Morbidity and multi-morbidity in Australia: Evidence from the national health surveys

This paper examines the prevalence of reported morbidity in Australia during the two time periods 1977–78 and 1989–90. It utilizes data from the National Health Surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in the respective years. Prevalence of reported multi-morbidity is also examined for persons who reported one or more of ten specific long-term conditions in the 1989–90 survey. The study found that the prevalence of morbidity increased in Australia between the survey years, which occurred, as in some other low-mortality countries, along with mortality reduction over this period. Females reported higher morbidity than males but the sex differential narrowed over time. The Aboriginal population had lower morbidity than the total population of Australia but the difference was not statistically significant. For some specific conditions, prevalence of morbidity was higher for the Aboriginal population. Capital city dwellers in the states had higher prevalence of morbidity than non-capital city dwellers. The Australian Capital Territory had the highest and the Northern Territory the lowest prevalence of morbidity among all states and territories of Australia.     

新型农村社会养老保险参与实证研究:一个信任分析视角

本文运用2010年对陕西、山东2省3个区县1595个农民的调查数据,首次实证检验新型农村社会养老保险参与的信任解释。因子分析发现,农民的信任可以分为村域信任和特殊信任两种类型。Logistic回归分析发现,村域信任对农民参保有正效应,村域信任水平越高,农民越可能缴费参保。而特殊信任对农民参保没有显著性影响。村域信任有助于农民通过网络传播和政府宣传来了解新农保信息,从而降低了信息搜寻成本;村域信任还增进了农民对新农保制度的期望值进而激励其参保。本文弥补了学界对农村社会养老保险参与非经济因素研究的不足,为新农保参与提供了一个理论解释。     

Age estimation from the number of teeth erupted in young children: An aid to demographic surveys

The reporting of children's ages by parents is surprisingly inaccurate in many innumerate societies, but accurate knowledge of age is important for estimating recent changes in demographic rates. The timing of the eruption of children's teeth is largely independent of environmental influences and can provide a relatively accurate and unbiased estimate of a child's age. We have collected published data from 42 studies of children's dentition and have transformed them into estimates of age for children with particular numbers of teeth. We present estimates for different populations, but the lack of significant differences between these estimates justifies the use of a standard set.     

Crooked men and straightened women: images of homosexuality across race in two women's magazines, 1986-1995

Images of traditional sexuality, across race, prevail in mass media, especially in women's magazines. While omitting less traditional sexual practices for the most part, New Woman and Essence magazines construct the image of a bisexual male who threatens the heterosexual woman and the legitimate heterosexual couple. These women's magazines also redefine homosexual activity, suggesting women who experience homosexual inclinations are really engaging in normal heterosexual behavior.     

An American in Berlin: reflections on the German demographic challenge, immigration, and national identity

The “German Demographic Challenge”—an aging society, low birth rates, a falling population size, and a shrinking working-age population—also affects less tangible facets of Germany’s future because these issues may have implications for how Germans see themselves and how they define themselves as a nation-state. This paper explores the complex relationships between national identity, migration, and other population processes in the German context. One consequence of the demographic challenge, acting in concert with immigration, is that the German population will become more diverse over time. Perhaps the more difficult challenge will be how Germany comes to terms with itself given the population changes it will experience.     

An occupational tale of two cities: Minorities in London and New York

In this paper, queuing theory is tested through an examination of the occupational attainment of six groups of non-whites in London and New York. Workers in the dominant economy are distinguished from those in the niche economy and emphasis is placed on the former. Black male immigrants in New York and black female immigrants in London hold more favorable occupational status. These results reflect differences in (1) the presence of indigenous minorities—African Americans and Puerto Ricans—in New York but not London, and (2) the relatively low position of indigenous minority males compared to the relatively middling position of indigenous minority females in New York:S labor queue.     

对2000年人口普查出生性别比的分层模型分析

本文对以往出生性别比研究中的若干观点进行了学术评论,并讨论了个别经验统计分析中的方法问题。在此基础上,本文应用非线性分层模型将2000年全国人口普查1‰数据和1999年的地区级生育政策数据结合起来对出生性别比失调的影响因素进行了初步分析。结果表明,育龄妇女现有子女数量及性别和一些社会特征对出生性别比存在单独的影响,并且肯定了生育政策既存在对出生性别比的直接影响,也通过其与妇女以往生育结果以及其他社会特征之间的交互效应来影响出生性别比。     

Urbanization and Income Inequality in China: An Empirical Investigation at Provincial Level

This study focuses on the homeless population in the Netherlands, as an indicator of social exclusion. By applying the capture-recapture (CRC) methodology to three registers, not only the size of the homeless population could be estimated, but also its composition in terms of gender, age, place of living, and origin could be depicted. Because of the use of three registers and the availability of background characteristics for each of the registers, the usual stringent assumptions of capture recapture methodology is circumvented. This advanced application of CRC to estimate the homeless population on the national level, has led to official figures for five subsequent reference dates (January 1st of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013). In 2009 the size of the total homeless population in the Netherlands was estimated at 17,767, of which 5169 were registered on one of the three lists. Between 2009 and 2012 the estimated size of the population increased, which was largely due to the financial crisis. For all reference dates, the composition of this population showed that generally more men than women were registered and that homeless people in the age category of 30–49 years old were registered more than the younger or older age groups. Compared to the general Dutch population, the homeless population includes relatively many men, many people aged 30–49 years and people with a non-western background.     

Sex Ratio at Birth and Infant Mortality Rate in China: An Empirical Study

In this article, we used the data from the last three population censuses of China in 1982, 1990 and 2000, to study the dynamics of the sex ratio at birth and the infant mortality rate in China. In the late 1970s, China started its economic reform and implemented many family planning programs. Since then there has been great economic development and a dramatic decrease in fertility in most of its provinces. Along with these achievements, the sex ratio at birth of the Chinese population has increased to significantly more males to females, and in some provinces of China reached unprecedented levels. The ratio of infant mortality of the males to females for manyprovinces in China become extremely unbalanced with a much higher female infant mortality rate. In our study, we investigated the statistical relationship between the sex ratio at birth and the ratio of the infant mortality of males to female. Social and economic reasons for these unnatural trends are also discussed.     

Stressful Situations at Work and in Private Life among Young Workers: An Event Sampling Approach

Most studies on occupational stress concentrateon chronic conditions, whereas research onstressful situations is rather sparse. Using anevent-sampling approach, 80 young workersreported stressful events over 7 days (409work-related and 127 private events). Contentanalysis showed the newcomers' work experiencesto be similar to what is typically found inolder samples (e.g., social stressors,quantitative overload, problems ofcooperation). At work and in private life,social stressors were dominant. Inmultilevel-analyses active coping predictedhigher success in calming down and problemsolving, particularly in controllablesituations. Palliation was positively relatedto successful calming down and negatively toevent-related well-being. With regard to therelationship between chronic conditions andsituational variables, (stable) job control wasassociated with successful calming down instressful situations, and it buffered theeffect of chronic job stressors on successfulsituational calming down, yielding a specificvariant of the demands-control model. Number ofwork-related stressful events, weighted bysignificance, was moderately associated withchronic job stressors. However, while chronicjob stressors predicted momentary well-beingover and above the weighted number of events,events did not predict momentary well-being,and its prediction of stable well-beingdisappeared once chronic stressors werecontrolled. These results show how chronicconditions represent background variables thatnot only have a stronger influence onwell-being but also influence the immediatereaction to stressful encounters.     

免费婚检、孕检的投入产出分析——以广东某区为例

本文从经济学的角度,以投入产出模型和机会成本为理论基础,通过构建以出生缺陷减少为产出收益的免费婚检、孕检投入产出分析模型,并以广东省某区的经验数据进行实证检验,对免费婚检、孕检推行的可行性进行分析。发现推行免费婚孕检的产出与投入的净现值指数为2．08,观显大于1。说明免费婚检、孕检项目可行且效益明显,值得在更大范围内推广。     

异质性、家庭支持与中国高龄老人的死亡率:虚弱度模型的应用

本文通过虚弱度模型展示了中国高龄老人死亡率模式中的个体异质性,女性内部异质性远大于男性。在控制未观测异质性后,结果显示:男性和女性高龄老人的基准死亡率呈现交叉效应;配偶对男性高龄老人的存活存在显著的保护作用,已婚有偶的男性高龄老人死亡风险较之无偶的低22%(=1-e-0.253);除日常照料和精神慰藉外,子女对烟酒嗜好等不健康生活方式的监督,对男性高龄老人的存活也可能存在不可替代的保护作用。女性高龄老人在社会支持网络依赖、社会经济地位与健康生活方式上迥异于男性,使得配偶和子女以上支持作用并不显著。     

The influence and meaning of the birth environment for nulliparous women at a hospital-based labour ward in Sweden: An ethnographic study

BackgroundLabour and birth are sensitive physiological processes substantially influenced by environmental and psychosocial factors.AimTo explore the influence and meaning of the birth environment for nulliparous women giving birth in either one of two differently designed birthing rooms at a hospital-based labour ward.MethodsFive months of ethnographic fieldwork was conducted at a labour ward in Sweden, consisting of participant observations of 16 nulliparous women giving birth in either a ‘Regular’ birthing room (n = 8) or a specially designed, ‘New room’ (n = 8). Data included field notes, informal interviews, reflective notes, and individual interviews with eight women after birth. The data was analysed through an ethnographic iterative hermeneutic analysis process.FindingsThe analysis identified the birth environment as consisting of the physical space, the human interaction within it, and the institutional context. The analytic concept; Birth Manual was conceived as an instrument for managing labour in accordance with institutional authority. Significant to the interpretation of the influence and meaning of the birth environment were two abstract rooms: an Institutional room, where birth was approached as a critical event, designating birthing women as passive; and a Personal room, where birth was approached as a physiological event in which women’s agency was facilitated.ConclusionInstitutional authority permeated the atmosphere within the birth environment, irrespective of the design of the room. A power imbalance between institutional demands and birthing women’s needs was identified, emphasising the vital role the birth philosophy plays in creating safe birth environments that increase women’s sense of agency.     

Development of a social monitoring system at the local level: An experiment in the Southern Region of the Democratic Republic of Sudan

Subjective indicators of life quality are used frequently in the planning and decision making process. The limitations inherent in the use of subjective indicators often go unnoticed among those most likely to use such data in the context of planned change. We direct attention to a potential source of error in subjective evaluations of community services and facilities. Specifically, we utilize repeated measures to test for response bias that results from placing items in alternative sections of the same survey instrument. Evidence concerning the hypothesized presence of systematic bias was mixed. When overall service evaluation items were embedded within a section devoted exclusively to that service, considerable systematic bias was observed. The findings indicate that the choice of question format depends upon the ultimate use to which the data will be put.     

Supporting the midwifery workforce: An evaluation of an undergraduate midwifery student employment model at a large tertiary maternity service in Victoria,Australia

BackgroundIn 2020, in response to major maternity workforce challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Victorian Department of Health implemented a number of workforce maximisation strategies, one of which was employment of undergraduate midwifery students called ‘Registered Undergraduate Student Of Midwifery’ (RUSOM).AimTo evaluate the RUSOM model implemented in a tertiary maternity service in Melbourne, Australia.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was distributed to all RUSOMs and midwives at the study site in August 2021.FindingsTwenty of 26 RUSOMs (77%) and 110 of 338 permanent midwives (33%) responded. Both groups considered the model to be a positive workforce strategy that contributed to work readiness of students, and increased confidence and competence to practise. RUSOMS and midwives reported positives for the organisation including improving workload for midwives on the postnatal ward, enhancing quality of care and outcomes for women and babies, and the value of RUSOMs as team members. RUSOMs felt well supported, supervised and clinically and theoretically prepared. Both groups considered RUSOMs were underutilised, and that they could undertake additional duties, and both thought that the RUSOM model should continue.ConclusionThe model was highly valued by both RUSOMs and midwives. There was strong agreement that the model should continue and that the list of duties could be expanded. Given these findings, further research should explore the expansion and sustainability of RUSOMs in the maternity workforce.     

Forecast Households at the County Level: An Application of the ProFamy Extended Cohort-Component Method in Six Counties of Southern California, 2010 to 2040

Population Research and Policy Review - Policymakers and market analysts have long been interested in future trends of households. Among household projection methods, the ProFamy extended...