| 1. |
- Bouillon, Kim, et al.
(författare)
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Measures of frailty in population-based studies: An overview
- 2013
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Ingår i: BMC Geriatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2318. ; 13:64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Although research productivity in the field of frailty has risen exponentially in recent years, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the measurement of this syndrome. This overview offers three services: first, we provide a comprehensive catalogue of current frailty measures; second, we evaluate their reliability and validity; third, we report on their popularity of use.Methods: In order to identify relevant publications, we searched MEDLINE (from its inception in 1948 to May 2011); scrutinized the reference sections of the retrieved articles; and consulted our own files. An indicator of the frequency of use of each frailty instrument was based on the number of times it had been utilized by investigators other than the originators.Results: Of the initially retrieved 2,166 papers, 27 original articles described separate frailty scales. The number (range: 1 to 38) and type of items (range of domains: physical functioning, disability, disease, sensory impairment, cognition, nutrition, mood, and social support) included in the frailty instruments varied widely. Reliability and validity had been examined in only 26% (7/27) of the instruments. The predictive validity of these scales for mortality varied: for instance, hazard ratios/odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for mortality risk for frail relative to non-frail people ranged from 1.21 (0.78; 1.87) to 6.03 (3.00; 12.08) for the Phenotype of Frailty and 1.57 (1.41; 1.74) to 10.53 (7.06; 15.70) for the Frailty Index. Among the 150 papers which we found to have used at least one of the 27 frailty instruments, 69% (n = 104) reported on the Phenotype of Frailty, 12% (n = 18) on the Frailty Index, and 19% (n = 28) on one of the remaining 25 instruments.Conclusions: Although there are numerous frailty scales currently in use, reliability and validity have rarely been examined. The most evaluated and frequently used measure is the Phenotype of Frailty.
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| 2. |
- Dahl, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Being overweight in midlife is associated with lower cognitive ability and steeper cognitive decline in late life.
- 2010
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Ingår i: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1758-535X .- 1079-5006. ; 65:1, s. 57-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Although an increasing body of evidence links being overweight in midlife with an increased risk for dementia in late life, no studies have examined the association between being overweight in midlife and cognitive ability in late life. Our aim was to examine the association between being overweight in midlife as measured by body mass index (BMI) and cognitive ability assessed over time. METHODS: Participants in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study Aging were derived from a population-based sample. The participants completed baseline surveys in 1963 or 1973 (mean age 41.6 years, range 25-63 years). The surveys included questions about height, weight, diseases, and lifestyle factors. Beginning in 1986, the same individuals were assessed on neuropsychological tests every 3 years (except in 1995) until 2002. During the study period, 781 individuals who were 50 years and older (60% women) had at least one complete neuropsychological assessment. A composite score of general cognitive ability was derived from the cognitive test battery for each measurement occasion. RESULTS: Latent growth curve models adjusted for twinness showed that persons with higher midlife BMI scores had significantly lower general cognitive ability and significantly steeper longitudinal decline than their thinner counterparts. The association did not change substantially when persons who developed dementia during the study period were excluded from the analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Higher midlife BMI scores precede lower general cognitive ability and steeper cognitive decline in both men and women. The association does not seem to be mediated by an increased risk for dementia.
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| 3. |
- Dahl, Anna, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Being overweight in midlife is associated with lower cognitive ability and steeper cognitive decline in late life
- 2010
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Ingår i: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. - : Oxford University Press. - 1079-5006 .- 1758-535X. ; 65A:1, s. 57-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Although an increasing body of evidence links being overweight in midlife with an increased risk for dementia in late life, no studies have examined the association between being overweight in midlife and cognitive ability in late life. Our aim was to examine the association between being overweight in midlife as measured by body mass index (BMI) and cognitive ability assessed over time. METHODS: Participants in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study Aging were derived from a population-based sample. The participants completed baseline surveys in 1963 or 1973 (mean age 41.6 years, range 25-63 years). The surveys included questions about height, weight, diseases, and lifestyle factors. Beginning in 1986, the same individuals were assessed on neuropsychological tests every 3 years (except in 1995) until 2002. During the study period, 781 individuals who were 50 years and older (60% women) had at least one complete neuropsychological assessment. A composite score of general cognitive ability was derived from the cognitive test battery for each measurement occasion. RESULTS: Latent growth curve models adjusted for twinness showed that persons with higher midlife BMI scores had significantly lower general cognitive ability and significantly steeper longitudinal decline than their thinner counterparts. The association did not change substantially when persons who developed dementia during the study period were excluded from the analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Higher midlife BMI scores precede lower general cognitive ability and steeper cognitive decline in both men and women. The association does not seem to be mediated by an increased risk for dementia
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Dahl, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Body mass index across midlife and cognitive change in late life
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Obesity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0307-0565 .- 1476-5497. ; 37, s. 296-302
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: High midlife body mass index (BMI) has been linked to a greater risk of dementia in late life, but few have studied the effect of BMI across midlife on cognitive abilities and cognitive change in a dementia-free sample. METHODS: We investigated the association between BMI, measured twice across midlife (mean age 40 and 61 years, respectively), and cognitive change in four domains across two decades in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. RESULTS: Latent growth curve models fitted to data from 657 non-demented participants showed that persons who were overweight/obese in early midlife had significantly lower cognitive performance across domains in late life and significantly steeper decline in perceptual speed, adjusting for cardio-metabolic factors. Both underweight and overweight/obesity in late midlife were associated with lower cognitive abilities in late life. However, the association between underweight and low cognitive abilities did not remain significant when weight decline between early and late midlife was controlled for. CONCLUSION: There is a negative effect on cognitive abilities later in life related to being overweight/obese across midlife. Moreover, weight decline across midlife rather than low weight in late midlife per se was associated with low cognitive abilities. Weight patterns across midlife may be prodromal markers of late life cognitive health.
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| 6. |
- Dahl, Anna K., et al.
(författare)
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Agreement between self-reported and measured height, weight and body mass index in old age : a longitudinal study with 20 years of follow-up
- 2010
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Ingår i: Age and Ageing. - : Oxford University Press. - 0002-0729 .- 1468-2834. ; 39:4, s. 445-451
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: self-reported body mass index (BMI) based on self-reported height and weight is a widely used measure of adiposity in epidemiological research. Knowledge about the accuracy of these measures in late life is scarce.Objective: the study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and changes in accuracy of self-reported height, weight and BMI calculated from self-reported height and weight in late life.Design: a longitudinal population-based study with five times of follow-up was conducted.Participants: seven hundred seventy-four community-living men and women, aged 40–88 at baseline (mean age 63.9), included in The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging.Methods: participants self-reported their height and weight in a questionnaire, and height and weight were measured by experienced research nurses at an in-person testing five times during a 20-year period. BMI was calculated as weight (kilogramme)/height (metre)2.Results: latent growth curve modelling showed an increase in the mean difference between self-reported and measured values over time for height (0.038 cm/year) and BMI (0.016 kg/m2/year), but not for weight.Conclusions: there is a very small increase in the mean difference between self-reported and measured BMI with ageing, which probably would not affect the results when self-reported BMI is used as a continuous variable in longitudinal studies.
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| 7. |
- Dahl, Anna K, et al.
(författare)
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Is Self-reported Body Mass Index Less Reliable in Late Life?
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Self-reported Body Mass Index (BMI) based on self-reported height and weight is a widely used measure of adiposity in epidemiological research. Knowledge about the accuracy of these measures in late life is scarce, and especially if there is intra-individual changes over time. Methods: Seven hundred seventy-four men and women, aged 40 to 88 at baseline (mean age 63.9), in The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging self-reported and had their height and weight measured by experienced research nurses five times during a twenty year period. BMI was calculated as weight (kilos)/height (meter)2. Results: There was significant correlation between self-reported and measured height (0.97-0.98), weight (0.97-0.98), and BMI (0.93-0.95) at each measurement occasion, and substantial agreement for BMI as a categorical variable (Kappa coefficient 0.72-0.81). Latent growth curve modeling showed an increase in the mean difference between self-reported and measured values over time for height (0.04 cm/year) and BMI (0.02 kg/m2/year), but not for weight. Conclusions: There is a very small significant increase in the mean difference between self-reported and measured BMI with aging, mainly due to unawareness of changes in height, which probably would not affect the results when self-reported BMI is used as a continuous variable in longitudinal studies.
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| 8. |
- Falkenberg, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Short- and long-term effects of major organisational change on minor psychiatric disorder and self-rated health : Results from the Whitehall II study
- 2013
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 70:10, s. 688-696
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective To investigate short- and long-term effects of major organisational change on minor psychiatric disorder and self-rated health for women and men in different employment grades.Methods Minor psychiatric disorder and self-rated health among 6710 British civil servants (1993 women and 4717 men) in three employment grades from the Whitehall II study were examined from 1985 to 1988 under stable employment conditions. The short-term effects of organisational change were investigated in 1991–1993 after a time of major restructuring aiming at increasing the influence of market forces in the civil service and the long-term effects were investigated in 1997–1999.Results Those who had experienced organisational change and those who anticipated organisational change reported more negative short-term health effects (minor psychiatric disorder and poor self-rated health) compared with those who reported no change. No major differences were found depending on employment grade or gender. The negative health effects had diminished during 1997–1999 for those who reported that a major change had happened before 1991–1993. Those who anticipated an organisational change in 1991–1993 still reported more ill-health in 1997–1999 (both minor psychiatric disorder and self-reported health) than those in the comparison group.Conclusions The results indicate that organisational change affects employees’ health negatively in the short term but also that it is possible to recover from such negative effects. As it was not possible to discern any definite difference between the gender and grades, the results point at the importance of working proactively to implement organisational change for women and men at all levels.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Fransson, Eleonor, et al.
(författare)
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Association between change in body composition and change in inflammatory markers : An 11-year follow-up in the Whitehall II study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : Oxford University Press. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 95:12, s. 5370-5374
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Obesity is associated with low-grade inflammation, but the long-term effects of weight change on inflammation are unknown.Objective: The aim was to examine the association of change in weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference with change in C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6 and to assess whether this association is modified by baseline obesity status.Design and Setting: The design was a prospective cohort study among civil servants (the Whitehall II Study, UK). We used data from two clinical screenings carried out in 1991–1993 and 2002–2004 (mean follow-up, 11.3 yr).Participants: We studied 2496 men and 1026 women [mean age, 49.4 (SD = 6.0) yr at baseline] with measurements on inflammatory markers and anthropometry at both baseline and follow-up.Main Outcome Measures: We measured change in serum CRP and IL-6 during follow-up.Results: The mean increases in CRP and IL-6 were 0.08 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.07–0.09] mg/liter and 0.04 (95% CI, 0.03–0.05) pg/ml per 1-kg increase in body weight during follow-up. Study members with a BMI less than 25 kg/m2 at baseline had an average increase in CRP of 0.06 (95% CI, 0.05–0.08) mg/liter per 1-kg increase in body weight, whereas the increase in those who were overweight (25 BMI < 30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI 30 kg/m2) was greater: 0.08 (95% CI, 0.06–0.09) mg/liter and 0.11 (95% CI, 0.07–0.14) mg/liter, respectively (P value for interaction = 0.002). Similar patterns were observed for changes in BMI and waist circumference.Conclusions: Those who were overweight or obese at baseline had a greater absolute increase in CRP per unit increase in weight, BMI, and waist circumference than people who were normal weight.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Fransson, Eleonor, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of alternative versions of the job demand-control scales in 17 European cohort studies : the IPD-Work consortium
- 2012
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 12, s. 62-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Job strain (i.e., high job demands combined with low job control) is a frequently used indicator of harmful work stress, but studies have often used partial versions of the complete multi-item job demands and control scales. Understanding whether the different instruments assess the same underlying concepts has crucial implications for the interpretation of findings across studies, harmonisation of multi-cohort data for pooled analyses, and design of future studies. As part of the 'IPD-Work' (Individual-participant-data meta-analysis in working populations) consortium, we compared different versions of the demands and control scales available in 17 European cohort studies. Methods: Six of the 17 studies had information on the complete scales and 11 on partial scales. Here, we analyse individual level data from 70 751 participants of the studies which had complete scales (5 demand items, 6 job control items). Results: We found high Pearson correlation coefficients between complete scales of job demands and control relative to scales with at least three items (r > 0.90) and for partial scales with two items only (r = 0.76-0.88). In comparison with scores from the complete scales, the agreement between job strain definitions was very good when only one item was missing in either the demands or the control scale (kappa > 0.80); good for job strain assessed with three demand items and all six control items (kappa > 0.68) and moderate to good when items were missing from both scales (kappa = 0.54-0.76). The sensitivity was > 0.80 when only one item was missing from either scale, decreasing when several items were missing in one or both job strain subscales. Conclusions: Partial job demand and job control scales with at least half of the items of the complete scales, and job strain indices based on one complete and one partial scale, seemed to assess the same underlying concepts as the complete survey instruments.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Fransson, Eleonor, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Job strain as a risk factor for leisure-time physical inactivity : an individual-participant meta-analysis of up to 170,000 men and women
- 2012
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Ingår i: American Journal of Epidemiology. - Cary : Oxford University Press. - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 176:12, s. 1078-1089
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Unfavorable work characteristics, such as low job control and too high or too low job demands, have been suggested to increase the likelihood of physical inactivity during leisure time, but this has not been verified in large-scale studies. The authors combined individual-level data from 14 European cohort studies (baseline years from 19851988 to 20062008) to examine the association between unfavorable work characteristics and leisure-time physical inactivity in a total of 170,162 employees (50 women; mean age, 43.5 years). Of these employees, 56,735 were reexamined after 29 years. In cross-sectional analyses, the odds for physical inactivity were 26 higher (odds ratio 1.26, 95 confidence interval: 1.15, 1.38) for employees with high-strain jobs (low control/high demands) and 21 higher (odds ratio 1.21, 95 confidence interval: 1.11, 1.31) for those with passive jobs (low control/low demands) compared with employees in low-strain jobs (high control/low demands). In prospective analyses restricted to physically active participants, the odds of becoming physically inactive during follow-up were 21 and 20 higher for those with high-strain (odds ratio 1.21, 95 confidence interval: 1.11, 1.32) and passive (odds ratio 1.20, 95 confidence interval: 1.11, 1.30) jobs at baseline. These data suggest that unfavorable work characteristics may have a spillover effect on leisure-time physical activity.
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| 15. |
- Fransson, Eleonor, et al.
(författare)
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Perceptions of intimate relationships in partners before and after a patient's myocardial infarction
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 23:15-16, s. 2196-2204
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:To describe and explore how partners rate their intimate relationship before and after the patients' first myocardial infarction. A further aim was to investigate the association between partners' rating of their intimate relationship and self-rated health.BACKGROUND:To date, information on how partners experience the intimate relationship before and after a patient's myocardial infarction is sparse.DESIGN:A descriptive and exploratory design with longitudinal data collection.METHODS:The study comprised 127 partners, aged 34-87 years. Data collection included self-reported information on socio-demographic data, intimate relationship and self-rated health one year before and one year after patients' first myocardial infarction. Intimate relationship was assessed by the Swedish version of the Relationship Assessment Scale. Self-rated health was evaluated by the EuroQoL visual analogue scale.RESULTS:In general, partners reported high satisfaction with their intimate relationship both before and after the patients' myocardial infarction. Women reported somewhat lower ratings in their intimate relationship than men before the myocardial infarction. Women increased their ratings after one year, while men on average decreased their ratings. Partners with higher education reported lower ratings for intimate relationship after one year. Those with children living at home rated intimate relationship lower than those without children living at home after one year. Partners' self-rated health status was stable over time. No significant association between intimate relationship and self-rated health was found.CONCLUSIONS:This study provides important insights regarding couples' relationships from the perspective of the partner. Socio-demographic factors such as sex, educational level, having children living at home and employment status may influence how the relationship, from the partners' perspective, is affected by a myocardial infarction event.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE:This study provides insight into how partners rate their intimate relationship and self-rated health over time before and after patients' myocardial infarction.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Hassing, Linda B, et al.
(författare)
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Overweight in midlife is related to lower cognitive function later in life
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To examine the long-term effects of midlife overweight for cognitive abilities. The evidence is growing strong that overweight in midlife is related to increased dementia risk. Few studies have addressed the question if overweight affects cognitive abilities among those who do not develop dementia. In two studies we examined cognitive performance in two cohorts of people (young-old and old) in relation to self-reported Body Mass Index (BMI) in midlife. Methods: The participants are from the Swedish Twin Registry who participated in longitudinal studies on aging and cognition, the SATSA study (young-old cohort, 50 years and older) and the OCTO-Twin study (old cohort, 80 years and older) . BMI was reported in 1963 and cognitive abilities were examined 20- to 30-years later with five measurement occasions at 3-year intervals (SATSA) respectively 2-year intervals (OCTO-Twin). The cognitive abilities examined included tests of long-term memory, short-term memory, speed, verbal ability, spatial ability and a composite score representing general cognitive ability. Results: Multilevel modeling adjusting for twinship, demographic factors, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, showed that higher BMI in midlife predicted lower test performance 30 years later. Significant associations were found in all cognitive abilities. Although we found a significant cognitive decline across the five measurement occassions in both cohorts at the follow-up assessments, a higher midlife BMI was not associated with steeper decline in the old cohort, with the exception of verbal ability. This was, however, found for a measure of general cognitive ability and spatial ability in the young-old cohort.Conclusions: Our results indicate that midlife overweight is related to lower overall cognitive function in old age. The fact that BMI-related effects in slopes were only noted in some abilities in the young-old cohort suggests that the negative effect of overweight has an early onset.
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| 19. |
- Heikkila, Katriina, et al.
(författare)
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Job Strain and Alcohol Intake : A Collaborative Meta-Analysis of Individual-Participant Data from 140 000 Men and Women
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:7, s. Art. no. e40101-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The relationship between work-related stress and alcohol intake is uncertain. In order to add to the thus far inconsistent evidence from relatively small studies, we conducted individual-participant meta-analyses of the association between work-related stress (operationalised as self-reported job strain) and alcohol intake. Methodology and Principal Findings: We analysed cross-sectional data from 12 European studies (n = 142 140) and longitudinal data from four studies (n = 48 646). Job strain and alcohol intake were self-reported. Job strain was analysed as a binary variable (strain vs. no strain). Alcohol intake was harmonised into the following categories: none, moderate (women: 1-14, men: 1-21 drinks/week), intermediate (women: 15-20, men: 22-27 drinks/week) and heavy (women: > 20, men: > 27 drinks/week). Cross-sectional associations were modelled using logistic regression and the results pooled in random effects meta-analyses. Longitudinal associations were examined using mixed effects logistic and modified Poisson regression. Compared to moderate drinkers, non-drinkers and (random effects odds ratio (OR): 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.14) and heavy drinkers (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.26) had higher odds of job strain. Intermediate drinkers, on the other hand, had lower odds of job strain (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86, 0.99). We found no clear evidence for longitudinal associations between job strain and alcohol intake. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that compared to moderate drinkers, non-drinkers and heavy drinkers are more likely and intermediate drinkers less likely to report work-related stress.
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| 20. |
- Heikkila, Katriina, et al.
(författare)
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Job strain and the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases : individual-participant meta-analysis of 95 000 men and women
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:2, s. e88711-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Aims: Many clinicians, patients and patient advocacy groups believe stress to have a causal role in inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. However, this is not corroborated by clear epidemiological research evidence. We investigated the association between work-related stress and incident Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis using individual-level data from 95 000 European adults. Methods: We conducted individual-participant data meta-analyses in a set of pooled data from 11 prospective European studies. All studies are a part of the IPD-Work Consortium. Work-related psychosocial stress was operationalised as job strain (a combination of high demands and low control at work) and was self-reported at baseline. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were ascertained from national hospitalisation and drug reimbursement registers. The associations between job strain and inflammatory bowel disease outcomes were modelled using Cox proportional hazards regression. The study-specific results were combined in random effects meta-analyses. Results: Of the 95 379 participants who were free of inflammatory bowel disease at baseline, 111 men and women developed Crohn's disease and 414 developed ulcerative colitis during follow-up. Job strain at baseline was not associated with incident Crohn's disease (multivariable-adjusted random effects hazard ratio: 0.83, 95% confidence interval: 0.48, 1.43) or ulcerative colitis (hazard ratio: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.76, 1.48). There was negligible heterogeneity among the study-specific associations. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that job strain, an indicator of work-related stress, is not a major risk factor for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
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| 21. |
- Heikkila, K., et al.
(författare)
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Job strain and the risk of severe asthma exacerbations : a meta-analysis of individual-participant data from 100 000 European men and women
- 2014
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Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 69:6, s. 775-783
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundMany patients and healthcare professionals believe that work-related psychosocial stress, such as job strain, can make asthma worse, but this is not corroborated by empirical evidence. We investigated the associations between job strain and the incidence of severe asthma exacerbations in working-age European men and women. MethodsWe analysed individual-level data, collected between 1985 and 2010, from 102 175 working-age men and women in 11 prospective European studies. Job strain (a combination of high demands and low control at work) was self-reported at baseline. Incident severe asthma exacerbations were ascertained from national hospitalization and death registries. Associations between job strain and asthma exacerbations were modelled using Cox regression and the study-specific findings combined using random-effects meta-analyses. ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 10years, 1 109 individuals experienced a severe asthma exacerbation (430 with asthma as the primary diagnostic code). In the age- and sex-adjusted analyses, job strain was associated with an increased risk of severe asthma exacerbations defined using the primary diagnostic code (hazard ratio, HR: 1.27, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.00, 1.61). This association attenuated towards the null after adjustment for potential confounders (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.55). No association was observed in the analyses with asthma defined using any diagnostic code (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.19). ConclusionsOur findings suggest that job strain is probably not an important risk factor for severe asthma exacerbations leading to hospitalization or death.
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| 22. |
- Heikkila, Katriina, et al.
(författare)
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Job Strain and Tobacco Smoking : An Individual-Participant Data Meta-Analysis of 166 130 Adults in 15 European Studies
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Tobacco smoking is a major contributor to the public health burden and healthcare costs worldwide, but the determinants of smoking behaviours are poorly understood. We conducted a large individual-participant meta-analysis to examine the extent to which work-related stress, operationalised as job strain, is associated with tobacco smoking in working adults. Methodology and Principal Findings: We analysed cross-sectional data from 15 European studies comprising 166 130 participants. Longitudinal data from six studies were used. Job strain and smoking were self-reported. Smoking was harmonised into three categories never, ex- and current. We modelled the cross-sectional associations using logistic regression and the results pooled in random effects meta-analyses. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to examine longitudinal associations. Of the 166 130 participants, 17% reported job strain, 42% were never smokers, 33% ex-smokers and 25% current smokers. In the analyses of the cross-sectional data, current smokers had higher odds of job strain than never-smokers (age, sex and socioeconomic position-adjusted odds ratio: 1.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.18). Current smokers with job strain smoked, on average, three cigarettes per week more than current smokers without job strain. In the analyses of longitudinal data (1 to 9 years of follow-up), there was no clear evidence for longitudinal associations between job strain and taking up or quitting smoking. Conclusions: Our findings show that smokers are slightly more likely than non-smokers to report work-related stress. In addition, smokers who reported work stress smoked, on average, slightly more cigarettes than stress-free smokers.
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| 23. |
- Heikkilä, Katriina, et al.
(författare)
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Job strain and COPD exacerbations: an individual-participant meta-analysis
- 2014
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 44:1, s. 247-251
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To the Editor:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide (1). The clinical course of COPD is characterised by exacerbations, which can be minor and manageable at home or in primary care, or severe, leading to hospitalisation or even death. Known causes of exacerbations include tobacco smoke, air pollution, dusts and fumes, and respiratory infections (1, 2). One less well understood risk factor is stress, which could plausibly lead to COPD exacerbations as it can trigger inflammation (3, 4) and is associated with increased smoking (5), which are both implicated in COPD pathology (2). Work is an important source of stress in the age groups in which COPD is typically diagnosed (1, 6). However, we are not aware of previous investigations of work-related stress and the risk of COPD exacerbations.In this study, we examined the associations between job strain (the most widely studied conceptualisation of work-related stress) and severe COPD exacerbations using individual-level data from 10 prospective cohort studies from the Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis in Working Populations (IPD-Work) Consortium (7). Job strain is defined as a combination of high demands (excessive amounts of work) and low control (having little influence on what tasks to.
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| 24. |
- Heikkilä, K., et al.
(författare)
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Job strain and health-related lifestyle : Findings from an individual-participant meta-analysis of 118 000 working adults
- 2013
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Ingår i: American Journal of Public Health. - 0090-0036 .- 1541-0048. ; 103:11, s. 2090-2097
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives. We examined the associations of job strain, an indicator of work-related stress, with overall unhealthy and healthy lifestyles. Methods. We conducted a meta-analysis of individual-level data from 11 European studies (cross-sectional data: n = 118 701; longitudinal data: n = 43 971). We analyzed job strain as a set of binary (job strain vs no job strain) and categorical (high job strain, active job, passive job, and low job strain) variables. Factors used to define healthy and unhealthy lifestyles were body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, and leisure-time physical activity. Results. Individuals with job strain were more likely than those with no job strain to have 4 unhealthy lifestyle factors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12, 1.39) and less likely to have 4 healthy lifestyle factors (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.80, 0.99). The odds of adopting a healthy lifestyle during study follow-up were lower among individuals with high job strain than among those with low job strain (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.81, 0.96). Conclusions. Work-related stress is associated with unhealthy lifestyles and the absence of stress is associated with healthy lifestyles, but longitudinal analyses suggest no straightforward cause-effect relationship between workrelated stress and lifestyle. Copyright © 2013 by the American Public Health Association®.
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- Heikkilä, Katriina, et al.
(författare)
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Work stress and risk of cancer: meta-analysis of 5700 incident cancer events in 116 000 European men and women
- 2013
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Ingår i: The BMJ. - : BMJ. - 1756-1833. ; 345:f165
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective To investigate whether work related stress, measured and defined as job strain, is associated with the overall risk of cancer and the risk of colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers.Design Meta-analysis of pooled prospective individual participant data from 12 European cohort studies including 116 056 men and women aged 17-70 who were free from cancer at study baseline and were followed-up for a median of 12 years. Work stress was measured and defined as job strain, which was self reported at baseline. Incident cancers (all n=5765, colorectal cancer n=522, lung cancer n=374, breast cancer n=1010, prostate cancer n=865) were ascertained from cancer, hospital admission, and death registers. Data were analysed in each study with Cox regression and the study specific estimates pooled in meta-analyses. Models were adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic position, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol intakeResults A harmonised measure of work stress, high job strain, was not associated with overall risk of cancer (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 1.04) in the multivariable adjusted analyses. Similarly, no association was observed between job strain and the risk of colorectal (1.16, 0.90 to 1.48), lung (1.17, 0.88 to 1.54), breast (0.97, 0.82 to 1.14), or prostate (0.86, 0.68 to 1.09) cancers. There was no clear evidence for an association between the categories of job strain and the risk of cancer.Conclusions These findings suggest that work related stress, measured and defined as job strain, at baseline is unlikely to be an important risk factor for colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers.
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