National Statistical Office Research Articles

The mental health and wellbeing impact of a Community Wealth Building programme in England: a difference-in-differences study

Wide differences in health exist between places in the UK, underscored by economic inequalities. Preston, an economically disadvantaged city in England, implemented a new approach to economic development, known as the Community Wealth Building programme. Public and non-profit organisations modified their procurement policies to support the development of local supply chains, improve employment conditions, and increase socially productive use of wealth and assets. We aimed to investigate the effect of this programme on population mental health and wellbeing. Difference-in-differences techniques compared trends in mental health outcomes in Preston, relative to matched control areas before (2011-15) and after (2016-19) the introduction of the programme. Outcomes were antidepressant prescribing, prevalence of depression, and mental health related hospital attendance rates using data provided by National Health Service Digital, the Quality and Outcomes Framework, and the Office for National Statistics. Additional analysis compared local authority measures of life satisfaction, median wages, and employment with synthetic counterfactuals created using Bayesian Structural Time Series. The introduction of the Community Wealth Building programme was associated with reductions in the prescribing of antidepressants (1·3 average daily quantities per person [95% CI 0·72-1·78) and prevalence of depression (2·4 per 1000 population [0·42-4·46]), relative to the control areas. The local population also experienced a 9% improvement in life satisfaction (95% credible interval 0-19·6%) and 11% increase in median wages (1·8-18·9%), relative to expected trends. Associations with employment and mental health related hospital attendance outcomes did not reach statistical significance. During the period in which the Community Wealth Building programme was introduced, there were fewer mental health problems than would have been expected compared with other similar areas, as life satisfaction and economic measures improved. This approach potentially provides an effective model for economic regeneration potentially leading to substantial health benefits. National Institute for Health Research.

Friends, peers and safeguarding

Friends, peers and safeguarding

Psychological therapies for depression and cardiovascular risk: evidence from national healthcare records in England.

People with depression are up to 72% more at risk to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) in their lifetime. Evidence-based psychotherapies are first-line interventions for the treatment of depression and are delivered nationally in England through the National Health Service via the Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) primary care programme. It is currently unknown whether positive therapy outcomes may be associated with cardiovascular risk reduction. This study aimed to examine the association between psychotherapy outcomes for depression and incident CVD. A cohort of 636 955 individuals who have completed a course of psychotherapy was built from linked electronic healthcare record databases of national coverage in England: the national IAPT database, the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database, and the HES-ONS (Office of National Statistics) mortality database. Multivariable Cox models adjusting for clinical and demographic covariates were run to estimate the association between reliable improvement from depression and the risk of subsequent incidence of cardiovascular events. After a median follow-up of 3.1 years, reliable improvement from depression symptoms was associated with a lower risk of new onset of any CVD [hazard ratio (HR): 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 0.89], coronary heart disease (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86, 0.92), stroke (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.94), and all-cause mortality (HR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.84). This association was stronger in the under 60 compared with the over 60 for all outcomes. Results were confirmed in sensitivity analyses. Management of depression through psychological interventions may be associated with reduced risk of CVD. More research is needed to understand the causality of these associations.

A Role of Social Media in B2B Marketing and Branding: A Case of UK Fashion Industry with Reference to Zara, UK

The current study focuses on the topic, THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN B2B MARKETING AND BRANDING : A CASE OF UK FASHION INDUSTRY WITH REFERENCE TO ZARA, UK. The study aims to analyse the role of the social media platform as funded by British small and medium fashion houses through their B2B marketing and branding activities. The researcher used the second research method in this study, in which all important information was obtained in a second, that is, published sources. To gain valuable insight into the research topic, the researcher relied entirely on statistical data published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). In line with that, newspaper publications and other reports are published by market research firms. In order to analyze Zara's role in B2B advertising and social media platforms, a recent annual report was used in this study. Studies have shown that in contrast to the usual marketing and promotion mode, branding activities, when done through social media, generate significant gains both in terms of business growth and sales volume. As the UK is a world-famous fashion destination, fashion lovers from all over the world are gathering in this nation to face the latest trends. As a result, fashion retailers are taking advantage of this opportunity to grow their business. In this context, B2B marketing through popular social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube proves to be very profitable for this purpose. these forums not only help companies like Zara stay in touch with their trading partners but also engage in active partnerships with customers and partners alike. However, webbased advertising also has a few dark spots and Zara should be aware of those issues. The company can use 27 * 7 Cabot to better communicate which can be used by both clients and customers to provide feedback. In this way, the current study presented a complete account in the case of-of B2B marketing and branding as practiced by fashion brads in UK through social media channels.

Perceptions of control over different causes of death and the accuracy of risk estimations

BackgroundA large number of deaths could be avoided by improving health behaviours. The degree to which people invest in their long-term health is influenced by how much they believe they can control their risk of death. Identifying causes of death believed to be uncontrollable, but likely to occur, may provide actionable targets for health interventions to increase control beliefs and encourage healthier behaviours.MethodWe recruited a nationally representative online sample of 1500 participants in the UK. We assessed perceived control, perceived personal likelihood of death, certainty of risk estimation, and perceived knowledge for 20 causes of death. We also measured overall perceived uncontrollable mortality risk (PUMR) and perceived prevalence for each of the Office for National Statistics’ categories of avoidable death.FindingsRisk of death due to cancer was considered highly likely to occur but largely beyond individual control. Cardiovascular disease was considered moderately controllable and a likely cause of death. Drugs and alcohol were perceived as risks both high in control and low in likelihood of death. However, perceptions of control over specific causes of death were found not to predict overall PUMR, with the exception of cardiovascular disease. Finally, our sample substantially overestimated the prevalence of drug and alcohol-related deaths in the UK.ConclusionsWe suggest that more can be done by public health communicators to emphasise the lifestyle and behavioural changes that individuals can make to reduce their general cancer risk. More work is needed to understand the barriers to engaging with preventative behaviours and maintaining a healthy heart. Finally, we call for greater journalistic responsibility when reporting health risks to the public.

Safety of mRNA Vaccines Administered During the First Twenty-Four Months of the International COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Two mRNA-based COVID vaccines were granted emergency use authorization in both children and adults in 2021 after a drastically accelerated approval process that allowed the manufacturers to essentially fast-track their vaccines. We analyzed data from regulatory surveillance and self-reporting systems like Defense Medical Epidemiology Database(DMED); EudraVigilance; Eurostat; German health insurers; the Israeli Minister of Health; the Natural Cycles app; Public Health Scotland; the United Kingdom’s (UK) Office for National Statistics (ONS); UK’s yellow card reporting system; the vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS); and v-safe entries to look for long-term adverse events of these vaccines that cannot be captured in the expedited clinical safety trials. In this observational study, we analyzed non-foreign VAERS data for selected symptoms reported after COVID, influenza, and pertussis vaccines and calculated rates per vaccine dose administered as well as proportion of total reports received. We also looked at DMED data and compared annual incidence rates of selected conditions by taking into account the total number of military personnel for each study year. Our data show, among other trends, increases in adverse event reports if we compare COVID vaccines to influenza and pertussis vaccines and statistically significant higher numbers of hospital encounters in military personnel, as well as increases in incidences of thromboembolic conditions, such as menstrual abnormalities, myocarditis, and cerebrovascular events after the implementation of COVID vaccine mandates, compared to the five years prior. We verified these observations using data from EudraVigilance; the UK’s ONS; German health providers; and Eurostat. Our meta-analysis of both national and international vaccine adverse events emphasizes the importance of re-evaluating public health policies that promote universal mass vaccination and multiple boosters for all demographic groups. In combination with anecdotal evidence, limitations of the safety trials, and the decreased lethality of new strains our research demonstrates that the cost (both monetary and humanitarian) of vaccinating otherwise healthy people, and especially children, may outweigh the benefits.

5613022 SOCIETAL BURDEN OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE IN THE UK: EMPIRICAL ESTIMATES OF PRODUCTIVITY LOSS AND LOSS OF FUTURE INCOME USING REAL-WORLD EVIDENCE

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with high healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), lowered life expectancy, and unemployment. The combination of routine healthcare appointments, acute crises, and organ damage causes productivity loss (PL). Early death and long-term unemployment also lead to loss of future income (LFI). Both PL and LFI are important aspects of the burden of SCD on society, as lost income due to a genetic disease can have intergenerational impacts. Aims: To empirically quantify the societal cost of SCD using observed PL and estimated LFI. Methods: We identified 9272 patients aged ≥12 years with SCD using the English Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) linked with Hospital Episode Statistics between January 1, 2007 and March 31, 2019. We obtained mortality data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) death register. To quantify PL, we assigned time to HCRU events based on Choi et al, 2019.1 We assessed PL due to sickness at home using doctors’ sick notes in the CPRD, assuming 10 days’ PL for each note. Patients could self-certify sickness without a doctor’s note for 7 days. We assumed a 5-day work week, with 1 day of 7.5 h based on the average 37.5 h UK work week. We estimated costs of PL by multiplying the mean hourly adult wage for the year the resource was used by the time lost. For patients aged 12 to 18 years, PL was attributed to a main caregiver using adult wages. We inflated the cost of PL to 2021 pounds sterling using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Unemployment, medical retirement, and death were LFI events. Once patients were recorded as unemployed or medically retired, we assumed they never returned to work. We also assumed those who did not die lived past state retirement age, which is currently 68 years. Only observed events were used to calculate the discounted present value of LFI based on years from the earliest LFI event to age 68. The discount rate was 3.5%. We used the 2021 age-specific mean income from the ONS to estimate future income at each decade. Results: A total of 62.5% of patients were female; 73.5% were Black; mean (standard deviation) age was 36.3 (15.7) years. Median follow-up was 7.1 years (interquartile range 3.6-10.1). Mean cost of PL was £1821 per patient-year (PPY), equivalent to >3 weeks’ average 2021 UK weekly earnings (£586). Patients lost a mean of 5.5 days PPY in hospital stays, 2.7 days PPY in outpatient clinics, 3.6 days PPY for primary care visits, 1.1 days PPY in emergency care, and 2.2 days PPY for sickness at home. We estimated £510,315 LFI for each patient with an LFI event, equivalent to £30,546 per patient in the cohort. Of the 555 LFI events, 425 (76.6%) were deaths, occurring at a median age of 61 years. Unemployment accounted for 129 (23.2%) events occurring at a median age of 39 years. One person (0.2%) was medically retired at age 61. Summary/Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study presenting empirical estimates of PL and LFI for patients with SCD from a large, nationally representative UK data set.Societal costs of SCD in the UK are substantial; PL due to healthcare appointments or to sickness at home is equivalent to >3 weeks’ lost earnings PPY. Those who cannot work or die of their disease lose over £500,000 in a lifetime. Our results are consistent with Lubeck et al, 2019, who estimated an LFI of $695,000 (£489,800, purchasing power parity inflated to 2021 using the CPI) from a simulated SCD cohort in the US.2

Impact assessment of a raw coal ban on maternal and child health outcomes in Ulaanbaatar: a protocol for an interrupted time series study

IntroductionDespite a decade of policy actions, Ulaanbaatar’s residents continue to be exposed to extreme levels of air pollution, a major public health concern, especially for vulnerable populations such as pregnant...

A Study on Project Prioritisation and Operations Performance Measurements by the Analysis of Local Financial Investment Projects in Korea

The study aims to prioritise investment projects of local Korean governments through priority analysis and provide basic data to secure sustainability by measuring the operational performances of these projects. We utilised the AHP technique to draw relative weight, followed by their correction, thereby deriving priorities across all 14 fields; the most important ones being social welfare (0.110), healthcare (0.108), fire prevention (0.097), environmental hygiene (0.092), and cultural tourism (0.088). Important areas prioritise balance and equity and their operational efficiency and productivity were based on statistical annual reports of 17 cities and provinces in Korea and Kosis data obtained from the National Statistical Office. For the measurement, we used six years of time series data from 2015 to 2020 and single point-in-time and annual trend analyses. The input factors were the amount of revenue and the number of public officials, and the output factors included the water and sewage supply rate, the number of tourists travelling for free, and the number of hospitals, welfare facilities, and rescue cases. These selections were appropriate to draw conclusions by analysing operational performance with detailed items in the priority field. Results revealed that the operating performance was excellent. However, to secure additional operational efficiency and productivity, technological innovation is needed.

Spatiotemporal Patterns of Suicide in Korea From 2009 to 2019 Using Geographic Information Systems.

When analyzing factors related to suicide, it is necessary to consider the regional characteristics of the areas where individuals live in addition to individual factors. This study aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal association between suicide rates and geographic features and the patterns of this association for all administrative areas in South Korea from 2009 to 2019. The data used in this study were obtained from the National Statistical Office of the Korean Statistical Information Service. For suicide rates, age-standardized mortality index data per 100 000 people were used. All administrative districts from 2009 to 2019 were divided into 229 regions. Emerging hotspot analysis was used for a 3-dimensional analysis to simultaneously evaluate temporal and spatial clusters. In the 229 regions, there were 27 (11.8%) hotspots and 60 (26.2%) cold spots. Hotspot pattern analysis found 2 (0.9%) new spots, 1 (0.4%) persistent spot, 23 (10.0%) sporadic spots, and 1 (0.4%) oscillating spot. This study found geographic differences in the spatiotemporal patterns of suicide rates in South Korea. The utilization of national resources for suicide prevention should be selectively and intensively prioritized in 3 areas that exhibit unique spatiotemporal patterns.

Ethnic minority representation in UK COVID-19 trials: systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted health disparities affecting ethnic minority communities. There is growing concern about the lack of diversity in clinical trials. This study aimed to assess the representation of ethnic groups in UK-based COVID-19 randomised controlled trials (RCTs).MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken. A search strategy was developed for MEDLINE (Ovid) and Google Scholar (1st January 2020–4th May 2022). Prospective COVID-19 RCTs for vaccines or therapeutics that reported UK data separately with a minimum of 50 participants were eligible. Search results were independently screened, and data extracted into proforma. Percentage of ethnic groups at all trial stages was mapped against Office of National Statistics (ONS) statistics. Post hoc DerSimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analysis of percentages and a meta-regression assessing recruitment over time were conducted. Due to the nature of the review question, risk of bias was not assessed. Data analysis was conducted in Stata v17.0. A protocol was registered (PROSPERO CRD42021244185).ResultsIn total, 5319 articles were identified; 30 studies were included, with 118,912 participants. Enrolment to trials was the only stage consistently reported (17 trials). Meta-analysis showed significant heterogeneity across studies, in relation to census-expected proportions at study enrolment. All ethnic groups, apart from Other (1.7% [95% CI 1.1–2.8%] vs ONS 1%) were represented to a lesser extent than ONS statistics, most marked in Black (1% [0.6–1.5%] vs 3.3%) and Asian (5.8% [4.4–7.6%] vs 7.5%) groups, but also apparent in White (84.8% [81.6–87.5%] vs 86%) and Mixed 1.6% [1.2–2.1%] vs 2.2%) groups. Meta-regression showed recruitment of Black participants increased over time (p = 0.009).ConclusionsAsian, Black and Mixed ethnic groups are under-represented or incorrectly classified in UK COVID-19 RCTs. Reporting by ethnicity lacks consistency and transparency. Under-representation in clinical trials occurs at multiple levels and requires complex solutions, which should be considered throughout trial conduct. These findings may not apply outside of the UK setting.

Ethnicity and survival after a dementia diagnosis: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data

BackgroundIndividuals from minority ethnic groups in the UK are thought to be at higher risk of developing dementia while facing additional barriers to receiving timely care. However, few studies in the UK have examined if there are ethnic disparities in survival once individuals receive a dementia diagnosis.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data of individuals diagnosed with dementia from a large secondary mental healthcare provider in London. Patients from Black African, Black Caribbean, South Asian, White British, and White Irish ethnic backgrounds were followed up for a 10-year period between 01 January 2008 and 31 December 2017. Data were linked to death certificate data from the Office of National Statistics to determine survival from dementia diagnosis. Standardised mortality ratios were calculated to estimate excess deaths in each ethnicity group as compared to the gender- and age-standardised population of England and Wales. We used Cox regression models to compare survival after dementia diagnosis across each ethnicity group.ResultsMortality was elevated at least twofold across all ethnicity groups with dementia compared to the general population in England and Wales. Risk of death was lower in Black Caribbean, Black African, White Irish, and South Asian groups as compared to the White British population, even after adjusting for age, gender, neighbourhood-level deprivation, indicators of mental and physical comorbidities. Risk of death remained lower after additionally accounting for those who emigrated out of the cohort.ConclusionsWhile mortality in dementia is elevated across all ethnic groups as compared to the general population, reasons for longer survival in minority ethnic groups in the UK as compared to the White British group are unclear and merit further exploration. Implications of longer survival, including carer burden and costs, should be considered in policy and planning to ensure adequate support for families and carers of individuals with dementia.

Association between Sight-Threatening Eye Diseases and Death by Suicide in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-based Cohort Study

Although associations between visual impairment (VI) and suicide are posited, specific risks across the sight-threatening eye disease (STED) spectrum remain to be assessed. We determined whether individuals with STED die more often by suicide than do other people and assessed the temporal associations. A nationwide, population-based cohort study. All persons aged 40 years or older in South Korea from 2010 to2020. Persons diagnosed with STEDs (i.e., glaucoma, exudative age-related macular degeneration [AMD], or diabetic retinopathy [DR]) were identified in the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) service database. Both NHI health checkup records and the National Disability Registration were used for coexisting severe VI. Death by suicide was defined as diagnostic codes as recorded in the Korea National Statistical Office. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated by quasi-Poisson regressions and adjusted for sociodemographics, comorbidity, psychiatric diagnoses, and VI. The temporal relationship between time since first STED diagnosis and suicide risk was determined by identifying patients with STED newly diagnosed during the period from 2010 to2011. The IRR of death by suicide in people with STED relative to those without. Of the 2.8 million people (45% male) observed for 24 300 969 person-years, 13 205 died by suicide. Among them, 34% (n= 4514) had a STED diagnosis, for a suicide rate of 69 per 100 000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 67-72), relative to 51 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 50-52) for non-STED individuals. People with STED had an adjusted IRR of 1.33 (95% CI, 1.26-1.41) relative to those without. The largest excess adjusted IRR of suicide mortality was that for DR (1.40, 95% CI, 1.29-1.52). For exudative AMD, the adjusted IRR was 1.20 (95% CI, 1.04-1.39), whereas for glaucoma, the corresponding value was 1.09 (95% CI, 1.02-1.17). With coexisting severe VI, the IRR for any STED was 1.49 (95% CI, 1.29-1.73). The highest suicide hazard ratio was between 3 and 6 months postdiagnosis (5.33; 95% CI, 4.59-6.20). In South Korea between 2010 and 2020, a higher suicide rate was evident among those with diagnosed STED than for persons not so diagnosed. The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Тривалі наслідки після перенесеної коронавірусної хвороби: огляд сучасних джерел

Data on the disease of COVID-19, given in the open literature sources, shows the presence of long-term consequences after this infection, especially in cohorts of patients with chronic pathology. More and more published data indicates that long-term clinical symptoms are also observed in cohorts of children. Purpose - to study the disorders of endothelial function in patients after COVID-19 based on the analysis of data from current clinical studies Thus, according to the results of the CLoCk study, it was found that among children infected with SARS-CoV-2, 52.2% reported about one or more symptoms after 4 weeks, and 37.7% observed at least one symptom for 12 weeks or longer. At the same time, fatigue and headache were most common symptoms among children after three months after coronavirus infection. Older children (12-17 years old) showed such symptoms as «brain fog» (11.3% - cognitive dysfunction, problems with memory and concentration) and bad mood (15.6%). Official data from the UK Office for National Statistics show that 9.8% of children aged 2-11 and 13.0% aged 12-16 had at least 1 symptom that lasted for 5 weeks after COVID-19. Conclusions. The results of current clinical trials show endothelial dysfunction as the consequences of infection, which arises as a result of direct coronavirus invasion, and could be the basis of microvascular damage and microcirculatory thrombosis, which leads to the development of systemic manifestations and long term consequences, regardless of age. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Dynamic Mortality Modeling: Incorporating Predictions of Future General Population Mortality Into Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

ObjectivesHealth economic models commonly apply observed general population mortality rates to simulate future deaths in a cohort. This is potentially problematic, because mortality statistics are records of the past, not predictions for the future. We propose a new dynamic general population mortality modeling approach, which enables analysts to implement predictions of future changes in mortality rates. The potential implications of moving from a conventional static approach to a dynamic approach are illustrated using a case study. MethodsThe model utilized in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence appraisal TA559, axicabtagene ciloleucel axi for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, was replicated. National mortality projections were taken from the UK Office for National Statistics. Mortality rates by age and sex were updated each modeled year with the first modeled year using 2022 rates, the second modeled year 2023 and so on. A total of 4 different assumptions were made around age distribution: fixed mean age, lognormal, normal, and gamma. The dynamic model outcomes were compared with those from a conventional static approach. ResultsIncluding dynamic calculations increased the undiscounted life-years attributed to general population mortality by 2.4 to 3.3 years. This led to an increase in discounted incremental life-years within the case study of 0.38 to 0.45 years (8.1%-8.9%), and a commensurate impact on the economically justifiable price of £14 456 to £17 097. ConclusionsThe application of a dynamic approach is technically simple and has the potential to meaningfully affect estimates of cost-effectiveness analysis. Therefore, we call on health economists and health technology assessment bodies to move toward use of dynamic mortality modeling in future.

A Review on Economic Input-Output Analysis in the Environmental Assessment of Electricity Generation

This paper aims to review one of the least used, but no less important, approaches in the assessment of the environmental implications of electricity generation: the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA). This methodology is a top-down approach intertwined with the environmental satellite accounts provided by the national statistical office. Through the use of economic input-output (IO) tables and industrial sector-level environmental and energy data, the EIO-LCA analysis allows for broad impact coverage of all sectors directly and indirectly involved with electricity generation. In this study, a brief overview of this methodology and the corresponding assumptions is presented, as well as an updated review of the different applications of the EIO-LCA approach in electricity generation, suggesting a possible classification of the many studies developed in this context. The different ways of overcoming the problem of disaggregation in the electricity sector are also addressed, namely by considering different IO table formats (i.e., symmetric or rectangular tables). This is a particularly relevant feature of our review, as the way in which electricity generation is modeled can result in different calculations of the costs and benefits of environmental policies. In this context, this paper further contributes to the literature by explaining and providing examples of distinct approaches to modeling the electricity sector in IO models on a detailed level.

Effect of Gender on Access to Loans in Malawi

Access to loan is vital for households to supplement their current flow of income as they strive to meet their consumption and investment expenditure needs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gender on access to loans and amount of money that is borrowed. This is a quantitative research that used secondary cross section data collected from all parts of the country by the Malawi National Statistical Office (NSO) called The Fifth Integrated Household Survey (IHS 5) data. This is cross section data that was collect in the period from 2019 to 2020. Data was analysed quantitatively by using descriptive statistics and econometric models. Probit model was used to assess the effect of gender on access to credit and a multiple regression was used to determine the effect of gender on amount of money a household borrowed. This study found that Malawians borrow money mainly for consumption. On access to loans, results show that, being female increases the probability of accessing loans but reduces the amount of borrowed money. Education was found to have positive effect on both access to credit and amount of credit. To increase the amount of money that women borrow, the study recommends that public loan programs like National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) must put in place deliberate mechanisms aimed at increasing the amount of money they lend to women. On education, we recommend compulsory primary school education, Business Studies in secondary school education and Entrepreneurship module in Colleges.

Trends in Hospital Admissions, Operative Approaches, and Mortality Related to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in England Between 1998 and 2020

To assess trends in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) hospital admissions, interventions, and aneurysm related mortality in England, and to examine the impact of endovascular repair on mortality for the years 1998 - 2020. Hospital admission and operative approach (endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, or open surgical repair [OSR]) using Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), and aneurysm related mortality data from the Office for National Statistics for England standardised to the 2013 European Standard Population, were analysed using linear regression and Joinpoint regression analyses. Aneurysm related mortality was compared between the pre-endovascular era (1998 - 2010) and the endovascular era (2011 - 2019). A declining trend in hospital admission incidence was observed, mainly due to a decline in ruptured admissions from 34.6 per 100 000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 33.5 - 35.6) to 13.5 per 100 000 (95% CI 12.9 - 14.2; βi = -1.04, r2 = .97, p < .001). Operative interventions have been declining over the last 23 years mainly due to the statistically significant decline in open procedures (41.2 per 100 000 in 2000 [95% CI 40 - 42.3] to 9.6 per 100 000 [95% CI 9.1 - 10.1]; βi = -1.92, r2 = .95; p < .001). There was an increasing trend toward endovascular procedures (5.8 per 100 000 [95% CI 5.3 - 6.2] in 2006 to 16.9 per 100 000 [95% CI 16.2 - 17.5] in 2020; βi = .82, r2 = .30, p = .040). Reductions in aneurysm related mortality due to AAAs were observed for males and females, irrespective of age and rupture status. A significant decrease in hospital admissions for AAAs was observed over the last 23 years in England, paralleled by a shift toward endovascular repair and a decline in OSR. Declines in aneurysm related mortality were observed overall, and in the endovascular era irrespective of age, sex, and rupture status.

Developing and hosting web data apps in R programming for official statistics

Official statistics place particular emphasis on communication and dissemination of surveys’ results to citizens and stakeholders. This is typically done through the publication of press releases and presentation of aggregated data of statistical surveys. The use of web services and software that allow users to interact with the results of official statistics comes to further enhance communication, dissemination, literacy and overall quality of official statistics. This paper is related to the objectives and context of reaching a wider audience through engaging users and explains how an NSO (National Statistical Office) member without specialized knowledge of frontend-backend programming techniques can create such web services in R programming environment through “Shiny” library. The paper also reviews the issue of hosting “Shiny” apps and presents existing approaches. For demonstration purposes, an experimental version of such an application was constructed that presents in an interactive way the quarterly results of the new statistical product of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on Greek business demography.

Tourism GDP for 2010 to 2020: New TSA results for Greece

In many countries, early attempts in implementing TSA Tables suffer from limitations in available data. For Greece, pilot TSA Tables 1 to 6 were implemented in an EU-funded project for the reference year 2015. However, TSA Table 6 could not be implemented in all details, mainly due to limited resources of ELSTAT, the national statistical office. TSA Tables were not implemented for the years after 2015, partly due to needs for improving the TSA-related database which were revealed in the pilot project. Our paper presents methods for implementing the TSA Table 6 given only limited data on tourism expenditures and Supply and Use Tables and provides estimates of the Tourism Direct GPD for 2010 through 2020. Besides the methodological approach, our results show a rather pleasing picture of Greek tourism. In the years 2010 to 2019, Tourism Direct GDP was steadily growing and increased from 7,026 to 10,994 million Euros, an average annual growth rate of 5.1%; the GDP decreased annually by 2.2% on average. The TDGVA ratio increased from 3.1% to 5.5% and the TDGDP ratio from 3.1% to 6.0%, the average annual growth rate of the Tourism Direct GVA and GPD ratios amounting to 6.7% and 7.5%, respectively.