Search

Background: Sleep disturbance is a common complaint in the general population. There is, however, little cross-national comparative evidence on the prevalence of sleep disturbance and its association with age.Methods: Cross-sectional data from the third wave of the European Social Survey were used to compare both the prevalence of sleep disturbances and its relationship to age among 27,103 respondents over the age of 40 years from 23 European countries. The outcome measures for the study were based on the proportion of respondents reporting restless sleep over the past week and percentage change in the reporting of restless sleep between the 41-65 age group and the 66 and over age group.Result: The prevalence rate of sleep disturbance varied between and within age groups, as well as between the 23 European countries. Depressive symptoms (OR = 4.14), anxiety (OR = 2.80), and general health (OR = 1.52) were the strongest correlates of sleep disturbance among both the 41-65 age group and the over 66 age group. The highest positive correlation with change in restless sleep reports occurred with respect to health deterioration. Satisfaction with living standards showed the strongest negative association with change in restless sleep reports.Conclusion: There is considerable variation in reports of sleep disturbance across different European countries. Being in an older age group appears to be associated with worsening sleep, though not always. Different patterns of sleep disturbance seem to indicate the considerable variability of the aging experience across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundLongitudinal data from the 1970 British Cohort Study were used to examine the long-term adult outcomes of those who, as children, were placed in public care.MethodMultivariate logistic estimation models were used to determine whether public care and placement patterns were associated with adult psychosocial outcomes. Seven emotional and behavioural outcomes measured at age 30 years were considered: depression, life dissatisfaction, self-efficacy, alcohol problems, smoking, drug abuse, and criminal convictions.ResultsThe analyses revealed a significant association between public care status and adult maladjustment on depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.74], life dissatisfaction (OR 1.45), low self-efficacy (OR 1.95), smoking (OR 1.70) and criminal convictions (OR 2.13).ConclusionsOverall, the present study findings suggest that there are enduring influences of a childhood admission to public care on emotional and behavioural adjustment from birth to adulthood. Some of the associations with childhood public care were relatively strong, particularly with respect to depression, self-efficacy and criminal convictions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nine hundred and sixty weaned pigs were exposed for 5.5 weeks to controlled concentrations of airborne dust and ammonia in a single, multi factorial experiment. Production and health responses were measured but only the former are reported here. The treatments were a dust concentration of either 1.2, 2.7, 5.1 or 9.9 mg/m³ (inhalable fraction) and an ammonia concentration of either 0.6, 10.0, 18.8 or 37.0 p. p. m., which are representative of commercial conditions. The experiment was carried out over 2.5 years and pigs were used in eight batches, each comprising five lots of 24 pigs. Each treatment combination was replicated once and an additional control lot (nominally ≈ mg/m³ dust and ≈ p. p. m. ammonia) was included in each batch to provide a baseline. The dust concentration was common across the other four lots in each batch in which all four ammonia concentrations were used; thus the split-plot design was more sensitive to the effects of ammonia than dust. The pigs were kept separately in five rooms in a purpose-built facility. The pollutants were injected continuously into the air supply. Ammonia was supplied from a pressurized cylinder and its concentration was measured with an NOx chemiluminescent gas analyser after catalytic conversion. The endogenous dust in each room was supplemented by an artificial dust, which was manufactured from food, barley straw and faeces, mixed by weight in the proportions 0.5: 0.1: 0.4. The ingredients were oven-dried, milled and mixed and this artificial dust was then resuspended in the supply air. Dust concentration was monitored continuously with a tribo-electric sensor and measured continually with an aerodynamic particle sizer and gravimetric samplers. Live weight per pig and cumulative food intake per pen of 12 pigs were measured after 5.5 weeks of exposure. Exposure to both aerial pollutants depressed live weight relative to the control (control v. pollutant, 25.7 v. 25.0 (s.e.d. = 0.3... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three cases of prolonged abuse of Do-Do tablets, an over-the-counter remedy for "coughs, wheezing and breathlessness", are reported. They have an amphetamine-like action and were used as easily obtained amphetamine substitutes, in one case to relieve social anxiety. Withdrawal symptoms similar to those following cessation of amphetamines occurred in two cases. Do-Do tablets are CNS stimulants and their abuse may be accounted for by the fact that they perhaps affect amine neurotransmitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]