Showing papers by "James S. House published in 2015"

Dynamics of health behaviours and socioeconomic differences in mortality in the USA

Abstract: Background To measure the explanatory role of behavioural factors to educational and income disparities in mortality among US adults (ages 25+). Methods Data were from four waves of the American Changing Lives Study (N=3617). There were 1832 deaths between 1986 and 2011. Smoking, physical activity, alcohol and body mass index were examined. Results Those with 0–11 years of schooling had an 88% (95% CI 48% to 139%) increased risk of dying compared to those with 16+years of schooling. Behavioural factors explained 41% (95% CI 26% to 55%) and 50% (95% CI 30% to 70%) of this excess in models that treated behavioural factors as fixed (single point in time) and time varying (repeated), respectively. The lowest income group (bottom 20th centile) had a 209% (95% CI 172% to 256%) increased risk of dying relative to the highest income group (top 40th centile). Behavioural factors explained 24% (fixed, 95% CI 13% to 35%) and 39% (repeated, 95% CI 22% to 56%) of this difference. Analyses of deaths by causes indicated that behavioural factors were more consequential to disparities in cardiovascular mortality, explaining up to 83% of educational differences, compared to cancer and other death causes. Conclusions Behavioural factors are one of a number of factors which explain socioeconomic mortality disparities, but their estimated explanatory role depends on a number of parameters including the socioeconomic status measure examined, the cause of death and age. In this nationally representative sample, findings based on repeated measures did not warrant a re-evaluation of earlier estimates.

Toward a new nationally representative household panel survey (NRHPS)

Abstract: A Nationally Representative Household Panel Survey (NRHPS) would represent a natural extension into the mid-21st century of the development of repeated cross-sectional and then longitudinal/panel household surveys that have constituted major resources for developments in social science and social policy since World War II. Although an inherently expensive endeavor, it would keep the U.S. comparable to and competitive with similarly wealthy nations that have already developed NRHPSs. An NRHPS may be the most cost-effective way to generate the data needed for advancement in social science and social policy because such progress requires data on a much wider range of attributes of the same individuals, households, and their environments than are currently available in existing surveys. These surveys tend to be specialized by scientific disciplines, substantive/policy areas, and/or segments of the population, and thus preclude the kind of thinking and data necessary across disciplines, substantive policy areas, and segments of the population that are most needed in both social science and social policy. To be a cost-effective vehicle for such purposes an NHRPS must: (1) create integration and synergy across disciplines, substantive areas, and population subgroups; (2) cost-effectively meet scientific and logistical challenges; and (3) foster and utilize scientific and methodological innovations.