Jewish Population In Israel Research Articles

Sleep Duration, Nap Habits, and Mortality in Older Persons

To examine the effect of nighttime sleep duration on mortality and the effect modification of daytime napping on the relationship between nighttime sleep duration and mortality in older persons. Prospective survey with 20-yr mortality follow-up. The Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study, a multidimensional assessment of a stratified random sample of the older Jewish population in Israel conducted between 1989-1992. There were 1,166 self-respondent, community-dwelling participants age 75-94 yr (mean, 83.40, standard deviation, 5.30). Nighttime sleep duration, napping, functioning (activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, Orientation Memory Concentration Test), health, and mortality. Duration of nighttime sleep of more than 9 hr was significantly related to increased mortality in comparison with sleeping 7-9 hr (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.31, P < 0.01) after adjusting for demographic, health, and function variables, whereas for short nighttime sleep of fewer than 7 hr mortality did not differ from that of 7-9 hr of sleep. For those who nap, sleeping more than 9 hr per night significantly increased mortality risk (HR = 1.385, P < 0.05) and shorter nighttime sleep reduced mortality significantly in the unadjusted model (HR = 0.71, P < 0.001) but only approached significance in the fully adjusted model (HR = 0.82, P = 0.054). For those who do not or sometimes nap, a short amount of sleep appears to be harmful up to age 84 yr and may be protective thereafter (HR = 1.51, confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-2.02, P < 0.01; HR = 0.76, CI = 0.49-1.17, in the fully adjusted model, respectively). The findings are novel in demonstrating the protective effect of short nighttime sleep duration in individuals who take daily naps and suggest that the examination of the effect of sleep needs to take into account sleep duration per 24 hr, rather than daytime napping or nighttime sleep per se. Cohen-Mansfield J; Perach R. Sleep duration, nap habits, and mortality in older persons. SLEEP 2012;35(7):1003-1009.

Commonsense Morality and the Ethics of Killing in War: An Experimental Survey of the Israeli Population

The morality of killing in war, which has been the subject of debate among philosophers and legal scholars, focuses on two main approaches: the “traditional” and the “revisionist.” The traditional approach argues for symmetry: soldiers of both sides are liable to be killed, whether or not the war they fight is just; civilians are immune from being harmed whether or not they are responsible for the evil against which the just side fights. Recently this approach has been challenged by a revisionist viewpoint, which derives the morality of killing in war from facts concerning the responsibility of individuals for wrongful threats. Killing soldiers who fight a just war is morally impermissible, whereas in certain cases killing civilians who are involved in an unjust aggression is permissible. The present study uses an experimental survey to examine whether moral attitudes toward targeting individuals in war are shaped by the factors underlying this debate: the cause of the war, the status of the targeted individuals as soldiers or civilians, and their involvement in the war effort. Respondents comprised a representative sample of the Jewish population in Israel. Our findings reveal a complex interplay between the factors, demonstrating the relevance of each factor to moral judgments. Notably, participants did not consider decisions on the battlefield to be independent of the justification of the war, a result which is consistent with the revisionist approach. We discuss the potential consequences of our findings on the understanding of commonsense morality and on the law. We also suggest that concepts derived from the social-psychological literature concerning moral self-regulation may help explain some of our findings.

It Takes Two for a Culture War

This article examines the tense relations between religious and secular in Israel and the prospects for what has been described by different observers as a “culture war.” Specifically, the consequences and implication of the challenges to church‐state arrangements by social, economic, and demographic changes, and growing religious‐secular tensions are studied. The empirical investigation of these issues relies on a survey (n = 508) of a representative, random sample of the adult Jewish population in Israel. Research findings indicate that the culture war scenario exaggerates the actual state of affairs because secularism in Israel is lacking coherence and commitment and alternatives that circumvent conflict are available. Rather than a culture war between the religious and secular camps in Israel, different battles are taking place, waged in different realms with different constituencies, tactics, strategies, and levels of commitment whose combined outcome is yet to be determined.

DOCK4 and CEACAM21 as novel schizophrenia candidate genes in the Jewish population

It is well accepted that schizophrenia has a strong genetic component. Several genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of schizophrenia have been published in recent years; most of them population based with a case-control design. Nevertheless, identifying the specific genetic variants which contribute to susceptibility to the disorder remains a challenging task. A family-based GWAS strategy may be helpful in the identification of schizophrenia susceptibility genes since it is protected against population stratification, enables better accounting for genotyping errors and is more sensitive for identification of rare variants which have a very low frequency in the general population. In this project we implemented a family-based GWAS of schizophrenia in a sample of 107 Jewish-Israeli families. We found one genome-wide significant association in the intron of the DOCK4 gene (rs2074127, p value=1.134×10⁻⁷) and six additional nominally significant association signals with p<1×10⁻⁵. One of the top single nucleotide polymorphisms (p<1×10⁻⁵) which is located in the predicted intron of the CEACAM21 gene was significantly replicated in independent family-based sample of Arab-Israeli origin (rs4803480: p value=0.002; combined p value=9.61×10⁻⁸), surviving correction for multiple testing. Both DOCK4 and CEACAM21 are biologically reasonable candidate genes for schizophrenia although generalizability of the association of DOCK4 with schizophrenia should be investigated in further studies. In addition, gene-wide significant associations were found within three schizophrenia candidate genes: PGBD1, RELN and PRODH, replicating previously reported associations. By application of a family-based strategy to GWAS, our study revealed new schizophrenia susceptibility loci in the Jewish-Israeli population.

Economic Determinants of Divorce Among Dual-Earner Couples: Jews in Israel

The second half of the twentieth century saw tremendous changes in the economics of the household, as women entered the labor force in growing numbers and the share of dual-earners couples increased. These changes challenge the available theories which explain divorce by economic factors, as they are mostly molded in the homemaker-breadwinner model. In this study, we investigate the validity of two main groups of theories: one which asserts that women’s work has a destabilizing effect on marriage, and assumes asymmetry between the spouses; and another which states that women’s employment has a stabilizing effect, and assumes that relations between spouses are symmetric. By employing a large-scale longitudinal register-based data for the Jewish population in Israel, we find asymmetry in the effect of the spouses’ economic characteristics on marital instability, which suggest that theories that assert asymmetry and power relations between the spouses better explain transition to divorce among this group. In line with theories of income pooling, higher shared salaries are found to increase marital stability. Nonetheless, our results demonstrate that the basic assumption of symmetry between the spouses in these theories does not hold. Although employment stability for both spouses appears to reduce divorce risk, only the husband’s salary is shown to negatively affect the odds of divorce and only the wife’s working hours and sector of employment affect marriage instability. Moreover, couples in which the wife earns as much as or more than the husband are found to have the highest divorce risk.

Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Among the Arab Population in israel from 1970 to 2006

Israeli Arabs are considered as a developing society characterized by poverty and high levels of smoking among men. The purpose of this study was to describe their incidence, mortality and survival rates for oral and pharyngeal cancer between the years 1970-2006. Studies such as this in the Arab world, where the population is almost the same as the Arab population in Israel, are rare. The incidence and survival data were derived from all relevant registered data at the National Cancer Registry. The group of lesions included cancer of the lips, tongue, buccal mucosa, floor of the mouth, salivary glands, gums, palate and pharynx. Morphological description was according to WHO classification. Most diagnosed patients were male. The mean age was 54.4 years, and mean years of survival were 3.83. The oropharynx was the most common site (28.3%) while the palate was the least frequent (3.12%). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common histological feature (66.3%), while basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was the least (3.9%). The overall 5 years survival rate was 59.4%, this being highest for BCC (82.1%), while SCC was significantly lower (56.2%) (p<0.001). Lip cancers survived better than other sites. Data from this society are similar to other developing societies in the majority of the results. The incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer is lower among the Arab population, in comparison to the Jewish population in Israel.

Prevalence and correlates of psychotropic medication use among older adults in Israel: Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings from two cohorts a decade apart

Objectives: To assess: (1) changes in use of psychotropic medications across two cohorts, 10 years apart, of community-dwelling elderly and the socio-demographic, physical and mental health correlates of their use; and (2) changes in psychotropic medication use over 3.5 years follow-up. Methods: Data were taken from two national surveys of the Israeli Jewish population aged 75–94, which, respectively, sampled two cohorts in 1989 (n = 1200) and again in 1999 (n = 421). Psychotropic medications were assessed from the list of all medications recorded during a face-to-face interview. The current analysis focused on two medication groups: anxiolytics and sedatives/hypnotics and antidepressants. Results: Sedatives/hypnotics and anxiolytics use increased from 22.2% in 1989 to 25.4% in 1999 and antidepressants from 3.8% to 4.8% (both nonsignificantly) corresponding to a decline in the health profile of community-dwelling older adults. Similar patterns of associations were observed for socio-demographics, physical, and mental health status indicators with the use of psychotropic medications across the two cohorts. The pooled multivariate analysis showed significantly higher use of sedative/hypnotics and anxiolytics among women and lower use among religious elderly. Additional risk factors were sleeping problems, number of other medications, depressive symptoms, and traumatic life events. Antidepressants use was related to a higher education, ADL disability, and depressive symptoms. Longitudinally, use of psychotropic medications was not significantly different among participants who were followed again after 3.5 years. Conclusions: Sedative/hypnotics and anxiolytics use was relatively high while antidepressants use was low even among depressed elderly suggesting that some depressed elderly were treated inappropriately with benzodiazepines.

Arab Parents' Attitudes toward Out-of-Home Placement of Their Adult Children with Psychiatric Disability

Background: The decision of out-of-home placement for the Arab population is a very stressful event that sometimes causes a real crisis situation for them, because of cultural assumptions and attitudes against placement. The tradition in the Arab culture is to take care of their offspring at home, no matter how serious the situation is. Mental health is also a case of chronic illness and it is very important for us to understand who are those who are willing to place their adult child and what the factors are that make them to do this decision. Better understanding will lead to better use of the services that the state offers them. The rate of placement in Arab society remains significantly lower than among the Jewish population of Israel. The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of Arab parents who have an adult son or daughter with a psychiatric disability toward out-of home placement. Method: A convenience sample of 189 parents of adult children with a mental disability from the Arab population of Israel. The questionnaires included were assessing social support, emotional stress, cognitive appraisal of the situation, and various socio-demographic characteristics. Results: Parents who chose home placement reported being in a better financial position and were more religious than parents who chose out-of-home placement. Parents who chose to care for their children at home had a significantly higher perception of this as a challenge. The decision regarding the child's placement appears to depend mainly on the parents' education and financial situation. Conclusions: Financial situation, social support and perceiving the illness as a challenge are the most important factors in the process of the decision.

Israel's Mizrahim: "Other" Victims of Zionism or a Bridge to Regional Reconciliation?

It may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with Israeli society, and especially to those who have been led to believe it composed primarily of European Jews who settled in the Middle East, that roughly half of Israel's Jewish population is made up of Jews who for millennia were deeply rooted in the region, and who were summarily expelled from Arab states after Israel was founded in 1948. In fact, this Arab Jewish population exceeds in number those Palestinians who were displaced, and it possessed substantially greater property that was confiscated without compensation upon expulsion.1

Does Ethnic/Cultural Dissimilarity Affect Perceptions of Service Quality?

This article examined the issue of ethnic and cultural differences between service recipients and service providers and their impact on service quality perceptual evaluations (SQPs). The study analyzed responses of two samples of patients who consulted specialist physicians from a survey of 300 Israeli Jewish and 300 Israeli Arab respondents. For all respondents, the research constructed a measure of similarity between the service providers (the physicians) and the service receivers (the patients) based on whether the former belonged to the same ethnic or cultural communities as the service recipients. The results show that within the Israeli Jewish population (the majority population), service providers similarity was positively correlated with higher SQP scores. Similar results were not found for the Arab Israeli respondents (the minority social group). The results indicate that service recipients may seek quality “markers” for the services received by transferring their objective or subjective quality perceptions of the service providers to the SQPs themselves. The article then draws implications for service managers and for future research.

Functional Characterization of Pendrin Mutations Found in the Israeli and Palestinian Populations

Background: Pendrin is a transport protein exchanging chloride for other anions, such as iodide in the thyroid gland or bicarbonate in the inner ear. Mutations in the SLC26A4 gene encoding for pendrin are responsible for both syndromic (Pendred syndrome) and non-syndromic (non-syndromic enlarged vestibular aqueduct, EVA) hearing loss. Besides clinical and radiological assessments, molecular and functional studies are essential for the correct diagnosis of Pendred syndrome and non-syndromic EVA. While a broad spectrum of mutations found in the Caucasian population has been functionally characterized, little is known about mutations specifically occurring in the populations of the Middle East. Here we show the characterization of the ion transport activity of three pendrin mutations previously found in deaf patients with EVA in the Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab populations, i.e. V239D, G334V X335 and I487Y FSX39. Methods: Wild type and mutated pendrin allelic variants were functionally characterized in a heterologous over-expression system. The Cl^-/I^- and Cl^-/OH^- exchange activities were assessed by fluorometric methods suitable for measuring iodide fluxes and the intracellular pH. Results: Both the Cl^-/I^- and the Cl^-/OH^- exchange activities of pendrin V239D, G334V X335 and I487Y FSX39 were significantly reduced with respect to the wild type, with V239D displaying a residual iodide transport. Conclusion: Functional assays confirmed the diagnosis of non-syndromic EVA due to SLC26A4 mutations performed by radiological and molecular tests in deaf patients belonging to the Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab populations. The new finding that the V239D mutation displays residual function suggests that the symptoms caused by this mutation could be ameliorated by a pendrin ‘activator’, if available.

Physical Versus Mental Predictors of Mortality Among the Old-Old in Israel: The CALAS Study

When risk factors are examined concurrently, they tend to show mixed results in predicting mortality among the old-old. The purpose of this study was to compare a set of physical predictors with a set of mental predictors, all considered as most common and predictive in the literature, to assess their relative dominance in predicting mortality at old-old age. Based on Baltes’s incomplete architecture model and the disablement process, the authors postulated that physical predictors of mortality would diminish the impact of mental predictors of mortality. The database used for this study was the multidimensional survey of the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study conducted from 1989 to 1992 with a follow-up of mortality after 10 years. Participants ( N = 1,369) were drawn from a national sample of the Jewish Israeli population aged 75 to 94. The mean age of the sample was 83.52 ( SD = 5.42). Results of hierarchical Cox regression models showed that besides sociodemographic effects (mainly age, gender, and marital status), physical disability, physician visits, and medication consumption predicted mortality. Mental predictors (cognitive impairment and life evaluation) lost their predictive power when the physical predictors were introduced. Hence, biological and physical risk factors predominated over mental risk factors when examining prediction of mortality among the old-old age population.

Estimation of the Prevalence of Rheumatic Diseases in Israel

To study the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Israel by applying the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases core questionnaire (CCQ). Representative samples (total of 2520 people) of the Israeli Jewish population aged ≥20 were surveyed for rheumatic complaints on 4 separate occasions by the CCQ telephone interview. The findings of the telephone interview were compared with a face-to-face interview and to rheumatologist examination, in 2 separate stages. The telephone applied CCQ had a sensitivity level of 88.6% and specificity of 70.0% when compared with the rheumatologist evaluation (κ = 0.576) (P < 0.001). A lower prevalence of rheumatic complaints was found in the summer months (17.7%) than in winter months (26.2%, P < 0.01). Prevalence was related to country of origin (0.008 < P < 0.03) (P range in separate surveys) and increasing age (P < 0.001) and was higher in women than in men (0.003 < P < 0.043). Body sites most affected were the lower back (63%) and the knees (47%). Medically related unemployment was more common in those with rheumatic complaints (7.9%) than in those without such complaints (2.9%, P < 0.01). Among those with rheumatic ailments, 12.7% had a related discapacity recognized by the Israeli National Insurance Institute. The telephone applied CCQ was reliable in screening for rheumatic complaints. Rates for rheumatic complaints in Israel were similar to those in some other countries. Rheumatic complaints were common, age- and gender-related, associated with work discapacity, and with country of origin. This is the first longitudinal prevalence survey of rheumatic complaints in Israel.

Psychosocial outcomes related to subjective threat from armed conflict events (STACE): Findings from the Israeli-Palestinian cross-cultural HBSC study

Objective This study investigates the relationship between exposure to armed conflict and terror events, and an array of mental and behavioral outcomes within a large cross-cultural scientifically representative sample of 24,935 Palestinian (7,430 West Bank and 7,217 Gaza) and Israeli (5,255 Jewish and 6,033 Arab) 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old school children. The children of the Middle East have been subjected to exposure from armed conflict and terrorism repeatedly with no adequate research or interventions aimed at shielding them from the hazards of such exposure to their mental and social well-being. Method This paper studies the relationship between a newly developed scale (STACE) measuring levels of subjective perceptions of threat/fear due to exposure to armed conflict events and its predicting association with six psychosocial and behavioral outcomes covering (1) poor mental health, (2) positive well-being, and (3) risk behaviors. It also examines the role of parental support in “buffering” the effects of exposure to armed conflict events within the four target populations. Results Results showed that STACE has significant and strong effects on all six dependent variables representing (1) mental post trauma, (2) diminished well-being, and (3) elevated risk behaviors. STACE strongly affects all four populations with the greatest impact among the Jewish Israeli population and the least impact shown for the Arab Israeli youth. Parental support (“significant adult”) has both a direct main effect on the outcomes of all six variables as well as a significant “buffering” effect on the impact of STACE on certain outcome variables (posttraumatic symptoms, life satisfaction, positive life perceptions, and tobacco use). Conclusions and Practice implications Regardless of the type of armed conflict events, the perception of threat and fear that a child experiences has a universal significant negative impact on mental, social, and behavioral well-being. The importance of the existence of a supporting significant adult in exposed children's lives is also emphasized. The findings show major implications for the development of community-based interventions focusing on enhancing parental, and other adult support in the lives of children living in armed conflict regions of the world.

Serum adiponectin is associated with homocysteine in elderly men and women, and with 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) in a sex-dependent manner

Plasma homocysteine associates positively with cardiovascular disease. C-to-T substitution at base 677 of the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) gene associates with increased plasma homocysteine. The association of adiponectin with cardiovascular disease is unclear. This study of survivors of a 30-year cohort of the Jewish Israeli population, 310 men and 273 women (mean age, 70.5 ± 7.0 years for both), investigated the relationship between adiponectin and homocysteine, and between adiponectin and the MTHFR C677T genotype. Serum adiponectin associated positively with total homocysteine in both men ( r = 0.27, P < .001) and women ( r = 0.22, P < .001). In women, the TT MTHFR genotype associated with lower median adiponectin levels, 8.98 mg/L, compared with 9.88 and 10.57 mg/L for TC and CC, respectively ( P = .05; CC vs TT, P = .01). In men, the trend was opposite, but not statistically significant: 7.90, 7.03, and 6.88 mg/L for TT, TC, and CC genotypes, respectively ( P = .5). This study demonstrated a positive association between homocysteine and adiponectin in both elderly men and women and a statistically significant association between adiponectin and MTHFR C677T genotypes in women only.

Breast cancer in Lebanon: Incidence and comparison to regional and Western countries

Background: Review and analyses of the 2004 Lebanese National Breast Cancer Registry (the most recently available complete national data). Methods: Crude, age-standardized rates (ASRs), and age-specific rates per 100,000 population were calculated and results were compared with estimates from Western, regional, and Arab countries. Results: Breast cancer constituted about 38.2% of all cancer cases among Lebanese females in the year 2004. The median age at diagnosis was 52.5 years. The age-standardized incidence rate per 100,000 was estimated at 71.0. ASRs remained lower than those observed in developed countries and in the Israeli Jewish population; however, they were greater than those estimated for Arab populations in the region. Five-year age-specific rates among Lebanese women were among the highest observed worldwide for the age groups 35–39, 40–44 and 45–49 years, with the exception of Israeli Jews for the age groups 35–39. Conclusions: Results endorse the new guidelines developed by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health to start breast cancer screening with mammography at 40 years of age. Further efforts are needed from different stakeholders in order to realize a comprehensive and full database, and to enhance awareness for early detection at all age groups.

Change and stability: use of complementary and alternative medicine in Israel: 1993, 2000 and 2007

Complementary and alternative health care has gained increasing popularity in Western societies in recent years. The objective of the article is to explore cross-sectional variations and temporal changes in the patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consultations in Israel in 1993, 2000 and 2007. Interviews were conducted with 2003 respondents in 1993, 2505 in 2000, and 752 in 2007, using identical questions. The samples represented the Israeli Jewish urban population aged 45-75 in the respective years. The rate of use of CAM during the previous year increased from 6% in 1993, to 10% in 2000 and reached 12% in 2007. Women and highly educated persons have been significantly and consistently more likely to use CAM. Among the users, homeopathy, acupuncture and reflexology are the main types of CAM used. Lower back pain became the leading problem for which care was sought. A significant proportion of the users continue to use conventional medicine concurrently, and an increasing share was referred to CAM by their physician. Past good experience has become a major reason for CAM use. Between 1993 and 2007, CAM use in the Israeli urban Jewish population aged 45-75 years increased significantly. As in other countries CAM grew from an infant industry and entered the mainstream of health care. The evidence reported here highlights the urgent need for the design of health and social policies aiming to achieve more effective integration between CAM and conventional medicine.

CYP1A1 and CYP2D6 Gene Polymorphisms in Israeli Jewish Women With Cervical Cancer

To assess the frequency distribution of the CYP1A1 and CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms in Israeli Jewish women with cervical cancer. Forty-three Israeli Jewish women with cervical cancer and 123 healthy Israeli Jewish women were assessed. CYP1A1 (2 alleles) and CYP2D6 polymorphism was analyzed using an allele-specific, polymerase chain reaction-based method. The allele frequency and genotype distribution for the CYP1A1 (2 alleles) and CYP2D6 polymorphism did not reach a level of significance. Smoking was the only independent risk factor for cervical cancer (P = 0.0003). CYP1A1 and CYP2D6 mutations are not related to an increased risk for cervical cancer in the Jewish Israeli population.

Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Peaceful Conflict Resolution

One of the most important psychological barriers to conflict resolution is the rigid structure of the sociopsychological repertoire that evolves in societies immersed in intractable conflict. This article examines ways to overcome the rigidity of this repertoire in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Specifically, in line with the prospect theory, the authors assumed that elicitation of beliefs about losses stemming from the continuing conflict may bring about a process of “unfreezing.” To test this assumption, an exploratory study with a national sample of the Israeli-Jewish population and two subsequent experimental studies were conducted. The results demonstrated that exposure to information about losses inherent in continuing the conflict induces higher willingness to acquire new information about possible solutions to the conflict, higher willingness to reevaluate current positions about it, and more support for compromises than the exposure to neutral information or to information about possible gains derived from the peace agreement.

The Prevalence of Ulcerative Colitis in Israel

This is the third survey we perform in the kibbutz population of Israel. The previous 2 surveys were 10 years apart, in 1987 and 1997, demonstrating an increase in ulcerative colitis (UC) prevalence. The aim of the present study was to confirm the trend for increasing UC prevalence in Israel. There are 269 kibbutz settlements in Israel, with a total of 117,700 people, accounting for 2.4% of the Jewish Israeli population. The local physician for each kibbutz was contacted by mail, e-mail, telephone, and fax to obtain information on UC patients. Data were retrieved and updated to December 31, 2007, the point prevalence date. Details of sex, age, origin, clinical spectrum of the disease, therapy, and complications were recorded. There are 255 confirmed cases of UC, 138 women and 117 men (female: male ratio, 1.2:1). The prevalence rate rose from 121.08/100,000 in 1987 to 167.20/100,000 in 1997 and then to 216.65/100,000 in 2007 (P<0.0001). The rise in the second period was less than in the first period: 29% and 38%, respectively. The prevalence rate was higher in women than men, and in European/American-born>Asian/African-born>Israeli-born individuals. We observed an increase in the prevalence and mean annual incidence of UC in Israel, in men and women, with a decreasing gap between different ethnic groups. We believe that strong environmental influence is responsible for our observation.