| 1. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 2. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(author)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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In: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 3. |
- Cillekens, Bart, et al.
(author)
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O7-1 The association of occupational and leisure time physical activity with all-cause mortality. Using an individual participant dataset (N = 634,131)
- 2022
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In: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford Academic. - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 32:Suppl2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundPhysical activity is a key determinant for health and considered as an important factor in the prevention of lifestyle related-diseases. All physical activity domains are generally considered to be health enhancing. However, accumulating evidence in recent years suggests that occupational physical activity may not have the same beneficial health effect as leisure time physical activity. Our aim was to assess the association of occupational and leisure time physical activity and all-cause mortality.MethodsWe obtained individual participant data from published and unpublished cohort studies and assessed their risk of bias. We harmonized the data, and used Cox survival regression models to assess the association between occupational and leisure time physical activity with all-cause mortality, in a two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis. Different models were performed to assess the impact of relevant confounders including behavioral, health-related and socio-economic factors. Results of the data were reported with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).ResultsData from 22 prospective cohort studies showed that male workers with high occupational physical activity had an increased risk of all-cause mortality in comparison with sedentary occupational physical activity (HR: 1.12, 95%CI: 1.03- 1.23). For female workers, no such association was found (HR: 1.01, 95%CI: 0.85-1.19). when comparing high with sedentary occupational physical activity.Increasing levels of leisure time physical activity were inversely and dose-dependently associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. For example, high compared with sedentary leisure time physical activity was associated with reduced risks for males (HR: 0.53, 95%CI: 0.36-0.79) and for females (HR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.31-0.79).All associations remained robust when adjusting for additional relevant confounders, leaving one study out analysis, and when assessing the role of bias and reverse causality.ConclusionWe consistently found a reduced risk of all-cause mortality with increasing levels of leisure time physical activity, but not for occupational physical activity. These findings indicate that occupational activity may not be health-enhancing. These findings suggest that occupational physical activity may not be considered a suitable substitute to leisure time physical activity when striving for health enhancement.
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| 4. |
- Cillekins, Bart, et al.
(author)
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O5-6 The relation between domain-specific physical behavior and cardiorespiratory fitness: a compositional data analysis on the physical activity health paradox using accelerometer-assessed data
- 2022
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In: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford Academic. - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 32:s2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundIn contrast to leisure time physical activity (LTPA), occupational physical activity (OPA) does not have similar beneficial health effects. These differential health effects, also known as the physical activity health paradox, might be explained by dissimilar effects of LTPA and OPA on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). This study aims to investigate the association between device-worn measures of physical behaviors during both work and leisure time and CRF among workers with high level of OPA.MethodsOur results are based on a sample of 309 workers employed within the service and production sector from the cross-sectional FEPA (Flemish Employees' Physical Activity) study. OPA and LTPA were measured using two Axivity AX3 accelerometers, worn on the back and right thigh for 2 to 4 consecutive working days. CRF levels were obtained by the Harvard step test. Compositional multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyze the relations, adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, BMI, moderate-to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and physical work demands.ResultsDuring work time, more sedentary behavior (SB) was associated with higher CRF when compared relatively to time spent on other work behaviors, while more SB during leisure time was associated with lower CRF when compared to other leisure time behaviors. Reallocating more time to MVPA from the other behaviors within leisure time was positively associated with CRF, which was not the case for MVPA during work.ConclusionOur results emphasize the need for taking the domain-specific nature of physical activity into account to understand its relation to CRF. Guidelines usually do not differentiate between OPA and LTPA in their recommendation to participate in at least 150 min of physical activity per week, regardless of the OPA level. Workers already meeting this recommendations through OPA might therefore mistakenly think that they already meet the recommendations on physical activity and think they can spend their leisure time in a sedentary fashion. In reality, these types of workers might benefit from recommendations to take more sitting breaks during their work and to participate in leisure time MVPA to maintain or improve their CRF in order ‘to be fit for the job'.
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| 5. |
- Clays, Els, et al.
(author)
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Objectively measured occupational physical activities in blue collar jobs: do psychosocial resources matter?
- 2017
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In: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. - 2047-4873 .- 2047-4881. ; 24:2S
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: Occupational physical activity (OPA), and particularly static postures and physically exerting activities, is known to impact worker health and to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, sickness absence and premature retirement. The exploration of structural preventive measures at the workplace against the adverse health effects of excessive OPA is needed. The psychosocial work environment is hypothesised to buffer the adverse effects of OPA, and as such psychosocial resources might directly influence the performance of OPA. However, this has not been previously investigated with detailed objective measurements. The aim of this study is to describe OPA within blue-collar workers, and to examine the role of psychosocial job resources in the performance of OPA.Methods: Results are based on a sample of 198 blue-collar workers from the NOMAD (New method for Objective Measurements of physical Activity in Daily living) study, recruited from seven workplaces in Denmark. The sample included 112 men (56.6%) and 86 women (43.4%); the mean age was 44.9 years (SD 9.9). Data were collected with two Actigraph devices placed on the thigh and trunk, during four consecutive days. The accelerometer data were processed and analysed using the Acti4 software, to determine working time spent standing, walking, on feet and in activity of moderate to vigorous intensity level (MVPA). The level of influence and social support at work were assessed by questionnaire, and measured with a four-item scale. Analysis of (co-)variance and (multiple) linear regression models were conducted. All analyses were stratified by gender predominance of occupation.Results: The different types of OPA significantly varied by particular job type. Within male predominant occupations, job type accounted for 50–70% of explained variance, depending on the type of OPA. Manufacturing workers showed the highest average proportions of working time standing (33%) and on feet (79%), while garbage collectors had the highest proportion of working time in MVPA (33%). Mobile plant operators and construction workers had the lowest average working time spent walking and in MVPA. Differences in OPA between job types in female predominant occupations were less pronounced, but healthcare workers and cleaners had higher average proportions of time spent walking and in MVPA compared to assembly workers. The addition of age and psychosocial resources to the models did not contribute to a larger explained variance in OPA and the relations with job type remained significant. Social support at work showed an independent positive relation with working on feet, and with standing in female predominant jobs only. Influence at work was not related to OPA.Conclusion: The positive relation of social support with working on feet and standing is likely to be explained by the nature of the work tasks, as jobs that require these activities probably comprise more close interactions and as such create more intensified levels of cooperation at the work floor. Overall, our hypothesis that psychosocial job resources would affect the performance of OPA within blue-collar workers was not confirmed. These findings suggest that the performance of OPA within blue-collarjobs – and particularly within male predominant occupations – is mostly affected by work organisational factors related to specific job type, and not by psychosocial job resources.
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| 6. |
- Clays, Els, et al.
(author)
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Objectively measured occupational physical activity in blue-collar workers : What is the role of job type, gender and psychosocial resources?
- 2020
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In: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126. ; 82
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim was to describe occupational physical activity (OPA) and examine the role of psychosocial job resources among blue-collar workers. In a sample of 198 workers (57% male; mean age 44.9 (SD 9.9) year) from 7 companies in Denmark, two accelerometers (Actigraph) were placed on the thigh and trunk during 1-5 consecutive days, to determine working time spent standing, walking, on feet and in activity of moderate to vigorous intensity level (MVPA). The level of influence and social support at work were assessed by questionnaire. The exposure to OPA significantly varied by particular job type, especially in male predominant occupations. Overall, psychosocial job resources did not affect the exposure to OPA. These findings suggest that workplace interventions aiming to prevent adverse outcomes of OPA among blue-collars workers ought to focus on task redesign and target work organizational factors related to specific job type.
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| 7. |
- De Roose, Marjon, et al.
(author)
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Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding miscarriage : A cross-sectional study among Flemish midwives
- 2018
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In: Midwifery. - : Elsevier. - 0266-6138 .- 1532-3099. ; 56, s. 44-52
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: to examine the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Flemish midwives regarding miscarriage.DESIGN AND SETTING: a cross-sectional KAP study was conducted in 28 hospitals in Flanders (Northern region of Belgium) from September 2015 to January 2016.PARTICIPANTS: a total of 647 out of 1200 midwives (53.9%) working on maternity, labour and gynaecological wards, maternal and neonatal (intensive) care units, antenatal consultations, and reproductive medicine were recruited.MEASUREMENTS: data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire.FINDINGS: = 96.574, df = 1, p<0.001). The majority (72.4%) indicated a lack of knowledge regarding miscarriage. Almost 89% expressed a need for extra training.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: midwives in Flanders assist in the care for couples with miscarriage and consider themselves as a key healthcare provider in the psychosocial support. This study highlighted several barriers regarding miscarriage care, e.g. a lack of knowledge and incapability. Adequate training in knowledge and communication skills is important and necessary in order to promote appropriate care to couples experiencing pregnancy loss and increase awareness among all health professionals involved in obstetric care. Further research should investigate to what extent miscarriage is included in the educational midwifery programmes, and how the current healthcare practice regarding miscarriage care is organised.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Fransson, Eleonor, 1971-, et al.
(author)
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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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In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 12, s. 62-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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