210 research outputs found

    Impact of dizziness and obesity on the prevalence of falls and fall-related injuries

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    Quantify the relationships between dizziness, falls, and obesity among adults.Cross-sectional analysis of a national health survey.Adult respondents in the 2008 National Health Interview Survey balance module were analyzed. With demographic information, data for balance and dizziness problems, reported falls, injuries from falls, and body mass index were extracted. Associations between balance/dizziness problems and falls or injuries from falls were determined. The additional association between obesity and falls or fall-related injuries in the setting of a balance/dizziness problem was determined.Among 216.8 ± 3.5 million adult Americans, 24.2 ± 0.7 million reported dizziness in the past 12 months (11.1% ± 0.3%; mean age, 45.9 ± 0.2 years; 51.7% ± 0.5% female), 11.5% ± 0.3% had fallen in the prior 12 months, and 26.3% ± 0.4% were obese. Among individuals reporting dizziness, 34.3% ± 1.3% reported falls, whereas only 9.1% ± 0.3% of nondizzy individuals reported a fall (odds ratio [OR]: 5.1; P < .001). Among dizzy individuals who reported a fall, 45.8% ± 2.1% were injured by the fall versus 35.6% ± 1.4% nondizzy individuals who fell (OR: 1.5; P < .001). The addition of obesity to dizziness increased the odds of falling by 1.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.2-1.5; P < .001) but did not significantly increase the odds of fall-related injury (P = .110).Dizziness/balance problems are strongly associated with both an increased tendency to fall and increased injury rate from falls among adults. The addition of obesity to dizziness was associated with a higher rate of falling but was not associated with a significantly higher rate of fall-related injury. Balance problems in conjunction with obesity need to be targeted in fall-prevention efforts.2b

    Housing deficits as a frame for housing policy: demographic change, economic crisis and household formation in Indonesia

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    The idea of housing deficit is a common, seemingly objective frame for housing policies that promote increased supply. This paper critically examines the concept through a case study of Indonesia, where different sources report a deficit of between 3 and 14 million dwelling units estimated without a transparent methodology. The wide range of estimates demonstrates the multiple interpretations of the term's meaning. In the paper, changes in household formation trends in urban Indonesia from 1990 to 2007 are used to estimate a quantitative housing deficit. I find the decreasing rate of household formation that is being interpreted as a housing deficit. However, this interpretation is complicated by the country's demographic transition and the high urbanization rate. Further, the abrupt change in household formation occurred around the year 2000, suggesting that the economic and political upheavals following the Asian financial crisis played an important role. Comparison of household formation rates across socioeconomic groups and urban areas shows housing markets also matter, illustrating the complexity of the issue. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

    Income inequality and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a highly unequal country: a fixed-effects analysis from South Africa

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    Background: Chronic stress associated with high income inequality has been hypothesized to increase CVD risk and other adverse health outcomes. However, most evidence comes from high-income countries, and there is limited evidence on the link between income inequality and biomarkers of chronic stress and risk for CVD. This study examines how changes in income inequality over recent years relate to changes in CVD risk factors in South Africa, home to some of the highest levels of income inequality globally. Methods: We linked longitudinal data from 9356 individuals interviewed in the 2008 and 2012 National Income Dynamics Study to district-level Gini coefficients estimated from census and survey data. We investigated whether subnational district income inequality was associated with several modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in South Africa, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, physical inactivity, smoking, and high alcohol consumption. We ran individual fixed-effects models to examine the association between changes in income inequality and changes in CVD risk factors over time. Linear models were used for continuous metabolic outcomes while conditional Poisson models were used to estimate risk ratios for dichotomous behavioral outcomes. Results: Both income inequality and prevalence of most CVD risk factors increased over the period of study. In longitudinal fixed-effects models, changes in district Gini coefficients were not significantly associated with changes in CVD risk factors. Conclusions: Our findings do not support the hypothesis that subnational district income inequality is associated with CVD risk factors within the high-inequality setting of South Africa
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