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Socioeconomic health inequalities in Latvia: a cross-sectional study.

AIMS: Socioeconomic health differences have been studied elaborately for many Western societies. Relatively little is know about the social variations in health in the former communist states of Eastern Europe. This study investigated socioeconomic health inequalities in Latvia. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis was undertaken of the 1999 Norbalt-II Living Conditions Survey, a random population-based sample in Latvia, and included males and females aged 25 to 70. RESULTS: Lower educated subjects had higher rates of self-assessed poor health than those with tertiary education (men OR 2.21; 1.31-3.71 95% CI, and women OR 2.48; 1.74-3.54 95% CI). After adjusting for income, educational differences were significant only for women. Income differences were larger than educational differences in self-assessed poor health for both genders (OR of highest vs. lowest quintile for men: 5.10; 2.26-11.5 95% CI, women: OR 3.26; 1.92-5.51 95% CI). For long-standing health problems socioeconomic differences were smaller. After adjusting for income no educational differences were found, but income differences were significant (men: OR 2.06; 1.15-3.69 95% CI, women: OR 1.42; 1.12-2.63 95% CI). The economically non-active were in worse health than the (self-)employed subjects (men: OR 6.12; 3.65-10.3 95% CI, women: OR 2.79; 1.66-3.39 95% CI). CONCLUSIONS: Substantial social inequalities in self-assessed poor health and longstanding health problems exist in Latvia for both sexes. Inequalities by material circumstances, as measured by income, appear to be larger than educational differences. Economic activity was also strongly associated with health. There were no inequalities with regard to urbanization and ethnic differences were found only for long-standing health problems among women.

Adult↗

Women's patterns of provider use across the lifespan and satisfaction with primary care coordination and comprehensiveness.

BACKGROUND: Women have different patterns of provider use across the lifespan, but few studies have investigated women's evaluations of their primary care providers at different ages. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the relationship between patterns of regular provider use and women's satisfaction with primary care across the lifespan. RESEARCH DESIGN: A sample of 1197 women ages 18 to 87 making primary health care visits was surveyed. Satisfaction with primary care in the past year was measured with a subscale the Care Coordination and Comprehensiveness subscale of the Primary Care Satisfaction Survey for Women (PCSSW). Bivariate comparisons and age stratified multivariate ordinal logistic regression models were estimated. RESULTS: Women in their early reproductive years (ages 18 to 34) are more satisfied with care coordination and comprehensiveness when their regular provider is a reproductive health specialist, primarily obstetrician gynecologist (ob/gyn) physicians. The odds of higher satisfaction are reduced with a generalist regular provider (OR = 0.38, P < 0.01), a generalist regular provider plus an ob/gyn (OR = 0.47, P < 0.05), or no regular provider (OR = 0.52, P < 0.05). The pattern of regular provider use is not significantly associated with satisfaction for women in other age categories. CONCLUSIONS: Most adult women see generalists for their primary health care, either alone or in combination with ob/gyns. Among younger women satisfaction is higher when an ob/gyn is the regular provider. Further research must consider women's perspectives on their provider use patterns and the appropriate role of ob/gyns in women's primary care across the lifespan.

Adult↗

Early life predictors of adolescent smoking: findings from the Mater-University study of pregnancy and its outcomes.

In this study we have examined the early life predictors of smoking at age 14 in a birth cohort of individuals born in Brisbane, Australia between 1981 and 1984. In stratified and multivariable analyses maternal smoking throughout pregnancy and when the child was aged 14 were both associated with the child smoking: fully adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] comparing maternal smoking throughout pregnancy with never smoking was 1.40 [1.25, 1.65] and that comparing maternal smoking when the child was aged 14 with not smoking was 1.57 [1.19, 2.06]. The association of maternal smoking throughout pregnancy was specific for adolescent smoking and was not associated with alcohol consumption, TV viewing or self-report of poor school performance at age 14. Maternal and paternal educational attainment were also associated with smoking at age 14, with these associations attenuating towards the null with adjustment for childhood behavioural problems and cognitive function. There was no association of family income with smoking at age 14 once other explanatory variables were taken into account.

Adolescent↗

Synaptic efficacy and reliability of excitatory connections between the principal neurones of the input (layer 4) and output layer (layer 5) of the neocortex.

A prerequisite for the understanding of how a cortical column functions is a description of small and defined neuronal circuits consisting of only a few identified neurones. Here we summarise, with particular reference to the barrel cortex, the morphological and physiological properties of two synaptic connections, namely those between pairs of spiny neurones in layer 4 and pairs of pyramidal cells in layer 5. While layer 4 spiny neurones are the cortical input neurones that amplify and relay incoming excitation from the periphery, layer 5 pyramidal cells integrate neuronal activity both within and across cortical columns and subsequently distribute it to both cortical and subcortical brain regions.

Animals↗

Neighbourhood characteristics, individual level socioeconomic factors, and depressive symptoms in young adults: the CARDIA study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between neighbourhood socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics with depressive symptoms in a population based sample. DESIGN: Cross sectional data from the CARDIA study, including the Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale score (CES-D). Neighbourhoods were 1990 US census blocks of 1000 people; six census variables reflecting wealth/income, education, and occupation investigated separately and as a summary score; neighbourhood racial composition (percentage white and black) and individual level income and education were also examined. SETTING: Participants recruited in 1985/86 from community lists in Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis MN; from a health plan in Oakland, CA. PARTICIPANTS: 3437 adults aged 28-40 years in 1995/96: 24% white men, 27% white women, 20% black men, 29% black women. MAIN RESULTS: For each race-sex group, CES-D was inversely related to neighbourhood score and individual income and education. Associations of neighbourhood score with CES-D became weak and inconsistent after adjusting for individual level factors; personal income remained strongly and inversely associated with CES-D. Age adjusted mean differences (standard errors) in CES-D between the lowest and highest income categories were 3.41 (0.62) for white men, 4.57 (0.64) for white women, 5.80 (0.87) for black men, and 5.74 (0.83) for black women. For both black and white participants, CES-D was associated negatively with percentage of white people and positively with percentage of black people in their census block, before, but not after, adjustment for individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Neither neighbourhood socioeconomic characteristics nor ethnic density were consistently related to depressive symptoms once individual socioeconomic characteristics were taken into account.

Adult↗

The association between asthma and dental caries in children and adolescents: A population-based case-control study.

This study explored the potential association between childhood asthma and caries using oral examination and health interview data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-1994 (NHANES III). We fitted GEE Poisson regression models with adjustment for parents' income, gender, race, exposure to potentially xerostomic drugs, and the presence of pit and fissure sealants. There was no association between the use of drugs commonly used by asthmatics (antihistamines, corticosteroids, and antiasthmatic inhalers) and df/DMF scores. Asthmatic children 4-10 years of age at all severity levels had similar dfs scores to the controls, however, severely asthmatic children 4-10 years of age had significantly lower DMFS (p = 0.010) and DMFT (0.049) scores than controls. Similarly, severely asthmatic children 11-16 years of age had significantly lower DMFT scores than controls (p = 0.024) and DMFS scores approaching statistical significance (p = 0.053). While our analysis adjusted for covariates, potential confounders such as fluoride intake from water, diet, use of topical fluorides, and dose of antiasthmatic medication could not be addressed. Our results indicate that any association between asthma and dental caries may occur primarily in younger children with no evidence of an association between asthma and dental caries as children mature.

Adolescent↗

Genetic services in Latin America.

This special issue of Community Genetics reviews some of the most important developments in medical genetics in key countries of Latin America. Contributions to this issue were prepared for a special consultation of the World Health Organization held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 19, 2003. Latin America is a region of medium- to low-income countries characterized by socioeconomic problems, with large segments of the population living in poverty and extreme disparities in the distribution of wealth. A rise in chronic diseases typical of the processes of industrialization and urbanization coexists with the persistence of nutritional and infectious diseases characteristic of poverty and underdevelopment. Over the last 2 decades of the 20th century, birth defects and genetic disorders have increased their share of morbidity and mortality, and tertiary-care-based genetic services have developed in urban areas. Although privatization of health care is eroding the public sector, the public institutions continue to be the main providers of genetic services for the bulk of the population and the leaders in research. The development of clinical genetics in the region is concentrated in tertiary-care centers in large cities, although a recent trend began extending genetic services to the community.

Biomedical Research↗

Is use of exogenous estrogen associated with temporomandibular signs and symptoms?

BACKGROUND: Studies of historical data suggest a link between exogenous estrogen use and referral for treatment for temporomandibular disorders, or TMDs. The purpose of the authors' study was to determine the association between exogenous estrogen use and signs and symptoms of TMD assessed by direct physical examination in a randomly selected community sample of primarily postmenopausal women. METHODS: A calibrated clinical examiner examined a stratified random sample of 510 women aged 37 to 82 years using the Craniomandibular Index, or CMI. All medications that subjects were taking at the time of the examination were identified by interview and examination of subjects' medication containers on two occasions. One hundred seventy-four subjects were taking medications containing estrogen, and 336 were taking no such medications. RESULTS: The muscle and joint signs and symptoms of women taking and not taking estrogen were not significantly different after the authors controlled for sociocultural, demographic and health care utilization variables. Estrogen use also failed to distinguish women receiving relatively high and low scores on the CMI. CONCLUSION: Estrogen replacement therapy does not place women at increased risk of developing TMDs. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians need not be concerned that patients taking oral contraceptives or replacement estrogens are at increased risk of developing TMDs.

Adult↗

Recent changes in earnings distributions in the United States: age and cohort effects.

In this article, the author uses large, Social Security administrative data sets to examine changes in earnings distributions in the United States over the 1980s through the mid-1990s. Because the earnings information contained in these data sets comes directly from the W-2 forms field by employers, self-reporting errors and top-coding problems, common in other data used for this type of analysis, are minimized. Previous research has documented an increase in overall earnings inequality during the 1970s and the 1980s. The author finds that this upward trend in overall earnings inequality continues into the mid-1990s, despite a period of nearly constant or slightly decreasing earnings inequality from 1988 through 1992. The data also suggest that between-group earnings inequality, whether dividing the sample into groups by age group or by birth cohort, is increasing. Despite the increase in between-group earnings inequality over the period examined, however, within-group earnings inequality remains by far the largest contributor to overall earnings inequality.

Adolescent↗

Residential movement among the poor: the constraints on housing choice in Latin American cities.

"The paper examines the validity of current theories of intra-city migration, subjecting those theories to the test of explaining new data collected in a total of 13 low-income settlements in three Latin American cities: Bogota, Mexico City, and Valencia, Venezuela. The study focuses attention upon the principal reception points for migrants; the location of previous place of residence for contemporary barrio dwellers; [and] the tenure and dwelling characteristics of previous places of residence. The authors conclude that residential patterns in Latin American cities are less the outcome of migrant choice, as some theories argue, and more the product of constraints imposed upon the land and housing markets."

Agriculture↗

Problems of widowhood: a study of widows in a tertiary institution in Ibadan, south west Nigeria.

This study is part of a larger multi-centre survey on widowhood in Nigeria. Information was gathered using a structured self-administered questionnaire from 42 widows who are working at the University College Hospital and the College of Medicine, in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State in the southwest of Nigeria. The findings reveal that the majority of these widows are middle aged, between 35 and 55 years of age, with little or no prospect of remarriage. Almost half of them had only primary education and are of low professional status; 48% of them earn very low salary, and had a high parity, having 5 or more children. The problems identified by these widows in order of priority include financial/economic hardship (69%), absence of husband's will resulting in the loss of properties to husband's relations (55%), loneliness and depression (41%), poor relationship with in-laws (41%), difficulty in social interaction (21%), and poor housing (17%). Recommendation for alleviating the hardships of widows suggested include encouragement of female education, enhancement of women, economic empowerment, improving availability and effective utilization of family planning services and encouraging men to write their wills early in marriage. Also, through advocacy and public health awareness campaigns, to enlighten the masses about the plight of the widows, in order to eliminate the dehumanizing traditional practices to which Nigerian widows are often subjected.

Adult↗