Who is relevant? Exploring fertility relevant social networks

Based on the analysis of qualitative interviews in western Germany we argue that social relationships have a strong impact on individuals´ and couples´ fertility intentions and behavior. We identify relevant others and mechanisms of influences. The core family is an important factor of influences but we are also able to show that social relationships beyond the core family of parents and siblings need to be considered when taking social influence on the family formation of individuals into account.Germany, fertility, influence, social network

Fertility-relevant social networks: composition, structure, and meaning of personal relationships for fertility intentions

Although the relevance of social interactions or social networks for fertility research has been increasingly acknowledged in recent years, little is known about the channels and mechanisms of social influences on individuals� fertility decision making. Drawing on problem-centred interviews and network data collected among young adults in western Germany the authors show that qualitative methods broaden our understanding of social and contextual influences on couples� fertility intentions, by exploring the phenomenon, taking into account subjective perceptions, analysing interactions within networks as well as the dynamics of networks. Qualitative methods allow for the collection and analysis of rich retrospective information on network dynamics in relation to life course events. This also can be helpful both to complement the still rare longitudinal data on social networks and to develop parsimonious and efficient survey instruments to collect such information in a standardized way.Germany, fertility, qualitative methods, social network

Intergenerational support and reproduction of gender inequalities: a case study from Eastern and Western Germany

Social support is often described as an exclusively positively acting factor. Its absence is said to mean negative consequences for individuals. This article shows that the supply and dependence of inter-generational social support can have negative consequences and pertains to persisting unequal gender roles and a gendered division of labor in relationships. Based on qualitative interviews, conducted in eastern and western Germany, with young adults (28-30 years old) and their parents, we hypothesize, that the bigger supply of inter-generational support of grandparents for their children and grandchildren and an alleged dependence on these transfers is especially responsible for impeding the modernization of traditional role models assigning women to the role as a mother and housewife. However, less availability and dependence on this kind of social support in eastern Germany, contribute to a more flexible form of role allocation in a relationship

Der Einfluss sozialer Netzwerke auf die Familiengründung junger Erwachsener in Rostock und Lübeck

In dem demografischen Beitrag zur Entwicklung der Fertilität in Deutschland stellen die Autoren ihr Forschungsprojekt 'Freunde, Familie und das eigene Leben' vor, das von den folgenden Forschungsfragen geleitet wird: (1) Welche Vorstellungen, Erwartungen, Wünsche und Pläne haben junge Erwachsene in Ost- und Westdeutschland hinsichtlich Familiengründung oder Familienerweiterung? (2) Wie sehen die Strukturen und die Beziehungen in ihren sozialen Netzwerken aus? Welche Kanäle und Mechanismen sozialer Einflussnahme lassen sich für die Entscheidung zur Elternschaft ermitteln? Der Schwerpunkt des Aufsatzes liegt auf der Darstellung des Forschungsdesigns und der methodischen Besonderheiten, die im ersten Abschnitt in ihren Vor- und Nachteilen diskutiert werden. Dabei finden auch die Erfahrungen aus der Datensammlung (derzeitiger Stand: etwa ein Drittel der vorgesehenen Interviews) Berücksichtigung. Verwendet wird ein Methodenmix aus einem halbstrukturierten Leitfadeninterview, einer Netzwerkkarte und einer Netzwerktabelle sowie am Ende des Interviews einem Kurzfragebogen zur Erfassung soziodemografischer Daten. Eine Besonderheit ist die Auswahl der Befragten: interviewt werden jeweils eine(n) Hauptbefragte(n) und drei ihrer/seiner wichtigsten Netzwerkpartner. Der zweite Abschnitt gibt einige beispielhafte Einblicke in das gesammelte Material. Ein Beispiel verdeutlicht, welcher Art die Erzählungen über soziale Einflüsse sind, welche die Forscher in ihren Interviews erhalten. Zwei weitere Beispiele verdeutlichen, welcher Art die Strukturdaten sind, die man mit Hilfe der Netzwerkkarte ermitteln kann, wobei hierfür die Netzwerkgröße und die Dichte des Netzwerks herausgegriffen wird. Die Datensammlung ist zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt noch nicht abgeschlossen und es konnten erst einige wenige Einblicke in das reichhaltige empirische Material gewonnen werden; das Analysepotential dieser Daten ist jedoch bemerkenswert. (ICG2

Food Science Challenge: Translating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to Bring About Real Behavior Change

Food scientists and nutrition scientists (dietitians and nutrition communicators) are tasked with creating strategies to more closely align the American food supply and the public's diet with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This paper is the result of 2 expert dialogues to address this mandate, which were held in Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., in early October 2010 between these 2 key scientific audiences. It is an objective that has largely eluded public health experts over the past several decades. This document takes the perspective of food scientists who are tasked with making positive modifications to the food supply, both in innovating and reformulating food products, to respond to both the DGA recommendations, and to consumer desires, needs, and choices. The paper is one of two to emerge from those October 2010 discussions; the other article focuses on the work of dietitians and nutrition communicators in effecting positive dietary change

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Mapping social influence on fertility: a mix-method approach to data collection

Theoretical propositions on the importance of social effects arising from informal interaction on fertility change are not yet supported by systematic empirical evidence (Kohler et al. 2002). The correct identification of informal relationships sali1ent for fertility decision-making and the comparability of social networks across population subgroups present major problems. This paper illustrates the design of a research project that specifically addresses these two problems. The project investigates the role of informal social networks on fertility decisions in East and West Germany by employing a multi-method research strategy. We use a combination of in-depth interviews, network charts, and network grids to elicit a map of individual personal relationships and to analyze their influence on respondents’ fertility decisions and intentions. We collect information in parallel from the respondents and from up to three members of their social network.Germany, family formation, methodology, social norms

Analyzing social disadvantage in rural peripheries in Czechia and Eastern Germany : conceptual model and study design

The aim of this Working Paper is to introduce a conceptual model and study design for researching social disadvantage in rural peripheries, focusing on the interplay of social disadvantage and spatial disadvantage. The paper presents the theoretical concepts,understandings, and definitions, as well as the research design we draw on in the international research project ‘Social disadvantage in rural peripheries in Czechia and eastern Germany: opportunity structures and individual agency in a comparative perspective.’ The project investigates the multifaceted relationships between social disadvantage, local and regional opportunity structures,and individual agency in rural peripheries in Czechia and eastern Germany from a comparative perspective. It focuses on two sets of research questions. The first set concerns the quantitative patterns of social disadvantage and spatial disadvantage in rural areas. The second set asks about the impact of opportunity structures as part of the residential context on particularly disadvantaged groups in four case study regions. The project applies theories of peripheralization and rural restructuring, and considers social networks and individual agency. Area-level secondary data and accessibility analyses and qualitative case studies,including ego-centered network analyses and GPS mapping of time-space activity patterns,are used