Longitudinal Relationships Among Overweight,Life Satisfaction,and Aspirations in Young Women

Objective: This study investigated associations of overweight status and changes in overweight status over time with life satisfaction and future aspirations among a community sample of young women. Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 7865 young women, initially 18 to 23 years of age, completed two surveys that were 4 years apart. These women provided data on their future life aspirations in the areas of further education, work/career, marital status, and children, as well as their satisfaction with achievements to date in a number of life domains. Women reported their height and weight and their sociodemographic characteristics, including current socioeconomic status (occupation). Results: Young women's aspirations were cross‐sectionally related to BMI category, such that obese women were less likely to aspire to further education, although this relationship seemed explained largely by current occupation. Even after adjusting for current occupation, young women who were obese were more dissatisfied with work/career/study, family relationships, partner relationships, and social activities. Weight status was also longitudinally associated with aspirations and life satisfaction. Women who were overweight or obese at both surveys were more likely than other women to aspire to “other” types of employment (including self‐employed and unpaid work in the home) as opposed to full‐time employment. They were also less likely to be satisfied with study or partner relationships. Women who resolved their overweight/obesity status were more likely to aspire to being childless than other women. Discussion: These results suggest that being overweight/obese may have a lasting effect on young women's life satisfaction and their future life aspirations.     

Assessing different historical pathways in the cultural evolution of economic development

A huge number of hypotheses have been put forward to explain the substantial diversity in economic performance we see in the present-day. There has been a growing appreciation that historical and ecological factors have contributed to social and economic development. However, it is not clear whether such factors have exerted a direct effect on modern productivity, or whether they influence economies indirectly by shaping the cultural evolution of norms and institutions. Here we analyse a global cross-national dataset to test between hypotheses involving a number of different ecological, historical, and proximate social factors and a range of direct and indirect pathways. We show that the historical timing of agriculture predicts the timing of the emergence of statehood, which in turn affects economic development indirectly through its effect on institutions. Ecological factors appear to affect economic performance indirectly through their historical effects on the development of agriculture and by shaping patterns of European settler colonization. More effective institutional performance is also predicted by lower-levels of in-group bias which itself appears related to the proportion of a nation's population that descends from European countries. These results support the idea that cultural evolutionary processes have been important in shaping the social norms and institutions that enable large-scale cooperation and economic growth in present-day societies.     

Modeling socioeconomic pathways to assess sustainability: a tailored development for housing retrofit

Purpose

In the European context, energy and climate have been prioritized by policies related to retrofitting, but social concerns such as unemployment or poverty need to be tackled. Policy makers need supporting assessment methods to comprehensively address complex processes as retrofitting, and the methodology of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) seems an appropriate tool. However, LCSA needs further adaptation for the intended application. The objective of this work is to define socioeconomic models that, added to environmental life cycle assessment, enable LCSA. The intended application is guiding policy making related to retrofitting from a life cycle perspective.

Methods

This study defines models to assess social and socioeconomic impacts similarly to environmental life cycle assessment. These models address social and socioeconomic concerns, relevant in housing retrofitting processes, for which a cause-effect relationship can be established. Characterization models result from the identification, combination, and adaptation of available methods, developed within various research fields. These methods analyze damages to the health of workers involved in the life cycle and to the health of the household living in the retrofitted dwelling. Impacts on human well-being and dignity are addressed by analyzing prosperity, in terms of fair employment, alleviation of fuel poverty of households, and economic growth.

Results and discussion

With the proposed LCSA methods, we have compared impacts associated to the retrofitting of a house in Brussels in two scenarios, considering a remaining life cycle of 30 years and taking into account the reference situation. Environmental damages significantly decrease in one of the scenarios, but slightly increase for households that commonly under-heat. Retrofitting prevents indoor mold and associated damages on health but implies damages on the health of workers. Fair working hours involved in the life cycle have been quantified as well as the effects on the households regarding fuel poverty. The effects on the economic growth have also been studied to provide insights for the optimization of encouraging measures.

Conclusions

This LCSA proposal consists of a set of socioeconomic characterization models coupled with selected environmental ones. The models have been defined adapted to the particular application, given the context-specific nature of some of the social concerns, indicators, and characterization factors. This LCSA proposal helps adapting policies to housing typologies, household and dwelling conditions, as well as identifying potential improvements in the life cycle.

     

Effects of socio-economic and behavioural characteristics in explaining central obesity--a study on adult Asian Indians in Calcutta, India

The present cross-sectional study on adult Asian Indians in Calcutta, India was undertaken to look into the effects of socio-economic and behavioural characteristics in explaining waist-hip ratio (WHR). A total of 500 apparently healthy individuals (300 men and 200 women) were subjects in the study. A random sampling procedure using local voter's registration list was followed to select the subjects. Only one adult (> or = 30 years) from each household was considered as participant. A total of 24 items, 14 socio-economic and 10 behavioural characters were considered. For socio-economic characters, a number of items namely employment status, types of occupation, education status, nature of housing and marital status were taken into consideration. Smoking status, physical exercise by means of outdoor activity, drinking habits and diets on the other hand were considered as behavioural characters. Information on socio-economic and behavioural characteristics was collected using an open-ended schedule specifically designed in this regard. Anthropometric measures namely height, weight and circumference of waist and hip were obtained from participants using standard techniques. The median WHR for men and women was 0.94 and 0.90 respectively. Analysis of variance revealed significant sex difference for all anthropometric measures. It was observed that more women were leading sedentary (outdoor activity not housework was considered) life than men (85.4% vs. 75.4%). Furthermore, women were predominantly nonsmokers (98.8%) whereas 40.2% men were smokers as against 51.4% ex-smokers (those who have quitted smoking during past two years). Multiple regression analysis (adjusted for age and sex) of WHR by socio-economic and behavioural characters revealed that occupation, housing, marital status, smoking condition, physical exercise, drinking habits and diets pattern cumulatively explains 75% (R2=0.75) of total variation of WHR in the study population.     

Women's status and infant mortality in rural Colombia

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of maternal demographic characteristics and social and economic statuses on infant mortality in rural Colombia. Demographic characteristics include the age of the mother, parity and length of preceding interbirth interval, and sex of infant. Measures of women's status at the time of birth include education, wage labor and occupation, economic stratum, place of residence, and whether the mother is living with a husband. The life history data for the study (involving 4,928 births) were collected in 1986 from a representative sample of two cohorts of women resident in rural central Colombia. Overall diflFerentials in infant mortality by measures of women's status are small and are in good part associated with the differing reproductive behaviors of the women and variations in breastfeeding practices. The sharp declines in infant mortality recorded in rural Colombia in recent years appear less related to improved status of women than to reductions in fertility that enhance infant survivorship and to public health interventions shared by all segments of the population.     

Effects of boar contact and housing conditions on estrus expression in sows

In this paper, the authors review the effects of boar contact and different components of boar presence on onset and expression of estrus in weaned sows. Evidence is presented that boar contact may influence LH release, onset of follicle development and timing of ovulation after weaning. Once the sow is in estrus it is important that she shows estrous behavior, because her expression of estrus determines whether she will be inseminated. Boar contact or components thereof affect expression of estrus in sows. There are distinct differences between different components of boar contact in their effectiveness in the induction of estrous behavior (standing response) in sows. Habituation to boars (due to frequency of boar contact or housing of boars near sows) also affects estrus expression in sows. It is important to inseminate sows at the correct moment relative to ovulation. The use of different estrus detection protocols (e.g., by giving sows different levels of boar stimuli during estrus detection) may result in the definition of distinct periods of estrus that may help to predict the moment of ovulation. However, results to date are not very encouraging. Besides boar stimuli, the housing conditions of sows may affect onset of estrus and estrus expression. This paper focuses on social sow-to-sow interactions. The effects of group housing (as compared to individual housing) on onset of estrus and expression of estrus are equivocal. These effects likely depend on factors like aggression between pen mates, reproductive status of pen mates and social rank of sows within the group.     

The preference for an additional child among married women in Seoul, Korea

South Korea reported a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.08 in 2005. This is the lowest level of all nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Recently, the decline in the fertility rate has been a dominant phenomenon in Korea's major cities. This study investigated the relationship between social environmental factors and fertility intentions for married women in Seoul, the capital of Korea, using a sample of 2211 married women who responded to the Seoul Citizens Health and Social Indicators Survey, 2005. Here, the effects of selected social environmental characteristics on fertility intentions are explored using multivariate logistic regression models. The relationships among a woman's age, number of living children, job type, housing type, and social group participation were strong indicators of the intention to have additional children. Younger women living with fewer children generally have a higher intention to have additional children. Among women's job types, blue-collar workers have a lower preference for additional children than white-collar workers and housewives. Married women participating in social groups have a lower preference for additional children than non-participants. Women's participation in social activities appears to have various benefits, both individually and socially. However, whereas women's participation in economic activities has been linked to questions of fertility in previous studies, the relationship between fertility and social activities has been downplayed. Women's participation in social activities has increased over the past several decades, and the trend continues to grow. Therefore, women's participation in social activities must be accepted as the status quo, and compatibility between women's participation in social activities and childrearing needs to be increased. Consequently, a strong foundation for a fertility-friendly environment is needed, focusing on blue-collar workers and participation in social activities by married women.     

Social determinants of self-reported health in women and men: understanding the role of gender in population health

Background

Women and men share similar health challenges yet women report poorer health. The study investigates the social determinants of self-reported health in women and men, and male-female differences in health.

Methods

Data on 103154 men and 125728 women were analysed from 57 countries in the World Health Survey 2002–2004. Item Response Theory was used to construct a composite measure of health. Associations between health and determinants were assessed using multivariate linear regression. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition partitioned the inequality in health between women and men into an “explained" component that arises because men and women differ in social and economic characteristics, and an “unexplained" component due to the differential effects of these characteristics. Decomposition was repeated for 18 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region and 19 countries in the WHO European region.

Results

Women''s health was significantly lower than men''s. Health was associated with education, household economic status, employment, and marital status after controlling for age. In the pooled analysis decomposition showed that 30% of the inequality was “explained", of which almost 75% came from employment, education, marital status. The differential effects of being in paid employment increased the inequality. When countries in Africa and Europe were compared, the “explained" component (31% and 39% respectively) was largely attributed to the social determinants in the African countries and to women''s longevity in the European countries. Being in paid employment had a greater positive effect on the health of males in both regions.

Conclusions

Ways in which age and the social determinants contribute to the poorer health status of women compared with men varies between groups of countries. This study highlights the need for action to address social structures, institutional discrimination and harmful gender norms and roles that differently influence health with ageing.     

Women's status and infant mortality in rural Colombia

This paper investigates the effects of maternal demographic characteristics and social and economic statuses on infant mortality in rural Colombia. Demographic characteristics include the age of the mother, parity and length of preceding interbirth interval, and sex of infant. Measures of women's status at the time of birth include education, wage labor and occupation, economic stratum, place of residence, and whether the mother is living with a husband. The life history data for the study (involving 4,928 births) were collected in 1986 from a representative sample of two cohorts of women resident in rural central Colombia. Overall differentials in infant mortality by measures of women's status are small and are in good part associated with the differing reproductive behaviors of the women and variations in breastfeeding practices. The sharp declines in infant mortality recorded in rural Colombia in recent years appear less related to improved status of women than to reductions in fertility that enhance infant survivorship and to public health interventions shared by all segments of the population.     

DL‐β‐Aminobutyric acid application negatively affects reproduction and larval development of the rosy apple aphid,Dysaphis plantaginea,on apple

The rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the major pests of European apple orchards, commonly controlled by the use of synthetic insecticides. In the present work, the non‐protein amino acid DL‐β‐aminobutyric acid (BABA), known to induce plant resistance against a wide range of abiotic and biotic stresses, has been tested for its protective effect against this pest on apple. We first verified the lack of any contact effect of BABA on the insect itself. Next we applied BABA as a soil drench to apple and monitored its effect on the population development of aphids after artificial infestation. We demonstrated that BABA strongly reduced the population growth and that this compound severely affected various life‐history characteristics of the aphid such as female longevity and fecundity, nymph mortality, and larval development.     

Socio-economic factors and body composition

This study supplies further data to the question of influence of social background in body development. There are a great number of studies concerning the influence of socio-economic factors on growth. On the other hand, there are very few investigations into the factors of body composition though these factors give more information about the developmental stage of the children's skeleton, muscle and fat mass than any absolute measurement. The social status was established on the basis of the parents' occupation, educational level, the per capita income, per capita room-quota and sibling number. Beyond these factors the effects of maternal age at childbirth and birth order were investigated in a sample of 3553 boys and 3371 girls aged between 7–14. Body composition was studied by a two-component model. Results of body composition have shown that children living under better social circumstances are not only heavier, because they have more developed skeleton and musculature, but have more body fat mass too. The excess of their body fat mass is caused in part by the unaltered habits of nutrition, in part by sedentary life style. These results stress the necessity for a more efficient somatic and environmental education.     

International Law and Western Sahara’s Maritime Area

Abstract

Western Sahara’s coastal waters have become contentious because of seabed petroleum exploration and fisheries undertaken pursuant to treaties between Morocco and the European Union, Japan, and Russia. These activities have been protested by the territory’s government-in-exile, the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. In 2017 Morocco announced its intention to adopt legislation to create an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on the territory’s coast. This article considers the status of Saharan coastal waters in the circumstances of decolonization and occupation. The obligations on states interested in exploring and extracting Saharan ocean resources are considered and are argued to be restrictive regardless of the status of the territory’s coastal waters and recognition of a Saharawi state.     

Instrumental social support and women's body composition in El Alto,Bolivia

Instrumental social support, or aid in the form of labor or money, may exert a positive influence on economic welfare and food security. Several investigators have found a positive relationship between social support and nutritional status, while others have found a negative association between social support and central adiposity. In the rural Andes, extra‐household economic cooperation has long been an important adaptive strategy, and the breakdown of these relationships is one reason for high rates of rural‐to‐urban migration, including to the Bolivian city of El Alto. This research investigates the influence of instrumental support on women's body composition. Information was collected on individual perception of instrumental support and anthropometric indicators of nutritional status including percent body fat (bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)), BMI, and distribution of fat on trunk relative to limbs (Ratio of subscapular to triceps skinfold (STR)), and multiple linear regression analysis used to test the prediction that instrumental social support is positively related to body fat stores. Controlling for age and household socioeconomic status, perceived access to one or more sources of instrumental support was positively and significantly related to overall levels of adiposity. There is no evidence that STR mediates the relationship between instrumental social support and body composition. This analysis offers support for the prediction that economic social support has direct effects on women's energy stores. The interpretation of these results is somewhat ambiguous given the high levels of overweight and obesity in this population. Am J Phys Anthropol 152:51–57, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Recognition and social dominance inPolistes wasps

It has been known for a long time that relationships among femalePolistes wasps are controlled by dominance through linear hierarchy. A classical model of the development of social hierarchies suggests that individual recognition intervenes to maintain the hierarchy established after the initial confrontation that takes place when two animals meet for the first time. This hypothesis was tested in the present study onPolistes gallicus (L.) foundresses. A tolerance index was calculated from the reactions of a dominant female when already known or unacquainted females were successively encountered. Results show that individualised social recognition is possible and that it takes more than 4 h of inter-individual contact for individual characteristics to be memorised.     

Recent history,current status,conservation and management of native mammalian carnivore species in Great Britain

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Social status,social context,and arterial blood pressure

As social change and economic development have proceeded, the prevalence of chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases, has increased in the developing world. In part this is due to the adoption of diets and other health behaviors characteristic of industrialized nations; in part it is a function of changing social and economic circumstances. In this paper, we describe the development and testing of a model designed to account for social and economic effects on cardiovascular disease risk. The model incorporates the fact that global economic processes have made a lifestyle characterized by the consumption of Euroamerican material goods and information a basis for the assignment of social status in local communities. But economic change at the local level is rarely sufficient to provide a foundation for individuals' status aspirations. Hence, many individuals attempt to maintain a lifestyle inconsistent with their economic standing, a variable we term lifestyle incongruity. Here we describe how this factor is associated with higher blood pressure in a variety of settings and also how the effects of lifestyle incongruity can be modified in local contexts by social class and social role processes. This latter process, contextual modification, is illustrated by data from American Samoa. In this example, the association of lifestyle incongruity with blood pressure is examined in 30 male household heads and 26 spouses. After an examination of Samoan ethnography focused attention on the importance of age and gender differences as defining social contexts of intracultural variation, the model was modified to assess interactions between age and gender as they affect the association of lifestyle incongruity and blood pressure. Lifestyle incongruity is strongly associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure for the younger household heads, minimally associated with blood pressure for older household heads, and only slightly associated with the blood pressure of their spouses. The regression coefficients for the lifestyle incongruity by age by sex interaction term was significant at P ≤ 0.01 for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The consistency of these results with expectations based on the ethnographic record is emphasized in the interpretation. We feel that the lifestyle incongruity model represents an empirically successful attempt to link global political-economic processes, local social structure, and biological outcomes. Am J Phys Anthropol 102:55–66, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Changing household composition,labor patterns,and fertility in a highland New Guinea population

The European demographic transition of the nineteenth century is often proposed as a model for demographic change in twentieth century developing nations, and economic development is seen as leading to an inevitable reduction in total fertility in these nations. This paper examines data from the Gainj of Papua New Guinea, a natural fertility population with very low reproductive output, and suggests that the effects of development on fertility change are much more complex than a simple demographic transition model would suggest. Looking at two variables known to contribute significantly to low total fertility among the Gainj, late age at first birth for women and long interbirth intervals, the paper suggests that households, in their recruitment and allocation of labor, may exert a mediating influence in the relationship between economic development and fertility.     

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