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Mitra S, Shen C, Pinnamraju J, Wiener RC, Wang H, Pathak M, Findley PA, Sambamoorthi U. Stress Due to Inflation: Changes over Time, Correlates, and Coping Strategies among Working-Age Adults in the United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:157. [PMID: 38397647 PMCID: PMC10887512 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual US inflation rate increased from 1.2% in July 2020 to 8% in July 2022. It has since declined to 3.4% (December 2023). This study examined the prevalence of stress due to inflation during a period when it declined from 8.2% in September 2022 to 3% in June 2023 and its association with demographic and social determinants of health (SDOH). METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the online Household Pulse Survey (HPS), which surveils the experiences of US households. Beginning September 2022, HPS initiated data collection on "stress due to inflation" through a question on how stressful the increase in prices in the last 2 months has been. Participants could respond: very, moderately, a little, or not stressful. We analyzed data on working-age adults (18-64 years) who responded to the above question of stress due to inflation during 14-26 September 2022 (N = 32,579) and 7-19 June 2023 (N = 36,229). We used replicate weights in chi-squared tests and ordinal logistic regression analyses controlling for gender, age, race and ethnicity, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccination, health insurance, and SDOH, including education, lost employment income, poverty status, marital status, food affordability, and region. RESULTS The prevalence of stress due to inflation (price increases being very or moderately stressful) significantly increased from 76.9% in September 2022 to 78.9% in June 2023. The odds of stress due to inflation were higher for individuals with the following characteristics: female, transgender, having income below 400% of the federal poverty line, having lost employment income, not being able to afford food, had long or acute COVID-19, and did not have a COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSIONS More than three quarters of working-age adults in the US experienced stress due to inflation. Despite a declining national inflation rate in recent months, stress due to inflation has significantly increased among working-age adults. Inflation-related stress warrants further research and policy attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Mitra
- Department of Economics, Fordham University, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Chan Shen
- Department of Surgery, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Jahnavi Pinnamraju
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - R. Constance Wiener
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
- Department of Dental Public Health and Professional Practice, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, JPS Health Network, Integrative Emergency Services, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA
| | - Mona Pathak
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | | | - Usha Sambamoorthi
- Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
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2
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Seiz M, Salazar L, Eremenko T. Perinatal health in Spain during and after the Great Recession: Educational selection into fertility as a protective factor in high unemployment contexts. Soc Sci Med 2024; 340:116439. [PMID: 38000176 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Higher maternal resources have long been associated with superior birth outcomes. This study analyzes the potentially protective role of maternal educational selection into fertility in adverse macroeconomic contexts. We focus on the case of Spain, a country reaching record-high unemployment levels during the Great Recession starting in 2008. First, we examine whether selection into fertility of more educated mothers took place as province-level unemployment rates rose. Secondly, we assess whether maternal education mitigated the impact of higher unemployment levels on different birth outcomes. The analysis combines register data on the universe of live births with aggregate data on province-level unemployment. We cover the period 2007-2019 to ensure sufficient variability of unemployment rates and perform linear regression and linear probability models with fixed effects to hold constant unobserved heterogeneity across provinces. Findings indicate selection into fertility of mothers with university-level education in times of high unemployment. In addition, while unemployment rates did show an adverse impact on certain birth outcomes -birthweight, the occurrence of low and very low birthweight, and the risk of stillbirth - maternal education mitigated the observed relations. It was itself, moreover, consistently and independently associated with better perinatal health. We thus conclude that fertility selectivity by maternal education cushioned the impact of the adverse economic context derived from the Great Recession through two separate pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Seiz
- UNED, Department of Sociology II (Social Structure), Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociología, c/Obispo Trejo 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Leire Salazar
- UNED, Department of Sociology II (Social Structure), Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociología, c/Obispo Trejo 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Tatiana Eremenko
- University of Salamanca, Department of Sociology and Communication, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Edificio FES, P.° Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 37007, Salamanca, Spain
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3
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Rudenstine S, Schulder T, Bhatt KJ, McNeal K, Ettman CK, Galea S. Suicidal ideation during COVID-19: The contribution of unique and cumulative stressors. Psychiatry Res 2022; 310:114475. [PMID: 35219267 PMCID: PMC8858638 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The link between large-scale disasters and population-level risk of suicide remains unclear. The present study sought to investigate suicidal ideation (SI) in relation to COVID-19 related stress, including material and social stress, in a predominantly low-SES ethno-racially diverse sample in New York City during a peak in COVID-19 cases in April 2020. Using binary logistic regressions of data collected with self-report surveys, we found that individuals who identified as Asian, as well as those with high total, material, and social stress levels, and persons without access to primary care providers had significantly higher adjusted odds of SI. These results indicate the specific burden faced by Asian participants due to increases in targeted racism, the importance of cumulative stress and specific stressor type, as well as the role of healthcare access on SI during the pandemic. Such findings suggest the need for specific interventions that target individuals who may be at higher risk of suicide after large-scale traumatic events and during the ongoing pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha Rudenstine
- Department of Psychology, City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031.
| | - Talia Schulder
- Department of Psychology, City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031
| | - Krish J. Bhatt
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722W 168th St, New York, NY 10032
| | - Kat McNeal
- Department of Psychology, City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031
| | | | - Sandro Galea
- School of Public Health, Boston University, 715 Albany St, Boston, MA 02118
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4
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Virgolino A, Costa J, Santos O, Pereira ME, Antunes R, Ambrósio S, Heitor MJ, Vaz Carneiro A. Lost in transition: a systematic review of the association between unemployment and mental health. J Ment Health 2022; 31:432-444. [PMID: 34983292 DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2021.2022615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unemployment can involve financial strain and major psychosocial challenges. Integration of the existing evidence is needed to better characterize the association between unemployment and mental health, independently of macroeconomic contexts. AIMS Main objectives of this study: (a) review, integrate, and summarize evidence about the association between unemployment and anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and suicidal behaviour, and (b) identify variables affecting this association. METHOD Systematic review of literature following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, SciELO, RCAAP, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Quantitative empirical studies on the association between unemployment and mental illness of community-based samples were included. The quality of the evidence provided in the studies was assessed following pre-defined methodological criteria. RESULTS Overall, 294 articles were considered eligible. In total, 55.7% of the studies were conducted in Europe; 91.4% supported a positive association between increased unemployment rates and anxiety, mood disorders, or suicidal behavior. Men and young adults were most severely affected by unemployment. Education and social support were found to buffer the negative outcomes of job loss. CONCLUSIONS Unemployment was inversely associated with mental health irrespectively of the economic context; unemployed individuals were more vulnerable to commit suicide and suffer from anxiety and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Virgolino
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana Costa
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Osvaldo Santos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Unbreakable Idea Research, Painho, Portugal
| | | | - Rita Antunes
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Ambrósio
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria João Heitor
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal
| | - António Vaz Carneiro
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Institute for Evidence Based Healthcare, Lisbon, Portugal.,Cochrane Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
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Davidescu AA, Apostu SA, Marin A. Forecasting the Romanian Unemployment Rate in Time of Health Crisis-A Univariate vs. Multivariate Time Series Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:11165. [PMID: 34769684 PMCID: PMC8583511 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Economic crises cause significant shortages in disposable income and a sharp decline in the living conditions, affecting healthcare sector, hitting the profitability and sustainability of companies leading to raises in unemployment. At micro level, these sharp decreases in earnings associated with unemployment and furthermore with the lack of social protection will impact the quality of life and finally the health of individuals. In time of crisis, it becomes vital to support not only the critical sectors of the economy, the assets, technology, and infrastructure, but to protect jobs and workers. This health crisis has hit hard the jobs dynamics through unemployment and underemployment, the quality of work (through wages, or access to social protection), and through the effects on specific groups, with a higher degree of vulnerability to unfavorable labor market outcomes. In this context, providing forecasts as recent as possible for the unemployment rate, a core indicator of the Romanian labor market that could include the effects of the market shocks it becomes fundamental. Thus, the paper aims to offer valuable forecasts for the Romanian unemployment rate using univariate vs. multivariate time series models for the period 2021-2022, highlighting the main patterns of evolution. Based on the univariate time series models, the paper predict the future values of unemployment rate based on its own past using self-forecasting and implementing ARFIMA and SETAR models using monthly data for the period January 2000-April 2021. From the perspective of multivariate time series models, the paper uses VAR/VECM models, analyzing the temporal interdependencies between variables using quarterly data for the period 2000Q1-2020Q4. The empirical results pointed out that both SETAR and VECM provide very similar results in terms of accuracy replicating very well the pre-pandemic period, 2018Q2-2020Q1, reaching the value of 4.1% at the beginning of 2020, with a decreasing trend reaching the value of 3.9%, respectively, 3.6% at the end of 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana AnaMaria Davidescu
- Department of Statistics and Econometrics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010552 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Education, Training and Labour Market, National Scientific, Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection, 010643 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Simona-Andreea Apostu
- Department of Statistics and Econometrics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010552 Bucharest, Romania;
- Institute of National Economy, 050711 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurel Marin
- Department of Physical Education and Sports, National University of Physical Education and Sports, 060057 Bucharest, Romania;
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6
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Bartoll-Roca X, Palència L, Gotsens M, Borrell C. Socioeconomic inequalities in self-assessed health and mental health in Barcelona, 2001-2016. GACETA SANITARIA 2021; 36:452-458. [PMID: 33771401 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2021.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous research has found persistent socioeconomic inequalities in health outcomes at the national level, with different patterns after the economic crisis. However, inequalities in urban areas are also important. This study analyses socioeconomic inequalities in self-assessed health and mental health in the city of Barcelona. METHOD Repeated cross-sectional design using quinquennial data from the Barcelona Health Surveys carried out in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 for the population older than 22 years. Robust Poisson regressions models were used to compute socioeconomic gradients and relative (RII) and slope indexes of inequality (SII) by occupational social class, with stratification by sex. RII and SII were also obtained with further adjustment by employment situation. RESULTS A consistent socioeconomic gradient was found for all years except for 2011. Relative and absolute inequalities followed a V-shape, showing a drop during the economic crisis but widening thereafter to recover pre-crisis figures for self-assessed health and widening for mental health, in both relative and absolute terms in 2016. Adjustment for employment situation reduces inequalities but a large part of these inequalities remains, with variability across years. CONCLUSIONS The lasting effects of the 2008 economic crisis and the austerity programmes imposed since then may have contributed to the persistence of socioeconomic inequalities in self-assessed health and the widening of those for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Bartoll-Roca
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Laia Palència
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Mercè Gotsens
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Borrell
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
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7
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Esteban-Gonzalo S, González-Pascual JL, Caballero-Galilea M, Esteban-Gonzalo L. Psychosocial Correlates of Mental Health and Well-Being During the COVID-19: The Spanish Case. Front Psychol 2020; 11:609815. [PMID: 33324307 PMCID: PMC7723862 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.609815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has hit almost all countries around the globe, seriously affecting the welfare of populations. Spain is especially hard-hit. In this context, the purpose of the present study is to analyze social, demographic, and economic correlates of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the population residing in Spain. Method The sample of this cross-sectional study was comprised of 801 participants aged 18 or older and residing in Spain. Data collection was carried out during March and April 2020. Data of mental health (GHQ12) and well-being (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) indicators, and those of a wide number of social, demographic, and economic variables were recorded. Linear regression models were built to value associations between mental health and social, demographic, and economic indicators. Results Mental health morbidity was higher in women, younger people, individuals with medium studies, people with fewer children, singles, students, and unemployed individuals. Positive affect was higher among women, people with a high level of studies, those not co-living with dependent seniors, the self-employed, the employed, and those working outside home. Negative affect was negatively associated with age and number of children and was higher among women, people with basic studies, singles, individuals co-living with dependent seniors, homemakers, and students. Conclusion The most vulnerable populations were found to be women, younger people, people with basic or medium studies, students and individuals with no remunerated activities, single populations, and those co-living with dependent seniors as well as those with a reduced number of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Esteban-Gonzalo
- Faculty of Biomedicine, Department of Psychology, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Laura Esteban-Gonzalo
- Faculty of Biomedicine, Department of Nursing, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Maya ST, Aviad TS, Tanya K, Orna BE, Yossi HF. Youth injury and parents' unemployment-the importance of socio-economic status and ethnicity context. Eur J Public Health 2020; 30:911-915. [PMID: 32408347 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Youth whose parents are unemployed have poorer health and well-being, including more injuries that result in hospitalization. The current study examined the possibility of an association of parents' employment status with youth injury and the interaction of this status with other socio-economic factors and ethnicity. METHODS We distributed to adolescents aged 11-15 years, in class, the Israel Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey. We distinguished between any injury and severe injury, defining the latter as one necessitating the use of a cast, stitches and crutches or overnight hospitalization. RESULTS Of 13 705 respondents, 6224 (45%) had an injury in the past year that required medical treatment and 1827 pupils (13.5%) reported severe injuries. The odds of any injury were 1.86 for boys as against girls (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73-1.99), 0.80 for school grade (95% CI 0.78-0.82), 1.56 for Arabs vs. Jews (95% CI 1.43-1.70) and 1.10 for high Family Affluence Scale (FAS) vs. medium FAS (95% CI 1.01-1.21). Only in the low FAS group, when two parents were unemployed, the odds for severe injury was 1.36 (95% CI 1.03-1.78); when one or two parents were employed, the odds of severe child injury were the same (OR 1.13 and 95% CI 0.92-1.40). CONCLUSION Factors that were found to increase the risk of injury among youth were parental unemployment, low socio-economic status and Arab ethnicity. The home environment was the most common place for injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siman-Tov Maya
- School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Tur-Sinai Aviad
- Department of Health Systems Management, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
| | - Kolobov Tanya
- The International Research Program on Adolescent Well-Being and Health, School of Education Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Baron-Epel Orna
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel
| | - Harel-Fisch Yossi
- The International Research Program on Adolescent Well-Being and Health, School of Education Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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9
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Oshio T. Lingering Impact of Starting Working Life During a Recession: Health Outcomes of Survivors of the "Employment Ice Age" (1993-2004) in Japan. J Epidemiol 2020; 30:412-419. [PMID: 31406050 PMCID: PMC7429149 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20190121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A growing amount of evidence demonstrates the adverse impacts of economic downturns on population health. However, the extent to which the macroeconomic conditions at labor market entry affect health outcomes in later life remains relatively understudied. This study focused on the health outcomes of the cohort who entered the labor market during the “employment ice age” (EIA; 1993–2004) in Japan, when young people had difficulty finding jobs after graduating from college or high school. Methods We used repeated cross-sectional data (N = 3,054,782; 1,500,618 men and 1,554,164 women) obtained from an 11-wave population-based nationwide survey conducted every 3 years from 1986 through 2016. We considered three health outcomes: being in hospital, subjective symptoms, and self-rated health (SRH). We employed two types of statistical analyses: an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis, which controlled for age and period (wave) effects, and a difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis, in which the EIA experience was regarded as a treatment. Results The APC analysis confirmed the relative disadvantage of the EIA cohort for all three outcomes; for instance, the odds ratio of poor SRH for the EIA cohort was 1.29 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.38) for men and 1.25 (95% CI, 1.17–1.34) for women. The DiD analysis confirmed the robustness of these results, especially for men. Conclusions The results underscored the lingering impact of the macroeconomic conditions at labor market entry on health outcomes in later life in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Oshio
- Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University
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10
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Environmental, Health and Sociodemographic Determinants Related to Common Mental Disorders in Adults: A Spanish Country-Wide Population-Based Study (2006-2017). J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9072199. [PMID: 32664638 PMCID: PMC7408656 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9072199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Common mental disorders (CMD) represent a serious, growing public health concern, especially in women. The aims of this study were to report the prevalence of CMD among the adult population in Spain, to analyze the time trends from 2006 to 2017 and to explore the associations between CMD and gender, in relation to the perceived environmental and sociodemographic problems and clinical factors. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted including 48,505 participants aged 16 to 64 years old who had participated in the Spanish National Health Surveys in 2006, 2011/2012 and 2017. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the variables associated with CMD by gender. The prevalence of CMD was 20.4% in 2006, 20.8% in 2011/2012 and 16.9% in 2017 (p = 0.36). In women, the probability of having a CMD was higher in widowed or separated/divorced compared with single individuals and as the perception of distressing noise levels from outside the home increased. The probability of CMD was lower as the level of education increased in men. Foreigners and those with limitations due to health problems, chronic conditions and worse perceived health were more likely to suffer from a CMD in both women and men.
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11
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Stoyanova A, Pinilla J. The Evolution of Mental Health in the Context of Transitory Economic Changes. APPLIED HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTH POLICY 2020; 18:203-221. [PMID: 31761976 DOI: 10.1007/s40258-019-00537-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental health disorders are highly prevalent across countries. They increase over time and impose a severe burden on individuals and societies. OBJECTIVE This paper examines the evolution of mental health over a period of 15 years, paying special attention on the impact of the most recent economic downturn and subsequent recovery, in Spain. METHOD We use data coming from the National Health Surveys of 2006/2007, 2011/2012 and 2016/2017. Mental health is proxied by two measures, doctor-diagnosed mental disorder and psychological distress (based on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire). To account for the relationship between the two mental health indicators, we estimate a bivariate probit model. The potential endogeneity of unemployment status is considered. RESULTS We observe different patterns of the two mental health indicators over time. Psychological distress in men increased during recession years, but slightly decreased among women. Diagnosed mental disorders declined during the peak years of the crisis. Unemployment is a major risk factor for mental distress. Irrespective of the economic conditions, belonging to a higher social class acts as a buffer against psychological distress for women, but not for men. The remaining determinants acted as expected. Women declared worse psychological health than men, and were also more often diagnosed with mental disorders. Having a partner had a protective impact, while providing intensive care to a dependent relative exerted the opposite effect. Education acted as buffer against the onset of psychological distress in women. CONCLUSION Even though the need for mental healthcare increased during the recession, the fact that fewer people were diagnosed suggests that barriers to accessing mental healthcare may be aggravated during the crisis. Policies aiming to tackle the challenges posed by the high prevalence of mental disorders have to be particularly attentive to changes in individuals' socioeconomic situation, including education, unemployment and social class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandrina Stoyanova
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Universitat de Barcelona, BEAT and CAEPS, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jaime Pinilla
- Department of Quantitative Methods in Economics, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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12
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Johansson K, Petersen S, Högberg B, Stevens GWJM, De Clercq B, Frasquilho D, Elgar F, Strandh M. The interplay between national and parental unemployment in relation to adolescent life satisfaction in 27 countries: analyses of repeated cross-sectional school surveys. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:1555. [PMID: 31775833 PMCID: PMC6882305 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7721-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research shows that parental unemployment is associated with low life satisfaction in adolescents. It is unclear whether this translates to an association between national unemployment and adolescent life satisfaction, and whether such a contextual association is entirely explained by parental unemployment, or if it changes as a function thereof. For adults, associations have been shown between unemployment and mental health, including that national unemployment can affect mental health and life satisfaction of both the employed and the unemployed, but to different degrees. The aim of this paper is to analyse how national unemployment levels are related to adolescent life satisfaction, across countries as well as over time within a country, and to what extent and in what ways such an association depends on whether the individual's own parents are unemployed or not. METHODS Repeated cross-sectional data on adolescents' (aged 11, 13 and 15 years, n = 386,402) life satisfaction and parental unemployment were collected in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, in 27 countries and 74 country-years, across 2001/02, 2005/06 and 2009/10 survey cycles. We linked this data to national harmonised unemployment rates provided by OECD and tested their associations using multilevel linear regression, including interaction terms between national and parental unemployment. RESULTS Higher national unemployment rates were related to lower adolescent life satisfaction, cross-sectionally between countries but not over time within countries. The verified association was significant for adolescents with and without unemployed parents, but stronger so in adolescents with unemployed fathers or both parents unemployed. Having an unemployed father, mother och both parents was in itself related to lower life satisfaction. CONCLUSION Living in a country with higher national unemployment seems to be related to lower adolescent life satisfaction, whether parents are unemployed or not, although stronger among adolescents where the father or both parents are unemployed. However, variation in unemployment over the years did not show an association with adolescent life satisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Johansson
- Department of Global Health and Epidemiology, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Solveig Petersen
- Department of Global Health and Epidemiology, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Björn Högberg
- Department of Social Work, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Gonneke W J M Stevens
- Centre for Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart De Clercq
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diana Frasquilho
- Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), NOVA Medical School, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Frank Elgar
- Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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13
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Richter D, Wall A, Bruen A, Whittington R. Is the global prevalence rate of adult mental illness increasing? Systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2019; 140:393-407. [PMID: 31393996 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The question whether mental illness prevalence rates are increasing is a controversially debated topic. Epidemiological articles and review publications that look into this research issue are often compromised by methodological problems. The present study aimed at using a meta-analysis technique that is usually applied for the analysis of intervention studies to achieve more transparency and statistical precision. METHODS We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar and reference lists for repeated cross-sectional population studies on prevalence rates of adult mental illness based on ICD- or DSM-based diagnoses, symptom scales and distress scales that used the same methodological approach at least twice in the same geographical region. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018090959). RESULTS We included 44 samples from 42 publications, representing 1 035 697 primary observations for the first time point and 783 897 primary observations for the second and last time point. Studies were conducted between 1978 and 2015. Controlling for a hierarchical data structure, we found an overall global prevalence increase in odds ratio of 1.179 (95%-CI: 1.065-1.305). A multivariate meta-regression suggested relevant associations with methodological characteristics of included studies. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the prevalence increase in adult mental illness is small, and we assume that this increase is mainly related to demographic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Richter
- Bern University Hospital for Mental Health, Centre for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Health Professions, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern, Switzerland
| | - A Wall
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - A Bruen
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - R Whittington
- Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Brøset Centre for Research & Education in Forensic Psychiatry, St. Olav's Hospital and Institute of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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14
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Hammarström A, Virtanen P. The importance of financial recession for mental health among students: short- and long-term analyses from an ecosocial perspective. J Public Health Res 2019; 8:1504. [PMID: 31579674 PMCID: PMC6761466 DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2019.1504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aim: Referring to the ecosocial theory and utilising the ‘natural experiment’ setting provided by the global recession at the beginning of 1990s, the aim of our study was to analyse the short- and long-term associations between trade and mental health in young students followed until mid-adulthood. Method: The study was based on two prospective cohort studies, the older and the younger Northern Swedish Cohort which both consisted of all pupils in a middle-sized industrial town in Northern Sweden. At age 21, the younger cohort entered the labour market during the deep recession of the early 1990s, while the older cohort entered the labour market during the boom of the 1980s. Both cohorts were followed up with a high response rate in mid adulthood. For this study, all students were selected at age 21. Results: At age 21, those who studied during recession had more depressive and functional somatic symptoms than those who studied during boom. The cohort differences did not remain over age: by the follow-up in early middle age the differences between the cohorts were non-significant, most notably due to decreased depressive symptoms in the younger cohort and increase of functional somatic symptoms in the older cohort. Conclusions: The short-term mental health consequences of the business cycle seem to be more extensive than limited only to those who are unemployed, even though the possible long-term consequences seem to be more complex. Thus, the macrolevel had a great short-term impact on the individual level in relation to the microlevel setting of university/school. The chronosystem was also of major importance. Future research would benefit from taking the context into account. Significance for public health Although those who study at age 21 may be considered as a relatively healthy and advantaged population group in the long run, our results provide evidence for the significance of recession for mental health, not only among those suffering from concrete job loss but across all population groups. Students’ mental health should be given high priority during times of financial crisis. Mental health services for students should receive increased resources during times of recession. Even if young people may be reluctant to study after school during a financial crisis, it seems to be beneficial for their mental health in a long-term perspective. So, for them poorer mental health does not seem to be dangerous in the long run. Students surveys should pay special attention to understanding the relation between macroeconomic conditions and individual mental health symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Hammarström
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,The Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pekka Virtanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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15
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Saez M, Barceló MA, Saurina C, Cabrera A, Daponte A. Evaluation of the Biases in the Studies that Assess the Effects of the Great Recession on Health. A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E2479. [PMID: 31336776 PMCID: PMC6678595 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16142479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our main objective was to evaluate the fundamental biases detected in studies assessing the effects the Great Recession had on health for the case of Spain. As secondary objectives we presented methods to control these biases and to discuss the results of the studies in question if they had controlled for them. METHODS We carried out a systematic review of the literature published up to June 2018. We evaluated the biases that could have happened in all the eligible studies. RESULTS From the review, we finally selected 53 studies. Of the studies we reviewed, 60.38% or 32 out of 53, were evaluated as having a high risk of bias. The main biases our review revealed were problems with evaluation, time bias, lack of control of unobserved confounding, and non-exogeneity when defining the onset of the Great Recession. CONCLUSIONS The results from the studies that controlled the biases were quite consistent. Summing up, the studies reviewed found that the Great Recession increased the risk of declaring poor self-rated health and the deterioration of mental health. Both the mortality rate and the suicide rate may well have increased after the Great Recession, probably after a three- to four-year delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Saez
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain.
- Network Biomedical Research Center of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Maria Antònia Barceló
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carme Saurina
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Cabrera
- Network Biomedical Research Center of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Andalusian School of Public Health, 18080 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (IBS), Hospital Universitario de Granada, Universidad de Granada, 18014 Granada, Spain
| | - Antonio Daponte
- Network Biomedical Research Center of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Andalusian School of Public Health, 18080 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (IBS), Hospital Universitario de Granada, Universidad de Granada, 18014 Granada, Spain
- Observatorio de Salud y Medio Ambiente de Andalucía (OSMAN), 18080 Granada, Spain
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16
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Self-rated health status, health inequalities and economic crisis: the case of Spain. Salud Colect 2019; 14:671-674. [PMID: 30726441 DOI: 10.18294/sc.2018.1984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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17
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Vahid Shahidi F, Muntaner C, Shankardass K, Quiñonez C, Siddiqi A. Widening health inequalities between the employed and the unemployed: A decomposition of trends in Canada (2000-2014). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208444. [PMID: 30496288 PMCID: PMC6264881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in the social epidemiological literature indicate that health inequalities between the employed and the unemployed are widening in many advanced capitalist countries. At present, we know relatively little about why these inequalities are worsening. Drawing on nationally-representative data from the largest health survey in Canada, we explored this question by analyzing changes in self-rated health inequalities between employed and unemployed Canadians from 2000 to 2014. Using a regression-based method that decomposes a given inequality into its component sources, we investigated the extent to which risk factors that account for unemployment-related health inequalities at a single point in time can also explain the extent and direction of change in these unemployment-related health inequalities over time. Our results indicate that relative and absolute health inequalities between employed and unemployed Canadians widened over the study period. Between 2000 and 2014, the prevalence of poor self-rated health among unemployed Canadians increased from 10.8% to 14.6%, while rates among employed Canadians were stable at around 6%. Our findings suggest that the demographic, socioeconomic, and proximal risk factors that are routinely used to explain unemployment-related health inequalities may not be as powerful for explaining how and why these inequalities change over time. In the case of unemployment-related health inequalities in Canada, these risk factors explain neither the increasing prevalence of poor self-rated health among the unemployed nor the growing gap between the unemployed and their employed counterparts. We provide several possible explanations for these puzzling findings. We conclude by suggesting that widening health inequalities may be driven by macrosocial trends (e.g. widening income inequality and declining social safety nets) which have changed the meaning and context of unemployment, as well as its associated risk factors, in ways that are not easy to capture using routinely available survey data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraz Vahid Shahidi
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carles Muntaner
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Bloomberg School of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ketan Shankardass
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carlos Quiñonez
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arjumand Siddiqi
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Gillings School of Public Health, University of Northern Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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18
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Heggebø K, Tøge AG, Dahl E, Berg JE. Socioeconomic inequalities in health during the Great Recession: A scoping review of the research literature. Scand J Public Health 2018; 47:635-654. [DOI: 10.1177/1403494818801637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aims: The so-called ‘Great Recession’ in Europe triggered widespread concerns about population health, as reflected by an upsurge in empirical research on the health impacts of the economic crisis. A growing body of empirical studies has also been devoted to socioeconomic inequalities in health during the Great Recession. The aim of the current study is to summarise this health inequality literature by means of a scoping review. Methods: We have performed a scoping review of the research literature (English language) published in the years 2012–2017. Only empirical papers with (a) health status measured on the individual level, (b) information on socioeconomic position (i.e. employment status, educational level, income/wealth, and/or occupational class), and (c) data from European countries in both pre- and post-crisis years were considered relevant. In total, 49 empirical studies fulfilled these inclusion criteria. Results: The empirical findings in the 49 included studies predominantly show that socioeconomic inequalities in health either increased or remained stable from pre- to post-crisis years. Two-thirds (65%) of the studies found evidence of either increasing or partially increasing health inequalities. Thus, people in lower socioeconomic strata fared worse overall in terms of health during the Great Recession, compared to people with higher socioeconomic status. Conclusions: The Great Recession in Europe tends to be followed by increasing socioeconomic inequalities in health. Policymakers should take note of this finding. Widening socioeconomic inequalities in health is a major cause of concern, in particular if health deterioration among ‘vulnerable groups’ is caused by accelerating cumulative disadvantages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne Grete Tøge
- Work Research Institute (AFI), Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
| | - Espen Dahl
- Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
| | - John Erik Berg
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
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19
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Ramos-Goñi JM, Craig BM, Oppe M, Ramallo-Fariña Y, Pinto-Prades JL, Luo N, Rivero-Arias O. Handling Data Quality Issues to Estimate the Spanish EQ-5D-5L Value Set Using a Hybrid Interval Regression Approach. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2018; 21:596-604. [PMID: 29753358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2017.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 10/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Spanish five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) valuation study was the first to use the EuroQol Valuation Technology protocol, including composite time trade-off (C-TTO) and discrete choice experiments (DCE). In this study, its investigators noticed that some interviewers did not fully explain the C-TTO task to respondents. Evidence from a follow-up study in 2014 confirmed that when interviewers followed the protocol, the distribution of C-TTO responses widened. OBJECTIVES To handle the data quality issues in the C-TTO responses by estimating a hybrid interval regression model to produce a Spanish EQ-5D-5L value set. METHODS Four different models were tested. Model 0 integrated C-TTO and DCE responses in a hybrid model and models 1 to 3 altered the interpretation of the C-TTO responses: model 1 allowed for censoring of the C-TTO responses, whereas model 2 incorporated interval responses and model 3 included the interviewer-specific protocol violations. For external validation, the predictions of the four models were compared with those of the follow-up study using the Lin's concordance correlation coefficient. RESULTS This stepwise approach to modeling C-TTO and DCE responses improved the concordance between the valuation and follow-up studies (concordance correlation coefficient: 0.948 [model 0], 0.958 [model 1], 0.952 [model 2], and 0.989 [model 3]). We recommend the estimates from model 3, because its hybrid interval regression model addresses the data quality issues found in the valuation study. CONCLUSIONS Protocol violations may occur in any valuation study; handling them in the analysis can improve external validity. The resulting EQ-5D-5L value set (model 3) can be applied to inform Spanish health technology assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Ramos-Goñi
- EuroQol Research Foundation, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Research Network on Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Mark Oppe
- EuroQol Research Foundation, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yolanda Ramallo-Fariña
- HTA Unit of Canary Islands Health Service, Canary Islands, Spain; Research Network on Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Nan Luo
- National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Oliver Rivero-Arias
- University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Research Network on Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Madrid, Spain
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20
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Córdoba-Doña JA, Escolar-Pujolar A, San Sebastián M, Gustafsson PE. Withstanding austerity: Equity in health services utilisation in the first stage of the economic recession in Southern Spain. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195293. [PMID: 29601609 PMCID: PMC5877882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Scant research is available on the impact of the current economic crisis and austerity policies on inequality in health services utilisation in Europe. This study aimed to describe the trends in horizontal inequity in the use of health services in Andalusia, Spain, during the early years of the Great Recession, and the contribution of demographic, economic and social factors. Consultation with a general practitioner (GP) and specialist, hospitalisation and emergency care were studied through the Andalusian Health Survey 2007 (pre-crisis) and 2011–2012 (crisis), using a composite income index as socioeconomic status (SES) indicator. Horizontal inequity indices (HII) were calculated to take differential healthcare needs into account, and a decomposition analysis of change in inequality between periods was performed. Results showed that before the crisis, the HII was positive (greater access for people with higher SES) for specialist visits but negative (greater access for people with lower SES) in the other three utilisation models. During the crisis no change was observed in inequalities in GP visits, but a pro-poor development was seen for the other types of utilisation, with hospital and emergency care showing significant inequality in favour of low income groups. Overall, the main contributors to pro-poor changes in utilisation were socio-economic variables and poor mental health, due to changes in their elasticities. Our findings show that inequalities in healthcare utilisation largely remained in favour of the less well-off, despite the cuts in welfare benefits and health services provision during the early years of the recession in Andalusia. Further research is needed to monitor the potential impact of such measures in subsequent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Córdoba-Doña
- Delegación Territorial de la Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía, Cádiz, Spain
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Miguel San Sebastián
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per E. Gustafsson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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21
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Esteban-Gonzalo S, Aparicio M, Estaban-Gonzalo L. Employment status, gender and health in Spanish women. Women Health 2017; 58:744-758. [DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2017.1353574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Esteban-Gonzalo
- Department of Psychology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Aparicio
- Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Estaban-Gonzalo
- Nursing Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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22
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Lopez-Valcarcel BG, Barber P. Economic Crisis, Austerity Policies, Health and Fairness: Lessons Learned in Spain. APPLIED HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTH POLICY 2017; 15:13-21. [PMID: 27461007 DOI: 10.1007/s40258-016-0263-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews economic and medical research publications to determine the extent to which the measures applied in Spain to control public health spending following the economic and financial crisis that began in 2008 have affected healthcare utilization, health and fairness within the public healthcare system. The majority of the studies examined focus on the most controversial cutbacks that came into force in mid-2012. The conclusions drawn, in general, are inconclusive. The consequences of this new policy of healthcare austerity are apparent in terms of access to the system, but no systematic effects on the health of the general population are reported. Studies based on indicators of premature mortality, avoidable mortality or self-perceived health have not found clear negative effects of the crisis on public health. The increased demands for co-payment provoked a short-term cutback in the consumption of medicines, but this effect faded after 12-18 months. No deterioration in the health of immigrants after the onset of the crisis was unambiguously detected. The impact of the recession on the general population in terms of diseases associated with mental health is well documented; however, the high levels of unemployment are identified as direct causes. Therefore, social policies rather than measures affecting the healthcare system would be primarily responsible. In addition, some health problems have a clear social dimension, which seems to have become more acute during the crisis, affecting in particular the most vulnerable population groups and the most disadvantaged social classes, thus widening the inequality gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz G Lopez-Valcarcel
- Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Management, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus Tafira, 35320, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
| | - Patricia Barber
- Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Management, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus Tafira, 35320, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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23
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Batic-Mujanovic O, Poric S, Pranjic N, Ramic E, Alibasic E, Karic E. Influence of Unemployment on Mental Health of the Working Age Population. Mater Sociomed 2017; 29:92-96. [PMID: 28883769 PMCID: PMC5544462 DOI: 10.5455/msm.2017.29.92-96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the Balkan region (43.2%), so unemployment is one of the most serious public concerns in our country. Aim: To analyze the influence of unemployment on mental health of the working age population who attend primary care center. Material and Methods: The study was carried out in the municipality of Bosanska Krupa, which has the highest unemployment rate in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (56%), and included 510 randomly selected working age patients (aged 23-65 years). We used the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) to evaluate mental health of the working age population. Results: There were significantly more women than men (53.5% vs. 46.5%; p=0.02). The mean age of participants was 51.04±12.84 years. The experimental group included 318 (62.35%) unemployed working age participants: 160 (50.3%) had been unemployed for more than 5 years and had had no work experience, while 158 (49.7%) unemployed participants had had a previous work experience of more than five years. The control group included 192 (37.65%) employed working age participants. Unemployment had a significant influence on mental health of the working age population. The unemployed participants had a significantly poorer mental health compared to the employed (p=0.0003). A predictor of impaired mental health was a job loss. A significantly greater mental health impairment occured in the group of unemployed participants with previous work experience of more than five years compared to the unemployed participants who had had no work experience (p=0.001) and employed (p=0.000). Conclusion: Unemployment has a negative impact and leads to impaired mental health of the working age population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A job loss has a predictive role. It indicates that social and health policies must be developed in order to improve well-being of the working age population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivera Batic-Mujanovic
- Family Medicine Teaching Center, Public Health Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.,Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Samir Poric
- School of Health Studies, University of Bihac, Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Nurka Pranjic
- Teaching Department for Professional Pathology and Toxicology, Public Health Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.,Department of Occupational Health Faculty of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Enisa Ramic
- Family Medicine, Public Health Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Esad Alibasic
- Family Medicine, Public Health Center Kalesija, Kalesija, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Enisa Karic
- Family Medicine, Public Health Center Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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