At the beginning of 1985, the National Board of Health in Finland issued directives for the initi... more At the beginning of 1985, the National Board of Health in Finland issued directives for the initiation of farmers' occupational health services in municipal health care centres. The directives were based on the evaluation study on farmers' occupational health services in Finland. The main aim of this study is to analyse the current problems of the farmers' occupational health care system and to analyse how effective the system is. The efficiency of the occupational health services has been surveyed with postal inquiries twice, first in 1982 and later in 1986. The farmers' knowledge of appropriate means for reducing hazardous exposures had improved significantly since the initiation of the occupational health services. The effect of the occupational health services was evident particularly in the more effective use of personal safety devices. The limited resources at the municipal health care centres form the main obstacle in the provision of occupational health servi...
In this study, the hypothesis that bad socio-economic conditions in childhood may increase the pr... more In this study, the hypothesis that bad socio-economic conditions in childhood may increase the probability of coronary heart disease in adulthood is examined. The study is based partly on the data of the East-West Study in Finland, which is part of the Seven Countries Study. The study began with 823 men in Eastern Finland and 888 men in Western Finland in 1959. The mortality and morbidity of the cohorts were followed from 1959 to 1974. Risk factors were measured in medical examinations in 1959, 1964, 1969 and 1974. Parents of those included in the sample were traced by using parish registers from 1900 to 1919. Over 90% of those in the East-West Study were found. The parents' socio-economic position (socioeconomic conditions in childhood) was determined. According to our findings, the relative risks of coronary death, myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease are systematically increased for those born landless in East Finland. Variables partly explaining the increased risk were body height and smoking. The effect of cholesterol was negligible.
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 1994
SUSITAIVAL P, HUSMAN L, HORSMANHEIMO M, NOTKOLA V, HUSMAN K. Prevalence of hand dermatoses among ... more SUSITAIVAL P, HUSMAN L, HORSMANHEIMO M, NOTKOLA V, HUSMAN K. Prevalence of hand dermatoses among Finnish farmers. Scand J Work Environ Health 1994;20:206-12.
The object of the study was to describe socioeconomic and demographic determinants of inpatient h... more The object of the study was to describe socioeconomic and demographic determinants of inpatient hospital care for lumbar intervertebral disc disorders (LIDD) in Finland. Information from the 1996 Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was linked with the 1995 Population Census. Poisson regression analyses were made with the total and the gainfully employed workforce aged 20-64 y as reference. All 48 public and seven private acute care general hospitals treating LIDD patients in Finland. In the workforce, 4643 patients aged 20-64 y (3692 among the gainfully employed) were admitted to the hospital due to LIDD (ICD-10: M51.1-M51.9) in 1996. About one-half were treated surgically. The duration of unemployment in 1995 was inversely associated with hospitalisation for LIDD in 1996, allowing for age, sex, education and personal income (unemployed for 12 months vs 0 months: rate ratio 0.66; 95% CI 0.57-0.77). Among those employed for 12 months in 1995, the level of education was inversely associated with the hospital admission rate. The rate was also higher in manual occupations as compared with the upper white-collar employees. The associations were clearer among the medically than the surgically treated patients. Hospitalisation for back disorder was, however, less common in the lowest income group as compared with the highest (0.65; 0.57-0.77) allowing for education, occupational class, age and sex. Women were less often admitted to the hospital than men, allowing for the socioeconomic factors (0.83; 0.77-0.90). When indicated by education or occupation, low socioeconomic status was associated with a relatively high rate of inpatient hospital care for LIDD. When indicated by personal income, the situation was the reverse. Unemployment and female gender predicted a relatively low rate of hospitalisation.
Few long-term statistical series exist that can document the mortality transition in Africa. This... more Few long-term statistical series exist that can document the mortality transition in Africa. This paper uses data from the parish registers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia to study morality in Ovamboland between 1930 and 1990. The paper identifies significant discontinuities and reversals in the trend in mortality. Much of the mortality transition occurred in a rapid breakthrough concentrated between the early 1950s and early 1960s. Adult mortality fell more than existing model life tables would predict and the pattern of relatively high early-age mortality typical of modern Africa emerged only at this time. While a range of developments in Ovamboland contributed to the overall decline in mortality, the most important factor was the establishment, by the Finnish Mission, of a Western system of health care. In Ovamboland, the drive to 'good health at low cost' was articulated not through political institutions but through the church.
At the beginning of 1985, the National Board of Health in Finland issued directives for the initi... more At the beginning of 1985, the National Board of Health in Finland issued directives for the initiation of farmers' occupational health services in municipal health care centres. The directives were based on the evaluation study on farmers' occupational health services in Finland. The main aim of this study is to analyse the current problems of the farmers' occupational health care system and to analyse how effective the system is. The efficiency of the occupational health services has been surveyed with postal inquiries twice, first in 1982 and later in 1986. The farmers' knowledge of appropriate means for reducing hazardous exposures had improved significantly since the initiation of the occupational health services. The effect of the occupational health services was evident particularly in the more effective use of personal safety devices. The limited resources at the municipal health care centres form the main obstacle in the provision of occupational health servi...
In this study, the hypothesis that bad socio-economic conditions in childhood may increase the pr... more In this study, the hypothesis that bad socio-economic conditions in childhood may increase the probability of coronary heart disease in adulthood is examined. The study is based partly on the data of the East-West Study in Finland, which is part of the Seven Countries Study. The study began with 823 men in Eastern Finland and 888 men in Western Finland in 1959. The mortality and morbidity of the cohorts were followed from 1959 to 1974. Risk factors were measured in medical examinations in 1959, 1964, 1969 and 1974. Parents of those included in the sample were traced by using parish registers from 1900 to 1919. Over 90% of those in the East-West Study were found. The parents' socio-economic position (socioeconomic conditions in childhood) was determined. According to our findings, the relative risks of coronary death, myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease are systematically increased for those born landless in East Finland. Variables partly explaining the increased risk were body height and smoking. The effect of cholesterol was negligible.
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 1994
SUSITAIVAL P, HUSMAN L, HORSMANHEIMO M, NOTKOLA V, HUSMAN K. Prevalence of hand dermatoses among ... more SUSITAIVAL P, HUSMAN L, HORSMANHEIMO M, NOTKOLA V, HUSMAN K. Prevalence of hand dermatoses among Finnish farmers. Scand J Work Environ Health 1994;20:206-12.
The object of the study was to describe socioeconomic and demographic determinants of inpatient h... more The object of the study was to describe socioeconomic and demographic determinants of inpatient hospital care for lumbar intervertebral disc disorders (LIDD) in Finland. Information from the 1996 Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was linked with the 1995 Population Census. Poisson regression analyses were made with the total and the gainfully employed workforce aged 20-64 y as reference. All 48 public and seven private acute care general hospitals treating LIDD patients in Finland. In the workforce, 4643 patients aged 20-64 y (3692 among the gainfully employed) were admitted to the hospital due to LIDD (ICD-10: M51.1-M51.9) in 1996. About one-half were treated surgically. The duration of unemployment in 1995 was inversely associated with hospitalisation for LIDD in 1996, allowing for age, sex, education and personal income (unemployed for 12 months vs 0 months: rate ratio 0.66; 95% CI 0.57-0.77). Among those employed for 12 months in 1995, the level of education was inversely associated with the hospital admission rate. The rate was also higher in manual occupations as compared with the upper white-collar employees. The associations were clearer among the medically than the surgically treated patients. Hospitalisation for back disorder was, however, less common in the lowest income group as compared with the highest (0.65; 0.57-0.77) allowing for education, occupational class, age and sex. Women were less often admitted to the hospital than men, allowing for the socioeconomic factors (0.83; 0.77-0.90). When indicated by education or occupation, low socioeconomic status was associated with a relatively high rate of inpatient hospital care for LIDD. When indicated by personal income, the situation was the reverse. Unemployment and female gender predicted a relatively low rate of hospitalisation.
Few long-term statistical series exist that can document the mortality transition in Africa. This... more Few long-term statistical series exist that can document the mortality transition in Africa. This paper uses data from the parish registers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia to study morality in Ovamboland between 1930 and 1990. The paper identifies significant discontinuities and reversals in the trend in mortality. Much of the mortality transition occurred in a rapid breakthrough concentrated between the early 1950s and early 1960s. Adult mortality fell more than existing model life tables would predict and the pattern of relatively high early-age mortality typical of modern Africa emerged only at this time. While a range of developments in Ovamboland contributed to the overall decline in mortality, the most important factor was the establishment, by the Finnish Mission, of a Western system of health care. In Ovamboland, the drive to 'good health at low cost' was articulated not through political institutions but through the church.
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