Determinants for binge drinking among adolescents in Denmark

Background and Objective: Binge drinking is a relatively common behavior among adolescents in Denmark. The aim of this study is to assess whether peer alcohol drinking, mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward alcohol drinking, and the adolescents’ own financial situations (e.g., the presence of pocket money) predict binge drinking among adolescents in Denmark.Methods: This study is based on the Danish data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, which took place in 2011. This cross-sectional survey obtained data from 2765 adolescents who were in grade 9 in Denmark at that time. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the outcome variable of binge drinking and the exposure variables of alcohol-drinking peers, pocket money, and mother’s/father’s approval of intoxication.Results: The risk of binge drinking increased with the number of alcohol-drinking peers (trend test, p < .0001) and with the amount of pocket money spent (trend test, p < .0001. The association between the mother’s approval of intoxication and binge drinking is complex. Boys had a higher risk of binge drinking (odds ratio, 2.2 [1.1-4.3]) if their mothers approved of their intoxication with alcohol; however, this association was not seen among girls (odds ratio, 1.0 [0.5-2.0]). There was no significant association between the father’s approval of intoxication and binge drinking.Conclusion: The proportion of alcohol-drinking peers and the amount of pocket money spent appear to be determinants of adolescent binge drinking. The mother’s approval of intoxication appears to be a determinant for binge drinking among boys but not among girls. The father’s approval of intoxication does not appear to be a determinant of binge drinking

Determinants for binge drinking among adolescents in Denmark

Background and Objective: Binge drinking is a relatively common behavior among adolescents in Denmark. The aim of this study is to assess whether peer alcohol drinking, mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward alcohol drinking, and the adolescents’ own financial situations (e.g., the presence of pocket money) predict binge drinking among adolescents in Denmark.Methods: This study is based on the Danish data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, which took place in 2011. This cross-sectional survey obtained data from 2765 adolescents who were in grade 9 in Denmark at that time. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the outcome variable of binge drinking and the exposure variables of alcohol-drinking peers, pocket money, and mother’s/father’s approval of intoxication.Results: The risk of binge drinking increased with the number of alcohol-drinking peers (trend test, p < .0001) and with the amount of pocket money spent (trend test, p < .0001. The association between the mother’s approval of intoxication and binge drinking is complex. Boys had a higher risk of binge drinking (odds ratio, 2.2 [1.1-4.3]) if their mothers approved of their intoxication with alcohol; however, this association was not seen among girls (odds ratio, 1.0 [0.5-2.0]). There was no significant association between the father’s approval of intoxication and binge drinking.Conclusion: The proportion of alcohol-drinking peers and the amount of pocket money spent appear to be determinants of adolescent binge drinking. The mother’s approval of intoxication appears to be a determinant for binge drinking among boys but not among girls. The father’s approval of intoxication does not appear to be a determinant of binge drinking

Cause-specific measures of life years lost

Background: A new measure of the number of life years lost due to specific causes of death is introduced. Methods: This measure is based on the cumulative incidence of death, it does not require "independence" of causes, and it satisfies simple balance equations: "total number of life years lost = sum of cause-specific life years lost", and "total number of life years lost before age x + temporary life expectancy between birth and age x = x". Results: The measure is contrasted to alternatives suggested in the demographic literature and allmethods are illustrated using Danish and Russian multiple decrement life-tables

The match between need and use of health services among healthy under-fives in Denmark:A register-based national cohort study

OBJECTIVES:To study a potential positive association (referred to as 'a match') between the need for health service (expressed by a mortality risk score) and observed health service utilisation among healthy Danish under-fives. Further, municipal differences in the match were examined to motivate focused comparisons between the organisation of regional health services. DESIGN:Register-based national cohort study. PARTICIPANTS:The population of 1,246,599 Danish children born 1997-2016 who survived until date of first discharge to the home after birth without a diagnosis of severe chronic disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Hazard ratios (HR) for a doubling of the mortality rate were calculated for the following health services: total contacts, inpatient contacts (admission > 1 day), outpatient contacts, general practitioner contacts, specialist contacts, medication use, and vaccinations. RESULTS:The use of total contacts, inpatient contacts (> 1 day) and general practitioner contacts as well as medication matched with the mortality risk score, HRs between 1.027 (1.026 to 1.028) and 1.111 (1.108 to 1.113), whereas outpatient and specialist contacts as well as vaccinations did not, HRs between 0.913 (0.912 to 0.915) and 0.991 (0.991 to 0.991). There were some remarkable differences among the 98 Danish municipalities. CONCLUSIONS:We found some match between need and use for total contacts, inpatient contacts (> 1 day), contacts with general practitioner, and medication use although the associations were relatively weak. For outpatient and specialist contacts, the mismatch may be related to services not addressing potentially fatal disease whereas for vaccination there was a small mismatch. Our results indicate local discrepancies in diagnosis, and a low adjusted utilisation of hospital admissions in Aarhus compared to the other three major cities in Denmark suggests that a comparison of the organisation of services could be useful

Too much? Mortality and health service utilisation among Danish children 1999-2016:A register-based study

ObjectivesTo describe the temporal development of mortality and health service utilisation defined as in- and outpatient hospital contacts, contacts with general practitioner and specialists, and prescribed dispensed medication among Danish children 0-5 years of age from 1999 to 2016.DesignRegister-based descriptive study.ParticipantsAll children born in Denmark in the period 1994-2016 followed until 5 years of age.Main outcome measuresAnnual incidence rates of mortality and health service utilisation outcomes, and incidence rate ratios compared to the reference calendar year 1999. The new measure of post-discharge mortality is presented.ResultsPost-discharge mortality decreased from 1999 to 2016, IRR2016 = 0.49 (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.66). Total contacts did not change much over time, IRR2016 = 1.02 (1.02 to 1.03), but increased among neonates, IRR2016 = 3.69 (3.63 to 3.75), and decreased among children with chronic disease IRR2016 = 0.94 (0.93 to 0.94). In- and out-patient hospitalisations increased, IRR2016 = 1.26 (1.24-1.27) resp. IRR2016 = 1.62 (1.60-1.63), contacts with medical specialists increased, IRR2016 = 1.43 (1.42 to 1.43), whilst contacts with general practitioner decreased, IRR2016 = 0.91 (0.91 to 0.91). Medication use decreased, IRR2016 = 0.82 (0.82 to 0.82).ConclusionsOur measure of post-discharge mortality was halved during the study period indicating improved health. Overall health service utilisation did not change much, but the type of utilisation changed, and the development over time differed between subgroups defined by age and chronic disease status. Our findings call for considerations about the benefit of increased specialisation and increased use of health services among 'healthy' children not suffering from chronic disease