Students' assessment of their neighbourhood socio-physical environment : difference between Sydney and Beijing

This study compared children's assessments of their neighbourhood environments in Sydney and Beijing.Students from nine high schools in Sydney ( N = 166) and two high schools in Beijing ( N = 234) participated in a survey study. Exploratory factor analysis, AN OVA, and structural equation modeling were used to analyse data. Items in the CNE Scale were clustered into four factors: Route to School, Vegetation & Facilities, Neighbours and Convenience. Significant national difference was found on one factor of neighbourhood environment: Rout to School. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant correlation between the constructs" country" and "neighbourhood socio-physical environment" , implying a relationship between the two. In sum, the findings suggested that children in Sydney were more satisfied with their overall neighbourhood socio-physical environment, especially regarding their routes to school.

Socio-economic inequalities in mortality persist into old age in New Zealand : study of all 65 years plus, 2001-04

A number of studies have explored the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mortality, although these have mostly been based on the working age population, despite the fact that the burden of mortality is highest in older people. Using Poisson regression on linked New Zealand census and mortality data (2001 to 2004, 1.3 million person years) with a comprehensive set of socioeconomic indicators (education, income, car access, housing tenure, neighourhood deprivation) we examined the association of socioeconomic characteristics and older adult mortality (65+ years) in New Zealand. We found that socioeconomic mortality gradients persist into old age. Substantial relative risks of mortality were observed for all socioeconomic factors, except housing tenure. Most relative risk associations decreased in strength with aging (e.g. most deprived compared to least deprived rate ratio for males reducing from 1.40 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.53) for 65-74 year olds to 1.13 (1.00 to 1.28) for 85+ year olds), except for income and education among women where the rate ratios changed little with increasing age. This suggests individual level measures of SES are more closely related to mortality in older women than older men. Comparing across genders, the only statistically significantly different association between men and women was for a weaker association for women for car access.

An examination of the mediating role of salt knowledge and beliefs on the relationship between socio-demographic factors and discretionary salt use: a cross-sectional study

Background Discretionary salt use varies according to socio-demographic factors. However, it is unknown whether salt knowledge and beliefs mediate this relationship. This study examined the direct and indirect effect of socio-demographic factors on salt knowledge and discretionary salt use in a sample of 530 Australian adults.

Methods An internet based cross-sectional survey was used to collect data for this study. Participants completed an online questionnaire which assessed their salt knowledge, beliefs and salt use behaviour. Mplus was used to conduct structural equation modelling to estimate direct and indirect effects.

Results The mean age of the participants was 49.2 years, and about a third had tertiary education. Discretionary salt use was inversely related to age (r=-0.11; p<0.05), and declarative salt knowledge (knowledge of factual information) scores (r = -0.17; p<0.01), but was positively correlated with misconceptions about salt (r = 0.09; p<0.05) and beliefs about the taste of salt (r = 0.51; p<0.001). Structural equation modelling showed age, education and gender were indirectly associated with the use of discretionary salt through three mediating pathways; declarative salt knowledge, misconceptions about salt and salt taste beliefs.

Conclusions Inequalities observed between socio-demographic groups in their use of discretionary salt use can potentially be reduced through targeted salt knowledge and awareness campaigns.

Influencing student retention and success : a qualitative assessment of library use by distance education students from low socio-economic backgrounds

Poster presentation

Family support and ease of access link socio-economic status and sports club membership in adolescent girls : a mediation study

Background Much research has been conducted into the determinants of physical activity (PA) participation among adolescent girls. However, the more specific question of what are the determinants of particular forms of PA participation, such as the link between participation through a sports club, has not been investigated. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between participation in a sports club and socio-economic status (SES), access to facilities, and family and peer support, for female adolescents.

Methods A survey of 732 female adolescent school students (521 metropolitan, 211 non-metropolitan; 489 Year 7, 243 Year 11) was conducted. The survey included demographic information (living arrangements, ethnicity indicators, and indicators of SES such as parental education and employment status and locality); access to facilities; and family and peer support (travel, encouragement, watching, praise, joint participation). For each characteristic, sports club participants and non-participants were compared using chi-square tests. Multiple mediation analyses were used to investigate the role of access, family and peer support in the link between SES and sport participation.

Results There were significant associations (p<0.05) between sports club participation and: all demographic characteristics; all measures of family and peer support; and access to sport-related facilities. Highest levels of participation were associated with monolingual Australian-born families, with two parents, at least one of whom was well-educated, with both parents employed, and high levels of parental assistance, engagement and support. Participation in club sport among both younger and older adolescent girls was significantly positively associated with the SES of both their neighbourhoods and their households, particularly in metropolitan areas. These associations were most strongly mediated by family support and by access to facilities.

Conclusions To facilitate and promote greater participation in club sport among adolescent girls from low SES neighbourhoods and households, strategies should target modifiable determinants such as facility access and parental support. This will involve improving access to sports facilities and promoting, encouraging and assisting parents to provide support for their daughters’ participation in sport clubs.

Socio-demographic lifestyle and psychological predictors of benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic use patterns

Aims : Risk and demographic factors for benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic use are incompletely understood. The aim of the paper was therefore to investigate socio-demographic, lifestyle and psychological factors predicting onset and differential pattern of prescribed benzodiazepine and z-hypnotic use in a Norwegian population sample.

Methods : This retrospective cohort study obtained socio-demographic, psychological and lifestyle variables from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study. Information about benzodiazepine prescriptions from the Norwegian prescription database were linked to epidemiological questionnaire data. Benzodiazepine use was classified into single-period, intermittent and chronic use, and high dose use was defined as being prescribed a yearly average above 180 daily defined doses.

Results : Older age, sleep difficulties and smoking were positively associated with all patterns of benzodiazepine use. Male gender was related to a reduced risk of all patterns of use, whereas educational achievement was negatively associated with single-period use. Alcohol consumption, anxiety and tension were positively related to intermittent and chronic use, while exercise was negatively related to chronic use. Smoking, sleep difficulties and old age were positively associated with prescriptions of high benzodiazepine doses, while exercise was associated with lower doses.

Conclusions : Patterns of prescribed benzodiazepine use are linked to demographic, lifestyle and clinical variables. Non-pharmacological treatment for sleep difficulties and smoking cessation may reduce the risk of chronic benzodiazepine use.