137 results on '"Benzeval, M."'
Search Results
2. Childhood residential mobility and health in late adolescence and adulthood: findings from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study
- Author
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Brown, D, Benzeval, M, Gayle, V, Macintyre, S, O'Reilly, D, and Leyland, A H
- Published
- 2012
3. Socio-demographic and health characteristics of individuals left behind in deprived and declining areas in Scotland
- Author
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Brown, D., O'Reilly, D., Gayle, V., Macintyre, S., Benzeval, M., and Leyland, A.H.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Partnership History and Mental Health over Time
- Author
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Willitts, M., Benzeval, M., and Stansfeld, S.
- Published
- 2004
5. Are there gender differences in the relative predictive ability of lung function in all-cause mortality? Findings from 13 years of follow-up in the Scottish Health Survey-mortality linked datasets (1995 to 2008)
- Author
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Gray, L, Leyland, AH, Benzeval, M, and Watt, GCM
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. O2-2.2 Measurement and modelling of functional trajectories across the life course
- Author
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Hardy, R, Matthews, F, Kuh, D, Lawlor, D, Sayer, A A, and Benzeval, M
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Ageing, social class and common mental disorders: longitudinal evidence from three cohorts in the West of Scotland
- Author
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Green, M. J. and Benzeval, M.
- Published
- 2011
8. POPULATION HEALTH STATUS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN
- Author
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Goss, JR, Benzeval, M, and Judge, K
- Published
- 1996
9. Understanding Society Innovation Panel Wave 9: Results from Methodological Experiments. Understanding Society Working Paper Series
- Author
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Benzeval, M., Bianchi, A., Brewer, M., Burton, J., Cernat, A., Creighton, M., Crossley, T., Delavande, A., Fisher, P., Gaia, A., Jackle, A., Jamal, A., Oberski, D., Popham, F., Whitley, E., Winter, J., and Zafar, B.
- Abstract
This paper presents some preliminary findings from Wave 9 of the Innovation Panel (IP9) of Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study. Understanding Society is a major panel survey in the UK. IP9 included experiments on the use mixed mode data collection, the value of respondent incentives, targeted timing of email invitations, measurement of household finances, subjective expectations about returns to schooling, people’s assessment of what constitutes “successful ageing”, format of response options, use of multiple measurements to improve measurement of attitudes, and measurement of sensitive topics. This paper describes the design of IP9, the experiments carried and the preliminary findings from early analysis of the data.
- Published
- 2017
10. Rare Variant Analysis of Human and Rodent Obesity Genes in Individuals with Severe Childhood Obesity
- Author
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Hendricks, AE, Bochukova, EG, Marenne, G, Keogh, JM, Atanassova, N, Bounds, R, Wheeler, E, Mistry, V, Henning, E, Körner, A, Muddyman, D, McCarthy, S, Hinney, A, Hebebrand, J, Scott, RA, Langenberg, C, Wareham, NJ, Surendran, P, Howson, JM, Butterworth, AS, Danesh, J, Nordestgaard, BG, Nielsen, SF, Afzal, S, Papadia, S, Ashford, S, Garg, S, Millhauser, GL, Palomino, RI, Kwasniewska, A, Tachmazidou, I, O'Rahilly, S, Zeggini, E, Barroso, I, Farooqi, IS, Benzeval, M, Burton, J, Buck, N, Jäckle, A, Kumari, M, Laurie, H, Lynn, P, Pudney, S, Rabe, B, Wolke, D, Overvad, K, Tjønneland, A, Clavel-Chapelon, F, Kaaks, R, Boeing, H, Trichopoulou, A, Ferrari, P, Palli, D, Krogha, V, Panico, S, Tuminoa, R, Matullo, G, Boer, J, Van Der Schouw, Y, Weiderpass, E, Quiros, JR, Sánchez, MJ, Navarro, C, Moreno-Iribas, C, Arriola, L, Melander, O, Wennberg, P, Key, TJ, Riboli, E, Turki, SA, Anderson, CA, Anney, R, Antony, D, Soler Artigas, M, Ayub, M, Bala, S, Barrett, JC, Beales, P, Bentham, J, Bhattacharyaa, S, Birney, E, Blackwooda, D, Bobrow, M, Bolton, PF, Boustred, C, Breen, G, Calissanoa, M, Carss, K, Charlton, R, Chatterjee, K, Chen, L, Ciampia, A, Cirak, S, Clapham, P, Clement, G, Coates, G, Coccaa, M, Collier, DA, Cosgrove, C, Coxa, T, and Crooks, Lucy
- Abstract
© 2017 The Author(s). Obesity is a genetically heterogeneous disorder. Using targeted and whole-exome sequencing, we studied 32 human and 87 rodent obesity genes in 2,548 severely obese children and 1,117 controls. We identified 52 variants contributing to obesity in 2% of cases including multiple novel variants in GNAS, which were sometimes found with accelerated growth rather than short stature as described previously. Nominally significant associations were found for rare functional variants in BBS1, BBS9, GNAS, MKKS, CLOCK and ANGPTL6. The p.S284X variant in ANGPTL6 drives the association signal (rs201622589, MAF∼0.1%, odds ratio = 10.13, p-value = 0.042) and results in complete loss of secretion in cells. Further analysis including additional case-control studies and population controls (N = 260,642) did not support association of this variant with obesity (odds ratio = 2.34, p-value = 2.59 × 10-3), highlighting the challenges of testing rare variant associations and the need for very large sample sizes. Further validation in cohorts with severe obesity and engineering the variants in model organisms will be needed to explore whether human variants in ANGPTL6 and other genes that lead to obesity when deleted in mice, do contribute to obesity. Such studies may yield druggable targets for weight loss therapies.
- Published
- 2017
11. Rare Variant Analysis of Human and Rodent Obesity Genes in Individuals with Severe Childhood Obesity
- Author
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Hendricks, A.E. Bochukova, E.G. Marenne, G. Keogh, J.M. Atanassova, N. Bounds, R. Wheeler, E. Mistry, V. Henning, E. Körner, A. Muddyman, D. McCarthy, S. Hinney, A. Hebebrand, J. Scott, R.A. Langenberg, C. Wareham, N.J. Surendran, P. Howson, J.M. Butterworth, A.S. Danesh, J. Nordestgaard, Bø.G. Nielsen, S.F. Afzal, S. Papadia, S. Ashford, S. Garg, S. Millhauser, G.L. Palomino, R.I. Kwasniewska, A. Tachmazidou, I. O'Rahilly, S. Zeggini, E. Barroso, I. Farooqi, I.S. Benzeval, M. Burton, J. Buck, N. Jäckle, A. Kumari, M. Laurie, H. Lynn, P. Pudney, S. Rabe, B. Wolke, D. Overvad, K. Tjønneland, A. Clavel-Chapelon, F. Kaaks, R. Boeing, H. Trichopoulou, A. Ferrari, P. Palli, D. Krogha, V. Panico, S. Tuminoa, R. Matullo, G. Boer, J. Van Der Schouw, Y. Weiderpass, E. Quiros, J.R. Sánchez, M.-J. Navarro, C. Moreno-Iribas, C. Arriola, L. Melander, O. Wennberg, P. Key, T.J. Riboli, E. Turki, S.A. Anderson, C.A. Anney, R. Antony, D. Soler Artigas, M. Ayub, M. Bala, S. Barrett, J.C. Beales, P. Bentham, J. Bhattacharyaa, S. Birney, E. Blackwooda, D. Bobrow, M. Bolton, P.F. Boustred, C. Breen, G. Calissanoa, M. Carss, K. Charlton, R. Chatterjee, K. Chen, L. Ciampia, A. Cirak, S. Clapham, P. Clement, G. Coates, G. Coccaa, M. Collier, D.A. Cosgrove, C. Coxa, T. Craddock, N. Crooks, L. Curran, S. Curtis, D. Daly, A. Danecek, P. Day, I.N.M. Day-Williams, A. Dominiczak, A. Down, T. Du, Y. Dunham, I. Durbin, R. Edkins, S. Ekong, R. Ellis, P. Evansa, D.M. Fitzpatrick, D.R. Flicek, P. Floyd, J. Foley, A.R. Franklin, C.S. Futema, M. Gallagher, L. Gaunt, T.R. Geihs, M. Geschwind, D. Greenwood, C.M.T. Griffin, H. Grozeva, D. Guo, X. Guo, X. Gurling, H. Hart, D. Holmans, P. Howie, B. Huang, J. Huang, L. Hubbard, T. Humphries, S.E. Hurles, M.E. Hysi, P. Iotchkova, V. Jackson, D.K. Jamshidi, Y. Joyce, C. Karczewski, K.J. Kaye, J. Keane, T. Kemp, J.P. Kennedy, K. Kent, A. Khawaja, F. Van Kogelenberg, M. Kolb-Kokocinski, A. Lachance, G. Langford, C. Lawson, D. Lee, I. Lek, M. Li, R. Li, Y. Liang, J. Lin, H. Liu, R. Lönnqvist, J. Lopes, L.R. Lopes, M. MacArthur, D.G. Mangino, M. Marchini, J. Maslen, J. Mathieson, I. McGuffin, P. McIntosh, A.M. McKechanie, A.G. McQuillin, A. Memari, Y. Metrustry, S. Migone, N. Min, J.L. Mitchison, H.M. Moayyeri, A. Morris, A. Morris, J. Muntoni, F. Northstone, K. O'Donovan, M.C. Onoufriadis, A. Oualkacha, K. Owen, M.J. Palotie, A. Panoutsopoulou, K. Parker, V. Parr, J.R. Paternoster, L. Paunio, T. Payne, F. Payne, S.J. Perry, J.R.B. Pietilainen, O. Plagnol, V. Pollitt, R.C. Porteous, D.J. Povey, S. Quail, M.A. Quaye, L. Raymond, F.L. Rehnström, K. Richards, J.B. Ridout, C.K. Ring, S. Ritchie, G.R.S. Roberts, N. Robinson, R.L. Savage, D.B. Scambler, P. Schiffels, S. Schmidts, M. Schoenmakers, N. Scott, R.H. Semple, R.K. Serra, E. Sharp, S.I. Shaw, A. Shihab, H.A. Shin, S.-Y. Skuse, D. Small, K.S. Smee, C. Smith, B.H. Davey Smith, G. Soranzo, N. Southam, L. Spasic-Boskovic, O. Spector, T.D. St Clair, D. St Pourcain, B. Stalker, J. Stevens, E. Sun, J. Surdulescu, G. Suvisaari, J. Syrris, P. Taylor, R. Tian, J. Timpson, N.J. Tobin, M.D. Valdes, A.M. Vandersteen, A.M. Vijayarangakannan, P. Visscher, P.M. Wain, L.V. Walter, K. Walters, J.T.R. Wang, G. Wang, J. Wang, Y. Ward, K. Whyte, T. Williams, H.J. Williamson, K.A. Wilson, C. Wilson, S.G. Wong, K. Xu, C. Yang, J. Zhang, F. Zhang, P. Zheng, H.-F.
- Abstract
Obesity is a genetically heterogeneous disorder. Using targeted and whole-exome sequencing, we studied 32 human and 87 rodent obesity genes in 2,548 severely obese children and 1,117 controls. We identified 52 variants contributing to obesity in 2% of cases including multiple novel variants in GNAS, which were sometimes found with accelerated growth rather than short stature as described previously. Nominally significant associations were found for rare functional variants in BBS1, BBS9, GNAS, MKKS, CLOCK and ANGPTL6. The p.S284X variant in ANGPTL6 drives the association signal (rs201622589, MAF∼0.1%, odds ratio = 10.13, p-value = 0.042) and results in complete loss of secretion in cells. Further analysis including additional case-control studies and population controls (N = 260,642) did not support association of this variant with obesity (odds ratio = 2.34, p-value = 2.59 × 10-3), highlighting the challenges of testing rare variant associations and the need for very large sample sizes. Further validation in cohorts with severe obesity and engineering the variants in model organisms will be needed to explore whether human variants in ANGPTL6 and other genes that lead to obesity when deleted in mice, do contribute to obesity. Such studies may yield druggable targets for weight loss therapies. © 2017 The Author(s).
- Published
- 2017
12. Utilisation by homeless people of acute hospital services in London
- Author
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Back, M.E., Scheuer, M.A., Victor, C., Benzeval, M., Gill, M., and Judge, K.
- Subjects
London, England -- Health aspects ,Homeless persons -- England -- Health aspects ,Health ,Health aspects - Abstract
Introduction With the movement towards the funding of regional and district health authorities on a weighted capitation basis the implications for provision of the extra resources that are needed for [...]
- Published
- 1991
13. Utilisation By Homeless People Of Acute Hospital Services In London
- Author
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Black, M. E., Scheuer, M. A., Victor, C., Benzeval, M., Gill, M., and Judge, K.
- Published
- 1991
14. Do mismatches between pre- and post-natal environments influence adult physiological functioning?
- Author
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Robertson, A. and Benzeval, M.
- Abstract
Purpose\ud \ud Mismatches between pre- and post-natal environments have implications for disease in adulthood. However, less is known about how this mismatch can affect physiological systems more generally, especially at younger ages. We hypothesised that mismatches between pre- and post-natal environments, as measured by the measures of birthweight and adult leg length, would be associated with poorer biomarker levels across five key physiological systems in young adults.\ud \ud Methods\ud \ud Data were collected from 923, 36 year-old respondents from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study. The biomarkers were: systolic blood pressure (sBP); forced expiratory volume (FEV1); glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c); glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). These biomarkers were regressed against pre-natal conditions (birthweight), post-natal conditions (leg length) and the interaction between pre- and post-natal measures. Sex, childhood socioeconomic position and adult lifestyle characteristics were adjusted for as potential effect modifiers and confounders, respectively.\ud \ud Results\ud \ud There were no associations between birthweight and leg length and sBP, FEV1, HbA1c, or GGT. Higher birthweight and longer leg length were associated with better kidney function (eGFR). However, there was no evidence for mismatches between birthweight and leg length to be associated with worse sBP, FEV1, HbA1c, eGFR or GGT levels (P>0.05).\ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud Our hypothesis that early signs of physiological damage would be present in young adults given mismatches in childhood environments, as measured by growth markers, was not proven. This lack of association could be because age 36 is too young to identify significant trends for future health, or the associations simply not being present.
- Published
- 2014
15. Explaining the social patterning of lung function in adulthood at different ages: the roles of childhood precursors, health behaviours and environmental factors
- Author
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Gray, L., Leyland, A.H., Benzeval, M., and Watt, G.C.M.
- Abstract
Background \ud Lung function successfully predicts subsequent health. Although lung function is known to decline over age, little is known about changes in association with socioeconomic status (SES) throughout life, and whether explanatory factors for association vary with age or patterns for non smokers. \ud \ud Methods \ud Analyses were based on data on 24 500 participants aged ≥ years from the 1995, 1998 and 2003 Scottish Health Surveys who were invited to provide 1 s forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) lung measurements. Sex-stratified multiple linear regression assessed lung function–SES (occupational social class) associations and attenuation by covariates in three age groups (2003 data (n=7928)). \ud \ud Results The FEV1–SES patterns were clear (p\ud \ud Conclusions We found cross-sectional evidence that SES disparity in lung function increases with age, especially for men. Our findings indicate that early-life factors may predict inequity during younger adulthood, with environmental factors becoming more important at older ages.
- Published
- 2013
16. Is telomere length socially patterned? Evidence from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study
- Author
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Robertson, T., Batty, G.D., Der, G., Green, M.J., McGlynn, L.M., McIntyre, A., Shiels, P.G., and Benzeval, M.
- Abstract
Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly associated with an increased risk of morbidity and premature mortality, but it is not known if the same is true for telomere length, a marker often used to assess biological ageing. The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study was used to investigate this and consists of three cohorts aged approximately 35 (N = 775), 55 (N = 866) and 75 years (N = 544) at the time of telomere length measurement. Four sets of measurements of SES were investigated: those collected contemporaneously with telomere length assessment, educational markers, SES in childhood and SES over the preceding twenty years. We found mixed evidence for an association between SES and telomere length. In 35-year-olds, many of the education and childhood SES measures were associated with telomere length, i.e. those in poorer circumstances had shorter telomeres, as was intergenerational social mobility, but not accumulated disadvantage. A crude estimate showed that, at the same chronological age, social renters, for example, were nine years (biologically) older than home owners. No consistent associations were apparent in those aged 55 or 75. There is evidence of an association between SES and telomere length, but only in younger adults and most strongly using education and childhood SES measures. These results may reflect that childhood is a sensitive period for telomere attrition. The cohort differences are possibly the result of survival bias suppressing the SES-telomere association; cohort effects with regard different experiences of SES; or telomere possibly being a less effective marker of biological ageing at older ages.
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- 2012
17. Is telomere length a biomarker for aging: cross-sectional evidence from the west of Scotland?
- Author
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Der, G., Batty, G.D., Benzeval, M., Deary, I.J., Green, M.J., McGlynn, L., McIntyre, A., Robertson, T., and Shiels, P.G.
- Abstract
Background\ud The search for biomarkers of aging (BoAs) has been largely unsuccessful to-date and there is widespread skepticism about the prospects of finding any that satisfy the criteria developed by the American Federation of Aging Research. This may be because the criteria are too strict or because a composite measure might be more appropriate. Telomere length has attracted a great deal of attention as a candidate BoA. We investigate whether it meets the criteria to be considered as a single biomarker of aging, and whether it makes a useful contribution to a composite measure. \ud \ud Methodology/Principal Findings\ud Using data from a large population based study, we show that telomere length is associated with age, with several measures of physical and cognitive functioning that are related to normal aging, and with three measures of overall health. In the majority of cases, telomere length adds predictive power to that of age, although it was not nearly as good a predictor overall. We used principal components analysis to form two composites from the measures of functioning, one including telomere length and the other not including it. These composite BoAs were better predictors of the health outcomes than chronological age. There was little difference between the two composites. \ud \ud Conclusions\ud Telomere length does not satisfy the strict criteria for a BoA, but does add predictive power to that of chronological age. Equivocal results from previous studies might be due to lack of power or the choice of measures examined together with a focus on single biomarkers. Composite biomarkers of aging have the potential to outperform age and should be considered for future research in this area.
- Published
- 2012
18. "Getting sicker quicker": does living in a more deprived neighbourhood mean your health deteriorates faster?
- Author
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Ellaway A, Benzeval M, Green M, Leyland A, Macintyre S, Ellaway, Anne, Benzeval, Michaela, Green, Michael, Leyland, Alastair, and Macintyre, Sally
- Abstract
Data from the longitudinal West of Scotland Twenty-07 STUDY: Health in the Community was used to examine whether, over a 20 year period, the self-reported health of people living in deprived areas became poorer faster compared to those living in more affluent areas. Three cohorts (born in the early 1930s, 1950s and 1970s) are included, covering 60 years of the life span. Using multilevel growth curve models, a 40% probability of reporting poor health was predicted among residents of more deprived areas at an earlier age (66) compared to those living in more affluent areas (83). Wider area differences were seen for men than for women. Our findings indicate that attempts to reduce area differences in health should start young but also continue throughout the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Blood pressure reactions to acute mental stress and future blood pressure status: data from the 12-year follow-up of the West of Scotland Study.
- Author
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Carroll D, Phillips AC, Der G, Hunt K, Benzeval M, Carroll, Douglas, Phillips, Anna C, Der, Geoff, Hunt, Kate, and Benzeval, Michaela
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. The self-reported health status of lone parents.
- Author
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Benzeval M
- Abstract
A number of studies have shown that lone parents have poorer health status than the general population. However, what is missing from the existing literature is any systematic assessment of the contribution that lone parents' relatively poor socioeconomic circumstances make to their relative health disadvantage. This paper aims to fill this gap. It employs a large national dataset based on three consecutive years of the British General Household Survey (1992/1993 to 1994/1995) to assess the relative health status of lone parents in comparison to couple parents, and to evaluate the importance of different explanations for their health differences. The results confirm that lone parents, particularly lone mothers, have poor health status relative to parents living as couples. The observed health differences mirror variations in socioeconomic circumstances. However, even when a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic circumstances are included in multivariate models, lone mothers still have significantly poorer health than couple mothers for four out of five health variables. The paper concludes by discussing alternative explanations for the health differences between lone and couple parents--such as the absence of an intimate/confiding relationship, the stress and stigma associated with becoming a lone parent and health selection--and by highlighting future options for policy and research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. The determinants of hospital utilisation: implications for resource allocation in England.
- Author
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Benzeval, Michaela, Judge, Ken, Benzeval, M, and Judge, K
- Published
- 1994
- Full Text
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22. Response to Being Informed of Weight Status and Body Fat Composition: Understandings, Reactions and Motivations to Achieve a Healthy Weight
- Author
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Wyke, S., Hunt, K., Anderson, A.S., Benzeval, M., Gray, C.M., and Cancer Research UK
23. O4.17: Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies.
- Author
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Dodds, R.M., Syddall, H.E., Cooper, R., Benzeval, M., Deary, I.J., Dennison, E.M., Der, G., Gale, C.R., Inskip, H.M., Jagger, C., Kirkwood, T.B., Lawlor, D.A., Robinson, S.M., Starr, J.M., Steptoe, A., Tilling, K., Kuh, D., Cooper, C., and Aihie Sayer, A.P.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. 041 Childhood residential stability and health status in early adulthood and midlife.
- Author
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Brown, D, O'Reilly, D, Boyle, P J, Macintyre, S, Benzeval, M, and Leyland, A H
- Abstract
Background Previous studies have shown that making multiple residential moves in childhood leads to an increased risk of emotional and behavioural problems in early adulthood and to poorer self-reported health in midlife. Such studies tend to focus on one or two health variables, measured at one time point. This study examines health status in early adulthood and midlife across a wider range of measures. Aim To compare subjects who were residentially stable in childhood with those who had moved more often in terms of a wide range of health measurements at 18 and 36. Methods Analysis of the 1970s cohort of the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study. In total, 850 respondents who participated in waves 1 (1987/88), 2 (1990/92) and 5 (2007/8) of the study, and whose childhood residential history was available, were included in regression analyses. Residential stability was derived from the number of addresses at which the respondent had lived between birth and age 15 and 18. We considered directly measured health variables (BMI, waist-hip ratio and lung function), self-reported health, psychological wellbeing (GHQ12) and self-reported health behaviours (smoking, drinking and trying drugs). Results Twenty percent of respondents remained residentially stable during childhood, 59% had moved 1-2 times and 21% had moved at least 3 times. Directly measured health variables were not associated with number of residential moves made at 18 or 36. Odds of scoring at least 3 on the GHQ12 questionnaire were significantly increased at age 18 for those moving 1-2 times (OR 2.01 (1.36–2.96)) and those moving 3 times or more (OR 2.04 (1.3, 3.22)) compared to those who remained stable. Similarly, odds of reporting a long-standing illness at 18 were increased for 1-2 moves (OR 1.88 (1.11, 3.18)) and at least 3 moves (OR=2.03 (1.11, 3.69)). Odds were elevated, but not significant, at 36 for these health variables. Odds of trying drugs and smoking at 18 were significantly increased but only for those moving at least 3 times. Although elevated, odds for these health behaviours were not significant at 36. Conclusions Increased mobility during childhood is independently associated with adverse health status. At 18, the relationships between residential mobility and self-reported health outcomes, psychological wellbeing and some health behaviours were significant; however, by 36 findings were no longer significant. Directly measured health variables, at 18 and 36, do not appear to be associated with childhood mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
25. Communicating information about body weight status.
- Author
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Anderson, A. S., Gray, C. M., Lorimer, K., Benzeval, M., Hunt, K., and Wyke, S.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
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26. Social class differences in anxiety and depression across the life-course: evidence from three cohorts in the west of Scotland.
- Author
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Green, M. J. and Benzeval, M.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. When in the lifecourse? Socioeconomic position across the lifecourse and biological health score.
- Author
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Whitley E, Benzeval M, Kelly-Irving M, and Kumari M
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Adult, United Kingdom, Health Status, Socioeconomic Factors, Educational Status, Aged, Health Status Disparities, Young Adult, Social Class
- Abstract
Purpose: Educational attainment is associated with multiphysiological wear and tear. However, associations with measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) across different life-stages are not established., Methods: Using regression models and data from 8105 participants from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society), we examined associations of lifecourse SEP with an overall biological health score (BHS). BHS is broader than usual measures of biological 'wear and tear' and is based on six physiological subsystems (endocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular, inflammatory/immune, liver, and kidney), with higher scores indicating worse health. Lifecourse SEP was based on respondents' parental, first, and most recent occupations., Results: Associations with SEP at all life-stages demonstrated higher BHS with increasing disadvantage (e.g. slope index of inequality (SII) (95 % CI) for most recent SEP: 0.04 (0.02, 0.06)). There was little difference in the magnitude of associations for SEP measured at each life-stage. Cumulative disadvantage across the lifecourse showed a stepped association with increasing BHS (SII (95 % CI): 0.05 (0.04, 0.07)). Associations were largely driven by metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory systems., Conclusion: Our results suggest that disadvantaged SEP across the lifecourse contributes cumulatively to poorer biological health, highlighting that every life-stage should be a target for public health policies and intervention., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 University of Glasgow. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Individual, social and area level factors associated with older people's walking: Analysis of an UK household panel study (Understanding Society).
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Olsen JR, Whitley E, Long E, Rigby BP, Macdonald L, Dibben GO, Palmer VJ, Benzeval M, Mitchell K, McCann M, Anderson M, Thomson M, Moore L, and Simpson SA
- Abstract
Background: Among older people, walking is a popular and prevalent activity. Walking is key to increasing physical activity levels and resulting physical and mental health. In the context of rapidly ageing populations, it is important to better understand what factors are associated with walking among older people, based on the socioecological model of health., Methods: We used data from Understanding Society (n:6450), a national panel survey of UK adults aged 65 years and over living in Great Britain. Slope Indices of Inequality (SII) were calculated for weekly walking hours for older people according to individual, social and area characteristics. These include health, loneliness and social isolation, previous walking and sporting activity, residential self-selection, contact with neighbours, number of close friends and social activity. Spatial area-level data described local area crime, walkability, and proximity to retail, greenspace, and public transport amenities., Results: Multivariable models indicated that poor health, particularly requiring help with walking, was the strongest predictor of weekly walking hours (SII (95% CI) comparing those needing help vs. no help: -3.58 (-4.30, -2.87)). However, both prior sporting activity (most vs. least active: 2.30 (1.75, 2.88)) and walking for pleasure (yes vs. no: 1.92 (1.32, 2.53)) were strongly associated with increased walking several years later. Similarly having close friends (most vs. fewest, 1.18 (0.72, 1.77)) and local retail destinations (any vs. none: 0.93 (0.00, 1.86)) were associated with more weekly walking., Conclusions: Past engagement in physical activity and walking for pleasure are strong predictors of walking behaviour in older people, underscoring the importance of implementing and sustaining walking interventions across the lifespan to ensure continued engagement in later years and the associated health benefits. However, poor health significantly impedes walking in this demographic, emphasising the need for interventions that offer both physical assistance and social support to promote this activity., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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29. Parental gender attitudes and children's mental health: Evidence from the UK household longitudinal study.
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Aguirre E, Benzeval M, and Murray A
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- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Child, Preschool, Longitudinal Studies, Mothers, United Kingdom, Mental Health, Maternal Behavior
- Abstract
Gender role attitudes have been found to be associated with the mental health of adults and adolescents, but little is known about whether parents' gender attitudes are associated with their children's mental health. Using data from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), a large-population representative sample, we examine the links between parental gender role attitudes and child mental health outcomes as measured by the total and five components of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). We construct structural equation models, separately for mothers and for fathers and for children aged 5 and 8, and adjust for key sociodemographic variables. We find that children aged 5 years exhibit fewer emotional and peer relationship problems and are more prosocial when their mothers have more egalitarian (compared to traditionalist) gender role attitudes. We also find that children are more prosocial at age 8 when their mothers have more egalitarian gender role attitudes. No statistically significant mediation effect is observed via maternal parenting behaviour. Fathers' more egalitarian gender role attitudes were associated with higher hyperactivity at age 5 and more prosocial behaviour at age 8. Further, engaging in less negative parenting behaviour completely mediates the association of fathers' more egalitarian gender attitudes with children's mental health across the majority of the SDQ scales. This suggests that parental gender attitudes may be a possible target for the prevention of mental health difficulties among children; however, future research will be required to examine the extent to which the associations we identified reflect causality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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30. Inequalities in children's mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
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Miall N, Pearce A, Moore JC, Benzeval M, and Green MJ
- Subjects
- Humans, Child, Male, Mental Health, Pandemics, Longitudinal Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, United Kingdom epidemiology, Mental Disorders epidemiology, COVID-19 epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: There are concerns that child mental health inequalities may have widened during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated whether child mental health inequalities changed in 2020/2021 compared with prepandemic., Methods: We analysed 16 361 observations from 9272 children in the population representative UK Household Longitudinal Study. Child mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at ages 5 and 8 years in annual surveys 2011-2019, and at ages 5-11 years in July 2020, September 2020 and March 2021. Inequalities in cross-sectional SDQ scores among 5 and 8 year olds, before and during the pandemic, were modelled using linear regression. Additionally, interactions between time (before/during pandemic) and: sex, ethnicity, family structure, parental education, employment, household income and area deprivation on mental health were explored., Results: A trend towards poorer mental health between 2011 and 2019 continued during the pandemic (b=0.12, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.17). Children with coupled, highly educated, employed parents and higher household income experienced greater mental health declines during the pandemic than less advantaged groups, leading to narrowed inequalities. For example, the mean difference in child SDQ scores for unemployed compared with employed parents was 2.35 prepandemic (1.72 to 2.98) and 0.02 during the pandemic (-1.10 to 1.13). Worse scores related to male sex and area deprivation were maintained. White children experienced worse mental health than other ethnicities, and greater declines during the pandemic., Conclusion: Mental health among UK 5 and 8 year olds deteriorated during the pandemic, although several inequalities narrowed. Interventions are needed to improve child mental health while ensuring inequalities do not widen., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2023
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31. A randomised study of nurse collected venous blood and self-collected dried blood spots for the assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in the Understanding Society Innovation Panel.
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Kumari M, Andrayas A, Al Baghal T, Burton J, Crossley TF, Jones KS, Parkington DA, Koulman A, and Benzeval M
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- Humans, Risk Factors, Dried Blood Spot Testing methods, Biomarkers, Cholesterol, HDL, Heart Disease Risk Factors, Cardiovascular Diseases diagnosis
- Abstract
Dried blood spot (DBS) sample collection has been suggested as a less invasive, cheaper and more convenient alternative to venepuncture, which requires trained personnel, making it a potentially viable approach for self-collection of blood on a large scale. We examine whether participants in a longitudinal survey were willing to provide a DBS sample in different interview settings, and how resulting cardiovascular risk biomarkers compared with those from venous blood to calculate clinical risk. Participants of the Understanding Society Innovation Panel, a representative sample of UK households, were randomly assigned to three modes of interview. Most participants (84%) were interviewed in their allocated mode. Participants (n = 2162) were interviewed by a nurse who collected both a blood sample by venepuncture and a DBS card ('nurse collection') or participants were seen by an interviewer or took part in the survey online to self-collect a DBS card ('self-collection'). All DBS cards were returned in the post after the sample had dried. Lipids (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides), HbA1c and C-reactive protein were measured in venous and DBS samples and equivalence was calculated. The resultant values were used to confirm equivalent prevalence of risk of cardiovascular disease in each type of blood sample by mode of participation. Of participants interviewed by a nurse 69% consented to venous blood sample and 74% to a DBS sample, while in the self-collection modes, 35% consented to DBS collection. Demographic characteristics of participants in self-collection mode was not different to those in nurse collection mode. The percentage of participants with clinically raised biomarkers did not significantly differ between type of blood collection (for example, 62% had high cholesterol (> 5 mmol/l) measured by venepuncture and 67% had high cholesterol within the self-collected DBS sample (p = 0.13)). While self-collected DBS sampling had a lower response rate to DBS collected by a nurse, participation did not vary by key demographic characteristics. This study demonstrates that DBS collection is a feasible method of sample collection that can provide acceptable measures of clinically relevant biomarkers, enabling the calculation of population levels of cardiovascular disease risk., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)
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- 2023
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32. Does the feedback of blood results in observational studies influence response and consent? A randomised study of the Understanding Society Innovation Panel.
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Benzeval M, Andrayas A, Mazza J, Al Baghal T, Burton J, Crossley TF, and Kumari M
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- Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Feedback, Family Characteristics, Informed Consent
- Abstract
Background: While medical studies generally provide health feedback to participants, in observational studies this is not always the case due to logistical and financial difficulties, or concerns about changing observed behaviours. However, evidence suggests that lack of feedback may deter participants from providing biological samples. This paper investigates the effect of offering feedback of blood results on participation in biomeasure sample collection., Methods: Participants aged 16 and over from a longitudinal study - the Understanding Society Innovation Panel-were randomised to three arms - nurse interviewer, interviewer, web survey - and invited to participate in biomeasures data collection. Within each arm they were randomised to receive feedback of their blood results or not. For those interviewed by a nurse both venous and dried blood samples (DBS) were taken in the interview. For the other two arms, they were asked if they would be willing to take a sample, and if they agreed a DBS kit was left or sent to them so the participant could take their own sample and return it. Blood samples were analysed and, if in the feedback arms, participants were sent their total cholesterol and HbA1c results. Response rates for feedback and non-feedback groups were compared: overall; in each arm of the study; by socio-demographic and health characteristics; and by previous study participation. Logistic regression models of providing a blood sample by feedback group and data collection approach controlling for confounders were calculated., Results: Overall 2162 (80.3% of individuals in responding households) took part in the survey; of those 1053 (48.7%) consented to provide a blood sample. Being offered feedback had little effect on overall participation but did increase consent to provide a blood sample (unadjusted OR 1.38; CI: 1.16-1.64). Controlling for participant characteristics, the effect of feedback was highest among web participants (1.55; 1.11-2.17), followed by interview participants (1.35; 0.99 -1.84) and then nurse interview participants (1.30; 0.89-1.92)., Conclusions: Offering feedback of blood results increased willingness to give samples, especially for those taking part in a web survey., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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33. Corrigendum to "Examining the impact of different social class mechanisms on health inequalities: A cross-sectional analysis of an all-age UK household panel study" [Soc. Sci. Med. 312 (2022) 115383].
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Whitley E, McCartney G, Bartley M, and Benzeval M
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- 2023
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34. Tracking the mental health of home-carers during the first COVID-19 national lockdown: evidence from a nationally representative UK survey.
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Whitley E, Reeve K, and Benzeval M
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- Adult, Humans, Mental Health, Longitudinal Studies, Communicable Disease Control, Surveys and Questionnaires, United Kingdom epidemiology, COVID-19 prevention & control
- Abstract
Background: Unpaid carers who look after another member of their household (home-carers) have poorer mental health than the general population. The first COVID-19 national lockdown led to an increasing reliance on home-carers and we investigate the short- and longer-term impacts of lockdown on their mental health., Methods: Data from 9737 adult participants (aged 16+) from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society) were used to explore changes in 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) score between (a) pre-pandemic (2019) and early lockdowns (April 2020) and (b) early and later (July 2020) lockdowns., Results: GHQ-12 scores among home-carers were higher pre-lockdown and increased more than for non-carers from 2019 to April 2020 with further increases for home-carers compared with non-carers between April and July. Compared with respondents caring for a spouse/partner, those caring for a child under 18 had a particularly marked increase in GHQ-12 score between 2019 and April, as did those caring for someone with a learning disability. Home-carers of children under 18 improved from April to July while those caring for adult children saw a marked worsening of their mental health. Home-carers with greater care burden saw larger increases in GHQ-12 score from 2019 to April and from April to July, and increases through both periods were greater for home-carers who had formal help prior to lockdown but then lost it., Conclusions: The mental health of home-carers deteriorated more during lockdown than non-carers. Policies that reinstate support for them and their care-recipients will benefit the health of both vulnerable groups.
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- 2023
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35. Impact of subjective and objective neighbourhood characteristics and individual socioeconomic position on allostatic load: A cross-sectional analysis of an all-age UK household panel study.
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Whitley E, Olsen J, and Benzeval M
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- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Neighborhood Characteristics, Residence Characteristics, Socioeconomic Factors, Biomarkers, United Kingdom, Allostasis
- Abstract
Research suggests that individuals living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods experience higher levels of stress but this has generally been based on self-reported stress. We used survey-based neighbourhood quality indicators and biomarker data from Understanding Society, linked to census and crime statistics to explore associations of allostatic load (AL), an objective biomarker-based measure of cumulative stress, with subjective and objective neighbourhood characteristics. Analyses of 6887 respondents living in England show greater AL among those living in more disadvantaged areas, with objective measure associations stronger than subjective. Neighbourhood inequalities in AL were lower among respondents with higher individual SEP. These results suggest that individual-level SEP mitigates against the impact of negative, particularly objective, neighbourhood characteristics. Policies to reduce health inequalities should consider both individual and neighbourhood circumstances., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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36. Examining the impact of different social class mechanisms on health inequalities: A cross-sectional analysis of an all-age UK household panel study.
- Author
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Whitley E, McCartney G, Bartley M, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Socioeconomic Factors, United Kingdom, Health Status Disparities, Social Class
- Abstract
Background: Socioeconomic inequalities are well established across health, morbidity and mortality measures. Social class theory describes how social groups relate, interact and accrue advantages/disadvantages relative to one another, with different theorists emphasising different dimensions. In the context of health inequalities, different social class measures are used interchangeably to rank population groups in terms of health rather than directly exploring the role of social class in creating inequalities. We aim to better understand how four distinct social class mechanisms explain differences in a range of self-reported and biological health outcomes., Methods: We use data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, a representative population survey of UK adults, to identify measures pertaining to Early years, Bourdieusian, Marxist, and Weberian social class mechanisms. Using logistic and least-squares regression we consider the relative extent to which these mechanisms explain differences in health (Self-reported health, SF12 Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) Component Scores, General Health Questionnaire; N = 21,446) and allostatic load, a biomarker-based measure of cumulative stress (N = 5003)., Results: Respondents with higher social position according to all social class measures had better self-rated, physical and mental health, and lower allostatic load. Associations with Marxist social class were among the strongest (e.g. Relative Index of Inequality for very good/excellent self-rated health comparing highest versus lowest Marxist social class: 4.96 (4.45, 5.52), with the Weberian measure also strongly associated with self-rated (4.35 (3.90, 4.85)) and physical health (Slope Index of Inequality for SF12-PCS: 7.94 (7.39, 8.48)). Health outcome associations with Bourdieusian and Marxist measures were generally stronger for women and older respondents, and physical health associations with all measures were stronger among those aged 50+ years., Conclusions: The impact of social class on health is multi-faceted. Policies to reduce health inequalities should focus more on unequal capital ownership, economic democracy and educational inequalities, reflecting Marxist and Weberian mechanisms., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
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37. The mental health impact of COVID-19 and lockdown-related stressors among adults in the UK.
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Chandola T, Kumari M, Booker CL, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adult, Humans, Mental Health, Longitudinal Studies, Pandemics, Communicable Disease Control, United Kingdom epidemiology, COVID-19 epidemiology, COVID-19 psychology
- Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and subsequent lockdown may have affected the mental health of the population. This study examines whether there was an increase in the prevalence and incidence of common mental disorders (CMD) in the UK adult population during the first months of lockdown and whether changes in CMD were associated with stressors related to the pandemic and lockdown., Methods: Longitudinal data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study waves 10-11: 2019-2020 and waves 1-4 of the COVID-19 monthly surveys in April ( n = 17 761) to July 2020 ( n = 13 754), a representative sample of UK adult population, were analysed. CMD was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) (cut-off >2). Changes in CMD were analysed in relation to COVID-19 and social stressors., Results: Around 29% of adults without CMD less than a year earlier had a CMD in April 2020. However, by July 2020, monthly incidence of CMD had reduced to 9%. Most employment, financial and psychological 'shocks' were at their highest levels in April and reduced steadily in later months. Despite the lifting of some lockdown conditions by July, stressors related to loneliness, unemployment, financial problems and domestic work continued to influence CMD., Conclusion: Some COVID-19 policy responses such as furloughing may have been effective in mitigating the increase in CMD for some groups of employees. Despite some reduction in levels of pandemic and lockdown-related stressors by the middle of 2020, loneliness and financial stressors remained key determinants of incidence in CMD among the UK adult population.
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- 2022
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38. Biological costs and benefits of social relationships for men and women in adulthood: The role of partner, family and friends.
- Author
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Rouxel P, Chandola T, Kumari M, Seeman T, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Social Support, Young Adult, Allostasis physiology, Friends
- Abstract
Despite numerous studies on social relationships and health, the empirical focus has often been on middle-aged or older adults, even though young adulthood is a period of considerable change in social networks. We investigated whether the associations between social relationships and allostatic load, a multisystem physiological dysregulation index that reflects chronic stress responses, vary by type of relationship and stages of the lifecourse. Relationships with spouse/partner, immediate family and friends were assessed in terms of emotional support and social strain. Poisson regression models on multiple imputed data sets from waves 2-3 (2010-2012) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (N = 10,380) were estimated. Social strain, particularly from partners and immediate family, appeared to elicit greater stress related dysregulation during early adulthood (age 21-34 years), corresponding to a predicted difference in the allostatic load index (range 0-12) between high and low strained relationships of 1.1 (95% CI: 0.5-1.6) among young women and 0.6 (95% CI: -0.04 to 1.2) among young men. There was little evidence of an association between allostatic load and any of the social relationships among older men and women. Models of social relationships over the lifecourse need to take account of how stressful social relationships become biologically embedded in early adulthood., (© 2021 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.)
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- 2022
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39. Psychological distress among people with probable COVID-19 infection: analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
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Niedzwiedz CL, Benzeval M, Hainey K, Leyland AH, and Katikireddi SV
- Abstract
Studies exploring the longer-term effects of experiencing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on mental health are lacking. We explored the relationship between reporting probable COVID-19 symptoms in April 2020 and psychological distress (measured using the General Health Questionnaire) 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 months later. Data were taken from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative household panel survey of UK adults. Elevated levels of psychological distress were found up to 7 months after probable COVID-19, compared with participants with no likely infection. Associations were stronger among younger age groups and men. Further research into the psychological sequalae of COVID-19 is urgently needed.
- Published
- 2021
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40. Mental health and health behaviours before and during the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown: longitudinal analyses of the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
- Author
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Niedzwiedz CL, Green MJ, Benzeval M, Campbell D, Craig P, Demou E, Leyland A, Pearce A, Thomson R, Whitley E, and Katikireddi SV
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alcohol Drinking epidemiology, COVID-19 epidemiology, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Behavior, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Quarantine psychology, SARS-CoV-2, Smoking epidemiology, Surveys and Questionnaires, United Kingdom epidemiology, Young Adult, COVID-19 psychology, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems statistics & numerical data, Loneliness psychology, Mental Health statistics & numerical data, Smoking psychology, Social Isolation psychology
- Abstract
Background: There are concerns that COVID-19 mitigation measures, including the 'lockdown', may have unintended health consequences. We examined trends in mental health and health behaviours in the UK before and during the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown and differences across population subgroups., Methods: Repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study, including representative samples of over 27,000 adults (aged 18+) interviewed in four survey waves between 2015 and 2020. A total of 9748 adults had complete data for longitudinal analyses. Outcomes included psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire-12), loneliness, current cigarette smoking, use of e-cigarettes and alcohol consumption. Cross-sectional prevalence estimates were calculated and multilevel Poisson regression assessed associations between time period and the outcomes of interest, as well as differential associations by age, gender, education level and ethnicity., Results: Psychological distress increased 1 month into lockdown with the prevalence rising from 19.4% (95% CI 18.7% to 20.1%) in 2017-2019 to 30.6% (95% CI 29.1% to 32.3%) in April 2020 (RR=1.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.4). Groups most adversely affected included women, young adults, people from an Asian background and those who were degree educated. Loneliness remained stable overall (RR=0.9, 95% CI 0.6 to 1.5). Smoking declined (RR=0.9, 95% CI=0.8,1.0) and the proportion of people drinking four or more times per week increased (RR=1.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.5), as did binge drinking (RR=1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.7)., Conclusions: Psychological distress increased 1 month into lockdown, particularly among women and young adults. Smoking declined, but adverse alcohol use generally increased. Effective measures are required to mitigate negative impacts on health., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2021
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41. Socioeconomic patterning of vaping by smoking status among UK adults and youth.
- Author
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Green MJ, Gray L, Sweeting H, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Socioeconomic Factors, United Kingdom epidemiology, Young Adult, Health Status Disparities, Smokers statistics & numerical data, Smoking epidemiology, Vaping epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: Smoking contributes significantly to socioeconomic health inequalities. Vaping has captured much interest as a less harmful alternative to smoking, but may be harmful relative to non-smoking. Examining inequalities in vaping by smoking status, may offer insights into potential impacts of vaping on socioeconomic inequalities in health., Methods: Data were from 3291 youth (aged 10-15) and 35,367 adults (aged 16+) from wave 7 (2015-17) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study. In order to adjust for biases that could be introduced by stratifying on smoking status, marginal structural models were used to estimate controlled direct effects of an index of socioeconomic disadvantage (incorporating household education, occupation and income) on vaping by smoking status (among adults and youth), adjusting for relevant confounders and for selection into smoking states. We also estimated controlled direct effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on being an ex-smoker by vaping status (among adult ever-smokers; n = 18,128)., Results: Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with vaping among never smoking youth (OR for a unit increase in the socioeconomic index: 1.17; 95%: 1.03-1.34), and among ex-smoking adults (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09-1.26), with little to no association among never smoking (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.91-1.07) and current smoking (OR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.93-1.07) adults. Socioeconomic disadvantage was also associated with reduced odds of being an ex-smoker among adult ever-smokers, but this association was moderately weaker among those who vaped (OR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.82-0.95) than those who did not (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.80-0.84; p-value for difference = 0.081)., Conclusions: Inequalities in vaping among never smoking youth and adult ex-smokers, suggest potential to widen health inequalities, while weaker inequalities in smoking cessation among adult vapers indicate e-cigarettes could help narrow inequalities. Further research is needed to understand the balance of these opposing potential impacts, and how any benefits can be maximised whilst protecting the vulnerable.
- Published
- 2020
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42. Educational differentials in key domains of physical activity by ethnicity, age and sex: a cross-sectional study of over 40 000 participants in the UK household longitudinal study (2013-2015).
- Author
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Fluharty ME, Pinto Pereira SM, Benzeval M, Hamer M, Jefferis B, Griffiths LJ, Cooper R, and Bann D
- Subjects
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, United Kingdom epidemiology, Young Adult, Ethnicity, Exercise physiology, Family Characteristics ethnology, Motor Activity physiology, Sedentary Behavior ethnology
- Abstract
Objectives: To assess whether educational differentials in three key physical activity (PA) domains vary by age, sex and ethnicity., Design: National cross-sectional survey., Setting: UK., Participants: Altogether 40 270 participants, aged 20 years and over, from the UK Household Longitudinal Study with information on education, PA and demographics collected in 2013-2015., Outcome Measures: Participation in active travel (AT), occupational activity (OA) and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) at the time of assessment., Results: Lower educational attainment was associated with higher AT and OA, but lower weekly LTPA activity; these associations were modified by sex, ethnicity and age. Education-related differences in AT were larger for women-the difference in predicted probability of activity between the highest and the lowest education groups was -10% in women (95% CI: -11.9% to 7.9%) and -3% in men (-4.8% to -0.4%). Education-related differences in OA were larger among men -35% (-36.9% to -32.4%) than women -17% (-19.4% to -15.0%). Finally, education-related differences in moderate-to-vigorous LTPA varied by ethnicity; for example, differences were 17% (16.2% to 18.7%) for white individuals compared with 6% (0.6% to 11.6%) for black individuals., Conclusions: Educational differences in PA vary by domain and are modified by age, sex and ethnicity. A better understanding of physically inactive subgroups may aid development of interventions to both increase activity levels and reduce health inequalities., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2020
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43. Population Priorities for Successful Aging: A Randomized Vignette Experiment.
- Author
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Whitley E, Benzeval M, and Popham F
- Subjects
- Activities of Daily Living psychology, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Attitude to Health, Chronic Disease, Cognition, Disabled Persons, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Physical Functional Performance, Social Participation, Young Adult, Health Priorities, Healthy Aging psychology
- Abstract
Objectives: Aging populations have led to increasing interest in "successful aging" but there is no consensus as to what this entails. We aimed to understand the relative importance to the general population of six commonly-used successful aging dimensions (disease, disability, physical functioning, cognitive functioning, interpersonal engagement, and productive engagement)., Method: Two thousand and ten British men and women were shown vignettes describing an older person with randomly determined favorable/unfavorable outcomes for each dimension and asked to score (0-10) how successfully the person was aging., Results: Vignettes with favorable successful aging dimensions were given higher mean scores than those with unfavorable dimensions. The dimensions given greatest importance were cognitive function (difference [95% confidence interval {CI}] in mean scores: 1.20 [1.11, 1.30]) and disability (1.18 [1.08, 1.27]), while disease (0.73 [0.64, 0.82]) and productive engagement (0.58 [0.49, 0.66]) were given the least importance. Older respondents gave increasingly greater relative importance to physical function, cognitive function, and productive engagement., Discussion: Successful aging definitions that focus on disease do not reflect the views of the population in general and older people in particular. Practitioners and policy makers should be aware of older people's priorities for aging and understand how these differ from their own., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.)
- Published
- 2020
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44. The moderating effect of childhood disadvantage on the associations between smoking and occupational exposure and lung function; a cross sectional analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS).
- Author
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Carney C and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume physiology, Humans, Linear Models, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Respiratory Function Tests, Socioeconomic Factors, United Kingdom, Young Adult, Aging physiology, Lung physiopathology, Occupational Exposure adverse effects, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive physiopathology, Smoking physiopathology, Tobacco Smoke Pollution adverse effects
- Abstract
Background: Lung function is lower in people with disadvantaged socio-economic position (SEP) and is associated with hazardous health behaviours and exposures. The associations are likely to be interactive, for example, exposure to socially patterned environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in childhood is associated with an increased effect of smoking in adulthood. We hypothesise that disadvantaged childhood SEP increases susceptibility to the effects of hazards in adulthood for lung function. We test whether disadvantaged childhood SEP moderates smoking, physical activity, obesity, occupational exposures, ETS and air pollution's associations with lung function., Methods: Data are from the Nurse Health Assessment (NHA) in waves two and three of the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). Analysis is restricted to English residents aged at least 20 for women and 25 for men, producing a study population of 16,339. Lung function is measured with forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV
1 ) and standardised to the percentage of expected FEV1 for a healthy non-smoker of equivalent age, gender, height and ethnicity (FEV1 %). Using STATA 14, a mixed linear model was fitted with interaction terms between childhood SEP and health behaviours and occupational exposures. Cross level interactions tested whether childhood SEP moderated household ETS and neighbourhood air pollution's associations with FEV1 %., Results: SEP, smoking, physical activity, obesity, occupational exposures and air pollution were associated with lung function. Interaction terms indicated a significantly stronger negative association between disadvantaged childhood SEP and currently smoking (coefficient -6.47 %, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 9.51 %, 3.42 %) as well as with formerly smoking and occupational exposures. Significant interactions were not found with physical activity, obesity, ETS and air pollution., Conclusion: The findings suggest that disadvantaged SEP in childhood may make people's lung function more susceptible to the negative effects of smoking and occupational exposures in adulthood. This is important as those most likely to encounter these exposures are at greater risk to their effects. Policy to alleviate this inequality requires intervention in health behaviours through public health campaigns and in occupational health via health and safety legislation.- Published
- 2019
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45. Data Resource Profile: Cohort and Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources (CLOSER).
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O'Neill D, Benzeval M, Boyd A, Calderwood L, Cooper C, Corti L, Dennison E, Fitzsimons E, Goodman A, Hardy R, Inskip H, Molloy L, Sacker A, Sudlow A, Sullivan A, and Park A
- Subjects
- Cohort Studies, Health Resources, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Data Collection, Datasets as Topic, Information Storage and Retrieval
- Published
- 2019
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46. The association between self-rated health and underlying biomarker levels is modified by age, gender, and household income: Evidence from Understanding Society - The UK Household Longitudinal Study.
- Author
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Chaparro MP, Hughes A, Kumari M, and Benzeval M
- Abstract
The goal of this study was to evaluate how self-rated health (SRH) and objective measures of health (biomarkers) are associated, and if this association varies by gender, age, and socioeconomic position (measured by household income). Data come from the UK Household Longitudinal Study nurse visit (2010-2012), including a representative sample of adults in Great Britain (N = 15 687 maximum sample). SRH was assessed by the question "In general, would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?" and dichotomized into good or poor. Indices were created for four biomarker categories based on the aspects of health they are likely to reflect, including visible weigh-related , fitness , fatigue , and disease risk biomarkers. Logistic regression models were run with SRH as the outcome and each biomarker index as a predictor, adjusting by gender, age, and income. Further, interaction terms between each biomarker index and gender, age, and income (independently) were added to test for effect modification. All biomarker indices were associated with SRH in expected directions, with the fitness index most strongly predicting SRH. Gender, age, or income modified the associations between SRH and all biomarker indices to different extents. The association between the visible weight-related biomarker index (including body mass/fat variables) and SRH was stronger for women than men and for those in higher income groups than lower income groups. Income also modified the association between SRH and the fitness biomarker index, whereas age modified the association between SRH and the fatigue biomarker index. When using SRH to investigate health inequalities, researchers and policy makers should be clear that different social groups may systematically consider different dimensions of health when reporting their SRH.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Neighborhood deprivation and biomarkers of health in Britain: the mediating role of the physical environment.
- Author
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Chaparro MP, Benzeval M, Richardson E, and Mitchell R
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Air Pollution adverse effects, Air Pollution analysis, Biomarkers analysis, Blood Pressure, Body Mass Index, C-Reactive Protein analysis, Carbon Monoxide adverse effects, Carbon Monoxide analysis, Environment Design statistics & numerical data, Environmental Exposure adverse effects, Environmental Exposure analysis, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Nitrogen Dioxide adverse effects, Nitrogen Dioxide analysis, Particulate Matter adverse effects, Particulate Matter analysis, Respiratory Function Tests, Sulfur Dioxide adverse effects, Sulfur Dioxide analysis, United Kingdom, Young Adult, Environment, Health Status Disparities, Poverty Areas, Residence Characteristics statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Background: Neighborhood deprivation has been consistently linked to poor individual health outcomes; however, studies exploring the mechanisms involved in this association are scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate whether objective measures of the physical environment mediate the association between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and biomarkers of health in Britain., Methods: We linked individual-level biomarker data from Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Survey (2010-2012) to neighborhood-level data from different governmental sources. Our outcome variables were forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV
1 %; n=16,347), systolic blood pressure (SBP; n=16,846), body mass index (BMI; n=19,417), and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP; n=11,825). Our measure of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation was the Carstairs index, and the neighborhood-level mediators were levels of air pollutants (sulphur dioxide [SO2 ], particulate matter [PM10 ], nitrogen dioxide [NO2 ], and carbon monoxide [CO]), green space, and proximity to waste and industrial facilities. We fitted a multilevel mediation model following a multilevel structural equation framework in MPlus v7.4, adjusting for age, gender, and income., Results: Residents of poor neighborhoods and those exposed to higher pollution and less green space had worse health outcomes. However, only SO2 exposure significantly and partially mediated the association between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and SBP, BMI, and CRP., Conclusion: Reducing air pollution exposure and increasing access to green space may improve population health but may not decrease health inequalities in Britain.- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Social patterning in grip strength and in its association with age; a cross sectional analysis using the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS).
- Author
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Carney C and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Socioeconomic Factors, United Kingdom, Young Adult, Hand Strength, Health Status Disparities
- Abstract
Background: Grip strength in early adulthood and midlife is an important predictor of disability, morbidity and mortality in later life. Understanding social patterning in grip strength at different life stages could improve insight into inequalities in age-related decline and when in the life course interventions could prevent the emergence of inequalities., Methods: Using United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) data on 19,292 people aged 16 to 99, fractional polynomial models were fitted to identify which function of age best described its association with grip strength. Linear regressions were used to establish whether socio-economic position (SEP), as measured by maternal education, highest educational qualification and income, was associated with grip strength. To test whether the association between age and grip strength was modified by SEP, interactions between SEP and the age terms were added. Differentiation was used to identify the age at which grip strength was highest for men and women and predicted levels of grip strength at peak were compared., Results: SEP is significantly associated with grip strength on all SEP measures, except education for men. Grip strength is highest at a younger age, and less strong for all measures of disadvantage for women and most measures for men. Interaction terms were not statistically significant indicating that the association between age and grip strength was not modified by SEP. Grip strength peak was 29.3 kg at age 33 for women with disadvantaged childhood SEP compared with 30.2 kg at age 35 for women with advantaged childhood SEP., Conclusion: The SEP differences in age and level of peak grip strength could be indicative of decline in muscle strength beginning earlier and from a lower base for disadvantaged groups. This could impact on the capacity for healthy ageing for those with disadvantaged SEP.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Associations of Successful Aging With Socioeconomic Position Across the Life-Course: The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Prospective Cohort Study.
- Author
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Whitley E, Benzeval M, and Popham F
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aging psychology, Child, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Scotland epidemiology, Socioeconomic Factors, Healthy Aging psychology, Life History Traits, Social Class
- Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate how socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with multidimensional measures of successful aging (SA), and how this varies and accumulates across the life-course., Method: Using data from 1,733 Scottish men and women from two cohorts aged around 57 and 76, respectively, we explored associations of SA, based on the Rowe-Kahn model, with 10 measures of SEP measured in childhood and, distally and proximally, in adulthood., Results: Individual SEP associations with SA score were generally consistent across different indicators and life stages: Respondents with the most versus least favorable SEP had two additional positive SA dimensions. There was also a strong association between SA and cumulative SEP based on all 10 measures combined; respondents with the most versus least favorable lifelong SEP had four additional positive SA dimensions., Conclusion: SEP advantages/disadvantages act and accumulate across the life-course, resulting in widening socioeconomic inequalities in SA in later life.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Genome-wide analysis of health-related biomarkers in the UK Household Longitudinal Study reveals novel associations.
- Author
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Prins BP, Kuchenbaecker KB, Bao Y, Smart M, Zabaneh D, Fatemifar G, Luan J, Wareham NJ, Scott RA, Perry JRB, Langenberg C, Benzeval M, Kumari M, and Zeggini E
- Subjects
- Genome-Wide Association Study, Health Status, Longitudinal Studies, Reproductive Health, United Kingdom, Biomarkers blood, Family Characteristics, Family Health, Genetic Markers
- Abstract
Serum biomarker levels are associated with the risk of complex diseases. Here, we aimed to gain insights into the genetic architecture of biomarker traits which can reflect health status. We performed genome-wide association analyses for twenty serum biomarkers involved in organ function and reproductive health. 9,961 individuals from the UK Household Longitudinal Study were genotyped using the Illumina HumanCoreExome array and variants imputed to the 1000 Genomes Project and UK10K haplotypes. We establish a polygenic heritability for all biomarkers, confirm associations of fifty-four established loci, and identify five novel, replicating associations at genome-wide significance. A low-frequency variant, rs28929474, (beta = 0.04, P = 2 × 10
-10 ) was associated with levels of alanine transaminase, an indicator of liver damage. The variant is located in the gene encoding serine protease inhibitor, low levels of which are associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency which leads to liver disease. We identified novel associations (rs78900934, beta = 0.05, P = 6 × 10-12 ; rs2911280, beta = 0.09, P = 6 × 10-10 ) for dihydroepiandrosterone sulphate, a precursor to major sex-hormones, and for glycated haemoglobin (rs12819124, beta = -0.03, P = 4 × 10-9 ; rs761772, beta = 0.05, P = 5 × 10-9 ). rs12819124 is nominally associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Our study offers insights into the genetic architecture of well-known and less well-studied biomarkers.- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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