Article
Ethnic Studies
Samuel Stroope, Blake Victor Kent, Ying Zhang, Donna Spiegelman, Namratha R. Kandula, Anna B. Schachter, Alka Kanaya, Alexandra E. Shields
Summary: This study examined the effects of religious group involvement on health outcomes among South Asians in the U.S. The results showed that group prayer and receiving/giving congregational emotional support were positively associated with self-rated health and mental health functioning, while religious service attendance was associated with higher levels of anxiety. Congregational criticism was associated with higher levels of anger and anxiety.
ETHNICITY & HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Isabel S. Nelson, Katrina Kezios, Martine Elbejjani, Peiyi Lu, Kristine Yaffe, Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri
Summary: This study investigates the association of religious service attendance in midlife with cognitive function later in midlife. The results suggest that frequent involvement in religious services at midlife is associated with better global cognition and verbal memory but worse executive function.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Raquel Sanchez-Recio, Mario Samper-Pardo, Rebeca Llopis-Lamban, Barbara Olivan-Blazquez, Marta Cerdan-Bernad, Rosa Magallon-Botaya
Summary: This study aimed to explore inmates' subjective perception of the COVID-19 lockdown, the implemented measures, their physical self-perception, and their views on the vaccination process. The findings revealed that although the implemented measures had negative consequences on inmates' health, measures like lockdowns and mass vaccination helped mitigate the spread of the virus within the prison.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Richard Frank Gillum
Summary: According to analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is negatively associated with attendance at religious services.
JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Sociology
Jong Hyun Jung
Summary: The study shows that religious attendance is negatively associated with drinking and smoking while positively associated with eating fruit, eating vegetables, and participating in physical activity cross-nationally. National religious context moderates these associations in support of the moral communities thesis.
REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marino A. Bruce, Bettina M. Beech, Dulcie Kermah, Shanelle Bailey, Nicole Phillips, Harlan P. Jones, Janice V. Bowie, Elizabeth Heitman, Keith C. Norris, Keith E. Whitfield, Roland J. Thorpe
Summary: This study examines the relationship between religious service attendance and all-cause mortality among Black men aged 50 and older. The findings show that participants with regular religious service attendance have a 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who do not attend religious services at all.
Article
Sociology
Francesco Molteni, Ferruccio Biolcati
Summary: The reasons and patterns behind religious change are a puzzle for sociologists of religion. It is widely accepted that ongoing modernization has undermined institutional religions, leading to widespread decline. This article focuses on the contributions of period change and cohort replacement to the general religious decline using a dataset spanning over 40 years in 39 European countries. The findings show that the decline reflects a real population dynamic based on generational replacement. This suggests that the effects of modernization on religious socialization mechanisms should be carefully scrutinized when studying the reasons behind religious decline.
Article
Gerontology
Laura Upenieks, Xi Zhu
Summary: A growing body of literature suggests that religious attendance might mitigate cognitive decline associated with aging. This study used 35 years of data to assess the associations between cumulative exposures to religious attendance over the life course and cognitive health. The findings showed that consistent religious practice from childhood to adulthood was associated with better self-rated cognitive health and working memory, especially for women.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Martin Lindstrom, Mirnabi Pirouzifard
Summary: This is a long-term follow-up study on adults in southern Sweden, aiming to investigate the association between attendance in religious activities and various causes of mortality. The results showed that in a highly secularized country like Sweden, religious attendance was significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality, possibly due to the social network support provided by religious activities.
SSM-POPULATION HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nicholas D. Spence, Erica T. Warner, Maryam S. Farvid, Tyler J. VanderWeele, Ying Zhang, Frank B. Hu, Alexandra E. Shields
Summary: This study investigated the role of religion and spirituality as psychosocial factors in the risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest that there is no significant association between religion/spirituality and type 2 diabetes, but they may play an important role in other chronic conditions.
ANNALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Daniel Luedecke, Olaf von dem Knesebeck
Summary: This study examined the association between social factors and worsened self-rated health of elderly individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account different government response mandates and infection rates. The results showed that older age, female sex, lower education, and not living with a partner were all associated with increased likelihood of worsened self-rated health. Health inequalities also worsened during the pandemic. The relationship between worsened self-rated health and government response mandates or infection rates was inconsistent.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
W. Justin Dyer, Jenet J. Erickson
Summary: Religiousness is often correlated with positive mental health for university students, but it may not hold true for sexual and gender minority students at religious universities.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Cristina Ortiz, Teresa Lopez-Cuadrado, Carmen Rodriguez-Blazquez, Roberto Pastor-Barriuso, Inaki Galan
Summary: The study aimed to identify sociodemographic characteristics of the population at risk for a greater clustering of unhealthy behaviors and evaluate the association of such clustering with self-rated health status and disability. The findings showed that the majority of participants had 2 or more risk factors, with men, middle-age individuals, and those with low socioeconomic status being more likely to have multiple risk factors.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Aviad Tur-Sinai, Amira Paz, Israel Doron
Summary: Research has shown that health status and self-rated health are correlated with age, gender, and socioeconomic factors. However, there is limited research on gender differences in the association between socioeconomic factors and self-rated health, as well as how this connection varies among different welfare state regimes. This study examines the association between self-rated health and socioeconomic status in later life, focusing on gender and welfare state regime characteristics. The analysis finds that there is a significant gender gap in self-rated health from childhood to late life, and socioeconomic status is consistently associated with poorer self-rated health across all welfare state regimes. Women consistently report poorer health than men, even in the most egalitarian welfare regimes.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Hung-Chou Lin, Shih-Tse Wang
Summary: The study found that two-sided messages in claims are more persuasive than one-sided messages because they pass the sufficiency threshold. Additionally, mood state, product involvement, and self-rated health of individuals moderate the relationship between message sidedness in claims and product evaluation.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova, Hynek Pikhart, Martin Bobak, Jana Klanova, Irena Stepanikova
Summary: The study showed that prenatal exposure to maternal stress could affect the development of sleep problems in children, leading to chronicity in early childhood.
JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Gerontology
Katarzyna Zawisza, Barbara Wozniak, Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Aleksander Galas, Iago Gine-Vazquez, Albert Sanchez-Niubo, Jose Luis Ayuso-Mateos, Seppo Koskinen, Matilde Leonardi, Martin Bobak, Josep Maria Haro
Summary: The present article discusses methodological aspects related to understanding and conceptualizing social capital and describes the challenges in harmonizing indicators of social capital. The study reviews social capital theories and documentation of international cohorts and develops decision trees for harmonizing social variables. Known-group validity is verified and the results focus on generalised trust, civic engagement, and social participation. The findings support the construct validity of the harmonized variables.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Consuelo Quispe-Haro, Andrzej Pajak, Abdonas Tamosiunas, Nadezda Capkova, Martin Bobak, Hynek Pikhart
Summary: This study found that disadvantaged socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with impaired lung function in young and late adulthood. However, the role of SEP at different life stages is still not well understood in Central and Eastern Europe.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Betul Toprak, Stephanie Brandt, Jan Brederecke, Francesco Gianfagna, Julie K. K. Vishram-Nielsen, Francisco M. Ojeda, Simona Costanzo, Christin S. Borschel, Stefan Soderberg, Ioannis Katsoularis, Stephan Camen, Erkki Vartiainen, Maria Benedetta Donati, Jukka Kontto, Martin Bobak, Ellisiv B. Mathiesen, Allan Linneberg, Wolfgang Koenig, Maja-Lisa Lochen, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Stefan Blankenberg, Giovanni de Gaetano, Kari Kuulasmaa, Veikko Salomaa, Licia Iacoviello, Teemu Niiranen, Tanja Zeller, Renate B. Schnabel
Summary: The study aims to find reliable circulating predictors for incident atrial fibrillation (AF) using classical regressions and machine learning techniques. Fourteen routinely available biomarkers reflecting different pathophysiological pathways were examined in relation to incident AF. NT-proBNP was identified as the strongest blood-based predictor of incident AF.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Andrea Dalecka, Hynek Pikhart, Anna Bartoskova, Nadezda Capkova, Martin Bobak
Summary: This study confirms an increase in depressive symptoms in older persons during the pandemic and identifies several pandemic-related risk factors, suggesting that public health policies should address this vulnerable group by adopting preventive strategies.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yaoyue Hu, Kaarina Korhonen, Peng Li, Martin Bobak, Pekka Martikainen, Maarten J. Bijlsma
Summary: This study using Finnish national register data found that alcohol use disorders (AUD) are associated with an increased risk of early-onset dementia, and this risk is not mediated by cardiovascular disease (CVD). The risk of late-onset dementia is also increased but to a lesser extent. Clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of dementia in individuals with a history or current AUD.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Olga Chervova, Elizabeth Chernysheva, Kseniia Panteleeva, Tyas Arum Widayati, Natalie Hrbkova, Jadesada Schneider, Vladimir Maximov, Andrew Ryabikov, Taavi Tillmann, Hynek Pikhart, Martin Bobak, Vitaly Voloshin, Sofia Malyutina, Stephan Beck
Summary: In this study, a subset of an ageing population cohort in Eastern Europe was followed up for 15 years. Epigenetic age acceleration scores were calculated using blood DNA methylation data, and their associations with phenotypic data were evaluated. Strong associations were observed between all epigenetic age acceleration scores and sex, indicating that sex adjustment is necessary in further analyses. Even after adjusting for sex, the associations between the scores and phenotypes remained sex-specific. The results suggest that these scores have prognostic potential for cardiometabolic disorders.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adrian Carballo-Casla, Denes Stefler, Rosario Ortola, Yuntao Chen, Anika Knuppel, Milagros Ruiz, Magdalena Kozela, Ruzena Kubinova, Andrzej Pajak, Fernando Rodriguez-Artalejo, Eric J. Brunner, Martin Bobak
Summary: The Southern European Atlantic diet (SEAD) is associated with lower risk for myocardial infarction and mortality, and this study shows that it is also associated with lower depression risk across European populations.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Anna Bartoskova Polcrova, Ramfis Nieto-Martinez, Jeffrey Mechanick, Geraldo A. Maranhao Neto, Maria M. Infante-Garcia, Hynek Pikhart, Martin Bobak, Jose Medina-Inojosa, Juan P. Gonzalez-Rivas
Summary: This study compared the relationships of social determinants with cardiometabolic risk in Venezuela and Czechia. The results suggest that the associations between socioeconomic status indices and cardiometabolic risk differed between the two countries. Further research is needed to confirm and quantify these differences.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Vojtech Thon, Pavel Piler, Tomas Pavlik, Lenka Andryskova, Kamil Dolezel, David Kostka, Hynek Pikhart, Martin Bobak, Jana Klanova
Summary: The study examined the changes in SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity before and during the national vaccination campaign in the Czech Republic. It found that vaccination significantly increased the seroprevalence, with rates reaching over 97% among vaccinated individuals.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Magdalena Kozela, Andrzej Pajak, Krystyna Szafraniec, Jose Luis Ayuso-Mateos, Martin Bobak, Wentian Lu, Hynek Pikhart, Maciej Polak, Albert Sanchez-Niubo, Urszula Stepaniak, Josep Maria Haro
Summary: The ATHLOS Healthy Aging Scale is a comprehensive and global measure of healthy aging, which can predict all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Abdonas Tamosiunas, Dalia Luksiene, Daina Kranciukaite-Butylkiniene, Ricardas Radisauskas, Diana Sopagiene, Martin Bobak
Summary: This study evaluated the association between visceral adiposity index (VAI) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among the Lithuanian urban population aged 45-72 years. The findings showed that higher VAI levels were associated with increased CVD mortality in men and all-cause mortality in women, while higher AIP levels were associated with increased CVD mortality in men and all-cause mortality in women.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sung-Wei Chen, Hynek Pikhart, Anne Peasey, Andrzej Pajak, Ruzena Kubinova, Sofia Malyutina, Martin Bobak
Summary: Work stress and personality have a significant impact on health, and their combined effects on health outcomes deserve more research attention. This study integrates recent developments in psychological research on personality and the well-established Effort-Reward Imbalance model to investigate the relationships between work stress, personality, and alcohol consumption. The findings suggest that the antecedent role of personality in the relationship between work stress and drinking is significant and could be a potential target for individual intervention.
SSM-POPULATION HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Milagros Ruiz, Yaoyue Hu, Pekka Martikainen, Martin Bobak
Summary: The study compares the association between cognitive function and socio-economic position (SEP) in China and England, and finds that education has different effects on cognitive decline in the two countries.
INNOVATION IN AGING
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Orjola Shahaj, Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova, Martin Bobak, Hynek Pikhart, Albert J. Ksinan
Summary: This study aims to investigate the individual and country-level characteristics associated with the presence and worsening of psychological distress among the elderly in Europe during the first wave of the pandemic. The findings suggest that female sex, low education, multimorbidity, fewer social contacts, and higher stringency of policy measures are associated with increased distress. Additionally, younger age, poor health, loss of work due to the pandemic, low social contact, and high national mortality rates from COVID-19 are associated with the worsening of distress symptoms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Samantha Horn, Yana Litovsky, George Loewenstein
Summary: This study suggests that curiosity can be a useful tool in increasing demand for and engagement with aversive health information. By manipulating curiosity through various methods, researchers found that participants were more likely to view and engage with information about their drinking habits, cancer risk, and the sugar content in drinks. Overall, curiosity prompts provide a simple and effective way to increase engagement with aversive health information.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sandra Gillner
Summary: Despite high expectations, the extensive and rapid adoption of AI in medical diagnostics has not been realized. This study investigates the perception and navigation of AI providers in complex healthcare systems, revealing their self-organization to increase adaptability and the practices utilized to mitigate tensions within the healthcare subsystems.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fabian Duartea, Alvaro Jimenez-Molina
Summary: This study found that violence related to social protest has a significant impact on depressive symptoms, leading to an increase in depression among the population in Chile. The effect varies by gender and age, with a stronger influence on men and young adults.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nick Graetz, Carl Gershenson, Sonya R. Porter, Danielle H. Sandler, Emily Lemmerman, Matthew Desmond
Summary: Investments in stable, affordable housing may be an important tool for improving population health. This study, using administrative data, found that high rent burden, increases in rent burden during midlife, and evictions were associated with increased mortality.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wan Wei
Summary: This study explores the phenomenon of other patient participation in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), uncovering the various roles that third parties can assume during medical interactions. The findings contribute to existing research on patient resistance and triadic medical interactions, providing insights into the dynamics and implications of third-party involvement in medical consultations.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Harry Scarbrough, Katie Rose M. Sanfilippo, Alexandra Ziemann, Charitini Stavropoulou
Summary: This paper examines the contribution of pilot implementation studies to the wider spread and sustainability of innovation in healthcare systems. Through an empirical examination of an innovation intermediary organization in the English NHS, the study finds that their work in mobilizing pilot-based evidence involves configuring to context, transitioning evidence, and managing the transition. The findings contribute to theory by showing how intermediary roles can support the effective transitioning of pilot-based evidence, leading to more widespread adoption and sustainability of innovation.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marta Seiz, Leire Salazar, Tatiana Eremenko
Summary: This study examines the impact of maternal educational selection on birth outcomes during an economic recession, and finds that more educated mothers are more likely to give birth during high unemployment periods. Additionally, maternal education mitigates the adverse effects of unemployment on birth outcomes and is consistently associated with better perinatal health.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jingyuan Shi, Hye Kyung Kim, Charles T. Salmon, Edson C. Tandoc Jr, Zhang Hao Goh
Summary: This study examines the influence of individual and collective norms on COVID-19 vaccination intention across eight Asian countries. The findings reveal nuanced patterns of how individual and collective social norms influence health behavioral decisions, depending on the degree of cultural tightness-looseness.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Elliot Friedman, Melissa Franks, Elizabeth Teas, Patricia A. Thomas
Summary: This study found that positive relations with others have a significant impact on functional limitations and longevity in aging adults, independent of social integration and social support.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Zhuolin Pan, Yuqi Liu, Ye Liu, Ziwen Huo, Wenchao Han
Summary: This study examines the effects of age-friendly neighbourhood environment and functional abilities on life satisfaction among older adults in urban China. The findings highlight the importance of transportation, housing, and social and physical environment factors in influencing functional abilities and life satisfaction. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers in enhancing older adults' life satisfaction in the Chinese urban context.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)