Reshaping the worldview: case studies of faith groups’ approaches to a new Australian land ethic

This study aimed to highlight the praxis of various mainstream and alternative faith traditions in Australia with relation to environmental sustainability issues. A mixed methods approach (surveys, interviews, site visits) was used to investigate the levels of awareness and involvement of faith communities on issues including biodiversity protection, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste management and cultural property heritage. The aim of this chapter is to highlight a theme of integration (or lack thereof) that arose out of the interviews which formed a critical part of the participants’ worldview. A brief overview of the relationships of attitudes and behaviours to environmental issues and the importance placed on values and worldviews is provided. Individuals from 40 faith groups participated in the study; in this chapter, individuals and case studies from ten different groups are highlighted. These range from the conventional, mainstream Christian traditions to alternative Christian and Eastern traditions as well as the new age movement. The study found that mainstream traditions were making important attempts at integrating their worldview into appropriate environmental management strategies; however, the impact was marginal overall. The lesser known and alternative traditions, however, were at a significant leading edge of integrating praxis; yet, because these traditions are viewed with an element of suspicion, their efforts were marginalized by members of other faiths and the public. Thus, there are several points of convergence and divergence that faith traditions have with regard to environmental sustainability.

Cultural and social factors and quality of life of Maori in advanced age. Te puawaitanga o nga tapuwae kia ora tonu - Life and living in advanced age: a cohort study in New Zealand (LiLACS NZ)

AIM: To establish 1) the socioeconomic and cultural profile and 2) correlates of quality of life (QOL) of Maori in advanced age. METHOD: A cross sectional survey of a population based cohort of Maori aged 80-90 years, participants in LiLACS NZ, in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Socioeconomic and cultural engagement characteristics were established by personal interview and QOL was assessed by the SF-12. RESULTS: In total 421 (56%) participated and 267 (63%) completed the comprehensive interview. Maori lived with high deprivation areas and had received a poor education in the public system. Home ownership was high (81%), 64% had more than 3 children still living and social support was present for practical tasks and emotional support in 82%. A need for more practical help was reported by 21%. Fifty-two percent of the participants used te reo Maori me nga tikanga (Maori language and culture) daily. One in five had experienced discrimination and one in five reported colonisation affecting their life today. Greater frequency of visits to marae/sacred gathering places was associated with higher physical health-related QOL. Unmet need for practical help was associated with lower physical health-related QOL. Lower mental health-related QOL was associated with having experienced discrimination. CONCLUSION: Greater language and cultural engagement is associated with higher QOL for older Maori and unmet social needs and discrimination are associated with lower QOL.

The early language in Victoria study: predicting vocabulary at age one and two years from gesture and object use

The Macarthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) have been used widely to document early communicative development. The paper reports on a large community sample of 1,447 children recruited from low, middle and high socioeconomic (SES) areas across metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which communicative behaviours reported at 0 ; 8 and 1 ; 0 predicted vocabulary development at 1 ; 0 and 2 ; 0. In support of previous findings with smaller, often less representative samples, gesture and object use at 1 ; 0 were better predictors of 2 ; 0 vocabulary than were gesture and object use at 0 ; 8. At 1 ; 0, children from the lower SES groups were reported to understand more words than children from the higher SES groups, but there were no SES differences for words produced at 1 ; 0 or 2 ; 0. The findings add to our understanding of the variability in the development of early communicative behaviours.

Chinese immigrant youth identities and belonging in Prato, Italy: exploring the intersections between migration and youth studies

This article explores the experiences of young people of Chinese background in Prato (Italy). Despite significant social exclusion, young Chinese develop a sense of belonging to Prato by creating local, translocal and transnational affiliations and interconnections. These relationships contribute to making an often overtly hostile local reality, liveable and meaningful. A central aim of this article is to examine the intersection between migration studies and youth studies. The former tend to focus on the processes of identity formation featuring ethnic background, hence the label ‘second generation’. In contrast, the latter tend to foreground age- and generation-specific practices of belonging that may extend beyond ethnic identification, hence the focus on ‘youth’. We argue that bringing migration and youth studies together by complicating notions of home and host, migrant and local identity and belonging helps us to better understand how young people are managing multiplicity and mobility (and situatedness and stasis/fixity).

Changes in abdominal obesity and age-related macular degeneration: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between changes in waist-hip ratio (WHR), a measure of abdominal obesity, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: A total of 12 515 persons from a population-based cohort study, aged 45 to 64 years in 1987 to 1989, were followed up over 6 years. The percentage change in WHR during follow-up was ranked into sex-specific deciles; an increase in WHR was defined as the top 10% of change and a decrease in WHR as the bottom 10%. The association of increased or decreased WHR and presence of AMD at follow-up was determined using logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The average change in WHR was an increase of 2%, ranging from a decrease of 44% to an increase of 102%. A decrease in WHR of 3% or more was associated with 29% lower odds of any AMD (odds ratio = 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.97). This effect was most pronounced among obese participants at baseline, where a decrease in WHR was associated with 59% lower odds of AMD (odds ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged persons who had a 3% or greater reduction in WHR over time were less likely to have AMD, particularly among those who were initially obese.

Discordant age and sex-specific trends in the incidence of a first coronary heart disease event in Western Australia from 1996 to 2007

OBJECTIVE: To determine age- and sex-specific population trends in fatal and non-fatal first coronary heart disease (CHD) events in Western Australia from 1996 to 2007. DESIGN: Longitudinal retrospective population study. SETTING: State-wide population. PATIENTS: All residents aged 35-84 years during 1996-2007 who died or were hospitalised with a principal diagnosis of acute CHD. DATA SOURCES: Person-linked file of mortality and morbidity records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age-standardised (35-84 years) and age-specific (35-54, 55-69, 70-84 years) rates by gender for a first CHD event were calculated with a 10-year lead-in period to define first events. RESULTS: From 1996 to 2007 there were 36 631 first CHD events, including 8518 (23%) fatal cases in those aged 35-84 years. Overall, age-adjusted rates for fatal first CHD declined 5.3%/year in men (95% CI -6.1% to -4.6%) and 6.5%/year in women (95% CI -7.5% to -5.5%). However, age-specific fatal first CHD rates were neutral in both men aged 35-54 years (0.1%/year; 95% CI -1.8% to 2.1%) and women of the same age, (-1.6%/year; 95% CI -5.6% to 2.5%). Age-specific trends in non-fatal CHD rates reflected the same trends in fatal CHD events in men and women, with rates reportedly increasing in women aged 35-54 years (2.5%/year (95% CI 1.1% to 3.9%). CONCLUSION: The age-specific decline in fatal and non-fatal first CHD rates in older men and women was not observed in those aged 35-54 years. These novel findings provide evidence for a levelling in the CHD incidence rates in younger adults and puts renewed importance on primary prevention in this group.

The magnitude of association between overweight and obesity and the risk of diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

The objectives of this meta-analysis were to examine the magnitude of the relative risk (RR) of developing type 2 diabetes for overweight and obese populations, compared to those with normal weight, and to determine causes of the variation in RR between various cohort studies. The magnitude of the RR was analyzed by combining 18 prospective cohort studies that matched defined criteria. The variance in RR between studies was explored. The overall RR of diabetes for obese persons compared to those with normal weight was 7.19, 95% CI: 5.74, 9.00 and for overweight was 2.99, 95% CI: 2.42, 3.72. The variation in RR among studies was explored and it was found that the effect of heterogeneity was highly related with sample size, method of assessment of body mass index (BMI) and method of ascertainment of type 2 diabetes. By combining only cohort studies with more than 400 cases of incident diabetes (>median), adjusted by at least three main confounding variables (age, family history of type 2 diabetes, physical activity), measured BMI, and diabetes determined by clinical diagnosis, the RR was 7.28, 95% CI: 6.47, 8.28 for obesity and 2.92, 95% CI: 2.57, 3.32 for overweight.

Predicting physical activity intention and behavior in school-age children

Two studies were conducted to predict physical activity in school-aged children. Study 1 tested the utility of an integrated model in predicting physical activity (PA) intention and behavior-the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and self-efficacy theory. Six hundred and forty-five New Zealand children (aged 11-13 years) completed measures corresponding to the integrated model and a self-reported measure of PA one week later. Perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norm were the two strongest predictors of intentions. Task efficacy and barrier efficacy were the two strongest predictors of PA. A second study (Study 2) was conducted to determine whether the self-efficacy measures could discriminate objectively measured PA levels. Sixty-seven Canadian children (aged 11-13 years) completed task and barrier self-efficacy measures. The following week, children classified as 'high' (n = 11) and 'lower' (n = 7) for both task and barrier efficacy wore an Actical® monitor for seven consecutive days to provide activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) data. Results showed that children with high efficacy expended significantly greater AEE than their lower efficacious counterparts. Findings from these two studies provide support for the use of self-efficacy interventions as a potentially useful means of increasing PA levels among school-aged children.

Does maternal concern about children's weight affect children's body size perception at the age of 6.5? A community-based study

OBJECTIVE: Though overweight is often established by school entry, not all mothers of such children report weight concerns. Enhancing concern might assist lifestyle change, but could lead to child body dissatisfaction. We investigated (i) perceived/desired body size and body dissatisfaction in mothers and their 6.5-year-old children, and (ii) the impact of earlier maternal concern about overweight on children's body mass index (BMI) status and body dissatisfaction. DESIGN: Prospective community study. SETTING: Melbourne, Australia. SUBJECTS: 317 mother-child dyads. MAIN EXPOSURES: Child and maternal BMI (kg m(-2)) at 4.0 and 6.5 years; maternal concern about child overweight at 4.0 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: Paired perceived and desired body size on 7-point figural rating scales self-reported by mothers and children, and reported by mothers regarding children; dissatisfaction ('desired' minus 'perceived') score. RESULTS: For all three actual BMI perceived size pairings (mother self-report, mother's report on child and child self-report), BMI correlated with perceived body size (r=0.82 (mother self-report); r=0.65 (mother reporting on child); r=0.22 (child self-report); all P<0.001). Similarly, all three dissatisfaction scores were greater with increasing BMI status. Children's own dissatisfaction scores correlated with their actual BMI, but were not related to mothers' own body dissatisfaction scores or with mothers' dissatisfaction with children's body size. Maternal concern about overweight at the age of 4 years was not associated with BMI change, or child body dissatisfaction by the age of 6.5. Most mothers of overweight and obese children (88 and 90%, respectively) regarded their child as the middle figure (that is, 4) or thinner. CONCLUSIONS: Despite low rates of recognition of child overweight, maternal perceptions of the child's body correlated strongly with the child's actual BMI. Maternal concerns about child BMI did not appear to impact on child BMI change or child body dissatisfaction.

Infant adiposity at birth and early postnatal weight gain predict increased aortic intima-media thickness at 6 weeks of age: a population-derived cohort study

Infant body composition and postnatal weight gain have been implicated in the development of adult obesity and cardiovascular disease, but there are limited prospective data regarding the association between infant adiposity, postnatal growth and early cardiovascular parameters. Increased aortic intima-media thickness (aortic IMT) is an intermediate phenotype of early atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between weight and adiposity at birth, postnatal growth and aortic IMT. The Barwon Infant Study (n=1074 mother-infant pairs) is a population-derived birth cohort. Infant weight and other anthropometry were measured at birth and 6 weeks of age. Aortic IMT was measured by trans-abdominal ultrasound at 6 weeks of age (n=835). After adjustment for aortic size and other factors, markers of adiposity including increased birth weight (β=19.9 μm/kg, 95%CI 11.1, 28.6; P<0.001) and birth skinfold thickness (β=6.9 μm/mm, 95%CI 3.3, 10.5; P<0.001) were associated with aortic IMT at 6 weeks. The association between birth skinfold thickness and aortic IMT was independent of birth weight. In addition, greater postnatal weight gain was associated with increased aortic IMT, independent of birth weight and age at time of scan (β=11.3 μm/kg increase, 95%CI 2.2, 20.3; P=0.01). Increased infant weight and adiposity at birth, as well as increased early weight gain, were positively associated with aortic IMT. Excessive accumulation of adiposity during gestation and early infancy may have adverse effects on cardiovascular risk.

A case-only genome-wide association study of gender- and age-specific risk markers for childhood leukemia

Males and age group 1 to 5 years show a much higher risk for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We performed a case-only genome-wide association study (GWAS), using the Illumina Infinium HumanCoreExome Chip, to unmask gender- and age-specific risk variants in 240 non-Hispanic white children with ALL recruited at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Besides statistically most significant results, we also considered results that yielded the highest effect sizes. Existing experimental data and bioinformatic predictions were used to complement results, and to examine the biological significance of statistical results. ^ Our study identified novel risk variants for childhood ALL. The SNP, rs4813720 (RASSF2), showed the statistically most significant gender-specific associations (P < 2 x 10-6). Likewise, rs10505918 (SOX5) yielded the lowest P value (P < 1 x 10-5 ) for age-specific associations, and also showed the statistically most significant association with age-at-onset (P < 1 x 10-4). Two SNPs, rs12722042 and 12722039, from the HLA-DQA1 region yielded the highest effect sizes (odds ratio (OR) = 15.7; P = 0.002) for gender-specific results, and the SNP, rs17109582 (OR = 12.5; P = 0.006), showed the highest effect size for age-specific results. Sex chromosome variants did not appear to be involved in gender-specific associations. ^ The HLA-DQA1 SNPs belong to DQA1*01:07and confirmed previously reported male-specific association with DQA1*01:07. Twenty one of the SNPs identified as risk markers for gender- or age-specific associations were located in the transcription factor binding sites and 56 SNPs were non-synonymous variants, likely to alter protein function. Although bioinformatic analysis did not implicate a particular mechanism for gender- and age-specific associations, RASSF2 has an estrogen receptor-alpha binding site in its promoter. The unknown mechanisms may be due to lack of interest in gender- and age-specificity in associations. These results provide a foundation for further studies to examine the gender- and age-differential in childhood ALL risk. Following replication and mechanistic studies, risk factors for one gender or age group may have a potential to be used as biomarkers for targeted intervention for prevention and maybe also for treatment.^

Caffeine Intake and its Association with Disease Progression, Sleep Quality and Anxiety Symptoms and Nutritional Alterations in People Living with HIV in the Miami Adult Studies on HIV Cohort

Miami-Dade County has approximately 27,000 people living with HIV (PLWH), and the highest HIV incidence in the nation. PLWH have reported several types of sleep disturbances. Caffeine is an anorexic and lipolytic stimulant that may adversely affect sleep patterns, dietary intakes and body composition. High caffeine consumption (>250 mg. per day or the equivalent of >4 cups of brewed coffee) may also affect general functionality, adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and HIV care. This study assess the relationship of high caffeine intake with markers of disease progression, sleep quality, insomnia, anxiety, nutritional intakes and body composition. A convenience sample of 130 PLWH on stable ART were recruited from the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort, and followed for three months. After consenting, questionnaires on Modified Caffeine Consumption (MCCQ), Pittsburg Insomnia Rating Scale (PIRS), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), socio-demographics, drug and medication use were completed. CD4 count, HIV viral load, anthropometries, and body composition measures were obtained. Mean age was 47.89±6.37 years, 60.8% were male and 75.4% were African-Americans. Mean caffeine intake at baseline was 337.63 ± 304.97 mg/day (Range: 0-1498 mg/day) and did not change significantly at 3 months. In linear regression, high caffeine consumption was associated with higher CD4 cell count (β=1.532, P=0.049), lower HIV viral load (β=-1.067, P=0.048), higher global PIRS (β=1.776, P=0.046), global PSQI (β=2.587, P=0.038), and GAD-7 scores (β=1.674, P=0.027), and with lower fat mass (β=-0.994, P=0.042), energy intakes (β=-1.643, P=0.042) and fat consumption (β=-1.902, P=0.044), adjusting for relevant socioeconomic and disease progression variables. Over three months, these associations remained significant. The association of high caffeine with lower BMI weakened when excluding users of other anorexic and stimulant drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, suggesting that caffeine in combination, but not alone, may worsen their action. In summary, high caffeine consumption was associated with better measures of disease progression; but was also detrimental on sleep quality, nutritional intakes, BMI and body composition and associated with insomnia and anxiety. Large scale studies for longer time are needed to elucidate the contribution of caffeine to the well-being of PLWH.

The Effects of Age, Ethnicity, Sexual Dysfunction, Urinary Incontinence, Masculinity, and Relationship with the Partner on the Quality of Life of Men with Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer in men, has positive survival rates and constitutes a challenge to men with its side effects. Studies have addressed the bivaritate relationships between prostate cancer treatment side effects masculinity, partner relationship, and quality of life (QOL). However, few studies have highlighted the relationships among prostate cancer treatment side effects (i.e., sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence), masculinity, and relationship with the partner together on QOL in men. Most studies were conducted with predominately Caucasian sample of men. Miami is a unique multiethnic setting that hosts Cuban, Columbian, Venezuelan, Haitian, other Latin American and Caribbean communities that were not represented in previous literature. The purpose of this study was to examine relative contributions of age, ethnicity, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, masculinity, and perception of the relationship with the partner on the quality of life in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data were collected using self administered questionnaires measuring demographic variables, sexual and urinary functioning (UCLA PCI), masculinity (CMNI), partner relationship (DAS), and QOL (SF-36). A total of 117 partnered heterosexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited from four urology clinics in Miami, Florida. Men were 67.47 (SD = 8.42) years old and identified themselves to be of Hispanic origin (54.3 %, n = 63). Findings demonstrated that there was a significant moderate negative relationship between urinary and sexual functioning of men. There was a significant strong negative association between men’s perceived relationship with partner and masculinity. There was a weak negative relationship between the partner relationship and QOL. Hierarchal multiple regression showed that the partner relationship (β = -.25, t (91) = -2.28, p = .03) significantly contributed overall to QOL. These findings highlight the importance of the relationship satisfaction in the QOL of men with prostate cancer. Nursing interventions to enhance QOL for these men should consider strengthening the relationship and involving the female partner as an active participant.

Prevalence and risk factors for mild and high-frequency bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at age 11 years old:a UK prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess prevalence and risk factors for mild/high-frequency bilateral sensorineural hearing loss within a UK population of children at age 11 years. DESIGN: Prospective birth cohort study. STUDY SAMPLE: Repeat hearing thresholds were measured in 5032 children, as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at age 7, 9, and 11 years. Pregnancy, birth, and early medical history were obtained prospectively through parental questionnaires and medical records. RESULTS: Twenty children had mild and seven had high-frequency bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, giving a combined prevalence of 0.5% (95% CI 0.4-0.8%). These children were more likely than the rest of the study sample to have been admitted to hospital at 6-18 months (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.00-7.30). Parents of these children were more likely to have suspected a hearing problem when the children were 3 years old (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.05-5.60). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first UK prospective cohort study to investigate the prevalence of mild and high-frequency hearing loss. This study, which has the advantage of a large sample size and repeat hearing measures over a four year period, reports lower prevalence values than US cross-sectional studies.

Worldwide trends in blood pressure from 1975 to 2015: a pooled analysis of 1479 population-based measurement studies with 19·1 million participants

Background: Raised blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. We estimated worldwide trends in mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalence of, and number of people with, raised blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher. Methods: For this analysis, we pooled national, subnational, or community population-based studies that had measured blood pressure in adults aged 18 years and older. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1975 to 2015 in mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalence of raised blood pressure for 200 countries. We calculated the contributions of changes in prevalence versus population growth and ageing to the increase in the number of adults with raised blood pressure. Findings: We pooled 1479 studies that had measured the blood pressures of 19·1 million adults. Global age-standardised mean systolic blood pressure in 2015 was 127·0 mm Hg (95% credible interval 125·7–128·3) in men and 122·3 mm Hg (121·0–123·6) in women; age-standardised mean diastolic blood pressure was 78·7 mm Hg (77·9–79·5) for men and 76·7 mm Hg (75·9–77·6) for women. Global age-standardised prevalence of raised blood pressure was 24·1% (21·4–27·1) in men and 20·1% (17·8–22·5) in women in 2015. Mean systolic and mean diastolic blood pressure decreased substantially from 1975 to 2015 in high-income western and Asia Pacific countries, moving these countries from having some of the highest worldwide blood pressure in 1975 to the lowest in 2015. Mean blood pressure also decreased in women in central and eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and, more recently, central Asia, Middle East, and north Africa, but the estimated trends in these super-regions had larger uncertainty than in high-income super-regions. By contrast, mean blood pressure might have increased in east and southeast Asia, south Asia, Oceania, and sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, central and eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and south Asia had the highest blood pressure levels. Prevalence of raised blood pressure decreased in high-income and some middle-income countries; it remained unchanged elsewhere. The number of adults with raised blood pressure increased from 594 million in 1975 to 1·13 billion in 2015, with the increase largely in low-income and middle-income countries. The global increase in the number of adults with raised blood pressure is a net effect of increase due to population growth and ageing, and decrease due to declining age-specific prevalence. Interpretation: During the past four decades, the highest worldwide blood pressure levels have shifted from high-income countries to low-income countries in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa due to opposite trends, while blood pressure has been persistently high in central and eastern Europe.