Paris West University Nanterre La Défense

About: Paris West University Nanterre La Défense is a education organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Finite element method. The organization has 895 authors who have published 1430 publications receiving 21712 citations.

The dynamics of frailty and change in socio-economic conditions: evidence for the 65+ in Europe

Abstract: Background The frailty phenotype for older people is defined as an increased vulnerability to stressors, leading to adverse health outcomes. It is acknowledged as a specific precursor of disability besides chronic diseases that allows for some reversibility in the loss of autonomy. Although the literature on the socio-economic determinants of frailty is emerging in cross-sectional settings, little is known about the dynamics of this relationship over time. This article examines the joint evolution of frailty and change in economic conditions for the 65+ in Europe. Methods Individual and longitudinal data from SHARE (Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) over the period 2004-12 has been used. The sample contains 31 044 observations from 12 002 respondents aged 65 or more. A fixed effect Poisson model is estimated in order to control for unobserved individual heterogeneity. Three types of explanative economic variables have been considered in turn: income, wealth and a subjective variable of deprivation. Results Our results indicate that individuals with worsening economic conditions (wealth and subjective deprivation) over time simultaneously experience a rapid increase in the frailty symptoms. Results also show that the nature of economic variable does not affect the frailty process in the same way. Subjective measure of deprivation seems to better evaluate the household's financial difficulties than objective measure. Conclusion From a public policy perspective, these results show that policies fostering economic conditions of the elderly could have a significant impact on frailty and henceforth, could reduce the risks of disability.

FOMC Members’ Incentives to Disagree: Regional Motives and Background Influences

Abstract: We study determinants of individual FOMC members disagreement with the decided policy rate. Utilizing a novel dataset of macroeconomic indicators for the Fed districts and preferences revealed by FOMC members in the transcripts, we construct individual reaction functions for each member for the period 1994-2008. Then, we explain the gap between each member’s preferred rate and the adopted policy rate by individual background characteristics. First, we find that FOMC members tend to react to regional economic conditions, in particular the unemployment rate. Second, that Professors, and individuals holding a master degree or issued from either private or public sector have a higher propensity to disagree on the dovish side during the meetings, while female members as well as governors nominated by a Democrat President tend to disagree on the hawkish side (as compared to the “reference” member, who is a male, PhD holder, Regional Bank President with experience in the financial sector). Moreover, we show that, under Ben Bernanke, in a period a large economic uncertainty, the propensity to disagree increased for all types of members.

Le médicament générique et la relation de soin. Sociologie d’un quiproquo

Abstract: L’introduction des medicaments generiques sur le marche francais des medicaments a la fin des annees 1990 a profondement modifie la relation qui unissait les patients, les medecins et les pharmaciens. Desormais, les pharmaciens et les patients ont la possibilite de choisir, aux cotes du medecin, la marque du medicament. Mais la comparaison entre le medicament original et sa copie, loin d’aller de soi, suppose d’attribuer une valeur aux produits et aux differentes prescriptions qui structurent cette comparaison : peut-on prendre un medicament pour un autre ? Peut-on prendre un prescripteur pour un autre ? Alors que certains acteurs promeuvent une equivalence generalisee entre les medicaments et entre les prescripteurs, d’autres tentent de maintenir l’ancienne hierarchie des valeurs. Le quiproquo introduit par les medicaments generiques sert donc de revelateur pour analyser les valeurs qui structurent les comportements des acteurs de sante et l’organisation de la relation de soin.