Journal of epidemiology and community health
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J Epidemiol Community Health · Oct 2010
Neighbourhood socioeconomic status and biological 'wear and tear' in a nationally representative sample of US adults.
To assess whether neighbourhood socioeconomic status (NSES) is independently associated with disparities in biological 'wear and tear' measured by allostatic load in a nationally representative sample of US adults. ⋯ Living in a lower NSES in the USA is associated with significantly greater biological wear and tear as measured by the allostatic load, and this relationship is independent of individual SES characteristics. Our findings show that where one lives is independently associated with allostatic load, thereby suggesting that policies that improve NSES may also yield health returns.
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J Epidemiol Community Health · Oct 2010
Effectiveness and impact of hepatitis B virus vaccination of children with at least one parent born in a hepatitis B virus endemic country: an early assessment.
To determine the effectiveness and impact of the Dutch childhood hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination policy targeted at children with at least one parent born in a HBV endemic country. ⋯ This paper shows that the incidence of HBV notifications in children born after the introduction of targeted childhood HBV vaccinations is lower compared with the incidence in children born before the start of this vaccination programme. Although this is consistent with a good HBV vaccine coverage, the interpretation is hampered by a change in case definition for notification in 1999. The results are of importance to policy makers in both The Netherlands and other countries that have a targeted HBV vaccination programme.