Suchergebnisse

The paper is an exploration of the specific character of the so-called 'old industrial areas' within Austria. The starting point is the question of how to account for the changing fortunes of this type of region; they are interpreted as being in the final stage of their regional 'life cycle'. By applying factor-analytical methods to differentiate the Austrian regional structure, it can be shown that there are distinctive differences in supply-side characteristics between regions. Centering on the analysis of old industrial districts, the findings confirm that these areas represent a special type of region; they can be described by a combination of variables which is common to them and not to other regions. The resulting combination of variables supports the hypothesis, based on aspects of the various regional growth theories, that the poor performance of old industrial areas stems from a lack of competitiveness and an inadequate flexibility in adjustment to change.

The authors thank the Chief Scientist Office for a grant (CZH/4/878), NHS Health Scotland for a supplementary grant (no number), and Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland and National Records of Scotland for in-house technical support. S.V.K. acknowledges funding from a NRS Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCAF/15/02), the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12017/13 & MC_UU_12017/15) and Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (SPHSU13 & SPHSU15). A.S. is supported by the Farr Institute and Health Data Research UK. ; Objectives To investigate ethnic differences in falls and road traffic injuries (RTIs) in Scotland. Study design A retrospective cohort of 4.62 million people, linking the Scottish Census 2001, with self-reported ethnicity, to hospitalisation and death records for 2001–2013. Methods We selected cases with International Classification of Diseases–10 diagnostic codes for falls and RTIs. Using Poisson regression, age-adjusted risk ratios (RRs, multiplied by 100 as percentages) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by sex for 10 ethnic groups with the White Scottish as reference. We further adjusted for country of birth and socio-economic status (SES). Results During about 49 million person-years, there were 275,995 hospitalisations or deaths from fall-related injuries and 43,875 from RTIs. Compared with the White Scottish, RRs for falls were higher in most White and Mixed groups, e.g., White Irish males (RR: 131; 95% CI: 122–140) and Mixed females (126; 112–143), but lower in Pakistani males (72; 64–81) and females (72; 63–82) and African females (79; 63–99). For RTIs, RRs were higher in other White British males (161; 147–176) and females (156; 138–176) and other White males (119; 104–137) and females (143; 121–169) and lower in Pakistani females (74; 57–98). The ethnic variations differed by road user type, with few cases among non-White motorcyclists and non-White female cyclists. The RRs were minimally altered by adjustment for country of birth or SES. Conclusion We found important ethnic variations in injuries owing to falls and RTIs, with generally lower risks in non-White groups. Culturally related differences in behaviour offer the most plausible explanation, including variations in alcohol use. The findings do not point to the need for new interventions in Scotland at present. However, as the ethnic mix of each country is unique, other countries could benefit from similar data linkage-based research. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed

The authors thank the Chief Scientist Office for a grant (CZH/4/648), NHS Health Scotland for a supplementary grant (no number). SVK acknowledges funding from a NRS Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCAF/15/02), the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12017/13 & MC_UU_12017/15) and Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (SPHSU13 & SPHSU15). AS is supported by the Farr Institute. ; Objectives: Immigration into Europe has raised contrasting concerns about increased pressure on health services and equitable provision of health care to immigrants or ethnic minorities. Our objective was to find out if there were important differences in hospital use between the main ethnic groups in Scotland. Study design: A census-based data linkage cohort study. Methods: We anonymously linked Scotland's Census 2001 records for 4.62 million people, including their ethnic group, to National Health Service general hospitalisation records for 2001–2013. We used Poisson regression to calculate hospitalisation rate ratios (RRs) in 14 ethnic groups, presented as percentages of the White Scottish reference group (RR = 100), for males and females separately. We adjusted for age and socio-economic status and compared those born in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland (UK/RoI) with elsewhere. We calculated mean lengths of hospital stay. Results: 9.79 million hospital admissions were analysed. Compared with the White Scottish, unadjusted RRs for both males and females in most groups were about 50–90, e.g. Chinese males 49 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 45–53) and Indian females 76 (95% CI 71–81). The exceptions were White Irish, males 120 (95% CI 117–124) and females 115 (95% CI 112–119) and Caribbean females, 103 (95% CI 85–126). Adjusting for age increased the RRs for most groups towards or above the reference. Socio-economic status had little effect. In many groups, those born outside the UK/RoI had lower admission rates. Unadjusted mean lengths of stay were substantially lower in most ethnic minorities. Conclusions: Use of hospital beds in Scotland by most ethnic minorities was lower than by the White Scottish majority, largely explained by their younger average age. Other countries should use similar methods to assess their own experience. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed