The impact of country of birth and time in Sweden on overweight and obesity: a population-based study

AIMS: A study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between country of birth, time in Sweden, and overweight and obesity. METHODS: Approximately 4,000 people aged 20-80 participated in a cross-sectional survey in 1994. The ethnic differences in overweight and obesity were analysed in a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for age and education. The effect of number of years spent in Sweden on overweight and obesity was assessed for some of the ethnic groups compared with the Swedish-born group. RESULTS: Men from Yugoslavia and Arabic-speaking countries were overweight/obese (BMI 25.0-) and obese (BMI 30.0-) to a significantly higher extent than men born in Sweden. Women born in Poland, Arabic-speaking countries, and all other countries were overweight/obese and obese to a significantly higher extent than women born in Sweden. Both Arabic men and women who had immigrated to Sweden in 1989 or earlier had an increased risk of overweight/obesity and obesity compared with the participants born in Sweden, while no increased risk was observed for the Arabic group that immigrated after 1989. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in overweight and obesity between the country of birth groups. The findings follow the patterns of low leisure time physical activity among certain ethnic groups reported in a previous study, which has implications for public health measures directed to decrease differences in overweight and obesity by country of birth.     

Prevalence of overweight in adolescents: a population-based study in a southern Brazilian city

The prevalence of overweight and its association with demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and biological variables were evaluated. The sample included 810 adolescents (10-19 years of age) living in the urban area of Pelotas, a southern Brazilian city. Overweight was defined as a body mass index > or = the 85th percentile, according to sex and age, and compared to the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, following the WHO recommendation for adolescents. A clustering sampling strategy was used, and both the crude and adjusted analyses (Poisson Regression) took this strategy into account. The prevalence of overweight was 19.3% (95%CI: 16.6-22.0) and there was no difference between the sexes. The following groups presented a greater probability of being overweight: those classified in the wealthiest socioeconomic groups, those who had dieted to lose weight within the previous 3 months, those who watch 4 or more hours of television per day, and those who have less than 3 regular meals per day. After stratification by gender, high socioeconomic level was associated with greatest risk of overweight among boys. Dieting to lose weight during the previous 3 months, 4 or more hours of television viewing per day, and less than 3 formal meals per day were risk factors for overweight among girls.     

Social capital, political trust and self rated-health: a population-based study in southern Sweden

AIM: To investigate the association between political trust (an aspect of institutional trust) and self-rated health, taking generalized (horizontal) trust in other people into account. METHODS: The 2004 public health survey in Sk?ne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study answered by 27,963 respondents aged 18-80 years, yielding a 59% response rate. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the associations between political trust in the Riksdag (national parliament) and self-rated health. Multivariate analyses of political trust and self-rated health were performed in order to investigate the importance of possible confounders. RESULTS: Poor health was reported by 28.7% of the men and 33.2% of the women. In total, 17.3% and 11.6% of the male and female respondents, respectively, reported that they had no trust at all in the Riksdag. The addition of generalized (horizontal) trust in the multivariate models reduced the odds ratios of poor self-rated health in the "no political trust at all' category as compared to the "very high political trust' category from 2.4 (1.8-3.1) to 2.1 (1.6-2.7) among men and from 1.9 (1.4-2.4) to 1.6 (1.3-2.1) among women. CONCLUSIONS: Low political trust in the Riksdag seems to be significantly associated with poor self-rated health, even after adjustments for plausible confounders, including generalized (horizontal) trust.     

Social capital, political trust and purchase of illegal liquor: a population-based study in southern Sweden

AimsTo investigate the association between political trust in the Riksdag (the national parliament in Sweden) and having purchased illegal liquor during the past 12 months.MethodsThe 2004 public health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study answered by 27,757 respondents aged 18–80 with a 59% response rate. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the associations between political trust and having purchased illegal liquor during the past 12 months. Multivariate analyses of political trust and having purchased illegal liquor were performed in order to investigate the importance of possible confounders (including generalized/horizontal trust in other people).ResultsA 21.2% fraction of the men and 9.6% of the women had purchased illegal alcohol during the past 12 months. A total of 17.3% and 11.6% of the male and female respondents, respectively, reported that they had no trust at all in the national parliament, and another 38.2% and 36.2%, respectively, reported that their political trust was not particularly high. Respondents in younger age groups, with medium/low education, economic stress, low horizontal trust and not particularly high and no political trust at all and no opinion had significantly higher levels of having purchased illegal liquor. The significant odds ratios of having purchased illegal liquor in the not particularly high political trust and no political trust at all categories were somewhat reduced although still significant after multiple adjustments.ConclusionThe results suggest that political trust may have an independent effect on the propensity to purchase illegal liquor in Sweden.     

Materialist and post-materialist values and cannabis smoking among young adults: a population-based study in southern Sweden

OBJECTIVES: The association between materialist, mixed and post-materialist values, and the experience of cannabis smoking among young adults was investigated. METHODS: The 2004 public health survey in Sk?ne, southern Sweden, is a cross-sectional study with a 59% response rate. The 6787 persons aged 18-34 years included in this study answered a postal questionnaire. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between materialist, mixed and post-materialist values and ever having experienced cannabis smoking. The multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the importance of possible confounders (age and education) on the differences in ever having experienced cannabis smoking according to materialist, mixed and post-materialist values. RESULTS: 28% of the men and 17% of the women had ever experienced cannabis smoking. The experience of cannabis smoking was significantly and positively associated with post-materialist values among both men and women. The odds ratios were 2.4 (1.8-3.1) for men with post-materialist values compared to men with materialist values, and 3.1 (2.4-4.0) for women with post-materialist values compared to women with materialist values. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that post-materialist values are positively associated with the risk of ever smoking cannabis. Because this is a cross-sectional study, the direction of causality remains to be investigated.     

Social capital, political trust and experience of cannabis smoking: a population-based study in southern Sweden

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether political mistrust in the Riksdag (the national parliament in Sweden) is an independent characteristic of cannabis smokers, or whether it reflects low confidence in people in general, and therefore low social capital. METHOD: The 2004 public health survey in Sk?ne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study answered by 27,757 respondents aged 18-80 with a 59% response rate providing data on political trust, cannabis smoking, and potential confounders. RESULTS: 13.9% of the men and 8.3% of the women had smoked cannabis; 17.3% of the male and 11.6% of the female respondents reported no trust at all in the Riksdag, and another 38.2% and 36.2%, respectively, reported a moderate political trust. Young age, high education, unemployment, low generalized trust in other people, and lower levels of political trust were associated with cannabis smoking, even after multiple adjustments. The groups men with no trust at all in the Riksdag, and women with high trust, not particularly high political trust and no political trust at all had significantly higher odds ratios of cannabis smoking than the very high trust reference category. The results thus somewhat differed between men and women. CONCLUSION: Low political trust is associated with cannabis smoking, independently of trust in people in general.     

Nocturia and obesity: a population-based study in Finland

The authors' aim in this study was to analyze the association of nocturia with overweight and obesity. In 2003-2004, a questionnaire was mailed to 6,000 randomly selected Finns aged 18-79 years who were identified from the Finnish Population Register Centre. Information on nocturia was collected through questionnaires using the Danish Prostatic Symptom Score and the American Urological Association Symptom Index. Self-reported body weight and height were used to calculate body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2). Subjects were classified on the basis of BMI as nonoverweight (BMI<25), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kgm2), or obese (BMI>or=30). Of the 6,000 subjects, 62.4% participated. Among men, the age-standardized prevalence of nocturia, defined as at least one void per night, was 33.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 28.5, 38.3) in the nonoverweight, 35.8% (95% CI: 31.4, 40.1) in the overweight, and 48.2% (95% CI: 38.8, 57.6) in the obese. Among women, the corresponding figures were 37.2% (95% CI: 33.0, 41.5) in the nonoverweight, 48.3% (95% CI: 42.5, 54.2) in the overweight, and 53.6% (95% CI: 43.9, 63.2) in the obese. The associations remained similar when nocturia was defined as two or more voids per night. The age-standardized attributable fraction (population) of increased BMI for nocturia was 17.7% for men and 18.5% for women, corresponding to an 8.5% increase in the crude prevalence of nocturia in men and a 13.9% increase in women. The authors conclude that obesity is associated with increased nocturia, more strongly among women than among men.     

The contribution of lifestyle factors to socioeconomic differences in obesity in men and women – a population-based study in Sweden

Background: The objective was to investigate whether and to what extent the association between socioeconomic status and obesity can be explained by lifestyle factors. Methods: The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity, and the role of lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical activity, heavy alcohol use, avoidance of dietary fat and propensity to eat fiber-rich food, was studied in a cross-sectional population-based study consisting of 6394 men and women aged 25–74 years in Värmland County in Sweden. Educational level was used for measuring SES. The contribution of the measured lifestyle factors was assessed using logistic regression models. Results: 12% of men and 14% of women were obese. Subjects with high education were leaner than subjects with low education, except among elderly women (65–74 years). Although many lifestyle factors were related to obesity and SES in this study, only a part (18–29%) of the association between educational level and obesity could be explained by the measured lifestyle factors. Physical inactivity and heavy alcohol use were the main factors contributing to this association, whereas smoking and the measured dietary attitudes towards fat and fiber had little additional effect. Conclusions: The findings of this study are consistent with the view that socioeconomic differences in obesity and its consequences can only partly be reduced by changes in lifestyle. Longitudinal studies, a more detailed investigation of the role of dietary factors and more studies including elderly subjects are, however, recommended to further elucidate the association between SES and obesity.     

The contribution of lifestyle factors to socioeconomic differences in obesity in men and women--a population-based study in Sweden

BACKGROUND: The objective was to investigate whether and to what extent the association between socioeconomic status and obesity can be explained by lifestyle factors. METHODS: The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity, and the role of lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical activity, heavy alcohol use, avoidance of dietary fat and propensity to eat fiber-rich food, was studied in a cross-sectional population-based study consisting of 6394 men and women aged 25-74 years in V?rmland County in Sweden. Educational level was used for measuring SES. The contribution of the measured lifestyle factors was assessed using logistic regression models. RESULTs: 12% of men and 14% of women were obese. Subjects with high education were leaner than subjects with low education, except among elderly women (65-74 years). Although many lifestyle factors were related to obesity and SES in this study, only a part (18-29%) of the association between educational level and obesity could be explained by the measured lifestyle factors. Physical inactivity and heavy alcohol use were the main factors contributing to this association, whereas smoking and the measured dietary attitudes towards fat and fiber had little additional effect. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study are consistent with the view that socioeconomic differences in obesity and its consequences can only partly be reduced by changes in lifestyle. Longitudinal studies, a more detailed investigation of the role of dietary factors and more studies including elderly subjects are, however, recommended to further elucidate the association between SES and obesity.     

Epidemiology of overweight and obesity and its determinants in Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil: a cross-sectional population-based study]

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to study potential risk factors for these conditions in persons over 18 years of age in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. METHODS: Data were obtained from a population-based study conducted in 1996 and 1997 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, IBGE) with a random sample of 1 105 individuals. Height and weight were measured by trained personnel. Overweight (body mass index [BMI] > or = 25.0 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > or = 30.0 kg/m2) were the dependent variables. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify potential risk factors for overweight and obesity. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 31.1% (95% confidence interval 195% CI]: 27.3 to 35.2) and 5.7% (95% CI: 4.0 to 8.1), respectively, in men, and 25.9% (95% CI: 22.4 to 29.8) and 14.7% (95% CI: 11.9 to 17.9), respectively, in women. Multivariate analysis revealed that age and marital status were independent risk factors for overweight, whereas age, sex, and education were independent risk factors for obesity. Being female and well-educated showed a protective effect against overweight (odds ratio [OR] = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.83), but not against obesity (OR = 3.01; IC 95%: 1.14 to 7.94). Women with low education had a significantly greater risk (OR = 5.95; 95%CI: 2.51 to 14.12) of developing obesity than men having a high educational level. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that overweight and obesity may be serious public health problems in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It is important to carry out further studies in order to explore the potential relationship between overweight and obesity on the one hand, and behavioral variables, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, on the other.     

Childbearing and the risk of scleroderma: a population-based study in Sweden

This study examined associations between childbearing and risk of scleroderma by using national population-based registry data from Sweden. Women with a discharge diagnosis of scleroderma from 1964 to 1999 (n = 2,149) were identified in the Swedish Inpatient Register. These cases were matched by year and month of birth and region of residence to as many as five controls obtained from the Multi-Generation Register. Pregnancy history (number of births, age at each birth) was restricted to births before the first scleroderma-related hospitalization for cases and the corresponding age for their matched controls. Risk estimates, measured by the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval, were obtained by using conditional logistic regression. Nulliparity was associated with an increased risk of scleroderma (odds ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.22, 1.55). Risk decreased with increasing number of births. Similar results were found when analyses were limited to births up to 2 years or up to 5 years before hospitalization. Among parous women, younger age at first birth was associated with an increased risk of scleroderma. The association between lower parity and increased risk of scleroderma could reflect subfecundity caused by scleroderma before disease became clinically evident, possible common causes of infertility and scleroderma, or a protective effect of pregnancy through an unknown mechanism.     

Inverse associations between cycling to work, public transport, and overweight and obesity: findings from a population based study in Australia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between various modes of transport to work and overweight and obesity, in men and women. METHODS: The study was conducted using data from a representative sample of 6810 respondents who reported being in the workforce, extracted from the 2003 New South Wales Adult Health Survey, Australia. Logistic regression modeling adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Men who cycled to work were significantly less likely to be overweight and obese (39.8%) compared with those driving to work (60.8%), with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.31-0.76) and much less likely to be obese (5.4%) with an adjusted odds ratio 0.34 (95% CI: 0.13-0.87). Men who used public transport to work were also significantly less likely to be overweight and obese (44.6%) with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.65 (95% CI: 0.53-0.81). However, these inverse relationships were not found in women. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support recommendations to cycle to work or use public transport as a strategy to maintain healthy weight for men. Although healthy weight cannot be causally attributed to cycling and use of public transport in this study, the link is plausible, and increased cycling and use of public transport would have positive benefits for the environment and health in any case.     

Individual and contextual determinants of self-reported poor psychological health: a population-based multilevel analysis in southern Sweden

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of contextual and individual factors on self-reported psychological health. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/MEASUREMENTS: The 2000 public health survey in Scania is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study with a 59% participation rate. A total of 13,715 persons aged 18-80 answered the questionnaire. A multilevel logistic regression model, with individuals at the first level and municipalities/city quarters at the second, was performed. The effect (intra-class correlation, cross-level modification, and odds ratios) of individual and municipality/city quarter factors on self-reported psychological health was analysed. RESULTS: The crude variance between municipalities/city quarters was small but significant. It was particularly affected and lowered by individual civil status, country of origin, economic stress, and social participation. The inclusion of all individual factors age, sex, civil status, country of origin, education, economic stress, and social participation lowered the between municipality variance to not-significant levels, which is the reason why no contextual variables were included in the calculations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that poor self-reported psychological health is affected mainly by individual characteristics of the population and not by contextual factors at the municipality/city quarter level.     

Prevalence of overweight and obesity and associated factors among schoolchildren in a southern Brazilian city

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a group of 11-13-year-old schoolchildren in Cap?o da Canoa, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and to investigate the association with possible risk factors for excess body weight. The sample was stratified, proportional to the number of pupils in each school. Nutritional status was assessed by body mass index (BMI) cutoffs according to age and gender as proposed by Cole et al. (2000). Socioeconomic, demographic, genetic, and behavior variables were analyzed. 719 children from 11 schools were interviewed, of whom there were 541 (75.2%) with normal BMI, 153 (21.3%) with overweight, and 25 (3.5%) with obesity. Statistically significant associations were found with type of school, parents' nutritional status, level of physical activity, and time of sedentary behavior. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in these schoolchildren was high (24.8%), in keeping with the literature, confirming the problem's magnitude and severity in Brazil.     

Occupational exposure and lung cancer risk: a population-based case-referent study in Sweden

This case-referent study investigated the lung cancer risk from occupational exposure to diesel exhaust, mixed motor exhaust, other combustion products, asbestos, metals, oil mist, and welding fumes. All cases of lung cancer in males aged 40-75 years among stable residents of Stockholm County, Sweden, were identified from 1985 to 1990. Referents were selected as a stratified (age, inclusion year) random sample. Information on lifetime occupational history, residency, and tobacco smoking was obtained from the study subjects or from next of kin. Response rates of 87% and 85% resulted in 1,042 cases and 2,364 referents, respectively. Occupational exposures were assessed by an occupational hygienist who coded the intensity and probability of each exposure. Risk estimates were adjusted for tobacco smoking, other occupational exposures, residential radon, and environmental exposure to traffic-related air pollution. For the highest quartile of cumulative exposure versus no exposure, the relative risk was 1.63 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 2.33) for diesel exhaust, 1.60 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.34) for combustion products, and 1.68 (95% CI: 1.15, 2.46) for asbestos. Dose-response analyses indicated an increase in lung cancer risk of 14% per fiber-year/ml for asbestos exposure. No increased risk was found for the other exposure factors. An overall attributable proportion of 9.5% (95% CI: 5.5, 13.9) was estimated for lung cancer related to diesel exhaust, other combustion products, and asbestos.     

大医院女性倒班从业护士群体超重、肥胖现况调查

目的了解中国医科大学附属盛京医院女性倒班从业护士群体超重、肥胖现况。方法收集2017年中国医科大学附属盛京医院医护人员春季体检大数据,选择她们中从事临床外科倒班制女性护理人员537人(倒班护理组),常年从事白班护理工作女性护士102人(对照组)。比较2组入选对象与超重、肥胖相关体检测量指标。结果 2组对象超重及肥胖数据比较中,倒班护士组的超重例数(115)例、超重率(21.42)%、肥胖例数(89)例及肥胖率(16.57)%均明显高于对照组(均P <0.05)。不同年龄、工作年限倒班护士超重及肥胖数据比较中, 31～40岁组的超重例数、超重率、肥胖例数及肥胖率均明显高于≤30岁组(均P <0.05),≥5年组的超重例数、超重率、肥胖例数及肥胖率均明显高于<5年组(均P <0.05)。结论一线女性倒班从业护士群体超重、肥胖现况不容乐观,且随增龄和从业时间延长而趋于严重,应制定有针对性的预防、干预计划。