Survey Statistics Research Articles

Contraceptive use in Italian young adults in 2013 and 2017/18

Abstract Background Investigations regarding knowledge and utilization of contraception for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies as well as of sexually transmitted diseases are carried out regularly in low- and middle-income countries. The same might not happen in high-income countries, were these topics could be regarded with less priority. We aimed to asses trends in contraception use among young adults in Italy. Methods From the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) Survey on Health Status and Use of Health Care, we collected aggregated data on contraception use among Italians aged 18 to 24 years old, by sex, for the year 2013. From the National Fertility Study of the Italian Higher Institute of Health (ISS) we collected aggregated data on contraception use among a nationally representative sample of Italian university students with a mean age of 22 years old, for both sexes, for years 2017 and 2018. We compared the estimates of prevalence of use of different contraceptives across the two surveys, utilizing, for the 2013 survey, the mean of the results for the two sexes. Results The use of at least one type of contraceptive grew from 89.3% in 2013 to 95.0% in 2017-2018, while the use of condoms increased from 69.7% in 2013 to 71.2% in 2017-2018. The use of coitus interruptus increased as well from 15.9% in 2013 to 24.0% in 2017-2018. The use of modern contraceptive methods was not comparable across the two surveys. Conclusions The two surveys from 2013 and 2017-2018 were not comparable for all the estimates of contraception use. While the prevalence of use of at least one type of contraceptive and of condoms increased from 2013 to 2017-2018, the contemporary increase of use of coitus interruptus raises some concerns. There is a need for reproducible surveys conducted at shorter intervals, and also for investigating trends in access and utilization of medical counselling about contraception, especially among young adults. Key messages Use of any kind of contraceptive and of condoms has slightly increased in Italy from 2013 to 2017-2018, but in the same period the use of coitus interruptus increased by around 8%. Surveillance systems for contraception use in Italy should be strengthened through regular surveys with reproducible methods, including assessments of medical counselling about contraception.

Translating dignity principles into practice for continence care for older people in care homes: A study protocol.

To develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an evidence-based, person-centred education program to protect the dignity of care-dependent older people with dementia and continence care needs in care homes. A mixed method two-phase design underpinned by integrated knowledge translation. An education program that frames dignity as the main goal of continence care will be co-designed with a purposive sample of care home staff who provide or supervise continence care for care-dependent older people with dementia in care homes and resident relatives. The program will then be implemented and evaluated in a representative sample of care home staff to determine its clinical relevance, feasibility, acceptability, and effects on staff ratings of dignity in continence care; self-reported continence care practices and the person centeredness of the environment. Data analysis will include descriptive statistics (survey data) and thematic analysis (focus groups). Funding obtained November 2018. Ethics approval obtained May 2019. This protocol outlines a mixed methods integrated knowledge translation protocol designed to translate principles about dignity into practice to improve the care of older people who are at risk of violations to their dignity in care homes. The outcome will be a contextually appropriate, evidence-based education program that protects the dignity of care-dependent older people who have dementia and continence care needs. Based on a sound theoretical model, the education program will be contextually appropriate for use in the care homes setting and contribute to improving the overall quality and safety of care in this setting. It could also support and inform continence care for other individuals who are care dependent. Adopting an integrated knowledge translation approach to the design and delivery of the education program and piloting it will ensure the program is contextually relevant and sustainable.

Geographic impact of COVID-19 in BLS surveys by industry

Using microdata from the Current Employment Statistics survey and the Current Population Survey, I illustrate how the local spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has differentially affected industry employment Industries that are not very telework friendly are more likely to have job loss related to its spread In addition, COVID-19's spread appears to be most correlated with temporary job loss, which could partially explain employment numbers improving slightly in May and June 2020

Gender composition and agency decision-making: female officers' effect on body-worn camera acquisition

PurposeGender representation in policing is an important but understudied topic. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between female representation in police departments and the acquisition of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Further, it examined how female representation influenced the reasons for acquiring BWCs.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered from the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey and the 2016 Body-Worn Camera Supplement to the LEMAS.FindingsControlling for relevant organizational characteristics, findings highlight the importance of female representation in terms of the acquisition of BWCs. In addition, findings point to the effect that increased female representation has on the reasons for acquiring BWCs. Namely, agencies with a greater percentage of female patrol officers were more likely to acquire body cameras for reasons related to improving community relations, professionalism, training, reducing use of force and strengthening leadership.Practical implicationsThis paper provides evidence of the positive influence of female representation in policing.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills the identified need to examine the influence of gender representation in police organizations. In addition, it advances the direction of recent research to merge large data sets in order to provide a unique look at the research questions.

Age-Period-Cohort Analysis of the Sex Differences in Cancer Mortality Rates in Japan from 1995 to 2015.

Background:The current study aimed to analyze the sex differences in cancer mortality rates in Japan via an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. Methods:We used data about cancer mortality rates from 1995 to 2015 in Japan based on the Vital Statistics survey. In addition to the data about mortality from all sites of cancer, we specifically used data about stomach, lung, colorectal, and liver cancers. A Bayesian APC analysis was performed to identify changes in mortality rates based on three effects, which were as follows: age, period, and cohort. Then, we finally calculated the mortality rate ratios for each effect between men and women. Results:The sex differences in age-adjusted mortality rates for all-sites cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer were decreasing from 1995 to 2015, and the mortality rate ratios in terms of sex decreased from 2.17 in 1995 to 1.93 in 2015. Based on the results of the APC analyses, only minimal changes were observed in the mortality rate ratios for all types of cancer between men and women during the analyzed periods. The cohort effects began to decrease from the early 20th century in all types of cancer in both men and women, and the mortality rate ratios for all types of cancer between men and women began to increase in the cohorts born from 1926 to 1935. For all-sites cancer, the ratio increased from 0.49 (0.44, 0.57) in the cohort born from 1926 to 1930 to 0.81 (0.60, 1.03) in the cohort born from 1971 to 1975. Conclusion:The sex differences in cancer mortality rates were decreasing in the more recent born generations in Japan. If this trend continues, there will be a minimal difference in the morality rates in the following generations.

Particulate air pollution, birth outcomes, and infant mortality: Evidence from Japan's automobile emission control law of 1992.

This study investigates the impacts of the Automobile NOx Law of 1992 on ambient air pollutants and fetal and infant health outcomes in Japan. Using panel data taken from more than 1500 monitoring stations between 1987 and 1997, we find that NOx and SO2 levels reduced by 5% and 11%, respectively in regulated areas following the 1992 regulation. In addition, using a municipal-level panel data set from Japan's Vital Statistics Survey and a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the regulation explains most of the improvements in the fetal death rate after the regulation came into effect. This study provides evidence on the positive impacts of this large-scale automobile regulation policy on fetal health.

A survey of solitary death by heat stroke in Yokohama City

Recent global warming and the progression of the heat-island phenomenon, mainly in urban areas, have increased the risk of heat stroke development throughout Japan. Consequently, the risk of solitary death due to heat stroke has increased, particularly in summer. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the association between some sociodemographic variables (such as age, sex, marital status) and the length of the time interval between death caused by heat stroke and discovery of the body. We obtained the data of 69 persons who were diagnosed to have died of heat stroke during the 5 years between 2011 and 2015 in Yokohama City from vital statistics survey death certificate notifications. We also obtained emergency transportation records that matched the above-mentioned cases (48 of the 69 cases) from the Yokohama City Fire Bureau. Then, all cases (69 cases) were classified into the three groups according to the length of time from the occurrence of heat stroke death to the discovery of death (PMI-f: postmortem interval until finding). The information on each group was tabulated with regard to age (including the proportion of elderly persons), gender, marital status, and whether autopsy was performed. The results of Cochran-Armitage trend tests among the three groups revealed that, with longer PMI-f, the proportion of elderly persons significantly decreased (p = 0.028), but the proportion of unmarried persons significantly increased (p = 0.003). Logistic regression analysis also showed that an increased likelihood of prolonged PMI-f was associated with unmarried status. The time from the occurrence of heat stroke death to the discovery of death tended to be longer in unmarried, non-elderly persons.

ICT labor, software usage, and productivity: firm-level evidence from Turkey

This paper examines the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on firm-level productivity in Turkey using a novel longitudinal data set. We combine two firm-level data sets compiled by the Turkish Statistical Institute and construct an unbalanced panel data set covering the period 2007–2014. Our data set matches firms in the ICT Usage in Enterprises Survey to the Annual Industry and Service Statistics Survey that includes data on production factors and firm characteristics. We estimate production functions augmented by ICT labor, software investments, and indicators for the usage of enterprise system applications including ERP, CRM, and SCM. Our results confirm that there is a positive relationship between firm-level productivity and ICT use. Empirical findings support the complementarity hypothesis between ICT labor and software usage variables. This result implies that the productivity contribution of ICT labor is larger in firms using specialized software. Accordingly, firms need to invest in ICT labor to reap the benefits from enterprise software investments. We also estimate our models using sub-samples based on size and sector. While the elasticity of ICT labor is higher in small and medium-size firms, larger firms have greater marginal product than smaller firms. Our results also suggest that the strength of the link between ICT and productivity may be different across sectors. In particular, we find that the productivity contribution of ICT labor is higher in the services than the manufacturing sector.

Evaluating consumption and expenditure patterns of antibiotics in tablet and capsule dosage forms: Pakistan Antibiotic Consumption Surveillance (PACS)

AbstractBackgroundAntibiotics are available in the marketplace in the form of tablets and capsules, and are mostly self‐prescribed by patients, with the consequent emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study evaluated the consumption patterns of antimicrobials in these dosage forms during 2017 in Pakistan.MethodsData were acquired retrospectively from the International Medical Statistics (IMS) survey, Pakistan. Only the dosage forms of tablets and capsules constituting four major classes of antibiotics were included in the present study. Antibiotic consumption was measured using the World Health Organization's Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System with Daily Defined Doses (ATC/DDD) methodology. In addition, we calculated the DID as the total DDDs of antibiotic consumed in a defined period in that area per 1000 people. Expenditure was measured in Pakistan rupees (PKR) and converted to US dollars.ResultsTotal consumption of tablet and capsule dosage forms of antibiotics was found to be 10.6 DID, whereas total expenditure was US$221.5 million (26.69 billion PKR). Of all antibiotics, the most widely consumed were co‐amoxiclav (1.89 DID), levofloxacin (DID 1.41), ciprofloxacin (DID 1.38) and amoxicillin (DID 1.32). The top class of antibiotics based on expenditure was fluoroquinolones (ATC code J01MA), followed by combinations of penicillins (J01CR), third‐generation cephalosporins (J01DD) and macrolides (J01FA).ConclusionsExcessive consumption of broad‐spectrum and clinically important classes of antibiotics was observed. The study findings can serve as baseline data for policy makers and authorities to shape and design policies for the rational and cost‐effective use of antibiotics, reducing the burden of AMR and ensuring the economic use of antibiotics.

Financial inclusion in Africa: does it promote entrepreneurship?

PurposeFinancial inclusion policy focuses on bringing the less privileged groups into the formal financial system. Financial inclusion has a lot of benefits in the society. It can reduce the level of poverty, inequality and encourage business startup. This study aims to examine the impact of financial inclusion on entrepreneurship in selected African countries.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines how financial inclusion impacts entrepreneurship in 13 selected African countries using data from World Bank Development Indicators, IMF’s International Financial Statistics, doing business and World Bank Entrepreneurship Survey for the period of 2005-2016. It uses panel data regression techniques such as random effect, IV estimation and robust least square.FindingsThe results show that financial inclusion has a significant and positive effect on entrepreneurship in Africa. This result is robust to both alternative measures of financial inclusion and alternative estimators.Originality/valueThe possible relationship between financial inclusion and entrepreneurial development has been an ongoing debate in other developing countries. However, this issue has been neglected in the African region. There are little or no evidence to support the possible relationship in Africa. This paper makes an important contribution in this respect and further provides insightful information in the ongoing debate.

Individual Retirement Accounts in Portugal

In Portugal, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) were created with significant tax incentives in 1989. To inform the debate with research findings, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of IRAs’ participation, both for retired and no-retired persons. The paper uses ASF (Portuguese Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority) Statistics and European Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Share) database, Wave 4, and a probit model. The results show that the variables that have a positive and significant impact on the ownership of IRAs are age, years of education, income, and house ownership.

Accessibility and Allocation of Public Parks and Gardens During COVID-19 Social Distancing in England and Wales

Background: Visiting parks and gardens may attenuate the adverse physical and mental health impacts of social distancing implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We quantified access to public parks and gardens in urban areas of England and Wales, and the potential for park crowdedness during periods of high use. Methods: We combined data from the Office for National Statistics and Ordnance Survey to quantified (i) the number of parks within 500 and 1,000 metres of urban postcodes (i.e., availability), (ii) the distance of postcodes to the nearest park (i.e., accessibility), and (iii) per-capita space in each park for people living within 1,000m. We examined variability by city and share of flats. Findings: Around 25·4 million people can access public parks or gardens within a ten-minute walk, while 3·8 million residents live farther away; of these 21% are children and 13% are elderly. Areas with a higher share of flats on average are closer to a park but people living in these areas are potentially less able to meet social distancing requirements while in parks during periods of high use. Interpretation: Cities in England and Wales can provide residents with access to green space that enables outdoor exercise and play during social distancing. Keeping public parks and gardens open, might require measures such as dedicated park times for different age groups or entry allocation systems that, combined with smartphone apps or drones, can monitor and manage the total number of people using the park. Funding: This work is supported by the Pathways to Equitable Healthy Cities grant from the Wellcome Trust [209376/Z/17/Z]. Declaration of Interest: All authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.

Who uses residential aged care now, how has it changed and what does it mean for the future?

Objective This paper presents past trends in resident characteristics and usage patterns in residential aged care and explores implications for the future. Methods Time series analyses were undertaken of national aged care administrative datasets and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Surveys of Disability, Ageing and Carers. Results Although the number of people in residential care has continued to increase, resident profiles have changed as a result of higher growth rates in the number of men and of people aged 65-74 years and 90 years and over, and a decline in the number of women aged 75-89 years. Relative to population size, usage rates are declining across all age groups, the average length of stay is shortening, and dependency levels appear to be rising. Conclusion Changing trends in residential aged care use, when combined with key trends in the broader population of older Australians, offer useful insights in planning for the future. What is known about the topic? Trends in the changing characteristics of permanent aged care residents and patterns of use of Australian residential aged care have received sparse attention in scholarly journals. Government reports and databases contain useful statistics, but they do not provide a coherent analysis and interpretation of the implications of these trends or situate them in broader population patterns. What does this paper add? The analyses in this paper demonstrate patterns of change and continuity in the use of residential care over the past decade, and locate those changes in the context of broader trends in the ageing population. Together, this provides useful insights into current and likely future trends, as well as a basis for imagining an improved residential aged care system in the future. What are the implications for practitioners? These analyses illustrate how data on aged care services, demographic trends and disease patterns can be used to consider the challenges that have affected our residential aged care system in the past and how that may be addressed in the future.

Corrigendum to: Who uses residential aged care now, how has it changed and what does it mean for the future?

ObjectiveThis paper presents past trends in resident characteristics and usage patterns in residential aged care and explores implications for the future.MethodsTime series analyses were undertaken of national aged care administrative datasets and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Surveys of Disability, Ageing and Carers.ResultsAlthough the number of people in residential care has continued to increase, resident profiles have changed as a result of higher growth rates in the number of men and of people aged 65-74 years and 90 years and over, and a decline in the number of women aged 75-89 years. Relative to population size, usage rates are declining across all age groups, the average length of stay is shortening, and dependency levels appear to be rising.ConclusionChanging trends in residential aged care use, when combined with key trends in the broader population of older Australians, offer useful insights in planning for the future.What is known about the topic?Trends in the changing characteristics of permanent aged care residents and patterns of use of Australian residential aged care have received sparse attention in scholarly journals. Government reports and databases contain useful statistics, but they do not provide a coherent analysis and interpretation of the implications of these trends or situate them in broader population patterns.What does this paper add?The analyses in this paper demonstrate patterns of change and continuity in the use of residential care over the past decade, and locate those changes in the context of broader trends in the ageing population. Together, this provides useful insights into current and likely future trends, as well as a basis for imagining an improved residential aged care system in the future.What are the implications for practitioners?These analyses illustrate how data on aged care services, demographic trends and disease patterns can be used to consider the challenges that have affected our residential aged care system in the past and how that may be addressed in the future.

An organizational approach to understanding police response to cybercrime

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use Maguire’s (2003) theory of police organizations to explain whether police agencies dedicate specific personnel to cybercrime response.Design/methodology/approachData from this study come from the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Statistics survey. Maguire’s (2003) theory of the organizational structure of police organizations is used to measure organizational variables related to context, complexity and control. Logistic regression is used to examine whether these organizational characteristics are related to cybercrime response.FindingsThe results suggest that organizational context, complexity and control are related to cybercrime response. Specifically, in terms of context, larger agencies, agencies whose officers engage in more non-routine tasks, and agencies governed by an active collective bargaining agreement are more likely to dedicate specific resources to cybercrime. In terms of complexity, agencies with more hierarchical layers, agencies that utilize more specialization and agencies that make greater use of civilian employees are more likely to dedicate specific personnel to cybercrime. Finally, regarding control, agencies that assign non-sworn personnel to administrative tasks are more likely to dedicate resources to cybercrime response.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to use this framework to examine the relationship between organizational characteristics and cybercrime response. It shows that this perspective can be useful for understanding police organizations and police policies, programs and strategies.

Provision of Contraception in New York City School-Based Health Centers: Impact on Teenage Pregnancy and Avoided Costs, 2008-2017.

Since 2008, the School-Based Health Center Reproductive Health Project (SBHC RHP) has supported SBHCs in New York City (NYC) to increase the availability of effective contraception; however, its impact on teenage pregnancy and avoided costs has not been estimated. The impact of the SBHC RHP on patterns of contraceptive use and on the numbers of pregnancies, abortions and births averted in 2008-2017 was estimated using program data and public data from the NYC Bureau of Vital Statistics and Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Data from the Guttmacher Institute on the cost of publicly funded births and abortions were used to estimate costs avoided; NYC-specific teenage pregnancy outcome data were employed to estimate the proportion of overall declines attributable to the SBHC RHP. Between 2008 and 2017, the SBHC RHP supported a substantial increase in the proportion of sexually active female clients using effective contraceptives. Most dramatically, 14% of clients in the SBHC RHP method mix used LARCs in 2017, compared with 2% in the non-SBHC RHP mix. The project averted an estimated 5,376 pregnancies, 2,104 births and 3,085 abortions, leading to an estimated $30,360,352 in avoided one-time costs of publicly funded births and abortions. These averted events accounted for 26-28% of the decline in teenage pregnancies, births and abortions in NYC. When comprehensive reproductive health services are available in SBHCs, teenagers use them, resulting in substantially fewer pregnancies, abortions and births, and lower costs to public health systems.

All-cause child mortality in minority and non-minority areas in Sichuan Province in Western China, 2008\u20132017

This study aimed to evaluate the disparity in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) between minority and non-minority areas in Sichuan Province in Western China. Data for this study was obtained from the National Health Statistics Survey System. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to analyze the time trend of the U5MR. We conducted Poisson regression model to compare the differences of U5MRs between minority and non-minority areas. The U5MR in Sichuan province was reduced by 62.19% from 2008 to 2017, with the minority and non-minority areas reduced by 60.48% and 65.39%, respectively. The under-five mortality risk in minority areas was approximately 1.791 times (95% CI: 1.790–1.793; P < 0.01) that in non-minority areas. The primary cause of death of children under-five years old in minority areas was the respiratory disease, which was significantly higher than that in non-minority areas (P all < 0.01). The U5MR significantly declined both in minority and non-minority areas in Sichuan Province in Western China from 2008 to 2017. However, disparities still existed between minority and non-minority areas. Respiratory diseases were the main causes of death in minority areas and corresponding rates were higher than those in non-minority areas.

Comparing time series characteristics of official and web job vacancy data

This paper studies the relationship between a job vacancy population obtained from an international project based on web scraping of online job vacancies and job vacancies derived by the Eurostat job vacancy rate referred to Italian national statistics survey. We compare the time series properties of both time series between 2013 and 2018, globally and in each specific sector of economic activity. Using time series decomposition and cointegration analyses, we find that, apart some specific sector, the web and national statistics office vacancies data present similar time series properties, suggesting that both time series represent the same underlying phenomenon, namely the real number of new vacancies in the Italian economy. The study confirms promising frontiers to measure in real time aggregate demand in the labour market based on web data.

Does body fat change with car ownership rates? A longitudinal survey of gender differences

Durable goods provide conventional proxies for household wealth, which, in turn, may increase the tendency to consume healthier food products and engage in leisure-time physical exercise. Higher car ownership levels, on the other hand, may reduce the tendency to participate in utilitarian, non-exercise-related physical activities such as walking to work and biking to do errands. Based on a recent longitudinal two-year Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) survey, we examine the correlation between the number of cars owned by households and household members' body mass index (BMI) for adult female and male respondents below the workforce retirement age. Results indicate that projected BMI of native Israeli Jewish females and Jewish immigrants from Asian-African countries drops significantly, while compared with baseline native Jewish Israelis, the projected BMI decrease among Arab females is attenuated significantly with increased car ownership levels. These outcomes suggest that programs aimed at alleviating poverty may have the additional benefit of promoting obesity-reducing activities, particularly among the population of native Jewish Israeli females and immigrants from Asian African countries.

Consistency Between NASS Surveyed Soil Moisture Conditions and SMAP Soil Moisture Observations

AbstractThe U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) collects and publishes crop growth status and soil moisture conditions in major U.S. agricultural regions. The operationally produced weekly reports are based on survey information. The surveys are based on visual assessments and—in the case of soil moisture—report soil moisture levels in one of four categories (Very Short, Short, Adequate, and Surplus). In this study, we show that these reports have remarkable correspondence with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level‐4 Soil Moisture (L4SM) product. This consistency allows for combining the two different types of data to produce a value‐added assessment, which enables cropland soil moisture mapping and state‐level statistics. Moreover, it enables daily assessment rather than weekly. In this study classification thresholds are derived for L4SM by mapping cumulative distribution functions of L4SM surface and root zone SM to the categorical NASS SM conditions. The results show that, year over year, the SMAP cumulative SM distributions are consistent with the NASS SM conditions and, furthermore, that the temporal evolution of the SMAP‐derived thresholds is consistent with the seasonal crop growth cycles from year to year. The results signify that the SMAP SM retrievals are relatable to SM estimation conducted in agricultural crop land by land managers and farmers, which underlines the general applicability of the SMAP data.