The effects of adolescence sports and exercise on adulthood leisure-time physical activity in educational groups

Background  

Physical inactivity has become a major public health problem and clear educational differences in physical activity have been reported across Europe and USA. The origins of adulthood physical activity are suggested to be in childhood and adolescence physical activity. Hardly any studies have, however, examined if the educational differences in physical activity might also be due to educational differences in early experiences in physical activity. Thus, our aim was to examine how competitive sports in youth, and exercise in late adolescence, and opinions on physical education (PE) in childhood determined adulthood leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in different educational groups.     

Socio-economic determinants of drugged driving--a register-based study

Aims To examine the associations between socio‐economic characteristics and driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), and to elaborate determinants of drugged driving. Design A register‐based case–control study. Setting Finland. Participants Cases (n = 5859) apprehended by the police and suspected of DUID during 1993–2006 and controls (n = 74 809) drawn from the general Finnish population. Measurements The effects of parents' and own education, urbanization of municipality, socio‐economic position (SEP), main activity, income, marital status and living arrangements on DUID were estimated using logistic regression analysis. The analyses were conducted separately for men and women, age groups of under 45 years and aged 45 or over, and for substance groups of benzodiazepines only, benzodiazepines with alcohol, amphetamines and cannabinoids. Findings Low education, unemployment, disability pension, being divorced and living alone were the strongest individual predictors of DUID in all substance groups. Illicit drug users were more disadvantaged compared to those in the benzodiazepines groups. Contrary to other substance and age groups, higher educational level and higher SEP were associated with DUID among benzodiazepine users aged 45 or over. Conclusions A disadvantaged social background is a significant predictor of driving while under the influence of drugs for all substance use groups in Finland. The gradient is greater for amphetamines and cannabinoids than benzodiazepines.     

Working conditions and health behaviours among employed women and men: the Helsinki Health Study

BACKGROUND: Working conditions influence health, but previous studies on the associations between work-related factors and health behaviours are scarce. The aim of this study was to analyse whether unfavourable working conditions are associated with diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking. METHODS: The data derive from postal questionnaires collected in 2000-2001 from 40- to 60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (n=6243, response rate: 68%). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine health behaviours as outcomes. Job demands and job control, physically and mentally strenuous work, work fatigue, working overtime and satisfaction with work-home interface were independent variables, adjusted for age, education, occupational social class and marital status. RESULTS: Most of the examined associations between working conditions and health behaviours were not statistically significant. Among women, mentally strenuous work and high job control were associated with a healthy diet. Work fatigue was associated with physical inactivity, whereas physically strenuous work and satisfaction with work-home interface were more often reported by physically active women. Work fatigue was associated with high drinking among men. Low job strain was reported by nonsmoking women, whereas working overtime was associated with nonsmoking among men. CONCLUSIONS: Working conditions were only weakly associated with health behaviours, and the associations varied for different health behaviours.     

Changes in native coronary arteries after coronary bypass surgery: Role of graft patency,serum lipids and hypertension

Sixty-seven patients were studied by coronary angiography early (mean 3 weeks) and late (mean 13 months) after coronary bypass surgery to assess changes in the native coronary vessels. Among the 208 nongrafted arteries progression of disease was found in 2.9 percent. In arteries that were normal before operation, the rate was 0.7 percent; in those with luminal obstructions the rate was 7.6 percent (P < 0.05). Progression of disease occurred in 6 of the 67 patients (8.9 percent). In five bypassed arteries (5 percent), progression of disease occurred at or near the anastomotic site; in this subset the procedure was classified a technical failure. Progression of disease distal to graft insertion occurred in 2.4 percent of cases. The greatest incidence of progression took place proximal to graft insertion, in 24.2 percent of the grafted arteries. This rate differed significantly from the rate in nongrafted arteries (P < 0.001) and in distal segments of grafted arteries (P < 0.001). If the grafts were patent in the late control study, the progression of disease proximally occurred at a rate of 24 percent; if they were occluded, the rate was 25 percent. The data on timing of graft occlusion suggested that graft patency was related to the proximal progression. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia or hypertension did not correlate with progression of disease in any group.     

Is the Allen test reliable enough?

Objective: The Allen test is a widely used screening method of hand circulation. Our aim was to study whether the Allen test alone gives sufficient information for harvesting the radial artery in coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods: One hundred and forty-five patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting underwent the Allen test, upper arm Doppler ultrasonography and digital plethysmography. In ultrasonography both anatomical and circulatory measurements were performed. The Allen test was then compared with more objective tests and sensitivity; specificity and diagnostic accuracy were calculated. Results: Most of the patients had a negative Allen test, but 23% were positive (abnormal). Ultrasound scanning revealed anatomical anomalies in 10 patients and circulatory deficits in 17 patients. Thirteen patients had both circulatory and anatomical abnormalities. Sensitivity of the Allen test was 73.2% and specificity 97.1% based on our findings. There were no abnormalities in the recovery of the arms with harvested radial grafts. Conclusions: The Allen test is a good and valid screening test for the circulation of the hand. If the Allen test is negative it is safe to harvest the radial artery. If it is positive further examinations are needed to ensure safe harvesting of the radial artery.     

L-tryptophan and neuroendocrine regulation in neurologic patients: hormone responses to L-tryptophan loading in patients with hypothalamic lesions

1. Oral administration of 2 g of l-tryptophan induced a marked plasma elevation of total and free tryptophan during the 2 hr of sampling in both normal subjects and in neurologic patients. Plasma free trytophan concentration showed a peak about 60 min after loading with l-tryptophan. 2. Plasma immunoreactive follitrophin (FSH) and lutrophin (LH) levels were not altered after l-tryptophan treatment. 3. Plasma immunoreactive somatotrophin (growth hormone, GH) levels showed a statistically significant elevation after l-tryptophan loading in both normal subjects and in neurologic control patients. In two acromegalic patients there was a very marked elevation of plasma somatotrophin levels 90 min after loading. No responses of plasma somatotrophin to l-tryptophan were observed in patients with hypothalamic lesion or with hypopituitarism. 4. Plasma cortisol levels showed significant morning decline during loading either with l-tryptophan or with l-leucine as placebo in normal subjects and in neurologic control patients. In patients with hypothalamic lesion the monitoring of plasma cortisol concentrations during l-tryptophan loading revealed a primary elevation with a subsequent slight decline. No variation of plasma cortisol was found in patients with hypopituitarism. 5. It was concluded that the brain serotoninergic system can be activated by l-tryptophan treatment which results in alterations of the hypothalamic regulation of somatotrophin secretion. When neuroendocrine dysfunction is due to structural lesions in the hypothalamus or in related regions, l-tryptophan loading is unable to modify somatotrophin secretion. The normal morning decline of plasma cortisol levels is lacking in such patients.