Understanding socioeconomic differences in metabolic syndrome remission among adults:what is the mediating role of health behaviors?

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) strongly varies based on individuals' socioeconomic position (SEP), as yet no studies have examined the SEP-MetS remission relationship. Our aim is to longitudinally assess the associations between SEP measures education, income and occupational prestige, and MetS remission, and whether these associations are mediated by health behaviors, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake and diet quality. METHODS: A subsample (n = 16,818) of the adult Lifelines Cohort Study with MetS at baseline was used. MetS remission was measured upon second assessment (median follow-up time 3.8 years), defined according to NCEP-ATPIII criteria. To estimate direct associations between SEP, health behaviors and MetS remission multivariable logistic regression analyses were used. To estimate the mediating percentages of health behaviors that explain the SEP-MetS remission relationship the Karlson-Holm-Breen method was used. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, the other SEP measures and follow-up time. RESULTS: At the second assessment, 42.7% of the participants experienced MetS remission. Education and income were positively associated with MetS remission, but occupational prestige was not. The association between education and MetS remission could partly (11.9%) be explained by health behaviors, but not the association between income and MetS remission. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with higher education more often experienced remission from MetS, mainly because individuals with higher education were more likely to have healthier behaviors. However, individuals with higher income more often experienced MetS remissions, regardless of their health behaviors. The occupational prestige of individuals was not associated with MetS remission

Economic Precariousness and the Transition to Parenthood:A Dynamic and Multidimensional Approach

Economic precariousness has taken on a central role in explanations of the postponement of childbearing in developed societies. However, most studies conceptualize and operationalize precariousness as being static and one-dimensional, which provides only a partial perspective on the links between precariousness and fertility. In this paper, we study precariousness as a dynamic and multidimensional concept, distinguishing between past and current precariousness as well as between precariousness relating to income and to employment. Analyses are based on Dutch full-population register data. We select all inhabitants of the Netherlands who left education in 2006 and follow them until 2018. Event history analyses show that current and past income and employment precariousness all have independent negative effects on the first birth rate for men. Current and past employment precariousness and past income precariousness also reduce the first birth rate for women, but current income precariousness increases women’s probability of first conception. When precariousness is both persistent and multidimensional, it is associated with a threefold decrease in the monthly probability of conceiving a first child for men and almost a halving of the probability for women. Our analyses show the need for going beyond static and one-dimensional analyses in order to understand how economic precariousness may affect fertility behaviour

Temporary Employment and Family Formation:An Income or Insecurity Effect?

Recent studies show that temporary workers postpone family formation transitions, but it remains unclear whether this effect is due to the lower income or the stronger perceptions of job insecurity that go with a temporary contract. To address this question, we link data from a large-scale survey among Dutch employees to longitudinal population register data on marriage and first births. Logistic regression models estimate the effects of temporary employment on marriage and first birth, and mediation analyses assess to what extent these effects are explained by income and perceptions of job insecurity. Results show that temporarily employed women delay first birth. There is also some evidence that temporarily employed men postpone marriage and first birth. These effects are partly explained by income, which increases marriage and first birth rates among men and women alike. Perceptions of job insecurity generally had little effect on family formation, although higher marriage rates were found among women who experienced affective job insecurity. Overall, this shows that it is their low income rather than their feelings of insecurity about future employment that explains why temporary employees postpone family formation

The impact of the COVID lockdown on alcohol consumption in the Netherlands. The role of living arrangements and social isolation

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have a strong impact on health and health behaviours, such as alcohol consumption. Although there is some evidence of an overall decline in alcohol consumption during the lockdown, studies also show an increase in risky drinking patterns, e.g. solitary drinking, and differences between subgroups of individuals, e.g. depending on their living arrangement. Yet most studies rely on cross-sectional designs with retrospective questions, and small samples. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted using 13 waves of the COVID-Questionnaire within the Lifelines cohort from the northern Netherlands (n = 63,194). The outcome was alcohol consumption (glasses per week) between April 2020 and July 2021. Linear fixed-effects models were fitted to analyse trends in alcohol consumption, and these were compared with pre-COVID drinking levels. Moreover, the role of living arrangement and feelings of social isolation as potential moderators was tested. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption during the pandemic was lower than in previous years, and the seasonal pattern differed from the pre-COVID one, with levels being lower when lockdown measures were stricter. Moreover, the seasonal pattern differed by living arrangement: those living alone saw a relative increase in drinking throughout tight lockdown periods, whereas those living with children showed the strongest increase during the summer. Social isolation showed a weaker moderation effect. CONCLUSIONS: Overall alcohol levels were down in the pandemic, and in particular during strict lockdowns. Those living on their own and those who felt more isolated reacted more strongly to the lockdown, the longer it lasted

Socioeconomic differences in metabolic syndrome development among males and females, and the mediating role of health literacy and self-management skills

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to investigate sex differences in the associations between socioeconomic position (SEP) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) development, and to what extent these associations are mediated by health literacy and self-management skills. METHODS: A subsample (n = 88,384, 59.5% female) of the adult Lifelines Cohort Study was used. MetS development according to NCEP-ATPIII criteria was assessed on average 3.8 years after baseline. SEP-MetS associations were assessed for moderation by sex, and sex-stratified accordingly. Associations between SEP measures (education, income and occupational prestige), health literacy and self-management skills, and MetS development were investigated using logistic regression analyses. The mediating effects of health literacy and self-management skills on the SEP-MetS associations were investigated using the Karlson-Holm-Breen method. RESULTS: Among males and females, respectively 9.4% and 7.1% developed MetS. For males, education was inversely associated with MetS development; health literacy (7.1%) and self-management skills (1.9%) mediated a proportion of these educational differences. For females, education, income and occupational prestige were inversely associated with MetS development; health literacy (respectively 5.9% and 6.4%) and self-management skills (respectively 4.1% and 3.7%) mediated a proportion of the educational and occupational differences in MetS development. Neither health literacy nor self-management skills mediated female income differences in MetS development. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic differences in MetS development differ between males and females. Both for males and females, health literacy and self-management skills mediated a small proportion of socioeconomic differences in MetS development

Sex, love and security: accounts of distance and commitment in LAT relationships

Drawing on a 2011 national survey and 50 semi-structured interviews, we explore the differing ways in which those in living apart together (LAT) relationships discuss and experience notions of commitment . We found that sexual exclusivity in LAT is expected by the large majority, regardless of their reasons for living apart. The majority of the interviewees also expressed a high degree of commitment to their partner in terms of love, care and intimacy, as well an appreciation of the increased freedom and autonomy that living apart has to offer. Respondents were divided into four groups according to their perceived commitment: 1. Autonomous commitment, 2. Contingent commitment, 3. Ambivalent commitment, and 4. Limited commitment. Despite differing degrees of commitment, however, the overall finding was that the importance of relating and making relational decisions was central, even in the lives of those living in such unconventional relationship styles

Impact of age norms and stereotypes on managers' hiring decisions of retirees

Purpose -Our study investigates the role of managers in the re-employment of early retirees and asks what the effect is of managers’ age norms and stereotypes on managers’ employment decisions. Design/methodology/approach- A combination of a factorial study and a survey was conducted. First, information on the age norms and stereotypes was collected. Secondly, profiles of hypothetical retired job applicants were presented to the employers, who were asked to make a specific hiring decision. The information collected during both studies was combined in the analysis and multilevel models were estimated. Findings -The results indicate that higher age norms result in a higher propensity to hire an early retiree. Stereotypes, by contrast, do not influence managers’ decisions. Early retirees’ chances for re-employment are also related to their own circumstances (physical appearance and relevant experience) and organisational forces, as they are hired when organisations face labour force shortages. Research limitation / implications – with the use of vignettes study we deal with hypothetical hiring situation. Originality value- Although the effect of age norms and age stereotypes has been often suggested, not much empirical evidence was presented to support this notion. Our study estimates the effect of age norms and stereotypes on hiring decision. key words: bridge employment; early retirees; age norms; age stereotypes; multilevel models.

Wives’ part-time employment and marital stability in Great Britain, West Germany and the United States

Many hail wives’ part-time employment as a work—family balance strategy, but theories offer competing predictions as to the effects of wives’ employment on relationship stability. We use panel data to test these competing hypotheses among recent cohorts of first-married couples in Great Britain, West Germany 1 and the United States. We find effects of wives’ employment on marital stability var y across the countries. In West Germany with its high-quality part-time employment, couples where the wife works part time are significantly more stable. In the more liberal British and US labour markets, neither wives’ part- nor full-time employment significantly alters divorce risk. In the United States, however, mothers working part time have significantly lower divorce risk. West German and British husbands’ unemployment proves more detrimental to marital stability than wives’ employment. These results highlight the importance of the socioeconomic context in structuring the optimal employment participation of both partners

Fertility, Living Arrangements, Care and Mobility

There are four main interconnecting themes around which the contributions in this book are based. This introductory chapter aims to establish the broad context for the chapters that follow by discussing each of the themes. It does so by setting these themes within the overarching demographic challenge of the twenty-first century – demographic ageing. Each chapter is introduced in the context of the specific theme to which it primarily relates and there is a summary of the data sets used by the contributors to illustrate the wide range of cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysed

Fertility Ideals of Women and Men Across the Life Course

This paper explores the stability of women’s and men’s fertility preferences across the life course. The data come from the first six waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam), which span the period from 2008/2009 until 2013/2014. In our analysis, fertility preferences are measured using the following question: “Under ideal circumstances, how many children would you like to have?” The average number cited by both women and men is 2.2. With rising age, this number declines modestly. Relying on fixed-effects modelling, we find that neither partnership status nor economic circumstances have any causal effect on fertility preferences. However, as the number of children a respondent has increases, his or her ideal number of children is also likely to grow. Thus, fertility ideals appear to undergo changes over time, and are adjusted in line with the size of the respondent’s own family