Study Socioeconomic Status Research Articles

Beyond Parental Acceptance and Rejection: A Commentary on the Findings From Empirical Studies on Forgiveness and Vengeance in the Muslim World

Drawing on the framework of interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory), this special issue edited by Ronald P. Rohner, Sumbleen Ali, and Jennifer E. Lansford explores forgiveness and vengeance within the context of the Muslim world. Examination of the precursors of forgiveness and vengeance holds significance because vengeance typically correlates with adverse physical and psychological health outcomes. We suggest ways to advance research outlined in the special issue, such as assessing cross-cultural invariance and using diverse research designs. Moreover, increasing the diversity of socioeconomic status in studies conducted in the Muslim world and exploring hypotheses in high-income countries are necessary for contextually nuanced research. Overall, this special issue offers valuable insights into the dynamics of forgiveness and vengeance and highlights the role of culture and gender on psychological well-being across diverse contexts.

P21.02.B THE EFFECT OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ON GLIOMA PROGNOSIS

Abstract BACKGROUND Sociodemographic factors are well known to contribute to health disparities for different cancer diagnoses, but they are not extensively studied for glioma patients. In this study socioeconomic status (SES), travel time to health care, cohabitation status, and region (northern Sweden compared to three regions in southern Sweden) were investigated in relation to prognosis for patients with glioma WHO grade I-IV. MATERIAL AND METHODS The Swedish National Quality Registry for Brain Tumors was used to identify 1276 patients with glioma WHO grade I-IV, diagnosed 2009-2013. The Swedish population-based database RISK North combines data from several health care and demographic registries through the unique personal identity number. The RISK North was used to study survival in relation to SES, cohabitation status (living alone vs living with another adult person), travel time to the closest regional hospital (i.e. the closest hospital with a neurosurgical unit), and region. Educational level was used as a proxy for SES. RESULTS In univariable survival analysis, patients with glioma WHO grade III-IV and high SES had a longer survival compared to patients with low SES (middle school (ref) HR:1, high school HR:0.67 CI[0.56-0.81], university/college HR:0.65 CI[0.53-0.79], p<0.0001). In the multivariable model for the same group, survival was longer for patients with higher SES (middle school (ref) HR:1, high school HR:0.81 CI[0.67-0.98], p=0.033; university/college HR:0.81 CI[0.66-1.00], p=0.048). For patients with glioma WHO grade I-IV, there were no significant differences in survival in relation to travel time, cohabitation status, or region in multivariable survival analysis. CONCLUSION Survival was significantly worse in patients with lower SES compared to higher SES for patients with glioma WHO grade III-IV. No significant differences were found in survival in relation to cohabitation status (between those living alone and those living with another adult person), travel time to regional hospital, or between the northern Sweden and three regions in southern Sweden.

Low Rates of Reporting Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status in Studies Published in Top Orthopaedic Journals.

Although there have been calls for the routine reporting of patient demographics associated with health disparities, including race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES), in published research, the extent to which these variables are reported in orthopaedic journals remains unclear. We identified and examined all research articles with human cohorts published in 2019 in the 2 highest-ranked U.S. general orthopaedics journals, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Excluded from analysis were studies with no U.S.-based institution and those that did not report any demographic data. Articles were reviewed to determine study type; reporting of race, ethnicity, and any of 3 SES variables (i.e., income, education, and health-care insurance); and the inclusion of these demographics in multivariable analyses. A total of 156 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 56 (35.9%) reported patient race and 24 (15.4%) reported patient ethnicity. Income was reported in 13 (8.3%) of the articles, education in 23 (14.7%), and health insurance in 18 (11.5%). Of the 97 papers that reported results of multivariable analyses, 30 (30.9%) included race in the analysis and 21 (21.6%) reported significance associated with race. Income, education, and health insurance were included in multivariable analyses in 7 (7.2%), 11 (11.3%), and 10 (10.3%) of the articles, respectively. Race, ethnicity, and SES were infrequently reported and analyzed within articles published in 2 of the top orthopaedic journals. This problem may be remedied if orthopaedic journals impose standards for the reporting and analysis of patient demographics in studies with human cohorts. Failure to report key demographics makes it difficult for practitioners to determine whether study results apply to their patient populations. In addition, when orthopaedic interventions are evaluated without accounting for potential disparities by demographics, clinicians may incorrectly assume that the overall benefits and risks reported in studies apply equally to all patients.

At the Intersection of Ethnicity/Race and Poverty: Knee Pain and Physical Function.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities. Non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) report a higher prevalence and severity of knee OA symptoms than their non-Hispanic White (NHW) counterparts. The role of poverty in explaining this disparity remains unclear. The overall aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether ethnic/racial differences in knee pain and physical function varied according to poverty status. NHB and NHW adults with or at risk of knee OA self-reported sociodemographic information, and completed the Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Annual income was adjusted for number of household occupants to determine poverty status (i.e., living above versus below poverty line). Findings revealed 120 individuals living above the poverty line (49% NHB, 77% NHW) and 71 individuals living below the poverty line (51% NHB, 23% NHW). Adjusted multivariable models revealed significant ethnic/race by poverty status interactions for knee pain (p = 0.036) and physical function (p = 0.032) on the WOMAC, as well as physical function on the SPPB (p = 0.042). Post hoc contrasts generally revealed that NHW adults living above the poverty line experienced the least severe knee pain and best physical function, while NHB adults living below the poverty line experienced the most severe knee pain and poorest physical function. Results of the present study add to the literature by emphasizing the importance of considering poverty and/or other indicators of socioeconomic status in studies examining ethnic/racial disparities in pain and physical function.

The Shape of the Socioeconomic Gradient: Testing to Functional Form of the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Early Child Development

IntroductionThe literature provides abundant evidence of socioeconomic gradients in health outcomes. However, it is unclear, and particularly understudied in early child development research, whether these observed gradients are linear, whether they diminish as socioeconomic status (SES) increases, and if they ultimately reverse in slope at the highest SES values.
 Objectives and ApproachWe linked neighbourhood-level Census and Tax Filer data with Early Development Instrument (EDI) data across Canada. The EDI is a kindergarten teacher-completed measure of five domains of early child development. We used this linked database to statistically compare and choose the most appropriate functional form of the relationship between each of the EDI domains (dependent variables), and the Canadian Neighbourhoods and Early Child Development (CanNECD) study's SES index (predictor) in regression models. Model comparison approaches included: visual checks of lines fitted using Generalized Additive Models, Akaike and Bayesian Information Criterions, Ramsay’s RESET, J and Cox tests.
 ResultsThe results indicate the optimal functional form of the gradient varies across domains of the EDI. The best model for the Physical Health and Well-Being domain was quadratic, suggesting there may be some reversal in slope at higher values of SES. The best models for the Social Competence and Language and Cognitive Development domains were logarithmic, indicating diminishing returns to SES but with no slope reversal. The best model for the Emotional Maturity domain was linear, suggesting the gradient was consistent across all values of SES. The best fit for the Communication Skills and General Knowledge domain was a cubic ‘S’ curve, suggesting the curve is positive and concave for lower levels of SES but curves upwards beyond a certain SES threshold.
 Conclusion/ImplicationsThe results demonstrate the importance of examining functional forms when modeling socioeconomic gradients. Assuming linear relationships between SES and health outcomes (early child development, in this case) may distort and bias the true nature of the relationships, thus leading to misinterpretations, especially at the highest and lowest values of SES.

Impact of socioeconomic status and living condition on latent tuberculosis diagnosis among the tribal population of Melghat: A cohort study.

Aims:To study socioeconomic status (SES) and living conditions (LC) as risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and their impact on QuantiFERON-TB gold (QFT-G) and tuberculin skin test (TST) outcome for determining a better diagnostic test for LTBI in the malnourished tribal population of Melghat.Settings and Design:Six hundred sixty nine participants matching the inclusion criteria were recruited from 10 tribal villages of Melghat region, India.Subjects and Methods:Complete information related to various risk factors and test outcome was obtained on 398 participants, which was analyzed as per predefined conceptual framework. Factors were classified based on their relevance either at individual or household level, and subsequently based on the possibility of intervention. Data were partitioned into concordant and discordant sets depending on test agreement.Results:In concordant set, the two tests revealed that LTBI was significantly associated with smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.64 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–6.79]), tobacco usage (aOR: 2.74 [95% CI: 1.50–4.99]), and malnourishment (aOR: 1.97 [95% CI: 1.12–3.48]) after basic adjustment. Inclusion of latent variable SES and LC in the model has mediating effect on the association of above factors with LTBI. Further, the association of SES and LC with LTBI in concordant set was unaltered in presence of other cofactors. From discordant set, results of QFT-G corroborated with that of concordant set.Conclusions:Poor SES and LC can be considered as strong risk factors linked with LTBI as compared to malnourishment, which is often targeted in such communities. Further, our study showed QFT-G test as a reliable tool in screening of LTBI in the tribal population of Melghat, India.

Socioeconomic Status as a Modifier of the Relationship between Antibiotic Use During Pregnancy and Birthweight

Antibiotics taken during pregnancy treat underlying maternal infections that may otherwise contribute to poor birth outcomes, including decreased birthweight. This study investigated whether antibiotics taken by a diverse sample of North American women were associated with increased mean infant birthweight and whether this relationship was modified by socioeconomic status. The study hypothesized that women of low socioeconomic status, whose babies are at highest risk of low birthweight perhaps due to long-standing undiagnosed infections, might benefit from antibiotic use more than women of higher socioeconomic status. The sample was 868 control women from a case-control study of hemifacial microsomia, a craniofacial birth defect. Participants reported information on antibiotic use during pregnancy (type, indication, and timing) and baby's birthweight in telephone interviews. Nineteen percent of women reported taking at least one antibiotic in the first half of pregnancy, but average birthweights were similar among users and nonusers. However, low-socioeconomic status women who reported taking antibiotics to treat genitourinary infections had babies that were 286 g heavier than those who did not (p = 0.01). No association was seen among higher socioeconomic status women. Differences by socioeconomic status were also seen in treatment for respiratory conditions and use of penicillin antibiotics. These findings suggest that socioeconomic status might modify the association between antibiotics taken during pregnancy and infant birthweight. They emphasize the need to consider socioeconomic status in studies of antibiotic use and birth outcomes and extend previous studies of socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes.

Deprivation and oral health: a review.

The link between socioeconomic status and health, including oral health, is well established. The conventional measures of socioeconomic status used in these studies, such as social class and household income, have a number of weaknesses so that alternatives, in the form of area-based measures of deprivation, are increasingly being used. This paper reviews epidemiological research linking deprivation and oral health. Four types of study are identified and described: simple descriptive, comparative, analytic and explanatory. These studies confirm that deprivation indices are sensitive to variations in oral health and oral health behaviours and can be used to identify small areas with high levels of need for dental treatment and oral health promotion services. As such, they are likely to provide a useful administrative tool. In terms of research, the studies demonstrate that these measures provide a ready way of controlling for socioeconomic status in studies examining the association between oral health and other variables. However, this research, in largely replicating previous studies using social class, does not address fundamental issues concerning the mechanisms which link social inequality and health. Deprivation measures have a major role to play in research that examines features of people and places, and how they promote and/or damage both oral and general health.

Predictors of Alcohol and Drug Use: A Multi-Ethnic Comparison

In this study socioeconomic status and demographic differences in reported alcohol and drug use among Black, Hispanic, and White respondents to the 1988 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (T. Virag, B. Cox, & J. V. Rachel, 1991) were examined. White respondents reported significantly higher levels of alcohol and drug use than Blacks and Hispanics did. Separate regression analyses of alcohol and drug use by race revealed that education, income, and employment status were significant determinants of alcohol use. Employment status and marital status significantly influenced drug use among all respondents.

Measuring socioeconomic status in studies of child development.

Income is more difficult to measure fully and accurately than occupation. Detailed occupational codes may be mapped into standard socioeconomic scales, and occupational status is related to other variables in much the same way as repeated or long-term measures of income. For these reasons, whether or not an attempt has been made to measure income, the measurement of socioeconomic status may be improved by ascertaining the occupation (and industry) of a job held by 1 or both parents. Income and household composition are preferable to the official poverty line in classifying economic standing, and housing tenure is a simple and powerful measure of economic consumption. Wherever possible, paternal as well as maternal education should be ascertained. However well they are measured, race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status do not capture all of the effects of family background.

Measuring Socioeconomic Status in Studies of Child Development

Measuring Socioeconomic Status in Studies of Child Development

Sentencing the White-Collar Offender

With a modified version of the white-collar sentencing model developed by Wheeler, Weisburd, and Bode (1982), we analyze sentences for a sample of white-collar offenders adjudicated in one federal court between 1970 and 1980. Contrary to Wheeler et al., in this study socioeconomic status is not related to sanction severity. Higher-status offenders are no more likely to be incarcerated than low-status offenders, nor do they receive longer sentences. We explore whether the relationship between socioeconomic status and sentence severity changed after the 1974 Watergate scandal. Our analysis suggests that the contextual characteristics of the districts studied by Wheeler et al. may account for their anomalous finding on social status. We argue that contextual variations in criminal sentencing extend both to social status and race.

Upper and lower status gifted children: a study of differences.

Groups of gifted and average elementary school children from upper and lower status backgrounds were compared on measures of height, weight, personality traits, interests, activities, and creative thinking. Group differences between upper and lower status gifted children were found to be associated with differences in socioeconomic background. Group differences between gifted and average children regardless of socioeconomic background were also disclosed. The findings emphasize the importance of controlling for socioeconomic status in studies where gifted and nongifted children are compared.