The Powerful Combination of Cross-country Comparisons and Life-History Data.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Banks J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7449547 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Coronavirus has claimed the lives of over half a million people world-wide and this death toll continues to rise rapidly each day. In the absence of a vaccine, non-clinical preventative measures have been implemented as the principal means of limiting deaths. However, these measures have caused unprecedented disruption to daily lives and economic activity. Given this developing crisis, the potential for a second wave of infections and the near certainty of future pandemics, lessons need to be rapidly gleaned from the available data. We address the challenges of cross-country comparisons by allowing for differences in reporting and variation in underlying socio-economic conditions between countries. Our analyses show that, to date, differences in policy interventions have out-weighed socio-economic variation in explaining the range of death rates observed in the data. Our epidemiological models show that across 8 countries a further week long delay in imposing lockdown would likely have cost more than half a million lives. Furthermore, those countries which acted more promptly saved substantially more lives than those that delayed. Linking decisions over the timing of lockdown and consequent deaths to economic data, we reveal the costs that national governments were implicitly prepared to pay to protect their citizens as reflected in the economic activity foregone to save lives. These 'price of life' estimates vary enormously between countries, ranging from as low as around $100,000 (e.g. the UK, US and Italy) to in excess of $1million (e.g. Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and Korea). The lowest estimates are further reduced once we correct for under-reporting of Covid-19 deaths.
| S-EPMC7400753 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInternational comparisons of disease prevalence have been useful in understanding what proportion of disease might be preventable and in informing potential policy interventions in different cultural and economic contexts. Using newly available, harmonized data from 20 countries, we compare disability and morbidity of older adults between the ages of 55 and 74.MethodsThe Gateway to Global Aging Data, a data and information portal, provides access to easy-to-use individual-level longitudinal data from 10 surveys covering over 30 countries. Exploiting harmonized measures available from the Gateway, we descriptively examine how disability and morbidity differ across countries.ResultsSignificant cross-country differences are observed for several health indicators. Comparing countries with the highest and lowest prevalence rates, we observe that hypertension rates vary twofold and stroke rates vary threefold, while disability and arthritis rates vary more than fivefold. Among women, higher gross domestic product and life expectancy are related to lower diabetes, heart disease, and better functioning. Among men, national indicators of economic conditions are not significantly associated with reported disease prevalence.ConclusionsWe document substantial heterogeneity in disability and morbidity across countries, separately for men and women and after controlling for population age composition and education. Rich data from various surveys across the world offers remarkable opportunities for cross-country analyses, calling for further investigation of what drives observed differences. The Gateway to Global Aging Data provides easy-to-use harmonized data files and tools to facilitate this type of research.
| S-EPMC6175025 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo compare countries' health care needs by segmenting populations into a set of needs-based health states.Data sourcesWe used seven waves of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) panel survey data.Study designWe developed the Cross-Country Simple Segmentation Tool (CCSST), a validated clinician-administered instrument for categorizing older individuals by distinct, homogeneous health and related social service needs. Using clinical indicators, self-reported physician diagnosis of chronic disease, and performance-based tests conducted during the survey interview, individuals were assigned to 1-5 global impressions (GI) segments and assessed for having any of the four identifiable complicating factors (CFs). We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the risk of mortality by segment. First, we show the segmentation cross-sectionally to assess cross-country differences in the fraction of individuals with different levels of medical needs. Second, we compare the differences in the rate at which individuals transition between those levels and death.Data collection/extraction methodsWe segmented 270,208 observations (from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) from 96,396 individuals into GI and CF categories.Principal findingsThe CCSST is a valid tool for segmenting populations into needs-based states, showing Switzerland with the lowest fraction of individuals in high medical needs segments, followed by Denmark and Sweden, and Poland with the highest fraction, followed by Italy and Israel. Comparing hazard ratios of transitioning between health states may help identify country-specific areas for analysis of ecological and cultural risk factors.ConclusionsThe CCSST is an innovative tool for aggregate cross-country comparisons of both health needs and transitions between them. A cross-country comparison gives policy makers an effective means of comparing national health system performance and provides targeted guidance on how to identify strategies for curbing the rise of high-need, high-cost patients.
| S-EPMC8579203 | biostudies-literature
Project description:While a substantial amount of literature addresses the relationship between natural resources and economic growth, relatively little is known regarding the relationship between natural resource endowment and health at the population level. We construct a 5-year cross-country panel to assess the impact of natural resource rents on changes in life expectancy at birth as a proxy indicator for population health during the period 1970-2015. To estimate the causal effects of interest, we use global commodity prices as instrumental variables for natural resource rent incomes in two-stage-least squares regressions. Controlling for country and year fixed effects, we show that each standard deviation increase in resource rents results in life expectancy increase of 6.72% (CI: 2.01%, 11.44%). This corresponds to approximately one additional year of life expectancy gained over five years. We find a larger positive effect of rents on life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) compared to other world regions. We do not find short-term effects of rents on economic growth, but show that increases in resource rents result in sizeable increases in government revenues in the short run, which likely translate into increased spending across government sectors. This suggests that natural resources can help governments finance health and other development-oriented programs needed to improve population health.
| S-EPMC8162665 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) constitute an extensive dataset that measures the quality of public governance at the national level. The WGI framework is structured around six key governance dimensions: voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. The WGI is an invaluable tool for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners interested in comparative governance and institutional analysis. The dataset spans from 2011 to 2022 and covers diverse geographical regions such as East Asia & Pacific, Europe & Central Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe, and South Asia. The data is collected systematically, including data source identification, extraction, filtering, validation, and organization. The data is presented in a balanced panel structure to facilitate longitudinal analysis, allowing researchers to explore the dynamics of change within units over time in a standardized manner. Policymakers use these indicators to make informed decisions and plan better. International development organizations employ them to allocate resources and assess the impact of aid. Financial institutions and businesses leverage WGI to evaluate investment risks and market entry conditions. Scholars and researchers find WGI valuable for empirical studies involving cross-country comparisons and longitudinal analyses. Civil society organizations use these metrics to advocate for governance reforms. Furthermore, the indicators are also useful in public discourse for promoting transparency and accountability.
| S-EPMC10700357 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This paper describes one large multi-annual research project-CaliBRANDO-about subjective wellbeing in a developing country. CaliBRANDO is a life satisfaction measurement system implemented in Cali, the third largest city in Colombia, South America. Data have been collected annually since 2014 and aim at collecting comprehensive temporal information about individual-level subjective wellbeing and its relationship with government performance. CaliBRANDO is the only study in Colombia that measures subjective wellbeing in a large city in this way. This paper presents the methodology followed in the study and discusses the relevance of the data collected.
| S-EPMC5501882 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDifferent countries have adopted different containment and testing strategies for SARS-CoV-2. The difference in testing makes it difficult to compare the effect of different containment strategies. This study proposes methods to allow a direct comparison and presents the results.DesignPublicly available data on the numbers of reported COVID-19-related deaths between 01 January and 17 April 2020 were compared between countries.ResultsThe numbers of cases or deaths per 100,000 inhabitants gave severely biased comparisons between countries. Only the number of deaths expressed as a percentage of the number of deaths on day 25 after the first reported COVID-19-related death allowed a direct comparison between countries. From this comparison clear differences were observed between countries, associated with the timing of the implementation of containment measures.ConclusionsComparisons between countries are only possible when simultaneously taking into account that the virus does not arrive in all countries simultaneously, absolute numbers are incomparable due to different population sizes, rates per 100,000 of the population are incomparable because not all countries are affected homogeneously, susceptibility to death by COVID-19 can differ between populations, and a death is only reported as a COVID-19-related death if the patient was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. With the current methods, all these factors were accounted for and an unbiased direct comparison between countries was established. This comparison confirmed that early adoption of containment strategies is key in flattening the curve of the epidemic.
| S-EPMC7250090 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Researchers have recently proposed that "moralistic" religions-those with moral doctrines, moralistic supernatural punishment, and lower emphasis on ritual-emerged as an effect of greater wealth and material security. One interpretation appeals to life history theory, predicting that individuals with "slow life history" strategies will be more attracted to moralistic traditions as a means to judge those with "fast life history" strategies. As we had reservations about the validity of this application of life history theory, we tested these predictions with a data set consisting of 592 individuals from eight diverse societies. Our sample includes individuals from a wide range of traditions, including world religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, but also local traditions rooted in beliefs in animism, ancestor worship, and worship of spirits associated with nature. We first test for the presence of associations between material security, years of formal education, and reproductive success. Consistent with popular life history predictions, we find evidence that material security and education are associated with reduced reproduction. Building on this, we then test whether or not these demographic factors predict the moral concern, punitiveness, attributed knowledge-breadth, and frequency of ritual devotions towards two deities in each society. Here, we find no reliable evidence of a relationship between number of children, material security, or formal education and the individual-level religious beliefs and behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of why life-history theory is an inadequate interpretation for the emergence of factors typifying the moralistic traditions.
| S-EPMC5841807 | biostudies-other
Project description:The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) is a major innovation that provides, for the first time, harmonized data for cross-national comparisons of later-life cognitive functions that are sensitive to linguistic, cultural, and educational differences across countries. However, cognitive function does not lend itself to direct comparison across diverse populations without careful consideration of the best practices for such comparisons. This perspective discusses theoretical and methodological considerations and offers a set of recommended best practices for conducting cross-national comparisons of risk factor associations using HCAP data. Because existing and planned HCAP studies provide cognition data representing an estimated 75% of the global population ≥65 years of age, these recommended best practices will support high-quality comparative analyses of cognitive aging around the world. The principles described in this perspective are applicable to any researcher aiming to integrate or compare harmonized data on cognitive outcomes and their risk and protective factors across diverse populations.
| S-EPMC10984496 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: The validity, reliability and cross-country comparability of summary measures of population health (SMPH) have been persistently debated. In this debate, the measurement and valuation of nonfatal health outcomes have been defined as key issues. Our goal was to quantify and decompose international differences in health expectancy based on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We focused on the impact of value set choice on cross-country variation. METHODS: We calculated Quality Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE) at age 20 for 15 countries in which EQ-5D population surveys had been conducted. We applied the Sullivan approach to combine the EQ-5D based HRQoL data with life tables from the Human Mortality Database. Mean HRQoL by country-gender-age was estimated using a parametric model. We used nonparametric bootstrap techniques to compute confidence intervals. QALE was then compared across the six country-specific time trade-off value sets that were available. Finally, three counterfactual estimates were generated in order to assess the contribution of mortality, health states and health-state values to cross-country differences in QALE. RESULTS: QALE at age 20 ranged from 33 years in Armenia to almost 61 years in Japan, using the UK value set. The value sets of the other five countries generated different estimates, up to seven years higher. The relative impact of choosing a different value set differed across country-gender strata between 2% and 20%. In 50% of the country-gender strata the ranking changed by two or more positions across value sets. The decomposition demonstrated a varying impact of health states, health-state values, and mortality on QALE differences across countries. CONCLUSIONS: The choice of the value set in SMPH may seriously affect cross-country comparisons of health expectancy, even across populations of similar levels of wealth and education. In our opinion, it is essential to get more insight into the drivers of differences in health-state values across populations. This will enhance the usefulness of health-expectancy measures.
| S-EPMC3146826 | biostudies-other