Applied Research in Quality of Life最新文献

{"title":"Association of Lifestyle Factors with Multimorbidity Risk in China: A National Representative Study","authors":"Xinye Zou,&nbsp;Siyu Zou,&nbsp;Ruolin Zhang,&nbsp;Kefan Xue,&nbsp;Yi Guo,&nbsp;Hewei Min,&nbsp;Yibo Wu,&nbsp;Xinying Sun","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10291-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10291-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Multimorbidity significantly impacts health, well-being, and the economy; therefore, exploring notable factors associated with multimorbidity across all age groups is critical. For this investigation, we focused on the relationship between four lifestyle factors and multimorbidity risk. We recruited 11,031 Chinese citizens aged ≥ 12 years from 31 provinces between July 2021 and September 2021 using a quota sampling strategy to ensure that the socioeconomic characteristics (sex, age, rural–urban distribution) of those participating in this research were representative of national demographics. In the first stage, multivariable logistic regression models were utilized as a means of investigating the relationship between lifestyle factors and multimorbidity. Then, a multinomial logistic regression model was used with the aim of examining the Healthy Lifestyle Profile (HLP) related to the number of chronic diseases. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the interaction effects and joint association among the four lifestyle factors. Overall, 18% of the participants had at least one disease, and 5.9% had multimorbidity. Approximately two-thirds of the participants were physically inactive, 40% had consumed alcohol, 39% were underweight or overweight, and 20% were or had been smokers. Participants who maintained one HLP showed a 34% lower multimorbidity risk (adjusted OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.92), while participants who maintained 4 HLP showed a 73% lower multimorbidity risk (adjusted OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.43), as compared to those who had 0 HLP. The joint association analysis revealed that participants with all four healthy lifestyle factors had 0.92 times lower odds of multimorbidity (95% CI: 0.90, 0.94) in comparison with the all-unhealthy reference cluster. Notably, individuals with a combination of healthy smoking status and healthy body weight had the highest minimized odds of multimorbidity (OR: [0.92], 95% CI: 0.91, 0.94). Common lifestyle habits, alone or in combination, are associated with multimorbidity risk. This study provides insights for public health programs to promote a healthy lifestyle at a younger age and to alleviate multimorbidity risk in older people.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1411 - 1435"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10291-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140249214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impact of the Pandemic on Health and Quality of Life of Informal Caregivers of Older People: Results from a Cross-National European Survey in an Age-Related Perspective","authors":"Marco Socci,&nbsp;Mirko Di Rosa,&nbsp;Sabrina Quattrini,&nbsp;Giovanni Lamura,&nbsp;Elizabeth Hanson,&nbsp;Lennart Magnusson,&nbsp;Stecy Yghemonos,&nbsp;Giulia Cavrini,&nbsp;Andrea Teti,&nbsp;Sara Santini","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10296-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10296-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>During the COVID-19 outbreak, the care services interruption/delay resulted in increased amount of care for informal caregivers of older people with long-term care needs. This study aimed at understanding how the Pandemic affected physical health, mental well-being and quality of life of older people’ informal caregivers of different ages and to what extent starting caregiving affected such life realms among new caregivers. An online survey was carried out in Winter 2020–2021 targeted to informal caregivers living in 16 European countries. A sub-sample of 848 adult (aged 18–64) was compared to another of 542 older (over 65) informal caregivers. People who started caring during the Pandemic were also identified and the impact of the Pandemic on the three life realms of this group were analysed separately by gender and age. The differences between the two groups of adult and older caregivers were estimated using logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders. Analyses were repeated after propensity score matching. During the second Pandemic wave hitting Europe in Winter 2020-21, regardless of age, being female entailed a worsening in physical health, mental well-being and quality of life, in line with previous research Also new caregivers were mostly females and their physical health and quality of life were worsened by caregiving. Gender-specific work-life balance policies and measures are needed to support female working caregivers. More attention should be paid to older female caregivers through scheduled physical and mental health screenings and home visits. Future studies on the topic in a gender and intergenerational perspective are encouraged.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1385 - 1410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10296-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140077153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Attitudes Towards Money on Over-Indebtedness Among Microfinance Institutions’ Customers in Tanzania","authors":"Pendo Shukrani Kasoga,&nbsp;Amani Gration Tegambwage","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10294-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10294-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are believed to be the best source of finance for lifting the poor from poverty. However, the vast majority of MFIs’ customers in the world appear to be over-indebted. This study investigates the effect of the four attitudes towards money (FAM), namely security, love, freedom, and power, on over-indebtedness among MFIs customers in Tanzania. This relationship has not been investigated in previous studies. The study used an analytical cross-sectional design involving a survey of 428 MFI customers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. The findings show that power (β = 0.432, <i>p</i> = 0.000), love (β = 0.114, <i>p</i> = 0.004), and freedom (β = 0.101, <i>p</i> = 0.02) significantly and positively affect over-indebtedness, while security (β = -0.243, <i>p </i>= 0.003) negatively and significantly affects over-indebtedness. This study provides an alternative way for MFIs to reduce over-indebtedness by focusing on borrowers’ attitudes towards money. This will, in turn, enhance loan repayment rates, sustainability of MFIs, poverty reduction and quality of life among MFI customers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1365 - 1384"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140017647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived Social Exclusion Partially Accounts for Social Status Effects on Subjective Well-Being: A Comparative Study of Japan, Germany, and the United States","authors":"Christina Sagioglou,&nbsp;Carola Hommerich","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10285-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10285-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>People who are socioeconomically better off tend to report higher levels of well-being, with inconsistent roles ascribed to objective socioeconomic status (SES), subjective SES (SSES), and personal relative deprivation (PRD)—depending on the predictors, facets of well-being, and countries under study. We tested a comprehensive model of social status indicators as determinants of subjective well-being by a) including PRD, SSES, income, and education as predictors, b) assessing subjective well-being as well as interdependent happiness (happiness in relation to significant others), c) testing the model in Japan, Germany, and the US—countries with comparable societal structure (e.g., educated, industrialized, rich, democratic) but diverging cultural dimensions, and d) testing an explanatory variable: feeling excluded from society. Cross-culturally (<i>N</i> = 2,155), PRD and SSES independently and strongly predicted well-being, while income and education exhibited negligible direct effects. SSES emerged as the predominant predictor in Japan compared to the US and Germany, whereas PRD was the predominant predictor in the US compared to Germany and, to a lesser extent, Japan. This was largely accounted for by culture-specific links of social status with perceived social exclusion—the extent to which people feel unable to keep up with society as a whole. Perceived social exclusion was more strongly linked to SSES in Japan compared to Germany and the US, and more strongly linked to PRD in the US than in Germany. The role of perceived social exclusion as an explanatory variable in the relationship between social status and subjective well-being merits further investigation within and between countries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1337 - 1363"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10285-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140017516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can Social Participation Reduce and Postpone the Need for Long-Term Care? Evidence from a 17-Wave Nationwide Survey in Japan","authors":"Takashi Oshio,&nbsp;Kemmyo Sugiyama,&nbsp;Toyo Ashida","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10288-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10288-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Social participation (SP) is often argued to have a favorable impact on health outcomes. This study examines whether and to what extent social participation can reduce and postpone the need for long-term care (LTC) among middle-aged and older adults in Japan. We used longitudinal data of 17,454 individuals born from 1946 to 1955, obtained from a 17-wave nationwide panel survey conducted from 2005 to 2021 in Japan. We examined (1) whether SP at baseline (2005) was associated with a lower risk of having LTC needs in the last wave (2021) using logistic regression models and (2) whether SP at baseline postponed the onset of these needs using Cox proportional hazards models, both controlling for baseline covariates. The results of different SP activities were compared. Participating in one or more SP activities in 2005 was associated with lower needs for LTC in 2021, with an odds ratio of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49–0.96), and postponed their onset, with a hazard ratio of 0.71 (95% CI, 0.65–0.78). However, these favorable features of SP were observed only for leisure activities, and no satisfaction with SP activities had a limited association with LTC needs. The results suggest that SP can be associated with a lower risk of LTC needs and postpone their onset; however, these favorable features are limited to leisure activities, and satisfaction with SP activities is needed to enhance them.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1293 - 1308"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10288-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140004020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fertility Intention in Hong Kong: Declining Trend and Associated Factors","authors":"Mengtong Chen,&nbsp;Camilla Kin Ming Lo,&nbsp;Qiqi Chen,&nbsp;Ko Ling Chan,&nbsp;Patrick Ip","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10292-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10292-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hong Kong is characterized by extremely low fertility, with a total fertility rate of 0.701 in 2022. This paper reports significant declines in the intention to have children among non-parents and in the desire to have more children among parents, based on data from the Family Surveys conducted in Hong Kong in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, which imply more dramatic demographic changes in the future. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this paper explored individuals’ attitudes toward marriage and having children, family functioning variables indicating subjective norms regarding fertility, and housing status and parenting stress relating to individuals’ control over fertility behavior. The results show that among non-parent respondents, being older and possessing a secondary education were associated with a lower level of fertility intention, whereas being a tenant, having positive attitudes toward marriage and having children, and having higher levels of family mutuality and harmony were associated with a higher level of fertility intention. Among parent respondents, parenting stress significantly inhibited the desire to have more children, regardless of financial matters and family environment. The findings suggest that fertility intentions can be remade over the life course. This paper, based on the TPB framework, can help guide the development and adoption of policies and supportive programs to improve fertility intentions in Hong Kong.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1309 - 1335"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10292-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140425474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transition Patterns of Intergenerational Solidarity and Digital Communication During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea: Association with Older Parents’ Cognitive Decline","authors":"Woosang Hwang","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10284-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10284-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research aimed to discover hidden patterns of intergenerational solidarity and digital communication among older parents and adult children during and after the pandemic, examine the transition patterns of solidarity classes between the two-time points, and investigate whether solidarity transition patterns are associated with older parents’ cognitive decline after the pandemic. Using the Korean longitudinal parent–child dyadic data in 2022 (during the pandemic) and 2023 (after the pandemic) studies, 326 older parent-adult child pairs were used in latent class and latent transition analyses. Results of latent class analyses showed that three solidarity classes were identified among older parents and adult child pairs in 2022 and 2023 studies: <i>Tight-knit traditional</i>, <i>living apart-but-digitally connected</i>, and <i>detached</i>. Results of latent transition analysis showed that the majority of parent–child pairs maintained the same latent classes between 2022 and 2023 studies. Furthermore, this study found that older parents who stayed in the <i>tight-knit traditional</i> latent class during and after the pandemic reported lower cognitive decline compared to those who stayed <i>detached</i> latent class between the two-time points. These findings suggest that structural and functional solidarity are likely to be an important factor in alleviating older parents’ cognitive decline. Intergenerational solidarity can be a basis for preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in old age.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1271 - 1291"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139949482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measurement Invariance of a Quality-of-life Measure, CASP-12, within the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)","authors":"Ali Alattas,&nbsp;Farag Shuweihdi,&nbsp;Kate Best,&nbsp;Silviya Nikolova,&nbsp;Robert West","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10289-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10289-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>CASP-12 is a frequently used quality of life scale for older people, but limited efforts have been made to test the factor structure or to explore the measurement consistency of the scale across key characteristics. The aim of this study is to examine if the CASP-12 questionnaire has a well-defined factor structure with a second-order structure factor nested within four first-order domains: control, autonomy, pleasure, and self-realization. The study also aims to investigates if this factor structure is interpreted similarly by respondents of different genders, ages, educational levels, net wealth, and at two time periods, using a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA). The results show that CASP-12 with lower four first-order domains (CASP-12-4D) is consistent across genders and two time periods and satisfies the second-order strong-invariance criteria. Furthermore, the instrument demonstrates consistency in weak levels across three age groups (50–59, 60–69, and 70–90), educational levels and net wealth, but not strong invariance. The sample was divided into three subsamples based on age groups to address this issue. The consistency of CASP-12-4D has met the second-order strong invariance level requirement across gender, age, education level and two-time periods. Net wealth however still fails to meet the strong invariance levels. The CASP-12-4D version will suit social and public health research which controls for age and wealth status.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 5","pages":"2155 - 2170"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10289-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139928269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What Makes People Happy with their Lives in Developing Countries? Evidence from Large-Scale Longitudinal Data on Ghana","authors":"Richmond Atta-Ankomah,&nbsp;Kwame Adjei-Mantey,&nbsp;Nana Amma Asante-Poku,&nbsp;Andrew Agyei-Holmes","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10287-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10287-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A key objective of development thought is to improve the welfare of people and enhance their satisfaction with life. This is important following literature that suggests that increasing incomes may not necessarily lead to happiness in the long term. In this regard, this study investigates the drivers of happiness in Ghana and the determinants of transitions into different happiness states. Using a nationwide panel dataset over three time periods and employing econometric techniques, the study found that among the key determinants of happiness in Ghana are assets, social capital/networks, health status, ethnicity, age and location of residence. The study further found that assets neutralize the effects of other vital drivers while social network has a moderating effect on how assets predict happiness. In contrast, an inverted U-shape was found for the importance of assets to happiness over one’s age, suggesting that assets begin to matter less for one’s happiness beyond a certain age threshold. Aside from assets and social network, which predict transitions from any state of happiness to the other, the importance of other correlates of the transitions largely varies by the initial state of happiness. The implications are discussed within the framework of the goals of development policy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1225 - 1250"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-024-10287-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140444309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Community Identity as an Indicator of Quality of Life: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Test","authors":"Yangyang Fan","doi":"10.1007/s11482-024-10290-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11482-024-10290-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Within the realm of identity research, community identity has garnered attention from disciplines such as sociology, community psychology, and public administration. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on the concept of “identity”, often overlooking the “community” itself as an object of identity. Further exploration of the theory of community identity within the specific context of communities is warranted. Drawing from social identity theory, this study employs thematic analysis and exploration, investigating aspects such as frequency, intensity, structure, and process. The analysis is based on textual materials gathered from interviews in a first-tier city in China. The findings of our research unveil that community identity comprises three interconnected dimensions: functional identity, governance identity, and affective identity. These dimensions collectively form an integral whole, serving as the foundation, guarantee, and core, respectively. This contributes to the construction of a comprehensive theoretical model of community identity. Subsequently, a scale derived from this theoretical model was developed and cross-validated using a sample of 562 participants. Our research significantly contributes to the advancement of community identity theory within the realm of grassroots practice. Furthermore, it provides valuable indicators for evaluating the quality of life within the local community.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51483,"journal":{"name":"Applied Research in Quality of Life","volume":"19 3","pages":"1251 - 1270"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140443224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}