The Oslo Health Study: Is bone mineral density higher in affluent areas?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Based on previously reported differences in fracture incidence in the socioeconomic less affluent Oslo East compared to the more privileged West, our aim was to study bone mineral density (BMD) in the same socioeconomic areas in Oslo. We also wanted to study whether possible associations were explained by socio-demographic factors, level of education or lifestyle factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Distal forearm BMD was measured in random samples of the participants in The Oslo Health Study by single energy x-ray absorptiometry (SXA). 578 men and 702 women born in Norway in the age-groups 40/45, 60 and 75 years were included in the analyses. Socioeconomic regions, based on a social index dividing Oslo in two regions – East and West, were used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Age-adjusted mean BMD in women living in the less affluent Eastern region was 0.405 g/cm²and significantly lower than in West where BMD was 0.419 g/cm². Similarly, the odds ratio of low BMD (Z-score ≤ -1) was 1.87 (95% CI: 1.22–2.87) in women in Oslo East compared to West. The same tendency, although not statistically significant, was also present in men. Multivariate analysis adjusted for education, marital status, body mass index, physical inactivity, use of alcohol and smoking, and in women also use of post-menopausal hormone therapy and early onset of menopause, did hardly change the association. Additional adjustments for employment status, disability pension and physical activity at work for those below the age of retirement, gave similar results.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found differences in BMD in women between different socioeconomic regions in Oslo that correspond to previously found differences in fracture rates. The association in men was not statistically significant. The differences were not explained by socio-demographic factors, level of education or lifestyle factors.</p

Depth Perception in Real and Pictorial Spaces: a Computational Framework to Represent and Simulate Built Environments

Architectural design is often mediated on two-dimensional representation systems and envisioned three-dimensionally in the pictorial space. The developments of advanced digital technologies have enabled us to create the pictorial representations of un-built design projects that can appear as real as photographs. The visually appealing pictures produced by photorealistic rendering tools are useful for visualizing the form and the spatial layout of the proposed architectural design, but they may be inadequate and misleading for simulating the perceptual qualities of space. This paper draws from the recent developments in computer graphics (physically based renderings and perceptually based tone mapping techniques) and proposes a computational framework to faithfully represent and simulate pictorial spaces. Guidelines are provided for generating images with appropriate representation and simulation techniques so that architects can make informed design decisions about the perceptual qualities of their designs and researchers can study depth perception in computer environments

Lighting in real and pictorial spaces: a computational framework to investigate the scene-based lighting distributions and their impact on depth perception

Architects often use two-dimensional media to represent, visualise, and study the three-dimensional qualities of un-built spaces. Knowledge of pictorial cues is a powerful design tool that can be used to enhance the spatial qualities of built environments. This paper draws from the recent developments in computer graphics (physically based renderings and perceptually based tone mapping techniques) and demonstrates the utilisation of a computational framework to generate pictorial spaces that can mimic perceptual reality. Computer simulation and psychophysical research methodologies are employed to examine the relationship between the lighting patterns introduced by architectural configurations and their impacts on depth perception. The research demonstrates that physically and perceptually based renderings can be used to study depth perception, and luminance contrast in an architectural scene is an effective pictorial cue that increases the perceived spatial depth.