犯罪青少年生活方式与家庭环境关系

目的探讨犯罪青少年生活方式与家庭环境的关系,为预防青少年犯罪提供参考依据。方法采用病例对照研究方法对在陕西省青少年犯罪管理所整群抽取的302名男性犯罪青少年和西安市城乡2所中学分层整群抽取的初二到高一年级296名男生进行问卷调查。结果犯罪青少年的社交和家庭矛盾性、娱乐性得分分别为(8.84±2.02)、(4.53±1.92)、(4.94±1.58)分,分别高于中学生的(8.01±2.44)、(3.72±2.04)、(4.16±2.04)分(均P=0.000);饮食、药物、锻炼、闲暇、家庭亲密度、知识性、控制性得分分别为(6.77±2.21)、(6.94±2.86)、(6.17±2.38)、(6.09±2.13)、(5.18±1.96)、(2.81±1.43)、(2.91±1.53)分,分别低于中学生的(8.83±2.14)、(10.88±2.23)、(8.36±2.19)、(7.95±2.23)、(5.95±2.31)、(3.47±1.97)、(3.97±2.09)分(均P=0.000);犯罪青少年生活方式各维度与家庭环境各维度存在多项相关关系(r=-0.208~0.374);家庭亲密度、知识性、组织性、控制性对生活方式因子具有多项正向预测作用(β'=0.116~0.253,P=0.000~0.005),家庭矛盾性、娱乐性对药物具有负向预测作用(β'=-0.126,P=0.002;β'=-0.272,P=0.000),对社交具有正向预测作用(β'=0.099,P=0.020;β'=0.206, P=0.000)。结论犯罪青少年生活方式较不健康,家庭环境较差,家庭环境对其生活方式有明显影响。     

Household environment,lifestyle behaviors,and dietary habits in relation to childhood atopic eczema in Shanghai,China

Purposes

We aim to investigate associations of the child’s individual characteristics, building characteristics, home environmental exposures, family lifestyle behaviors, and dietary habits on childhood eczema during lifetime-ever and in the last year before the survey.

Methods

During April 2011–April 2012, we conducted a cross-sectional study and collected 13,335 parents-reported questionnaires of 4–6-year-old children from 72 kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Logistic regression model was used to investigate associations.

Results

After adjusted for sex, age, family history of atopy, and questionnaire reporter, the factors which were strongly associated (increased odds >30% and p value <0.05) with lifetime-ever eczema included mother employed during pregnancy (adjusted OR 1.33), residence renovated during pregnancy (1.49) and in the child’s first year of life (1.31), using laminate (1.58) and solid (1.42) wood as material of floor covering (compared to using cement), residence located in urban district (1.38), and dampness-related exposures in the early residence (mold spots/stains: 1.41; mold odor: 1.41) and in the current residence (water damage: 1.33; damp stains: 1.34; mold spots: 1.32; and windows pane condensation: 1.31). Parental smoking, pet-keeping, and incense-burning had no significant associations with childhood eczema. Similar associations were found for eczema in the last year before the survey. Families with sick children likely changed lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits.

Conclusions

Childhood eczema could be influenced by many household environmental and non-environmental factors. Exposures during early lifetime likely have greater impact on childhood eczema than current exposures. Associations of lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits with childhood eczema could be modified by family avoidance behaviors.

     

Influence of lifestyle, health, and work environment on smoking cessation among Danish nurses followed over 6 years

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of lifestyle, health, and work environment on smoking cessation among Danish nurses age 45-66 years over a 6-year period from 1993-1999. METHODS: Data derive from the Danish Nurse Cohort Study; a prospective cohort established in 1993 when all Danish female nurses 45+ years old and members of the Danish Nurses Association were mailed a questionnaire. The cohort was followed up 6 years later in 1999. In total, 12,980 responded to questions concerning smoking status in both the 1993 and 1999 surveys. This study deals with the 4713 women (36%) who reported smoking at baseline. Smoking cessation was based on self-report. RESULTS: At follow-up in 1999, 24% reported that they no longer smoked. Low prior tobacco consumption at baseline, high fresh fruit consumption, high blood pressure, working day shifts, having low physical job strain, perceiving influence on one's own work, and partner's socio-economic status (as measured by most recent occupation) were associated with successful smoking cessation. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study highlight the importance of various factors, including lifestyle, health status, and aspects of one's work environment, on successful efforts at smoking cessation.     

Relation between breast cancer incidence and environment,lifestyle and socio‐economic factors ‐ an ecological study

Data from the former Cancer Registry of the GDR and from other sources were used in an attempt to explain regional differences in the female breast cancer incidence taking into account the prevalence of known risk factors or the average regional environmental exposure (to air pollutants like SO₂ and NO_X). Although the well‐known ‘ecological fallacy’ demonstrates that the associations observed for the aggregate population level may not apply to individuals, the results obtained seem to be plausible. They confirm the results from individual‐level observational studies (case‐control and cohort studies). Regional differences in incidence rates of breast cancer could be explained by risk factors, found in those epidemiological studies, as for example age of primiparous mothers, social status and others. On the basis of a multiple weighted linear regression analysis, a final model was developed, by means of which more than 63% of the variance of incidence could be explained.     

The relationship between living environment,well‐being and lifestyle behaviours in young women in Shiraz,Iran

There has been increasing interest in understanding the influence of the living environment on individual and population health. While our understanding of the connection is growing, there has been limited published research focusing on socially and economically transitioning countries such as Iran or specific populations such as young women. This study explores the relationship between the physical and social living environment with well‐being outcomes and lifestyle behaviours of young women in Shiraz, Iran, in 2013. Using a cluster convenience sampling technique, 391 young Iranian women with the mean age of 27.3 (SD: 4.8) participated in a cross‐sectional survey (response rate 93%). A scale adapted from the British General Household Social Capital scale was used to assess living environment characteristics. The International Health and Behaviour survey, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwL) and WHO Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL‐BREF) were used to measure lifestyle behaviours and well‐being. The findings showed a moderate level of satisfaction with participants' living environment, with a mean score of 38.5 (SD: 7.7; score range: 11–45). There were correlations between physical and social neighbourhood environment, lifestyle behaviours and well‐being outcomes (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the characteristics of living environments were determinants of quality of life (QoL), including physical, psychological, social and environmental QoL, as well as SwL (P < 0.05). Perceptions of individuals about their living environment issues were associated with demographic variables including ethnicity, income, level of education and occupation status. The current study shows how characteristics of the physical and social living environments play a significant role in shaping well‐being and lifestyle behaviours among young Iranian women. Hence, there is a need for more focused attention to the meaning, measurement and building of neighbourhood livability, including both physical and social aspects of neighbourhood, in order to support QoL and SwL among young Iranian women, and enhance their healthy lifestyle behaviours.     

Socio-economic status, health and lifestyle

The role of lifestyle in mediating the relationship between socio-economic characteristics and health has been discussed extensively in the epidemiological and economic literatures. Previous analyses have not considered a formal framework incorporating unobservable heterogeneity. In this paper, we develop a simple economic model in which health is determined (partially) by lifestyle, which depends on preferences, budget and time constraints and unobservable characteristics. We estimate a recursive empirical specification consisting of a health production function and reduced forms for the lifestyle equations using Maximum Simulated Likelihood (MSL) for a multivariate probit (MVP) model with discrete indicators of lifestyle choices and self-assessed health (SAH) on British panel data from the 1984 and 1991 Health and Lifestyle Survey (HALS). We find that sleeping well, exercising, and not smoking in 1984 have dramatic positive effects on the probability of reporting excellent or good SAH in 1991, and that these effects are much larger having accounted for endogeneity. The failure of epidemiological analyses to account for unobserved heterogeneity can explain their low estimates of the relevance of lifestyle in the socio-economic status-health relationship. Indicators for prudent alcohol consumption and eating breakfast in 1984 are not found to be statistically significant determinants of SAH in 1991.     

Mortality, lifestyle and socio-economic status

This paper uses the British Health and Lifestyle Survey (1984-1985) data and the longitudinal follow-up of May 2003 to investigate the determinants of premature mortality in Great Britain and the contribution of lifestyle choices to socio-economic inequality in mortality. A behavioural model, which relates premature mortality to a set of observable and unobservable factors, is considered. A maximum simulated likelihood (MSL) approach for a multivariate probit (MVP) is used to estimate a recursive system of equations for mortality, morbidity and lifestyles. Health inequality is explored using the Gini coefficient and a decomposition technique. The decomposition analysis for predicted mortality shows that, after allowing for endogeneity, lifestyles contribute strongly to inequality in mortality, reducing the direct role of socio-economic status. This contradicts the view, which is widely held in epidemiology, that lifestyles make a relatively minor contribution to observed socio-economic gradients in health.     

Work environment factors, health, lifestyle and marital status as predictors of job change and early retirement in physically heavy occupations

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess the rate at which waste collectors and municipal workers leave their job, to establish the outcome and to identify associated risk factors within work environment, health, lifestyle and marital status. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey among a cohort of 2,918 waste collectors and municipal workers was performed in 1994, with follow-up 2.5 years later. RESULTS: Twenty-five percent had left the job at follow-up. Of these, 31% had changed jobs (associated with low decision authority), 16% were unemployed (associated with low skill discretion, pushing heavy loads and extreme bending of back), 10% received Disability Pension/long-term sick leave (associated with low skill discretion, prevalent diseases, underweight and smoking), and 12% received Early Retirement Pension (associated with extreme bending of back and marital status). CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests a potential for preventing people from leaving physically heavy occupations by improving the physical and psychosocial work environment.     

Genetics,choice and responsibility

This paper addresses two competing perspectives choice and responsibility for the individual undergoing genetic resting and counselling, and the tension between them. A comparison with models applied to vaccination demonstrates the changes in ethical frameworks considered appropriate over time. The move from choice to responsibility, it is argued, is due to a number of reasons, including the value impact of new technology, which affect how concepts are interpreted. From a contrast between choice and coercion, with autonomy interpreted as self-determination, there has been a shift, through autonomy versus paternalism, to tensions between choice and responsibility, which depend on rival notions of autonomy. Thus, while the public health model of vaccination has been problematised, and the individual choice model in genetics has been questioned, the challenge to choice in the genetic context however tends not to be framed explicitly in public health terms so much as in the form of individual responsibility and solidarity.     

Deafness, Genetics and Dysgenics

It has been argued by some authors that our reaction to deaf parents who choose deafness for their children ought to be compassion, not condemnation. Although I agree with the reasoning proposed I suggest that this practice could be regarded as unethical. In this article, I shall use the term “dysgenic” as a culturally imposed genetic selection not to achieve any improvement of the human person but to select genetic traits that are commonly accepted as a disabling condition by the majority of the social matrix; in short as a handicap. As in eugenics, dysgenics can be achieved in a positive and a negative way. Positive dysgenics intends to increase the overall number of people with a particular genetic trait. Marriage between deaf people or conceiving deaf children through reproductive technology are examples of positive dysgenics. Negative dysgenics can be obtained through careful prenatal or pre-implantation selection and abortion (or discarding) of normal embryos and foetuses. Only deaf children would be allowed to live. If dysgenics is seen as a programmed genetic intervention that undesirably shapes the human condition – like deliberately creating deaf or dwarf people – the professionals involved in reproductive technologies should answer the question if this should be an accepted ethical practice because the basic human right to an open future is violated.     

Shelter environment and placement in community affects lifestyle factors among homeless families in Minnesota

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of the shelter environment and surrounding community on lifestyle factors influencing the health of homeless families. DESIGN AND SETTING: Seven focus groups were conducted at two homeless shelters serving families in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Food resources and food prices at convenience stores were recorded within a five-block radius of shelters. SUBJECTS: Low-income parents of children aged 3-12 years (n = 53). MEASURES: Focus groups were transcribed verbatim, evaluated for common themes, coded, and reevaluated for consistency. Food resources were mapped via GIS software, and recorded food prices were compared to available TFP market basket prices. ANALYSIS RESULTS: The shelter environment and surrounding community influenced lifestyle factors related to health, including food access and availability, exercise behaviors, job access, and day care issues. Participants commented that location of grocery stores, inflated prices, and poor food quality and variety limited their families' food choice and access. Walking was the main form of exercise and served as a means of transportation. Finding employment, housing, and affordable day care caused high levels of stress because of inadequate social support and government subsidies. CONCLUSIONS: Several strategies should be considered to modify environments affecting lifestyle factors among homeless families, including greater affordability and access of food, reevaluation of food stamp allotments, alterations in urban planning designs, and increased access to affordable day care.     

Genetics,etiology, and human cancer

Approximately 9% of the 2000 or more Mendelian inherited diseases of man have a cancer association. In the aggregate, these hereditary disorders account for perhaps 5–10% of all human cancer. However, myriad exogenous and endogenous factors influence the induction and promotion of both single gene and polygenically determined varieties of cancer. Cancer liability can be comprehended as a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure wherein the question becomes “What proportion of the variance in liability in a population can be attributed to the genetic component (heritability)?” It therefore is misleading to regard individual cases as being due to genetic or environmental factors, since these effects interplay in all patients. Typical clinical features of hereditary/familial cancer are early onset and multiple primary cancer. Predictability in such a setting relevant to specific target organs is of as high or higher an order of magnitude as the predictability of cancer in, for example, atomic bomb survivors, vinyl chloride and asbestos workers, or heavy cigarette smokers. This information can be utilized to great advantage through registries with management programs focusing on surveillance and prevention through avoidance of specific carcinogens, and in certain circumstances, prophylactic removal of high risk organs.