Longevity of World War II Estonian volunteers in the Finnish Army: A follow-up study of the impact of the post-war life course and repressions

Background: The existing literature pertaining to the long-term effects of war-related adversities on longevity is almost exclusively covering veterans from Western countries, while little is known about the longevity of surviving veterans in Eastern Europe. Objective: We analyse the effects of the post-war life course, including politically motivated repressions, on the longevity of a group of WWII participants - Estonian volunteers in the Finnish Army. Methods: We use a follow-up database of individual-level life histories of 3,352 Estonian men who served in the Finnish Army during WWII. The war and its aftermath divided them into several subgroups in a way that resembles a natural experiment. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we compare the mortality risks of subgroups whose members lived in different contexts after WWII. Results: The marked advantage in longevity of veterans who lived in exile in Western countries relative to those who stayed in Estonia reveals an impact of the macrosocial environment on longevity. The results also show immediate and delayed effects of repressions on longevity. Excess risk associated with repression emerged several decades after exposure, while the scarring effect later disappeared representing cohort inversion. Conclusions: The results corroborate that the sequelae of war-related repressions affect the surviving population for many decades, while the scarring effects may remain undetected in the presence of other mechanisms, such as selection based on differential mortality. Contribution: The article presents the results of the first long-term follow-up study on the mortality effects of a group of WWII veterans from the Eastern bloc

Epiphytic lichen diversity in Estonian and Fennoscandian old coniferous forests

Lichen species richness and species composition were compared between Estonian and Fennoscandian old coniferous forests, with a special emphasis on woodland key habitat indicator species. Altogether 42 Picea abies and 40 Pinus sylvestris sample plots were studied in Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Norway. In every plot lichens were recorded on five randomly selected trees; in addition, tree age and canopy openness by the sampled trees were measured. The results revealed clear differences in lichen species composition; the occurrence of many species differed between Estonia and Fennoscandia. Several indicator species were recorded only in one or two sample plots; the relatively frequent indicators differed between the two studied areas. The number of lichen species per sample plot was significantly higher in Fennoscandia compared to Estonia. Maximum tree age was positively correlated with species richness in Estonian spruce sample plots, and mean canopy openness with species richness in Estonian pine sample plots.

Tervis ja elukvaliteet vanemas elueas

Eesmärk. Uurimuse eesmärk on teha kindlaks üle 65 aasta vanuste subjektiivsed hinnangud oma elukvaliteedile ning selgitada selle mõjutamise võimalikke sotsiaal-demograafilisi ja tervisenäitajatest tulenevaid ressursse. Uurimismaterjal ja -meetodid. Uuring põhineb Tallinna Ülikooli sotsiaaltöö instituudi ja Helsingi Arcada rakenduskõrgkooli koostöös 2010. aastal korraldatud postiküsitlusel, milles osales 581 Tallinna ja Lääne-Virumaa vanemaealist. Väljasaadetud ankeetidest tagastati 39%. Andmeid analüüsiti, kasutades sagedustabeleid ja Pearsoni X2-testi ning sellele vastavat olulisuse tõenaosust p. Tulemused peegeldavad uuritavate subjektiivseid arvamusi. Tulemused. Vastanutest 25% hindas oma elukvaliteeti 100 palli susteemis 40–50 palliga ning 39% 61 ja enama palliga. Elukvaliteedi skoor oli suurem töötavatel kõrgema haridusega ja suurema sissetulekuga uuritavatel. Eaka elukvaliteet sõltub oluliselt tema positiivsest eluhoiakust ja terviseseisundi erinevatest iseloomustajatest. Naiste hulgas oli meestest suurem luustiku ja lihaskonna haiguste (50%) ning väsimuse ja stressivaevuste esinemine (51%). Enamus vastajatest kaebas unehäireid (90%). Kõige enam põhjustasid unehäireid muremõtted, eluraskused, stress ja terviseprobleemid. Järeldused. Hoiaku puhul, kus vanemaealine tajub ennast kasutu ja väärtusetuna ning tunneb ennast üksikuna, kaasneb madalam hinnang elukvaliteedile. Unetuse varajane avastamine aitaks vähendada mitmeid terviseriske. Andmed ei kinnita eluga rahulolu suurenemist vanemas eas (U-pööre), kuna nii elukvaliteedi näitaja kui ka rahulolu näitajad parast 70. eluaastat kahanevad. Eesti Arst 2011; 90(8):372–37

A person-centered approach in initial rehabilitation needs assessment: Experiences of persons with disabilities

Person-centeredness refers to an individually-tailored, holistic approach to meeting a person's needs and recognizing the client as an expert and active participant in the rehabilitation process. This article focuses on a study conducted in Estonia to analyze the perceptions of persons with disabilities about person-centeredness by exploring their experiences about received disability services and participation in an initial rehabilitation needs assessment process. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted in different regions of Estonia with persons with disability. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. The aim of the research project (2010–2015) was to design a person-centered initial rehabilitation needs assessment instrument. Results revealed that in describing their experiences, study participants identified important components of person-centeredness: (1) understanding service users and meeting their individual needs, (2) connecting and partnering with service users, (3) providing appropriate information, and (4) addressing issues of power and empowerment. If these components are included, service users are more likely to become motivated to consider their situation and take more control of their lives. These findings may be of relevance for countries considering needs-based referrals to rehabilitation services and refocusing disability services using a person-centered approac

New Estonian records. Mosses. Pezizales (Ascomycetes). Lichenized, lichenicolous and allied fungi

Since 2009 five species new for Estonian bryo- flora have been found. These additions raise the total number of species in the list of Estonian bryophytes up to 583. Seventeen species are reported as new for Estonia, of them ten are lichenized, six are lichenicolous fungi and one is non-lichenized fungus. The presence of Verrucaria submersella, previously known by literature data only, is confirmed, and Lecanora epibryon, previously considered to be extict from the local lichen flora, was rediscovered. Lepraria sylvestris which has earlier been reported in literature as new for Estonia is not confirmed hereby as further chemical analysis is needed, and Cladonia monomorpha is excluded from the list of Estonian lichens as a misidentification.