Association between changes in lifestyle and all-cause mortality: The Health and Lifestyle Study

Background To examine the combined influence of changes in physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol consumption on all-cause mortality. Methods Health behaviours were assessed in 1984/1985 and 1991/1992 in 8123 adults from the UK (4666 women, median age 41.0 years). An unhealthy lifestyle score was calculated, allocating one point for smoking, fruits and vegetables 14 units (women) or >21 units of alcohol (men) per week. Results There were 2003 deaths over a median follow-up of 6.6 years (IQR 5.9–7.2) following the resurvey. The modal change in the unhealthy lifestyle score was zero, 41.8% had the same score, 35.5% decreased and 22.7% increased score between surveys. A one unit decrease in the unhealthy lifestyle score was not associated with a beneficial effect on mortality (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.83 to 1.04). A one unit increase in the unhealthy lifestyle score increased the risk of mortality (adjusted HR 1.09; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.18). Conclusions In this general population sample, the adoption of an unhealthy lifestyle was associated with an increased risk of mortality

E-Learning Innovations: Implementation of Video in an Occupational Therapy Classroom

Given the growing emphasis on educational technology, it is necessary to inform educators on the best use of video as a course study tool. The aim of this project was to assess the difference between two types of video delivery methods in relation to occupational therapy student satisfaction and usage. Eighty-nine occupational therapy students used one of two types of video delivery methods for learning upper extremity goniometry: short videos embedded within e-learning modules or live lab video recordings available via a learning management system. Qualitative and quantitative data on student perceptions and usage were collected and analyzed. Students with access to e-learning module videos were more satisfied than those with access to live video recordings in terms of preparedness for exams, confidence, and accessibility. All students reported that access to videos was helpful in preparing for labs and exams. To maximize student satisfaction and usage, educators should consider providing short videos via e-learning modules

'The healthy migrant effect' for mental health in England: propensity-score matched analysis using the EMPIRIC survey

Evidence has demonstrated that immigrants have a mental health advantage over the indigenous population of developed countries. However, much of the evidence-base demonstrating this mental health advantage is susceptible to confounding and inadequate adjustment across immigrant and non-immigrant groups preventing a rigorous assessment of a ’healthy migrant effect’. To compare the risk of common mental disorders in the immigrant population compared to the non-immigrant population in ethnic minority groups in England. A propensity-score matched analysis was carried out to adequately balance immigrant and non-immigrant groups for known confounders using the EMPIRIC national survey of Black-Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups. The mental health of participants was assessed using the validated Revised Clinical Interview Schedule tool. Immigrant participants were significantly less likely to have a common mental disorder than non-immigrant participants; OR = 0.47, (95% CI 0.40, 0.56). The results from this study demonstrate that a mental health advantage exists in ethnic minority immigrants compared to non-immigrants when balancing the two groups for confounding factors. This may be due to immigrants possessing certain personality traits, such as 'psychological hardiness', that the migration process may select for

Temporal dynamics of auditory and cross-modal attention : an investigation of dual-task deficits.

When identifying two masked targets presented in rapid succession, awareness of the second may be reduced when it is presented between 100 and 400 ms after the first. This phenomenon has been termed the attentional blink (AB). A wealth of knowledge has been collected regarding performance when both targets are presented visually; however, evidence concerning an auditory analogue has been scarce. Nine experiments presented here demonstrate that the auditory attentional blink (AAB) shares some commonalities with but also has some differences from the visual attentional blink (VAB). Two experiments examined cross-modal dual-task interactions and provide only equivocal evidence for a cross-modal AB. All eleven experiments demonstrated the influence of non-target (distractor) items upon target detection. It was shown that presenting targets within an ordered distractor sequence was an important pre-requisite for the AAB. In addition, the level of exposure to the distractor sequence before the presentation of the first target (T1) moderated target identification. Increasing practice (incorporating target and distractors) also attenuates the magnitude of the AAB. In a similar vein, targets of a different stimulus set to that of the distractors also attenuate the AAB. Unlike the VAB, introducing a switch in stimulus set between targets increased performance at early SOAs. For the VAB, very little consideration has been given to items occurring before T1, and the pre-eminent masking role of the +1 item is reflected in all theoretical explanations of the VAB. However, the AAB may rely on items occurring before as well as after the targets. It is well established that the nature of the auditory scene provided by the distractors may change the way that targets are defined and processed. Thus, processing restrictions demonstrated by the AAB may not arise specifically from masking but due to the demands of target extraction from ordered perceptual streams

A latent class analysis of parental alcohol and drug use: findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Previous measures of parental substance use have often paid limited attention to the co-occurrence of alcohol and drugs, or to the between-parent dynamics in the use of substances. These shortcomings may have important implications for our understandings of the relationship between parental substance use and child wellbeing. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK community-based cohort study from 1990 onwards (n=9,451), we identified groups of parental substance use using latent class analysis. The 4-class solution offered the best fit, balancing statistical criteria and theoretical judgement. The results show distinct classes across the range of parental substance use, including very low users, low users, moderate users and heavy users. These classes suggest that substance use patterns among mothers are somewhat mirrored by those of their partners, while heavy use of alcohol by mothers and their partners is related to increased mothers drug use. We suggest that studies that investigate the effects of parental substance use on child wellbeing should pay greater attention to the dynamics of substance use by parental figures

Does selective migration alter socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in Wales? : a record-linked total population e-cohort study

Funding for this work was received from Public Health Wales NHS Trust as part of a report on migration and health. Support for the report was also received from the National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR). Andrea Gartner is funded through the NCPHWR and David Fone, Shantini Paranjothy and Daniel Farewell are members of the NCPHWR team in Cardiff University, School of Medicine. Neither funder bears any responsibility for the analysis or interpretation of the data presented here. We used data from the CHALICE project, which was originally funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme (project number 09/3007/02). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR PHR Programme or the Department of Health. We would like to thank Jenny Morgan for her work on data cleaning and validation of the original dataset.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Improving mental health through neighbourhood regeneration: the role of cohesion, belonging, quality and disorder

This project is funded by the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (NISCHR) programme (project reference RFS-12-05). This study makes use of anonymized data held in the Secure Anonymized Information Linkage (SAIL) system, which is part of the national e-health records research infrastructure for Wales. We would like to acknowledge all the data providers who make anonymized data available for research. This work is undertaken with the support of The Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer), a UK Clinical Research Collaboration Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Joint funding (MR/KO232331/1) from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the Welsh Government and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged. This work is also supported by the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research. The Farr Institute is supported by a consortium of 10 UK research organizations: Arthritis Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council, the National Institute of Health Research, the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research (Welsh Government) and the Chief Scientist Office (Scottish Government Health Directorates).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Screening prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in a region of the United Kingdom: a population-based birth-cohort study

We are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting them, and the whole ALSPAC team, which includes interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. This study was funded by a doctoral studentship from Cardiff University (awarded to CM). The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust (Grant ref.: 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Funding for the facial scan data was provided by Cardiff University.Peer reviewedPublisher PD