Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic led to disproportionate mental health responses in younger adults and parents. The aim of the study was to investigate how Millennial parents’ experiences were associated with psychological distress over the... more
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic led to disproportionate mental health responses in younger adults and parents. The aim of the study was to investigate how Millennial parents’ experiences were associated with psychological distress over the first year of the pandemic. Methods We examined data in September 2020 (n men = 994; n women = 1824) and February 2021 (n men = 1054; n women = 1845) from the Next Steps cohort study (started ages 13–14 in 2003–04). In each wave, we examined differences in GHQ-12 scores between parent groups defined by the age and number of children, adjusting for background characteristics at ages 13–14, psychological distress at ages 25–26, and other circumstances during the pandemic. We also examined if differences varied by work status, financial situation before the outbreak and relationship status. Results Whereas mothers with one or two children and children aged 0–2 reported less distress than non-mothers in September 2020, there were no such differences in ...
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There is only scarce number of studies available describing the lifestyle of adolescents living in Arab countries. Hence, we described physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors patterns among Kuwaiti adolescents and the associations... more
There is only scarce number of studies available describing the lifestyle of adolescents living in Arab countries. Hence, we described physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors patterns among Kuwaiti adolescents and the associations with parental education. Cross-sectional data from 435 adolescents (201 boys and 234 girls) were collected from the Study of Health and Activity among Adolescents in Kuwait conducted between 2012 and 2013. Outcome variables included PA (ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers) and sedentary behaviors. Exposure variable was parental education. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between parental education and outcome variables. Total sedentary time (minutes per day) was higher in girls [568.2 (111.6)] than in boys [500.0 (102.0)], whereas boys accumulated more minutes in light, moderate, and vigorous PA (all Ps ≤ .001). In total, 3.4% of adolescents spent ≥60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous PA (by ...
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Combining work and family responsibilities has previously been associated with improved health in mid-life, yet little is known about how these associations change over time (both biographical and historical) and whether this extends to... more
Combining work and family responsibilities has previously been associated with improved health in mid-life, yet little is known about how these associations change over time (both biographical and historical) and whether this extends to body mass index (BMI) trajectories for British men and women. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between work-family life courses and BMI trajectories across adulthood (16-42 years) for men and women in three British birth cohorts. Multiply imputed data from three nationally representative British birth cohorts were used-the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD; 1946 birth cohort, n=3012), the National Child Development Study (NCDS; 1958 birth cohort, n=9614) and the British Cohort Study (BCS; 1970 birth cohort, n=8140). A typology of work-family life course types was developed using multi-channel sequence analysis, linking annual information on work, partnerships and parenthood from 16 to 42 years. Work-family ...
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Research Interests: Psychology, Health Psychology, Education, Gerontology, Aging, and 15 moreMedicine, Activities of Daily Living, Prospective studies, Humans, Female, Male, Loneliness, Psychological Intervention, Aged, Middle Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Disadvantaged, Friends, Marital Status, and Medical and Health Sciences
Previous studies have found generally better health among those who combine employment and family responsibilities; however, most research excludes men, and relies on subjective measures of health and information on work and family... more
Previous studies have found generally better health among those who combine employment and family responsibilities; however, most research excludes men, and relies on subjective measures of health and information on work and family activities from only 1 or 2 time points in the life course. This study investigated associations between work-family life course types (LCTs) and markers of metabolic risk in a British birth cohort study. Multichannel sequence analysis was used to generate work-family LCTs, combining annual information on work, partnership and parenthood between 16 and 42 years for men and women in the British National Child Development Study (NCDS, followed since their birth in 1958). Associations between work-family LCTs and metabolic risk factors in mid-life (age 44-45) were tested using multivariate linear regression in multiply imputed data. Life courses characterised by earlier transitions into parenthood were associated with significantly increased metabolic risk, ...
Research Interests: Human Geography, Risk assessment, Adolescent, Employment, Medicine, and 15 moreLinear models, England, Humans, Metabolic diseases, Female, Male, Young Adult, Family Relations, Middle Aged, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Risk Assessment, Family life, Marital Status, and Family Characteristics
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This study investigated associations between work-family life courses and biomarkers of inflammation and stress in mid-life among British men and women. Gender differences in these associations were also explored. A novel statistical... more
This study investigated associations between work-family life courses and biomarkers of inflammation and stress in mid-life among British men and women. Gender differences in these associations were also explored. A novel statistical method-multi-channel sequence analysis-defined work-family life courses between the ages of 16 and 42 years, combining annual information on work, partnership and parenthood. Associations between work-family life courses and inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor] and cortisol at age 44/45 years were tested using multivariate linear regression using multiply-imputed data on almost 6500 participants from the National Child Development Study 1958 British birth cohort. Compared with those who combined strong ties to paid work with later transitions to stable family lives ('Work, later family' group), 'Teen parents' had higher CRP [40.6% higher, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.6, 87.0] and fibrinogen (7....
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This chapter focuses on the social determinants of health (both physical and mental) and disability among older people. Rapid increase in life expectancy, coupled with declining fertility rates during the last century, has meant that... more
This chapter focuses on the social determinants of health (both physical and mental) and disability among older people. Rapid increase in life expectancy, coupled with declining fertility rates during the last century, has meant that older people make up a growing ...
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The objective of this study is to investigate gender-specific trajectories in well-being among older people with coronary heart disease (CHD) and to compare them with those of healthy people. The study included a sample of 4496... more
The objective of this study is to investigate gender-specific trajectories in well-being among older people with coronary heart disease (CHD) and to compare them with those of healthy people. The study included a sample of 4496 participants from the first three waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002-2003 to 2006-2007). We measured well-being using quality of life (CASP-19; 'control', 'autonomy', 'pleasure' and 'self-realization') and depressive caseness (three or more symptoms on the CESD-8; Centre for Epidemiologic Study Depression scale). After adjustment, at two- and four-years follow-ups, women had three points higher quality of life than men (p < 0.001). When looking at each quality of life's domain we found that women reported higher scores of autonomy compared to men. The gender difference in the probability of having depressive caseness reduced to 7 percentage points at four-year follow-up from 13 percentage points in t...
Research Interests: Gerontology, Mental Health, Depression, Pleasure, Medicine, and 15 moreEngland, Humans, Female, Male, Aged, Middle Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Longitudinal Study, Disease Progression, Coronary Artery Disease, Ageing, Case Control Studies, Personal autonomy, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
There is increasing interest in the association between sedentary behaviour and mental health, although most studies have relied solely on self-reported measures, thus making results prone to various biases. The aim was to compare... more
There is increasing interest in the association between sedentary behaviour and mental health, although most studies have relied solely on self-reported measures, thus making results prone to various biases. The aim was to compare associations between objectively assessed and self-reported sedentary time with mental health in adults. Community dwelling population sample drawn from the 2008 Health Survey for England. 11 658 (self-report analysis) and 1947 (objective data) men and women. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire was administered to assess psychological distress. Sedentary and physical activity (exposure) was objectively measured using accelerometers (Actigraph GT1M) worn around the waist during waking hours for seven consecutive days. The highest tertile of objective sedentary time was associated with higher risk of psychological distress (multivariate adjusted OR=1.74, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.83), as was the highest tertile of self-reported total sitting time (OR=1.34, 95% C...
Research Interests: Epidemiology, Mental Health, Public Health, Medicine, England, and 15 morePopulation, Humans, Female, Male, Accelerometry, Psychological distress, Health surveys, Sitting, Self report, Cross Sectional Studies, Motor activity, Socioeconomic Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sedentary Lifestyle, and Waist
The United Kingdom has seen dramatic changes in the nature of work and family and related normative gender divisions of labour over the past forty years. Participation in paid work is now a fact of life for the majority of women,... more
The United Kingdom has seen dramatic changes in the nature of work and family and related normative gender divisions of labour over the past forty years. Participation in paid work is now a fact of life for the majority of women, including those with family responsibilities; fathers are more involved in childcare; and family forms have become increasingly diverse. In addition, these processes of change are occurring within the context of, and may be partially driving, increasing socioeconomic inequality between households and between women. While these changes in the work and family lives of men and women are well-documented, their relationship with health and wellbeing remains unclear. This study uses the wealth of longitudinal data now available in Britain to describe gender & cohort differences in work-family life course sequences across the three national birth cohort studies in the UK: the National Survey of Health and Development 1946 birth cohort, the National Child Developme...
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Objective: To investigate whether the impact of negative and positive social exchanges on depression depends on relationship type among late middle age and older adults. Method: Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging,... more
Objective: To investigate whether the impact of negative and positive social exchanges on depression depends on relationship type among late middle age and older adults. Method: Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, baseline positive and negative exchanges with partners, children, other family and friends were linked to 2-year changes in depression on the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: Positive and negative exchanges with partners and with children were independently associated with depression, adjusting for age, gender, wealth, and baseline depression. Negative but not positive exchanges with other family and with friends were associated with depression. The association between depression and positive/negative exchanges was weaker among the above 70s compared with those aged 50 to 70. Discussion: Negative and positive exchanges with partners and children appear equally salient for depression onset although negative exchange...
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ABSTRACTThis paper examines whether participation in social activities is associated with higher levels of wellbeing among post-retirement age people in England, and, if so, whether these relationships are explained by the reciprocal... more
ABSTRACTThis paper examines whether participation in social activities is associated with higher levels of wellbeing among post-retirement age people in England, and, if so, whether these relationships are explained by the reciprocal nature of these activities. Cross-sectional analysis of relationships between social activities (including paid work, caring and volunteering) and wellbeing (quality of life, life satisfaction and depression) was conducted among participants of one wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) who were of state pension age or older. Participants in paid or voluntary work generally had more favourable wellbeing than those who did not participate in these activities. Caring was not associated with wellbeing, although female carers were less likely to be depressed than non-carers. Carers, volunteers and those in paid work who felt adequately rewarded for their activities had better wellbeing than those who were not participating in those activiti...
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MCMUNN, A and Kelly, Y and Cable, N and Bartley, M Effects of parental divisions in paid employment and unpaid domestic labour on child socio-emotional behaviour: Longitudinal evidence from the United Kingdom. In: (Proceedings) 5th... more
MCMUNN, A and Kelly, Y and Cable, N and Bartley, M Effects of parental divisions in paid employment and unpaid domestic labour on child socio-emotional behaviour: Longitudinal evidence from the United Kingdom. In: (Proceedings) 5th Conference of Epidemiological Longitudinal Studies in Europe. ... Full text not available from this repository. ... Effects of parental divisions in paid employment and unpaid domestic labour on child socio-emotional behaviour: Longitudinal evidence from the United Kingdom.
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Over the past five decades, the organization of women's lives has changed dramatically. Throughout the industrialized world, paid work and family biographies have been altered as the once-dominant role of homemaker has given way to... more
Over the past five decades, the organization of women's lives has changed dramatically. Throughout the industrialized world, paid work and family biographies have been altered as the once-dominant role of homemaker has given way to the role of secondary, dual, or even primary wage-earner. The attendant changes represent a mix of gains and losses for women, in which not all women have benefited (or suffered) equally. But little is known about the health consequences. This article addresses that gap. It develops a “situated biographies” model to conceptualize how life course change may influence women's health. The model stresses the role of time, both as individual aging and as the anchoring of lives in particular historical periods. “Situating” biographies in this way highlights two key features of social change in women's lives: the ambiguous implications for the health of women as a group, and the probable connections to growing social and economic disparities in healt...
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Objective To investigate whether changes in health, social and economic circumstances predict change in quality of life (QoL) at older ages. ... Design Secondary analysis, using multiple regression analyses, of waves 1 and 3 of the... more
Objective To investigate whether changes in health, social and economic circumstances predict change in quality of life (QoL) at older ages. ... Design Secondary analysis, using multiple regression analyses, of waves 1 and 3 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
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Occupational position is one of the determinants of psychological health, but this association may differ for men and women depending on the social context. In contemporary Japanese society, occupational gender segregation persists... more
Occupational position is one of the determinants of psychological health, but this association may differ for men and women depending on the social context. In contemporary Japanese society, occupational gender segregation persists despite increased numbers of women participating in the labour market, which may contribute to gender specific patterns in the prevalence of poor psychological health. The
present study examined gender specific associations between occupational position and psychological health in Japan, and the potential mediating effects of job control and effort–reward imbalance in these associations. We used data obtained from 7123 men and 2222 women, aged between 18 and 65 years,
who participated in an occupational cohort study, the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Related Equity (J-HOPE), between 2011 and 2012. We used logistic regression to examine the association between occupational position and poor psychological health, adjusted for age,
working hours, household income and education, as well as psychosocial work characteristics (job control and effort–reward imbalance). The prevalence of poor psychological health increased from manual/service occupations (23%) to professionals/managers (38%) among women, while it did not vary by occupational position among men. In women, the significant association between occupational position and psychological health was not explained by job control, but was attenuated by effort–reward imbalance. Our findings suggest that Japanese women in more advantaged occupational positions are likely to be at a greater risk for poor psychological health due to higher levels of effort–reward imbalance
at work.
present study examined gender specific associations between occupational position and psychological health in Japan, and the potential mediating effects of job control and effort–reward imbalance in these associations. We used data obtained from 7123 men and 2222 women, aged between 18 and 65 years,
who participated in an occupational cohort study, the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Related Equity (J-HOPE), between 2011 and 2012. We used logistic regression to examine the association between occupational position and poor psychological health, adjusted for age,
working hours, household income and education, as well as psychosocial work characteristics (job control and effort–reward imbalance). The prevalence of poor psychological health increased from manual/service occupations (23%) to professionals/managers (38%) among women, while it did not vary by occupational position among men. In women, the significant association between occupational position and psychological health was not explained by job control, but was attenuated by effort–reward imbalance. Our findings suggest that Japanese women in more advantaged occupational positions are likely to be at a greater risk for poor psychological health due to higher levels of effort–reward imbalance
at work.
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There is raised risk of mortality following unemployment, and reviews have consistently found worse psychological health among the unemployed. Inflammation is increasingly implicated as a mediating factor relating stress to physical... more
There is raised risk of mortality following unemployment, and reviews have consistently found worse psychological health among the unemployed. Inflammation is increasingly implicated as a mediating factor relating stress to physical disease and is strongly linked to depression. Inflammation may, therefore, be implicated in processes associated with excess mortality and morbidity during unemployment. This study examined associations of unemployment with inflammatory markers among working-age men and women from England and Scotland. Cross-sectional analyses using data from the Health Survey for England and the Scottish Health Survey collected between 1998 and 2010. Systemic inflammation was indexed by serum concentrations of C reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen, and compared between participants currently employed/self-employed, currently unemployed and other groups. CRP, fibrinogen and odds of CRP >3 mg/L were all significantly raised for the unemployed, as compared to the empl...
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To investigate whether relations between social roles and health are explained by health selection into employment and parenthood by examining the influence of early health on relations between long term social role histories and health... more
To investigate whether relations between social roles and health are explained by health selection into employment and parenthood by examining the influence of early health on relations between long term social role histories and health in mid-life. Prospective, population based, birth cohort study. Women from a national British cohort born in 1946, including 1171 women with a valid measure of self reported health at age 54 and valid work and family role measures at ages 26, 36, 43, and 53, as well as 1433 women with a valid body mass index (BMI) measure at age 53 and valid work and family role measures at ages 26, 36, 43, and 53. Self reported health at age 54 and obesity at age 53, taken from objective height and weight measures conducted by a survey nurse during face to face interviews in respondents&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; homes. Women who occupied multiple roles over the long term reported relatively good health at age 54 and this was not explained by early health. Women with weak long term ties to the labour market were more likely to be obese at age 53. Examination of body mass index (BMI) from age 15 showed that long term homemakers were larger than other women from age 26, but their mean BMI increased significantly more with age than that of other women. Relations between social roles and health were generally not explained by health selection into employment and parenthood, although some health selection may occur for obesity.
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Low birthweight has been shown to predict behavioural problems in children. Less is known about the effect of birthweight, and how this may interact with the social environment in determining behaviour in a general population sample. We... more
Low birthweight has been shown to predict behavioural problems in children. Less is known about the effect of birthweight, and how this may interact with the social environment in determining behaviour in a general population sample. We have examined the relationship between birthweight and social factors on childhood psychological well-being. Cross-sectional analysis of data on 5181 children aged 4-15 years from a randomly selected household population, the 1997 Health Survey for England. The main outcome measures were behavioural problems as defined by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in relation to birthweight and social environmental factors. Birthweight was a significant predictor of total difficulties score (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, 95% CI : 1.07, 1.49), hyperactivity in boys (OR = 1.25, 95% CI : 1.05, 1.51), and peer problems in girls (OR = 1.24, 95% CI : 0.99, 1.53). There was a strong social class gradient in the prevalence of behavioural problems for all birthweight tertiles. Bivariate analysis showed that high total difficulties score was significantly more common in lower birthweight tertiles for social classes III non-manual and III manual (P:-value for trend 0.05 and 0.03, respectively). There were smaller, non-significant effects of birthweight on the prevalence of behavioural problems in social class I and II, and IV and V. Statistical tests for an interaction between birthweight and social class were not significant. Early life factors, such as birthweight and social class have important influences on psychological well-being in children. The birthweight effect is influenced by social factors, with the possibility that an advantaged social environment protects against the development of behavioural problems, and a disadvantaged environment increases the risk of behavioural problems, regardless of birthweight.
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A number of mechanisms have been proposed through which social isolation and loneliness may affect health, including health-related behavioral and biological factors. However, it is unclear to what extent isolation and loneliness are... more
A number of mechanisms have been proposed through which social isolation and loneliness may affect health, including health-related behavioral and biological factors. However, it is unclear to what extent isolation and loneliness are independently associated with these pathways. The objective of the present analysis was to determine the impact of social isolation and loneliness, individually as well as simultaneously, on health-related behavioral and biological factors using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Data on health behaviors (smoking and physical activity) were analyzed from 8,688 participants and data on blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammatory markers were analyzed from over 5,000 of these participants who were eligible for a nurse visit and blood sampling. Loneliness was measured using the short form of the Revised UCLA scale and an index of social isolation was computed incorporating marital status; frequency of contact with friends, family, and children; and participation in social activities. Fewer than 2% of participants reported being lonely all the time, while nearly 7% had the highest possible scores on social isolation. Both social isolation and loneliness were associated with a greater risk of being inactive, smoking, as well as reporting multiple health-risk behaviors. Social isolation was also positively associated with blood pressure, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen levels. Loneliness and social isolation may affect health independently through their effects on health behaviors. In addition, social isolation may also affect health through biological processes associated with the development of cardiovascular disease.
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• This report describes the findings of an investigation into the cultural and demographic diversity of the black African population living in England and the implications of features of the population for the conduct of health surveys in... more
• This report describes the findings of an investigation into the cultural and demographic diversity of the black African population living in England and the implications of features of the population for the conduct of health surveys in England1. The study comprised three ...