Scandinavian journal of public health
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Scand J Public Health · Jul 2013
Mortality from traumatic brain injury after reduction of alcohol prices: a population-based study from northern Finland.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death after trauma, and alcohol is a major risk factor for TBI. In Finland, alcohol taxes were cut by one third in 2004. This resulted in a marked increase of alcohol consumption. We investigated whether increased alcohol consumption influenced the number of fatal TBIs. ⋯ After the price reduction, alcohol-related fatal TBIs increased most among middle-aged people, and they were frequently caused by fall accidents. The reduction of alcohol prices did not increase the total number of fatal TBIs. Middle-aged and elderly subjects with TBI should be routinely asked for alcohol drinking and those with hazardous drinking habits should be guided for alcohol intervention.
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Scand J Public Health · Jul 2013
Sexual orientation and self-rated health: the role of social capital, offence, threat of violence, and violence.
To study the association between sexual orientation and self-rated health, including trust, offence, threat of violence, and violence. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/MEASUREMENT: The 2008 Public Health Survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study. A total of 28,198 persons aged 18-80 years responded (55%). Logistic regressions analysed the association between sexual orientation and self-rated health. ⋯ Associations between sexual orientation and health disappear after multiple adjustments including trust and experience of offence, threat of violence, and violence. The study suggests that the group with bisexual orientation seems to be more exposed to low social capital (trust), threat of violence, and violence than the group with homosexual orientation.
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Scand J Public Health · Jul 2013
Medical benefits in young Norwegians and their parents, and the contribution of family health and socioeconomic status. The HUNT Study, Norway.
Family and intergenerational perspectives might contribute to a better understanding of why young people in many European countries experience work impairment and end up being dependent on public benefits for life sustenance. The aim of this cohort study was to explore the relationship between the receipt of medical benefits in parents and their young adult offspring and the contributions of family health and family socioeconomic status. ⋯ Adolescents whose parents receive medical benefits enter adult working life with an elevated risk of health-related work exclusion. Family health vulnerability appears to be a key to understanding this association, suggesting that more attention to intergenerational continuities of health could be a way to prevent welfare dependence in future generations.
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Scand J Public Health · May 2013
Biopsychosocial function analyses changes the assessment of the ability to work in patients on long-term sick-leave due to chronic musculoskeletal pain: the role of undiagnosed mental health comorbidity.
To study the prevalence of somatic and mental health comorbidity and the use of opioid medication among patients on long-term sick-leave due to chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP); to compare an orthopaedic-based assessment of ability to work with a team assessment; to investigate the relationship between intensity of pain and psychosocial characteristics in this group. ⋯ An evaluation based on biopsychosocial function is valuable in reaching an accurate assessment of the patient's diagnosis, and ability to work in CMP. Ability to work and degree of sick-leave in patients on long-term sick-leave is determined to a large extent by undiagnosed mental health comorbidities, and not solely somatic complaints.
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Scand J Public Health · Dec 2012
Experience of violation during the past 3 months, social capital, and self-rated health: a population-based study.
The objective was to investigate the association between experience of violation during the past 3 months and self-rated health, taking trust (social capital), economic stress, and country of birth and parents' country of birth into account. ⋯ Experience of violation during the past 3 months is significantly associated with less than good health, which is a finding with important policy implications.