Demographic Changes In Europe Research Articles

The effectiveness of decolonisation in European population studies

Rapid socio-economic and political changes are provoking reforms in the composition of the population and its national identity. Europe is no exception, as it has been affected by decolonisation, which is provoking a global spread of migrants among Europeans in the current environment. Thus, there is a relevant relationship between these categories, which determines the specific features of demographic change in Europe. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of decolonisation in the context of analysing the specific features of the development of the European population. For this purpose, the study employed the methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, generalisation, abstraction, and deduction. As a result, it was found that there is indeed a link between the effectiveness of decolonisation and the current system of population categories in Europe. The significance of the first process and its consequences for the spread of migration flows were investigated. Furthermore, the paper described the current composition of the European Union’s population and its views on the regulation of migration policy. As a result, it was possible to express the essence of decolonisation, including the gaining of independence by dependent states and the resettlement of their representatives to European countries. Therefore, the study determined the quality of this process by analysing the current migration policy of the European Union and ensuring the interests and rights of citizens of former colonies. The findings of this study can be used in future research on this issue, as well as for the development of international relations in the context of increasing the role of migration flows, specifically in Europe

Effects of the "Spinomed active" orthosis on chronic back pain in kyphotic women with osteoporotic vertebral fractures three months and older: A randomized controlled study.

Vertebral fractures are frequent clinical consequences of osteoporosis. Considering the demographic change in Europe, the number of vertebral fractures will quite likely increase during the next decades. Apart from pharmaceutic agents and physiotherapy, spinal orthoses are established elements of conservative therapy for vertebral (body) fractures. Recent studies on acute vertebral fractures reported positive effects on back pain, kyphosis and functional disabilities, but the efficacy of active strengthening spinal orthoses in vertebral fractures ≥6 months remains to be established. Eighty hyperkyphotic, community-dwelling women ≥65 years with chronic back pain and vertebral fractures occurred ≥3 months ago were randomly allocated to a group which wore the "Spinomed active" orthoses 2 × 2-3 h/d for 16 weeks (SOG: n = 40) or an untreated control group (CG: n = 40). Study outcomes were back pain intensity, kyphosis angle, trunk strength, back pain induced- and general function and disability, functional ability (chair-rise test) and respiratory function. We applied an intention-to-treat analysis; data were consistently adjusted for baseline values applying an ANCOVA. Observing a compliance of 82 ± 14% with the wearing protocol, we determined large and significant favorable effects for back pain (p = .008), back pain-induced physical disability (p < .001) and kyphosis angle (p < .001). We also demonstrated positive effects on trunk strength (p = .049), functional ability (p = .062) and general function and disability (p = .057), although not all of the parameters reach significance. No relevant changes were observed for respiratory function. After a few further individual adjustments of the orthosis (n = 2), no adverse effects were reported. In summary, the present study provided evidence for the efficacy of an active strengthening spinal orthosis ("Spinomed active") in people with vertebral fractures ≥6 months. Based on our results, we recommend expanding the application of the "Spinomed active" orthosis, which was previously validated for acute vertebral fractures, also to older hyperkyphotic women with osteoporotic vertebral fractures ≥3 months.

The AAL/Care Laboratory – a healthcare prevention system for caregivers

The demographic change in Europe causes an imbalance between the potential recipients and providers of the services of healthcare systems. Additionally, the high number of sick leaves and days of inability to work in the profession of elderly care are worsening this situation. Manual patient handling is one of the risk factors and leads to high mechanical stress in the lower back. Understanding how physically demanding activities impact caregivers requires quantification of the potential risk factors. In a laboratory, transfer techniques, ambient assisted living (AAL) systems and tools for analysing the physical burden of caregiving are evaluated. A case study was conducted in a laboratory setting to examine the kinematics, kinetics and muscle activities of a caregiver in different regions of the lower extremity and spine during a standardised manual patient-transfer task. Results showed that with the effect of an ergonomic way of caregiving, the mean muscle activity of the lumbar erector spinae was reduced by 42%. The aim of this exploratory trial was to test the methods for use on a larger scale in future studies. The case study demonstrates the suitability of the utilised sensors for the quantification of musculoskeletal burden among healthcare workers.

Work factors facilitating working beyond state pension age: Prospective cohort study with register follow-up.

Objectives:The demographic changes in Europe underline the need for an extension of working lives. This study investigates the importance of physical work demands and psychosocial work factors for working beyond the state pension age (65 years).Methods:We combined data from three cohorts of the general working population in Denmark (DWECS 2005 and 2010, and DANES 2008), where actively employed workers aged 55–59 years replied to questionnaires about work environment and were followed until the age of 66 years in the Danish AMRun register of paid employment. Using logistic regression analyses, we calculated prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between physical and psychosocial work factors and working beyond state pension age, adjusted for age, sex, cohort, cohabiting, sector, income, vocational education, working hours, lifestyle, and previous sickness absence.Results:Of the 2884 workers aged 55–59 years, 1023 (35.5%) worked beyond the state pension age. Higher physical work demands was associated with a lower likelihood (PR 0.69, 95% CI 0.58–0.82) and a good psychosocial work environment was associated with higher likelihood (average of 7 items: PR 1.81, 95% CI 1.49–2.20) of working beyond state pension age. Stratified analyses did not change the overall pattern, ie, a good overall psychosocial work environment – as well as several specific psychosocial factors – increased the likelihood of working beyond state pension age, both for those with physically active and seated work.Conclusion:While high physical work demands was a barrier, a good psychosocial work environment seems to facilitate working beyond state pension age, also for those with physically active work.

Expected political participation and demographic changes in Europe

Expected political participation and demographic changes in Europe

Unraveling ancestry, kinship, and violence in a Late Neolithic mass grave

The third millennium BCE was a period of major cultural and demographic changes in Europe that signaled the beginning of the Bronze Age. People from the Pontic steppe expanded westward, leading to the formation of the Corded Ware complex and transforming the genetic landscape of Europe. At the time, the Globular Amphora culture (3300-2700 BCE) existed over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, but little is known about their interaction with neighboring Corded Ware groups and steppe societies. Here we present a detailed study of a Late Neolithic mass grave from southern Poland belonging to the Globular Amphora culture and containing the remains of 15 men, women, and children, all killed by blows to the head. We sequenced their genomes to between 1.1- and 3.9-fold coverage and performed kinship analyses that demonstrate that the individuals belonged to a large extended family. The bodies had been carefully laid out according to kin relationships by someone who evidently knew the deceased. From a population genetic viewpoint, the people from Koszyce are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in competition for resources and violent conflict. Together with the archaeological evidence, these analyses provide an unprecedented level of insight into the kinship structure and social behavior of a Late Neolithic community.

Choice of law in relation to matrimonial property in the 21st century

The traditional lack of consensus in relation to the choice of law rule/s governing matrimonial property has become topical and relevant over the last few years. The European Union, concerned about the impact of the disparities between the laws of Member States in this field, in the light of increasing divorce and migration, embarked on an initiative to harmonize private international law rules in relation to matrimonial property. However, the Regulation which it produced did not command universal support. Moreover, the recent demographic changes in Europe have added a new dimension to the problem. To date, relatively little attention has been paid to the choice of law implications of migration from non-Western States, in which religious or customary law governs the economic consequences of marriage and which typically have separate property systems which discriminate against women. The mass migration into Europe from such States over the past few years makes it imperative to consider the implications of the choice of law rules in relation to matrimonial property for migrants from non-Western States.Accordingly, in the light of these developments, there is a need to revisit critically the issues involved and the different approaches to choice of law in relation to matrimonial property in the light of modern choice of law theory. This article meets this need by analysing the extent to which the various approaches best promote central choice of law objectives. In addition, insights are gleaned from the experience of the Israeli legal system in relation to couples migrating from Islamic States. The conclusions drawn from this analysis, which are significantly different from those which informed the EU Regulation, will be of value to law and policymakers throughout the world, when facing the challenge of making decisions pertaining to choice of law in relation to matrimonial property in the twenty-first century.

An assessment of factors related to disability in ADL and IADL in elderly inhabitants of rural areas of south-eastern Poland.

Demographic changes in Europe have resulted in anincreased demand for healthcare and social care for the elderly. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors related to disability in ADL and IADL among elderly inhabitants of rural areas of southeastern Poland. The study involved 426 subjects aged 71-80 years. To assess their activities of daily living, the Katz ADL Scale was used, and the Lawton IADL Scale was used to assess their instrumental activities in daily living. The subjects reported at least one problem with IADL (43.19%) more often than with ADL (36.85%). The strongest factors related to difficulties with ADL were assessment of satisfaction with life, using assistive devices, and having one's home suitably adapted. The strongest factors related to IADL were the assessment of satisfaction with life, education, using assistive devices and performing moderate physical exercise at a minimum of 150 minutes per week. Age, education, pain, falls, household not fully adapted for one's needs, using assistive devices, lack of satisfaction with life, and low assessment of quality of life had a significant impact on the prevalence of ADL and/or IADL disabilities in the elderly inhabitants of rural areas. Most of these factors can be subject to modification. They are also a complex of predictors that allow for identifying and supporting those elderly patients from rural areas who are the most vulnerable.

European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

Demographic ageing societies require a timely and well-planned response containing its negative social and economic effects. The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) is a major European Commission led policy initiative to address the challenges of demographic change in Europe and turn it into an economic opportunity, capable of offering better prospects for the ageing population in terms of quality of life and overall health and well-being. The Greek EIP on AHA Network has been developed as a interdisciplinary scientific society, aiming at coordinating multiple remarkable but fragmented trials and group of people in Greece and aligning them with the activities of EIP on AHA.

Factors for the Management of Scarce Human Resources and Highly Skilled Employees in IT-Departments

Due to an unsatisfying demographic development in most European states, companies have to solve a trade-off between a needed increasement of productivity on the other hand and fewer highly skilled employees on the other hand. In this paper, authors propose factors for different layers of a framework to manage scarce resources in IT-departments. These layers aim for different relevant dimensions of employee satisfaction like wages, psychological development of employees and work life balance. Authors present a structured literature review to screen relevant publications on the topic. This paper offers white range of different factors regarding the management of labour shortage and highly skilled employees in companies which can be used to build a holistic model or framework to solve the challenges of the upcoming demographic change in Europe. Although the topic is quite popular in scientific literature, there is not a study devoted to identify these factors in organizational contexts. This paper is aimed to bridge this gap.

Development of a web-based tool for the assessment of health and economic outcomes of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA).

BackgroundThe European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) is a European Commission led policy initiative to address the challenges of demographic change in Europe. For monitoring the health and economic impact of the social and technological innovations carried out by more than 500 stakeholder's groups ('commitments') participating in the EIP on AHA, a generic and flexible web-based monitoring and assessment tool is currently being developed.AimThis paper describes the approach for developing and implementing this web-based tool, its main characteristics and capability to provide specific outcomes that are of value to the developers of an intervention, as well as a series of case studies planned before wider rollout.MethodsThe tool builds up from a variety of surrogate endpoints commonly used across the diverse set of EIP on AHA commitments in order to estimate health and economic outcomes in terms of incremental changes in quality adjusted life years (QALYs) as well as health and social care utilisation. A highly adaptable Markov model with initially three mutually exclusive health states ('baseline health', 'deteriorated health' and 'death') provides the basis for the tool which draws from an extensive database of epidemiological, economic and effectiveness data; and also allows further customisation through remote data entry enabling more accurate and context specific estimation of intervention impact. Both probabilistic sensitivity analysis and deterministic scenario analysis allow assessing the impact of parameter uncertainty on intervention outcomes. A set of case studies, ranging from the pre-market assessment of early healthcare technologies to the retrospective analysis of established care pathways, will be carried out before public rollout, which is envisaged end 2015.ConclusionMonitoring the activities carried out within the EIP on AHA requires an approach that is both flexible and consistent in the way health and economic impact is estimated across interventions and commitments. The added value for users of the MAFEIP-tool is its ability to provide an early assessment of the likelihood that interventions in their current design will achieve the anticipated impact, and also to identify what drives interventions' effectiveness or efficiency to guide further design, development or evaluation.

LIFELONG LANGUAGE LEARNING IN EUROPE: POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES

Recent demographic changes in Europe (ageing, migration and others) demonstrate the importance of senior adult education – an urgent issue at both national and European Union policy levels. The problem of the research is grounded in the challenges that many European societies currently face: the retirement age being extended, employees need to adapt to the changed working conditions and satisfy urgent demands of the market. The aim of this research is to examine the current situation of senior adult language education in the EU. The research objectives question one of the basic needs faced by senior citizens - to acquire or maintain multilingual skills, without which their status in the competitive market would become complicated. In many European countries, senior adult education is viewed as an integral part of the whole education system that is directed towards engagement of senior citizens into active social life, job maintenance, development of cross-cultural communicative and language skills and more diverse opportunities for self-realization.

Центр-периферийные отношения в Европе: демографический аспект

The paper deals with the impact of centre-periphery relations on the demographic change in Europe in the 21st century. The reasons why the projections presented by Statistics Netherlands and the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute in 1999 underestimated the future population growth in France, Italy, Spain and UK are analyzed. Current statistics and UN population projections (2012 revision) demonstrate that the idea of the total depopulation coming in Europe, commonly held there over the 20th century, is out of date. In fact, depopulation is far from being total; it is common only in peripheral countries of Europe, not in semi-peripheral and central ones (Germany is an exception). This conclusion is corroborated by the close positive correlation (r=0.754) between per capita GNI and the rate of population increase in 34 European countries between 2000 and 2012. The alarmist perspective of ageing is criticized. It is argued that ageing is often unreasonably blamed for negative effects which, in fact, are caused by other faults of socioeconomic system. So, the recent number of unemployed in Spain (5.7 millions) is four times more than the expected decrease in the number of people aged 20 to 64 between 2010 and 2030 (1.4 millions). The prospective institutional and structural consequences of the post-crisis shifting of immigration flows from Spain to Germany are considered. Given this shifting, the further expansion of the peripheral and semi-peripheral enclaves in German economy seems to be verisimilar. Nevertheless, the centripetal migration maintains, like before, the centre-peripheral differences in Europe. The centre concentrates knowledge-intensive services and attracts the most qualified migrants; semi-periphery receives the less qualified ones; the periphery is the source of labour force for both the centre and the semi-periphery.

Aging in Europe: Reforms, International Diversification, and Behavioral Reactions

The extent of demographic changes in Europe is much more drastic than in the United States. This paper studies the effects of population aging on the interactions between economic growth and living standards in Europe with labor market and pension reform, behavioral adaptations, and international capital flows. Our analysis is based on an overlapping generations model with behavioral reactions to reform which is extended to the multi-country situation typical for Europe. While the negative effects of population aging on growth in Europe can in principle be compensated by reforms and economic adaptation mechanisms, they may be partially offset by behavioral reactions.

Pathways to marriage and cohabitation in Central America

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe notion that increasing prevalence of cohabitation relative to marriage, and increasing age at first marriage are part of a broader shift in societal norms - a second demographic transition - is now well supported by studies focused on US and European populations. Recent research points to the similarly high prevalence of cohabitation in Latin America as perhaps signaling the diffusion of modern ideals and norms about union formation. In Central America this is unlikely to be the case given the long history and enduring acceptance of cohabitation that is unrelated to modern ideals. While there are studies that have documented this history and current prevalence, there is no research examining the intersecting life course pathways from adolescence through early adulthood that lead to marriage or cohabitation. This is not surprising given that available data for Central American countries are not ideally suited to studying the process.METHODSWe use retrospective questions from large, nationally representative Central American surveys (Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) to establish the timing of marriage or co-habitation and events that are closely tied to union formation. We utilize additive cause-specific hazard models, and predicted transition probabilities based on selected covariate pathways, to study the competing risks of exiting from the status of never in union.RESULTSOur results identify sexual activity and pregnancy as the primary drivers of union formation and indicate that education serves as a protective factor against union formation. We also find distinct differences among countries and a strong indication that cohabitations are less stable unions.(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)1. IntroductionIn Latin America it is, and has been, common for couples to form non-marital cohabita- tions (informal unions) instead of formal marriages. The decades long US and European (relevant to some countries) trend of increasing prevalence of cohabitation relative to mar- riage has been interpreted as signaling a shift in societal norms with associated long-term and short-term impacts on childbearing and contraception, household income, and stabil- ity (see Lesthaeghe and van de Kaa 1986; Liefbroer 1991; Lesthaeghe 1995; Raley 2001; Liefbroer and Dourleijn 2006). Research has documented not only the trends, but also the life course processes leading to cohabitation or marriage, as well as the subsequent impact on life course processes following cohabitation or marriage. While there is now a broad and conclusive literature focused on US/ European populations, there is a dearth of research on Latin America, where cohabitation has much deeper history. De Vos (2000) suggests that inadequate nuptiality data and the perceived complexity of Latin American union behavior may explain the gap in research. Recent descriptive results suggest that Latin American cohabitation trends reflect underlying cultural or economic changes sim- ilar to those driving demographic change in Europe and the US (Esteve, Lesthaeghe, and Lopez-Gay 2012; Quilodran 1999). The trends, however, provide only indirect evidence of the underlying union formation processes at work. Further investigation of the inter- action of life events, or pathways, that lead to the formation of marriage or cohabitation are needed to provide insight into the decision-making process or sequence of events that leads to the formation of a specific type of union.While DeVos' (2000) comment about data limitations is true - there are no longitu- dinal data archives similar to those supporting US and European research - the structure of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Reproductive Health Surveys (RHS) provides enough information on timing of key events to support an analysis of life course processes leading to cohabitation or marriage during the formative early adolescent (age 12) to young adult (age 24) period. …

European Training Path for 21 st Century School Leaders

1. Introduction In an era characterized by continuous economic, technological and demographic changes in Europe, school leaders' role is evolving too. Principals are expected to be managers and leaders at the same time, called on to lead the redesign of their school and of school system in general, interacting with a wider range of stakeholders and creating socially integrative learning environments (learning communities). The existing literature confirms direct or indirect positive impacts on student outcomes coming from both the quality of school principal and the development of learning communities (Tinto, 1997; Gordon et al, 2001; Minkler, 2002; Price, 2005). So, professional development and training of school leaders should focus on learning communities and should be extended promoting ongoing learning opportunities, according to the lifelong learning goal promoted by the Recommendation 2006/962/CE. This article shows the output of a two-years research financed by EACEA (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of European Commission) called School Governance to build a Learning Community (SGoLC)--with the involvement of Italy, Greece, Romania, Sweden and The Netherlands--oriented to design, test, improve and disseminate an European Training Path for school leaders looking at the development of learning communities. The project joined together a theoretical research on school governance, on-the-field research in the partner countries and an European training proposals for principals who desire to create learning communities within and around their school. In spite of differences in school governance systems and various degrees of school reforms enforcement, the competences demanded for school leaders involved in learning communities are similar and refer to three areas (leadership, management and pedagogy). This result confirmed our intent for a bottom-up European training path for educational leaders in the European 2020, oriented to pursue a strategy for an inclusive growth, sharable in the EU but, at the same time, differentiable on each countries' particular needs. 2. Literature Review Over the recent decades the landscape of schools is widely changed (OECD, 2008): decentralization coupled with more school autonomy; more accountability for school and student results is requested; the need to a better use of the knowledge based education is felt, widespread immigration, a broader responsibility for contributing to and supporting the local community around the school are issues to consider. Changes in the school systems are part of the trend in the management of public service organizations, characterized by the decline of the older public administrative models and the rise of the public governance paradigms (Kickert, 1997; Stoker, 1998, pp.23-24; Osborne, 2010). In this context, social impacts are mainly referable to individual hands-on decision-making processes made easier by the creation of networks among institutions and/or individuals. The networks are based on the certainty that public educational services work better if they are conceived and achieved in partnership with other stakeholders (citizens, enterprises, organizations of civil society and so on), in order to attract their approval, energies, experiences, cultural background and ambitions. In particular, the co-planning and the co-production of educational services transform the relationships between service users (pupils, students, families) and service providers (first of all teachers and principals, but also policy-makers and other institutions cooperating with schools), enriching both of them with mutual experience and fostering > (UNESCO, 2008, p.4). Some studies highlight the positive relation between learning outcomes by students and school climate characterized by interaction and collaboration among members (among others, Tinto et al, 1994; Tinto, 1997; Gordon et al, 2001; Minkler, 2002; Price, 2005). …

Demographic changes in Europe - new challenges for the European labour market

The EU is about to face a significant changes in the demographic structure of its labour force. The main causes are the reduction in fertility rates, ageing of population and increasing immigration flows. According to the projections, already in the years 2013–2014 should the share of the EU’s working population start to decline. The number of people aged over 60 is increasing about two million every year. Shrinking working population and a higher amount of retired people will place additional strains on public sector finance. How to adopt the economy and other policies to this new situation? How to maintain European global competitivness and strong position in the world? This paper discuss the main demographic changes in Europe and how to deal with them, it presents and discuss solutions how to make from a challenge an opportunity.

Effects of Lifetime Exposure to Shiftwork on Fitness for Duty in Police Officers

Aging and demographic changes in Europe and other global economies have led to a discussion about postponing the legal retirement age; however, health and safety consequences for the workforce have not yet been examined. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lifetime exposure to shiftwork on health impairments and fitness for duty. Two samples of the police force from one of the states of the Federal Republic of Germany were used. One sample was collected in 2008–2009 with a self-administered Internet questionnaire (n = 705); the other sample was derived from employment records provided by the police force of the same federal state for the years 2002–2009 (n = 2460). Both samples contained information about the number of years worked in shiftwork across the entire working life and impairments to fitness for duty assessed by occupational physicians. Thus, the number of years of shiftwork until the diagnosis of the first reduction in fitness for duty could be calculated. Survival analyses were performed to estimate the risk (hazard rate) for experiencing a reduction in fitness for duty across lifetime exposure to shiftwork in years, controlling for age, sex, work type, and police district. Hazard estimates were compared across both samples to cross-validate the results. The findings indicated an increase in the risk of reduced fitness for duty with increasing number of years in shiftwork during the working life in both samples. The hazard rates followed an exponential trend, indicating a rapid increase in health impairments in particular beyond 20 yrs of shiftwork. These findings were consistent in both samples, collected with different methods and over different time periods, thus indicating high validity. Therefore, occupational stress factors, such as exposure to shiftwork, need to be taken into account when discussing the postponement of the legal retirement age. (Author correspondence: anna.wirtz@gawo-ev.de)

Occupational risks among immigrant workers in Europe compared to autochthonous workers

ObjectivesThe global increase in geographical mobility among workers has translated into a major demographic change in Europe. Migratory flows have taken place primarily in response to the labour demand of...

The medical and surgical treatment of glaucoma.

Ongoing demographic changes in Europe are heightening the importance of adequate treatment for glaucoma, a disorder that is markedly more common in the elderly. A selective search for relevant literature, including Cochrane Reviews and the guidelines of the European Glaucoma Society, regarding the topical and surgical treatment of glaucoma. It is recommended that the intraocular pressure (IOP) should be lowered by 20% to 50% from its baseline value, depending on the extent of already existing damage, the rate of progression, the baseline IOP, and the age of the patient. Topical monotherapy can lower the IOP by 15% to 30%. The success rate of filtration surgery has risen because of the intraoperative application of topical antimetabolites and currently ranges from 50% to 90%, depending on the study. The goal of glaucoma treatment is to protect the patient from blindness and visual impairment while keeping the treatment-related decline in quality of life to a minimum. Any type of glaucoma treatment, be it medical or surgical, must further this aim in consideration of the situation of the individual patient.