Major Sociodemographic Factors Research Articles

Patterns of Telehealth Visits After the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Individuals With or at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in the United States.

Prior studies have shown that cardiovascular disease (CVD) can be effectively managed through telehealth. However, there are little national data on the use of telehealth in people with CVD or CVD risk factors. We aimed to determine the prevalence of telehealth visits and visit modality (video versus audio-only) in people with CVD and CVD risk factors. We also assessed their rationale and satisfaction with telehealth visits. A nationally representative sample of 6252 participants from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey 6 was used. We defined the CVD risk categories as having no self-reported CVD (coronary heart disease or heart failure) or CVD risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, or current smoking), CVD risk factors alone, and CVD. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for major sociodemographic factors, assessed the relationship between CVD risk and telehealth uptake. The weighted prevalence of using telehealth was 50% (95% CI, 44%-56%) for individuals with CVD and 40% (95% CI, 37%-43%) for those with CVD risk factors alone. Individuals with CVD had the highest odds of using any telehealth (audio-only or video) (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.02 [95% CI, 1.39-2.93]) when compared with those without CVD or CVD risk factors. Notably, 21% (95% CI, 16.3%-25.6%) of patients with CVD used audio-only visits (adjusted OR, 2.38 [95% CI, 1.55-3.64]) compared with patients without CVD or CVD risk factors. In a nationally representative survey, there was high prevalence of any (video or audio-only) telehealth visits in people with CVD, and audio-only visits comprised a significant proportion of telehealth visits in this population.

IJCM_312A: Awareness regarding Mosquito-borne Diseases among Women residing in the Field Practice Area of a Medical College, Bengaluru, India – A community- based study

Background: Vector-borne diseases, especially the mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) continued to pose a serious threat in tropical and sub- tropical countries including India. They have large impact on morbidity and mortality in the country and pose economic burden on public health system. As success of Integrated Vector Management depends on adequate community participation, awareness among public is crucial. Objectives: To assess the knowledge regarding mosquito borne diseases among women of field practice area and its association with socio-demographic factors. Methodology: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 120 women, residing in the field practice area of a medical college in Bengaluru, from September to December 2023. After obtaining the ethical clearance and written informed consent, data was collected using a semi-structed, pre-tested questionnaire. Data was entered and analysed using Epi Info version 7.2.6.0 Results: Majority of the women were in 18-30 years age group (43.33%), 56.7% had completed secondary education and above, 43.3% belonged upper middle class. Overall, 45.8% had sufficient knowledge regarding MBDs; 81.6% were aware on mosquito bite as mechanism of transmission. Friends (90%) and television (68.33%) were the major sources of their knowledge. Education, occupation, socioeconomic status, and family type were significantly associated with the awareness (P<0.05). Conclusion: Overall awareness level on mosquito borne diseases among rural women was inadequate and there was a significant association between major sociodemographic factors and awareness level. There is a need to develop appropriate educational strategies to increase awareness.

Farmer-preferred traits and variety choices for finger millet in Uganda

Finger millet is a climate-resilient crop providing food and nutrition security and income In Uganda. However, the current productivity of finger millet in farmers’ fields is low and among other factors, this is due to the poor adoption of improved varieties. With this study we aim to identify and profile varietal traits preferred by finger millet farmers and consumers in Uganda. We specifically focus on how these traits vary among women and men in the Ugandan finger millet value chain. We collect data using semi-structured questionnaires among 170 households growing millet in Bushenyi, Lira, and Nwoya districts, and we triangulate questionnaires replies with qualitative information from 11 focus group discussions and 3 key informant interviews. Using descriptive statistics and probit regression models, we find that the majority of the farmers (97%) prefer growing landrace varieties of finger millet compared to only 3% growing improved varieties. The most preferred varieties were Kaguma in Bushenyi, Ajuko Manyige in Nwoya, Kal Atar, and Okello Chiba in Lira. Farmers’ choice of variety depends on a combination of traits including agronomic, marketing, and consumption traits. Gender, marital status, education levels, and occupation are the major socio-demographic factors that influence specific preferences related to finger millet variety. This study lays a foundation for designing a gender-responsive finger millet product profile to guide the development and release of new varieties by the finger millet crop improvement program.

Disability outcomes in early-stage African American and White people with multiple sclerosis

BackgroundFactors driving differences in disease burden between African American and White people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) remain unclear. Here, we explored whether differences in disability outcomes could be observed after controlling for major sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, and assessed the presence of a possible interaction between MS and race. MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 120 pwMS within 6 years from disease onset and 82 healthy controls between 18 and 70 years of age, self-identified as either African American or White, were prospectively enrolled. Inclusion criteria for pwMS were: diagnosis of MS according to the revised McDonald criteria, relapsing-remitting phenotype and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) < 6.5. Study outcomes included: (i) global disability (EDSS); (ii) quantitative mobility and leg function (Timed 25 Foot Walk Test-T25FWT); (iii) quantitative finger dexterity (9-Hole Peg Test-9HPT); (iv) cognitive efficiency and speed performance (Symbol Digit Modalities Test-SDMT). Differences in disability outcomes were assessed employing multivariable linear regression models. Based on their association with MS or disability, covariates included age, gender, race, years of education, total income, body mass index, comorbidities. The interaction between MS and race on disability outcomes was estimated via relative excess risk of interaction and attributable proportion. ResultsAccounting for age, gender, total income, education, body mass index and comorbidities, African American pwMS showed significantly worse performances in manual dexterity and cognition than White pwMS (White pwMS coeff. 3.24, 95% CI 1.55, 4.92 vs African American pwMS coeff. 5.52, 95% CI 3.55, 7.48 and White pwMS coeff. -5.87, 95% CI -8.86, -2.87 vs African American pwMS coeff. -7.99, 95% CI -11.58,-4.38). MS and race independently contributed to the observed gradient in disability severity. ConclusionsComplex social disparities and systemic racism might contribute to clinical heterogeneity in MS.

Factors Related to Oversleeping in Korean Young Adults, with a Focus on Sociodemographic Factors.

Young adults the year after high school experience changes in lifestyle and circumstances and tend to experience more oversleeping. However, there are few studies on oversleeping in young adults. This study aims to identify the sociodemographic factors related to oversleeping among young adults in Korea using nationally representative data. This study analyzed self-reported and cross-sectional data in 2016 from a sample of 1876 participants from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, which included respondents one year after high school graduation. Oversleeping was defined as sleeping 9 or more hours a day on average. Logistic regression models were analyzed to test a multivariate association between independent sociodemographic variables and oversleeping. Over one-tenth of young adults reported oversleeping. Oversleeping was associated with household income (OR = 0.99, p = 0.011) and smoking (OR = 1.52, p = 0.041). In addition, when compared to non-working college students, college students who were working (OR = 2.58, p = 0.021), non-students who were working (OR = 1.68, p = 0.048), and non-students who were not working (OR = 3.07, p < 0.001) were more likely to report oversleeping. Oversleeping among young adults was associated with major sociodemographic factors including household income (−), smoking (+), and academic and working status (+). These findings suggest the significant role of sociodemographic factors as predictors of oversleeping and emphasize the importance of examining various factors to achieve a better understanding of oversleeping in young adults.

Psychological distress from the COVID-19 confinement is associated with unhealthy dietary changes

BackgroundThe confinement due to COVID-19 pandemic had adverse effects on mental health, but the relation between psychological distress resulting from lockdown measures and dietary habits needs to be elucidated.MethodsWe analysed 2,741 subjects (mean age 58.1±15.3 y) pooled from 2 retrospective Italian cohorts recruited from May to September 2020: 1) The Moli-LOCK cohort consists of 1,401 adults, a portion of the larger Moli-sani Study (n = 24,325) who were administered a telephone-based questionnaire to assess lifestyles and psychological factors during confinement; 2) the ALT RISCOVID-19 is a web-based survey of 1,340 individuals distributed throughout Italy who self-responded to the same questionnaire by using Google® forms. Psychological distress was measured by assessments of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), stress (PSS-4), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diet quality was assessed either as changes in consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) or adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD).ResultsIn a multivariable regression analysis controlled for major sociodemographic factors, depression (β=-0.06, 95%CI -0.10, -0.01), anxiety (β=-0.05, -0.09, -0.004) and PTSD (β=-0.04, -0.08, -0.002) were inversely associated with MD and directly with UPF (β = 0.13, 0.09, 0.18; β = 0.12, 0.08, 0.16 and β = 0.10, 0.06, 0.13, respectively); stress was associated with UPF (β = 0.06, 0.02, 0.10) but not with MD (β=-0.03, -0.08, 0.01).ConclusionsPsychological distress resulting from confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic is directly associated with unhealthy dietary modifications in a sample of the Italian population. In view of possible future restrictive measures, particular attention should be paid to public health actions promoting psychological support to more vulnerable groups.Key messages Psychological distress resulting from confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic is directly associated with unhealthy dietary modifications.Particular attention should be paid to public health actions promoting psychological support to more vulnerable groups also in view of future restrictive measures to contain the pandemic spread.

Landuse change in Jakarta Province: trend, types, and socio-demographic factors

Landuse change in Jakarta Province is one of the popular issue due to urban problems. As a capital city, Jakarta has small agriculture area and large non agriculture area. The objectives of this study are to know the landuse change trend, to know the types of landuse that change overtime, and to know the factors that cause landuse change specifically in socio- demographic condition in Jakarta. This study used secondary data from Badan Pusat Statistik or Statistic Board Center of Jakarta to derive population and landuse data. The analysis of this study used a spatial approach and by calculating land resources balancing. From this study, we find that landuse change was increased in Jakarta overtime, especially in foods crops, horticulture, and forestry area, which vary over the districts. Major socio-demographic factors that cause landuse change is high population density in Jakarta.

Green space and serious psychological distress among adults and teens: A population-based study in California.

There has been mounting evidence for the beneficial effect of green space on mental health among adults, but studies on the same topics are lacking for teens in the US. This study aimed to fill in this research gap by utilizing data from California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2011-2014. A total of 81,102 households (composed of 4538 teens and 81,102 adults) were retained for main analyses. Surrounding greenness was assessed by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within varying buffers of home residence. Survey logistic regressions accounted for sampling weights and design were conducted to examine the effects of greenness on serious psychological distress (SPD), adjusted for major socio-demographic factors, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and co-respondent's psychological distress level within the same household. An inter-quartile increment of NDVI in 350 m buffer predicted decreased odds of SPDs by 36% in teens (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = [0.46, 0.91]). Mediation analyses revealed that this association remained almost unchanged even after adjusting for social cohesion. The NDVI-SPD association of adults was found to be significant only in the older group (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = [0.68, 0.95]). This study is one of the first population-based US studies extending the epidemiological evidence for benefits of green space on mental health from adults to teens.

The Study of Investment Preferences of Russians on Individual Investment Accounts

Individual Investment Accounts (IIAs) are assumed to be a tax incentive introduced in the Russian Federation in 2015 aimed to solve the problem of low level of private investors’ awareness of the securities market opportunities and small fraction of households’ investment in the country’s GDP. The existing evidence on such incentive is concerned mostly about the use of international tax incentives and its implementation in Russia, while rare literature provides any background on investment behaviour of the Russians, especially for 3 and more years’ time. This paper adds to this point, answering the question about the impact of major sociodemographic factors (including age, gender, marital status, education level and occupation) on the individuals’ investment preferences for long-term investment on tax-beneficial accounts, using the data from an anonymous questionnaire study conducted among 200 adult citizens of Russia.

Factors associated with higher fertility in South India: Evidence from district-level household survey 4

Background: As we aim to embark on a world free of preventable deaths in maternal health, the importance of regulating fertility claims more attention. In India, a country with low resources, this approach is crucial in facing the challenge amid population burst. Chasing the same aim, the country is yet to register targeted total fertility rate of 2.1 at some of its pockets. Aim: This study, analyzing data from District-Level Household Survey 4, tried to assess the association between high birth order (HBO, defined as birth order three or more among women aged between 15 and 49 years) and major sociodemographic factors in South India. Materials and Methods: District was the unit for analysis. From South India, 98 districts were considered. Correlation coefficient was determined to know the association between HBO and six variables: marriage

English

Marital satisfaction is one of the ingredients of marital stability and is affected by a number of factors. A cross-sectional survey substantiated with qualitative studies was conducted so as to identify the major socio-demographic factors that influence the marital satisfaction of married couples among selected districts of Jimma Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Study participants of 240 randomly selected couples, either the wife or husband, were surveyed and key informant interview was held to collect evidences about the study objectives. As a result, variables such as level of education, number of children, spousal infidelity, marriage type, leisure spending, interest difference, openness among couples, and poverty have brought a statistically significant difference in marital satisfaction. Similarly, qualitative study participants noted that economic background, educational background, type of marriage, religious background, ethnic background, age difference, place of birth, religious discordant marriage, migration, adultery, early marriage, Khat abuse, in-laws interference, family size, sexual incompatibility and polygamous marriage determine the marital satisfaction of couples in the study area. Besides, the study found out the existence of differences on the factors that shape the marital satisfaction of urban and rural couples. Key words: Socio-demographic, marital satisfaction, determinants, Jimma Zone, Ethiopia.

Healthcare seeking practices of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) in Bangladesh

AimTo explore the dynamics of healthcare seeking practices of people living with HIV and AIDS and examine the major socio-demographic factors determining their healthcare choices in Dhaka, Bangladesh. BackgroundThis study is about exploring the healthcare seeking practices of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) in Bangladesh. Materials and methodsThe study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Samples were selected purposively using snowball sampling procedure for the survey. A total of 100 PLHIV were interviewed for the survey and 20 case studies were conducted for exploring the meaning, context and reasons for healthcare choices. ResultsResults of the study reveal that the socio-demographic and socio-economic status of PLHIV has a relation with healthcare seeking choices. In the study ‘perceived barriers’ emerged as determining factors in seeking health services by the PLHIV. Knowledge of the PLHIV on HIV/AIDS and STDs was found moderately high. ConclusionThe state should play an active role in providing HIV/AIDS health services for the PLHIV with the help of monitoring and assessing the integrative performances of health practitioners directed by health ministry and local administration.

Sociodemographic factors influencing compliance of medication in an urban OPD setting

The present study was conducted with an aim to assess the relationship between major sociodemographic factors and compliance to prescribed drugs, amongst outpatients in an urban health center in a big city. A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted in the city of Ahmedabad. Random sampling was used to include 250 cases, who were interviewed in an outpatient department (OPD) set-up, using a semistructured pretested proforma. Acute upper respiratory infections (20.8%) and fever (15.2%) were the most common diagnoses. These patients were followed-up for three revisits. Twenty-eight cases (11.2%) out of the 250 were lost to the study after two follow-ups. These were mostly in the younger age groups, female, in upper social class, and literate. Another startling revelation was that, a very high majority (86-96%) reported at later dates than when they were called to the health center. Analysis of certain sociodemographic characteristics revealed that most of the respondents were in the younger age groups with a female preponderance, had had some form of formal education, and were mostly in the social middle class. Scrutiny showed that while age, education, and social class had an almost inverse relationship with compliance, sex did not influence compliance.

Examining the influence of gender, education, social class and birth cohort on MMSE tracking over time: a population-based prospective cohort study

BackgroundWhilst many studies have analysed predictors of longitudinal cognitive decline, few have described their impact on population distributions of cognition by age cohort. The aim of this paper was to examine whether gender, education, social class and birth cohort affect how mean population cognition changes with age.MethodsThe Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS) is a multi-centre population based longitudinal study of 13,004 individuals in England and Wales. Using ten years of follow-up data, mean Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were modelled by age and birth cohort adjusting for non-random drop-out. The model included terms to estimate cohort effects. Results are presented for five year age bands between 65–95 years.ResultsAt a population level, women show greater change in MMSE scores with age than men. Populations with lower education level and manual work also show similar effects. More recent birth cohorts have slightly higher scores.ConclusionLongitudinal data can allow examination of population patterns by gender, educational level, social class and cohort. Each of these major socio-demographic factors shows some effect on whole population change in MMSE with age.

Ecstasy use among US adolescents from 1999 to 2008

Aims To investigate trends in rates of ecstasy use among US adolescents from 1999 to 2008, and to examine the associations between the major sociodemographic factors, especially gender, and ecstasy use, during this period. Methods The adolescent subsamples (age 12–17) from 1999 to 2008 NHSDA/NSDUH surveys were used for the current study. Data from adolescents’ self-reports on use of ecstasy and of other drugs, as well as sociodemographic characteristics, were used in the analyses. Results There was an increasing trend in adolescent ecstasy use from 1999 to 2002, which was followed by a decreasing trend from 2002 to 2005, and a slight rise from 2005 to 2008. In contrast to some other drugs, ecstasy was more likely to be used by girls than by boys. This gender difference persisted over the 10-year period and could not be explained by other demographic factors. Conclusion Given the known health consequences of ecstasy use, especially for females, the observed gender difference in adolescent ecstasy use should be taken into account by drug prevention and intervention programs.