90 research outputs found

    Association between occupational exposure to mineral oil and rheumatoid arthritis: results from the Swedish EIRA case–control study

    Get PDF
    The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between exposure to mineral oil and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and in addition to perform a separate analysis on the major subphenotypes for the disease; namely, rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive RA, RF-negative RA, anticitrulline-positive RA and anticitrulline-negative RA, respectively. A population-based case–control study of incident cases of RA was performed among the population aged 18–70 years in a defined area of Sweden during May 1996–December 2003. A case was defined as an individual from the study base who for the first time received a diagnosis of RA according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria of 1987. Controls were randomly selected from the study base with consideration taken for age, gender and residential area. Cases (n = 1,419) and controls (n = 1,674) answered an extensive questionnaire regarding lifestyle factors and occupational exposures, including different types of mineral oils. Sera from cases and controls were investigated for RF and anticitrulline antibodies. Among men, exposure to any mineral oil was associated with a 30% increased relative risk of developing RA (relative risk = 1.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.0–1.7). When cases were subdivided into RF-positive RA and RF-negative RA, an increased risk was only observed for RF-positive RA (relative risk = 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.0–2.0). When RA cases were subdivided according to the presence of anticitrulline antibodies, an increased risk associated with exposure to any mineral oil was observed only for anticitrulline-positive RA (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval = 1.1–2.2). Analysis of the interaction between oil exposure and the presence of HLA-DR shared epitope genes regarding the incidence of RA indicated that the increased risk associated with exposure to mineral oil was not related to the presence of shared epitope genotypes. In conclusion, our study shows that exposure to mineral oil is associated with an increased risk to develop RF-positive RA and anticitrulline-positive RA, respectively. The findings are of particular interest since the same mineral oils can induce polyarthritis in rats

    Visions of Utopia: Sweden, the BBC and the Welfare State

    Get PDF
    Drawing on manuscripts and transcripts of BBC programme output, and material from the Radio Times, and the BBC’s The Listener magazine, this article analyses radio talks and programmes that focused on Sweden in the immediate years after the Second World War when the Swedish model was widely popularised abroad. The article argues that BBC output entangled domestic politics and transnational ideas around post-war reconstruction and welfare. Sweden was used as a lens through which a modern welfare state could be visualised and justified. This was however Utopia in two senses since the image of Sweden presented was in itself a highly idealised representation

    Work-related psychosocial events as triggers of sick leave - results from a Swedish case-crossover study

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although illness is an important cause of sick leave, it has also been suggested that non-medical risk factors may influence this association. If such factors impact on the period of decision making, they should be considered as triggers. Yet, there is no empirical support available.</p> <p>The aim was to investigate whether recent exposure to work-related psychosocial events can trigger the decision to report sick when ill.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A case-crossover design was applied to 546 sick-leave spells, extracted from a Swedish cohort of 1 430 employees with a 3-12 month follow-up of new sick-leave spells. Exposure in a case period corresponding to an induction period of one or two days was compared with exposure during control periods sampled from workdays during a two-week period prior to sick leave for the same individual. This was done according to the matched-pair interval and the usual frequency approaches. Results are presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most sick-leave spells happened in relation to acute, minor illnesses that substantially reduced work ability. The risk of taking sick leave was increased when individuals had recently been exposed to problems in their relationship with a superior (OR 3.63; CI 1.44-9.14) or colleagues (OR 4.68; CI 1.43-15.29). Individuals were also more inclined to report sick on days when they expected a very stressful work situation than on a day when they were not under such stress (OR 2.27; CI 1.40-3.70).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Exposure to problems in workplace relationships or a stressful work situation seems to be able to trigger reporting sick. Psychosocial work-environmental factors appear to have a short-term effect on individuals when deciding to report sick.</p

    Leseunterricht in internationaler Perspektive. [Symposion 8. Schule und Unterricht in Ost und West]

    Full text link
    Der Autor stellt die Lesestudie IEA vor. Er konstatiert, dass sich die Darstellung der empirischen Daten in zwei Hauptbereiche unterteilt - einen deskriptiven und einen stÀrker analytischen Teil. Der deskriptive Bericht versucht, eine internationale Topologie des Leseunterrichts zu entwickeln. Im zweiten Teil der Darstellung werden die Ergebnisse einer Pfadanalyse prÀsentiert. Der Autor nennt Einflussfaktoren auf den Erwerb der LesefÀhigkeit. (DIPF/Orig./ah

    Early language development as related to the acquisition of reading

    No full text
    This article reviews research on early linguistic precursors and enabling skills of reading acquisition among young children. Language development starts early in infancy when the child learns to categorize the speech sounds according to the pattern typical of the mother tongue. Equipped with these sound categories the child is ready to learn to segment words from the sound stream and to understand and to use words. The precise phonological representation of words will facilitate the important development of phonological awareness. Some longitudinal research and training studies indicate the causal direction of the relation between phonological awareness and reading. Preventive and remedial implications are pointed out. Preventive effects are related to vocabulary exposure in different social environments and to informal early literacy socialization. In particular, the benefits of reading aloud to children are discussed. The complexity of the causal relationships between different aspects of early language development, including genetic influences and later reading is emphasized.

    Systematiska kunskapsöversikter; 3. Kan arbetsvillkor orsaka depressionstillstÄnd? En systematisk översyn över longitudinella studier i den vetenskapliga litteraturen.

    Get PDF
    Rapporten undersöker det vetenskapliga stödet för om psykosociala arbetsvillkor kan utlösa depression och depressiva symtom. I databasen PubMed har vi identifierat 42 longitudinella studier i internationella vetenskapliga tidskrifter som uppfyllde vĂ„ra kvalitetskriterier och som publicerats under perioden 1998 till och med februari 2012. De artiklar som ingĂ„r i översikten har i sin enklaste form baserats pĂ„ tvĂ„ datainsamlingar dĂ€r arbetsvillkor i den första datainsamlingen relaterats till depression eller depressiva symtom i den senare datainsamlingen. Mer avancerade upplĂ€ggningar har börjat anvĂ€ndas under de senaste Ă„ren dĂ€r inte exponering Ă€r sjĂ€lvrapporterad. Flest studier (18 stycken) fanns kring psykiska krav. De visar mĂ„ttligt stöd för att höga krav i arbetet kan bidra till depression. Fyra av de fem artiklar som hade de mest avancerade studieupplĂ€ggningarna visade samband mellan höga krav i arbetet (enligt jobb-exponeringsmatriser respektive överbelĂ€ggningar pĂ„ sjukhusavdelningar som mĂ„tt pĂ„ krav pĂ„ personalen) och inköp av receptbelagda antidepressiva mediciner eller diagnos av depression. I tre av artiklarna var deltagarna kĂ€nt fria frĂ„n depression (via sjukanmĂ€lan, inköp av antidepressiv medicinering eller krav pĂ„ ersĂ€ttning frĂ„n sjukförsĂ€kringen) under 6 mĂ„nader till tvĂ„ Ă„r före uppföljningens början. I en femte artikel studerades ett första tillfĂ€lle av registrering för depression (Wieclaw et al 2008) men man fann dĂ€r endast begrĂ€nsade samband mellan arbetskrav, enligt jobb-exponeringsmatris, och depression. Höga emotionella krav, liksom arbete med mĂ€nniskor visade samband med depression bland kvinnor. Bland mĂ€n fanns inga motsvarande samband. Depressionerna i dessa artiklar kan vara effekter av tidigare eller underliggande depression (utlösande faktor) eller debut av ny depression (riskfaktor), men tillgĂ€ngliga data kan inte skilja mellan dessa effekter eftersom det endast var kĂ€nt om deltagarna i studierna av KivimĂ€ki et al (2010), Virtanen et al (2008 och 2010) och DeSantos Iennaco et al (2009) hade varit fria frĂ„n depression (rapporterad som sjukanmĂ€lan, inköp av antidepressiv medicin, krav pĂ„ ersĂ€ttning frĂ„n sjukförsĂ€kringen) under en begrĂ€nsad period före starten av uppföljningen (6 mĂ„nader-2 Ă„r). I studien av Wieclaw et al studerades det första tillfĂ€llet av sjukhusvĂ„rdad depression. Det Ă€r osannolikt att de funna sambanden skulle vara överskattningar. Övriga studier av höga krav visade stöd, respektive inte stöd, för samband ungefĂ€r lika ofta. Relativt mĂ„nga studier (14 stycken) fanns ocksĂ„ av kontroll. Det fanns inget stöd för samband mellan kontroll och utfall i fyra artiklar med den mest trovĂ€rdiga upplĂ€ggningen, men visst stöd bland de Ă„tta artiklar vars upplĂ€ggning innebar att sambanden sannolikt kunde ha överskattats

    PART - Psykisk hÀlsa - Arbete - Relationer - PART - EnkÀtundersökningarna 1-3

    No full text
    To increase knowledge in the field of mental illness the PART study (Mental health, work and relationships) was started, an epidemiological study on psychological morbidity among 20-64-year olds in the Stockholm County population. Mental health is a public health problem, and if it increases, it is alarming in both human and socio-economic aspects. It is therefore important to identify the causes and if possible affect them. It is also important to identify risk groups in order to provide help as soon as the first symptoms appear, so that a long-term suffering can be prevented. In the PART study 10 441 individuals (5798 women and 4643 men) between 1998 and 2000, answered questions on living conditions, including working conditions and mental illness. This represented a response rate of 53%. Of these, 1100 participated in a psychiatric interview. PART II, which ran 2001-2003 was a continuation of this study, where those who responded to the first survey, answered an additional questionnaire with essentially the same issues. There were 8613 individuals who responded to both questionnaires. Substudies within PART are among others Work and mental health and Drinking habits and alcohol problems (AUDIT test). Purpose: The aims of the PART study: - To describe risk and protective factors for mental ill-health in the adult (20-64 years old) population of the Stockholm County. - To analyse the association between social, somatic, cognitive and mental ill-health. - To validate screening instruments for assessment of mental ill-health. - To analyse factors associated with meetable need of psychiatric, psychological and social services. - To analyse consequences of mental ill-health. - To analyse the outcome of both treated and untreated mental ill-health. - To describe the frequency of the most common axis I psychiatric symptoms and syndroms in the adult population.För att öka kunskaperna inom omrÄdet psykisk ohÀlsa startades PART (Psykisk hÀlsa, Arbete, RelaTioner), en epidemiologisk studie som under sin första fas har kartlagt den psykiska sjukligheten bland 20-64-Äringar i Stockholms lÀns befolkning. Psykisk ohÀlsa Àr ett folkhÀlsoproblem och om den ökar Àr det alarmerande bÄde ur mÀnskliga och samhÀllsekonomiska aspekter. Det Àr dÀrför viktigt att identifiera orsaker och om möjligt angripa dem. Det Àr ocksÄ angelÀget att identifiera riskgrupper för att kunna ge hjÀlp redan nÀr de första symtomen dyker upp, sÄ att ett lÄngvarigt lidande kan förhindras. I PART-studien besvarade 10 441 personer (5798 kvinnor och 4643 mÀn) mellan 1998 och 2000 en enkÀt om levnadsförhÄllanden, bland annat arbetsförhÄllanden och psykisk ohÀlsa. Detta utgjorde en svarsfrekvens pÄ 53%. Av dessa deltog 1100 i en psykiatrisk intervju. I PART II som pÄgick 2001-2003 genomfördes en fortsÀttning av denna studie dÀr de som svarade pÄ den första enkÀten fick ytterligare en enkÀt med i huvudsak samma frÄgor. Det var 8613 personer som svarade pÄ bÄda enkÀterna. Delstudier inom PART Àr bl.a. Arbetsliv och psykisk ohÀlsa och Alkoholvanor och alkoholproblem (AUDIT-testet). Syfte: Att beskriva risk- och skyddsfaktorer för psykisk ohÀlsa i befolkningen, att analysera samband mellan sociala faktorer, kroppslig ohÀlsa, kognitiva funktioner och psykisk ohÀlsa, att validera screeningsinstrument för psykisk ohÀlsa i befolkningen, att analysera faktorer som har samband med behov av psykiatriska, psykologiska och sociala behandlingsinsatser, att analysera sociala konsekvenser av psykisk ohÀlsa, att analysera förloppet av behandlad och obehandlad psykisk ohÀlsa, att analysera effekt av arbetslivs- och arbetsmarknadsförhÄllanden pÄ psykisk ohÀlsa och att beskriva förekomsten av de vanligaste psykiatriska symtomen/diagnoserna (depression, Ängest och alkohol-missbruk/beroende) i den vuxna befolkninge

    Adjustment latitude and attendance requirements as determinants of sickness absence or attendance. Empirical tests of the illness flexibility model

    No full text
    This study investigates whether the two dimensions of illness flexibility at work, adjustment latitude and attendance requirements are associated to sickness absence and sickness attendance. Adjustment latitude describes the opportunities people have to reduce or in other ways change their work-effort when ill. Such opportunities can be to choose among work tasks or work at a slower pace. Attendance requirements describe negative consequences of being away from work that can affect either the subject, work mates or a third party. In a cross-sectional design data based on self-reports from a questionnaire from 4924 inhabitants in the county of Stockholm were analysed. The results showed that low adjustment latitude, as predicted, increased women's sickness absence. However, it did not show any relation to men's sickness absence and men's and women's sickness attendance. Attendance requirements were strongly associated to both men's and women's sickness absence and sickness attendance in the predicted way. Those more often required to attend were less likely to be absent and more likely to attend work at illness. As this is the first study of how illness flexibility at work affects behaviour at illness, it was concluded that more studies are needed.Sickness absence Sickness attendance Adjustment latitude Attendance requirements Work organisation Sweden
    • 

    corecore