Hynek Pikhart
University College London, Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
The Russian mortality crisis of the early 1990s attracted considerable attention, but information on possible covariates of mortality is lacking, and concerns have been raised about the validity of official mortality data. To help... more
The Russian mortality crisis of the early 1990s attracted considerable attention, but information on possible covariates of mortality is lacking, and concerns have been raised about the validity of official mortality data. To help elucidate the determinants of mortality, we examined whether indirect demographic techniques could be used to study mortality in countries such as the Russian Federation, where mortality data are inadequate, using input data independent from official vital statistics. A national sample of the population was interviewed (n = 1600, response rate = 67%). Participants who had ever been married (82% of the sample) were asked about the date of birth and vital status of their first spouse. Spousal mortality was then estimated indirectly for the 531 men and 710 women for whom valid data were available. The estimated risk of death between the ages of 35-69 years was 57% for male spouses and 17% for female spouses. Corresponding figures derived from national data fo...
Research Interests: Demography, Survival Analysis, Secondary Education, Mortality, Cardiovascular disease, and 20 moreSocial status, United Kingdom, Russia, Humans, Primary Education, Female, Male, Population Size, Russian Federation, University Education, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, AGE FACTOR, Cross sectional Study, Vital statistics, Proportional Hazards Models, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Human Geography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Occupational Health, Stress, and 23 morePublic Health, Comparative Study, Medicine, Czech Republic, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Europe, Work, Female, Male, Statistical Significance, Work Stress, Health Status, Middle Aged, EST, Questionnaires, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Effort-reward imbalance, Occupational Diseases, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, and Self Rated Health
Research Interests: Psychology, Eastern Europe, Cognition, Neuroepidemiology, Czech Republic, and 25 moreRussia, Humans, Verbal Fluency, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Risk factors, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Cognitive impairment, Random sampling, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Time Factors, Cognitive Function, Age Factors, Risk Factors, Birth Cohort, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Neurosciences, General Population, Cognition disorders, and Cohort Studies
Research Interests: Demography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Depression, Life course, and 21 morePublic Health, Poland, Social deprivation, Czech Republic, Russia, Social Inequality, Humans, Affective Disorders, Female, Male, Socioeconomic Status, Prevalence, Questionnaires, Affective, Educational Status, Disease Progression, Socio Economic Status, Depressive Symptoms, Cross Sectional Studies, Life Change Events, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Sociology, Demography, Anthropology, Public Health, Employment, and 28 moreLogistic Regression, Czech Republic, Social Science & Medicine, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Uncertainty, Humans, Europe, Sex Education, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Population based study, Risk factors, Meta Analysis, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Health surveys, Risk Factors, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Social Science, Logistic Models, Marital Status, and Socioeconomic Factors
It is estimated that disease burden due to low fruit and vegetable consumption is higher in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) than any other parts of the world. However, no large scale studies have... more
It is estimated that disease burden due to low fruit and vegetable consumption is higher in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) than any other parts of the world. However, no large scale studies have investigated the association between fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake and mortality in these regions yet. The Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study is a prospective cohort study with participants recruited from the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia. Dietary data was collected using food frequency questionnaire. Mortality data was ascertained through linkage with death registers. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios were calculated by Cox regression models. Among 19,333 disease-free participants at baseline, 1314 died over the mean follow-up of 7.1 years. After multivariable adjustment, we found statistically significant inverse association between cohort-specific quartiles of F&V intake and stroke mortality: the highest ...
Research Interests:
A healthy start to life is a major priority in efforts to reduce health inequalities across Europe, with important implications for the health of future generations. There is limited combined evidence on inequalities in health among... more
A healthy start to life is a major priority in efforts to reduce health inequalities across Europe, with important implications for the health of future generations. There is limited combined evidence on inequalities in health among newborns across a range of European countries. Prospective cohort data of 75 296 newborns from 12 European countries were used. Maternal education, preterm and small for gestational age births were determined at baseline along with covariate data. Regression models were estimated within each cohort and meta-analyses were conducted to compare and measure heterogeneity between cohorts. Mother's education was linked to an appreciable risk of preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) births across 12 European countries. The excess risk of preterm births associated with low maternal education was 1.48 (1.29 to 1.69) and 1.84 (0.99 to 2.69) in relative and absolute terms (Relative/Slope Index of Inequality, RII/SII) for all cohorts combined. Similar effe...
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Research Interests:
Health and inequalities in health among inhabitants of European cities are of major importance for European public health and there is great interest in how different health care systems in Europe perform in the reduction of health... more
Health and inequalities in health among inhabitants of European cities are of major importance for European public health and there is great interest in how different health care systems in Europe perform in the reduction of health inequalities. However, evidence on the spatial distribution of cause-specific mortality across neighbourhoods of European cities is scarce. This study presents maps of avoidable mortality in European cities and analyses differences in avoidable mortality between neighbourhoods with different levels of deprivation. We determined the level of mortality from 14 avoidable causes of death for each neighbourhood of 15 large cities in different European regions. To address the problems associated with Standardised Mortality Ratios for small areas we smooth them using the Bayesian model proposed by Besag, York and Mollié. Ecological regression analysis was used to assess the association between social deprivation and mortality. Mortality from avoidable causes of death is higher in deprived neighbourhoods and mortality rate ratios between areas with different levels of deprivation differ between gender and cities. In most cases rate ratios are lower among women. While Eastern and Southern European cities show higher levels of avoidable mortality, the association of mortality with social deprivation tends to be higher in Northern and lower in Southern Europe. There are marked differences in the level of avoidable mortality between neighbourhoods of European cities and the level of avoidable mortality is associated with social deprivation. There is no systematic difference in the magnitude of this association between European cities or regions. Spatial patterns of avoidable mortality across small city areas can point to possible local problems and specific strategies to reduce health inequality which is important for the development of urban areas and the well-being of their inhabitants.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Injury Prevention, Czech Republic, Birth Weight, Humans, and 21 moreFemale, Male, Infant, Mothers, Risk factors, Registries, Newborn Infant, Maternal Age, Infant Mortality, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Risk Factors, Parity, Gestational Age, Birth Certificates, Wounds and Injuries, Logistic Models, Predictive value of tests, Cohort Studies, Marital Status, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Adolescent, Linear models, Czech Republic, Sweden, Birth Weight, and 16 morePregnancy, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Registries, Newborn Infant, Middle Aged, Adult, Paediatric, Public health systems and services research, Body Height, Preterm Delivery, Logistic Models, Pregnancy Outcome, and Socioeconomic Factors
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The primary objective of the SAVIAH, a multi-centre study funded by European Union, was to assess new methodology for study of small area health statistics and to implement it in epidemiological health statistics and geography. In Prague,... more
The primary objective of the SAVIAH, a multi-centre study funded by European Union, was to assess new methodology for study of small area health statistics and to implement it in epidemiological health statistics and geography. In Prague, the study has been conducted in two city districts with large variation in air pollution. Data at individual level (health symptoms and socio-economic circumstances of the family) were collected by questionnaires completed by parents of 3680 children aged 7-10 both resident and attending schools within the area (response rate 88%). Aggregated data for geographical areas were available from census and urban planning sources for 692 enumeration districts in the study area which were aggregated into 75 medium sized areas. Outdoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were monitored by passive samplers. All these data were integrated into a geographic information system (GIS). Spatial distribution of air pollution was estimated by kriging and multiple regression modelling. These models explained about 80% of the variation in air pollution measured by passive samplers. GIS was then used to assign to individuals an exposure based on place of residence and school in order to conduct individual based analyses. Association between NO2 and life-time prevalence of wheezing and/or whistling, and wheezing/whistling in the last 12 months was studied by logistic regression. For both outcomes, school levels of NO2 were positively related to symptoms but home levels of NO2 showed a negative association. Logistic regression at individual level gives similar results as ecological analysis and multilevel modelling. Hierarchical model yielded somewhat wider confidence limits. Adjustment for parental behavioural and socio-economic factors did not affect these estimates substantially. This study demonstrated the power of the GIS methodology in studying the effects of complex environmental factors on respiratory health of children.
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We report analysis of data on outdoor air pollution and respiratory symptoms in children collected in the Czech part of the international Small Area Variations in Air pollution and Health (SAVIAH) Project, a methodological study designed... more
We report analysis of data on outdoor air pollution and respiratory symptoms in children collected in the Czech part of the international Small Area Variations in Air pollution and Health (SAVIAH) Project, a methodological study designed to test the use of geographical information systems (GIS) in studies of environmental exposures and health at small area level. We collected the following data in two districts of Prague: (1) individual data on 3,680 children (response rate 88%) by questionnaires; (2) census-based socio-demographic data for small geographical units; (3) concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) measured by passive samplers in three 2-week surveys at 80 and 50 locations, respectively. We integrated all data into a geographical information system. Modeling of NO2 and SO2 allowed estimation of exposure to outdoor NO2 and SO2 at school and at home for each child. We examined the associations between air pollution and prevalence of wheezing or whistling in the chest in the last 12 months by logistic regression at individual level, weighted least squares regression at small area (ecological) level and multilevel modeling. The results varied by the level of analysis and method of exposure estimation. In multilevel analyses using individual data, odds ratios per 10 microg/m3 increase in concentrations were 1.16 (95% CI = 0.95-1.42) for NO2, and 1.08 (95% CI = 0.97-1.21) for SO2. While mapping of spatial distribution of NO2 and SO2 in the study area appeared valid, the interpolation from outdoor to personal exposures requires consideration.
Research Interests:
Air pollution has been linked to respiratory outcomes but controversy persists about its long-term effects. We used a novel technique to estimate the outdoor concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) at small-area level to study the... more
Air pollution has been linked to respiratory outcomes but controversy persists about its long-term effects. We used a novel technique to estimate the outdoor concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) at small-area level to study the long-term effects on respiratory symptoms and disease in children. As part of the international SAVIAH study, parents of 8,013 children aged 7-10 studied in Prague (Czech Republic) and Poznan (Poland) completed a questionnaire covering respiratory health, demographic and socio-economic factors and health behaviours (response rate 91%). This report is based on 6,959 children with complete data. Outdoor SO2 was measured by passive samplers at 80 sites in Poznan and 50 sites in Prague during 2-week campaigns. Concentrations of SO2 at each point (location) in the study areas were estimated from these data by modelling in a geographical information system. The mean of the estimated SO2 concentrations at children's homes and schools was used as an indicator of exposure to outdoor SO2. The prevalence of respiratory outcomes was similar in both cities. In the pooled data, 12% of children had experienced wheezing/whistling in the past 12 months; 28% had a lifetime prevalence of wheezing/whistling; 14% had a dry cough at night; and 3% had had asthma diagnosed by a doctor. The estimated mean exposure to outdoor SO2 was 80 (range 44-140) microg/m3 in Poznan and 84 (66-97) microg/m3 in Prague. After socio-economic characteristics and other covariates were controlled for, SO2 was associated with wheezing/whistling in the past 12 months (adjusted OR per 50 microg/m3 1.32, 95% CI 1.10-1.57), lifetime prevalence of wheezing/whistling (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99-1.30), and lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosed by a doctor (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.01-1.92). The association with dry cough at night did not reach statistical significance. In these two Central European cities with relatively high levels of air pollution, small-area based indicators of long-term outdoor winter concentrations of SO2 were associated with wheezing/whistling and with asthma diagnosed by a doctor.
Research Interests: Health Behavior, Archives, Asthma, Air pollution, Poland, and 18 moreCzech Republic, Health behaviour, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Statistical Significance, Prevalence, School Children, Public health systems and services research, Passive sampler, Long Term Effect, Cough, Geographic Information System, Sulfur Dioxide, Respiratory Sounds, Air Pollutants, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Demography, Epidemiology, Sex, Survival Analysis, Public Health, and 26 moreSecondary Education, Mortality, Cardiovascular disease, Social status, United Kingdom, Russia, Humans, Age, Primary Education, Female, Male, Population Size, Russian Federation, Socioeconomic Status, University Education, Aged, Middle Aged, Risk Factor, Questionnaires, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, AGE FACTOR, Cross sectional Study, Vital statistics, Proportional Hazards Models, and Socioeconomic Factors
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Research Interests: British medical history, Russia, Sweden, Humans, Elderly People, and 24 moreFemale, Male, Life Expectancy, Russian Federation, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Survey data, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Survival Rate, BMJ, Life Table, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Physical Function, Life Span, General Population, Age Groups, Life tables, Cohort Studies, and Disabled Persons
Research Interests: Psychology, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Lipids, and 21 moreCross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Alcohol, Blood sampling, Male, Ethanol, Risk factors, LDL-cholesterol, Alcohol Consumption, Heart Disease, Middle Aged, Coronary heart disease, Binge drinking, Public health systems and services research, Risk Factors, Population Study, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, Blood Lipids, and Neurosciences
Research Interests: Health, Risk assessment, Comparative Study, Logistic Regression, Down Syndrome, and 21 moreCzech Republic, California, Pregnancy, Humans, Public, Female, Male, Registries, Newborn Infant, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Parents, Questionnaires, Adult, Maternal Age, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Prenatal Diagnosis, Risk Assessment, Logistic Models, and Birth Defect
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There is debate about the value of measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) in clinical trials in oncology because of evidence suggesting that HRQL does not influence clinical decisions. Analysis of HRQL in surgical trials,... more
There is debate about the value of measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) in clinical trials in oncology because of evidence suggesting that HRQL does not influence clinical decisions. Analysis of HRQL in surgical trials, however, may inform decision making because it provides detailed assessment of the immediate detrimental short-term impact of surgery on HRQL that needs to be considered against the long-term survival benefits and functional outcomes of surgery. This study evaluated whether HRQL in randomized trials in surgical oncology contributes to clinical decision making. A systematic review identified randomized trials in surgical oncology with HRQL. Trials were evaluated independently by two reviewers and the value of HRQL in clinical decision making was categorized in three ways: whether trial investigators reported that HRQL influenced final treatment recommendations, whether trial investigators reported that HRQL would be useful for informed consent, and whether HRQL was assessed robustly according to predefined criteria. Thirty-three randomized trials with valid HRQL questionnaires were identified; 22 (67%) concluded that HRQL outcomes influenced treatment decisions or provided valuable data for informed consent, and seven of these trials had robust HRQL design. Another five trials had robust HRQL design but investigators reported that HRQL outcomes were not clinically important enough to influence treatment recommendations. In surgical trials in oncology, HRQL informed clinical decision making. It is recommended that HRQL be included in relevant surgical trials, and that information be used to inform clinicians and patients about the impact of surgery on short- and long-term HRQL.
Research Interests:
To estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis (JIA) and gout in a population based study in two regions of the Czech Republic with total population of 186,000 inhabitants. The study was... more
To estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis (JIA) and gout in a population based study in two regions of the Czech Republic with total population of 186,000 inhabitants. The study was conducted in the Town of Ceske Budejovice and district of Cheb in the Czech Republic (with a total population of 186,000 inhabitants) in the years 2002 and 2003. Incident cases were registered on condition that the definite diagnosis was confirmed according to existing classification criteria during the study period. Prevalence was studied on the basis of identification of established diagnosis from registers of patients of participating rheumatologists and other specialists. They were asked to report all living patients who had been diagnosed before 1st March 2002. Patients were only included in the study if their permanent address was in the selected study area. Overall, we found 48 incident and 947 prevalent cases of RA among adults (16+ years), 4 incident and 43 prevalent cases of JIA among children (less than 16 years old), and 64 incident and 425 prevalent cases of gout among adults (16+ years). The total annual incidence of RA was 31/100,000 in the adult population aged 16 years and more (95% CI 20 to 42/100,000). The prevalence of RA was 610/100,000 (95% CI 561 to 658/100,000) in the adult population. An annual incidence of gout in adults was 41/100,000 (95% CI 28 to 53/100,000). The prevalence of gout was 300/100,000 (95% CI 266 to 334/100,000). The annual incidence of JIA was 13/100,000 in children less than 16 years old (95%CI 1 to 20/100,000). The prevalence of JIA in children was 140/100,000 (95% CI 117 to 280/100,000). This study estimates the annual incidence and prevalence rates of RA, gout and JIA in the first population-based survey in the Czech Republic. The rates of RA and JIA compare well with figures reported from other countries; figures in gout seem to be lower than reported elsewhere.
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Research Interests: Demography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Depression, Life course, and 21 morePublic Health, Poland, Social deprivation, Czech Republic, Russia, Social Inequality, Humans, Affective Disorders, Female, Male, Socioeconomic Status, Prevalence, Questionnaires, Affective, Educational Status, Disease Progression, Socio Economic Status, Depressive Symptoms, Cross Sectional Studies, Life Change Events, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Obesity, Unemployment, Physical Activity, Comparative Study, and 27 moreCardiovascular disease, Social Class, Social status, Czech Republic, Germany, Humans, Hypertension, Smoking, Female, Male, Population based study, Regression Analysis, Crowding, Exercise, Risk factors, Socioeconomic Status, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Unemployment and Crime Rate, Regression Model, Public health systems and services research, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Multilevel Analysis, Cardiovascular Diseases, Risk Factors, and Unemployment rate
Research Interests: Life Style, Causal Inference, Russia, Sweden, Self Efficacy, and 21 moreCross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Female, Male, Registries, Logistic Regression Analysis, Perceived Control, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Cross sectional Study, Formal Social Control, Health Effect, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Logistic Models, Socioeconomic Factors, and attitude to health
The international pattern of obesity is only partly understood. While in developed countries the association between education and obesity is inverse, in the developing world social distribution of obesity is less predictable. We examined... more
The international pattern of obesity is only partly understood. While in developed countries the association between education and obesity is inverse, in the developing world social distribution of obesity is less predictable. We examined obesity patterns in three countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic, middle-income post-communist countries undergoing social and economic transition. The prevalence of obesity was inversely associated with education of individuals in our three samples of Central and Eastern European populations. In agreement with previous findings, the inverse socioeconomic gradient was more pronounced in the Czech Republic and Poland, countries with higher Gross National Product (GNP) than Russia. In addition, obesity was more common in Russian women than in Czech or Polish women while Russian men were less obese than Czech or Polish men. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the social gradient in obesity differs between populations--it is more likely to find a reverse association between socioeconomic position and prevalence of obesity in the more westernized countries with higher population income.
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Obesity, Social Class, Poland, Czech Republic, and 17 moreRussia, Humans, Developing Country, Female, Male, Developing World, Body Mass Index, European, Social Conditions, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Public health systems and services research, Economic transition, Educational Status, Central and Eastern European Studies, and Cross Sectional Studies
Hubacek, JA and Adamkova, V and Stavek, P and Hubacek, JA and Kubinova, R and Peasey, A and Pikhart, H and Mar-Mot, M and Bobak, M (2008) Apolipoprotein E Arg136 -> Cys mutation and hyperlipidemia in a large central European population... more
Hubacek, JA and Adamkova, V and Stavek, P and Hubacek, JA and Kubinova, R and Peasey, A and Pikhart, H and Mar-Mot, M and Bobak, M (2008) Apolipoprotein E Arg136 -> Cys mutation and hyperlipidemia in a large central European population sample. CLIN CHIM ...
Research Interests: Genetics, Humans, Mutation, Europe, Female, and 8 moreMale, Lipid metabolism, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Arginine, and Cysteine
Research Interests: Public Health, Logistic Regression, Czech Republic, Humans, Locus of Control, and 17 moreFemale, Dental Caries, Male, Statistical Significance, Risk factors, Parents, Questionnaires, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Preschool Children, Risk Factors, Parent‐child Relations, Cross Sectional Studies, Socioeconomic Factors, Child preschool, and attitude to health
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Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Czech Republic, and 16 moreHumans, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Social Psychiatry, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, C reactive protein, Questionnaires, Random sampling, Depressive Symptoms, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, and Healthy Subjects
Variants in the FTO (oxoglutarate-dependent nucleic acid demethylase) gene have been associated with the BMI determination in Western European and North American populations. To widen the geographical coverage of the FTO studies, we have... more
Variants in the FTO (oxoglutarate-dependent nucleic acid demethylase) gene have been associated with the BMI determination in Western European and North American populations. To widen the geographical coverage of the FTO studies, we have analyzed the association between the FTO gene variant rs17817449 (G>C) and obesity in a Slavic Eastern European population. A total of 3,079 males and 3,602 females 45-69 years old were randomly selected from population registers of seven Czech cities. We examined three indices of obesity: BMI (kg/m(2)), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The FTO rs17817449 variant was significantly associated with BMI both in males (GG 28.7 +/- 4.1; GT 28.3 +/- 3.9; TT 28.0 +/- 3.9; P = 0.003) and females (GG 28.7 +/- 5.2; GT 28.2 +/- 5.1; TT 27.2 +/- 4.9; P < 0.001); the associations were not affected by adjustment for age, smoking, socioeconomic status, and physical activity. The FTO variant was also associated with waist circumference (difference between GG and TT was 1.1 cm (P = 0.043) in men and 2.4 cm (P < 0.001) in women) but this relationship disappeared after adjustment for BMI. Similarly, BMI explained the weak association of FTO with WHR and C-reactive protein. FTO was not associated with plasma total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and blood pressure. These results confirm that in a Slavic population the FTO variant is strongly associated with BMI but not with other risk factors.
Research Interests: Obesity, Physical Activity, Multidisciplinary, Czech Republic, Humans, and 18 moreBlood Glucose, Diabetes mellitus, Blood Pressure, Female, Male, Proteins, Body Mass Index, Risk factors, Socioeconomic Status, Waist Circumference, Association, Aged, Middle Aged, C reactive protein, Waist to Hip Ratio, Risk Factors, North American, and Nucleic Acid
We tested the hypothesis that the MLXIPL rs3812316 variant predicts plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. We compared three groups of adult individuals: 162 persons with TG... more
We tested the hypothesis that the MLXIPL rs3812316 variant predicts plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. We compared three groups of adult individuals: 162 persons with TG > 10 mmol/L, 266 persons with TG < 0.65 mmol/L, and 2,043 population-based controls (range of TG concentrations 0.7-8.7 mmol/L). We found a small difference in the frequency of the Gln allele carriers between population controls (20.4%) and persons with low TG (26.3%, P = 0.033). We found no difference between individuals with high TG and population controls, and there was no association between the MLXIPL variant and plasma TG levels among the population controls.
Research Interests: Genetics, Human Genetics, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Czech Republic, DNA, and 15 moreHumans, Female, Male, Population Control, Triglycerides, Aged, Middle Aged, Genotype, Adult, European Continental Ancestry Group, Genetic variation, Base Sequence, Amino Acid Substitution Rates, Case Control Studies, and Hypertriglyceridemia
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Social capital is often described as a collective benefit engendered by generalised trust, civic participation, and mutual reciprocity. This feature of communities has been shown to associate with an assortment of health outcomes at... more
Social capital is often described as a collective benefit engendered by generalised trust, civic participation, and mutual reciprocity. This feature of communities has been shown to associate with an assortment of health outcomes at several levels of analysis. The current study assesses the evidence for an association between area-level social capital and individual-level subjective health. Respondents participating in waves 8 (1998) and 9 (1999) of the British Household Panel Survey were identified and followed-up 5 years later in wave 13 (2003). Area social capital was measured by two aggregated survey items: social trust and civic participation. Multilevel logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between area social capital indicators and individual poor self-rated health. Evidence for a protective association with current self-rated health was found for area social trust after controlling for individual characteristics, baseline self-rated health and individual social trust. There was no evidence for an association between area civic participation and self-rated health after adjustment. The findings of this study expand the literature on social capital and health through the use of longitudinal data and multilevel modelling techniques.
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Social Interaction, Statistical Analysis, Social Capital, and 29 moreModeling, Social Support, Health, British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), Social Science & Medicine, Humans, Social Medicine, Surveys, Multilevel modelling, Female, Male, Capital social, Regression Analysis, Attitudes, Young Adult, Interpersonal Relations, Health Status, Self Evaluation, Aged, Great Britain, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Longitudinal data, Multilevel Analysis, Logistic Regression Model, Self Rated Health, and Health Outcome
Research Interests: Poverty, Mental Health, Depression, Unemployment, Public Health, and 15 moreLogistic Regression, Czech Republic, Humans, Female, Male, Population based study, University Education, Aged, Middle Aged, Random sampling, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Health surveys, Depressive Symptoms, and Logistic Models
A possible association between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism was found in some but not all studies. We have analyzed the APOE genotypes in 995 hemodialyzed patients (cases) and a sample of 6242... more
A possible association between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism was found in some but not all studies. We have analyzed the APOE genotypes in 995 hemodialyzed patients (cases) and a sample of 6242 healthy individuals (controls) in the Czech Republic. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of APOE alleles between cases and controls, with more carriers of the APOE2 allele in ESRD patients (15.9%) than in controls (12.2%) (P = 0.005). The odds ratio of ESRD for the APOE2 allele, compared with APOE3E3 homozygotes, was 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.13-1.67). The strength of the association increased with the time spent on hemodialysis: the odds ratio of all-cause ESRD in patients dialyzed for eight or more years was 1.27 (0.94-1.71), for 1-8 years 1.41 (1.09-1.81), and less than 1 year (nonsurvivors) 1.94 (0.88-4.18). This study suggests that the APOE2 allele is a possible genetic risk factor for all-cause ESRD in Caucasians.
Research Interests: Genetics, Polymorphism, Health, Czech Republic, Humans, and 14 moreEnd Stage Renal Disease, Hemodialysis, Male, Statistical Significance, Biochemical, Risk factors, Aged, Genotype, Risk Factors, Biochemical Genetics, Chronic Kidney Failure, Confidence Interval, Renal Dialysis, and Case Control Studies
Research Interests: Human Geography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Occupational Health, Stress, and 23 morePublic Health, Comparative Study, Medicine, Czech Republic, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Europe, Work, Female, Male, Statistical Significance, Work Stress, Health Status, Middle Aged, EST, Questionnaires, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Effort-reward imbalance, Occupational Diseases, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, and Self Rated Health
Research Interests: Psychology, Eastern Europe, Cognition, Neuroepidemiology, Czech Republic, and 25 moreRussia, Humans, Verbal Fluency, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Risk factors, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Cognitive impairment, Random sampling, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Time Factors, Cognitive Function, Age Factors, Risk Factors, Birth Cohort, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Neurosciences, General Population, Cognition disorders, and Cohort Studies
Research Interests: Polymorphism, Cancer, Atherosclerosis, Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications, Adolescent, and 25 moreLung Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Humans, Mutation, Pharmacogenetics, Female, Male, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Glutathione, Genetic Association Studies, Statistical Significance, Young Adult, The, Alexandria, Clinical Sciences, Middle Aged, Slovakia, Carcinoma, Genotype, Adult, Chest, Glutathione Transferase, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Age of Onset, and Confidence Interval
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Diet, Health, Poland, Czech Republic, and 28 moreRussia, Seasonality, Humans, Magnesium, Public, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Food Frequency Questionnaire, Potassium, Body Mass Index, Risk factors, Fruit and vegetables, Aged, Middle Aged, Dietary Assessment, Questionnaires, Random sampling, Public health systems and services research, Cardiovascular Diseases, Risk Factors, Large Scale, General Population, Energy Intake, Central and Eastern European countries, Nutrient Intake, Socioeconomic Factors, and Dietary Habits
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Poland, Comorbidity, European Public Health Policies, Czech Republic, and 22 moreRussia, Humans, Alcoholism, Female, Male, Risk factors, Alcohol Consumption, European, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Public health systems and services research, Urban Population, Risk Factors, Socio Economic Status, Cross sectional Study, Central and Eastern European Studies, Wounds and Injuries, Cross Sectional Studies, Confidence Interval, Socioeconomic Factors, and Psychosocial deprivation
Research Interests: Sociology, Demography, Anthropology, Public Health, Employment, and 28 moreLogistic Regression, Czech Republic, Social Science & Medicine, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Uncertainty, Humans, Europe, Sex Education, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Population based study, Risk factors, Meta Analysis, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Health surveys, Risk Factors, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Social Science, Logistic Models, Marital Status, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Immunology, Polymorphism, Cardiovascular disease, Czech Republic, and 17 moreHumans, Female, Male, Genetic Association Studies, Statistical Significance, Apoe, Statistical Power, Risk factors, Aged, Middle Aged, C reactive protein, Genotype, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Human Immunology, Risk Factors, Population Study, and General Population
Research Interests: Human Geography, Adolescent, Social Class, Czech Republic, Multivariate Analysis, and 16 moreSocial Inequality, Humans, Alcoholism, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Statistical Significance, Risk factors, Middle Aged, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Health and Place, Multilevel Analysis, Health surveys, Risk Factors, and Logistic Models
To estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and reactive arthritis (ReA) in a sample of the Czech population. The population-based study was conducted in two regions of the... more
To estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and reactive arthritis (ReA) in a sample of the Czech population. The population-based study was conducted in two regions of the Czech Republic (with a total population of 186000 inhabitants) in 2002-2003. Incident cases were registered on condition of confirming a definite diagnosis according to existing classification criteria during the study period (1 March 2002 to 1 March 2003). Prevalence was studied on the basis of identification of established diagnoses (before 1 March 2002) from registers of living patients of participating rheumatologists and other specialists. The age-standardized estimates of incidence and prevalence were calculated using the European standard population. The total annual incidence of PsA in adults aged >or= 16 years was 3.6/100000 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-7.6/100000] and the prevalence of PsA was 49.1/100000 (95% CI 39.5-60.4/100000). The annual incidence of AS in adults was 6.4/100000 (95% CI 3.3-11.3/100000) and the prevalence of AS was 94.2/100000 (95% CI 80.8-109.2/100 000). The annual incidence of ReA in adults was 9.3/100000 (95% CI 5.5-14.8/100000) and the prevalence of ReA was 91.3/100000 (95% CI 78.1-106.2/100000). The annual incidence and prevalence rates of PsA, AS, and ReA in the first population-based survey in the Czech Republic compared well with data reported from other countries.
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To assess changes over time and determine the minimally important difference (MID) in the Oral Impact on Daily Performances (OIDP) index for patients with severe generalized periodontitis receiving periodontal treatment. This study was... more
To assess changes over time and determine the minimally important difference (MID) in the Oral Impact on Daily Performances (OIDP) index for patients with severe generalized periodontitis receiving periodontal treatment. This study was nested in a larger randomized controlled trial and consisted of 45 consecutive subjects of the larger trial (17 receiving intensive and 28 receiving conservative periodontal care). The OIDP index assessed impacts on quality of life (QoL) at baseline and 1 month after treatment. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used for comparison over time and between treatment groups. To estimate the MID, two subjective global transition scales, related to periodontal and oral health, respectively, were used as anchors, whereas the effect size (ES), standardized response mean and standard error of measurement were also calculated. The mean OIDP score after treatment was significantly lower than at baseline, indicating improvement in QoL, but there were no differences between treatment groups. Based on an agreement between different methods, the MID of the OIDP index was around five scale points and corresponded to a moderate ES. The MID for the OIDP index among patients treated for severe generalized periodontitis provides meaning to change scores and facilitates interpretation of findings.
Research Interests: Dentistry, Nonparametric Statistics, Quality of life, Activities of Daily Living, Humans, and 13 moreFemale, Clinical, Male, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Adult, Periodontitis, Chi Square Distribution, Minocycline, Dental Scaling, Sickness Impact Profile, and Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
To test whether immigrants with illegal/irregular status have higher odds of poor self-rated health (SRH) than immigrants with legal status, and whether different demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors affect SRH among legal... more
To test whether immigrants with illegal/irregular status have higher odds of poor self-rated health (SRH) than immigrants with legal status, and whether different demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors affect SRH among legal and illegal/irregular immigrants. Analysis is based on data from two questionnaire surveys of 285 Post-Soviet and Vietnamese immigrants (126 legal and 159 illegal/irregular) living and working in the Czech Republic, which were conducted between 2003 and 2006. The risk of poor SRH was estimated by ordered polytomous regression, the dependent variable was SRH, and selected demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial characteristics entered the analysis as explanatory variables. Odds of poor SRH among illegal immigrants were not statistically significantly higher than among legal migrants in fully adjusted analysis. Females and older immigrants had poorer SRH. Satisfaction with work, and, partly, with housing were found to have a significant role. Educational level and 'social communication' variables did not have an important role in predicting SRH. Inequalities in SRH among legal and illegal immigrants were largely explained by socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in this study. These results should stimulate further research activities that might improve health policy and planning related to immigrants' health in this and other countries in Europe.
Research Interests: Public Health, Vietnam, Health Policy, Adolescent, Social Class, and 18 moreVietnamese, Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Humans, Female, Male, Social Communication, Young Adult, Middle Aged, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Illegal Immigration, Health surveys, Self report, Self Rated Health, and Questionnaire Survey
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The FTO gene variants are the most important genetic determinants of body weight and obesity known so far, but the mechanism of their effect remains unclear. We have analyzed FTO rs17817449 variant (G>T in first... more
The FTO gene variants are the most important genetic determinants of body weight and obesity known so far, but the mechanism of their effect remains unclear. We have analyzed FTO rs17817449 variant (G>T in first intron) in 6024 adults aged 45-69 years to assess the potential mediating role of diet and physical activity. Diet was assessed by a 140-item food frequency questionnaire. Physical activity was measured by hours spent during a typical week by sport, walking and other activities outside of work requiring heavy and medium physical activity. Basal metabolic rate was calculated according Schofield formula. The FTO variant was significantly associated with body mass index (means in GG, GT and TT carriers were 28.7, 28.2 and 27.8 kg/m(2), p<0.001) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) (means in GG, GT and TT were 1603, 1588 and 1576 kcal per day, respectively, p<0.008) but it was not associated with physical activity, total energy intake or with energy intakes from fat, carbohydrates, proteins or alcohol. Results were essentially similar in men and women and the adjustment for physical activity or dietary energy intake did not reduce the effect of the FTO polymorphism. Means of BMR per kg of body weight was lowest in GG carriers (20.09, 20.21 for GT and 20.30 for TT, p<0.006) and this effect was more pronounced in females. These results suggest that the effect of the FTO rs17817449 variant on BMI in Caucasian adults is not mediated by energy intake or physical activity, but some effect on BMR per kg of body weight is possible.
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Research Interests: Human Geography, Unemployment, Adolescent, Czech Republic, Humans, and 15 moreSmoking, Female, Divorce, Male, Young Adult, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Health and Place, Sex Factors, Age Factors, Educational Status, Marital Status, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Child Development, Adolescent, Social Class, England, European Public Health Policies, and 15 moreProspective studies, Humans, Child, Smoking, Female, Male, Young Adult, Social Adjustment, European, Middle Aged, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Logistic Models, and Cohort Studies
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Background There has been an ongoing debate whether the effects of socioeconomic factors on health are due to absolute poverty and material factors or to relative deprivation and psychosocial factors. In the present analyses, we examined... more
Background There has been an ongoing debate whether the effects of socioeconomic factors on health are due to absolute poverty and material factors or to relative deprivation and psychosocial factors. In the present analyses, we examined the importance for health of material factors, which may have a direct effect on health, and of those that may affect health indirectly, through psychosocial mechanisms. Methods Random national samples of men and women in Hungary (n = 973) and Poland (n = 1141) were interviewed (response rates 58% and 59%, respectively). The subjects reported their self-rated health, socioeconomic circumstances, including ownership of different household items, and perceived control over life. Household items were categorised as "basic needs", "socially oriented", and "luxury". We examined the association between the ownership of different groups of items and self-rated health. Since the lists of household items were different in Hungary and Poland, we conducted parallel identical analyses of the Hungarian and Polish data. Results The overall prevalence of poor or very poor health was 13% in Poland and 25% in Hungary. Education, material deprivation and the number of household items were all associated with poor health in bivariate analyses. All three groups of household items were positively related to self-rated health in age-adjusted analyses. The relation of basic needs items to poor health disappeared after controlling for other socioeconomic variables (mainly material deprivation). The relation of socially oriented and luxury items to poor health, however, persisted in multivariate models. The results were similar in both datasets. Conclusions These data suggest that health is influenced by both material and psychosocial aspects of socioeconomic factors.
Research Interests: Psychometrics, Poland, Ownership, Humans, Relative Deprivation, and 16 moreHungary, Female, Male, Income, Perceived Control, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Self Concept, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Self Rated Health, Environment, Socioeconomic Factors, Psychosocial deprivation, health status indicators, and attitude to health
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Life Style, Communicable Diseases, Social Behaviour, Cardiovascular disease, and 27 moreSocial Class, Cardiovascular Risk, Czech Republic, Lung Function, Prospective studies, Humans, Face to Face, Blood Pressure, Alcoholism, Female, Blood sampling, Male, Cohort Study, former Soviet Union, Risk factors, Sample Size, Social Conditions, Aged, Middle Aged, Random sampling, Public health systems and services research, Cognitive Function, Cardiovascular Diseases, Risk Factors, Substance-Related Disorders, Age Groups, and Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing
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Psychosocial factors at work have been found to predict a range of health outcomes but their effect on mental health outcomes has not been extensively studied. This paper explores the relationship between psychosocial factors at work and... more
Psychosocial factors at work have been found to predict a range of health outcomes but their effect on mental health outcomes has not been extensively studied. This paper explores the relationship between psychosocial factors at work and depression in three countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The data come from a cross-sectional study of working men (n=645) and women (n=523) aged 45–64 years, randomly selected from population registers in Novosibirsk (Russia), Krakow (Poland) and Karvina-Havirov (Czech Republic). The questionnaire included questions on the effort and reward at work, job control, the full CES-D scale of depression, and a range of other characteristics. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between depression score and work characteristics: the logarithm of the effort–reward ratio, and continuous job control score. The means of the depression score were 10.5 for men and 14.2 for women. After controlling for age, sex and country, effort-reward ratio (logarithmically transformed) was strongly related to depression score; a 1 SD increase in the log transformed effort-reward ratio was associated with an increase in the depression of 2.0 points (95% CI 1.5; 2.4), and further adjustment did not materially change the effect. Job control was inversely associated with depression score in Poland and the Czech Republic (not in Russia) but the association was largely eliminated by controlling for socioeconomic characteristics. This study suggests that the effort–reward imbalance at work is related to prevalence of depression in these central and eastern European populations.
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Eastern Europe, Mental Health, Occupational Health, and 25 moreDepression, Employment, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Motivation, Social Science & Medicine, Reward, Workplace, Humans, Job stress, Female, Male, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Public health systems and services research, Effort-reward imbalance, Linear Regression, Cross sectional Study, Central and Eastern European Studies, Cross Sectional Studies, Social Science, Health Outcome, and Socioeconomic Factors
To examine whether psychosocial factors at work are related to self rated health in post-communist countries. Random samples of men and women in five communities in four countries were sent a postal questionnaire (Poland, Czech Republic... more
To examine whether psychosocial factors at work are related to self rated health in post-communist countries. Random samples of men and women in five communities in four countries were sent a postal questionnaire (Poland, Czech Republic and Lithuania) or were invited to an interview (Hungary). Working subjects (n=3941) reported their self rated health in the past 12 months (5 point scale), their socioeconomic circumstances, perceived control over life, and the following aspects of the psychosocial work environment: job control, job demand, job variety, social support, and effort and reward at work (to calculate a ratio of effort/reward imbalance). As the results did not differ by country, pooled analyses were performed. Odds ratios of poor or very poor health ("poor health") were estimated for a 1 SD increase in the scores of work related factors. The overall prevalence of poor health was 6% in men and 7% in women. After controlling for age, sex and community, all work related factors were associated with poor health (p<0.05). After further adjustment for perceived control, only two work related factors remained associated with poor health; the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for 1 SD increase in the effort/reward ratio (log transformed) and job variety were 1.51 (1.29, 1.78) and 0.82 (0.73, 1.00), respectively. Further adjustment for all work related factors did not change these estimates. There were no interactions between individual work related factors, but the effects of job control and social support at work differed by marital status, and the odds ratio of job demand increased with increasing education. The continuous measure of effort/reward imbalance at work was a powerful determinant of self rated health in these post-communist populations. Although the cross sectional design does not allow firm conclusions as to causality, this study suggests that the effect of the psychosocial work environment is not confined to Western populations.
Research Interests: Human Geography, Epidemiology, Social Support, Adolescent, Poland, and 24 moreWork Environment, Czech Republic, Workplace, Humans, Hungary, Female, Male, Lithuania, Perceived Control, Health Status, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Effort-reward imbalance, Health surveys, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Confidence Interval, Marital Status, and attitude to health
This study examined the association between perceived control and several socioeconomic variables and self-rated health in seven post-communist countries (Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic). Questionnaire... more
This study examined the association between perceived control and several socioeconomic variables and self-rated health in seven post-communist countries (Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic). Questionnaire interviews were used to collect data on self-rated health in the last 12 months, education, marital status, perceived control based on nine questions, and material deprivation based on availability of food, clothing and heating. For each population, two ecological measures of material inequalities were available: an inequality score estimated from the survey data as the distance between the 90th and 10th percentiles of material deprivation, and Gini coefficient from published sources. Data on 5330 men and women aged 20–60 were analysed. Prevalence of poor health (worse than average) varied between 8% in Czechs and 19% in Hungarians. The age–sex-adjusted odds ratio for university vs primary education was 0.36 (0.26–0.49); odds ratios per 1 standard deviation increase in perceived control and in material deprivation were 0.58 (95% CI 0.48–0.69) and 1.51 (1.40–1.63), respectively. The odds ratio for an increase in inequality equivalent to the difference between the most and the least unequal populations was 1.49 (0.88–2.52) using the material inequality score and 1.41 (0.91–2.20) using the Gini coefficient. No indication of an effect of either inequality measure was seen after adjustment for individuals’ deprivation or perceived control. The results suggest that, as in western populations, education and material deprivation are strongly related to self-rated health. Perceived control appeared statistically to mediate some of the effects of material deprivation. The non-significant effects of both ecological measures of inequality were eliminated by controlling for individuals’ characteristics.
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Education, Eastern Europe, Poverty, and 34 morePoland, Czech Republic, Russia, Social Science & Medicine, Humans, Standard Deviation, Hungary, Estonia, Primary Education, Inequality, Latvia, Female, Male, Income, Lithuania, Perceived Control, Health Status, Social Conditions, Middle Aged, Survey data, Questionnaires, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Social Science, Gini Coefficient, Logistic Models, Marital Status, Socioeconomic Factors, Psychosocial deprivation, and Random Allocation
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Epidemiology, Poverty, Control, and 45 moreSocial Support, Health, Public Health, Adolescent, Logistic Regression, Multivariate Analysis, Russia, Activities of Daily Living, Social Science & Medicine, Population Aging, Social Structure, Humans, Standard Deviation, Female, Male, Life Expectancy, Social Environment, Perceived Control, Socioeconomic Status, Alcohol Consumption, Health Status, Self Evaluation, Middle Aged, Self Concept, Questionnaires, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Sex Factors, Determinants of Health, Age Factors, Educational Status, Health surveys, Health Indicator, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Physical Function, Social Science, Social Network, Logistic Models, Prospective Study, Health Outcome, health status indicators, and attitude to health
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Whether the quality of life (QOL) impacts longevity is an interesting research question that has been investigated only in the context of disease and health-related QOL. This paper aims to examine prospectively whether Control, Autonomy,... more
Whether the quality of life (QOL) impacts longevity is an interesting research question that has been investigated only in the context of disease and health-related QOL. This paper aims to examine prospectively whether Control, Autonomy, Self-realisation, and Pleasure (CASP) scores, a measure of generic QOL, can predict mortality in the British Household Panel Survey sample during 2001-2006. The authors used data from the British Household Panel Survey wave 11 (2001-2002) when CASP was first presented to the participants in the survey. The authors selected all those who were interviewed directly and face to face and who were 40 years or older (N=10,291). The authors followed them for the next five waves (waves 12-16) and in this study primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Other covariates used were age, sex, socioeconomic position, household income, self-rated health, limiting long-standing illness and medical conditions. Compared with a mortality of 12/1000 person-years in those having average QOL (CASP score 29.4-45.8), those with below-average QOL had more than twice (27/1000 person-years) and those above average had a third less (8/1000 person-years) mortality. This gradient was retained for the most part when age and sex strata were examined separately. Regression models adjusted for covariates confirmed the protective effect of QOL on mortality. Domain-specific analysis showed that only control and self-realisation had this effect. CASP predicted 5-year all-cause mortality significantly. Improvement in the QOL reduced the probability of death.
Research Interests: Human Geography, Epidemiology, Quality of life, Mortality, Activities of Daily Living, and 17 moreProspective studies, Humans, Female, Male, Follow-up studies, Health Status, Aged, Great Britain, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Self Assessment, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Geriatric Assessment, Proportional Hazards Models, Predictive value of tests, and Socioeconomic Factors
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Research Interests: Psychology, Health Behavior, Social Class, Poland, Czech Republic, and 14 moreRussia, Humans, Smoking, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Lithuania, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Public health systems and services research, Geriatric Assessment, Cross Sectional Studies, and Disability Evaluation
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The present study explored parents’ requirements for healthy eating support prior to the development of a tailored intervention. A cross-sectional study of parents attending children’s centres. Children’s centres in Cornwall (rural... more
The present study explored parents’ requirements for healthy eating support prior to the development of a tailored intervention. A cross-sectional study of parents attending children’s centres. Children’s centres in Cornwall (rural south-west England) and Islington (urban London borough). A total of 261 parents (94.2% female) of pre-school children (aged 2–5 years) completed a questionnaire on factors influencing food choice, and preferences for and views on healthy eating support. Parents reported that health, taste, freshness and quality were the most important factors influencing their food choices for their pre-school children. The importance of individual factors varied according to level of educational attainment. Over a third (38 %) of parents said they wanted more advice on healthy eating for children. Less educated parents showed the greatest interest in learning more about several aspects: what a ‘healthy diet’ means, how to prepare and cook healthy food, how to understand food labels, budgeting for food, examples of healthy food and snacks for children, appropriate portion sizes for children and ways to encourage children to eat well. There was demand for healthy eating support among parents of pre-school children, especially those who are less educated, in one rural and one urban area of England