Nynke Smidt | University of Groningen (original) (raw)
Papers by Nynke Smidt
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 2021
The aim of the current study is to investigate which major life events are associated with transi... more The aim of the current study is to investigate which major life events are associated with transitions into and out of volunteering over the life course and, especially, why these associations exist. Social Production Function theory is used to derive hypotheses, which are tested using longitudinal data (adult subsample) from Lifelines. Associations between major life events and (a) volunteer take-up, nonvolunteer sample ( N = 59,773) and (b) volunteer cessation, volunteer sample ( N = 32,143) are studied by applying Linear Probability Modeling. Results show clear associations between specific major life events and starting and quitting volunteering. The influence on the latter is stronger than on the former. Most findings are in line with our theory-based expectations indicating that (a) voluntary work contributes especially to the fulfillment of the needs for status, stimulation, and behavioral confirmation and (2) life events causing losses (gains) in these needs are associated w...
Additional file 2: Sensitivity analysis including. Table S1. Complete case analysis: Baseline cha... more Additional file 2: Sensitivity analysis including. Table S1. Complete case analysis: Baseline characteristics. Table S2. Complete case analysis: Reproducibility properties of unchanged patients at three months follow-up measurement. Table S3. Complete case analysis: Mean change scores and internal responsiveness for improved, unchanged, and deteriorated patients. Figure S1. Complete Case Analysis: Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve comparisons and corresponding Area Under the ROC curves (AUC).
Additional file 2. Supplementary figures and Tables. A flowchart of study participants and additi... more Additional file 2. Supplementary figures and Tables. A flowchart of study participants and additional descriptive tables.
SORTA: a system for ontology-based re-coding and technical annotation of biomedical phenotype data
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2020
As no curative treatments for dementia are yet available, prevention is a key element to countera... more As no curative treatments for dementia are yet available, prevention is a key element to counteract the dementia epidemic. Our aim is to investigate the uptake and effectiveness of a tailor‐made online‐lifestyle‐program for dementia‐risk‐reduction targeting risk and protective factors for dementia among middle‐aged descendants of people with recently diagnosed late‐onset‐dementia.
Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on whether poor socioeconomic conditions in the nei... more Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on whether poor socioeconomic conditions in the neighborhood are associated with major depressive disorder. Furthermore, conceptual models that relate neighborhood conditions to depressive disorder have not been evaluated using empirical data. In this study, we investigated whether neighborhood income is associated with major depressive episodes. We evaluated three conceptual models. Conceptual model 1: The association between neighborhood income and major depressive episodes is explained by diseases, lifestyle factors, stress and social participation. Conceptual model 2: A low individual income relative to the mean income in the neighborhood is associated with major depressive episodes. Conceptual model 3: A high income of the neighborhood buffers the effect of a low individual income on major depressive disorder. Methods: We used adult baseline data from the LifeLines Cohort Study (N = 71,058) linked with data on the participants’ neig...
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2020
The Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) is a valid pencil‐and‐paper test for evaluating cognitive fu... more The Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) is a valid pencil‐and‐paper test for evaluating cognitive functioning in the general population. The assessment of the pencil‐and‐paper‐RFFT is time‐consuming and requires training of raters. We developed a digital‐RFFT which can be filled in by people independently on an Ipad, after which RFFT patterns are automatically processed and stored. We aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the digital‐RFFT in the general population.
Advances in Life Course Research, 2021
Abstract Unemployment is expected to influence alcohol consumption, but studies show mixed result... more Abstract Unemployment is expected to influence alcohol consumption, but studies show mixed results, partly because most studies concentrate on current employment status. However, unemployment could be particularly consequential if it is part of a trajectory of employment precariousness. Moreover, the association between unemployment and alcohol consumption may not be homogeneous across the population, but differ by subgroups (e.g. socioeconomic status). This study longitudinally analyses the association between different employment trajectories and alcohol consumption, and examines if the association is moderated by socioeconomic status (SES), partner status, age and gender. Four waves of data of the Lifelines Cohort study are used. Sample consists of individuals from 18 to 50 years old, active in the labor market (n = 104,766) from the northern provinces of the Netherlands. Employment trajectories are defined by employment status in each wave, duration of unemployment, and number of exposures to unemployment. Drinking patterns are divided into “abstainers”, “moderate drinking” (
BMJ Open, 2020
ObjectivesPoor self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of premature mortality in older adul... more ObjectivesPoor self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of premature mortality in older adults. Trajectories of poor SRH are associated with multimorbidity and unhealthy behaviours. Whether trajectories of SRH are associated with deviating physiological markers is unclear. This study identified trajectories of SRH and investigated the associations of trajectory membership with chronic diseases, health risk behaviours and physiological markers in community-dwelling older adults.Study design and settingProspective general population cohort.ParticipantsTrajectories of SRH over 5 years were identified using data of 11 600 participants aged 65 years and older of the Lifelines Cohort Study.Outcome measuresTrajectories of SRH were the main outcome. Covariates included demographics (age, gender, education), chronic diseases, health-risk behaviour (physical activity, smoking, drinking) and physiological markers (body mass index, cardiovascular function, lung function, glucose metabolism...
BMC Public Health, 2018
Background: Participation in voluntary work may be associated with individual and societal benefi... more Background: Participation in voluntary work may be associated with individual and societal benefits. Because of these benefits and as a result of challenges faced by governments related to population ageing, voluntary work becomes more important for society, and policy measures are aimed at increasing participation rates. In order to effectively identify potential volunteers, insight in the determinants of volunteering is needed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review including meta-analyses. Methods: A systematic search in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, Business Source Premier, and EconLit was performed on August 12th 2015. We included longitudinal cohort studies conducted in developed countries that quantified factors associated with volunteering among samples from the general adult population. Two reviewers independently selected eligible studies, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies using the QUIPS tool. Estimates reported in the papers were transformed into Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals. For each determinant, random-effects meta-analyses were used to generate summary estimates. Results: We found that socioeconomic status, being married, social network size, church attendance and previous volunteer experiences are positively associated with volunteering. Age, functional limitations and transitions into parenthood were found to be inversely related to volunteering. Conclusions: Important key factors have been identified as well as gaps in the current literature. Future research should be directed towards deepening the knowledge on the associations between the factors age, education, income, employment and participation in voluntary work. Moreover, major life course transitions should be studied in relation to volunteering.
Huisarts en wetenschap, 2018
Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie, 2014
BMC Public Health
Background Evidence on the association between the presence of fast-food outlets and Body Mass In... more Background Evidence on the association between the presence of fast-food outlets and Body Mass Index (BMI) is inconsistent. Furthermore, mechanisms underlying the fast-food outlet presence-BMI association are understudied. We investigated the association between the number of fast-food outlets being present and objectively measured BMI. Moreover, we investigated to what extent this association was moderated by neighbourhood socio-economic status (NSES) and healthy food outlets. Additionally, we investigated mediation by frequency of fast-food consumption and amount of fat intake. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of adults in Lifelines (N = 149,617). Geo-coded residential addresses were linked to fast-food and healthy food outlet locations. We computed the number of fast-food and healthy food outlets within 1 kilometre (km) of participants’ residential addresses (each categorised into null, one, or at least two). Participants underwent objective BMI measur...
Background Individuals with a parental family history of dementia have an increased risk of devel... more Background Individuals with a parental family history of dementia have an increased risk of developing dementia because they share their genes as well as their psychosocial behaviour. Due to this increased risk and their experience with dementia, they may be particularly eager to receive information regarding dementia risk reduction (DRR). This study evaluated the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards dementia and DRR among descendants of people with dementia.Method Using a semi-structured topic guide, three focus group discussions were conducted consisting of 12 female (80%) and 3 male (20%) descendants of people with dementia with a mean age of 48.8 ± 12.0 years. Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed. Each transcript was analysed thoroughly, and where appropriate, a code was generated and assigned by two researchers independently. Then, similar codes were grouped together and categorized into themes.Results The items in the topic guide could only be addres...
Comparison caregivers dropout after baseline and caregivers with scores at both time periods. Tab... more Comparison caregivers dropout after baseline and caregivers with scores at both time periods. Table S2. Baseline univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, spousal caregivers (N = 154). Table S3. Baseline univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, adult-child caregivers (N = 202). (DOCX 52 kb)
Inclusion and exclusion criteria of the Evaluating Cessation of Statins and Antihypertensive Trea... more Inclusion and exclusion criteria of the Evaluating Cessation of Statins and Antihypertensive Treatment in Primary Care Trial, as approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Leiden University Medical Centre. (DOCX 22 kb)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 2021
The aim of the current study is to investigate which major life events are associated with transi... more The aim of the current study is to investigate which major life events are associated with transitions into and out of volunteering over the life course and, especially, why these associations exist. Social Production Function theory is used to derive hypotheses, which are tested using longitudinal data (adult subsample) from Lifelines. Associations between major life events and (a) volunteer take-up, nonvolunteer sample ( N = 59,773) and (b) volunteer cessation, volunteer sample ( N = 32,143) are studied by applying Linear Probability Modeling. Results show clear associations between specific major life events and starting and quitting volunteering. The influence on the latter is stronger than on the former. Most findings are in line with our theory-based expectations indicating that (a) voluntary work contributes especially to the fulfillment of the needs for status, stimulation, and behavioral confirmation and (2) life events causing losses (gains) in these needs are associated w...
Additional file 2: Sensitivity analysis including. Table S1. Complete case analysis: Baseline cha... more Additional file 2: Sensitivity analysis including. Table S1. Complete case analysis: Baseline characteristics. Table S2. Complete case analysis: Reproducibility properties of unchanged patients at three months follow-up measurement. Table S3. Complete case analysis: Mean change scores and internal responsiveness for improved, unchanged, and deteriorated patients. Figure S1. Complete Case Analysis: Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve comparisons and corresponding Area Under the ROC curves (AUC).
Additional file 2. Supplementary figures and Tables. A flowchart of study participants and additi... more Additional file 2. Supplementary figures and Tables. A flowchart of study participants and additional descriptive tables.
SORTA: a system for ontology-based re-coding and technical annotation of biomedical phenotype data
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2020
As no curative treatments for dementia are yet available, prevention is a key element to countera... more As no curative treatments for dementia are yet available, prevention is a key element to counteract the dementia epidemic. Our aim is to investigate the uptake and effectiveness of a tailor‐made online‐lifestyle‐program for dementia‐risk‐reduction targeting risk and protective factors for dementia among middle‐aged descendants of people with recently diagnosed late‐onset‐dementia.
Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on whether poor socioeconomic conditions in the nei... more Background: Previous studies are inconclusive on whether poor socioeconomic conditions in the neighborhood are associated with major depressive disorder. Furthermore, conceptual models that relate neighborhood conditions to depressive disorder have not been evaluated using empirical data. In this study, we investigated whether neighborhood income is associated with major depressive episodes. We evaluated three conceptual models. Conceptual model 1: The association between neighborhood income and major depressive episodes is explained by diseases, lifestyle factors, stress and social participation. Conceptual model 2: A low individual income relative to the mean income in the neighborhood is associated with major depressive episodes. Conceptual model 3: A high income of the neighborhood buffers the effect of a low individual income on major depressive disorder. Methods: We used adult baseline data from the LifeLines Cohort Study (N = 71,058) linked with data on the participants’ neig...
Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2020
The Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) is a valid pencil‐and‐paper test for evaluating cognitive fu... more The Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) is a valid pencil‐and‐paper test for evaluating cognitive functioning in the general population. The assessment of the pencil‐and‐paper‐RFFT is time‐consuming and requires training of raters. We developed a digital‐RFFT which can be filled in by people independently on an Ipad, after which RFFT patterns are automatically processed and stored. We aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the digital‐RFFT in the general population.
Advances in Life Course Research, 2021
Abstract Unemployment is expected to influence alcohol consumption, but studies show mixed result... more Abstract Unemployment is expected to influence alcohol consumption, but studies show mixed results, partly because most studies concentrate on current employment status. However, unemployment could be particularly consequential if it is part of a trajectory of employment precariousness. Moreover, the association between unemployment and alcohol consumption may not be homogeneous across the population, but differ by subgroups (e.g. socioeconomic status). This study longitudinally analyses the association between different employment trajectories and alcohol consumption, and examines if the association is moderated by socioeconomic status (SES), partner status, age and gender. Four waves of data of the Lifelines Cohort study are used. Sample consists of individuals from 18 to 50 years old, active in the labor market (n = 104,766) from the northern provinces of the Netherlands. Employment trajectories are defined by employment status in each wave, duration of unemployment, and number of exposures to unemployment. Drinking patterns are divided into “abstainers”, “moderate drinking” (
BMJ Open, 2020
ObjectivesPoor self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of premature mortality in older adul... more ObjectivesPoor self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of premature mortality in older adults. Trajectories of poor SRH are associated with multimorbidity and unhealthy behaviours. Whether trajectories of SRH are associated with deviating physiological markers is unclear. This study identified trajectories of SRH and investigated the associations of trajectory membership with chronic diseases, health risk behaviours and physiological markers in community-dwelling older adults.Study design and settingProspective general population cohort.ParticipantsTrajectories of SRH over 5 years were identified using data of 11 600 participants aged 65 years and older of the Lifelines Cohort Study.Outcome measuresTrajectories of SRH were the main outcome. Covariates included demographics (age, gender, education), chronic diseases, health-risk behaviour (physical activity, smoking, drinking) and physiological markers (body mass index, cardiovascular function, lung function, glucose metabolism...
BMC Public Health, 2018
Background: Participation in voluntary work may be associated with individual and societal benefi... more Background: Participation in voluntary work may be associated with individual and societal benefits. Because of these benefits and as a result of challenges faced by governments related to population ageing, voluntary work becomes more important for society, and policy measures are aimed at increasing participation rates. In order to effectively identify potential volunteers, insight in the determinants of volunteering is needed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review including meta-analyses. Methods: A systematic search in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, Business Source Premier, and EconLit was performed on August 12th 2015. We included longitudinal cohort studies conducted in developed countries that quantified factors associated with volunteering among samples from the general adult population. Two reviewers independently selected eligible studies, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies using the QUIPS tool. Estimates reported in the papers were transformed into Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals. For each determinant, random-effects meta-analyses were used to generate summary estimates. Results: We found that socioeconomic status, being married, social network size, church attendance and previous volunteer experiences are positively associated with volunteering. Age, functional limitations and transitions into parenthood were found to be inversely related to volunteering. Conclusions: Important key factors have been identified as well as gaps in the current literature. Future research should be directed towards deepening the knowledge on the associations between the factors age, education, income, employment and participation in voluntary work. Moreover, major life course transitions should be studied in relation to volunteering.
Huisarts en wetenschap, 2018
Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie, 2014
BMC Public Health
Background Evidence on the association between the presence of fast-food outlets and Body Mass In... more Background Evidence on the association between the presence of fast-food outlets and Body Mass Index (BMI) is inconsistent. Furthermore, mechanisms underlying the fast-food outlet presence-BMI association are understudied. We investigated the association between the number of fast-food outlets being present and objectively measured BMI. Moreover, we investigated to what extent this association was moderated by neighbourhood socio-economic status (NSES) and healthy food outlets. Additionally, we investigated mediation by frequency of fast-food consumption and amount of fat intake. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of adults in Lifelines (N = 149,617). Geo-coded residential addresses were linked to fast-food and healthy food outlet locations. We computed the number of fast-food and healthy food outlets within 1 kilometre (km) of participants’ residential addresses (each categorised into null, one, or at least two). Participants underwent objective BMI measur...
Background Individuals with a parental family history of dementia have an increased risk of devel... more Background Individuals with a parental family history of dementia have an increased risk of developing dementia because they share their genes as well as their psychosocial behaviour. Due to this increased risk and their experience with dementia, they may be particularly eager to receive information regarding dementia risk reduction (DRR). This study evaluated the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards dementia and DRR among descendants of people with dementia.Method Using a semi-structured topic guide, three focus group discussions were conducted consisting of 12 female (80%) and 3 male (20%) descendants of people with dementia with a mean age of 48.8 ± 12.0 years. Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed. Each transcript was analysed thoroughly, and where appropriate, a code was generated and assigned by two researchers independently. Then, similar codes were grouped together and categorized into themes.Results The items in the topic guide could only be addres...
Comparison caregivers dropout after baseline and caregivers with scores at both time periods. Tab... more Comparison caregivers dropout after baseline and caregivers with scores at both time periods. Table S2. Baseline univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, spousal caregivers (N = 154). Table S3. Baseline univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, adult-child caregivers (N = 202). (DOCX 52 kb)
Inclusion and exclusion criteria of the Evaluating Cessation of Statins and Antihypertensive Trea... more Inclusion and exclusion criteria of the Evaluating Cessation of Statins and Antihypertensive Treatment in Primary Care Trial, as approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Leiden University Medical Centre. (DOCX 22 kb)