In the battlefield of politics - representation of female and male politicians in Icelandic news papers

This thesis is written within a master´s program in Gender studies, with media studies as a major. It offers a view of feminism, postfeminist media culture and gendered politics. In recent years and decades increasing pressure has been applied to looks and appearance in the media. The print media constantly publish images of celebrities and there is a certain preference for thin and beautiful bodies. Postfeminism that appeared in the last decades of the 20th century works as a resistance against the values of the second wave feminism in which women’s liberation was highly important. The ‘make-up paradigm’ has increased pressure on women and female politicians are no exception from that. The research focus is set on Iceland which has high gender equality standards. Newspaper photographs from two of the biggest newspapers are analyzed, focusing on female and male politicians in today’s political sphere

Grounding-line fan formation during an Early Holocene readvance of Aldegondabreen, Svalbard.

In this study, two ridge-shaped cross-valley sedimentary landforms, in the lower forefield of Aldegondabreen, a small valley glacier on the west coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, were studied to reconstruct the Holocene glacial history of Aldegondabreen prior to the Little Ice Age. Sedimentological and geomorphological methods were used in conjunction with radiocarbon dating to examine the sediments in the landforms. Three sedimentary lithofacies associations were identified within the studied landforms of the lower forefield. 1) Gravel with small bivalve shell fragments formed in a grounding-line fan, 2) glaciotectonised gravel formed in a subaerial glaciofluvial outwash plain, and 3) glaciogenic sediments, including subglacial till with supra- and englacial components, and glaciotectonised marine sediments. The results suggest that Aldegondabreen readvanced in the Early Holocene into the shallow fjord during a relative high sea level. The maximum age for this event is suggested to be 10.79 cal. ka BP, constructed with radiocarbon dating of bivalve shells and fragments from glacially overridden marine sediments in the forefield. It is proposed that during this Early Holocene readvance, a grounding-line fan formed at the grounding zone of the tidewater glacier. The minimum ice margin position of the glacier during this advance was at least 2 km beyond the modern ice margin (2020) constructed with the location of the grounding-line fan deposit. The data from this study adds to the Late Glacial - Early Holocene glacial record from Svalbard and provides new insights into pre-LIA Holocene glacial history of Aldegondabreen

Outcomes oriented patient assessment in acute care: relationship between concepts documented in Nursing outcomes classification

Neðst á síðunni er að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenBakgrunnur: Gögn í upplýsingaskrá hjúkrunar sem safnað er við innlögn á sjúkrahús til að fá mat á ástandi sjúklings leggja grunninn að þeirri hjúkrun sem veitt er í sjúkrahúslegunni. Breytingar í heilbrigðiskerfinu, áhersla á útkomu eða árangursmælingar og innleiðing rafrænnar skráningar kalla á nýjar aðferðir við skipulagningu og skráningu hjúkrunar, aðferðir sem byggjast á samræmdu fagmáli. Tilgangur rannsóknar: Að greina samband milli þátta sem skráðir eru með frjálsum texta í upplýsingaskrá hjúkrunar er byggir á heilsufarslyklum Gordon og útkomur/matsvísa (outcomes/ indicators) úr NOC flokkunarkerfinu (Nursing Outcomes Classification). Aðferð: Gerð var efnisgreining á frjálsum texta sem skráður var í 242 upplýsingaskrár hjúkrunar við innskrift sjúklinga á handlækninga- og lyflækningadeild Sjúkrahússins á Akranesi (SHA) frá 1. september 2004 til 30. nóvember 2004. Rannsóknin takmarkast við þætti sem tengjast þremur af heilsufarslyklum Gordons þ.e. næringu, útskilnaði og hreyfingu/virkni. Niðurstöður: Efnisgreiningin sýndi tengsl milli frjáls texta í upplýsingaskrá hjúkrunar og þess samræmda fagmáls sem er í NOC flokkunarkerfinu (3. útg.). Heildarvörpun reyndist 64%. Lokaorð: Rannsóknin varpaði ljósi á þá þætti sem oftast voru skráðir og NOC útkomur/matsvísa er tengjast næringu, útskilnaði, hreyfingu/virkni sem þörf er á fyrir skráningu hjúkrunar á handlækninga- og lyflækningadeild SHA. Nýjar upplýsingar eru nú aðgengilegar um hvað hjúkrunarfræðingar skrá í upplýsingaskrá við innlögn og þann mun sem er á skráningu milli sérgreina.Background: Data in patient assessments collected on hospital admission form the basis for all nursing care during hospital stays. Changes in the health care system, emphasis on clinical outcomes, and adoption of new technology calls for a new strategy in planning and documentation of nursing care, a strategy where standardized language is fundamental. Aim: To analyze the relationship between concepts documented in patient assessment based on the Gordon´s Functional Health Patterns (FHP) and outcomes and indicators in Nursing Outcomes Classification (3rd ed.). Methods: A content analysis was used to analyze the free text documented by nurses in 242 patient assessments on admission of medical and surgical patients at the Akranes Hospital from September 1st 2004 to November 30th 2004. That text was then mapped into NOC outcomes and indicators. The study was limited to three of the Gordon´s FHP (Nutrition, Elimination and Activity/Exercise). Findings: The content analysis showed relationships between free text documented in patient assessment and the standardized language used in NOC with an overall mapping proportion of 64%. Conclusion: This study identified the most frequently documented terms and the NOC outcomes/indicators related to nutrition, elimination and activity needed for clinical documentation in medical and surgical nursing at the Akranes Hospital. It adds important information about different patients’ characteristics across specialties on admission as well as the focus of nurses in patient assessment

Surgical treatment for endocarditis in Iceland 1997-2013

Efst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinnInngangur: Opna hjartaaðgerð getur þurft að gera í alvarlegum tilfellum hjartaþelsbólgu. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna árangur skurðaðgerða við hjartaþelsbólgu á Íslandi en slík rannsókn hefur ekki birst áður. Efniviður og aðferðir: Afturskyggn rannsókn á sjúklingum sem gengust undir hjartalokuaðgerð vegna hjartaþelsbólgu á Landspítala 1997-2013. Leitað var að sjúklingum í rafrænum kerfum Landspítala og upplýsingar fengnar úr sjúkraskrám. Heildarlifun var reiknuð með aðferð Kaplan-Meier og var meðaleftirfylgni 7,2 ár. Niðurstöður: Af 179 sjúklingum sem greindust með hjartaþelsbólgu á rannsóknartímabilinu gengust 38 (21%) undir skurðaðgerð. Tveimur sjúklingum var sleppt þar sem sjúkraskrár þeirra fundust ekki. Rannsóknarþýðið samanstóð því af 36 sjúklingum. Aðgerðum fjölgaði jafnt og þétt á rannsóknartímabilinu, eða úr 8 aðgerðum fyrstu 5 árin í 21 þau síðustu ((gagnlíkindahlutfall, OR – odds ratio; öryggisbil, CI – confidence interval) OR: 1,12, 95% CI: 1,05-1,21, p=0,002). Blóðræktanir voru jákvæðar hjá 81% sjúklinga og ræktaðist oftast S. aureus (19%). Þrír sjúklingar höfðu fyrri sögu um hjartaskurðaðgerð og 5 höfðu sögu um misnotkun fíkniefna. Algengustu staðsetningar sýkingar voru í ósæðarloku (72%) og míturloku (28%). Hjartaloku var skipt út í 35 tilvikum, í 14 tilvika með ólífrænni loku og í 21 tilviki með lífrænni loku. Tvær míturlokur var hægt að gera við. Algengustu fylgikvillar eftir aðgerð voru hjartadrep (35%), öndunarbilun (44%) og enduraðgerð vegna blæðingar (25%). Fjórir sjúklingar létust innan 30 daga frá aðgerð (11%) og 5 og 10 ára lifun var 59% og 49%. Umræða: Fimmti hver sjúklingur með hjartaþelsbólgu á Íslandi þurfti á hjartalokuaðgerð að halda, langoftast ósæðarloku- eða míturlokuskipti. Árangur er sambærilegur við erlendar rannsóknir en fylgikvillar eru tíðir, 30 daga dánartíðni hærri og langtímalifun lakari en eftir hefðbundnar lokuskiptaaðgerðir. Materials and methods: Retrospective nation-wide study of pa­­tients that underwent open-heart surgery for infective endocarditis at Landspitali University Hospital in 1997-2013. Variables were collected from hospital charts. Long-term survival was analysed using Kaplan- Meier methods. Mean follow-up time was 7.2 years. Results: Out of 179 patients diagnosed with endocarditis, 38 (21%) ­underwent open heart surgery. Two patients were excluded due to missing information leaving 36 patients for analysis. The number of operations steadily increased, or from 8 to 21 during the first and last 5-years of the study period (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05-1.21, p=0.002). The most common pathogen was S. aureus and 81% (29/36) of the patients had positive blood cultures. Three patients had history of previous cardiac surgery and five had history of intravenous drug abuse. The aortic valve was most often infected (72%), followed by the mitral valve (28%). The infected valve was replaced in 35 cases 14 with a mechanical prosthesis and 20 with a bioprosthesis. In addition two mitral valves were repaired. Postoperative complications included perioperative myocardial infarction (35%), respiratory failure (44%) and reoperation for bleeding (25%). Thirty-day mortality was 11% (4 patients) with 5- and 10-year survival of 59% and 49%, respectively. Conclusion: One out of five patients with endocarditis underwent surgery, most commonly aortic or mitral valve replacement. Outcomes were comparable to other studies. In comparison to elective valve replace­ment surgery the rate of post-operative complications and 30-day mortality were higher and long-term survival was less favorable

Infection of a total knee replacement following repeated joint aspiration – a case report

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.Áttræður karlmaður fékk sýkingu í gervilið í hné eftir endurteknar lið- ástungur. Stungið var á liðnum vegna liðblæðinga í kjölfar áverka á sin fjórhöfðavöðva læris (m. quadriceps femoris) en sá áverki greindist þó ekki í upphafi. Til að uppræta sýkinguna reyndist nauðsynlegt að framkvæma staurliðsaðgerð. Tilfellið undirstrikar að gerviliðir eru næmir fyrir sýkingum. Ígrunda þarf vandlega ákvörðun um að stinga á gervilið. Nauðsynlegt er að hafa áverka á sin fjórhöfðavöðva læris í huga við áverka sem valda liðblæðingu. Rætt er um sýkingar í gerviliðum með áherslu á greiningu og fyrstu skref meðferðar.An 80-year old male presented with an infected knee replacement following repeated joint aspirations. They were carried out due to recurrent hemarthrosis resulting from an initially missed quadriceps tendon injury. The infection was eradicated first after arthrodesis. This case highlights that prosthetic joints are sensitive to infection, which once established can be difficult to eradicate. Careful consideration is necessary before aspirating prosthetic joints. Diagnosing quadriceps tendon injuries can be difficult and they must be included in the differential diagnosis of traumatic hemarthrosis. We review the initials steps in the diagnosis and management of periprosthetic joint infections

Surgery related information : content, satisfaction and influential factors

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)Rannsóknir hafa sýnt margháttaðan ávinning sjúklingafræðslu en lítið er vitað um gagnsemi fræðslu eða ánægju skurðsjúklinga á Íslandi með veitta fræðslu. Megintilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að lýsa fræðslu sem skurðsjúklingar á Landspítala telja sig fá á sjúkrahúsi og heima fjórum vikum síðar og meta hvað hefur áhrif á ánægju þeirra með fræðsluna. Úrtakið var 733 innkallaðir sjúklingar sem fóru í valaðgerð 15. janúar til 15. júlí 2007. Svörun var 74%. Gagna var aflað með tveim spurningalistum, á sjúkrahúsinu og heima fjórum vikum eftir heimkomu. Spurt var um sjúklingafræðslu og ánægju með hana, kvíða og þunglyndi, verki og önnur einkenni, aðdraganda sjúkrahúsvistar og sjúkrahúsdvöl, heilsufar og árangur aðgerða, ánægju með umönnun og stuðning og bakgrunn þátttakenda. Almennt voru sjúklingar ánægðir með fræðsluna. Þeir voru þó ánægðari aðspurðir á spítalanum heldur en heima. Atriði, sem sjúklingar óskuðu frekari fræðslu um á sjúkrahúsinu, voru einkum fylgikvillar aðgerðar, hreyfing, sjúkdómur og verkir en eftir heimkomu ýmislegt sem tengist verkjum og afturbata. Minni ánægja með fræðslu fyrir aðgerð tengdist meiri sársauka á spítalanum, minni gagnsemi upplýsinga fyrir aðgerð, minni stuðningi vina og ættingja á spítala og minni ánægju með umönnun á spítalanum. Þættir, sem höfðu áhrif á minni ánægju með fræðslu á spítala um ferlið eftir að heim var komið, tengdust meðal annars kvíðaeinkennum á spítala og heima, þunglyndiseinkennum á spítala og heima, sársauka á spítala og almennt einkennum fyrir aðgerð og heima. Aðrir þættir, sem þessu tengdust, voru að vilja fá betri upplýsingar, hafa ekki náð sér eftir aðgerð, minni ánægja með stuðning vina og ættingja svo og minni ánægja með umönnun. Þá voru yngri sjúklingar og konur óánægðari. Fræðsluþarfir skurðsjúklinga eru umfangsmiklar og vara fram yfir sjúkrahúsvistina. Bæta þarf einstaka þætti fræðslunnar og skipuleggja sérstaklega mat, fræðslu og eftirfylgd sjúklinga sem fyrirsjáanlega vegnar ver. Ávinningur gæti orðið aukin ánægja sjúklinga og ódýrari heilbrigðisþjónusta vegna fækkunar einkenna, fylgikvilla og endurinnlagna.Research has shown various benefits of patient education. However little is known about its effectiveness and about Icelandic surgical patients’ satisfaction with the education. This study aims to describe the perceived information surgical patients at Landspítali – University hospital receive at the hospital and at home four weeks later and assess what affects their satisfaction with received information. The sample included 733 patients admitted for planned surgery from January 15th to July 15th 2007. The response rate was 74%. Information was collected with two questionnaires, administered at the hospital and at home four weeks later, addressing symptoms, patient information, support, satisfaction, disease, surgery, situation at home, and background. Generally the patients were satisfied with the information received. At the hospital the patients most often wanted more information about complications of surgery, movement, disease, and pain. At home they wanted more information about pain and the period of recovery. Less satisfaction with information was related to more pain at the hospital, less beneficial information before surgery, less support of friends and family at the hospital and less satisfaction with the care they received at the hospital. Less satisfaction with information they received at the hospital about post-discharge recovery was for example related to anxiety at the hospital and at home, depression at the hospital and home and pain at the hospital. Less satisfaction with information they received at the hospital was also related to symptoms in general before surgery and at home, wanting better information, not having recovered after surgery and less satisfaction with the support of friends and family. Women and younger patients were more dissatisfied. Surgical patients have extensive educational needs. Special consideration must be given to the information and follow-up of patients at risk for negative outcome and those who are dissatisfied with care. The benefits could be more satisfied patients and less health care related expenses because of fewer symptoms, complications and readmissions to hospital

Jómsvíkinga saga. Sérstaða, varðveisla og viðtökur

Jómsvíkinga saga er meðal elstu varðveittu veraldlegra sagna á Íslandi. Hún hefur að öllum líkindum verið skrifuð á fyrri hluta 13. aldar en er varðveitt í fjórum ólíkum gerðum frá miðöldum í jafnmörgum handritum. Fræðileg umfjöllun um söguna hefur einkum beinst að tveimur þáttum. Annars vegar hefur uppruni og tilurð sögunnar verið í brennidepli fræðimanna en hins vegar hvernig eigi að skilgreina hana. Hún hefur þótt falla illa að hefðbundinni flokkun íslenskra miðaldabókmennta vegna þess að í henni mætast einkenni konungasagna, Íslendinga-sagna og fornaldarsagna. Í rannsókninni er fjallað um Jómsvíkinga sögu í víðu samhengi með það í huga að textinn, varðveisla hans og hugmyndir um hann á ýmsum tíma geti skýrt stöðu hennar meðal íslenskra miðaldabókmennta. Um leið er textinn nýttur til þess að varpa ljósi á ýmsa þætti sagnaritunar á miðöldum. Jómsvíkinga saga er meðal elstu íslensku verka þar sem sögulegum atburðum er miðlað með aðferðum sem fremur einkenna skáldskap en sagnfræði. Í ritgerðinni eru færð rök fyrir því að nýjungar í bókmenntum á 12. öldinni á meginlandi Evrópu skipti máli þegar kemur að þróun íslenskra miðaldabókmennta um og upp úr 1200. Með nákvæmri greiningu á Jómsvíkinga sögu kemur í ljós blöndun hefða og nýjunga sem á eftir að taka á sig skýrari mynd í veraldlegum íslenskum miðaldabókmenntum á 13. og 14. öldinni.Jómsvíkinga saga is amongst the oldest Icelandic sagas. It was most likely written in the first half of the 13th century but has been preserved in four different versions from the Middle Ages in four vellum manuscripts. Two aspects of the saga have been the main focus of scholars hitherto. On the one hand the saga's origins and on the other hand the question of genre. Characteristics from different genres like kings' sagas, family sagas and legendary sagas can be found in Jómsvíkinga. In this thesis however, the saga is analysed on the grounds that the text, its preservation and reception can shed light on its place in the history of Icelandic literature. At the same time, the analysis sheds light on medieval Icelandic saga writing. Jómsvíkinga saga is one of the earliest sagas to relate historical events with methods that are attributed to fiction rather than history. In the thesis it is argued that 12th century novelties in literature in Europe affect how Icelandic medieval literature develops around 1200 and later. With close reading of Jómsvíkinga saga comes into light the combination of tradition and innovation that develops further in Icelandic sagas during the 13th and 14th centuries

Major Vascular and Thoracic Trauma in Nordic Populations

Injuries involving major arteries and the thorax are major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Studies on the epidemiology of vascular trauma are scarce and preventive measures are of utmost importance, such as improved roads and safer vehicles. There is a need to better understand factors predictive of mortality in trauma patients who are admitted alive to hospitals, aiming to improve treatment outcomes and lower mortality rates. The aim of this doctoral thesis, which consists of a collection of five scientific articles, is to evaluate outcomes and prognostic factors associated with 30-day and long-term survival in patients with severe injuries to major arteries of the body in two well-defined Nordic patient cohorts, both in Iceland and Bergen. Data regarding patient demographics, mechanism and location of vascular injury and treatment, incidence, overall survival, and injury scores (Injury Severity Score [ISS], New ISS [NISS], and Trauma Score and Injury Severity Score [TRISS]) were recorded. The data were extracted from national and local trauma registries and patient charts. We also calculated Comorbidity Polypharmacy Scores and Comprehensive Complication Indexes to evaluate predictive factors for in-hospital mortality after serious thoracic trauma. In Paper I, adults (age ≥ 18 years) who sustained major vascular injuries in traffic accidents in Iceland in the years 2000–2011 were retrospectively studied. Sixty-two patients (mean age, 44 years; 79% males) sustained 95 major vascular injuries. Before admission, 41 patients died and 21 (34%) reached the hospital alive. The annual incidence for both sexes was 1.69/100 000 inhabitants. A significantly higher proportion of individuals sustained their injuries in rural vs. urban areas (69% vs. 31%, p < 0.01). Patients who died sustained thoracic (76%) or abdominal major vascular trauma (23%). Fatal cases of thoracic aortic injury were largely (77%) attributed to motor vehicle collisions and 74% occurred in rural areas. The average NISS for the 21 admitted patients was 44. Vascular surgery was performed on 18 patients, including three in which endovascular stents were placed. Fifteen of the 21 admitted patients (71%) survived until discharge, and their five-year survival rate was 86%. Paper II included 9 adults who underwent emergency thoracotomy at the accident site, during transport, or just after admission, in Iceland from 2005 to 2010, due to severe chest trauma with a strong suspicion of severe cardiac and/or vascular injury. The median age was 36 years and all were males. Five sustained blunt trauma and four sustained penetrating injuries; six sustained typically isolated thoracic injury and three had polytrauma. The median ISS and NISS were 29 and 50, respectively. Four of the nine patients died and three of those had no sign of life at admission. Five patients survived the injury and procedure and 4 of those made a good recovery. One patient had paraplegia related to spinal injury. Paper III included all 73 patients (average age, 32.6 years; 90.4% males) who were admitted to a hospital in Iceland following penetrating injuries between 2000 and 2015. Most cases were due to assault (96%) and the most frequent locations of injury were the chest (n = 32), abdomen (n = 26), and upper limbs (n = 26). The average ISS was 9, and 14 patients (19%) sustained severe injuries (ISS > 15). Twenty-eight patients required admission to the intensive care unit and 38 patients (51%) needed surgery. Only three patients died within 30 days following the injury (4.1%). In Paper IV, all adults who were admitted to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, in the period 2009–2018 with severe chest trauma (with AIS ≥ 3) were studied. There were 514 adults with severe chest trauma (mean age, 51 years; 78% males). The average annual incidence was 13.3/100 000 population over the 10-year study period. Polytrauma patients constituted 61% of patients with an average ISS of 21. Most injuries occurred as a result of traffic accidents (49%) and falls (35%). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that female sex, TRISS with a probability of survival (Ps) of ≤ 50%, having more than nine comorbidities and concurrent medications, and a Comprehensive Complication Index ≥ 30 were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. The most common severe complication was respiratory failure in 14% of patients and these patients had a 5% 24 h mortality rate and a 30-day mortality rate of 12%. Paper V included 68 adult patients (median age, 44 years; 76% male) who were admitted with vascular injuries to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, from 2009–2018. There were 81 vascular injuries: 46 blunt and 22 (32%) penetrating. The annual incidence of major vascular injuries was 1.45/100 000 inhabitants for both sexes. The most frequent locations of injury were the thorax (n = 17), neck (n = 16), and abdominal region (n = 15). The injuries were most often attributed to traffic accidents (n = 31), as well as stab injuries (n = 17) and falls (n = 10). The median ISS was 22 and 50 (74%) patients sustained severe injuries (ISS > 15). Twelve (18%) patients died within 24 h and 6 of those had aortic injuries. These five scientific papers show that serious vascular injuries are an uncommon cause of death in Iceland and Western Norway. The results of treatment and survival are similar to those reported in larger hospitals in North Europe and North America. Most vascular injuries in both Iceland and Bergen were caused by traffic accidents, in contrast to the US and UK where penetrating injuries are much more common causes of vascular injury. The 30-day mortality rate is high after aortic injuries, particularly when they occur in rural areas. Contrary to the impressions of many, the incidence of trauma among patients who were admitted due to stab injuries remained relatively stable in Iceland over the 16-year study period, which is in line with other recent reports. Emergency thoracotomy is a rarely performed procedure in Iceland; however, the survival rate seems higher than reported in publications from Scandinavia. In both Iceland and Norway, a majority of vascular trauma cases were treated via open surgery and endovascular treatment was applied in selected cases. Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality among patients with severe chest injuries were female sex, comorbidities and medications, TRISS with a Ps lower than 50%, as well as the occurrence of in-hospital complications. Previous medical history together with the cause of injury is therefore important information to consider when evaluating trauma patients. Although Iceland and Norway have level 1 trauma centres with low patient volumes and often difficult transport routes, the outcomes of treatment are similar to those reported from high volume centres in Europe and North America, and well-organised trauma centres established in both countries. The findings of these five papers may help to improve the outcomes of seriously injured vascular and thoracic trauma patients and lower both mortality and morbidity. Further improvements in the registration of these injuries are needed in addition to improved training of trauma teams involved in the treatment of patients, to increase knowledge on risk factors related to inferior outcomes which is of vital importance.This project received grants from the Landspitalinn University Hospital Research Foundation, The University of Iceland Research Fund, and the Memorial fund of Helga Jonsdottir and Sigurliði Kristjánsson

Colonization, mouse-style

Several recent papers, including one in BMC Evolutionary Biology, examine the colonization history of house mice. As well as background for the analysis of mouse adaptation, such studies offer a perspective on the history of movements of the humans that accidentally transported the mice

Social isolation and all-cause mortality: a population-based cohort study in Denmark.

Social isolation is associated with increased mortality. Meta-analytic results, however, indicate heterogeneity in effect sizes. We aimed to provide new evidence to the association between social isolation and mortality by conducting a population-based cohort study. We reconstructed the Berkman and Syme's social network index (SNI), which combines four components of social networks (partnership, interaction with family/friends, religious activities, and membership in organizations/clubs) into an index, ranging from 0/1 (most socially isolated) to 4 (least socially isolated). We estimated cumulative mortality and adjusted mortality rate ratios (MRR) associated with SNI. We adjusted for potential important confounders, including psychiatric and somatic status, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status. Cumulative 7-year mortality in men was 11% for SNI 0/1 and 5.4% for SNI 4 and in women 9.6% for SNI 0/1 and 3.9% for SNI 4. Adjusted MRRs comparing SNI 0/1 with SNI 4 were 1.7 (95% CI: 1.1-2.6) among men and 1.6 (95% CI: 0.83-2.9) among women. Having no partner was associated with an adjusted MRR of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2-2.1) for men and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.2-2.4) for women. In conclusion, social isolation was associated with 60-70% increased mortality. Having no partner was associated with highest MRR