M. Optimized snacking is positively associated with socioeconomic status and better type 2 diabetes mellitus management in Turkish patients. GAZZETTA MEDICA ITALIANA ARCHIVIO PER LE SCIENZE MEDICHE 2020. [DOI: 10.23736/s0393-3660.19.04146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Self-rated health and endogenous selection into primary care. Soc Sci Med 2017; 197:168-182. [PMID: 29247899 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.11.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study assesses the causal effects of primary care utilization on subjective health status in Turkey using individual-level data from the 2012 Health Research Survey. Employing recursive bivariate ordered models that take into account the possibility that selection into healthcare might be correlated with the respondent's self-reported health status, we find that selection into primary care is endogenously determined and that the utilization of primary care significantly improves self-rated health after controlling for sociodemographics, socioeconomic status, health behaviors and risk factors, and access to healthcare. We show that the causal association between healthcare utilization and health status is robust to the use of objective measures of health and specific types of care, suggesting that the use of a single-item question on self-rated health and binary measures of preventive care utilization is valid.
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Adesanya A. O, Rojas BM, Darboe A, Beogo I. Socioeconomic differential in self-assessment of health and happiness in 5 African countries: Finding from World Value Survey. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188281. [PMID: 29176854 PMCID: PMC5703504 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Factors that contribute to wealth related inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) and happiness remains unclear most especially in sub-Saharan countries (SSA). This study aims to explore and compare socioeconomic differentials in SRH and happiness in five SSA countries. Methods Using the 2010/2014 World Values Survey (WVS), we obtained a sample of 9,869 participants of age 16 and above from five SSA countries (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda and Zimbabwe). Socioeconomic inequalities were quantified using the concentration index. The contribution of each predictor to concentration index’s magnitude was obtained by means of regression based decomposition analysis. Results Poor SRH ranges from approximately 9% in Nigeria to 20% in Zimbabwe, whereas unhappiness was lower in Rwanda (9.5%) and higher in South Africa (23.3%). Concentration index was negative for both outcomes in all countries, which implies that poor SRH and unhappiness are excessively concentrated among the poorest socioeconomic strata. Although magnitudes differ across countries, however, the major contributor to wealth-related inequality in poor SRH is satisfaction with financial situation whereas for unhappiness the major contributors are level of income and satisfaction with financial situation. Conclusions This study underscores an association between wealth related inequalities and poor SRH and unhappiness in the context of SSA. Improving equity in health, as suggested by the commission of social determinants of health may be useful in fighting against the unfair distribution of resources. Thus, knowledge about the self-rating of health and happiness can serve as proxy estimates for understanding the distribution of health care access and economic resources needed for well-being in resident countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bomar Mendez Rojas
- International Health Program, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Amadou Darboe
- Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Banjul, The Gambia
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Idrissa Beogo
- École Nationale de Santé Publique, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Université Laval, rue de l'Université, Québec (Québec), Canada
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Fonta CL, Nonvignon J, Aikins M, Nwosu E, Aryeetey GC. Predictors of self-reported health among the elderly in Ghana: a cross sectional study. BMC Geriatr 2017; 17:171. [PMID: 28760156 PMCID: PMC5537992 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-017-0560-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-reported health is a widely used measure of health status across individuals. As the ageing population increases, the health of the elderly also becomes of growing concern. The elderly go through life facing social, economic and financial hardships. These hardships are known to affect the health status of people as they age. The purpose of this study is to assess social and health related factors of self-reported health among the elderly in Ghana. METHODS A multivariate regression analysis in form of a binary and ordinal logistic regression were used to determine the association between socioeconomic, demographic and health related factors, on self-reported health. The data used for this study was drawn from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) Wave 1. RESULTS In total, out of 2613 respondent, 579 (20.1%) rated their health status as poor and 2034 (79.9%) as good. The results showed that the odds of reporting poor health was 2.5 times higher among the old-old compared to the young old. The elderly with one or more than one chronic condition had the odds of 1.6 times and 2 times respectively, of reporting poor health. Engaging in mild to moderate exercise increased the chances of reporting poor health by 1.8 times. The elderly who had never worked in a lifetime were 2 times more likely to report poor health. In the same way, residents of Eastern and Western parts of Ghana were 2 times more likely to report poor health compared to those in the Upper West region. Respondents with functional limitations and disabilities were 3.6 times and 2.4 times respectively, more likely to report poor health. On the other hand, the odds of reporting poor health was 29, 36 and 27% less among respondents in the highest income quintiles, former users of tobacco and those satisfied with certain aspects of life respectively. Also, current alcohol users were 41% less likely to report poor health. CONCLUSION The health status of the elderly is to an extent determined by the circumstances in which they are born, grow and live. The findings suggest that addressing social issues faced by individuals in youthful age will go a long way to achieving good health in the future. People with physical limitations and disabilities are most vulnerable to unmet healthcare needs and support system from government, policy makers and family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Lum Fonta
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 13 Ghana
- West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, WASCAL Competent Center, Blvd Mouammar Kadhafi, 06, Ouagadougou, BP 9507 Burkina Faso
| | - Justice Nonvignon
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 13 Ghana
| | - Moses Aikins
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 13 Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Nwosu
- Department of Economics, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Genevieve Cecilia Aryeetey
- Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra LG 13 Ghana
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The impact of limiting long term illness on internal migration in England and Wales: New evidence from census microdata. Soc Sci Med 2016; 167:107-15. [PMID: 27619754 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.08.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that poor health is associated with reduced migration; this knowledge stems from models based on past censuses, or longitudinal studies which imply that the factors influencing migration are the same between those in good and poor health. This paper addresses these issues by utilising health-stratified analyses on the 2011 Census Individual Secure Sample for England and Wales. Multilevel models predict the odds of moving for working age adults, controlling for key predictors of migration, estimating the effect of health status on the odds of moving and the destination-specific variance in migration. We find that those in poor health are less likely to move, after controlling for individual level characteristics. In contrast with expectations, economic inactivity, marriage and being in African, Caribbean, Black, Other or Mixed ethnic groups were not significant predictors of migration among the unhealthy sample, but were for the healthy sample. We conclude that migration is health-selective and propose implications for understanding area level concentrations of poor health in England and Wales.
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Uzun V, Bilgin S. Evaluation and implementation of QR Code Identity Tag system for Healthcare in Turkey. SPRINGERPLUS 2016; 5:1454. [PMID: 27652030 PMCID: PMC5005258 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-3020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
For this study, we designed a QR Code Identity Tag system to integrate into the Turkish healthcare system. This system provides QR code-based medical identification alerts and an in-hospital patient identification system. Every member of the medical system is assigned a unique QR Code Tag; to facilitate medical identification alerts, the QR Code Identity Tag can be worn as a bracelet or necklace or carried as an ID card. Patients must always possess the QR Code Identity bracelets within hospital grounds. These QR code bracelets link to the QR Code Identity website, where detailed information is stored; a smartphone or standalone QR code scanner can be used to scan the code. The design of this system allows authorized personnel (e.g., paramedics, firefighters, or police) to access more detailed patient information than the average smartphone user: emergency service professionals are authorized to access patient medical histories to improve the accuracy of medical treatment. In Istanbul, we tested the self-designed system with 174 participants. To analyze the QR Code Identity Tag system’s usability, the participants completed the System Usability Scale questionnaire after using the system.
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