Why is Mortality Low among the Swedish-Speaking Minority in Finland?

Life expectancy has been substantially longer among the Swedish-speaking Finnsthan in the rest of the population. The relative mortality difference appears to beparticularly marked among the middle-aged. This study examines the possible reasonsfor this mortality difference.The mortality advantage of the Swedish-speaking Finns is connected with their morefavorable geographic location and socioeconomic position. For women these factorsexplain all of the mortality difference but among men two-thirds of the original difference,a 20% excess mortality of the Finnish-speaking majority, persists after adjustingfor the structural differences. In men, the main part of the mortality differenceresults from factors responsible for excess mortality of the Finnish-speaking populationfrom cardiovascular diseases and non-natural causes of death. A similar mortalitycontrast is seen in women as well, but it is compensated by other causes of deathwhich are more common among Swedish-speaking than among Finnish-speakingwomen

Socioeconomic position in childhood and adult cardiovascular mortality in 1971-98 in Finland - register-based follow-up study of a large sample from the 1950 census

The purpose of the study was to analyse the relative importance of socioeconomic conditions in childhood and adulthood as predictors of cardiovascular mortality in adulthood. The study is based on a 10% sample of the 1950 Finnish census, linked individually to information from the censuses of 1970-95 and to deaths during 1971-98. Subjects aged 7-13 years living with their parents in 1950 were included. Parents occupational class in 1950 and the subjects own occupational class in 1970 were used as measures of socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood. The main statistical method used was the Cox proportional hazards model. Socioeconomic conditions in childhood and adulthood were independent predictors of adult cardiovascular mortality in both sexes and of non-cardiovascular mortality among men. The effect of parents occupational class on mortality was systematic and graded. The results suggest that the impact of living conditions in childhood on adult mortality is not restricted to the effects of absolute poverty and undernutrition

Does education shield against common mental disorders?

The paper examines the causal effect of education on common individual mental disorders in adulthood. We use a representative population health survey and instrumental variable methods. The estimates point to mostly insignificant effects of education on common mental disorders. We find that the length of education reduces the BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) measure at the 10% significance level, but has no effect when using the GHQ-12 (12-item General Health Questionnaire) or the probability of severe depression as a measure of mental health. These results cast doubt on the view that the length of formal education would be a particularly important determinant of common mental disorders later in life

Changes and Differentials in the Prevalence of Activity Limitations among Finns Aged 65-74: Comparison of the Mini-Finland Health Examination Survey (1978-80) and the FINRISK-97 Senior Survey (1997)

This study analyses time trends in the prevalence of activity limitations andconsequent need for help according to gender, education and marital status amongFinns aged 65-74 years. The study is based on the Mini-Finland Health ExaminationStudy carried out in 1978-80 and the FINRISK-97 Senior Survey collected in 1997.During the past 20 years, functional capacity of the elderly at ages 65 to 74 hasimproved markedly. Women, more often than men, have limitations in severalactivities, but the reverse is true in some activities. Persons with higher than basiceducation have less activity limitations than others. Married or cohabiting men reportfewer difficulties in several activities than other men, but among women differencesaccording to marital status are small. A continuation of the observed decline infunctional limitations would significantly attenuate the increasing trend in the burdenof disability that is to be expected because of the ageing of the population