Long-term exposure to PM air pollution and mental health: a retrospective cohort study in Ireland.

Background: Mental illness is the leading cause of years lived with disability, and the global disease burden of mental ill-health has increased substantially in the last number of decades. There is now increasing evidence that environmental conditions, and in particular poor air quality, may be associated with mental health and wellbeing.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis uses data on mental health and wellbeing from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a nationally representative survey of the population aged 50+ in Ireland.

Demographic variation in active consumer behaviour: On-line search for retail broadband services.

Consumers who actively search for better broadband deals may benefit from lower prices or improved service quality compared to those who do not. If, however, consumers differ in their propensity to engage with the market and actively search, these potential benefits may not accrue equally. This paper investigates differences in consumer search activity for telecommunications services across small geographic areas.

Local NO2 concentrations and asthma among over-50s in Ireland: A microdata analysis.

Background: Links between air pollution and asthma are less well established for older adults than some younger groups. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations are widely used as an indicator of transport-related air pollution, and some literature suggests NO2 may directly affect asthma.

Methods: This study used data on 8162 adults >50 years old in the Republic of Ireland to model associations between estimated annual outdoor concentration of NO2 and the probability of having asthma.

Characterising urban green space density and footpath-accessibility in models of BMI.

Background: While exposure to urban green spaces has been associated with various physical health benefits, the evidence linking these spaces to lower BMI, particularly among older people, is mixed. We ask whether footpath availability, generally unobserved in the existing literature, may mediate exposure to urban green space and help explain this volatility in results. The aim of this study is to add to the literature on the association between urban green space and BMI by considering alternative measures of urban green space that incorporate measures of footpath availability.

Fine mapping and association studies in a candidate region for autism on chromosome 2q31-q32.

Autism (OMIM %209850) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic component. We previously reported a de novo rearrangement of chromosome 2q31 in a patient with autism [Gallagher et al. (2003); J Autism Dev Disord 33(1):105-108].

Attitudes and behaviour of general practitioners and their prescribing costs: a national cross sectional survey.

Background: General practitioner (GP) prescribing accounts for about 10% of NHS expenditure. GPs at the top of the range have annual prescribing costs that are almost twice as much as those at the bottom of the range. This variation cannot be accounted for purely in terms of differences in underlying need for health care.

A study of factors associated with cost and variation in prescribing among GPs.

Background: Inappropriate prescribing has the potential to harm both the individual and society. Previous research has identified doctor or demographic characteristics that influence prescribing variation but which were not amenable to change.

Objectives: To identify modifiable factors associated with GP prescribing variance and cost.