Medium Level Of Education Research Articles

Food and health promotion literacy among employees with a low and medium level of education in the Netherlands

BackgroundPrior research indicates a positive association between socioeconomic position and health literacy levels. We hypothesize comparable socioeconomic gradients for food literacy. This study aims to determine the level of self-perceived food literacy and health promotion literacy among adults with a low and medium level of education and from various subgroups, as well as the association between these food and health literacy levels. Furthermore, this study aims to explore the associations of self-perceived food literacy (SPFL) and health promotion literacy (HPL) in BMI.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among employees with a low and medium level of education. Descriptive analyses were performed to compute SPFL and HPL levels. Analyses of variance were performed to test differences between subgroups. The correlation between SPFL and HPL was computed by Pearson’s r. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to explore 1) the association between SPFL and HPL adjusted for demographic characteristics 2) the associations between SPFL and HPL in BMI.ResultsThe majority (63.1%) of all participants (n = 222) scored low on SPFL and 34.5% scored inadequate or problematic on HPL. No significant educational or weight-status differences were found in SPFL or HPL levels. On most levels, women compared to men and older compared to younger employees scored significantly higher. A small positive correlation between the two mean levels was found, r = .25, P < .001 (n = 203). Multivariate linear regression analyses showed a significant association between SPFL and HPL (B = .31, 95% CI = .15–.48). No significant associations between SPFL and HPL in BMI were found.ConclusionsThis study suggests there is room for improvement in SPFL and HPL among adults with a low and medium level of education. Future research should consider comparing low and middle socioeconomic with high socioeconomic groups when exploring food and health literacy. Regarding health promotion activities for adults with a low and medium level of education, it is recommended to focus on improving both food and health literacy. Furthermore, more research is needed to explore direct proxies of weight-status to better understand the role of food and health literacy in overweight patterns.

Digital inequality among older adults: explaining differences in the breadth of Internet use

ABSTRACT An increasing number of older adults integrate the Internet in their daily life. Although undertaking a greater range of online activities offers enhanced opportunities to live a self-determined and socially connected life, understanding of the breadth of Internet use is still limited. We address this gap by examining how individual factors representing inequalities between groups of older adults in society are associated with the breadth of their Internet use. The study analyzed survey data collected in 2017 from older adults living in a city in Germany (N = 1,136, age 65–90 years). The group of Internet users comprised of 69.0% (784) of participants, exhibited high levels of autonomy in outdoor activities (87.8%), and reported, on average, 4.92 online activities (SD = 2.31, range 1–8). Linear regression analysis showed positive associations for perceiving higher levels of behavioral control (PBC) in using digital technologies, being male and younger, and holding an academic degree. No associations were found for having medium level of education, living together with someone, and reporting better health. These findings highlight that despite the increased percentage of users, digital inequality regarding the range of online activities prevails. This inequality impedes subgroups of older adults to prepare for future situations in which online activities could substitute outdoor activities that might not be possible anymore. Interventions for these subgroups should emphasize digital skills that facilitate engagement in diverse online activities covering various purposes and life domains.

A Comparative Study on Profile Characteristics of Farm Men and Women in Paddy Cultivation: A Study in Shivamogga District

The slogan “RICE is life” is most appropriate for India as this crop plays a vital role in our national food security and is a means of livelihood for millions of rural households. Major Rice growing districts of Karnataka are Bellary, Davangere, Mysore, Mandya, and Shivamogga. The study was conducted in Shivamogga district since Shivamogga district comes under medium productive region of Karnataka state. The study revealed that one third (38.33 %) of farm men had a high level of education whereas, less than half of the respondents (43.34 %) of farm women had a medium level of education. A little more than half (50.00 %) of farm men and farm women belonged to small-sized landholding categories. Concerning extension contact, it is observed that a more significant number (53.33%) of farm men had a medium level of extension agency contact, nearly half (46.57 %) of farm women had a low level of extension contact. Most (43.34 %) of the farm men and around forty percent of farm women had medium-level extension participation. It is evident from the study that farm women stay lower in most of the profile characters than men and there exists a diversification in socio-economic status, psychological behavior and participative nature of farm men and women due to various gender issues. Hence, this paper throws a light on the comparison of profile characteristics of farm men and farm women who are paddy growers of shivamogga district, where it clearly depicts the profile characters that are low in women than men and that can be taken as a lead to educate the male dominated family to find out the push factors missing for farmwomen and the best way it can be improved. It also helps the policy makers and extension agents to concentrate more on women to improve their socio-economic, psychological and communicational characters in society by suggesting location specific feasible solutions, that further improves the efficiency of farm men and women in paddy cultivation.

Caregiver Social Status and Health-Related Quality of Life in Neurologically Impaired Children on Home Enteral Nutrition.

We aimed to investigate the association between caregiver social status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with neurological impairment (NI) on home enteral nutrition (HEN). This was an ancillary study of a multicenter, cross-sectional study which explored HRQoL in 75 NI children on HEN. All the caregivers from the original cohort were contacted, and data on education level, occupation and marital status were collected. The association between social status and HRQoL was investigated using a multiple Poisson Generalized Linear Model. In total, 93 caregivers were included, responsible for the care of 71 children. The caregivers of four children of the original cohort did not answer the questionnaire. Mothers with high-level education presented lower HRQoL in comparison to mothers with low-level (β: −5.97; 95% CI −11.51, −0.10; p = 0.027) or medium-level education (β: 4.85; 95% CI −9.87, 0.53; p = 0.044). The analysis of the subgroup of cases in which the main caregiver was represented by both parents gave similar findings, with education level of the father being negatively correlated with HRQoL. Our data showed that higher education level may negatively affect quality of life of caregivers of NI children. This could be helpful in identifying at-risk families and addressing supportive efforts.

Education and long-term outcomes in first episode psychosis: 10-year follow-up study of the PAFIP cohort.

Lower levels of education have been associated with the development of psychosis. Investigating educational achievement in the first episode of psychosis (FEP) patients may shed light on the origins of the alterations and on the variability of outcomes in psychotic disorders. Education achievement was explored in a large sample (n = 659) of FEP patients enrolled in programa de atención a fases iniciales de psicosis (PAFIP), a research and assistance program conducted in Spain. Patients were stratified according to the Spanish educational system according to their attendance in primary (low), secondary (medium) or university studies (high). The three groups were compared on available premorbid, clinical and neuropsychological variables. A subgroup of patients (n = 209), comprising the 10-year follow-up PAFIP cohort, were again compared. Overall, 49% and 37% of FEP patients had low and medium levels of education, respectively. In total, 13% of the patients with a higher level of education were more frequently women (64%) and older at illness onset (36 years old), reported better premorbid adjustment, presented less severe positive symptoms and better functioning; and showed higher premorbid intelligence quotient and better performance on all the explored cognitive domains. Ten years later the FEP patients in the medium- and high-education groups had good global functioning and a neurocognitive performance within the normal limits. Higher education is associated with better initial conditions and more favourable outcomes after an FEP. Sharing this information with the world's educational systems is essential to targeting resources and designing innovative programs or strategies to compensate for student difficulties.

Physically distant but socially close? Changes in non-physical intergenerational contacts at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among older people in France, Italy and Spain

Physical distancing is intended to mitigate the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the impact of a decrease in face-to-face contacts on non-physical social contacts of older people remains unclear. In particular, we focus on intergenerational contacts that are especially relevant for older people’s mental health. Our analyses rely on an online quota sampling survey conducted in France, Italy and Spain during April 14–24, 2020. We considered the subsample of individuals aged 50 + (N = 4207). We calculated post-stratification weights based on official statistics and used logistic regressions to analyze how changes in intergenerational contacts differed by socioeconomic factors and to what extent non-physical contacts (via phone, social media, etc.) have compensated the reduction in face-to-face contacts. Finally, the change in digital devices’ use has been explored as a consequence of both decreased physical intergenerational contacts (PIC) and increased non-physical intergenerational contacts (NPIC). We found that about 50% of older people have increased their NPIC during the first lockdown. Younger individuals, those with medium level of education, and those economically better off displayed higher probabilities of increased NPIC as compared to their counterparts. NPIC increased especially for individuals whose face-to-face contacts decreased, particularly so if this happened with respect to contacts with children. A large share of older people has increased their use of video calls and instant messages, while only some increased the use of social media. These findings are relevant to understand how intergenerational contacts changed during the pandemic and may be central to better plan future outbreak responses.

The moderating effects of social support and depressive symptoms on pain among elderly multimorbid patients—data from the multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study MultiCare

Objectives Depressive symptoms and chronic pain are common among patients with multimorbidity creating a complex medical condition for both the patient and the general practitioner. Perceived social support may function as a protective measure. To examine the impact of perceived social support as a potential moderator between depressive symptoms and pain intensity and pain disability in daily activities in multimorbid patients aged 75+. Method Data from 3,189 patients of the German longitudinal cohort study MultiCare were obtained at baseline and follow-ups during 5 years. Multilevel linear mixed-effects analyses were conducted for pain intensity (model 1) and pain disability in daily activities (model 2). The interaction term social support by depression score was included to test for moderation. Results The interaction between social support and depressive symptoms was significantly associated with the pain intensity score 0.41 (SE=.17; 95-CI[.08;.74]) but not with the pain disability score 0.35 (SE=.19; 95-CI[-.01;.72]). Additionally, men and individuals with medium or higher educational level showed reduced pain intensity and disability scores. Pain disability scores increased with age and depressive symptoms. Increased pain scores were also found for body mass index and burden of multimorbidity. Conclusion Perceived social support amplified the association of depressive symptoms on pain intensity and did not show a protective function. The high scores of perceived social support among the participants may point to the practice of secondary gain due to the patients immense health burden.

The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task.

Planning ability is important in everyday functioning, and a key measure to assess the preparation and execution of plans is the Tower of London (ToL) task. Previous studies indicate that older adults are often less accurate than the young on the ToL and that there may be cultural differences in performance on the task. However, potential interactions between age and culture have not previously been explored. In the current study we examined the effects of age on ToL performance in an Asian culture (Malaysia) and a Western culture (British) (n = 191). We also explored whether working memory, age, education, and socioeconomic status explained variance in ToL performance across these two cultures. Results indicated that age effects on ToL performance were greater in the Malaysian sample. Subsequent moderated mediation analysis revealed differences between the two cultures (British vs Malaysians), in that the age-related variance in ToL accuracy was accounted for by WM capacity at low and medium education levels only in the Malaysian sample. Demographic variables could not explain additional variance in ToL speed or accuracy. These results may reflect cultural differences in the familiarity and cognitive load of carrying out complex planning tasks.

Socioeconomic Factors Related to Job Satisfaction among Formal Care Workers in Nursing Homes for Older Dependent Adults.

Population ageing is increasing the demand for dependent care. Aged care nursing homes are facilities that provide formal care for dependent older persons. Determining the level of job satisfaction among workers in nursing homes and the associated factors is key to enhancing their well-being and the quality of care. A cross-sectional survey was administered online to nursing home workers (n = 256) in an inland region of Spain over the period from February to May 2017. The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic variables and others related to training and job satisfaction. The results show that most of the care is delivered by women with a medium level of education. A total of 68% of workers had received formal training, although a significant percentage (65%) thought this was not useful. The highest level of satisfaction was found to be related to users and co-workers. Our factor analysis revealed that the satisfaction components are decision-making, working conditions—e.g., schedule—and the work environment—e.g., relationship with coworkers—. Length of service and working with highly dependent persons are negatively associated with these components. Working in social health care is negatively related to decision-making and working conditions. Training, in contrast, is positively associated with these components. Care is a job that requires appropriate training and preparation to provide quality assistance and to guarantee workers’ well-being.

Sleep Status and the Associated Factors: A Large Cross-Sectional Study in Shaanxi Province, China.

This study aimed at investigating the sleep status and its associated factors in Shaanxi province, China. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 11,399 subjects in Shaanxi Province, China. Data were collected via spot field questionnaire surveys. The contents included demographic characteristics, sleep status, lifestyles, disease history and other associated factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the effect of associated factors on sleep quality. A total of 11,036 subjects were included in the final analysis. In total, 12.8% of the participants had bad or very bad sleep. In the last month, 8.4% of the participants had difficulty in initiating sleep, 7.6% of the participants had difficulty in maintaining sleep, 8.8% of the participants suffered from awakening earlier and 10.3% of the participants had the problem of feeling sleepy during the day ≥3 times per week. Poorer sleep quality was associated with being female, being unmarried or without cohabiting with a boyfriend/girlfriend, being divorced or widowed, heart diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, concerns about their own health, drinking alcohol, taking hypnotics, and a longer daily screen time. Better sleep quality was associated with medium education level, high family monthly income, good self-reported health status, and having breakfast regularly. In conclusion, more than one in ten people did not sleep well and suffered from different sleep problems in Shaanxi, China. Sleep quality was associated with sex, marital status, educational level, family monthly income, heart disease, musculoskeletal diseases, degree of concerning about their own health, self-reported health status, drinking alcohol, having breakfast, taking hypnotics and daily screen time.

The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors on Breastfeeding: Findings from the "Mamma & Bambino" Cohort.

Background and objectives: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends women (1) to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth; (2) to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months; and (3) to continue breastfeeding until two years of age. However, women do not always adhere to these recommendations, threatening the health of their children. The present study aims to evaluate breastfeeding status and the main maternal factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding for six months among women from the “Mamma & Bambino” study, a prospective cohort settled in Catania, Italy. Materials and Methods: We used data from 220 women (median age = 37 years) enrolled in the “Mamma & Bambino” cohort during prenatal obstetric counselling. Self-reported breastfeeding status was collected during the follow-up interviews at 1 and 2 years, referring to breastfeeding status (i.e., yes or no) and type of breastfeeding (i.e., exclusive or predominant). We also collected data about duration of breastfeeding to classify women into those who adhered to the WHO recommendation and those who did not. Results: In the general population, we noted that the proportion of women who have breastfed increased with increasing educational level. Accordingly, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that medium (OR = 3.171; 95% CI = 1.285–7.822; p = 0.012) and high educational levels (OR = 4.549; 95% CI = 1.525–13.570; p = 0.007) were positively associated with breastfeeding if compared to low educational level. Among women who have breastfed, instead, the proportion of adherents to the WHO recommendation was higher among those with medium–high educational level and those who were employed. In line with this, we demonstrated that full-time employment (OR = 2.158; 95% CI = 1.033–4.508; p = 0.041) and medium educational level (OR = 4.632; 95% CI = 1.227–17.484; p = 0.024) were positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors should be taken into account through public health strategies for improving maternal knowledge about health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

Exploring explanations for the gender gap in study abroad: a case study of the Netherlands

The overrepresentation of female students in study abroad programmes across the Western world represents one of the major gaps in scientific research on study abroad. In this paper, I explore possible theoretical and empirical explanations, drawing on Personal Investment Theory and investigating study abroad motivations and decisions of a nationally representative sample of higher education students in the Netherlands between 2006 and 2015. The analyses specifically focus on the role of parents, academic self-concept and perceived goals in female and male students decision-making process to participate in study abroad programmes. The results reveal that maternal educational attainment level potentially plays a crucial role in explaining the decision-making process of both male and female students, as well as in explaining the overrepresentation of female students. The findings indicate that female students whose mothers have a medium educational attainment level are more likely to study abroad for exploration motives, whereas female students with lower educated mothers are more motivated by professional development purposes. As such, the results suggest mothers might motivate their daughters to study abroad in order to achieve intergenerational social mobility. Together, the presented findings offer fresh theoretical and empirical explanations of the gender gap in study abroad. Furthermore, the generated insights open up new directions for future research, indicating particularly the potential of social reproduction theories for explaining the gender gap in study abroad.

Water intake in the Chilean population: Findings from the 2016-17 National Health Survey

Water is an essential nutrient for cellular homeostasis and life. Drinking ≥ 6 glasses (1.5 L/day) is the recommendation of daily water intake (RIAD). To characterize water intake, according to sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyles variables, in the Chilean adult population. Analysis of data from 5,520 participants of the 2016-17 National Health Survey. Compliance with RIAD by population groups according to sociodemographic, anthropometric and lifestyle characteristics was studied through logistic regression analyses. Only 27.8% of the national population met the RIAD. Women, people over than 56 years of age, housewives, retired people, widowers, and non-smokers were less likely to meet the RIAD. The likelihood of not complying with RIAD in these segments of the population ranged from 28% to 62%. Conversely, participants who presented a higher likelihood of meeting RIAD were those who co-habiting, had a medium and higher educational level, followed a diet plan, and those who reported a good health and well-being. The likelihood of meeting with the RIAD for these population groups ranged from 47% to 116%. The likelihood of meeting the RIAD varied according to different sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle variables. Therefore, public policies for promoting water consumption should be focused on all age groups, but especially in those groups with the highest risk of underconsumption.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Maltese Adults.

Background: Populations living in Mediterranean islands are experiencing a nutrition transition process from traditional to Westernized dietary patterns. No information on this matter regarding individuals living in Malta have been published to date. The aim of this study was to assess the level of adherence of the Maltese people to the Mediterranean diet and which factors were associated with it. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted in the island of Malta between 2014 and 2016. A literature-based Mediterranean diet adherence score was used to assess the level of adherence to the dietary pattern. Results: Out of 3947 adults, the overall Mediterranean diet adherence score mean was 7.19 (SD 1.91): being female, non-smoker, and having older age was associated with higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Less clear pattern of association was found for educational and occupational status, for which medium educational level and a high occupational level were associated with lower adherence to Mediterranean diet. Higher adherence was finally associated with consumption of healthier food groups (more rice and dark bread and less pasta and white bread; more all plant-food groups and fish, less animal-food sources, including fast foods; more light cheeses and yogurt were more frequently consumed among higher adherent individuals in spite of regular ones). Conclusions: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Malta is lower than in those of populations living in companion Mediterranean islands. Given the lack of data on this topic, further studies should be conducted among the Maltese people and public health nutrition interventions should be planned to improve current eating habits toward more traditional dietary patterns.

Entrepreneurial myths (or realities) and entrepreneurial intentions

The development of modern entrepreneurship research began some 50 years ago. In the meantime, various definitions of entrepreneurship led to different interpretations of its scope, and subsequently, the entrepreneurial myths emerged. This topic was studied quite intensively in the 1980s and 1990s, and numerous results succeeded in demystifying most of the entrepreneurial myths. Despite that, the entrepreneurial myths persist and regularly appear on the web portals, media, and bloggers’ articles. On the other side, contemporary entrepreneurship textbooks include entrepreneurial myths as a lesson which could eliminate some obstacles for the nascent entrepreneurs. This study revealed that the entrepreneurial myths are somewhat present among younger examinees, nonentrepreneurs in Croatia, who have a low or medium level of education. Still, not even these demographic groups view those myths as realities. Further analysis pointed out that there is a statistically significant, although negative and weak correlation between the perception of entrepreneurial myths as myths (not as realities) and a higher level of entrepreneurial intentions.

Is the risk of childhood leukaemia associated with socioeconomic measures in Denmark? A nationwide register-based case-control study.

The aetiology of childhood leukaemia is poorly understood. Knowledge about differences in risk by socioeconomic status (SES) may enhance etiologic insights. We conducted a nationwide register-based case-control study to evaluate socioeconomic differences in the risk of childhood leukaemia in Denmark and to access whether associations varied by different measures of SES, time point of assessment, leukaemia type and age at diagnosis. We identified all cases of leukaemia in children aged 0 to 19 years, born and diagnosed between 1980 and 2013 from the Danish Cancer Registry (N = 1336) and sampled four individually matched controls per case (N = 5330). We used conditional logistic regression models for analysis. Medium and high level of parental education was associated with a higher risk of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in the offspring, mainly driven by children diagnosed at ages 0 to 4 years [odds ratio (OR) for high maternal education = 3.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.44-6.55]. We also observed a modestly increased risk for lymphoid leukaemia (LL) in association with higher level of parental education, but only in children diagnosed at ages 5 to 19 years. Higher parental income was associated with an increased risk of LL but not AML among children aged 5 to 19 years at diagnosis (OR for high maternal income = 2.78; 95% CI: 1.32-5.89). Results for neighbourhood SES measures indicated null associations. Bias or under-ascertainment of cases among families with low income or basic education are unlikely to explain the observed socioeconomic differences. Future research addressing explicitly the underlying mechanisms of our results may help to enhance etiologic insights of the disease.

Do children influence their mothers' decisions? Early child development and maternal employment entries after birth.

This study investigates whether early child development influences mothers' decisions regarding when to return to the labor market in Germany. Previous research has examined how institutional, individual and household factors affect maternal work interruption durations after childbirth. This study extends the literature by focusing on the impact of children on mothers' return-to-work behavior after childbirth and by examining mechanisms that might explain this impact. The study builds on data from NEPS Starting Cohort 1, the first large-scale newborn panel study in Germany, which provides measures on four different aspects of early child development, sensorimotor skills, habituation, regulatory capacity and negative affectivity, as well as information on mothers' labor market behavior and household settings. The analytical sample consists of 2,548 mothers with valid child information and contains data from the first four panel waves of the study until the child is 3 years old. The results from discrete-time event history models indicate a differentiated pattern of effects of child development indicators: higher sensorimotor skills and lower regulatory capacity are weakly associated with earlier maternal employment, while habituation and negative affectivity are unrelated to mothers' work behavior. Effects are the strongest among mothers returning to part-time work and among those with a medium level of education.

Socio-Economic, Psychological Profile and Constraints Faced by the KVK Adopted Farmers for Improved Rice Cultivation in West Garo Hills District

The study on socio-economic and psychological profile of the KVK adopted farmers of improved rice cultivation practices was conducted in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya with 120 sample size from the adopted villages. Data collection was done with the help of pre-tested structured schedule through personal interview method. The majority of the respondents in adopted villages belonged to middle age category and medium level of education, nuclear family type and medium size of family with medium level of social participation. They engaged farming as primary occupation and had operational land holding size up to 1 ha with income level ranging from ` 25,900.00 to ` 1, 65,067.00. Most of the beneficiary farmers had farming experience between the ages of 18 to 38 years, received medium level of trainings, financial credit facility from government sources. The beneficiary had medium level of economic motivation, information seeking behaviour, decision-making ability, innovation proneness and attitude towards KVK with high level of market orientation and risk orientation. The study further indicates that among the various problems identified by the respondents, inadequate availability of quality seed at proper time was highlighted as the major problem by the rice cultivators.

Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis Seen in the Department of Dermatology, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Background Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, and multifactorial dermatosis that impairs quality of life (QoL). Health-related QoL has become an important element in medical decision-making along with the effectiveness and the harmlessness of the treatments. Objective To assess the impact of psoriasis in the QoL of patients with psoriasis by using the DLQI scales. Methods A cross-sectional study from January to June 2018 was conducted in the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar, including patients more than 18 years old with mild to severe psoriasis. The severity of psoriasis was assessed using the “Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)”. QoL of patients with psoriasis was evaluated by using the DLQI scales. Results 80 patients were included, their mean age was 36.5 years, and the male to female was 1.5 : 1. The mean DLQI score was 13.8. Symptoms, feelings, and psychic were the most altered dimensions. QoL was impaired in young patients, single, having medium level education. Even though patients with disease duration more than 5 years had higher DLQI score than other patients, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.36). Furthermore, the clinical presentation of psoriasis did not influence the patient's QoL (p = 0.73). Patients with nail involvement had QoL impaired but the difference with another localization was not statistically significant (p = 0.2). The quality of life was influenced by body area involved. The higher the body surface area involved, the more QoL is impaired (p = 0.002). Furthermore, the higher the PASI, the more QoL is altered (p = 0.002). Conclusion Psoriasis has a negative impact in the quality of life in Malagasy patients with psoriasis, especially in younger and single patients. Worse quality of life is correlated to severity of psoriasis.

The Association of Socio-demographic Determinants and Mammography Screening in women in Serbia

Abstract Introduction Serbian screening mammography programs target women 50-69 years with biennial screening. Methods Research was conducted as a cross-sectional study on a sample of 2784 women aged 50-69 years in Serbia, as a part of the Health Survey in Serbia, 2013. The association between the socio-demographic determinants as independent variables, and mammography screening (within the past 2 years) as dependent variable were examined using univariate and binary logistic regression. Multivariate model were adjusted for marital status, education, employment status, DHS Wealth Index, type of settlement and self-perceived health. The minimum level of significance was p &amp;lt; 0.05. Results Only 22.2% of women aged 50-69 have done mammograms within the past 2 years in Serbia. In binary logistic regression model as predictors for a mammogram were singled out level of education, wealth index and self-perceived health. Women with medium level of education have 1.4 times higher chance to perform a mammogram in relation to those with low education (OR = 1.4; 95%CI 1.12-1-80), while women with high level of education have 1.8 times higher chance to do a mammogram in relation to those with low education (OR = 1.8; 95%CI 1.33-2.58). Women with good financial situation were 1.4 times more likely to perform a mammogram in relation to those with poor financial situation (OR = 1.4; 95%CI 1.05-1.80). Women who perceived their health as well have 26% less chance to do a mammogram compared to those who perceived their health as a poor (OR = 0.74; 95%CI 0.56-0.97). Conclusions This study showed the disparity in the prevalence of mammography utilization. The predictors for mammogram performance among women were: high level of education, high wealth index and self-perceived health as poor. Key messages The only breast cancer screening test that has been proven effective in organized, population-based programs is mammography screening. Screening mammography reduces the risk of death due to breast cancer. It is useful for detecting all types of breast cancer, including invasive ductal and invasive lobular cancer.