64 results on '"Benzeval, M."'
Search Results
2. Understanding Society Innovation Panel Wave 9: Results from Methodological Experiments. Understanding Society Working Paper Series
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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
3. Rare Variant Analysis of Human and Rodent Obesity Genes in Individuals with Severe Childhood Obesity
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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
4. 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
5. P9 Does childhood socio-economic disadvantage moderate health behaviours and occupational and environmental hazards association’s with adult lung function; a cross sectional analysis using the UK household longitudinal study
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Carney, C, primary and Benzeval, M, additional
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- 2018
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6. P8 Investigating epigenetic differences in response to shift work: findings from understanding society (UK longitudinal household survey)
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Richmond, RC, primary, Bao, Y, additional, Smart, M, additional, Gorrie-Stone, T, additional, Schalkwyk, L, additional, Mill, J, additional, Davey Smith, G, additional, Benzeval, M, additional, Relton, C, additional, and Kumari, M, additional
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- 2018
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7. OP58 Associations between parental vaping and youth smoking and vaping in the UK: cross-sectional survey findings
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Green, MJ, primary, Gray, L, additional, Sweeting, H, additional, and Benzeval, M, additional
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- 2018
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8. OP82 #Population priorities for successful ageing: a randomised vignette experiment
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Whitley, E, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2018
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9. OP66 #Income trajectories and health: a latent class growth mixture model approach in understanding society (UK household longitudinal study)
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Moldovan, AL, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, and Clarke, P, additional
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- 2018
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10. P30 Does the quality of social relationships buffer the association of social disadvantage with allostatic load? an analysis of adults from the uk household longitudinal study
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Rouxel, P, primary, Chandola, T, additional, and Benzeval, M, additional
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- 2017
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11. Neighbourhood deprivation and biomarkers of health in the UK: the role of the physical environment
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Chaparro, MP, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, Richardson, E, additional, and Mitchell, R, additional
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- 2016
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12. Social patterning of successful aging in two age-cohorts from the West of Scotland born around 1932 and 1952 (the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study)
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Whitley, E, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2014
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13. Social patterning of physical activity over the lifecourse: evidence from three age cohorts in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study
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Hannah, MK, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, Mutrie, N, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2014
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14. The role of material, psychological and behavioural factors in mediating the association between socioeconomic position and allostatic load: Evidence from the 1950s cohort of the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study
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Robertson, T, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, Whitley, E, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2014
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15. Do financial strain and labour force status explain why Nordic countries have wide health inequalities relative to other European countries?
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Shaw, R, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2014
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16. Higher education and early adult drinking in the United Kingdom in 1981 and 1996
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Green, MJ, primary, Leyland, AH, additional, Sweeting, H, additional, and Benzeval, M, additional
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- 2014
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17. OP15 The role of material, psychological and behavioural factors in mediating the association between socio-economic position and allostatic load: Evidence from the 1950s cohort of the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study
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Robertson, T, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, Whitley, E, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2014
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18. OP16 Do financial strain and labour force status explain why Nordic countries have wide health inequalities relative to other European countries? Evidence from a cross-national study
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Shaw, RJ, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, and Popham, F, additional
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- 2014
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19. OP02 Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies
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Cooper, R, primary, Benzeval, M, additional, Deary, IJ, additional, Dennison, EM, additional, Der, G, additional, Gale, CR, additional, Inskip, HM, additional, Jagger, C, additional, Kirkwood, TB, additional, Lawlor, DA, additional, Robinson, SM, additional, Starr, JM, additional, Steptoe, A, additional, Tilling, K, additional, Kuh, D, additional, Cooper, C, additional, Aihie Sayer, A, additional, Dodds, RM, additional, and Syddall, HE, additional
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- 2014
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20. O4.17: Grip strength across the life course: normative data from twelve British studies
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Dodds, R.M., primary, Syddall, H.E., additional, Cooper, R., additional, Benzeval, M., additional, Deary, I.J., additional, Dennison, E.M., additional, Der, G., additional, Gale, C.R., additional, Inskip, H.M., additional, Jagger, C., additional, Kirkwood, T.B., additional, Lawlor, D.A., additional, Robinson, S.M., additional, Starr, J.M., additional, Steptoe, A., additional, Tilling, K., additional, Kuh, D., additional, Cooper, C., additional, and Aihie Sayer, A.P., additional
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- 2014
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21. P30 Does the quality of social relationships buffer the association of social disadvantage with allostatic load? an analysis of adults from the uk household longitudinal study
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Rouxel, P, Chandola, T, and Benzeval, M
- Abstract
BackgroundPositive support from social relationships is associated with better health, although it remains debatable whether positive social support buffers against the negative effects of social disadvantage on health. Moreover, few studies have considered both positive and negative relationship features from different networks (partner, relatives, and friends) and their association with allostatic load, a multisystem physiological dysregulation index, and none have examined whether the association of social disadvantage with higher levels of allostatic load reduces among those with more positive social support (the stress buffering role of positive social support).MethodsThis study examined data from 7928 adults from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (wave 2–2010/11). Positive and negative social relationships were assessed within networks (partner, relatives, friends). Allostatic load (range 0–10) was measured by summing eleven risk scores across neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic, cardiovascular and anthropometric systems. We used negative binomial regression models to examine the association of positive social support and negative social interactions with allostatic load, controlling for socioeconomic/demographic, health, behavioural and personality factors.ResultsPositive support from all networks was associated with lower allostatic load. Similarly, negative interactions from all networks were associated with higher allostatic load. However, after adjusting for all covariates, only positive support from partners and relatives, and negative interactions with friends were associated with allostatic load. Men with degree qualifications and supportive partners had lower allostatic load (2.3; 95% CI: 2.2–2.5) than highly educated men with low partner support (2.7; 95% CI: 2.4–3.0); positive support did not buffer the association of low education with allostatic load. Unemployed adults with supportive partners had lower allostatic load (2.4; 95% CI: 1.9–2.8) compared to unemployed adults with low partner support (3.2; 95% CI: 2.4–4.0).ConclusionPositive social support from partners appears to buffer the effect of unemployment on allostatic load. However, contrary to the stress buffering hypothesis, highly educated men appear to benefit more from supportive partners than men and women with no qualifications.
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- 2017
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22. When in the lifecourse? Socioeconomic position across the lifecourse and biological health score.
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Whitley E, Benzeval M, Kelly-Irving M, and Kumari M
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- 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.)
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- 2024
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23. 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.)
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- 2024
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24. 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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25. 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.)
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- 2023
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26. 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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27. 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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28. 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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29. 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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30. 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.)
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- 2022
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31. Examining the impact of different social class mechanisms on health inequalities: A cross-sectional analysis of an all-age UK household panel study.
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Whitley E, McCartney G, Bartley M, and Benzeval M
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- 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.)
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- 2022
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32. 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
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- 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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33. Biological costs and benefits of social relationships for men and women in adulthood: The role of partner, family and friends.
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Rouxel P, Chandola T, Kumari M, Seeman T, and Benzeval M
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- 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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34. 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
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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.
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- 2021
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35. Mental health and health behaviours before and during the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown: longitudinal analyses of the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
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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
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- 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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36. Socioeconomic patterning of vaping by smoking status among UK adults and youth.
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Green MJ, Gray L, Sweeting H, and Benzeval M
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- 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.
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- 2020
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37. 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).
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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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38. Population Priorities for Successful Aging: A Randomized Vignette Experiment.
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Whitley E, Benzeval M, and Popham F
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- 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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39. 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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40. 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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41. 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.
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- 2019
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42. Neighborhood deprivation and biomarkers of health in Britain: the mediating role of the physical environment.
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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
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43. 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
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44. 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
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- 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.
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- 2018
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45. Genome-wide analysis of health-related biomarkers in the UK Household Longitudinal Study reveals novel associations.
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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
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- View/download PDF
46. Causal effects of transitions to adult roles on early adult smoking and drinking: Evidence from three cohorts.
- Author
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Green MJ, Leyland AH, Sweeting H, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Alcohol Drinking psychology, Cohort Studies, Employment methods, Employment psychology, Employment statistics & numerical data, Female, Humans, Male, Smoking psychology, Social Class, United Kingdom epidemiology, Young Adult, Alcohol Drinking epidemiology, Health Behavior, Smoking epidemiology, Time Factors
- Abstract
Transitions into work and family roles have become increasingly delayed as participation in tertiary education widens. Such transitions may have adverse or beneficial effects on health behaviours such as smoking and drinking (alcohol). Role socialisation effects may reduce smoking or drinking, but clustering of transitions may lead to role overload, weakening or reversing any role socialisation effects. Effects of transitions were examined in three UK cohorts: the 1958 National Child Development Study, the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study, and the West of Scotland: Twenty-07 Youth Cohort (from around Glasgow, growing up in the same time period as the 1970 cohort). Latent class analysis was employed to identify heterogeneous patterns of transition timing for leaving education, entering employment, starting cohabitation, having a first child, and leaving the parental home. Propensity weighting was then used to estimate causal effects of transition patterns (relative to tertiary education) on smoking and heavy drinking in early adulthood (ages 22-26), adjusting for background confounders (gender, parental socioeconomic position, family structure, parental and adolescent health behaviours, adolescent distress and school performance). Three groups made early (age 16) transitions from education to employment and then either delayed other transitions, made other transitions quickly, or staggered transitions with cohabitation beginning around ages 19-21; a fourth group transitioned from education to employment around ages 17-18. Compared to those in tertiary education with similar background characteristics, those in these groups generally had higher levels of smoking, especially where transitions were more clustered, but less heavy drinking (except those who delayed other transitions after moving into employment). Results partially supported role socialisation effects for drinking, and role overload effects for smoking. Wider participation in tertiary education could have helped reduce smoking levels in these cohorts, but might also have increased risk for heavy drinking., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Socio-economic inequalities in C-reactive protein and fibrinogen across the adult age span: Findings from Understanding Society.
- Author
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Davillas A, Benzeval M, and Kumari M
- Subjects
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers blood, Diet, Female, Humans, Inflammation blood, Life Style, Male, Middle Aged, C-Reactive Protein analysis, Fibrinogen analysis, Inflammation epidemiology, Socioeconomic Factors
- Abstract
Systemic inflammation has been proposed as a physiological process linking socio-economic position (SEP) to health. We examined how SEP inequalities in inflammation -assessed using C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen- varied across the adult age span. Current (household income) and distal (education) markers of SEP were used. Data from 7,943 participants (aged 25+) of Understanding Society (wave 2, 1/2010-3/2012) were employed. We found that SEP inequalities in inflammation followed heterogeneous patterns by age, which differed by the inflammatory marker examined rather than by SEP measures. SEP inequalities in CRP emerged in 30s, increased up to mid-50s or early 60 s when they peaked and then decreased with age. SEP inequalities in fibrinogen decreased with age. Body mass index (BMI), smoking, physical activity and healthy diet explained part, but not all, of the SEP inequalities in inflammation; in general, BMI exerted the largest attenuation. Cumulative advantage theories and those considering age as a leveler for the accumulation of health and economic advantages across the life-span should be dynamically integrated to better understand the observed heterogeneity in SEP differences in health across the lifespan. The attenuating roles of health-related lifestyle indicators suggest that targeting health promotion policies may help reduce SEP inequalities in health.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Insomnia symptoms as a cause of type 2 diabetes Incidence: a 20 year cohort study.
- Author
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Green MJ, Espie CA, Popham F, Robertson T, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity complications, Obesity epidemiology, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Scotland, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 epidemiology, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 etiology, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders complications, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders epidemiology
- Abstract
Background: Insomnia symptoms are associated with type 2 diabetes incidence but are also associated with a range of potential time-varying covariates which may confound and/or mediate associations. We aimed to assess whether cumulative exposure to insomnia symptoms has a causal effect on type 2 diabetes incidence., Methods: A prospective cohort study in the West of Scotland, following respondents for 20 years from age 36. 996 respondents were free of diabetes at baseline and had valid data from up to four follow-up visits. Type 2 diabetes was assessed at the final visit by self-report, taking diabetic medication, or blood-test (HbA
1c ≥ 6.5% or 48 mmol/mol). Effects of cumulative insomnia exposure on type 2 diabetes incidence were estimated with traditional regression and marginal structural models, adjusting for time-dependent confounding (smoking, diet, physical inactivity, obesity, heavy drinking, psychiatric distress) as well as for gender and baseline occupational class., Results: Traditional regression yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 1.34 (95% CI: 1.06-1.70) for type 2 diabetes incidence for each additional survey wave in which insomnia was reported. Marginal structural models adjusted for prior covariates (assuming concurrently measured covariates were potential mediators), reduced this OR to 1.20 (95% CI: 0.98-1.46), and when concurrent covariates were also included (viewing them as potential confounders) this dropped further to 1.08 (95% CI: 0.85-1.37)., Conclusions: The association between cumulative experience of insomnia and type 2 diabetes incidence appeared confounded. Evidence for a residual causal effect depended on assumptions as to whether concurrently measured covariates were confounders or mediators.- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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49. Comparison of the Rowe-Kahn Model of Successful Aging With Self-rated Health and Life Satisfaction: The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Prospective Cohort Study.
- Author
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Whitley E, Popham F, and Benzeval M
- Subjects
- Aged, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Theoretical, Prospective Studies, Scotland, Aging, Health Status, Mental Health, Personal Satisfaction
- Abstract
Purpose of the Study: With increasing longevity in industrialized populations, there is growing interest in what defines "successful aging" (SA). Various SA measures have been proposed but no consensus has been reached and many have been criticized for not representing the views and priorities of older people. We consider whether the Rowe-Kahn SA model captures older individual's perceptions of their own health and aging., Methods: Using two cohorts of 886 and 483 men and women from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, aged around 57 and 76, respectively, we explored associations between Rowe-Kahn SA dimensions (absence of disease/disability; good physical/cognitive functioning; good interpersonal/productive social engagement) and four aspects of self-rated health and satisfaction (current general health; health for age; satisfaction with health; satisfaction with life)., Results: Respondents' self-rated health and satisfaction was generally good but few had all six Rowe-Kahn dimensions positive, the conventional definition of SA. All individual positive SA dimensions were associated with better self-rated health and satisfaction. This was consistent across age, gender, manual/nonmanual occupations, and personality. The prevalence of good self-rated health and satisfaction increased with increasing numbers of positive SA dimensions., Implications: The Rowe-Kahn model provides a functional definition of SA. Future work on ageing should include all Rowe-Kahn dimensions and consider SA as a continuum., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.)
- Published
- 2016
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50. Variations in cognitive abilities across the life course: Cross-sectional evidence from Understanding Society : The UK Household Longitudinal Study.
- Author
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Whitley E, Deary IJ, Ritchie SJ, Batty GD, Kumari M, and Benzeval M
- Abstract
Background: Populations worldwide are aging. Cognitive decline is an important precursor of dementia, illness and death and, even within the normal range, is associated with poorer performance on everyday tasks. However, the impact of age on cognitive function does not always receive the attention it deserves., Methods: We have explored cross-sectional associations of age with five cognitive tests (word recall, verbal fluency, subtraction, number sequence, and numerical problem solving) in a large representative sample of over 40,000 men and women aged 16 to 100 living in the UK., Results: Women performed better on word recall tests and men had higher scores for subtraction, number sequence and numerical problem solving. However, age-cognition associations were generally similar in both genders. Mean word recall and number sequence scores decreased from early adulthood with steeper declines from the mid-60s onwards Verbal fluency, subtraction and numerical problem solving scores remained stable or increased from early to mid-adulthood, followed by approximately linear declines from around age 60. Performance on all tests was progressively lower in respondents with increasingly worse self-rated health and memory. Age-related declines in word recall, verbal fluency and number sequence started earlier in those with the worst self-rated health. There was no compelling evidence for age dedifferentiation (that the general factor of cognitive ability changes in strength with age)., Conclusions: We have confirmed previously observed patterns of cognitive aging using a large representative population sample.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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