The Impact of Digital Technology on the Physical Health of Older Workers: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies have penetrated most workplaces. However, it is unclear how such digital technologies affect the physical health of older workers. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to examine and summarize the evidence from scientific literature concerning the impact of digital technology on the physical health of older workers. METHODS: This scoping review will be conducted following recommendations outlined by Levac et al and will adhere to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines for reporting. Peer-reviewed papers written in English will be searched in the following databases: MEDLINE, Cochrane, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, APA PsycInfo, and ERIH PLUS. The web-based systematic review platform Covidence will be used to create a data extraction template. It will cover the following items: study and participant characteristics, health measures, digital tool characteristics and usage, and research findings. Following the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework, our review will focus on studies involving older workers aged 50 years or older, any form of digital technology (including teleworking and the use of digital tools at work), and how digital technologies affect physical health (such as vision loss, musculoskeletal disorders, and migraines). Studies that focus only on mental health will be excluded. Study selection based on title and abstract screening (first stage), full-text review (second stage), and data extraction (third stage) will be performed by a group of researchers, whereby each paper will be reviewed by at least 2 people. Any conflict regarding the inclusion or exclusion of a study and the data extraction will be resolved by discussion between the researchers who evaluated the papers; a third researcher will be involved if consensus is not reached. RESULTS: A preliminary search of MEDLINE, Epistemonikos, Cochrane, PROSPERO, and JBI Evidence Synthesis was conducted, and no current or ongoing systematic reviews or scoping reviews on the topic were identified. The results of the study are expected in April 2025. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review will seek to provide an overview of the available evidence and identify research gaps regarding the effect of digital technology and the use of digital tools in the work environment on the physical health of older workers. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/59900.

Health, dependency and caregiving: barriers to economic activity among individuals aged 50 to 69 years in Mexico.

In Mexico, the economically active population aged over 50 years has been increasing in recent years. Due to their age, these workers may experience health deterioration and require some form of care. However, only formal employment is associated with better access to health services and pensions. At the same time, these workers may also need to care for children, sick partners or dependent older adults, which limits their time available for employment. This study examined the association between disability, receiving and providing care and access to health services, and economic activity among adults aged 50 to 69 in Mexico in 2015 and 2018. Multilevel modeling was conducted using data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). The MHAS is a longitudinal panel study of adults aged 50 years and older. The study sample included data from 8,831 observations from 2015 and 10,445 observations from 2018. Those living with some degree of disability and receiving care were found to be less likely to be economically active than those living with disability and not receiving care. Similarly, individuals who care for someone were also found to be less likely to be employed. Furthermore, the data suggested that individuals without access to health services were more likely to be economically active. For individuals aged 50 to 69 years, health and care issues were factors that limited economic activity status. In family-oriented societies with weak welfare states, the right to health is partial for the population and care is traditionally the responsibility of women, which exacerbates gender inequalities and has a differential impact on paid work for men and women.

A quasi-cohort trend analysis of adult obesity in Colombia.

In Colombia, the prevalence of obesity has been increasing in recent years due to changes in dietary and nutritional patterns. While previous studies have focussed on describing obesity and its associated factors, they have mainly used a cross-sectional methodology. Accordingly, this study aims to conduct a descriptive quasi-cohort analysis to capture age-specific cohort trends in body mass index (BMI) according to sex and ethnicity (indigenous, Afro-Colombian, and the remaining population). The study utilised data from the National Survey of the Nutritional Situation in Colombia (ENSIN) conducted in 2005, 2010, and 2015 that included 214,136 individuals aged 20-64 years after screening. Data on ethnicity were only available from the 2010 and 2015 surveys. Overall, the prevalence of obesity increased by 6.1 percentage points (from 15.2% to 21.3%) between 2005 and 2015 (men from 10.4% to 15.7%; women from 18.2% to 25.7%). Among Afro-Colombians, obesity rose 6.6 percentage points (from 19.4% to 26.0%), again more so in women than in men (2015: 35.2% versus 17.8%). Among indigenous people, the proportion increased by 5.3 percentage points (from 13.5% to 18.8%), with women reporting highest rates (2015: 23.7% against 12.6% in men). Age- and cohort-specific results also indicate that recent adult cohorts are experiencing sharp increases in BMI, for example, while 25-29-year-old males born in 1975-1979 had a BMI of 24.2 kg/m2, among 40-44-year-olds of the same cohort, this equalled 26.8 kg/m2. In the case of women, these age differences in BMI among the same cohort are even greater (24.4 and 28.0 kg/m2). In summary, the results of this study indicate that Colombia is still in the early stages of the obesity transition, urging the need to monitor obesity trends in Colombia from both an age and cohort perspective. To achieve this, longitudinal surveys or repeated cross-sectional surveys like the ENSIN could be utilised.

Health, dependency and caregiving: barriers to economic activity among individuals aged 50 to 69 years in Mexico / Salud, adicción y atención: restricciones a la actividad económica en personas de entre 50 y 69 años en México / Saúde, dependência e cuidado: restrições à atividade econômica em indivíduos de 50 a 69 anos no México

Abstract: In Mexico, the economically active population aged over 50 years has been increasing in recent years. Due to their age, these workers may experience health deterioration and require some form of care. However, only formal employment is associated with better access to health services and pensions. At the same time, these workers may also need to care for children, sick partners or dependent older adults, which limits their time available for employment. This study examined the association between disability, receiving and providing care and access to health services, and economic activity among adults aged 50 to 69 in Mexico in 2015 and 2018. Multilevel modeling was conducted using data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). The MHAS is a longitudinal panel study of adults aged 50 years and older. The study sample included data from 8,831 observations from 2015 and 10,445 observations from 2018. Those living with some degree of disability and receiving care were found to be less likely to be economically active than those living with disability and not receiving care. Similarly, individuals who care for someone were also found to be less likely to be employed. Furthermore, the data suggested that individuals without access to health services were more likely to be economically active. For individuals aged 50 to 69 years, health and care issues were factors that limited economic activity status. In family-oriented societies with weak welfare states, the right to health is partial for the population and care is traditionally the responsibility of women, which exacerbates gender inequalities and has a differential impact on paid work for men and women.

Resumen: La población de México económicamente activa mayor de 50 años de edad se ha incrementado en los últimos años. Estos trabajadores en esta edad pueden sentir empeorar su salud y requerir algún tipo de atención. Sin embargo, solamente el empleo formal dio un mejor acceso a los servicios sanitarios y las pensiones. Al mismo tiempo, esta población también puede necesitar cuidar a niños, a la pareja enferma o a una persona mayor dependiente, lo que limita su tiempo disponible para trabajar. Este estudio evaluó la asociación entre la discapacidad, recibir y brindar asistencia y acceso a los servicios sanitarios, y la actividad económica de adultos de entre 50 y 69 años en México en el período de 2015 y 2018. Se trata de un enfoque de modelado multinivel que utiliza datos del Estudio Nacional de Salud y Envejecimiento en México (ENASEM). ENASEM es un estudio longitudinal con adultos de 50 años o más. La muestra del estudio estuvo conformada por 8.831 observaciones en 2015 y 10.445 en 2018. Las personas que viven con algún grado de discapacidad y reciben atención tienen menos probabilidades de ser económicamente activas en comparación con las que viven con discapacidades y no reciben atención. Del mismo modo, las personas que brindan atención también tienen menos probabilidades de tener un trabajo. Además, los datos destacan que las personas sin acceso a los servicios sanitarios tienen más probabilidades de ser económicamente activas. En las personas de entre 50 y 69 años, los problemas de salud y la atención son factores que restringen la condición de la actividad económica. En las sociedades orientadas a la familia con estados de bienestar débiles, el derecho a la salud es parcial a la población y el cuidado es tradicionalmente realizado por las mujeres, lo que empeora las desigualdades de género y tiene un impacto diferencial en el trabajo remunerado para hombres y mujeres.

Resumo: No México, a população economicamente ativa com mais de 50 anos tem crescido nos últimos anos. Devido à idade, estes trabalhadores podem apresentar piora da saúde e necessitar de algum tipo de cuidado. No entanto, apenas o emprego formal está atrelado a um melhor acesso aos serviços de saúde e aposentadorias. Ao mesmo tempo, indivíduos dessa população também podem precisar cuidar de crianças, um companheiro doente ou idoso dependente, o que limita seu tempo disponível para o trabalho. Este estudo examinou a associação entre deficiência, receber e fornecer cuidados e acesso a serviços de saúde e a atividade econômica entre adultos de 50 a 69 anos no México em 2015 e 2018. Trata-se de uma abordagem com modelagem multinível utilizando dados do Estudo Nacional sobre Saúde e Envelhecimento no México (ENASEM). O ENASEM é um estudo longitudinal painel com adultos com 50 anos ou mais. A amostra do estudo incluiu dados de 8.831 observações em 2015 e 10.445 em 2018. Aqueles que vivem com algum grau de incapacidade e recebem cuidados têm menor probabilidade de serem economicamente ativos em comparação com aqueles que vivem com incapacidades e não recebem cuidados. Da mesma forma, os indivíduos que prestam cuidados também são menos propensos a terem um emprego. Além disso, os dados sugerem que indivíduos sem acesso a serviços de saúde têm maior probabilidade de serem economicamente ativos. Em indivíduos na faixa etária de 50 a 69 anos, problemas de saúde e cuidados são fatores que restringem a condição de atividade econômica. Em sociedades orientadas para a família com estados de bem-estar social fracos, o direito à saúde é parcial para a população e o cuidado é tradicionalmente assumido pelas mulheres, o que agrava as desigualdades de gênero e tem um impacto diferencial no trabalho remunerado para homens e mulheres.

Shifts in Chronic Disease Patterns Among Spanish Older Adults With Multimorbidity Between 2006 and 2017.

Objectives: To investigate changes in multimorbidity patterns among Spanish older adults. Methods: Data come from the Spanish National Health Survey (ENSE) for individuals aged 60-89 years (2006: n = 9,758; 2017: n = 8,535). Prevalence rates and relative risks of 20 chronic conditions are estimated for the multimorbidity (3+ chronic conditions) sample, along with observed-to-expected prevalence of three-way disease combinations. Principal component and cluster analyses identify multimorbidity patterns and track temporal changes. Results: Overall, multimorbidity remained stable [2006: 59.6% (95% CI: 58.7%-60.6%); 2017: 60.3% (CI: 59.3%-61.3%)], except at older ages. Women exhibited higher multimorbidity prevalence, but sex differences declined by five percentage points. Low-high education differences widened by three percentage points. In 2017 most individuals living with multimorbidity experienced hypertension (63.4%), osteoarthrosis (62.4%) and chronic back pain (55.9%). These chronic conditions also dominate the most common triadic combinations. Multimorbid men also saw increases in cholesterol and diabetes. Conclusion: Multimorbidity trends and the most common combination of diseases can help plan healthcare for an ageing population. Sex and socioeconomic differences pose additional public health challenges as women and deprived populations tend to have more health complexities.

Educational disparities in disability-free life expectancy across Europe: A focus on the East-West gaps from a gender perspective.

Education plays a crucial role in shaping the health outcomes of adults. This study examines the relationship between educational attainment and health across Europe. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we estimate educational inequalities in disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) by gender in seven Western European (2004-2019) and three Central and Eastern European (CEE) (2010-2019) countries. We exploit a novel approach that combines the Sullivan method and multivariate life tables to calculate DFLE using SHARE data. We find that educational differences in DFLE favoring the better-educated exist in both CEE and Western European countries, but also that the differences across countries are more pronounced among the low-educated. While the absolute gaps in DFLE between low- and high-educated individuals in CEE and Western European countries are similar, the educational disparities in DFLE impose a more significant burden on the CEE populations due to their overall lower life expectancy. Educational inequalities are larger among women than among men in CEE countries, while the results for Western European countries are mixed. Our findings further highlight the important role of the institutional context in mitigating or exacerbating educational inequalities in health.

Age and cause-of-death contributions to educational inequalities in life expectancy and lifespan variation in a low-mortality country: A cross-sectional study of 1.67 million deaths in Spain (2016-19).

Background: We aim to assess the age- and cause-specific contributions to differences in life expectancy and lifespan variation between the high- and low-educated groups in Spain. Methods: We use sex-, age-, education- and cause-specific mortality and population data for individuals aged 30 and over for 2016-19 in Spain. We estimated life expectancies, and standard deviations of the age-at-death distribution (lifespan variation), and we disentangled the contribution of age-causes of death to educational differences in both indicators. Findings: Life expectancy at age 30 was higher for high-educated groups compared to low-educated groups, 5.5 years for males and 3.0 years for females. Lifespan variation was higher for low-educated groups compared to high-educated groups, 2.9 years for males and 2.2 years for females. The main contributors to the life expectancy gaps in males were lung cancer (0.58 years) and ischaemic heart diseases (0.42 years), and in females were other cardiovascular causes (0.26 years), and ischaemic heart diseases (0.22 years). The main contributors to the lifespan variation gaps were in males lung cancer (-0.25 years) and ischaemic heart diseases (-0.22 years), while in females were other neoplasms and other diseases of the nervous system. Interpretation: Whereas behavioural causes are more important in explaining educational inequalities in mortality among men, ageing-related causes of death seem more important among women. Attempts at narrowing socioeconomic gaps in mortality may benefit from applying gender-specific preventive policy measures.

Trends in cause-specific mortality: deaths of despair in Spain, 1980-2019.

BACKGROUND: Research from various countries has shown increases in alcohol- and drug-related deaths and suicide, known as 'deaths of despair' over recent decades, particularly among low-educated middle-aged individuals. However, little is known about trends in death-of-despair causes in Spain. Therefore, we aim to descriptively examine this among 25-64-year-olds from 1980 to 2019 and by educational attainment for the years 2017-19. METHODS: We obtained mortality and population data from the National Institute of Statistics to estimate age-standardized mortality rates and assess educational inequalities using the relative index of inequality (RII). RESULTS: Deaths of despair as a share of total mortality slightly increased from 2000 onwards, particularly among 25-64-year-old men (from 9 to 10%). Only alcohol-related mortality declined relatively more since 1980 compared with all-cause mortality. Regarding educational differences, low-educated men presented higher mortality rates in all death-of-despair causes (alcohol-related: RII 3.54 (95% CI: 2.21-5.66); drug-related: RII 3.49 (95% CI: 1.80-6.77); suicide: RII 1.97 (95% CI: 1.49-2.61)). Women noteworthy differences were only observed for alcohol-related (RII 3.50 (95% CI: 2.13-5.75)). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest an increasing proportion of deaths of despair among 25-64-year-olds since 2000, particularly among men. Public health policies are needed to reduce and prevent these premature and preventable causes of mortality.

Cause-specific mortality in Spain during the pandemic: educational differences and its impact on life expectancy.

BACKGROUND: Life expectancy in Spain fell by 1 year between 2018/19 and 2020. Yet, little is known on the impact on cause-of-death (COD) dynamics and educational inequalities therein. METHODS: We use individual-level death counts data by age, sex, education and multiple causes of death (MCOD) and the corresponding population exposures from national registers in Spain. Deaths were examined both as underlying cause of death (UCOD) and as contributory cause. We estimated life expectancies and lifespan inequalities by subpopulation groups and decomposed life expectancy differences between 2018/19 and 2020 by age groups and COD to assess the impact of COVID-19 (as MCOD) and major UCOD. RESULTS: COVID-19 contributed to a decline in male and female life expectancy in Spain between 2018/19 and 2020 (respectively, -1.7 and -1.4 years). Conversely, cancer, respiratory and circulatory system diseases and ill-defined causes as UCOD contributed to life expectancy increases. Life expectancy declines equalled -1.4 years among the low-educated in both sexes (population 30+), -1.0 and -0.7 years among middle-educated and -1.1 and -0.9 years among high-educated men and women. Without COVID-19, educational inequalities in life expectancy would have remained at similar levels, whereas lifespan variation would have been lower (-22% for women and -8% for men). CONCLUSIONS: Life expectancy declines in Spain in 2020 were mainly driven by COVID-19, with possible substitution effects, especially for respiratory system diseases (fewer deaths compared to 2018/19 when coded as UCOD but more as contributing cause). We therefore advocate analysing MCOD when studying changing COD patterns during the pandemic.

Combining remaining life expectancy and time to death as a measure of old-age dependency related to health care needs.

Public concern about the rising number of older dependent citizens is still based mainly on standard population aging indicators. This includes the old-age dependency ratio (OADR), which divides the state pension age population by the working age population. However, the OADR counts neither the dependent elderly nor those who provide for them. This paper builds on previous research to propose several alternative indicators, including the health care (HC) need-adjusted real elderly dependency ratio and the HC need-adjusted dependent population-to-tax rate. These indicators consider improvements in old-age survival and time to death in order to better define the health care needs of the dependent old-age population and to better approximate their financial burden. We define the old-age population dependent on health care as those above the age at which remaining life expectancy is 15 years or less and are expected to die within 5 years. We use data from the US to illustrate differences between the proposed new and standard measures. Results show that, as a share of the total population, the old-age population dependent on health care has virtually not changed since 1950. Moreover, increases in GDP and state tax revenue have outstripped population aging almost continuously since 1970, irrespective of the indicator used, and they are expected to continue to do so during the coming decade. The demand for health care services is therefore not being fueled by population aging but instead by other factors such as progress in medical knowledge and technology, costs of hospitalization, and the increasing use of long-term care facilities.

The impact of Covid-19 on demographic components in Spain, 2020-31: A scenario approach.

While considerable attention has been paid to the impact of Covid-19 on mortality and fertility, few studies have attempted to evaluate the pandemic's effect on international migration. We analyse the impact of Covid-19 on births, deaths, and international migration in Spain during 2020, comparing observed data with estimated values assuming there had been no pandemic. We also assess the consequences of three post-pandemic scenarios on the size and structure of the population to 2031. Results show that in 2020, excess mortality equalled 16.2 per cent and births were 6.5 per cent lower than expected. Immigration was the most affected component, at 36.0 per cent lower than expected, while emigration was reduced by 23.8 per cent. If net migration values recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, the size and structure of the population in 2031 will be barely affected. Conversely, if levels do not recover until 2025, there will be important changes to Spain's age structure.

Estimation of smoking-related mortality and its contribution to educational inequalities in life expectancy in Spain: an observational study, 2016-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate smoking-related mortality and its contribution to educational inequalities in life expectancy in Spain. DESIGN: Nationwide, observational study from 2016 to 2019. Population-attributable fractions were used to estimate age, sex and education-specific cause-of-death smoking-attributable mortality. Life table techniques and decomposition methods were used to estimate potential gains in life expectancy at age 35 and the cause-specific contributions of smoking-related mortality to life expectancy differences across educational groups. SETTING: Spain. PARTICIPANTS: We use cause-specific mortality data from population registers and smoking prevalence from the National and the European Health Survey for Spain from 2017 and 2019/2020, respectively. RESULTS: We estimated 219 086 smoking-related deaths during 2016-2019, equalling 13% of all deaths, 83.7% of those in men. In the absence of smoking, potential gains in male life expectancy were higher among the low-educated than the high-educated (3.1 vs 2.1 years). For women, educational differences were less and also in the opposite direction (0.6 vs 0.9 years). The contribution of smoking to life expectancy differences between high-educated and low-educated groups accounted for 1.5 years among men, and -0.2 years among women. For men, the contribution of smoking to these differences was mostly driven by cancer in middle age, cardiometabolic diseases at younger ages and respiratory diseases at older ages. For women, the contribution to this gap, although negligible, was driven by cancer at older ages among the higher educated. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking remains a relevant preventable risk factor of premature mortality in Spain, disproportionately affecting life expectancy of low-educated men.

Educational differences in alcohol-related mortality and their impact on life expectancy and lifespan variation in Spain (2016-2018): a cross-sectional analysis using multiple causes of death.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol-related mortality in Spain exists, and are postulated to contribute to inequalities in all-cause mortality. We aim to assess absolute and relative educational inequalities in alcohol-related mortality, and to estimate the role of alcohol in educational inequalities in both life expectancy and lifespan variation in Spain. METHODS: We used multiple cause-of-death (MCOD) mortality data for individuals aged 30 and over for Spain (2016-2018) by educational attainment. We estimated by sex and educational attainment age-standardised alcohol-attributable mortality rates, relative and absolute indices of educational inequalities; and total life expectancy and lifespan variation at age 30 for all-cause mortality and after eliminating alcohol-attributable mortality. RESULTS: The use of MCOD resulted in an additional 2543 annual alcohol-related deaths (+75% among men and +50% among women) compared with estimates derived from underlying causes of death. In absolute terms, educational inequalities were the highest among men aged 45-84 and among women aged 45-64. In relative terms, higher inequalities raised in working ages, whereas at older ages inequalities tended to be lower, although still important among men. Alcohol contributed to educational inequalities in life expectancy (men: 0.13 years (3.2%); women 0.02 years (0.7%)) and lifespan variation (2.1% and 1.4% for men and women, respectively). CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption remains an important lifestyle habit to be tackled in order to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in Spain, particularly among men.

On the measurement of healthy lifespan inequality.

BACKGROUND: Current measures to monitor population health include indicators of (i) average length-of-life (life expectancy), (ii) average length-of-life spent in good health (health expectancy), and (iii) variability in length-of-life (lifespan inequality). What is lacking is an indicator measuring the extent to which healthy lifespans are unequally distributed across individuals (the so-called 'healthy lifespan inequality' indicators). METHODS: We combine information on age-specific survival with the prevalence of functional limitation or disability in Spain (2014-2017) by sex and level of education to estimate age-at-disability onset distributions. Age-, sex- and education-specific prevalence rates of adult individuals' daily activities limitations were based on the GALI index derived from Spanish National Health Surveys held in 2014 and 2017. We measured inequality using the Gini index. RESULTS: In contemporary Spain, education differences in health expectancy are substantial and greatly exceed differences in life expectancy. The female advantage in life expectancy disappears when considering health expectancy indicators, both overall and across education groups. The highly educated exhibit lower levels of lifespan inequality, and lifespan inequality is systematically higher among men. Our new healthy lifespan inequality indicators suggest that the variability in the ages at which physical daily activity limitations start are substantially larger than the variability in the ages at which individuals die. Healthy lifespan inequality tends to decrease with increasing educational attainment, both for women and for men. The variability in ages at which physical limitations start is slightly higher for women than for men. CONCLUSIONS: The suggested indicators uncover new layers of health inequality that are not traceable with currently existing approaches. Low-educated individuals tend to not only die earlier and spend a shorter portion of their lives in good health than their highly educated counterparts, but also face greater variation in the eventual time of death and in the age at which they cease enjoying good health-a multiple burden of inequality that should be taken into consideration when evaluating the performance of public health systems and in the elaboration of realistic working-life extension plans and the design of equitable pension reforms.

The influence of social and economic ties to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe.

By late January 2020, the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had reached Europe and most European countries had registered cases by March 1. However, the spread of the virus has been uneven in both prevalence and speed of propagation. We analyse the association of social, economic, and demographic factors in the initial spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 across 23 European countries between March 1 and April 30, 2020. Diagnosed COVID-19 cases from Johns Hopkins University and data from the European Social Survey and other sources were used to estimate bivariate associations between cumulative reported case numbers at ten-day intervals and nine social, demographic, and economic variables. To avoid overfitting, we first reduce these variables to three factors by factor analysis before conducting a multiple regression analysis. We also perform a sensitivity analysis using rates and new cases between two time periods. Results showed that social and economic factors are strongly and positively associated with COVID-19 throughout the studied period, while the association with population density and cultural factors was initially low, but by April, was higher than the earlier mentioned factors. For future influenza-like pandemics, implementing strict movement restrictions from early on will be crucial to curb the spread of such diseases in economically, socially, and culturally vibrant and densely populated countries. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12546-021-09257-1.

Sociodemographic determinants of intraurban variations in COVID-19 incidence: the case of Barcelona.

BACKGROUND: Intraurban sociodemographic risk factors for COVID-19 have yet to be fully understood. We investigated the relationship between COVID-19 incidence and sociodemographic factors in Barcelona at a fine-grained geography. METHODS: This cross-sectional ecological study is based on 10 550 confirmed cases of COVID-19 registered during the first wave in the municipality of Barcelona (population 1.64 million). We considered 16 variables on the demographic structure, urban density, household conditions, socioeconomic status, mobility and health characteristics for 76 geographical units of analysis (neighbourhoods), using a lasso analysis to identify the most relevant variables. We then fitted a multivariate Quasi-Poisson model that explained the COVID-19 incidence by neighbourhood in relation to these variables. RESULTS: Neighbourhoods with: (1) greater population density, (2) an aged population structure, (3) a high presence of nursing homes, (4) high proportions of individuals who left their residential area during lockdown and/or (5) working in health-related occupations were more likely to register a higher number of cases of COVID-19. Conversely, COVID-19 incidence was negatively associated with (6) percentage of residents with post-secondary education and (7) population born in countries with a high Human Development Index. CONCLUSION: Like other historical pandemics, the incidence of COVID-19 is associated with neighbourhood sociodemographic factors with a greater burden faced by already deprived areas. Because urban social and health injustices already existed in those geographical units with higher COVID-19 incidence in Barcelona, the current pandemic is likely to reinforce both health and social inequalities, and urban environmental injustice all together.

The contribution of social participation to differences in life expectancy and healthy years among the older population: A comparison between Chile, Costa Rica and Spain.

We study the health trajectories of the population aged over 60, comparing between one European and two Latin American countries (Spain, Chile and Costa Rica) which have similar longevity patterns. Our focus is on functional limitation and mortality risks, considering differences by gender, education and social participation. Data come from national panel surveys (EPS, CRELES, SHARE). Multistate modelling is used to estimate transition probabilities between two health states: healthy to unhealthy, unhealthy to healthy as well as the transition to death from healthy or unhealthy states, to estimate the duration of stay in a specific state (computing healthy and unhealthy life expectancies) and the effect of the selected covariates. Results show that older Costa Ricans have the smallest gender gap in life expectancy but women have a lower healthy life expectancy compared to those in Chile and Spain. Participation in social activities leads to higher healthy life expectancy among the elderly in Costa Rica and Spain, whilst there were no relevant educational differences observed in longevity in the analysed countries. To conclude: despite the different patterns observed in health transitions and survival across the three countries, social participation is associated with greater health and longevity among people of old age, with little effect coming from educational attainment. Public policies should therefore be aimed at reducing unhealthy life years and dependency at advanced ages by promoting more engagement in social activities, especially among vulnerable groups who are more likely to experience impairment from a younger age.

Are partner's features important to understand health at older ages? The Spanish case.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse health differences among partnered individuals in Spain aged 65-81 considering their combined (education of both partners and age gap) and household (economic capacity of the household) characteristics. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of the 2015 Spanish sample of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey (EU-SILC) on partnered individuals aged 65-81 years (N=1787). Using logistic regression models separately for women and men we obtained odds and predicted probabilities of having less than good health (95% confidence intervals) according to combined information from both partners on education and age, the household's economic capacity and partner's health status. RESULTS: Probabilities of not having good health are significantly less among lower educated women whose partners are more highly educated (compared to both partners being lower educated) and among women whose partner is younger or has good health status. The latter also applies to men. Living in a household without economic difficulties also favours health (both sexes). CONCLUSIONS: For both sexes a partner's health status is the variable that shows the largest effect on elderly partnered Spanish people's health but women's health appears to be more sensitive to their partner's educational attainment and the household's economic situation.

What factors enable mid-life carers to re-enter the labour market in New Zealand?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the characteristics of carers and the caregiving situation associated with return to paid employment among older unemployed carers in New Zealand. METHODS: A baseline sample of 280 unemployed carers was identified from responses by people aged 55-70 to the 2012-2016 biennial waves of the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement longitudinal survey. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess characteristics uniquely predicting employment status at two-year follow-up. RESULTS: Sixteen percent were employed at follow-up. Economic living standards, physical health and preference to be in paid employment were positively associated with being employed at follow-up. There were no statistical differences according to age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education and care characteristics. CONCLUSION: Individual preferences were the strongest predictor of return to paid employment. Despite New Zealand employment legislation allowing all employees to request flexible working arrangements, economic and health differences in workforce retention among carers persist.