The number of Welsh speakers in England is a topic of interest as they must represent the major part of the Welsh-speaking diaspora. Their numbers have been the matter of speculation. To try to produce a reliable estimate of their numbers we have used the ONS Longitudinal Study (LS), a record linkage study containing census information on a 1 per cent sample of the population of Wales and Engla...

BACKGROUND Autoimmune diseases are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, yet the etiology remains unclear. Depression has been implicated as a risk factor for various immune-related disorders but little is known about the risk of autoimmune disease. This study examined the association between depression and the risk of autoimmune disease, and investigated the temporal and dose-re...

A prospective study of menstrual cycles and reproductive outcomes has been in progress since 1935. Data from this study are used to describe the risk of spontaneous abortion in two time periods 26 years apart. Out of the total of 3889 women who have enrolled in this study, two cohorts of women are selected for analysis: cohort one consists of 2070 university students who entered the study in 19...

The objectives of this study were to describe sources of stress in predoctoral dental students and first-year residents at one dental school and to understand how these sources evolved during the four-year curriculum and in the first year after graduation. The study used a mixed methods design. Quantitative data were collected from subjects in each of the five cohorts of students and residents,...

BACKGROUND Most previous studies on marital status and mortality did not adjust for the effect of 'marital selection'. Little research has been done about the relation between marital status and mortality in British women, with the exception of research on bereavement. METHODS Subjects consisted of women aged > or = 35 in a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample. Marital sta...

Breastfeeding is the foundation of good nutrition and provides the basis for health throughout the life span. The WHO and the Chinese Ministry of Public Health recommend exclusive breastfeeding to six months of age. The practice of giving prelacteal feeds may interfere with the establishment of good breastfeeding practices and is contrary to the principles of Baby Friendly Hospital accreditatio...

Perfectionism in sports has been shown to predict longitudinal changes in athlete burnout. What mediates these changes over time, however, is still unclear. Adopting a self-determination theory perspective and using a three-wave longitudinal design, the current study examined perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and athlete burnout i...

Traditional screen time (e.g. TV and videogaming) has been linked to sleep problems and poorer developmental outcomes in children. With the advent of portable touchscreen devices, this association may be extending down in age to disrupt the sleep of infants and toddlers, an age when sleep is essential for cognitive development. However, this association has not been demonstrated empirically. Th...

BACKGROUND Health literacy skills tend to decline during ageing, which is often attributed to age-related cognitive decline. Whether health literacy skills may be influenced by technological and social factors during ageing is unknown. METHODS We investigated whether internet use and social engagement protect against health literacy decline during ageing, independent of cognitive decline. We ...

Public transit ridership offers valuable opportunities for modest amounts of daily physical activity (PA). Transit is a more feasible option for most Canadian commuters who live too far from work to walk or cycle, yet public transit usage in midsized Canadian cities has historically remained low due to inefficient transit service. The objectives of this longitudinal study were threefold: to ass...