ObjectiveDisadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances in early life have the potential to impact lung function. Thus, this study aimed to summarise evidence on the association between socioeconomic circumstances and respiratory function from childhood to young adulthood.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines, Medline, ISI-Web of Science and Scopus were searched from inception up to January 2018. Original studies on the association between socioeconomic circumstances and respiratory function in early ages (ie, participants younger than 25 years of age) were investigated. Two investigators independently evaluated articles, applied the exclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. A meta-analysis of the standardised mean difference and 95% CI in respiratory function between participants from different socioeconomic circumstances was conducted, using a random-effects model.ResultsThirty-three papers were included in this review and 23 showed that disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances were significantly associated with reduced respiratory function. The meta-analysis including seven papers showed a significant difference of −0.31 (95% CI −0.42 to −0.21) litres in forced expiratory volume in the first second between children, adolescents and young adults from disadvantaged versus advantaged socioeconomic circumstances. Specifically a difference of −0.31 (95% CI −0.51 to −0.10) litres in girls and −0.43 (95% CI −0.51 to −0.35) litres in boys was observed.ConclusionsChildren, adolescents and young adults from disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances had lower respiratory function, and boys presented higher respiratory health inequalities. This information contributes to explain the social patterning of respiratory diseases, and might enable health policy makers to tackle respiratory health inequalities at early ages.

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and health-related quality of life in urban neighbourhoods, using a multilevel approach.MethodsOf the population-based cohort EPIPorto, 1154 georeferenced participants completed the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation classes were estimated using latent-class analysis. Multilevel models measured clustering and contextual effects of neighbourhood deprivation on physical and mental HRQoL.ResultsResidents from the least deprived neighbourhoods had higher physical HRQoL. Neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation together with individual-level variables (age, gender and education) and health-related factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, sedentariness and chronic diseases) explained 98% of the total between-neighbourhood variance. Neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation was significantly associated with physical health when comparing least and most deprived neighbourhoods (class 2—beta coefficient: -0.60; 95% confidence interval:-1.76;-0.56; class 3 –beta coefficient: -2.28; 95% confidence interval:-3.96;-0.60), and as neighbourhood deprivation increases, a decrease in all values of physical health dimensions (physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain and general health) was also observed. Regarding the mental health dimension, no neighbourhood clustering or contextual effects were found. However, as neighbourhood deprivation increases, the values of vitality and role emotional dimensions significantly decreased.ConclusionNeighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation is associated with HRQoL, affecting particularly physical health. This study suggests that to improve HRQoL, people and places should be targeted simultaneously.

Background: This systematic review aimed to summarize evidence reporting epigenetic and/or neuro-immuno-endocrine embedding of adverse childhood events (ACEs) in children, with a particular focus on the short-term biological effect of those experiences.Methods: A search was conducted in PsycINFO®, PubMed®, Isi Web of Knowledge and Scopus, until July 2019, to identify papers reporting the short-term biological effects of exposure to ACEs.Results: The search identified 58 studies, that were included in the review. Regarding exposure, the type of ACE more frequently reported was sexual abuse (n = 26), followed by life stressors (n = 20) and physical abuse (n = 19). The majority (n = 17) of studies showed a positive association between ACEs and biomarkers of the immune system. Regarding DNA methylation 18 studies showed more methylation in participants exposed to ACEs. Two studies presented the effect of ACEs on telomere length and showed that exposure was associated with shorter telomere length.Conclusion: Overall the associations observed across studies followed the hypothesis that ACEs are associated with biological risk already at early ages. This is supporting evidence that ACEs appear to get “under the skin” and induce physiological changes and these alterations might be strongly associated with later development of disease.

People with dementia living in long-term care facilities have severe activities limitation and participation restriction. Rehabilitation through engagement in activities and enhancement of participation seems to be crucial for this population. A multidimensional characterisation of activities and participation is recommended to inform the design and implementation of rehabilitation. Mobility was the most affected domain, highlighting the need for specific rehabilitation, as mobility restrictions are associated with residents' dependency and caregivers' burden.

No abstract

BackgroundLung function is an important predictor of health and a marker of physical functioning at older ages. This study aimed to quantify the years of lung function lost according to disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions across life-course.MethodsThis multicohort study used harmonised individual-level data from six European cohorts with information on life-course socioeconomic disadvantage and lung function assessed by FEV1 and FVC. 70496 participants (51% women) aged 18–93 years were included. Socioeconomic disadvantage was measured in early life (low paternal occupational position), early adulthood (low educational level), and adulthood (low occupational position). Risk factors for poor lung function (e.g., smoking, obesity, sedentary behaviour, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases) were included as potential mediators. The years of lung function lost due to socioeconomic disadvantage were computed at each life stage.ResultsSocioeconomic disadvantage during life-course was associated with a lower FEV1. By age 45, individuals experiencing disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions had lost 4 to 5 years of healthy lung function versus their more advantaged counterparts (low educational level: −4.36 [95% CI −7.33; −2.37] for men and −5.14 [−10.32; −2.71] for women; low occupational position: −5.62 [−7.98; −4.90] for men and −4.32 [−13.31; −2.27] for women), after accounting for the risk factors for lung function. By ages 65 and 85, the years lung function lost due to socioeconomic disadvantage decreased by 2 to 4 years, depending on the socioeconomic indicator. Sensitivity analysis using FVC yielded similar results to those using FEV1.ConclusionLife-course socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with lower lung function and predicts a significant number of years of lung function loss in adulthood and older ages.

No abstract

Introduction: Alcohol use among adolescents is associated with serious health problems and with increased mortality. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the "Alcohol-free" programme in the prevention of alcohol consumption among adolescents. Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was conducted including an experimental group of 92 students and a control group of 77 students, who attended the 3rd cycle of basic education at Braga and Porto schools (Portugal). A self-report questionnaire was administered to both groups before and after the programme implementation. The programme was only administered to the experimental group. Results: The “Alcohol-Free” programme may have facilitated the prevention of early alcohol experimentation among adolescents who had never consumed alcohol. The programme may have also helped to reinforce the participants’ intention not to drink alcohol in the future and to prevent increasing drunkenness prevalence among the experimental group. No significant differences were found on the adolescents’ current alcohol consumption and on their knowledge regarding alcohol use. Conclusions: This study contributes to improve future school-based prevention programmes, which should include families, peers and the school community.