Price differences between domestic and international air markets : an empirical application to routes from Gran Canaria

In this paper we examine whether airline prices on national routes are higher than those charged on international routes. Drawing on a database prepared specifically for this study, we estimate a pricing equation for all routes originating from Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; differentiating between national and international routes. A key difference between these two route types is that island residents benefit from discounts on domestic flights. When controlling for variables related to airline characteristics, market structure and demand, we find that national passengers who are non-residents on the islands are paying higher prices than international passengers.

The ADO Index as a Predictor of Two-Year Mortality in General Practice-Based Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Existing prediction models for mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have not yet been validated in primary care, which is where the majority of patients receive care. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to validate the ADO (age, dyspnoea, airflow obstruction) index as a predictor of 2-year mortality in 2 general practice-based COPD cohorts. METHODS: Six hundred and forty-six patients with COPD with GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) stages I-IV were enrolled by their general practitioners and followed for 2 years. The ADO regression equation was used to predict a 2-year risk of all-cause mortality in each patient and this risk was compared with the observed 2-year mortality. Discrimination and calibration were assessed as well as the strength of association between the 15-point ADO score and the observed 2-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Fifty-two (8.1%) patients died during the 2-year follow-up period. Discrimination with the ADO index was excellent with an area under the curve of 0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.84]. Overall, the predicted and observed risks matched well and visual inspection revealed no important differences between them across 10 risk classes (p = 0.68). The odds ratio for death per point increase according to the ADO index was 1.50 (95% CI 1.31-1.71). CONCLUSIONS: The ADO index showed excellent prediction properties in an out-of-population validation carried out in COPD patients from primary care settings. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Challenges to patient-centred care in a general internal medicine context: findings from an exploratory study

Introduction. If we are to promote more patient-centred approaches in care delivery, we have to better characterize the situations in which being patient-centred is difficult to achieve. Data from professionals in health and social care are important because they are the people charged with operationalizing patient-centred care (PCC) in their daily practice. However, empirical accounts from frontline care providers are still lacking, and it is important to gather experiences not only from doctors but also from the other care providers. Indeed, experiences from different professions can help inform our understanding of patient care, which is expected to be both patient-centred and collaborative. Methods. This study was based on the following research question: What factors make the provision of PCC difficult to achieve? Sample and setting. A purposeful sampling technique was used, allowing for a series of choices about the participants and their professional affiliation. Because patient-centredness is the focus, 3 professions appeared to be of special interest: general internists, nurses and social workers. The study was undertaken in the General Internal Medicine Division of a teaching hospital located in a North American context. Data Collection. To answer the research question, a methodological approach based on a theory called phenomenology was chosen. Accordingly, semi-structured interviews were used since they generate understanding of the meanings different individuals have of their lived world. Interviews with 8 physicians, 10 nurses and 10 social workers were eventually conducted. Data analysis. An inductive thematic analysis was employed to make sense of the interview data. Results. The thematic analysis allowed identifying various types of challenges to PCC. Although most of the challenges were perceived by all three groups of professionals, they were perceived to a different degree across the professions, which likely reflected the scope of practice of each profession. The challenges and their distribution across the professions are illustrated in Table 1. Examples of challenges are provided in Table 2. Discussion. There is a tension between what is supposed to be done - what stands in the philosophy of patient -centredness - and what is currently done - the real life with all the challenges to PCC. According to some participants' accounts, PCC clearly risks becoming a mere illusion for health care professionals on which too great pressures are imposed.

Reframing video gaming and internet use addiction : empirical cross-national comparison of heavy use over time and addiction scales among young users

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence-based and reliable measures of addictive disorders are needed in general population-based assessments. One study suggested that heavy use over time (UOT) should be used instead of self-reported addiction scales (AS). This study compared UOT and AS regarding video gaming and internet use empirically, using associations with comorbid factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data from the 2011 French Survey on Health and Consumption on Call-up and Preparation for Defence-Day (ESCAPAD), cross-sectional data from the 2012 Swiss ado@internet.ch study and two waves of longitudinal data (2010-13) of the Swiss Longitudinal Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). SETTING: Three representative samples from the general population of French and Swiss adolescents and young Swiss men, aged approximately 17, 14 and 20 years, respectively. PARTICIPANTS: ESCAPAD: n =22 945 (47.4% men); ado@internet.ch: n =3049 (50% men); C-SURF: n =4813 (baseline + follow-up, 100% men). MEASUREMENTS: We assessed video gaming/internet UOT ESCAPAD and ado@internet.ch: number of hours spent online per week, C-SURF: latent score of time spent gaming/using internet] and AS (ESCAPAD: Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, ado@internet.ch: Internet Addiction Test, C-SURF: Gaming AS). Comorbidities were assessed with health outcomes (ESCAPAD: physical health evaluation with a single item, suicidal thoughts, and appointment with a psychiatrist; ado@internet.ch: WHO-5 and somatic health problems; C-SURF: Short Form 12 (SF-12 Health Survey) and Major Depression Inventory (MDI). FINDINGS: UOT and AS were correlated moderately (ESCAPAD: r = 0.40, ado@internet.ch: r = 0.53 and C-SURF: r = 0.51). Associations of AS with comorbidity factors were higher than those of UOT in cross-sectional (AS: .005 ≤ |b| ≤ 2.500, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 1.000) and longitudinal analyses (AS: 0.093 ≤ |b| ≤ 1.079, UOT: 0.020 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.329). The results were similar across gender in ESCAPAD and ado@internet.ch (men: AS: 0.006 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.211, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.061; women: AS: 0.004 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.155, UOT: 0.001 ≤ |b| ≤ 0.094). CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of heavy use over time captures part of addictive video gaming/internet use without overlapping to a large extent with the results of measuring by self-reported addiction scales (AS). Measuring addictive video gaming/internet use via self-reported addiction scales relates more strongly to comorbidity factors than heavy use over time.

General Equilibrium Long-Run Determinants for Spanish FDI: A Spatial Panel Data Approach

While general equilibrium theories of trade stress the role of third-country effects, little work has been done in the empirical foreign direct investment (FDI) literature to test such spatial linkages. This paper aims to provide further insights into long-run determinants of Spanish FDI by considering not only bilateral but also spatially weighted third-country determinants. The few studies carried out so far have focused on FDI flows in a limited number of countries. However, Spanish FDI outflows have risen dramatically since 1995 and today account for a substantial part of global FDI. Therefore, we estimate recently developed Spatial Panel Data models by Maximum Likelihood (ML) procedures for Spanish outflows (1993-2004) to top-50 host countries. After controlling for unobservable effects, we find that spatial interdependence matters and provide evidence consistent with New Economic Geography (NEG) theories of agglomeration, mainly due to complex (vertical) FDI motivations. Spatial Error Models estimations also provide illuminating results regarding the transmission mechanism of shocks.

On performance persistence in emerging markets: Empirical evidence from Asia-Pacific

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance persistence of international mutual funds, employing a data sample which includes 2,168 European mutual funds investing in Asia-Pacific region; Japan excluded. Also, a number of performance measures is tested and compared, and especially, this study tries to find out whether iterative Bayesian procedure can be used to provide more accurate predictions on future performance. Finally, this study examines whether the cross-section of mutual fund returns can be explained with simple accounting variables and market risk. To exclude the effect of the Asian currency crisis in 1997, the studied time period includes years from 1999 to 2007. The overall results showed significant performance persistence for repeating winners when performance was tested with contingency tables. Also the annualized alpha spreads between the top and bottom portfolios were more than ten percent at their highest. Nevertheless, the results do not confirm the improved prediction accuracy of the Bayesian alphas.

Predicting overall service quality: a structural equation modelling approach

In this article, the results of a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire (Parasuraman et al., 1991) are reported. The modifications consisted in substituting questionnaire items particularly suited to a specific service (banking) and context (county of Girona, Spain) for the original rather general and abstract items. These modifications led to more interpretable factors which accounted for a higher percentage of item variance. The data were submitted to various structural equation models which made it possible to conclude that the questionnaire contains items with a high measurement quality with respect to five identified dimensions of service quality which differ from those specified by Parasuraman et al. And are specific to the banking service. The two dimensions relating to the behaviour of employees have the greatest predictive power on overall quality and satisfaction ratings, which enables managers to use a low-cost reduced version of the questionnaire to monitor quality on a regular basis. It was also found that satisfaction and overall quality were perfectly correlated thus showing that customers do not perceive these concepts as being distinct

Indirect likelihood inference (revised)

Standard indirect Inference (II) estimators take a given finite-dimensional statistic, Z_{n} , and then estimate the parameters by matching the sample statistic with the model-implied population moment. We here propose a novel estimation method that utilizes all available information contained in the distribution of Z_{n} , not just its first moment. This is done by computing the likelihood of Z_{n}, and then estimating the parameters by either maximizing the likelihood or computing the posterior mean for a given prior of the parameters. These are referred to as the maximum indirect likelihood (MIL) and Bayesian Indirect Likelihood (BIL) estimators, respectively. We show that the IL estimators are first-order equivalent to the corresponding moment-based II estimator that employs the optimal weighting matrix. However, due to higher-order features of Z_{n} , the IL estimators are higher order efficient relative to the standard II estimator. The likelihood of Z_{n} will in general be unknown and so simulated versions of IL estimators are developed. Monte Carlo results for a structural auction model and a DSGE model show that the proposed estimators indeed have attractive finite sample properties.

Stress testing practices in risk management - Empirical evidence from the Finnish banking and insurance sectors

The main purpose of this study was to analyze how stress tests are used in risk management in the Finnish banking and insurance sectors. In order to enhance understanding of the topic, stress testing was explored in the context of corporate governance and regulato-ry implications of Basel II and Solvency II on stress testing were examined. In addition, the effects of the global financial crisis on stress testing were mapped and the differences in stress testing practices between the banking and insurance sector were discussed. The research method was qualitative case study and it was conducted by interviewing risk managers from ten institutions and a representative from FIN-FSA. Findings pointed out that stress testing practices vary significantly between different institutions. Interesting observations were made in terms of stress testing practices in the banking and insurance sectors. The increasing importance and use of stress tests were recognized as a result of the financial crisis. Stress testing was even considered more like art than science given the amount of challenges it involves. In general, improvements in stress tests were suggested, with an emphasis on stress concentration between different types of risks.

Teaching mathematics and programming : new approaches with empirical evaluation

Programming and mathematics are core areas of computer science (CS) and consequently also important parts of CS education. Introductory instruction in these two topics is, however, not without problems. Studies show that CS students find programming difficult to learn and that teaching mathematical topics to CS novices is challenging. One reason for the latter is the disconnection between mathematics and programming found in many CS curricula, which results in students not seeing the relevance of the subject for their studies. In addition, reports indicate that students' mathematical capability and maturity levels are dropping. The challenges faced when teaching mathematics and programming at CS departments can also be traced back to gaps in students' prior education. In Finland the high school curriculum does not include CS as a subject; instead, focus is on learning to use the computer and its applications as tools. Similarly, many of the mathematics courses emphasize application of formulas, while logic, formalisms and proofs, which are important in CS, are avoided. Consequently, high school graduates are not well prepared for studies in CS. Motivated by these challenges, the goal of the present work is to describe new approaches to teaching mathematics and programming aimed at addressing these issues: Structured derivations is a logic-based approach to teaching mathematics, where formalisms and justifications are made explicit. The aim is to help students become better at communicating their reasoning using mathematical language and logical notation at the same time as they become more confident with formalisms. The Python programming language was originally designed with education in mind, and has a simple syntax compared to many other popular languages. The aim of using it in instruction is to address algorithms and their implementation in a way that allows focus to be put on learning algorithmic thinking and programming instead of on learning a complex syntax. Invariant based programming is a diagrammatic approach to developing programs that are correct by construction. The approach is based on elementary propositional and predicate logic, and makes explicit the underlying mathematical foundations of programming. The aim is also to show how mathematics in general, and logic in particular, can be used to create better programs.

Late effects of cancer at a young age: Registry-based studies of the health of cancer patients and their off-spring

Modern cancer therapy has resulted in increased survival among patients diagnosed with cancer at a young age. These improvements have led to the investigation of late morbidity and mortality associated with cancer and its treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate late effects of cancer treated at a young age on the health of patients and their offspring. Utilising the nationwide population-based registries in Finland, we evaluated the risk of hypothyroidism and the probability of parenthood in cancer survivors as well as preterm birth, neonatal outcomes, and the risk of cancer among offspring of patients. The survivor cohort, identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry, consisted of 25,784 cancer patients diag-nosed between ages 0 and 34 in 1953–2004. By linkage to the population register, siblings of these patients were identified for comparison. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was higher among former childhood cancer (aged 0–16) patients than in the general population. The probability of parenthood following early onset cancer was overall significantly reduced compared to siblings. Offspring of female cancer survivors were at an increased risk of preterm birth, this risk being highest among patients diagnosed in childhood and early adulthood (aged 20–34 years). The offspring were not, however, at a significantly increased risk of neonatal death or stillbirth, though they were more likely to need monitoring or intensive care in the neonatal period. The risk of sporadic cancer among offspring of male and female cancer survivors was not elevated in comparison to the general population. The study showed that former cancer patients are at risk of certain adverse endocrine and reproductive health outcomes and should be followed for timely intervention. The offspring of cancer survivors do not appear to be at risk for adverse health outcomes.

Suomen Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän evoluutio ilmasotateorian, kansallisten instituutioiden ja johtamisjärjestelmän ulkomaisen kehityksen näkökulmasta

Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmä on osa Ilmavoimien järjestelmäkokonaisuutta, jonka kaksi muuta osaa ovat taistelujärjestelmä ja tukeutumisjärjestelmä. Ilmavoimien materiaalista suorituskykyä rakennetaan tämän järjestelmäajattelun pohjalta. tässä tutkimuksessa Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmää tutkitaan kolmen kokonaisuuden, ilmavalvontajärjestelmän, ilmatilannekuvan muodostamisjärjestelmän ja tulenkäytön johtamisjärjestelmän, näkökulmasta. Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän laajuuden vuoksi tutkimusaluetta on jouduttu rajaamaan. Tutkimus perustuu evoluutioparadigmaan, jonka mukaisesti kaikki olevainen on evolutionaarista. Mikään tässä ajassa oleva ilmiö ei ole historiaton. Jokaisella ilmiöllä on nykyisyytensä lisäksi historia ja tulevaisuus. Evoluutioparadigman avulla laajennetaan Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän nykyisyyden ymmärtämistä kuvaamalla ja analysoimalla sen evoluutiota. Tutkimusaineistoa analysoidaan käyttäen hyväksi polkuriippuvuutta evolutionaarisena mallina. tätä mallia on käytetty uusinstitutionaalisessa ja evolutionaarisessa taloustieteessä ja taloushistoriassa tutkittaessa yritysten, toimialojen tai tuotteiden pysyvyyttä markkinoilla sekä erilaisten innovaatioiden vaikuttavuutta menestymiseen eri markkinatilanteissa. Tutkimusasetelman lähtökohtana on Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmäevoluution kuvaaminen kolmen tekijän tasapainoasetelman suhteen, joita ovat instituutiot, ilmasotateoria ja kansainvälinen ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän kehitys. tutkimuksen tavoitteena on löytää institutionaalinen logiikka Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän evoluutiolle sekä sen eri kehitysprosesseihin liittyvä mahdollinen polkuriippuvuuden logiikka. Tutkittavina instituutioina ovat kansallinen poliittinen päätöksenteko, joka ilmentyy erilaisina komiteamietintöjä, raportteina ja selontekoina. Sotilaallista instituutiota edustavat eri operatiiviset ohjeet, ohjesäännöt ja doktriinit, jotka ovat ohjanneet johtamisjärjestelmäkehitystä. Ilmasotateorian vaikuttavuuden analyysiä varten tutkimuskohteiksi on valittu seitsemän merkittävää ilmasotateoreetikkoa. Kenraalimajuri Giulio douhet, ilmamarsalkka Hugh Trenchard ja kenraalimajuri William Mitchell edustavat ilmasotateorian varhaista kautta. Kansallista ilmasotateorian kehitystä edustavat eversti Richard Lorentz ja kenraalimajuri Gustaf Erik Magnusson. Yhdysvaltalaiset everstit John Boyd ja John Warden III ovat uuden ajan ilmasotateoreetikkoja. Näiden henkilöiden tuottamien teorioiden avulla voidaan piirtää kuva muutoksesta, jota ilmasodankäynnin teoreetti- sessa ajattelussa on tapahtunut. Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän evoluutiolle haetaan vertailua kehityksestä, jota on tapahtunut Yhdysvalloissa, Isossa-Britanniassa ja Saksassa. Ilmavoimat on saanut vaikutteita muistakin maista, mutta näiden maiden kehityksen avulla voidaan selittää Suomessa tapahtunutta kehitystä. Tutkimuksessa osoitetaan, että kansainvälisellä johtamisjärjestelmäevoluutiolla on ollut merkittävä vaikutus suomalaiseen kehitykseen. Tämä tutkimus laajentaa prosessuaalista tutkimusteoriaa ja polkuriippuvuusmallin käyttöä sotatieteelliseen tutkimuskenttään. tutkimus yhdistää toisiinsa aivan uudella tavalla sotilasorganisaation institutionaalisia tekijöitä pitkässä evoluutioketjussa. Tutkimus luo pohjaa prosessuaaliseen, havaintoihin perustuvaan evoluutioajatteluun, jossa eri tekijöiden selitysmalleja ja kausaalisuutta eri periodien aikana voidaan kuvata. Tutkimuksen tuloksena ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmäevoluutiossa paljastui merkittäviä piirteitä. Teknologia on ollut voimakas katalysaattori ilmapuolustuksen evoluutiossa. Uusien teknologisten innovaatioiden ilmestyminen taistelukentälle on muuttanut oleellisesti taistelun kuvaa. Sodankäynnin revoluutiosta huolimatta sodankäynnin tai operaatiotaidon ja taktiikan perusperiaatteissa ei ole tapahtunut perustavanlaatuista muutosta. Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän kehitys on voimakkaasti linkittynyt ulkomaiseen johtamisjärjestelmäkehitykseen, jossa teknologiaimplementaatiot perustuvat usean eri ilmiön paljastumiseen ja hyväksikäyttöön. Sotilas- ja siviili-instituutiot ovat merkittävästi vaikuttaneet Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän kansalliseen kehitykseen. Ne ovat antaneet poliittisen ohjauksen, taloudellisten resurssien ja strategis-operatiivisten käskyjen ja suunnitelmien avulla perusteet, joiden pohjalta johtamisjärjestelmää on kehitetty. Tutkimus osoittaa, että Suomen taloudellisten resurssien rajallisuus on ollut merkittävin institutionaalinen rajoite Ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmää kehitettäessä. Useat poliittiset ohjausasiakirjat ovat korostaneet, ettei Suomella pienenä kansakuntana ole taloudellisia resursseja seurata kansainvälistä sotilasteknologiakehitystä. Lisäksi ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittinen liikkumavapaus on vaikuttanut kehittämismahdollisuuksiin. Ilmasotateorian evoluutio on luonut johtamisjärjestelmän kehitykselle välttämättömän konseptuaalisen viitekehyksen, jotta ilmasota on voitu viedä käytännön tasolle. Teoria, doktriini ja instituutiot toimivat vuorovaikutuksessa, jossa ne interaktiivisesti vaikuttavat toinen toisiinsa. Tutkimus paljasti kuusi merkittävää sokkia, jotka saivat aikaan radikaaleja muutoksia johtamisjärjestelmän evoluutiopolulla. tutkimuksen perusteella vaikuttavimmat muutoksia aiheuttavat sokit olivat radikaalit turvallisuuspoliittiset muutokset kuten sota ja voimakkaat kansantalouden muutokset kuten lama. Sokkeja aiheuttaneet kuusi ajankohtaa olivat: 1. Puolustusvoimien rakentamisen aloittaminen vapaussodan jälkeen 1918 2. Maailmanlaajuinen lama 1929–1933 ja eurooppalainen rauhanaate 1928–1933 3. Talvi- ja jatkosota 1939–1944 4. Uusi alku Pariisin rauhansopimuksen 1947 ja YYA-sopimuksen 1948 varjossa 5. Kylmän sodan päättyminen ja Suomen lama 1990–1993 6. Maailmanlaajuinen lama 2008- Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan todeta, että Suomen ilmavoimien johtamisjärjestelmän kehittäminen on perustunut rationaalisiin päätöksiin, jotka ovat saaneet vaikutteita ulkomaisesta ilmasotateorian ja -doktriinien kehityksestä sekä kansainvälisestä johtamisjärjestelmäkehityksestä. Johtamisjärjestelmän evoluutioon on vaikuttanut globaali konvergenssi, johon on tehty kansallisen tason ratkaisuja järjestelmien adaptaation ja implementaation yhteydessä.

The bifurcational behaviour of the spatially distributed Rayleigh equation

At the present work the bifurcational behaviour of the solutions of Rayleigh equation and corresponding spatially distributed system is being analysed. The conditions of oscillatory and monotonic loss of stability are obtained. In the case of oscillatory loss of stability, the analysis of linear spectral problem is being performed. For nonlinear problem, recurrent formulas for the general term of the asymptotic approximation of the self-oscillations are found, the stability of the periodic mode is analysed. Lyapunov-Schmidt method is being used for asymptotic approximation. The correlation between periodic solutions of ODE and PDE is being investigated. The influence of the diffusion on the frequency of self-oscillations is being analysed. Several numerical experiments are being performed in order to support theoretical findings.

Multidata inverse problems and Bayesian solution methods in astronomy

Statistical analyses of measurements that can be described by statistical models are of essence in astronomy and in scientific inquiry in general. The sensitivity of such analyses, modelling approaches, and the consequent predictions, is sometimes highly dependent on the exact techniques applied, and improvements therein can result in significantly better understanding of the observed system of interest. Particularly, optimising the sensitivity of statistical techniques in detecting the faint signatures of low-mass planets orbiting the nearby stars is, together with improvements in instrumentation, essential in estimating the properties of the population of such planets, and in the race to detect Earth-analogs, i.e. planets that could support liquid water and, perhaps, life on their surfaces. We review the developments in Bayesian statistical techniques applicable to detections planets orbiting nearby stars and astronomical data analysis problems in general. We also discuss these techniques and demonstrate their usefulness by using various examples and detailed descriptions of the respective mathematics involved. We demonstrate the practical aspects of Bayesian statistical techniques by describing several algorithms and numerical techniques, as well as theoretical constructions, in the estimation of model parameters and in hypothesis testing. We also apply these algorithms to Doppler measurements of nearby stars to show how they can be used in practice to obtain as much information from the noisy data as possible. Bayesian statistical techniques are powerful tools in analysing and interpreting noisy data and should be preferred in practice whenever computational limitations are not too restrictive.

Beauty for Sale - An Empirical Study of Appearance-Related Consumption in Finland

This study examines appearance-related consumption in Finland. The theoretical portion discusses appearance-related consumption, on one hand from a consumer culture perspective, as both a possibility and responsibility for everyone; and on the other hand, from the point of view of behaviour and attitudes associated with sociodemographic and lifestyle-related factors. The empirical part of the study concentrates on the following aspects: 1) Finns’ appearance-related consumption patterns, attitudes towards appearance-related consumption and attending to one’s looks through consumption, as well as general changes in consumption patterns and attitudes; 2) gender differences in attitudes and consumption patterns, and their possible changes over time, and; 3) other differences among population groups in attitudes and consumption patterns, and their possible changes over time. The following dissertation utilises data from seven different nationally representative surveys. Data include Finnish Household Budget surveys from 1998 (N=4 359), 2001 (N=5 495) and 2006 (N=4 007), as well as, The Everyday Life and Well-being Survey (N=908) collected in 2011, and Finland 1999 (N=2 417), Finland 2004 (N=3 574) and Finland 2009 (N=1 202) surveys. The study indicates that Finns’ relationship to appearance-related consumption is, generally, somewhat inconsistent. In Finland, a significant share of a household’s total spending, around the EU average, is allocated to products and services related to appearance. In addition, at an attitudinal level, physical appearance is important to most Finnish consumers. However, in many respects, these attitudes reflect a certain reservation towards appearance-related consumption practices. The number of those consumers who see themselves as truly dedicated to attending to their looks through consumption is quite small, whereas the amount of those willing to take a reserved or even negative attitude towards appearance-related consumption is clearly higher. Attitudes towards attending to one’s looks and the importance of appearance-related consumption had not changed during the past decade. Study shows that at present, appearance-related consumption is a form of consumption that is particularly important to women, younger consumers, people with middle or higher income, and those with normal weight. Gender is in the key role when explaining appearance-related consumption and contrary to common belief, gender differences seem to have stayed quite stable. The results also indicate that, to some extent, differences between younger and older age groups might be diminishing.