Search

The current generation of older people who are approaching or recently experiencing retirement form part of a unique generational habitus who have experienced a cultural shift into consumerism. These baby boomers are often portrayed as engaging in excessive levels of consumption which are counter to notions of sustainable living and to intergenerational harmony. This paper focuses on an exploration of the mechanisms underpinning the consumption patterns of baby boomers as they retire. We achieve this through an understanding of the everyday practices of grocery shopping which have the potential to give greater clarity to patterns of consumption than the more unusual or ‘extraordinary’ forms of consumption such as global travel. In-depth interviews with 40 older men and women in four locations across England and Scotland were conducted at three points in time across the period of retirement. We suggest that the grocery shopping practices of these older men and women were influenced by two factors: (a) parental values and upbringing leading to the reification of thrift and frugality as virtues, alongside aspirations for self-actualisation such as undertaking global travel, and (b) the influence of household context, and caring roles, on consumption choices. We conclude with some tentative observations concerning the implications of the ways baby boomers consume in terms of increasing calls for people to live in more sustainable ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether cervical matted lymphadenopathy (ML) is associated with outcomes in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT)., Materials and Methods: OPSCC patients treated at our institution with CRT were included (n = 417). ML was defined by three adjacent nodes without an intervening fat plane. Patients were stratified into favorable OPSCC (p16 + with ≤ 10 pack-years smoking history) or unfavorable OPSCC (p16- and/or > 10 pack years). Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and the cumulative incidences of regional recurrence (RR) and distant metastasis (DM)., Results: The median follow-up time for the surviving cohort was 49.9 months. In favorable OPSCC (n = 220), there were no significant associations between ML and any outcome. In unfavorable OPSCC (n = 197), ML had a significant negative impact on OS and PFS, with 3-year OS for patients without and with matted nodes at 74% and 56% (HR, 1.61, 95% CI 1.01-2.58). On multivariable Cox regression, patients with ML experienced significantly worsened OS (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.03-2.65) and PFS (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.28-2.93). The cumulative incidence of DM was also higher with ML (31% vs. 9%, adjusted HR 3.3, 95% CI 1.71-6.48)., Conclusion: ML carries no prognostic importance in patients with favorable OPSCC. However, ML portends significantly worse outcomes in individuals with HPV-negative disease or a significant smoking history. Thus, ML may help risk-stratify this latter population for treatment intensification, but does not seem to be a contraindication for treatment de-escalation in the former., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Following the severe flood events of 1998 and 2000, the United Kingdom's Environment Agency prioritised the need to increase public flood risk awareness. Drawing on data collected during research undertaken for the Environment Agency, this paper contributes to understanding of one aspect of flood awareness: people's recognition that their property is in an area that is potentially at risk of flooding. Quantitative analyses indicate that class is the most influential factor in predicting flood risk awareness, followed by flood experience and length of time in residence. There are also significant area differences. Our qualitative work explores how those defined as 'at risk' account for their lack of awareness or concern about their risk status. We conclude that the problem is often not simply a lack of awareness, but rather, assessments of local risk based on experience that underestimate the impact of rare or extreme events. We underline the importance of engaging with local perspectives on risk and making local people part of 'awareness-raising' processes.