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China has been experiencing below-replacement fertility rates for decades prompting concerns about the rapid aging of the population and a dwindling labour supply. This paper examines the effects of micro-level and macro-level factors on fertility intentions in China from 2010 to 2021. The analyses utilize repeated cross-sectional data from the nationally representative Chinese General Social Survey, focusing on adults of childbearing age. A multilevel logistic regression approach is employed. The findings indicate that economic status, at both the individual and provincial levels, significantly shapes individuals' intentions regarding having two or more children. Those with higher individual economic status are more inclined to have multiple children, while individuals residing in provinces with higher mean incomes are less likely to have two or more children compared to those in provinces with lower mean incomes. Notably, the long-term impact of the one-child policy on intentions to have two or more children is particularly pronounced for urban residents and individuals from provinces that rigorously implemented the one-child policy. Additionally, the study identifies spatial differentiation in fertility intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and the technical standard of root canal treatment in a Belgian population, assess the association of different variables with periapical status, and compare the results to a similar study conducted 22 years previously. Methodology: In this cross‐sectional study, 614 panoramic radiographs of first‐time adult attendees at the Dental School of the University Hospital of Ghent were examined. Recorded patient‐level parameters included gender, age, number of teeth, number of root filled teeth, presence of any AP lesion, and number of implants. The following tooth‐level data were collected: tooth presence, coronal status, quality of coronal restoration, post presence, type of root‐filling material, length and density of root filling, root‐end filling material, presence of AP, and adjacent implant. Multivariable multilevel binary logistic regression was used to explore the association between patient and tooth characteristics and AP prevalence. Risk differences and confidence intervals were calculated to compare the present with the previous study. Results: The prevalence of AP at patient and tooth level was 46.9% and 5.6%, respectively. Fifty‐one per cent of the 614 patients had at least one root filled tooth, and 5.9% of the 14 655 teeth studied were root filled. AP was found in 45% of root filled teeth. Fifty‐four per cent of the root‐filled teeth were rated as inadequate. Multivariable multilevel logistic regression revealed that more teeth, more implants, fewer root‐filled teeth, adequate density, adequate coronal restoration, and no caries reduced the likelihood of AP. There were no statistically significant differences between the two studies regarding the prevalence of root‐filled teeth or AP and the technical quality of root canal treatment. Conclusions: The prevalence of AP and the technical quality of root canal treatment in Belgium have not substantially changed over the last 22 years, despite the technological advancements and continuing education in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 medical emergency has ended worldwide, yet the psychological impact of these years of unprecedented changes on students' lives still needs to be deepened. Methods: This study aims to assess and compare COVID-19-related stressors (relationships and academic life; isolation; and fear of contagion) and psychophysical symptoms reported by 637 university students at three times, i.e., April 2020 (n = 197), April 2021 (n = 200), and April 2022 (n = 240). The impact of COVID-19-related stressors on psychophysical symptoms within each time was also tested. Results: In April 2022, perceived isolation and fear of contagion decreased from the peak registered in April 2021, but stress related to relationships and academic life remained high. An ongoing increase in psychophysical symptoms was found. More than 50% of students reported clinical levels of sleep disorders, depression, psychoticism, and interpersonal sensitivity. In April 2022, students still perceiving stress related to relationships and academic life and isolation were at risk for anxiety, somatization, and sleep disorders. Students still perceiving stress related to fear of contagion were also at risk for depression, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and psychoticism. Conclusion: The findings emphasized the long-lasting effects of COVID-19-related stress on students' psychophysical health. Interventions must aim at supporting students in dealing with the complex post-pandemic adjustment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research focusing on the scope of practice by nurse anesthetists (NAs) is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine NAs' scope of practice in Norway, and to explore whether and how this has changed during the period from 1979 to 2018. The study had a repeated cross-sectional design. All members of the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists at the four time-points (1979, 1989, 1999 and 2018) were invited to participate in a questionnaire study. Inclusion criteria were education and work as an NA and currently working in Norway. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings indicate that the scope of NAs' practice in Norway has been increasingly restricted from 1979 to 2018 (N = 2171, P < .001). Additionally, the presence of an anesthesiologist when performing anesthesia had significantly increased during that time (39% in 1979 vs 90% in 2018). However, NAs' independent practice significantly increased in some areas, such as handling of acute situations, (i.e., handling of laryngospasm/bronchospasm [41% in 1979 versus 54% in 2018]). International and national standards underline the independent role of NAs. The development shown in our results should be addressed to avoid further restrictions of NAs' scope of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper determines the association between youth e-cigarette use "to try to quit using other tobacco products, such as cigarettes" and having stopped smoking cigarettes (defined as an ever cigarette smoker who did not smoke in the past 30 days). This study uses data from the NYTS from 2015 through 2021, focusing on youth who started smoking cigarettes before they started using e-cigarettes. Associations between using e-cigarettes to quit and having stopped smoking were computed using logistic regression accounting for the complex survey design and adjusting for level of nicotine dependence, year, age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Sensitivity analyses allowed for having started cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the same year and without regard for starting sequence. The primary analytic subsample included 6435 United States middle and high school students (mean age 15.9 years, 55.4% male). Using e-cigarettes to quit was associated with significantly lower odds of having stopped smoking cigarettes (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.45–0.85), controlling for nicotine dependence and demographics. Youth with higher levels of nicotine dependence also had lower odds of having stopped smoking. The results were stable over time. Sensitivity analyses produced similar results. Ever-smoking youth who used e-cigarettes "to try to quit using other tobacco products, such as cigarettes" had lower odds of having stopped smoking cigarettes than those who did not use e-cigarettes as to try to quit. Physicians, regulators, and educators should discourage youth from attempting to use e-cigarettes as a way to stop smoking cigarettes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first study in China to investigate the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) and its long-term association with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among healthcare workers. Conducted across various time points from March 27, 2020, to April 10, 2023, the research employed a four-wave repeated cross-sectional design involving 14,993 healthcare workers from 32 provincial administrative regions across the country. Nurses accounted for 34.3% of the sample, while doctors accounted for 65.7% of the sample, with a higher concentration in western China. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the risk factors for WPV, and hierarchical logistic regression models were used to examine the association between PTSD and WPV. The findings revealed that 71.4% of healthcare workers reported experiencing or witnessing WPV, with nearly half (47.5%) indicating exposure to violent incidents within the past year. Further analysis revealed significant associations between WPV incidence and various factors, including age, gender, work experience, work setting, and a history of contact with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (the odds ratio [OR] of these influencing factors ranged from 1.10 to 2.03. All the p-values were less than .05). 28.5% of healthcare workers displayed symptoms of PTSD, with WPV identified as a major risk factor contributing to these symptoms (lifetime WPV: OR = 1.61, 95% CI [1.47–1.76]; 1-year WPV: OR = 1.75 [1.61–1.90]). Therefore, it is imperative to prioritize the mental health of healthcare workers and implement effective measures to prevent and mitigate WPV, ensuring their physical and psychological well-being as well as occupational safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Existing evidence suggest that those who are socially isolated are at risk for taking up or continuing smoking. This study investigated country-based differences in social isolation and smoking status. Methods: We performed a repeated cross-sectional study using two waves of data from two ongoing aging studies: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Participants from both studies aged ≥65 years were included. We applied a multilevel Poisson regression model to examine the association between social isolation and smoking status and adjusted for individual sociodemographic characteristics. We used the social isolation index which comprises the following domains: marital status; frequency of contact with friends, family, and children; and participation in social activities. Interaction terms between each country and social isolation were also entered into the mode. Results: After exclusion of never smokers, we analyzed 75,905 participants (7,092 for ELSA and 68,813 for JAGES, respectively). Taking ex-smokers as the reference, social isolation was significantly associated with current smoking; the prevalence ratios (PRs) were 1.06 (95% credible interval [CrI], 1.05–1.08) for men and 1.08 (95% CrI, 1.04–1.11) for women. Taking Japan as a reference, the interaction term between country and social isolation was significant for both sexes, with increased PRs of 1.32 (95% CrI, 1.14–1.50) for men and 1.30 (95% CrI, 1.11–1.49) for women in England. Conclusions: Older people who were less socially isolated were more likely to quit smoking in England than in Japan, possibly explained by the strict tobacco control policies in England.

Hungary is unique in Europe having five school physical education (PE) classes per week for every child. The objective of this study was to examine the changes that have occurred in the leisure-time activities (sedentary activities and physical activities) of Hungarian students since this introduction. Students' sedentary activities and physical activities activity were measured in a repeated crosssectional study using the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method. Activities were reported by participants from getting up in the morning until starting school and from after school until falling asleep, at 15-minute intervals. Behaviors were reported in response to a single free-response item: 'What are you doing now?'. The first survey was in 2005/06, and the second survey was in 2015/16 after the introduction of daily physical education. We found that despite daily PE, Hungarian students still spend most of their leisure time sitting (e.g., talking, watching TV). However, reported leisure time spent on sport and exercise was ranked higher than in the first survey, moving from eighth to fifth place. Boys still spend more time watching TV and playing computer games than girls but are also more physically active. No significant age effects were found in time spent on sport and exercise, but there was a difference in sedentary activities. Regardless of gender and age group, after the introduction of daily physical education, leisure time spent on sports and exercise increased significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indoor microbiome exposure is associated with asthma, rhinitis and eczema. However, no studies report the interactions between environmental characteristics, indoor microbiome and health effects in a repeated cross-sectional framework. Methods: 1,279 and 1,121 preschool children in an industrial city (Taiyuan) of China were assessed for asthma, rhinitis and eczema symptoms in 2012 and 2019 by self-administered questionnaires, respectively. Bacteria and fungi in classroom vacuum dust were characterized by culture-independent amplicon sequencing. Multi-level logistic/linear regression was performed in two cross-sectional and two combined models to assess the associations. Results: The number of observed species in bacterial and fungal communities in classrooms increased significantly from 2012 to 2019, and the compositions of the microbial communities were drastically changed (p

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused dramatic changes in the daily lives of Romanians, affecting their mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved at three significant peaks, which sequentially occurred on: April 29, 2020; September 18, 2020; and the third wave registered the highest severity on November 27, 2020. Little is known about the mental health changes during this phase of this pandemic. This study evaluated mental health levels in Romania at the end of the first wave of the pandemic and amidst the third and most severe wave. We administered a two-phase internet-based survey among 543 and 583 participants, respectively, recruited through snowball sampling at a 6-month interval. The IPAT Anxiety Scale measured anxiety, the Beck's Depression Inventory measured depression, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale measured dissociation. We observed no statistically significant differences in the number of participants with clinically relevant scores at either time point. In the first survey, 23.8%, 19.2%, and 32.6% reported being clinically anxious, clinically depressed, and showed clinical dissociation, respectively. Binary logistic regressions indicated that age, education level, and previous traumatic events were significantly associated with clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, multiple linear regression analysis reported a collective significant effect of gender, age, psychological impact, traumatic events, and dissociation on predicting high levels of anxiety and depression. Romanian adults' mental health status was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it did not change 6 months after the first lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upsurge in violent radicalization is associated with a global increase in social inequalities and conflicts related to different markers of identity. To date, literature on the factors associated with legitimizing violence toward others is cross-sectional and does not provide information on the possible change of this phenomenon over time. Such information is necessary to design primary prevention programs that are adapted to and address a rapidly evolving social context. We use a repeated cross-sectional study design to explore the association between sociodemographic characteristics and scores on the Sympathy for Violent Radicalization Scale (SVR) in Quebec (Canada) college students at 2 times points. Results from an online survey completed by students of 6 colleges in 2015 (n = 854) and 2017 (n = 702) indicate that although overall scores on the SVR scale remained stable, there were changes in the association between age, identity, and the outcome at the two time points. Specifically, scores on the SVR were significantly higher among younger students in 2017 than in 2015. In addition, in 2017 we observed a relationship between collective identity and SVR that was not present in 2015. These results align with other recent studies in Canada and the U.S. documenting the emergence of new forms of youth politicized bullying associated with race, ethnicity, and religion. A close monitoring of the phenomenon is warranted to both better understand the impact of populist policies on the increase in hate incidents and crimes and develop programs to address these forms of violence from a public health perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the healthcare landscape undergoes transformative shifts due to factors like ageing demographics, technological innovations, rapid global dissemination of infectious diseases, and imperatives for accessible, cost-effective care, a pressing need emerges for the contemporisation of nursing education. Notably, there is a paucity of research delving into nurses' introspective evaluations of their educational experiences after their immersion in professional settings., Objective: This study aimed to examine nurses' evaluations of their educational background over 30 years and identify relationships between their assessments and their demographic., Design: The study embraced a recurrent cross-sectional survey methodology, encompassing three distinct quantitative cross-sectional evaluations conducted in the years 1999, 2009, and 2021., Context/participants: The cohort for this inquiry consisted of nurses stationed in Estonian general hospitals and inpatient departments of developmental plan institutions, each with at least one year of professional experience. Cumulatively, 832 nurses were engaged across three sequential evaluations: Study I (n = 463), Study II (n = 198), and Study III (n = 171)., Methods: Data procurement was executed via a structured survey, with subsequent analytical procedures encompassing descriptive and correlational methodologies., Results: A discernible augmentation in the educational calibre of nurses was observed with each successive evaluation. This escalation concomitated enhanced positive assessments in areas like evidence-informed education, skill development, and autonomous operational capabilities. Yet, a critical appraisal persisted concerning their competencies in navigating complex patient interactions and addressing socio-religious dilemmas., Conclusions: The merit of this investigation lies in its illumination of nursing education's evolution, as perceived retrospectively by nurses who have operationalized their academic learnings in real-world scenarios. Their vantage point, inherently informed by practice, uniquely positions them to earmark avenues of refinement. This exploration paves the way for enrichments in nursing education, spotlighting the imperative of equipping nurses to adeptly manage intricate situations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

• Carsharing impacts on car ownership at early and maturity phases are compared. • The percent of users shedding a car almost doubled from 2014 (2.3%) to 2018 (4.3%). • The impacts of carsharing extended to more general socioeconomic groups over time. • More diverse factors affected carsharing users' car ownership decisions in 2018. • Factors of service reliability and trip purpose become more influential in 2018. This study identifies and compares factors that drive carsharing users' vehicle ownership changes, using repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in the early (2014) and mature (2018) phases of the carsharing program in Seoul, Korea. Launched in 2013, the carsharing program has experienced a rapid growth in rental facilities and membership. Two types of mixed-effect logistic regression models are developed to predict the reduction in car ownership and the decision to defer a car purchase among carsharing members, respectively, for each phase, and the changes in estimated coefficients between two phases are evaluated statistically. Results show that about 31% of the members reduced their current or potential car ownership in favor of shared automobility in both phases, while the proportion of those who shed a private vehicle almost doubled from 2.3% to 4.3%. Carsharing's impact on vehicle ownership reduction appears to be extended to more general cohorts of the membership (e.g., higher income, larger households) as the program expands and ages. While accessibility to carsharing services is consistently important for deciding against vehicle ownership, the relative importance of satisfaction with customer services, accident claims process, and rental charges increased significantly between 2014 and 2018. Those who choose shared vehicles for business or commute trips are more willing to decrease their vehicle ownership than those using the service for non-work trips. These findings help develop a clear understanding of carsharing users' behavioral changes in terms of car ownership following the growth of carsharing services, with insights on the direction of further service improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study aimed at assessing, as primary objective, the periapical status and quality of root fillings, and, as secondary objective, the endodontic treatment need of a German urban population in a cross-sectional study 20 years after the first one. Materials and methods: Clinical and radiographic data of 353 patients were evaluated. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed and the endodontic treatment need was calculated. Results were compared with data from the year 1993. Results: A total of 9269 teeth were examined (26.2 teeth per patient; 1993, 24.4), of which 337 teeth were root filled (3.6%; 1993, 2.7%). Prevalence of apical periodontitis in root-filled teeth was 34% (1993, 61%). Quality of root fillings was adequate in 117 cases (35%; 1993, 14%). Minimum endodontic treatment need was estimated with 1.6% (1993, 2.3%), including teeth with clinical symptoms. Considering symptomless teeth with apical periodontitis and poor quality of root filling, the treatment need was 2.9% (1993, 3.7%). Regression analysis identified quality of root filling as a significant factor for periapical health (p = 0.01, odds ratio 3.4×, 95% CI 1.9–6.3×), likewise the type of instrumentation. Teeth treated with rotary files had a significantly better outcome (p = 0.02, odds ratio 2.0×, 95% CI 1.1–3.7×). Conclusions: Quality of root fillings and the periapical status have improved over the last 20 years in Germany. However, there is still a need for an increase in quality of root canal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research focusing on the scope of practice by nurse anesthetists (NAs) is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine NAs' scope of practice in Norway, and to explore whether and how this has changed during the period from 1979 to 2018. The study had a repeated crosssectional design. All members of the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists at the four time-points (1979, 1989, 1999 and 2018) were invited to participate in a questionnaire study. Inclusion criteria were education and work as an NA and currently working in Norway. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings indicate that the scope of NAs' practice in Norway has been increasingly restricted from 1979 to 2018 (N = 2171, P < .001). Additionally, the presence of an anesthesiologist when performing anesthesia had significantly increased during that time (39% in 1979 vs 90% in 2018). However, NAs' independent practice significantly increased in some areas, such as handling of acute situations, (i.e., handling of laryngospasm/bronchospasm [41% in 1979 versus 54% in 2018]). International and national standards underline the independent role of NAs. The development shown in our results should be addressed to avoid further restrictions of NAs' scope of practice., Competing Interests: Name: Ann-Chatrin Linqvist Leonardsen, MSc, PhD, NA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. This author is the corresponding author of this article. Disclosures: This study was funded by the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The funding body did not take part in planning or conduction of the study, or in analysis of data or writing of the manuscript. Name: Sigrunn Drageset, MSc, PhD, NA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: This study was funded by the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The funding body did not take part in planning or conduction of the study, or in analysis of data or writing of the manuscript. Name: Sidsel Ellingsen, MSc, PhD, NA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: This study was funded by the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The funding body did not take part in planning or conduction of the study, or in analysis of data or writing of the manuscript. Name: Therese Jenssen Finjarn, MSc, NA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: This study was funded by the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The funding body did not take part in planning or conduction of the study, or in analysis of data or writing of the manuscript. Name: Leiv Sandvik, PhD Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: This study was funded by the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The funding body did not take part in planning or conduction of the study, or in analysis of data or writing of the manuscript. Name: Marit Vassbotten Olsen, MSc, NA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: This study was funded by the Norwegian Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The funding body did not take part in planning or conduction of the study, or in analysis of data or writing of the manuscript, (Copyright © by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.)

The overwhelming majority of parents tend to mediate their children’s Internet use via different Internet parenting styles. Recent research suggests that Internet parenting is closely related to the Internet use behavior, development, and well-being of young people. However, despite this, little prior research has investigated the different Internet parenting styles exercised by parents in the developing world. Similarly, the recent literature has also pointed out the urgent need to develop new empirical measures of Internet parenting. This open research gap is addressed by developing a 10-item scale measuring 4 types of Internet parenting style, namely parental encouragement, parental permission, parental worry, and parental monitoring, using a 3-stage investigation involving repeated cross-sectional surveys. The prior Internet parenting literature exclusively focused on developed countries in the West and Far East, while developing countries have rarely been studied. The present study has addressed this gap by recruiting adolescent and young-adult Internet users from India. The study results suggest that the Internet parenting scale has a stable factorial structure, and sufficient instrument validity and reliability over time. Furthermore, it is also valid for adolescents attending public schools and young-adult Internet users. This study offers different theoretical and practical implications for researchers engaged in interdisciplinary research on the Internet and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study represents the fourth phase of a repeated cross-sectional study that was begun in 1985. It examines the current trends of private clubs’ operating budget practices and the changes in the practices over four decades. General managers (GMs) in the private club industry were selected to answer questions in managing their operating budgets, and 408 responses were collected. This study shows that in most clubs, the operating budgets are prepared through a cooperative effort involving the GM, accounting department heads, and others (e.g., department heads and committee heads). Depending on their size—in terms of revenue and membership size—clubs differ significantly in how they prepare operating budgets. As one of only a few budgeting studies in the hospitality industry, this study makes several contributions to the hospitality accounting literature, management, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the third phase of a repeated cross-sectional study that explores the current rankings of important accounting skills to lodging managers and the changes in the importance of accounting skills to lodging managers over time. In this study, as with two prior studies, financial executives were asked to rate the importance of a list of managerial accounting skills used by hotel general managers. The top three managerial accounting skills were the operating budget, the income statement, and analysis of variances. This study can provide a better sense of the perception of importance of accounting skills utilized by lodging managers. It will be useful for hospitality educators in designing the curriculum for managerial accounting courses to meet the expectations of the current hospitality industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a known high disparity in access to perinatal care services between urban and rural areas in Tanzania. This study analysed repeated cross-sectional (RCS) data from Tanzania to explore the relationship between antenatal care (ANC) visits, facility-based delivery and the reasons for home births in women who had made ANC visits. We used data from RCS Demographic and Health Surveys spanning 20 years and a cluster sample of 30 830 women from ∼52 districts of Tanzania. The relationship between the number of ANC visits (up to four) and facility delivery in the latest pregnancy was explored. Regional changes in facility delivery and related variables over time in urban and rural areas were analysed using linear mixed models. To explore the disconnect between ANC visits and facility deliveries, reasons for home delivery were analysed. In the analytic model with other regional-level covariates, a higher proportion of ANC (>2-4 visits) and exposure to media related to an increased facility delivery rate in urban areas. For rural women, there was no significant relationship between the number of visits and facility delivery rate. According to the fifth wave result (2009-10), the most frequent reason for home delivery was 'physical distance to facility', and a significantly higher proportion of rural women reported that they were 'not allowed to deliver in facility'. The disconnect between ANC visits and facility delivery in rural areas may be attributable to physical, cultural or familial barriers, and quality of care in health facilities. This suggests that improving access to ANC may not be enough to motivate facility-based delivery, especially in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from large scale Annual Social Surveys of the CBS in Israel, the current study investigated the impact of internet adoption and internet uses on the life satisfaction of senior citizens (aged 65+), compared to those of working age (ages 20–64) during the decade of 2003–2012. The findings show high-medium levels of life satisfaction – higher in younger age group, compared to the senior citizens. Life satisfaction increased moderately over time among the younger age group, while among the older population it remained stable during the decade under study. Our main conclusion is that internet adoption and digital uses increase life satisfaction, after controlling for socio-demographic variables, sociability and health condition. In addition, internet adoption and digital uses can constitute an important channel for increasing life satisfaction among senior citizens and weaker social groups: people from low economic strata and those suffering from health problems that interfere with day-to-day functioning. Moreover, in contrast to other powerful factors impacting life satisfaction (income, religiosity, sociability and health problems) this factor can be changed with relative ease, if digital literacy becomes one of the important goals in the national agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from large scale Annual Social Surveys of the CBS in Israel, the current research focused on trends of internet adoption and digital uses among the senior population in the past decade (2003–2012). The research goal was to identify the socio-demographic characteristics predicting internet access and digital uses and to examine whether the effects of these factors changed over time. During the decade the rate of internet access and digital uses increased continuously among the senior population, however the gap between them and the younger (20–64) age group was not eliminated; in fact it increased but only slightly. Our findings make it possible to identify disadvantaged groups in which being a senior intersects with additional risk factors: Arabs, immigrants, religious people, respondents from low socio-economic background and people with health problems. These findings are important for policy makers who attempt to promote internet use among Israeli older adults. Focusing on disadvantaged groups and implementing our specific recommendations may have beneficial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indoor microbiome exposure is associated with asthma, rhinitis and eczema. However, no studies report the interactions between environmental characteristics, indoor microbiome and health effects in a repeated cross-sectional framework., Methods: 1,279 and 1,121 preschool children in an industrial city (Taiyuan) of China were assessed for asthma, rhinitis and eczema symptoms in 2012 and 2019 by self-administered questionnaires, respectively. Bacteria and fungi in classroom vacuum dust were characterized by culture-independent amplicon sequencing. Multi-level logistic/linear regression was performed in two cross-sectional and two combined models to assess the associations., Results: The number of observed species in bacterial and fungal communities in classrooms increased significantly from 2012 to 2019, and the compositions of the microbial communities were drastically changed (p < 0.001). The temporal microbiome variation was significantly larger than the spatial variation within the city (p < 0.001). Annual average outdoor SO 2 concentration decreased by 60.7%, whereas NO 2 and PM 10 concentrations increased by 63.3% and 40.0% from 2012 to 2019, which were both associated with indoor microbiome variation (PERMANOVA p < 0.001). The prevalence of asthma (2.0% to 3.3%, p = 0.06) and rhinitis (28.0% to 25.3%, p = 0.13) were not significantly changed, but the prevalence of eczema was increased (3.6% to 7.0%; p < 0.001). Aspergillus subversicolor, Collinsella and Cutibacterium were positively associated with asthma, rhinitis and eczema, respectively (p < 0.01). Prevotella, Lactobacillus iners and Dolosigranulum were protectively (negatively) associated with rhinitis (p < 0.01), consistent with previous studies in the human respiratory tract. NO 2 and PM 10 concentrations were negatively associated with rhinitis in a bivariate model, but a multivariate mediation analysis revealed that Prevotella fully mediated the health effects., Conclusions: This is the first study to report the interactions between environmental characteristics, indoor microbiome and health in a repeated cross-sectional framework. The mediating effects of indoor microorganisms suggest incorporating biological with chemical exposure for a comprehensive exposure assessment., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Existing evidence suggest that those who are socially isolated are at risk for taking up or continuing smoking. This study investigated country-based differences in social isolation and smoking status., Methods: We performed a repeated cross-sectional study using two waves of data from two ongoing aging studies: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Participants from both studies aged ≥65 years were included. We applied a multilevel Poisson regression model to examine the association between social isolation and smoking status and adjusted for individual sociodemographic characteristics. We used the social isolation index which comprises the following domains: marital status; frequency of contact with friends, family, and children; and participation in social activities. Interaction terms between each country and social isolation were also entered into the mode., Results: After exclusion of never smokers, we analyzed 75,905 participants (7,092 for ELSA and 68,813 for JAGES, respectively). Taking ex-smokers as the reference, social isolation was significantly associated with current smoking; the prevalence ratios (PRs) were 1.06 (95% credible interval [CrI], 1.05-1.08) for men and 1.08 (95% CrI, 1.04-1.11) for women. Taking Japan as a reference, the interaction term between country and social isolation was significant for both sexes, with increased PRs of 1.32 (95% CrI, 1.14-1.50) for men and 1.30 (95% CrI, 1.11-1.49) for women in England., Conclusions: Older people who were less socially isolated were more likely to quit smoking in England than in Japan, possibly explained by the strict tobacco control policies in England.

There is a known high disparity in access to perinatal care services between urban and rural areas in Tanzania. This study analysed repeated cross-sectional (RCS) data from Tanzania to explore the relationship between antenatal care (ANC) visits, facility-based delivery and the reasons for home births in women who had made ANC visits. We used data from RCS Demographic and Health Surveys spanning 20 years and a cluster sample of 30 830 women from ∼52 districts of Tanzania. The relationship between the number of ANC visits (up to four) and facility delivery in the latest pregnancy was explored. Regional changes in facility delivery and related variables over time in urban and rural areas were analysed using linear mixed models. To explore the disconnect between ANC visits and facility deliveries, reasons for home delivery were analysed. In the analytic model with other regional-level covariates, a higher proportion of ANC (>2-4 visits) and exposure to media related to an increased facility delivery rate in urban areas. For rural women, there was no significant relationship between the number of visits and facility delivery rate. According to the fifth wave result (2009-10), the most frequent reason for home delivery was 'physical distance to facility', and a significantly higher proportion of rural women reported that they were 'not allowed to deliver in facility'. The disconnect between ANC visits and facility delivery in rural areas may be attributable to physical, cultural or familial barriers, and quality of care in health facilities. This suggests that improving access to ANC may not be enough to motivate facility-based delivery, especially in rural areas., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.)