Hierarchical Log-linear Analysis Research Articles

Assessing the existence of the male-female health-survival paradox in the past: Dental caries in medieval London.

This study seeks to identify signals of the male-female health-survival paradox in medieval London. This study uses skeletal data on age, sex, dental caries (n = 592) and antemortem tooth loss (n = 819) from adult individuals from medieval London cemeteries (c. 1200-1540 CE). The association between age and dental caries was assessed using binary logistic regression. The associations among age, time period (pre- vs. post-Black Death), oral biomarker (dental caries or antemortem tooth loss), and sex were tested using hierarchical log-linear analysis. The analyses reveal significantly higher odds of dental caries with increasing adult ages, more older adults after the Black Death, different age distributions of dental caries between the sexes, and a greater decrease in the prevalence of dental caries for females after the Black Death. These results appear not to be an artifact of trends in AMTL. However, this study does not yield evidence suggesting that females experienced both a survival advantage and a decline in oral health at late adult ages after the Black Death relative to males. These results do not provide evidence of the existence of a male-female health-survival paradox, but they do corroborate existing evidence of improvements in health in general in the aftermath of the Black Death. The decreased prevalence of dental caries after the Black Death may reflect dietary improvements or the effects of selective mortality during the epidemic.

Medieval monastic health: Variation in skeletal signs of inflammation and developmental stress between religious orders in London.

Previous bioarchaeological analyses of medieval monastic and nonmonastic cemeteries in London revealed evidence of lower risks of mortality, and thus better health, in the monastic settings. However, comparison of the two monastic communities, Bermondsey Abbey and Merton Priory, which adhered to different religious ideals, suggested lower risks of mortality in the former. This study examines patterns of skeletal biomarkers, which reflect developmental stress or inflammation, in an attempt to clarify the possible underlying mechanisms producing apparent health differences in these monastic communities. This study uses skeletal data on age-at-death, periosteal new bone formation (PNBF), and cribra orbitalia from 558 adults (18 years of age and older) estimated to be male from Bermondsey Abbey and Merton Priory. Biomarker age patterns are assessed via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and binary logistic regression. Differences in frequencies of biomarkers between the monastic sites are evaluated using Chi-square and hierarchical log-linear analyses. In general, PNBF is positively associated with age, and cribra orbitalia is negatively associated with age. The frequency of PNBF formation is significantly higher and that of cribra orbitalia is significantly lower in Bermondsey Abbey compared with Merton Priory. The differences in frequencies of these skeletal biomarkers support previous findings suggesting that health conditions were better in Bermondsey Abbey than in Merton Priory. The age patterns of cribra orbitalia suggest that these differences reflect conditions and the greater health-promoting effects of religiosity or isolation from the lay community in Bermondsey Abbey rather than differences in selective admissions processes.

Managing the Conflict of Human–Wildlife Coexistence: A Community-Based Approach

One of the most recent and pressing issues for policymakers to address is the presence of wild boars in urban and rural areas. Their aggressive spread and invasion of human-populated areas have created an alarming problem as the coexistence of wild boars and people poses serious threats to human life and property. Human-caused factors, such as residential zone expansion and land use change, have exacerbated this problem. Furthermore, natural factors, such as predator reduction and climate change effects, create favorable conditions for population growth. This study sought to gain insights into citizens’ perspectives on a current issue, specifically wild boar colonization and coexistence in urban and rural settings. Between September 2021 and November 2022, a survey was conducted in two communities of northern and central Greece, addressing 800 citizens in total. Obtained through hierarchical log-linear analysis, factor analysis and two-step cluster analysis, the findings indicate that rural citizens appear to be more concerned about agricultural production losses and the high risk of road accidents, while the invasion-level perception was high in both areas. Intensive hunting has gained widespread acceptance as a management tool for wild boar populations in both urban and rural areas, while anthropocentric (EGO) and ecocentric (ECO) social groups have emerged.

Investigation of factors affecting hearing loss of open pit coal mine employees with categorical data analyses

One of the most important occupational diseases encountered in mining is the noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). In this study, analyses were carried out to examine the NIHL in the open pit lignite mine in Turkey. The NIHL was evaluated in accordance with the miners’ age, experience, occupation, exposure value (Lex), and maximum noise level (Lpeak). Noise levels exposed the employees were measured with noise dosimeters and a hearing test was applied to the employees by a special hearing center. To determine the parameters that could be effective in NIHL, all of the obtained data were evaluated by the logistic regression analysis (LRA) and hierarchical log-linear analysis (HLA) methods. It was determined that the NIHL probability of field staff is approximately 6 times higher than operators and drivers. According to the 21-29 age group, it was found that the probability of NIHL in the 57-65 and in the 48-56 age group was 11.4 and 4.41 times higher, respectively. Experience and maximum noise levels were found to be the most important parameters in hearing loss. Besides these, it was determined that the interactions of age×experience, occupation×maximum noise levels, and occupation×average noise exposure levels increased the likelihood of NIHL. A logistic regression model has been developed for the NIHL estimation of employees and hearing loss was found to be a problem mostly for those working in the field. It was determined that hearing loss increased with age and experience, and varied according to occupational groups.

Waste management in urban environments: Insights of the citizens’ views in a densely populated municipality in Greece

<p>Urbanization, industrialization and economic growth have considerable challenged the orientation of waste management policies and practices. Intrinsically, major concerns appear in urban environments, as they receive increased volumes of waste, which in turn pose threats for the environment and public health. Prioritization of waste prevention is proven to be the optimal solution in preserving resources and coincide with international sublime strategies for sustainable waste management. However, the citizens’ awareness and active involvement, in decision making for sustainable waste management policies practices, are preconditions for their implementation. The study examined the citizens’ views on the local waste management policies and strategies in the urban environment of Neapolis-Sykies Greece. The application of factor analysis, hierarchical log-linear analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis provided important correlations regarding the citizens’ demographic characteristics, littering behavior, sources of information on waste management issues, perceptions about quality of life and provided cleanliness services. In particular, collection points and collection system are positively assessed, while the value of recycling is widely acknowledged. Albeit, the citizens are not properly informed about local policies and practices related to existing waste management issues in their municipality. Unfortunately, this is deemed to be a barrier in promoting public participation in decision making processes.</p>

Female top performers in higher education STEM and humanities: socio-emotional perceptions and digital learning-related characteristics during COVID-19

In Germany, the 2020 summer semester was substantially influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. In an empirical study, we focus on female top performing students in STEM and the humanities. Of particular interest was whether the measures associated with the pandemic constitute a risk-factor for a re-traditionalization of gender roles. Before lectures or courses began, students at a full-scale university were invited to participate in an online survey. We investigated four research questions: 1) Are women underrepresented in our sample among the top performers in STEM and the humanities? Are there gender differences among top performers with regard to (2) digital readiness, (3) socio-emotional and (4) learning related variables? The sample of the study consisted of 2,849 higher education STEM and humanities students. The study took place as an online survey. In the week before the start of the official lecture period, all students enrolled at the university were invited to take part via an e-mail correspondence from the Vice President of Education (survey access link). Participation in the survey took place via the Questback platform and was activated for 10 days. The cut-off point for the ability level was set at the 95th percentile of previous university achievements. To test Q1, we performed a hierarchical loglinear analysis with posthoc Chi² tests. In research questions Q2 - Q4 two-way ANOVAs were used to test the effects of gender and subject. Results indicate equal shares of female and male students among the top performers, with women overrepresented in the humanities and men overrepresented in STEM relative to their proportion of the student population. The analysis of socio-emotional and learning-related factors showed risk factors for high performing female students such as lower self-efficacy, but no major emotional vulnerability. Overall, the data suggest that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, female top performers had still been able to compensate for the risk factors.

Physical and psychological states interfere with health-related quality of life of institutionalized elderly: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNursing home elders experience many problems that may influence their quality of life, in example of cognitive, mental, nutritional and physical disabilities. Concerning about elders’ wellbeing may help them living with dignity. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of institutionalized elders in a capital city of Brazilian Northeast.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with 125 institutionalized elders living in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa (Brazil). The following variables were tested regarding their association with the elders’ HRQoL: Socio-demographic characteristics; Performance of daily-living activities, Frailty status, Cognitive status, Nutritional status, Self-perception of oral health and Depression status. Hierarchical multiple Poisson loglinear and binary logistic regressions analyses were performed in order to assess the impact of each independent variable on HRQoL, considering a significance level of 5%.ResultsThe median of HRQoL of institutionalized elders was 64. Multivariate regression models showed that retirement, frailty and depression were statistically associated with poor HRQoL (p < 0.05). Not-frail elderly and less depressed were more likely to present higher HRQoL scores.ConclusionsLower HRQoL of institutionalized elderly is associated with decline of physical and psychological states. Institutions should be advised to plan and implement actions that would improve the HRQoL of institutionalized elderly.

Investigating the Citizens’ Views and Perceptions About the Urban Forest Infrastructure and Services of Komotini, Greece

Urban and suburban forests are vital for the citizens’ quality of life. Several beneficial functions offorests are provided to the city dwellers if the proper infrastructures and services are efficiently designed orimproved in urban forests. The case study investigates the urban forest of Komotini city in Greece according toits citizens’ views. The assess the existing infrastructures and with the use of hierarchical log-linear analysis thetypology of their visit, the infrastructural status and safety issues are associated to provide a better understandingin the citizens’ attitudes. Also factor analysis is applied, while random sampling was implemented in the research.Major findings reveal that certain policies should be designed for the effectively utilization of the urban forestfor fitness and recreation reasons. Also, the safety conditions ought to be enhanced as most of the citizens areunsatisfied.

The Citizens’ Views on Adaptation to Bioclimatic Housing Design: Case Study from Greece

Bioclimatic housing design is regarded as an important pillar towards energy policies. Additionally, it is closely affiliated with the performance of energy efficiency of buildings. The citizens’ views and their adaptation to energy saving practices can be utilized as an important data base in order to design, improve and properly manage urbanization and environmental challenges in the residential sector. For the capitalization of the citizens’ views in Orestiada, the newest city in Greece, simple random sampling was applied on data that were collected via personal interviews and with the use of a structured questionnaire. Reliability and factor analyses were applied for the data processing along with hierarchical log-linear analysis. The latter was utilized for the statistical clustering of citizens into given distinct groups—clusters, arising by factor analysis. The main findings revealed that the citizens are merely aware of bioclimatic principles, while only a small percentage of 28.8% adopts some primary bioclimatic disciplines. Conclusively, it should be noted that there is a need for effective planning towards empowerment on energy efficiency in the residential sector of the city. Notwithstanding, it should not be disregarded the need for the incorporation of conceptual frameworks in urban planning. This is an approach that prerequisites public awareness and the stakeholders’ participation in decision making processes.

Using technology to understand how therapist variables are associated with clinical outcomes in IAPT

Abstract The UK’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapy Programme (IAPT) has improved transparency of primary mental health care in relation to the mandatory reporting of clinical outcomes. However, the data reveal a significant variance in outcomes. These findings have led to a growing body of research investigating to what extent therapist variables account for the difference in clinical outcomes. Previous studies have not had access to sufficient recordings or transcripts of therapy sessions in order to fully address this question. The purpose of this study was to use therapy transcripts derived from internet enabled cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment sessions in order to investigate whether and how therapist variables are associated with clinical outcome. A hierarchical log-linear analysis examined the relationship between therapist/patient variables and clinical outcome. Therapist fidelity to the CBT model and associated adherence to an evidence-based protocol were significantly related to clinical outcome. A graphical representation of the statistical model suggests that patient recovery is directly linked with fidelity and indirectly with adherence, after adjusting for patient attributes of age, gender and clinical presentation. Corroborating previous research, therapist competence and adherence to an evidence-based treatment protocol appear to be important in improving outcomes. These findings have implications for the continuing professional development of qualified therapists, potentially reinforcing the importance of reducing therapist drift. Key learning aims (1) To develop an understanding in relation to which therapist variables are associated with clinical outcome in IAPT. (2) To reflect on how fidelity to the CBT model and adherence to evidence-based treatment protocols may affect clinical outcomes. (3) To exemplify use of a statistical method for enhanced visual understanding of complex multi-factorial data.

The intersections of industrialization: Variation in skeletal indicators of frailty by age, sex, and socioeconomic status in 18th- and 19th-century England.

Intersectionality theory argues that various categories of identity and forms of systemic oppression interact and produce inequalities in resource access, economic opportunities, and health outcomes. However, there has been little explicit engagement with this theory by bioarchaeologists examining disparate health outcomes in the past. This study examines the associations among frailty, age at death, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES) in 18th- and 19th-century England. The sample for this study comes from four industrial-era cemeteries from England, ca. 1711-1857. The associations among adult age (18+ years), SES, sex, and three skeletal indicators of stress (dental enamel hypoplasia [DEH, n = 293], cribra orbitalia [CO, n = 457], periosteal lesions [PNB, n = 436]) are examined using hierarchical log-linear analysis. Significant interactions existed among the variables examined for two skeletal indicators: high SES females had lower frequencies of CO relative to other groups and males between ages 30-45 years exhibited higher frequencies of PNB compared to females or males of older or younger ages, regardless of SES. Additionally, sex and SES were consistently associated with age at death. These results suggest that patterns of stress indicators cannot be examined solely across unilateral axes of age, SES, or sex. Intersecting axes of privilege, marginalization, and structural oppression may have buffered high SES females from some negative health outcomes (CO) while predisposing them to others (risk of maternal mortality). Likewise, the hazardous working conditions relegated to adult males may have heightened the risk of injury, infection, and death for middle-aged men in industrial-era England.

Do wage and wage satisfaction compensate for the effects of a dissatisfying job on life satisfaction?

Orientation: Research regarding subjective well-being (including life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction) is necessary, given the effects thereof on health, work performance, social relationships and ethical behaviour of employees.Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationships among life satisfaction, job satisfaction and wage satisfaction, as well as how these relationships related to gross wage category in a South African sample.Motivation for the study: While research has shown that wage level and wage satisfaction are positively associated with both job and life satisfaction, the question arises whether wage level and satisfaction would compensate for the negative effect of a dissatisfying job on life satisfaction.Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional design was used. A non-probability convenience sample (N = 763) in the form of the WageIndicator data set was obtained. Hierarchical log-linear analyses and cross-tabulations were carried out to determine the relationships that existed among the constructs.Main findings: Although job satisfaction and wage satisfaction were strongly related at a low level of wage satisfaction, fewer people were satisfied with their jobs at a high level of wage satisfaction level. Moreover, while job and life satisfaction were strongly related at a low level of job satisfaction level, relatively fewer people were satisfied with their lives at a high level of job satisfaction level. Wage dissatisfaction was associated with dissatisfaction with life but was more strongly associated with life satisfaction at a high level of wage satisfaction. Wage category and wage satisfaction did not interact with the job satisfaction level in affecting life satisfaction.Practical/managerial implications: Managers should attend to the perceptions of wage dissatisfaction at low wage and wage satisfaction levels. Such dissatisfaction may have a negative impact on the job and life satisfaction of employees and result in detrimental effects on employees and organisations.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the relationships between wage, wage satisfaction, job dissatisfaction and life satisfaction.

Patterns of frailty in non-adults from medieval London

Famine has the potential to target frail individuals who are at greater risk of mortality than their peers. Although children have been at elevated risk of mortality during recent famines, little is known about the risks posed to children during the medieval period. This study uses burials from the St. Mary Spital cemetery (SRP98), London (c. 1120–1540) to examine the relationships among non-adult age at death, burial type (attritional or famine), and four skeletal lesions (porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia [LEH], and periosteal new bone formation). Hierarchical log-linear analysis reveals significant associations between famine burials and LEH, independent of age. Significant associations also exist between age and the presence of cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, and periosteal lesions, with all three lesions present in greater frequencies among older children and adolescents, independent of burial type. The LEH results suggest that early exposure to stressors increased frailty among non-adults in the context of famine. The associations between age and the other skeletal indicators suggest that, in both famine and non-famine conditions, frailer individuals died at younger ages and before skeletal lesions could manifest, while their less frail peers survived multiple physiological insults before succumbing to death at older ages.

A variational approach to deliberate metaphors

While Deliberate Metaphor Theory is controversial from a psychological point of view, its advocates propose that the communicative notion of ‘deliberateness’ is valuable for structural-functional analyses of metaphors in the social world. Nevertheless, the inter-relationships between the linguistic, conceptual, and communicative dimensions of metaphor highlighted by Deliberate Metaphor Theory, and how these may vary across different discourse contexts, remains underexplored. This paper examines deliberate metaphor across four contrasting discourse categories of psychotherapy talk, news articles, popular science articles, and political speeches. 800 metaphor units were randomly sampled and coded under the variables DIRECT (direct/indirect), NOVEL (novel/conventional), DELIB (deliberate/non-deliberate), and CATEGORY. In the first part of the study, a hierarchical log-linear analysis identified three significant interaction effects: DELIB*DIRECT, CATEGORY*NOVEL*DIRECT, and CATEGORY *NOVEL*DELIB (χ2(7) = 0.0, p = 1). While generally reflecting the inter-relatedness of the three dimensions, the three-way interactions point towards underexplored patterns of variation which are discussed with respect to contrasting discourse objectives. In the second part of the study, six categories of deliberate metaphor features were inductively identified: elaboration, signal, analogy, stark novelty, topic-triggering, and repetition. They demonstrate diverse strategic ways in which ‘deliberateness’ is constructed across the four discourse categories.

Multiple Injury and Health in Past Societies: An Analysis of Concepts and Approaches, and Insights from a Multi‐Period Study

AbstractEarlier clinical and bioarchaeological studies found that injury recidivists were most likely to be young adult males. Since then, the clinical meaning of the injury recidivist has expanded to include all individuals with multiple injuries, and other aspects of health have been considered. Our study sought to apply these advances to paleopathology and place multiple injuries in a wider context by investigating: the age and sex distribution of those with single and multiple fractures, and if people with multiple injuries had poorer general health. The sample of 213 males and 190 females (≥18 years old) from six populations in England, Siberia, and Sudan ranged in date from the 3rd century BC to the mid‐19th century AD. Health variables included cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, periostitis, Schmorl's nodes, enamel hypoplasias, dental caries, and periodontitis. Ante‐mortem injuries were: fractures (0/1/≥2), myositis ossificans, dental trauma, and sharp‐force injuries. The data were analysed using chi‐square and hierarchical loglinear analyses (P = 0.05).No significant three‐way association between age, sex, and injury was found. There was no difference between the sexes when individuals with single versus multiple injuries were compared. There were significant differences in the age‐distribution of people with 0 and 1/≥2 fractures. Males and those 26–35 years old were most likely to have fractures and multiple injuries. Porotic hyperostosis was significantly associated with fractures. There was no significant relationship between general poor health and multiple injuries. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

A perceptual study of users’ expectations of urban green infrastructure in Kalamaria, municipality of Greece

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate residents’ perceptions, preferences and satisfaction concerning the urban green infrastructure of Kalamaria, Greece, to evaluate the importance of urban parks for residents’ well-being and to suggest management improvements.Design/methodology/approach– Following a random sampling method, 385 residents were interviewed. Green infrastructure number and size, design suitability, safety, variety and care of plants, noise pollution, facilities for people with disabilities and duration and frequency of visits to green areas were among the considered parameters. Factor and hierarchical log-linear analyses were conducted.Findings– The existing green spaces were insufficient in number, size and design, and their distribution was unsatisfactory. The facilities and equipment in the green spaces were evaluated as rather mediocre, and most respondents were unsatisfied with the overall planning and management of the green infrastructure in the municipality of Kalamaria. The results indicate that resident’s well-being relates to their satisfaction with urban green infrastructure. Frequent and longer visits of green spaces significantly improved the perceived well-being. The residents expressed an intention to pay 20-40 percent more than the average price for a house with a view of a green area.Originality/value– Public perception surveys enable green infrastructure managers to identify preferred management alternatives and to use this information in an urban planning framework. Local authorities can use the results of the present survey to manage the city’s green infrastructure, enhance the city’s resilience and anticipate climate change challenges and the future needs of residents.

Reshoring of American manufacturing companies from China

This paper investigates the industry distribution of reshoring companies and motivations for reshoring, based on 139 cases for reshoring of American manufacturing companies from China, from the beginning of 2009 to the half of 2015. The quality, instead of the rising labor cost, is the primary single factor urging the relocation. Of course, the cost as a group factor is still the most important motivation for reshoring. Both two-dimensional contingency table analysis and hierarchical loglinear analysis with model selection show that the companies reshored their business operations in different industries for the same motivations. The regression analysis indicates that the most likely reshored business activities are the ones serving the US market.

Interactions in the canopy among Caribbean reef octocorals

Table S1. Hierarchical loglinear analysis for test of independence of numbers of octocoral colonies at sites on St. John, U.S. Virgin Is. as a function of colony proximity, height class, genus, and site. Estimates of individual parameters in the loglinear model and their significance identify those combinations of factors that contribute to the overall significant result. Significant effects (p≤0.05) are highlighted yellow.

Frailty and famine: Patterns of mortality and physiological stress among victims of famine in medieval London

Famine can be defined as a shortage of foodstuffs that instigates widespread excess mortality due to starvation, infectious disease, and social disruption. Like other causes of catastrophic mortality, famine has the potential to be selective. This study examines how famines in medieval London were selective with respect to previous stress, age, and sex. This study compares famine burials to nonfamine (attritional) burials from the St Mary Spital cemetery, London (c. 1120-1540 AD). We evaluate the associations between age, sex, and skeletal stress indicators [cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), and periosteal lesions] using hierarchical log-linear analysis. Additionally, sex is modeled as a covariate affecting the Gompertz hazard of mortality. Significant associations exist between famine burials and LEH and between attritional burials and periosteal lesions, independent of age or sex. Sex did not significantly affect risk of mortality in the 12th-13th centuries. However, males interred in attritional burials c. 1400-1539 AD faced a lower risk of mortality compared to females. The LEH results suggest that early exposure to stressors increased frailty in the context of famine. The periosteal lesion results suggest that individuals were more likely to survive stressors and thus form these lesions under nonfamine conditions. Hazard analysis suggests that a cultural or biological transformation during this period affected sex differences in mortality. Possible causes include the selective mortality during the Black Death, which might have influenced risks of mortality among survivors, or unequal distribution of improvements in standards of living after the epidemic. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:272-283, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sex differentials in caries frequencies in Medieval London

ObjectiveTooth decay is one of the most common oral infections observed in skeletal assemblages. Sex differentials in caries frequency are commonly examined, with most studies finding that females tend to have a higher frequency of carious lesions (caries) compared to males. Less research has examined differences in caries between males and females with respect to age in past populations. Findings from living populations indicate that caries frequencies are higher in females, at least in part, because of the effects of estrogen and pregnancy. We are interested in the interaction of age, sex, and caries in medieval London, during a period of repeated famines, which might have exacerbated underlying biological causes of caries sex differentials. DesignWe examined caries in adults from two medieval London cemeteries dating to c. 1120–1539 AD: St. Mary Spital (n=291) and St. Mary Graces (n=80) to test the hypothesis that males and females have different caries frequencies irrespective of age. The association between maxillary molar caries and sex was tested using hierarchical log-linear analysis to control for the effects of age on caries frequencies. ResultsThe results indicate a higher frequency of maxillary molar caries in females (P<0.00), and that the age distribution of caries differs between the sexes (P=0.01), with a consistent increase in frequency with age for females until late adulthood, but not males. ConclusionsThe difference in caries frequencies is not explained by differences in the age distributions of the sexes. Differences in the age patterns of caries for males and females could be the result of biological factors that present during reproductive age, differences in diet, or differential access to resources during famine.