Health and the Transition from Employment to Retirement

The relationship between employment and retirement is changing dramatically. In contrast to an earlier pattern of relatively stable career employment leading to retirement around age 65, increasing numbers of men and women are leaving their major employment situation earlier. The process of retirement therefore takes on new meaning and duration. The segment of a person's life between stable career employment and permanent retirement at pensionable age can be quite disruptive, involving difficult job searches, employment at lower levels than before, lower wages and repeated job displacement. There is virtually no research about the effects of life course instability in mid- to late-life on health, but limited research on instability early in the working life shows that instability leads to increased mortality. The possibility that labour force instability later in life has adverse health consequences is great and merits further investigation.health; employment; retirement

Violence exposure and young people’s vulnerability, mental and physical health

Objectives To analyse the impact of being affected by domestic and/or relationship violence in early adolescence on indicators of health and wellbeing. Methods Secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 13-14 year-old pupils attending schools in north-west England; with variables relating to vulnerability, violence, mental and physical health. The sample of 9,626 represented 71% of the eligible population. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used to analyse demographic exposure to violence and outcomes. Results Pupils affected by domestic and/or relationship violence had significantly worse outcomes and experiences than non-affected peers. Odds ratios demonstrated higher risks of being lonely, being bullied or having deliberately self-harmed. They were also more likely to report an enduring health condition, poorer health practices and worse access to and experiences of health services. Conclusions Exposure to violence in domestic and/or relationships is detrimental to children and young people’s mental and physical health and vulnerability. Health risks and inequalities reported by CYP in this study provide compelling intelligence for renewed strategic policy level consideration in the design and delivery of young peoples’ health services

Validity of environmental audits using GigaPan® and Google Earth Technology

Abstract Background Health behaviors are shaped by the context in which people live. However, documenting environmental context has remained a challenge. More specifically, direct observation techniques require large investments in time and resources and auditing the environment through web-based platforms has limited stability in spatio-temporal imagery. This study examined the validity of a new methodology, using GigaPan® imagery, where we took photos locally and, stitched them together using GigaPan® technology, and quantified environmental attributes from the resulting panoramic photo. For comparison, we examined validity using Google Earth imagery. Methods A total of 464 street segments were assessed using three methods: GigaPan® audits, Google Earth audits, and direct observation audits. Thirty-seven different attributes were captured representing three broad constructs: land use, traffic and safety, and amenities. Sensitivity (i.e. the proportion of true positives) and specificity (i.e. the proportion of true negatives) were used to estimate the validity of GigaPan® and Google Earth audits using direct observation audits as the gold standard. Results Using GigaPan®, sensitivity was 80% or higher for 6 of 37 items and specificity was 80% or higher for 31 of 37 items. Using Google Earth, sensitivity was 80% or higher for 8 of 37 items and specificity was 80% or higher for 30 of 37 items. The validity of GigaPan® and Google Earth was similar, with significant differences in sensitivity and specificity for 7 items and 2 items, respectively. Conclusion GigaPan® performed well, especially when identifying features absent from the environment. A major strength of the GigaPan® technology is its ability to be implemented quickly in the field relative to direct observation. GigaPan® is a method to consider as an alternative to direct observation when temporality is prioritized or Google Earth imagery is unavailable.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144541/1/12942_2018_Article_147.pd

Morphogenesis underlying the development of the everted teleost telencephalon

Background: Although the mechanisms underlying brain patterning and regionalization are very much conserved, the morphology of different brain regions is extraordinarily variable across vertebrate phylogeny. This is especially manifest in the telencephalon, where the most dramatic variation is seen between ray-finned fish, which have an everted telencephalon, and all other vertebrates, which have an evaginated telencephalon. The mechanisms that generate these distinct morphologies are not well understood. Results: Here we study the morphogenesis of the zebrafish telencephalon from 12 hours post fertilization (hpf) to 5 days post fertilization (dpf) by analyzing forebrain ventricle formation, evolving patterns of gene and transgene expression, neuronal organization, and fate mapping. Our results highlight two key events in telencephalon morphogenesis. First, the formation of a deep ventricular recess between telencephalon and diencephalon, the anterior intraencephalic sulcus (AIS), effectively creates a posterior ventricular wall to the telencephalic lobes. This process displaces the most posterior neuroepithelial territory of the telencephalon laterally. Second, as telencephalic growth and neurogenesis proceed between days 2 and 5 of development, the pallial region of the posterior ventricular wall of the telencephalon bulges into the dorsal aspect of the AIS. This brings the ventricular zone (VZ) into close apposition with the roof of the AIS to generate a narrow ventricular space and the thin tela choroidea (tc). As the pallial VZ expands, the tc also expands over the upper surface of the telencephalon. During this period, the major axis of growth and extension of the pallial VZ is along the anteroposterior axis. This second step effectively generates an everted telencephalon by 5 dpf. Conclusion: Our description of telencephalic morphogenesis challenges the conventional model that eversion is simply due to a laterally directed outfolding of the telencephalic neuroepithelium. This may have significant bearing on understanding the eventual organization of the adult fish telencephalon

Automated electroencephalographic discontinuity in cooled newborns predicts cerebral MRI and neurodevelopmental outcome

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Prolonged electroencephalographic (EEG) discontinuity has been associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes after perinatal asphyxia but its predictive value in the era of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is unknown. In infants undergoing TH for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) prolonged EEG discontinuity is associated with cerebral tissue injury on MRI and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. METHOD: Retrospective study of term neonates from three UK centres who received TH for perinatal asphyxia, had continuous two channel amplitude-integrated EEG with EEG for a minimum of 48 h, brain MRI within 6 weeks of birth and neurodevelopmental outcome data at a median age of 24 months. Mean discontinuity was calculated using a novel automated algorithm designed for analysis of the raw EEG signal. RESULTS: Of 49 eligible infants, 17 (35%) had MR images predictive of death or severe neurodisability (unfavourable outcome) and 29 (59%) infants had electrographic seizures. In multivariable logistic regression, mean discontinuity at 24 h and 48 h (both p=0.01), and high seizure burden (p=0.05) were associated with severe cerebral tissue injury on MRI. A mean discontinuity >30 s/min-long epoch, had a specificity and positive predictive value of 100%, sensitivity of 71% and a negative predictive value of 88% for unfavourable neurodevelopmental outcome at a 10 µV threshold. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to seizure burden, excessive EEG discontinuity is associated with increased cerebral tissue injury on MRI and is predictive of abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome in infants treated with TH. The high positive predictive value of EEG discontinuity at 24 h may be valuable in selecting newborns with HIE for adjunctive treatments

Snow and Rain Modify Neighbourhood Walkability for Older Adults

RÉSUMÉ La littérature a documenté une relation positive entre la mobilité à l’extérieur chez les personnes âgées et les environnements bâtisables et marchables. Cependant, étonnamment, toute considération de la façon dont le temps modifie l’accessibilité piétonnière à travers les quartiers est absente. À Vancouver, au Canada, on a utilisé des données météorologiques archivées liées à des données recueillies auprès d’un échantillon d’aînés. On a constaté que, lorsqu’il neige, les quartiers où l’on dépend d’automobiles (comportant des blocs plus longs, moins d’intersections et une plus grande distance aux commodités) sont devenus inaccessibles. Même les adultes plus âgés qui vivaient dans les quartiers qui étaient très bien adaptés au traffic pietonnier marchait à 25 pour cent moins de destinations pendant la neige. Il est essentiel de tenir compte de l’impact des conditions météorologiques dans la relation entre la marchabilité des quartiers et la mobilité des personnes âgées

Using social media to assess the consumer nutrition environment: comparing Yelp reviews with a direct observation audit instrument for grocery stores

Objective To examine the feasibility of using social media to assess the consumer nutrition environment by comparing sentiment expressed in Yelp reviews with information obtained from a direct observation audit instrument for grocery stores. Design Trained raters used the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S) in 100 grocery stores from July 2015 to March 2016. Yelp reviews were available for sixty-nine of these stores and were retrieved in February 2017 using the Yelp Application Program Interface. A sentiment analysis was conducted to quantify the perceptions of the consumer nutrition environment in the review text. Pearson correlation coefficients (ρ) were used to compare NEMS-S scores with Yelp review text on food availability, quality, price and shopping experience. Setting Detroit, Michigan, USA. Participants None. Results Yelp reviews contained more comments about food availability and the overall shopping experience than food price and food quality. Negative sentiment about food prices in Yelp review text and the number of dollar signs on Yelp were positively correlated with observed food prices in stores (ρ=0·413 and 0·462, respectively). Stores with greater food availability were rated as more expensive on Yelp. Other aspects of the food store environment (e.g. overall quality and shopping experience) were captured only in Yelp. Conclusions While Yelp cannot replace in-person audits for collecting detailed information on the availability, quality and cost of specific food items, Yelp holds promise as a cost-effective means to gather information on the overall cost, quality and experience of food stores, which may be relevant for nutrition outcomes

Comparison of two area-level socioeconomic deprivation indices: Implications for public health research, practice, and policy.

ObjectivesTo compare 2 frequently used area-level socioeconomic deprivation indices: the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI).MethodsIndex agreement was assessed via pairwise correlations, decile score distribution and mean comparisons, and mapping. The 2019 ADI and 2018 SVI indices at the U.S. census tract-level were analyzed.ResultsIndex correlation was modest (R = 0.51). Less than half (44.4%) of all tracts had good index agreement (0-1 decile difference). Among the 6.3% of tracts with poor index agreement (≥6 decile difference), nearly 1 in 5 were classified by high SVI and low ADI scores. Index items driving poor agreement, such as high rents, mortgages, and home values in urban areas with characteristics indicative of socioeconomic deprivation, were also identified.ConclusionsDifferences in index dimensions and agreement indicated that ADI and SVI are not interchangeable measures of socioeconomic deprivation at the tract level. Careful consideration is necessary when selecting an area-level socioeconomic deprivation measure that appropriately defines deprivation relative to the context in which it will be used. How deprivation is operationalized affects interpretation by researchers as well as public health practitioners and policymakers making decisions about resource allocation and working to address health equity

Biological expressions of early life trauma in the immune system of older adults

Background Poor immune function is associated with increased risk for a number of age-related diseases, however, little is known about the impact of early life trauma on immune function in late-life. Methods Using nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 5,823), we examined the association between experiencing parental/caregiver death or separation before age 16 and four indicators of immune function in late-life: C-reactive Protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor (sTNFR), and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) response to cytomegalovirus (CMV). We also examined racial/ethnic differences. Findings Individuals that identified as racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to experience parental/caregiver loss and parental separation in early life compared to Non-Hispanic Whites, and had poorer immune function in late-life. We found consistent associations between experiencing parental/caregiver loss and separation and poor immune function measured by CMV IgG levels and IL-6 across all racial/ethnic subgroups. For example, among Non-Hispanic Blacks, those that experienced parental/caregiver death before age 16 had a 26% increase in CMV IgG antibodies in late-life (β = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.34) compared to a 3% increase in CMV antibodies among Non-Hispanic Whites (β = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.07) controlling for age, gender, and parental education. Interpretation Our results suggest a durable association between experiencing early life trauma and immune health in late-life, and that structural forces may shape the ways in which these relationships unfold over the life course