Date Of Interview Research Articles

The great recession and behavior problems in 9-year old children.

This article examines associations between the Great Recession and 4 aspects of 9-year olds' behavior-aggression (externalizing), anxiety/depression (internalizing), alcohol and drug use, and vandalism-using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal birth cohort drawn from 20 U.S. cities (21%, White, 50% Black, 26% Hispanic, and 3% other race/ethnicity). The study was in the field for the 9-year follow-up right before and during the Great Recession (2007-2010; N = 3,311). Interview dates (month) were linked to the national Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), calculated from a national probability sample drawn monthly to assess consumer confidence and uncertainty about the economy, as well as to data on local unemployment rates. Controlling for city-fixed effects and extensive controls (including prior child behavior at age 5), we find that greater uncertainty as measured by the CSI was associated with higher rates of all 4 behavior problems for boys (in both maternal and child reports). Such associations were not found for girls (all gender differences were significant). Links between the CSI and boys' behavior problems were concentrated in single-parent families and were partially explained by parenting behaviors. Local unemployment rates, in contrast, had fewer associations with children's behavior, suggesting that in the Great Recession, what was most meaningful for child behavior problems was the uncertainty about the national economy, rather than local labor markets.

Serum lycopene is inversely associated with long-term all-cause mortality in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis: Result from the NHANES III

IntroductionIncreased oxidative stress and/or chronic inflammation may play important roles in the high mortality of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As a natural antioxidant, lycopene can alleviate oxidative stress and decrease inflammation. Therefore, we hypothesized that lycopene has a potential to reduce the risk of mortality in individuals with RA. Methods694 RA participants aged 20 years and older from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were divided into three groups by the tertile rank method according to their serum concentration of lycopene. These participants were followed-up from the date of interviews (1988–1994) to December 31, 2011 for mortality. Mortality, survival functions and hazard ratios of mortality were compared between these three tertile groups. ResultsThe mortality of participants was significantly lower for the third tertile group (46.4%, 95% CI: 40.1–52.7) compared to the first tertile group (66.5%, 95% CI: 60.4–72.6) and the second tertile group (60.0%, 95% CI: 53.6–66.4%) among participants with RA. There was a significant survival difference between the third tertile group and the first tertile group (Logrank p<0.0001). After adjusting for demographic and other risk factors, RA participants in the third tertile group had a significantly reduced hazard ratio for all-cause mortality (HR=0.631, 95% CI: 0.433–0.918) compared to RA participants in the first tertile group. ConclusionsThese findings from a nationally representative sample indicate that serum lycopene has a significant association with long-term all-cause mortality in individuals with RA.

Infection, vaccination, and childhood arterial ischemic stroke: Results of the VIPS study.

Minor infection can trigger adult arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and is common in childhood. We tested the hypotheses that infection transiently increases risk of AIS in children, regardless of stroke subtype, while vaccination against infection is protective. The Vascular Effects of Infection in Pediatric Stroke study is an international case-control study that prospectively enrolled 355 centrally confirmed cases of AIS (29 days-18 years old) and 354 stroke-free controls. To determine prior exposure to infections and vaccines, we conducted parental interviews and chart review. Median (interquartile range) age was 7.6 years for cases and 9.3 for controls (p = 0.44). Infection in the week prior to stroke, or interview date for controls, was reported in 18% of cases, vs 3% of controls, conferring a 6.3-fold increased risk of AIS (p < 0.0001); upper respiratory infections were most common. Prevalence of preceding infection was similar across stroke subtypes: arteriopathic, cardioembolic, and idiopathic. Use of vasoactive cold medications was similarly low in both groups. Children with some/few/no routine vaccinations were at higher stroke risk than those receiving all or most (odds ratio [OR] 7.3, p = 0.0002). In an age-adjusted multivariate logistic regression model, independent risk factors for AIS included infection in the prior week (OR 6.3, p < 0.0001), undervaccination (OR 8.2, p = 0.0004), black race (compared to white; OR 1.9, p = 0.009), and rural residence (compared to urban; OR 3.0, p = 0.0003). Infection may act as a trigger for childhood AIS, while routine vaccinations appear protective. Hence, efforts to reduce the spread of common infections might help prevent stroke in children.

P16.09 Coinfection with gonorrhoea, syphilis or both does not appear to affect hiv transmission to the sexual contacts of hiv+ patients with undetectable viral loads

Background Infection with gonorrhoea (GC) or syphilis is postulated to increase the transmission of HIV 2–5 times; however, studies were done before highly effective HIV therapy was available. In Philadelphia, partner services (PS) is performed, regardless of viral load (VL), for HIV+ patients who are newly diagnosed, STI coinfected, or who are reported as contacts to a patient with new STI or HIV. We hypothesised that STI coinfection would not affect HIV transmission among partners of patients with undetectable VL receiving PS. Methods HIV+ Philadelphia residents receiving PS from January 2012–December 2014 with a VL within +/- 6 months of PS interview date, with or without STI within +/- 90 days of PS, were included. Partners not already known to be HIV+ who tested for HIV as part of PS were categorised into contacts of either 1) HIV+ patient, undetectable VL ( Results PS encounters were initiated 2,463 times; 80.9% of encounters resulted in interview and 2,106 partners were elicited. Of the 1,211 locatable partners not known to be HIV+, 668 (55.1%) were tested after PS. New HIV was diagnosed more often among partners of patients with detectable/unknown VL (57/435, 13.1%) versus those with undetectable VL (17/233, 7.3%) (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.5). When patient VL was undetectable, there was little difference in HIV diagnoses among partners of patients with no STI (8/89, 9.0%), syphilis (7/90, 7.7%), GC (2/49, 4.1%), or syphilis/GC (0/5). Conclusion Patients with undetectable VL who were coinfected with GC, syphilis or both did not transmit HIV to their named sexual contacts at a higher rate than those with HIV alone. Molecular sequencing data can add insight into actual transmission between partners. HIV/STI PS programs could consider deprioritizing the provision of PS to patients with undetectable VL regardless of STI coinfection. Disclosure of interest None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Abstract 868: The effects of age at term-births on risk of ovarian cancer

Abstract The large protective effect of number of births on the risk of ovarian cancer is well-established. Increasing parity is also associated with a large protective effect on the risk of endometrial cancer, and the effect is strongly dependent on the age at last birth. In a meta-analysis of data from four cohort and 13 case-control studies on endometrial cancer, Setiawan and colleagues found that after stratifying on number of births and adjusting for other risk factors including use of oral contraceptives, “women who last gave birth at 40 years of age or older had a 44% decreased risk compared to women who had their last birth under the age of 25 years” (Am J Epidemiol 2012; 176:269-278). Recent evidence suggests that the fallopian tube fimbria provides the cell of origin of the majority of ovarian cancer cases (high-grade serous ovarian cancers), and studies of cell proliferation in the fallopian tube show that it follows the same pattern in relation to the menstrual cycle as the endometrium. Endometriosis, which is strongly related to endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancers, follows the same pattern of proliferative activity. These observations suggest that age at last birth may also play a role in the protective effect of births on ovarian cancer risk. We used the combined individual data from four population-based ovarian cancer case-control studies conducted in Los Angeles County over the period from 1993 to 2008. Cases were residents of Los Angeles County who had histologically confirmed invasive ovarian cancer. Neighborhood controls were women who had at least one intact ovary who had not been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at or before the date of interview. They were individually matched to patients on race/ethnicity as well as year of birth and recruited using a systematic well-established algorithm based on the addresses of the patients. All participants were interviewed in-person using a questionnaire that covered medical, reproductive, and personal lifestyle history. After adjusting for number of births, oral contraceptive use, and other factors, we observe a strong protective effect associated with a late age at last birth: a 13.0% (95% CI 5.6% - 19.8%) reduction in risk per five years later age. We also observed a strong protective effect of late age at first birth: a 17.5% (95% CI 9.9% - 24.5%) reduction per five years. The mutually adjusted reductions in risk per five years later were no longer statistically significant for age at last birth (4.3% (95% CI -8.0% - 13.5%)) but remained significant for age at first birth (15.4% (95% CI 4.6% - 25.0%)). Results contrary to our expectations. On preliminary analysis, we find no such timing effects for use of oral contraceptives. Given a timing effect of parity, it is unlikely that the mechanism underlying the protective benefit of births is simply blocking ovulation. These findings also underscore the differing effects of parity and oral contraceptives. These results have implications for both disease etiology as well as risk prediction modeling. Citation Format: Alice Lee, Celeste L. Pearce, Anna Wu, Malcolm Pike. The effects of age at term-births on risk of ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 868. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-868

Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Falls, and Fall Injuries in Middle-Aged Adults.

Although exercise and strength training have been shown to be protective against falls in older adults (aged 65 years and older), evidence for the role of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in the prevention of falls and resulting injuries in middle-aged adults (aged 45-64 years) is lacking. In the present study, we investigate the association between self-reported engagement in LTPA and the frequency of falls and fall-related injuries among middle-aged and older adults, while controlling for key sociodemographic and health characteristics. Nationally representative data from the 2010 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey were analyzed in April 2014 to examine the number of adults aged ≥45 years who self-reported their fall experience in the previous 3 months and any injuries that resulted from those falls. We then evaluated the association between LTPA and self-reported falls and injuries across three age strata (45-54, 55-64, and ≥65 years). The two main self-reported outcome measures were (1) frequency of falls in the 3 months prior to the survey interview date and (2) the number of injuries resulting from these falls. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs were calculated using Poisson regression models with robust SEs. Of 340,680 survey participants aged ≥45 years, 70.7% reported engaging in LTPA, and 17% reported one or more falls. Among those reporting a fall within 3 months, 25.6% experienced one injurious fall (fall resulting in an injury) and 8.4% reported two or more injurious falls. Controlling for sociodemographic and health characteristics, among adults aged 45-54 years, those who engaged in LTPA were significantly less likely to report one fall (PR=0.90, 95% CI=0.81, 0.99); two or more falls (PR=0.84, 95% CI=0.77, 0.93); one injurious fall (PR=0.88, 95% CI=0.78, 0.99); and two or more injurious falls (PR=0.69, 95% CI=0.58, 0.83) than those who did not exercise. A similar protective effect of LTPA on reporting falls and injuries was noted for adults aged 55-64 and ≥65 years. Similar to older adults, middle-aged adults who engage in LTPA report fewer falls and fall-related injuries. Upon further confirmation of the relationship between LTPA and falls among middle-aged adults, fall prevention interventions could be developed for this population.

Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans' Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in April 2013

This report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey – Climate Change in the American Mind – conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: April 8-15. Interviews: 1,045 Adults (18+). Total average margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Key findings include:• Nearly two in three Americans (63%) believe global warming is happening. Relatively few – only 16 percent – believe it is not. However, since Fall 2012, the percentage of Americans who believe global warming is real has dropped 7 points to 63%, likely influenced by the relatively cold winter of 2012-13 (compared to the prior year) and an unusually cold March just before the survey was conducted. !In March of 2012, after an unusually warm winter, 66 percent of Americans believed global warming was happening; thus, seasonal effects may account for at least some of the change we observe.• Those who believe global warming is happening are more certain of their convictions than those who do not. Of the 63% of Americans who believe global warming is happening, most say they are “very” (33%) or “extremely sure” (27%). By contrast, of the unconvinced, fewer are very (28%) or extremely sure of their view (18%).• About half of Americans (49%) believe global warming – if it is happening – is caused mostly by human activities, a decrease of 5 points since Fall 2012, but similar to levels stretching back several years.• More Americans believe that “most scientists think global warming is happening” than believe there is widespread disagreement among scientists (42% versus 33%, respectively). One in five Americans (20%) continue to feel they “don’t know enough to say” and fewer than one in 20 (4%) believe that “most scientists think global warming is not happening.”• About half of Americans (51%) say they are “somewhat” or “very worried” about global warming, a 7 percentage-point decline in worry since Fall 2012.• At least four out of ten Americans say global warming will harm people in their community (45%), their family (44%), or themselves (42%). Though Americans today, compared to Fall 2012, are slightly less likely to perceive these threats of harm, they are much more likely to do so today than they were a year ago.• Global warming is also perceived as a threat to people in developing countries (55%, down 9 points since September 2012, but similar to March 2012), in other modern industrialized countries (53%, down 4 points since September, but up 4 points since March 2012), and in the United States (52%, down 5 points since September, but up 6 points since March 2012).• Today, four in ten Americans say people around the world are being harmed right now by climate change (38%), while 34 percent say global warming is currently harming people in the United States.

Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind, April 2013

This report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey – Climate Change in the American Mind – conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: April 8 - 15, 2013. Interviews: 1,045 Adults (18+) Total average margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level; regional margins of error are +/- 7 percentage points for the Northeast and West; +/- 6 percentage points for the Midwest; and +/- 5 percentage points for the South.Key findings include:• About six in ten Americans (58%) say “global warming is affecting weather in the United States.”• Many Americans believe global warming made recent extreme weather and climatic events “more severe,” specifically: 2012 as the warmest year on record in the United States (50%); the ongoing drought in the Midwest and the Great Plains (49%); Superstorm Sandy (46%); and Superstorm Nemo (42%).• About two out of three Americans say weather in the U.S. has been worse over the past several years, up 12 percentage points since Spring 2012. By contrast, fewer Americans say weather has been getting better over the past several years – only one in ten (11%), down 16 points compared to a year ago.• Many Americans (51%) also say weather in their local area has been worse over the past several years.• Overall, 85 percent of Americans report that they experienced one or more types of extremeweather in the past year, most often citing extreme high winds (60%) and extreme heat (51%).• Of those Americans who experienced extreme weather events in the past year, many (37%) say they were significantly harmed. Moreover, the number who have been harmed appears to be growing (up 5 percentage points since Fall 2012 and 4 points since Spring 2012). For example, about one in five Americans today say they suffered a moderate or great deal of harm from extreme high winds (18%, up 8 points since Fall 2012) or extreme cold weather (10%, up 5 points). More also say they were harmed by a hurricane (6%, up 3 points).• Most Americans (80%) have close friends or family members (not living with them) who experienced extreme weather events in the past year, including extreme high winds (47%), an extreme heat wave (46%), an extreme snowstorm (39%), extreme cold temperatures (39%), an extreme rainstorm (37%), or a drought (35%).• Over half of Americans (54%) believe it is “very” or “somewhat likely” that extreme weather will cause a natural disaster in their community in the coming year.• Americans who experienced an extreme weather event are most likely to have communicated about it person-to-person – either in person (89%) or on the phone (84%) – although some used social media, such as writing about the experience on Facebook (23%) or sharing a photo of the event or its aftermath using Facebook, Tumblr, or Instagram (19%).

Pituitary tumor risk in relation to mobile phone use: A case-control study

Background. The number of mobile phone users has grown rapidly, which has generated mounting public concern regarding possible health hazards. This study aims to assess pituitary tumor risk, as it has rarely been investigated.Material and methods. A case-control study was conducted with 80 eligible cases identified from all five university hospitals in Finland and frequency-matched 240 controls from the national population register. Controls were matched to cases by age, sex, region of residence and date of interview. A detailed history of mobile phone use was obtained using a structured interview. Several indicators of mobile phone use were assessed using conditional logistic regression.Results. A reduced odds ratio was seen among regular mobile phone users [OR 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21, 0.72] relative to never/non-regular users, possibly reflecting methodological limitations. Pituitary tumor risk was not increased after 10 or more years since first use (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.25, 1.89). The risk was not increased in relation to duration, cumulative hours of use, or cumulative number of calls. The results were similar for analog and digital phones.Conclusions. We found no excess risk associated with self-reported short- or medium-term use of mobile phones. This is consistent with most of the published studies. However, uncertainties remained for longer duration of use, as a very small proportion of study participants reported use beyond 10 years.

Abstract 334: Confusion: Bereaved Caregiver Perspectives on the End-of-Life Experience with a Left Ventricular Assist Device

Background: For patients and their loved ones, decisions at the end-of-life in the setting of chronic progressive illness are among the most complex in medicine. Complicating these decisions are increasingly available, invasive, and potentially life-prolonging technologies. One such technology is the left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Understanding the experience of dying with an LVAD can guide efforts to minimize distress for patients and their caregivers. Objective: To synthesize caregivers’ perspectives about the caregiver and patient experience with care transitions at end-of-life with LVAD. Methods: We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with bereaved caregivers of patients with LVADs previously cared for at the University of Colorado. We excluded caregivers if the patient’s death had occurred greater than 3 years prior to the interview date. Data were analyzed using a mixed inductive and deductive approach. Results: Between September and November 2014, 8 bereaved caregivers were interviewed. Interview durations ranged from 31-65 minutes (mean=40). The majority (n=5) were widows of the patients; other caregivers included 2 friends and a mother. Caregivers described three main themes that coalesced around feelings of confusion in those final days and weeks with their loved ones: 1) confusion about the process of death with an LVAD: “[my daughter] said ‘You know Mom, he probably can't die. Even though he wants to. Because everything is keeping him going’”; 2) confusion about the legal and ethically permissible care of patients approaching death with an LVAD: “They don't actually turn it off until certain signs aren't there, ‘cause as long as there’s a chance you know? It would be considered murder.”; 3) confusion about the fragmented integration of palliative and hospice care: “He was bleeding again. And I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if we could take him to the ER? And I really didn't understand palliative care, in its entirety.” Conclusions: Despite increasing use of LVADs in patients with advanced heart failure, bereaved caregivers of LVAD patients describe a high level of confusion at the end of life: about the nature of the death, about the medical decisions to be made, and about the support services provided. There remains a need to develop LVAD-specific support for caregivers, as well as hospice and palliative care programs, to manage complex patient care needs at the end-of-life.

Measurement Error in Public Health Insurance Reporting in the American Community Survey: Evidence from Record Linkage.

Examine measurement error to public health insurance in the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS and the Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). We tabulated the two data sources separately and then merged the data and examined health insurance reports among ACS cases known to be enrolled in Medicaid or expansion Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits. The two data sources were merged using protected identification keys. ACS respondents were considered enrolled if they had full benefit Medicaid or expansion CHIP coverage on the date of interview. On an aggregated basis, the ACS overcounts the MSIS. After merging the data, we estimate a false-negative rate in the 2009 ACS of 21.6 percent. The false-negative rate varies across states, demographic groups, and year. Of known Medicaid and expansion CHIP enrollees, 12.5 percent were coded to some other coverage and 9.1 percent were coded as uninsured. The false-negative rate in the ACS is on par with other federal surveys. However, unlike other surveys, the ACS overcounts the MSIS on an aggregated basis. Future work is needed to disentangle the causes of the ACS overcount.

Booms, Busts and Retirement Timing

Cyclical fluctuations—which affect both asset and labour markets—can have an ambiguous effect on retirement. We explore this empirically using data from the British Household Panel Survey, exploiting small area geographic identifiers to match local house prices, earnings and unemployment to respondents. We match stock prices via the date of interview. Our results show little evidence of any positive wealth effects despite large spatial and temporal variations in asset prices over the period analysed. We find more response to local labour market conditions—increases in unemployment are associated with earlier retirement, while increases in wages delay retirement.

Who cares about stock market booms and busts? Evidence from data on mental health

This article investigates the association between stock market activity and mental well-being, exploiting the availability of interview dates in the British Household Panel Survey to match changes in the FTSE 100 stock price index to respondents over the period 1991–2008. We present evidence that annual changes in the price index are associated with better mental well-being whilst greater uncertainty, proxied by volatility in the price index, is associated with poorer mental well-being—even after controlling for macroeconomic conditions. Our findings provide support of a wealth mechanism and also suggest that the stock market is a barometer of economic prospects and/or social movements and mood.

All cause mortality and the case for age specific alcohol consumption guidelines: pooled analyses of up to 10 population based cohorts

Objectives To examine the suitability of age specific limits for alcohol consumption and to explore the association between alcohol consumption and mortality in different age groups.Design Population based data from...

Factors associated with self medication practice among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care at governmental health centers in Bahir Dar city administration, Northwest Ethiopia, a cross sectional study.

IntroductionStudies in different parts of the world indicate that there is high level use of self medication among pregnant women. But there are no scientific evidences on it and factors associated with it in Bahir Dar city administration. The aim of this study was therefore to assess level of self medication and identify factors associated with it among pregnant women attending ANC service at governmental health centers in Bahir Dar city administration.MethodsInstitution based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 20-July10, 2013. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version16.0. Back ward logistic regression model was used to assess level of association with self medication practice.ResultsA total of 510 pregnant women were included in the study. Of these, 25.1% reported self-medication during the current pregnancy. Self medication during pregnancy was significantly associated with gravida (AOR= 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3-3.4), maternal illness on the date of interview (AOR= 4.8, 95% CI: 2.9-8.0) and location of health facility (AOR= 4.6; 95% CI: 2.9-7.4).ConclusionA considerable proportion of pregnant women practiced self-medication during their pregnancy with modern medications or traditional herbs. Mothers who were multi garvida, who had maternal illness on the date of interview and who were attending antenatal care were more likely to practice self medication.

Association of Morbidity Profile with Breastfeeding and Feeding Practices: A Community-Based Study among Infants in a Slum of Kolkata

Introduction: Breastfeeding, in spite of being a common practice in India, is associated with myths and superstitions. Moreover, due to effect of modernisation, industrialisation and globalization, breastfeeding is largely replaced by commercial baby food. Yet, it is breastfeeding which provides full nutritional requirement of infant of 0–6 months. This study was conducted to assess the impact of breastfeeding on the morbidity profile of infants. Method: The study was conducted in Chetla, under the purview of All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIH&PH) Kolkata among 85 infants. Morbidity of the children was considered at the time of the interview and also within 14 days prior to date of interview. History regarding infant feeding practice and also information regarding socio-demographic factors were collected in predesigned and pretested schedule. Results: Prevalence of morbidity among infants was 48.2%. Prelacteal feeding was negligible (1.2%) and 100% of the babies had history of colostrum feeding. Of all, 60.3% infants had history of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months, 84.2% infants had started complementary feeding between 6 and 9 months, but only 42.1% babies had history of starting complementary feeding with homemade semisolid food. Prevalence of morbidity was significantly more among infants without EBF for 6 months in bivariate analysis (OR = 7) and also after adjusting with other co-variates (OR = 277.3). Conclusion: EBF for 6 months was associated with decreased morbidity among infants in the present study. So efforts are needed for promotion of EBF for 6 months with timely and appropriate complementary feeding practices.

Analysis of an online match discussion board: improving the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery match.

"The Match" has become the accepted selection process for graduate medical education. Otomatch.com has provided an online forum for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) Match-related questions for over a decade. Herein, we aim to delineate the type of posts on Otomatch to better understand the perspective of medical students applying for OHNS residency. Retrospective review of an OHNS Match-related online forum. Subjects were contributors to an OHNS Match-related online forum. Posts on Otomatch between December 2001 and April 2014 were reviewed. The title of each thread and number of views were recorded for quantitative analysis. Each thread was organized into 1 of 6 major categories and 1 of 18 subcategories. National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data were utilized for comparison. We identified 1921 threads corresponding to over 2 million page views. Over 40% of threads were related to questions about specific programs, and 27% were discussions about interviews. Views, a surrogate measure for popularity, reflected different trends. The majority of individuals viewed posts on interviews (42%), program-specific questions (20%), and how to rank programs (11%). There was an increase in viewership tracked with a rise in applicant numbers based on NRMP data. Our study provides an in-depth analysis of a popular discussion forum for medical students interested in the OHNS Match process. The most viewed posts are about interview dates and questions regarding specific programs. We provide suggestions to address unmet needs for medical students and potentially improve the Match process.

Does employer learning vary by schooling attainment? The answer depends on how career start dates are defined

We demonstrate that empirical evidence of employer learning is sensitive to how we define the career start date and, in turn, measure cumulative work experience. Arcidiacono et al. (2010) find evidence of employer learning for high school graduates but not for college graduates, and conclude that high levels of schooling reveal true productivity. We show that their choice of start date—based on nonenrollment at survey interview dates and often triggered by school vacations—systematically overstates experience and biases learning estimates toward zero for college-educated workers. Using career start dates tied to a more systematic definition of school exit, we find that employer learning is equally evident for high school and college graduates.

Revisiting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cycle of food intake: Investigating heterogeneity, diet quality, and a large boost in benefit amounts

AbstractThe monthly cycle of daily food intake among adult participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is examined using data from the 2007–10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Exogenous variation in interview and benefit receipt dates provides means for identification, and a difference‐in‐differences specification is used to account for the large boost in benefits that began in April 2009 via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Caloric intake declined as much as 25% at the end of the month prior to ARRA, but not after implementation. Few differences were observed for diet quality measures or among subgroups. Increases in SNAP benefit amounts may help smooth food intake over the benefit month.

FRI0209 Nationwide Occupational Impact of Rheumatic Diseases: Data from Epireuma.Pt

BackgroundRheumatic diseases have a tremendous impact on workability and on employability. Pain, joint limitation: oedema and disability are very common in patients with rheumatic diseases with clear implications in the...