The effects of siblings on the migration of women in two rural areas of Belgium and the Netherlands, 1829-1940

This study explores the extent to which the presence and activities of siblings shaped the chances of women migrating to rural and urban areas in two rural areas of Belgium and the Netherlands during the second half of the nineteenth and first decades of the twentieth century. Shared-frailty Cox proportional hazard analyses of longitudinal data from historical population registers show that siblings exerted an additive impact on women's migration, independently of temporal and household characteristics. Just how siblings influenced women's migration depended on regional modes of production and on employment opportunities. In the Zeeland region, sisters channelled each other into service positions. In the Pays de Herve, where men and women found industrial work in the Walloon cities, women were as much influenced by their brothers' activities. Evidence is found for two mechanisms explaining the effects of siblings: micro-economic notions of joint-household decision-making and social capital theory

Quality of life improves after strabismus surgery in patients with Graves' orbitopathy

Objective: To evaluate the influence of strabismus surgery on quality of life (QoL) in Graves' orbitopathy (GO) patients. Design: Prospective study of case series. Methods: Consecutive GO-patients who were scheduled for their first strabismus surgery were included in the study. The patients completed the GO-QoL questionnaire within 3 months before the surgery and 2-4 months after the surgery. A complete orthoptic examination, including the field of binocular single vision (BSV), was performed. Clinically relevant response (CRR) in the QoL was also evaluated. Results: In this study, 28 patients were included. The GO-QoL score for visual functioning was 46.3 +/- 24.2 before surgery and 65.7 +/- 30.5 after surgery (P=0.009). The GO-QoL score for appearance changed from 60.6 +/- 25.9 to 69.5 +/- 24.2 (P=0.005). After surgery, the field of BSV increased from 24.3 +/- 34.8 to 68.5 +/- 36.0 points (P=0.000). A weak correlation was found between the field of BSV and the visual functioning score after surgery (r=0.417; P=0.034). CRR was found in 20 (71%) patients. Those with a CRR showed a larger field of BSV (P=0.002) and better GO-QoL scores (P=0.008). Conclusions: GO-QoL score increases significantly for both visual functioning and appearance after the first strabismus surgery in GO-patients, showing the highest improvement for the visual functioning questions. Both the GO-QoL and field of BSV outcomes correlate well with the CR