Research Interests:
Balancing adjustment policies and structural reforms during a crisis is a delicate act. While both may be necessary, balancing their respective intensity and scope and their relative timing and sequencing is a crucial factor for ensuring... more
Balancing adjustment policies and structural reforms during a crisis is a delicate act. While both may be necessary, balancing their respective intensity and scope and their relative timing and sequencing is a crucial factor for ensuring their complementarity and avoiding the former working against the latter. The present paper examines the impact of structural reforms in the business environment and product markets implemented in Greece in recent years, while controlling for the effects of fiscal consolidation and internal devaluation measures implemented during the same period. We try to identify whether, when and how, reforms like OECD’s product market toolkit, which comprised more than 300 measures, new start-up business procedures and lower capital requirements affected prices and employment. We take into account adjustment measures like increases in VAT and special consumption taxes, reduction of minimum wages and relaxation of employment protection, as well as other determinants of the economic climate. To uncover the dynamics of these effects we rely on model selection methods that identify the time lags of the measures. These help us identify potential design inefficiencies and shape proposals for a more efficient policy mix
Research Interests:
1 Institute of Preventive Medicine Environmental and Occupational Health, Athens, Greece 2 Department of Statistics, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece 3 Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University,... more
1 Institute of Preventive Medicine Environmental and Occupational Health, Athens, Greece 2 Department of Statistics, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece 3 Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece 4 Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece 5 Department of Public Administration, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece
Research Interests:
Employing data in a monthly frequency, with a sample period spanning from 2002 to 2018, the purpose of this study is twofold. First, we construct a novel leading indicator based on news headlines drawn from Bloomberg, and second, examine... more
Employing data in a monthly frequency, with a sample period spanning from 2002 to 2018, the purpose of this study is twofold. First, we construct a novel leading indicator based on news headlines drawn from Bloomberg, and second, examine whether this leading indicator able to capture agents’ sentiment affects Greek bank deposit flows’ trajectory. Employing alternative econometric methodologies, we find that this index proxies for depositors’ crisis sentiment and the higher this index becomes, the higher the depositors’ negative sentiment becomes, leading them to withdraw their bank deposits. Overall, in this work, we show that the last decade’s advances in internet technology, which permit us to have direct access to a vast amount of information such as news headlines, offers the possibility of forecasting critical measures in the economy’s banking system, such as the number of bank deposits, which are of crucial importance. Monetary poly authorities or macroprudential regulators co...
Research Interests:
Background To explore the effect of household food insecurity on dietary patterns of children and adolescents participating in a school food-aid programme in regions of Greece with low socioeconomic status. Methods A cross-sectional study... more
Background To explore the effect of household food insecurity on dietary patterns of children and adolescents participating in a school food-aid programme in regions of Greece with low socioeconomic status. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted during the school year 2013–14, among 406 schools in low socioeconomic status regions of Greece. Dietary habits and sociodemographic characteristics of students and their families were recorded. Factor analysis was used in order to derive children’s and adolescents’ dietary patterns and analysis of covariance was performed to examine the effect of households’ food insecurity level on those patterns. A total of 31 399 students participated in the study; 16 652 children (5–11 years) and 14 747 adolescents (12–18 years). Results Factor analysis identified five dietary patterns in both age groups, explaining the 49.1% (children) and 53.0% (adolescents) of the total variation in intake. After adjusting for various factors, the household’s ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
To qualitatively evaluate the optimal intervention (food-voucher approach vs. free daily meal distribution), aimed at reducing food insecurity and promoting healthy eating among students attending public schools in socioeconomically... more
To qualitatively evaluate the optimal intervention (food-voucher approach vs. free daily meal distribution), aimed at reducing food insecurity and promoting healthy eating among students attending public schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. We randomly assigned 34 schools to one of the two interventions: students in 17 schools received a daily lunch-box and parents in the other 17 schools received a food voucher of equal value once a month. All students were offered the opportunity to participate. We conducted 30 focus groups in all participating schools (17 in the meal distribution and 13 in the food voucher schools). Eligible participants included parents (n = 106), educators (n = 66) and school principals (n = 34). We qualitatively evaluated their perceptions and attitudes towards the program. Important differences were observed between the two approaches, with more favourable perceptions being reported for the meal distribution approach. More specifically, social st...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Health Promotion, Environmental Health, Public Health, Adolescent, Medicine, and 15 moreChildren, Overweight, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Healthy Diet, Odds, Educational Intervention, Food Assistance Programs, Nutritive Value, Dietary Habits, and Child preschool
We had a unique opportunity to establish the extent of food insecurity and the potential impact of a large-scale school-based nutritional program, in low-socioeconomic status districts of Greece, during the current economic crisis. Around... more
We had a unique opportunity to establish the extent of food insecurity and the potential impact of a large-scale school-based nutritional program, in low-socioeconomic status districts of Greece, during the current economic crisis. Around 162 schools with 25 349 students participated during the 2012-2013 school year. Each student received a daily healthy meal designed by nutrition specialists. Food insecurity levels, measured using the Food Security Survey Module were assessed at baseline and after a 1-8-month intervention period. Pre-post intervention responses were matched at an individual level. Around 64.2% of children's households experienced food insecurity at baseline. This percentage decreased to 59.1% post-intervention, P < 0.001. On an individual level, food insecurity score diminished by 6.5%, P < 0.001. After adjustment for various socioeconomic factors, for each additional month of participation, the odds of reducing the food insecurity score increased by 6.3%...
Research Interests: Environmental Health, Adolescent, Medicine, European Public Health Policies, Food Security, and 15 moreHunger, Greece, Humans, Child, Food supply, Female, Food Insecurity, Male, Nutritional Status, Socioeconomic Status, Public health systems and services research, Odds, Guidance and Counseling Intervention Programs, Food Assistance Programs, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Human Geography, Environmental Health, Adolescent, Medicine, Greece, and 13 moreSchools, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Socioeconomic Status, Vulnerable Populations, School health services, Public health systems and services research, Healthy Diet, Guidance and Counseling Intervention Programs, Disadvantaged, and Cohort Studies
AimTo examine the relationship between oral exposure to hexavalent chromium (CrVI) and the development of urologic diseases, as scarce evidence exists on the aforementioned association.Subjects and methodsIn the Oinofyta region, evidence... more
AimTo examine the relationship between oral exposure to hexavalent chromium (CrVI) and the development of urologic diseases, as scarce evidence exists on the aforementioned association.Subjects and methodsIn the Oinofyta region, evidence of high CrVI concentrations in the drinking water exists. Personal interviews of 33.9 % of the permanent residents were conducted during 2010–2011. The relationship between the length of residency and development of urologic entities (malignant, nonmalignant) was tested using the t-test and Mann-Whitney test. A trend test examined the cases of urologic disease using the date of diagnosis as end point. Logistic regression analysis was applied to eliminate the role of potential confounders.ResultsA total of 1811 Oinofyta adult residents, mean age 48.6 years, were interviewed. Mean number of years living in Oinofyta was higher in patients for all studied diseases except prostate cancer; statistical significance (p < 0.05) was found for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and urogenital infections. Morbidity increased steadily over time; the trend was statistically significant for all studied urinary diseases (p < 0.001) except renal cancer. The effect of residency duration in Oinofyta after 1984 until the diagnosis date showed odds ratios higher than unity for most of the urologic diseases studied, but reached statistical significance for lower urinary tract symptoms (Luts) in males and urogenital infections for more than 15 years of residency.ConclusionsAn increasing trend was identified for malignant and nonmalignant urologic disease morbidity in a population with long-term exposure to hexavalent chromium via the oral route. Duration of exposure to CrVI measured by length of residency could constitute risk factor for many urologic diseases.
Research Interests:
We investigate the impact of scheduled macroeconomic announcements on the volatility of exchange rates by introducing a flexible model formulation. For each macroeconomic index we estimate cutoff points in the surprise component of the... more
We investigate the impact of scheduled macroeconomic announcements on the volatility of exchange rates by introducing a flexible model formulation. For each macroeconomic index we estimate cutoff points in the surprise component of the announcement that specify the degree the volatility process is affected. This degree is quantified by jumps of unknown size that occur before and at the time of the announcement and then die out exponentially with unknown rate. We make inferences using a population Markov chain Monte Carlo reversible jump algorithm and illustrate our methodology by predicting exchange rates volatility using 15 U.S. macroeconomic announcements. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 43: 199–223; 2015 © 2015 Statistical Society of Canada
Research Interests:
To explore factors affecting children's and adolescents' diet quality, in the framework of a food aid and promotion of healthy nutrition programme implemented in areas of low socio-economic status of Greece, during the current... more
To explore factors affecting children's and adolescents' diet quality, in the framework of a food aid and promotion of healthy nutrition programme implemented in areas of low socio-economic status of Greece, during the current financial crisis. From a total of 162 schools participating in the programme during 2012-2013, we gathered 15 897 questionnaires recording sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle parameters and dietary habits of children and their families. As a measure of socio-economic status, the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) was used; whereas for the assessment of diet quality, the KIDMED score was computed. Associations between KIDMED and FAS, physical activity and socio-economic parameters were examined using regression and classification-regression tree analysis (CART). The higher the FAS score, the greater the percentage of children and adolescents who reported to consume, on a daily basis, fruits and vegetables, dairy products and breakfast (P<0·001). Re...
Research Interests:
Although in the last decade several studies have addressed the protective role of black and green tea on several diseases, including cancer, there are only few and controversial studies on the effect of tea on benign and malignant thyroid... more
Although in the last decade several studies have addressed the protective role of black and green tea on several diseases, including cancer, there are only few and controversial studies on the effect of tea on benign and malignant thyroid diseases. An age and gender group matched case-control study conducted in Athens, Greece, was designed. 113 Greek patients with histologically confirmed thyroid cancer and 286 patients with benign thyroid diseases along with 138 healthy controls were interviewed with a pre-structured questionnaire in person by trained interviewers. An inverse association between chamomile tea consumption and benign/malignant thyroid diseases was found (P < 0.001). The odds of chamomile tea consumption, two to six times a week, after controlling for age, gender and BMI, were 0.30 (95% CI: 0.10-0.89) and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.12-0.5) for developing thyroid cancer and benign thyroid diseases, respectively when compared with not consumption. The duration of consumption wa...
Research Interests:
ROBOTIC THYROIDECTOMY (RT), as described and applied in large numbers of patients in Korea, has been to many a revolution in modern thyroid surgery. A thyroidectomy without an incision in the neck is appealing to many patients and some... more
ROBOTIC THYROIDECTOMY (RT), as described and applied in large numbers of patients in Korea, has been to many a revolution in modern thyroid surgery. A thyroidectomy without an incision in the neck is appealing to many patients and some surgeons. In this report, the leaders of the transaxillary robot-assisted thyroidectomy approach are comparing their novel technique with conventional open thyroidectomy (OT) and asking the question whether RT provides a better self-body image and improved quality of life (QoL) than the conventional approach. Their answer favors RT, but we are not convinced with the data presented in this paper. Of the 169 patients (all of whom were female)
Research Interests:
Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen when inhaled, but its carcinogenic potential when orally ingested remains controversial. Water contaminated with hexavalent chromium is a worldwide problem, making this a question of significant... more
Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen when inhaled, but its carcinogenic potential when orally ingested remains controversial. Water contaminated with hexavalent chromium is a worldwide problem, making this a question of significant public health importance. We conducted an ecological mortality study within the Oinofita region of Greece, where water has been contaminated with hexavalent chromium. We calculated gender, age, and period standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for all deaths, cancer deaths, and specific cancer types of Oinofita residents over an 11-year period (1999 - 2009), using the greater prefecture of Voiotia as the standard population. A total of 474 deaths were observed. The SMR for all cause mortality was 98 (95% CI 89-107) and for all cancer mortality 114 (95% CI 94-136). The SMR for primary liver cancer was 1104 (95% CI 405-2403, p-value < 0.001). Furthermore, statistically significantly higher SMRs were identified for lung cancer (SMR = 145, 95% CI 100-20...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
An incision less than 3 cm in length in the neck is the main feature that discriminates the minimally invasive thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy from traditional procedures. Smaller neck scars are assumed to yield better patient... more
An incision less than 3 cm in length in the neck is the main feature that discriminates the minimally invasive thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy from traditional procedures. Smaller neck scars are assumed to yield better patient satisfaction, although no established data support this. In this analysis, we evaluated the satisfaction of patients who had undergone both procedures, while examining the effects of sociodemographic and surgical characteristics. We analyzed data from 691 patients who underwent a thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy between January 2000 and March 2010. We assessed the satisfaction of patients who underwent conventional compared to minimally invasive procedures, using the validated Patient Scar Assessment Questionnaire (PSAQ). We included both the appearance and the consciousness subscales. Overall, patients were satisfied with their neck scars, as indicated by the low scores in appearance (13.3; range, 9 to 31) and consciousness (8.5; range, 6 to 24) subscales. The degree of satisfaction improved with increased time since surgery (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .001). Patient satisfaction was similar regardless of the procedure used, implying that smaller scars do not provide better patient satisfaction. Most patients (81.2%) reported that they would not have preferred a transaxillary procedure over the procedure they received. A smaller incision in the neck was not associated with better patient satisfaction. New surgical approaches aimed at maximizing cosmesis while minimizing scar size should be evaluated for cost-effectiveness and clinical outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction, before becoming the standard of care.