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M Droomers

Publications and source records attributed to M Droomers.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Occupational level of the father and alcohol consumption during adolescence; patterns and predictors.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This paper describes and attempts to explain the association between occupational level of the father and high alcohol consumption among a cohort of New Zealand adolescents from age 11 to 21. DESIGN: Data were obtained from the longitudinal Dunedin multidisciplinary health and development study. At each measurement wave, those who then belonged to the quartile that reported the highest usual amount of alcohol consumed on a typical drinking occasion were categorised as high alcohol consumers. Potential predictors of high alcohol consumption included environmental factors, individual factors, and educational achievement measured at age 9, 11, or 13. Longitudinal logistic GEE analyses described and explained the relation between father's occupation and adolescent alcohol consumption. SETTING: Dunedin, New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: About 1000 children were followed up from birth in 1972 until adulthood. MAIN RESULTS: A significant association between fathers' occupation and adolescent alcohol consumption emerged at age 15. Overall adolescents from the lowest occupational group had almost twice the odds of being a large consumer than the highest occupational group. The association between father's occupation and high alcohol consumption during adolescence was explained by the higher prevalence of familial alcohol problems and friends approving of alcohol consumption, lower intelligence scores, and lower parental attachment among adolescents from lower occupational groups. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic background affects adolescent alcohol consumption substantially. This probably contributes to cumulation of disadvantage. Prevention programmes should focus on adolescents from lower socioeconomic groups and make healthier choices the easier choices by means of environmental change.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Educational level and decreases in leisure time physical activity: predictors from the longitudinal GLOBE study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study describes educational differences in decreases in leisure time physical activity among an adult, physically active population and additionally attempts to identify predictors of these differences from information on health status and individual and environmental factors. DESIGN: Prospective population based study. Baseline measurement were carried out in 1991 and follow up in 1997. SETTING: South eastern part of the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 3793 subjects who were physically active in 1991 and who participated in the follow up. METHODS: Potential predictors of decreasing physical activity were measured in 1991. Logistic regression analyses were carried out for two age groups (< 45 years; > or = 45 years) separately. MAIN RESULTS: Lower educated respondents experienced statistically significant higher odds to decrease physical activity during follow up, compared with respondents with higher vocational schooling or a university degree. Perceived control was the main predictor of educational differences in decreasing physical activity in both age groups. In the older group, material problems and a poor perceived health experienced by lower educated people additionally predicted educational differences in decreases in physical activity during leisure time. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for health promotion practice and policy to prevent socioeconomic differences in physical inactivity and health. There is a need for evidence-based interventions that improve perceived control and reduce material problems in lower educated groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Socio-demographic variables and 6 year change in body mass index: longitudinal results from the GLOBE study.

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) differs by socio-demographic variables, but the origin of these associations remains relatively unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between socio-demographic variables and the subsequent change in BMI over six years. DESIGN: A Dutch prospective cohort study (GLOBE) from which data were used from initially 20-49-year-old subjects (males: n=362; females: n=405). BMI was calculated from self-reported body height and weight data obtained in 1991 and 1997. Socio-demographic variables used were sex, age, educational level and the occupational level of the main breadwinner, family income, marital status, religious affiliation and degree of urbanization and measured in 1991. RESULTS: Cross-sectionally, BMI was higher in males than in females. BMI was positively associated with age and negatively associated with educational level in both sexes, after adjustment for the other socio-demographic variables. A positive association of BMI with family income was found in males and a negative association with occupational level was found in females. During follow-up, BMI increased significantly more in females (from 23.0 (s.d. 3.3) to 24. 2 (s.d. 3.8)) than in males (from 24.3 (s.d. 2.9) to 25.1 (s.d. 3. 5)). With the exception of a significant lesser increase in BMI in initially 30-39-year-old women compared to initially 40-49-year-old women, no other statistically significant associations were found between socio-demographic variables and the 6-year change in BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional differences in BMI by socio-demographic variables are not due to different 6-year changes in BMI for categories of these variables in adulthood. Cross-sectional differences in BMI by educational level are probably established at the end of adolescence.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Educational differences in excessive alcohol consumption: the role of psychosocial and material stressors.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic differences in health are determined mainly by socioeconomic differences in unhealthy behavior. Little is known, however, about the mechanisms that account for socioeconomic differences in unhealthy behavior, such as excessive alcohol consumption. In this paper we examined educational differences in excessive alcohol consumption in The Netherlands and whether these may be explained by educational differences in experienced stress and stress-moderating factors. METHODS: Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the Longitudinal Study on Socio Economic Health Differences in 1991. Excessive drinking was defined as drinking more than six glasses on 3 or more days a week or more than four glasses on 5 or more days a week. Socioeconomic status was indicated by educational level. Stressors were divided into psychosocial and material factors. Analyses were performed for women (n = 756) and men (n = 1,006) separately, among drinkers only. RESULTS: Excessive alcohol consumption was more common among lower educational groups. Material stressors, such as financial problems, deprivation, and income, were related to part of the educational gradient in excessive alcohol consumption. Differences in stress-moderating factors were not related to the educational gradient in excessive drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that improvement of material conditions among the lower educational groups could result in a reduction of socioeconomic differences in excessive alcohol consumption.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Educational differences in leisure-time physical inactivity: a descriptive and explanatory study.

In this study we aim to explain educational differences in leisure-time physical inactivity in terms of psychosocial and material factors. Cross-sectional data were obtained from the baseline of the Dutch GLOBE study in 1991, including 2598 men and women, aged 15-74 years. Physical inactivity during leisure time was defined as not participating in any activity, such as sports, gardening, walking or cycling. Psychosocial factors included in the study were coping resources, personality, and stressors. Material factors were financial situation, employment status, and living conditions. Logistic regression models were used to calculate educational differences in physical inactivity. Physical inactivity was more prevalent in lower educational groups. Psychosocial factors related to physical inactivity were locus of control, parochialism, neuroticism, emotional social support, active problem focussing, optimistic and palliative coping styles. Material factors associated with physical inactivity were income, employment status and financial problems. All correlates of physical inactivity were unequally distributed over educational groups, except optimistic and palliative coping. Personality and coping style were the main contributors to the observed educational differences in physical inactivity. That is to say, parochialism, locus of control, neuroticism and active problem focussing explained about half of elevated odds ratios of physical inactivity in the lower educational groups. The material factors, equivalent income and employment status explained about 40% of the elevated odds ratios. Psychosocial and material correlates together reduced the odds ratios of lower educational groups by on average 75%. These results have practical consequences for the design of more effective interventions to promote physical activity. In particular, personality and coping style of risk groups, such as lower educational groups, should be taken into consideration at the future development of these interventions, as well as inequalities in material restrictions related to engaging in physical activity. Supplementary interventions focussing on childhood conditions which, partly, influence both personality and physical inactivity may also contribute to a reduction of socio-economic differences in physical inactivity.

Adaptation, Psychological↗