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Biomedical subjects

A Rimpelä

Publications and source records attributed to A Rimpelä.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Use of information and communication technology and prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased among children and adolescents, as well as among adults, and television viewing has been suggested as one cause. Playing digital games (video, computer and console games), or using computer may be other sedentary behaviors related to the development of overweight and obesity. OBJECTIVE: To study the relationships of times spent on viewing television, playing digital games and using computer to overweight among Finnish adolescents. DESIGN: Mailed cross-sectional survey. SUBJECTS: Nationally representative samples of 14-, 16-, and 18-y-old (N=6515, response rate 70%) in 2001. METHODS: Overweight and obesity were assessed by body mass index (BMI). The respondents reported times spent daily on viewing television, playing digital games (video, computer and console games) and using computer (for e-mail, writing and surfing). Data on timing of biological maturation, intensity of weekly physical activity and family's socio economic status were taken into account in the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Increased times spent on viewing television and using computer were associated with increased prevalence of overweight (obesity inclusive) among girls: compared to girls viewing television <1 h daily, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for being overweight was 1.4 when spending 1-3 h, and 2.0 when spending > or =4 h daily on viewing television. In girls using computer > or =1 h daily, the OR for being overweight was 1.5 compared to girls using computer <1 h daily. The results were similar in boys, although not statistically significant. Time spent on playing digital games was not associated with overweight. CONCLUSION: Overweight was associated with using information and communication technology (ICT), but only with certain forms of ICT. Increased use of ICT may be one factor explaining the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity at the population level, at least in girls. Playing digital games was not related to overweight, perhaps by virtue of game playing being less sedentary or related to a different lifestyle than viewing television and using computer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Toothbrushing as part of the adolescent lifestyle predicts education level.

Socio-economic differences in health and health behavior are well-known. Our hypothesis was that toothbrushing frequency in adolescents predicts their education level in adulthood. The aim was also to study the role of toothbrushing in adolescents' health-related lifestyle. Data from nationally representative samples of 12- to 16-year-olds (N = 11,149) were linked with register data on the highest level of education attained at age 27-33 years. Adolescents with a low toothbrushing frequency reached only the lowest education levels. School achievement or sociodemographic background only partly accounted for the association. Exploratory factor analysis found four dimensions of health behaviors. At age 12, a low toothbrushing frequency was loaded highly with "street-oriented" behaviors, concentrated around smoking and alcohol use. At ages 14 and 16, it was associated with a "traditional" lifestyle of the less-well-educated. Altogether, a low toothbrushing frequency indicated selection into the less-well-educated stratum of society. This is likely to be reflected in socio-economic health differences in adulthood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Secular trends in overweight and obesity among Finnish adolescents in 1977-1999.

OBJECTIVE: To study the trends in overweight and obesity among Finnish adolescents in 1977-1999. DESIGN: Mailed surveys every other year. SUBJECTS: Nationally representative samples of 12, 14, 16 and 18-y-olds (n = 64,147, response rate 78.9%). METHODS: Overweight and obesity were measured by body mass index (BMI) and relative weight (RW) based on self-reported height and weight. BMI > or = the 85th percentile cut-off point for BMI in each age- and sex-specific group in the entire data set was considered as overweight, and BMI > or = 95th percentile cut-off point as obesity. RW > or = 110% and > or = 120%, calculated as the individual's weight divided by the mean weight in each age- and sex-specific height percentile group in the entire data set, were considered as overweight and obesity, respectively. The trends in overweight and obesity are described by the change in the 85th and 95th percentile cut-off points of BMI over time. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is also reported using BMI reference values recommended for international comparisons. Because of the similarity of the BMI and the RW criteria in classifying adolescents as overweight and obese, only results based on BMI are presented. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity increased linearly in all sex and age groups from 1977 to 1999. Depending on the age group, the average increase in the 85th percentile cut-off point of the BMI per 10 y was 0.6-1.1 kg/m2 in boys and 0.3-0.7 kg/m2 in girls. The 95th percentile cut-off point of the BMI for boys and girls increased by 1.1-1.6 kg/m2 and by 0.6-1.0 kg/m2 per 10 y, respectively. In boys, the increase in overweight and obesity was largest in the two youngest age groups. In girls, the increase in overweight was largest in the oldest age group, and that of obesity both in the 14 and 18-y-olds. Overweight and obesity increased more in boys than in girls in all age groups except in the 18-y-olds among whom the increase was similar in both sexes. Examination of the entire BMI distribution showed that there was little or no change over time at the lower (5th, 15th) and middle (50th) percentiles, but increasing differences at the upper end of the distribution, the increases in the 95th percentile being even more marked than those in the 85th percentile curves. According to international reference values, the age-standardized prevalence of overweight increased in boys from 7.2 to 16.7%, and in girls from 4.0 to 9.8%, between 1977 and 1999. The prevalence of obesity in boys was 1.1% in 1977 and 2.7% in 1999, and in girls 0.4 and 1.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity increased remarkably among Finnish adolescents from 1977 to 1999. The changes concentrated at the upper end of the BMI distribution, suggesting that factors behind this development have influenced only a part of the adolescent population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Sociodemographic differences in the occurrence of teenage pregnancies in Finland in 1987-1998: a follow up study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyse sociodemographic differences in the occurrence of pregnancies to 14 to 19 year olds and changes in these differences from 1987 to 1998. DESIGN: Follow up of adolescent survey respondents using registers. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The dataset includes information on all registered pregnancies (abortions, births, and miscarriages, n=2743) of the female respondents (n=28 914) to the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey (AHLS) from 1987 to 1998. In the AHLS, self administered questionnaires were mailed every second year to independent samples of 12, 14, 16, and 18 year olds representative for Finland. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Relative risk (hazard) of becoming pregnant at teenage. MAIN RESULTS: Girls from lower socioeconomic background had a higher pregnancy risk. Girls who did not live with both parents at the baseline survey had higher pregnancy risk than those who did, and girls who lived in a stepfamily had a higher risk than those who lived in a one parent family. Swedish speaking girls had a lower pregnancy risk than the Finnish speaking girls. There was no systematic change from 1987 to 1998 in most sociodemographic differentials in the teenage pregnancy risk, however, there was some increase in the differences by family structure. Changes in the sociodemographic structure did not explain the levelling off of the downward trend in teenage pregnancy risk, nor did the regional socioeconomic differences explain regional differentials in teenage pregnancy risk. CONCLUSION: Although the reduction of socioeconomic and regional differences has been a general objective in Finnish social and health policies, the relative differences in teenage pregnancies have not decreased.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Depression, drinking, and substance use among 14- to 16-year-old Finnish adolescents.

Our aim was to assess the relationship between self-reported depression, alcohol consumption, and substance use among 14- to 16-year-olds. A school survey was conducted of 16,464 14- to 16-year-olds in two regions of Finland. Alcohol and other substance use were found to be significantly associated with depression. Of girls (boys) who reported drinking weekly, 24% (13%) scored as depressed, compared with 7% (4%) of those not drinking. Of girls (boys) who reported having experimented with substances five times or more, 37% (28%) scored as depressed compared with 8% (5%) of those who reported never having experimented with substances. These associations persisted in multivariate analyses controlling for sociodemographic background. In conclusion, frequent drinking and experimenting with substances indicate a risk for adolescent depressive disorders, and depressive adolescents are at risk for substance use. Health services should pay attention to the identified depressive adolescents to prevent the possibly subsequent substance use problems among them and also pay attention to frequently drinking adolescents and substance experimenters, to increase identification of depressive disorder and possibilities for early interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The trend and risk factors of perceived toothache among Finnish adolescents from 1977 to 1997.

Toothache is a subjective oral health indicator that should become uncommon when oral health is improving. The aim of this study was to assess changes in perceived toothache between 1977 and 1997 among Finnish adolescents. In the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-year-old Finns every second year. The sample sizes in the surveys varied from 2422 to 11,105, making a total of 35,349 subjects in the entire study. The incidence of toothache during the previous 2 years was requested in 1977, 1985, 1991, 1995, and 1997, and the prevalences were 31%, 25%, 28%, 29%, and 37%, respectively. The increase between 1995 and 1997 was highest among 16- and 18-year-olds. There was no tendency for perceived toothache to decline over the study period, despite the decrease in caries experience. Toothache varied by age, socioeconomic status (SES), place of residence, and toothbrushing frequency. The increase in the incidence of toothache reported after 1995 could be a warning signal that economic recession in Finland has caused changes in the dental care system.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Bullying at school--an indicator of adolescents at risk for mental disorders.

A number of 14-16 year old Finnish adolescents taking part in the School Health Promotion Study (n=8787 in 1995, n=17643 in 1997) were surveyed about bullying and victimization in relation to psychosomatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use. A total of 9 per cent of girls and 17 per cent of boys were involved in bullying on a weekly basis. Anxiety, depression and psychosomatic symptoms were most frequent among bully-victims and equally common among bullies and victims. Frequent excessive drinking and use of any other substance were most common among bullies and thereafter among bully-victims. Among girls, eating disorders were associated with involvement in bullying in any role, among boys with being bully-victims. Bullying should be seen as an indicator of risk of various mental disorders in adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Patterns of health-related behaviour and their cross-cultural validity--a comparative study on two populations of young people.

The study aimed at exploring health-related behaviour patterns among young people. The approach was cross-cultural and the study was focused on identifying culturally valid behaviour patterns in two countries, Finland (F) and Switzerland (CH). Data came from two surveys and included 16- and 18-year-old respondents (F: study year 1993, n = 280, CH: study year 1992/3, n = 272). Three intake behaviours--eating, drinking and smoking--were analysed by means of cluster and logistic regression analyses. Three cross-culturally valid behaviour clusters emerged: a healthy, an unhealthy and a mixed pattern where unhealthy eating behaviours were combined with non-smoking and low alcohol use. The determinants of the patterns were tested by comparing the two countries in relation to the socio-demographic characteristics of the young people that belonged in the same cluster. In both countries the structure of the determinants was almost identically indicating high cross-cultural stability. The study suggests that among young people of this age there is clear and cross-culturally consistent patterning of health-related behaviours.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Trends in drinking habits among Finnish adolescents from 1977 to 1999.

AIMS: Trends in adolescent drinking habits in Finland from 1977 to 1999 are studied with special attention to the onset of problem use and gender differences. DESIGN AND SETTING: Biennial cross-sectional mailed surveys (Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey). PARTICIPANTS: Representative samples of 12, 14, 16 and 18-year-olds. The number of respondents varied from 2832 to 8390 and the response rate from 88% to 76%. MEASUREMENTS: The frequencies of alcohol use and perceived drunkenness obtained from self-administered questionnaires. FINDINGS: Alcohol use remained rare among 12-year-olds. The overall trends in the frequencies of alcohol use and drunkenness increased considerably over time among the 14-18-year-olds. Age-adjusted monthly drunkenness among 14, 16 and 18-year-olds rose from 13% (1981) to 27% (1999) among boys and 6% to 22% among girls. Throughout the study period, the drinking style among boys became more drunkenness-orientated with age, but the opposite was true among girls. Birth cohort investigation showed that the onset of drunkenness moved towards an earlier age. Earlier onset predicted higher prevalence of problem use at the age of 18. Boys developed a regular pattern of drunkenness steadily increasing between ages 14-18 while among girls the increase of drunkenness started to level off between ages 16 and 18. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use among 12-year-olds remained rare, but became more prevalent and drunkenness-orientated among 14-18 year-olds. Gender differences in problem use diminished. Nevertheless, notable differences persist in the onset and development of drunkenness-orientated use.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The effect of societal changes on drunkenness trends in early adolescence.

Increased adolescent drunkenness in Finland has called for research to explore the background of this development. This study seeks to find out to what extent the societal level changes have contributed to the increased drunkenness among 14 year olds in Finland from 1981 to 1997. The data set is drawn from a nationally representative bi-annual mail study, the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey, conducted since 1981 (N = 792-2533, response rate 77-90% per year). Logistic regression analysis was used to study the effect of several background factors on the drunkenness prevalence trend. Family structure, parental education, residence urbanization, weekly allowance and timing of biological maturation were associated with drunkenness. Changes within the distribution of these factors, especially in increased weekly allowance and earlier timing of biological maturation, appeared to account for a considerable part of the increased drunkenness from 1981 to 1997. The findings suggest that increased adolescent drunkenness is significantly associated with societal changes outside the scope of health and alcohol policies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Neck or shoulder pain and low back pain in Finnish adolescents.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and determinants of self-reported neck or shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP) among 12-18-year-olds. A questionnaire was mailed to a nationally representative sample of 11,276 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-year-olds in 1991. The response rate was 77%. NSP was perceived at least once a week by 15% of 12-18-year-olds and LBP by 8%. Both symptoms were more prevalent among girls than among boys, and the prevalence increased with age. Among the determinants investigated, the number of perceived psychosomatic symptoms had the strongest association with NSP and LBP. Our study confirmed the co-morbidity of NSP and LBP, and indicated that NSP is more frequent than believed among 16-18-year-old girls. The strong association of psychosomatic symptoms with NSP and LBP suggests that the latter two pain states could be more psychosomatic than nociceptive in character.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between being bullied or being a bully at school, depression, and severe suicidal ideation. DESIGN: A school based survey of health, health behaviour, and behaviour in school which included questions about bullying and the Beck depression inventory, which includes items asking about suicidal ideation. SETTING: Secondary schools in two regions of Finland. PARTICIPANTS: 16 410 adolescents aged 14-16. RESULTS: There was an increased prevalence of depression and severe suicidal ideation among both those who were bullied and those who were bullies. Depression was equally likely to occur among those who were bullied and those who were bullies. It was most common among those students who were both bullied by others and who were also bullies themselves. When symptoms of depression were controlled for, suicidal ideation occurred most often among adolescents who were bullies. CONCLUSION: Adolescents who are being bullied and those who are bullies are at an increased risk of depression and suicide. The need for psychiatric intervention should be considered not only for victims of bullying but also for bullies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Distribution and heritability of BMI in Finnish adolescents aged 16y and 17y: a study of 4884 twins and 2509 singletons.

OBJECTIVE: 1) To estimate the heritability of body mass index (BMI) in twins aged 16y and 17y, with a special emphasis on gender-specific genetic effects and 2) to compare heights, weights, BMIs, and prevalences of 'overweight' (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) in these twins and in singletons aged 16.5y. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological questionnaire study of twins at ages 16y and 17 y, and cross-sectional study of singletons at age 16.5y. MEASUREMENTS: BMI (kg/m2) was calculated from self-reported heights (m) and weights (kg). SUBJECTS: 4884 twins (2299 boys, 2585 girls) at baseline (age 16 y), 4401 twins (2002 boys, 2399 girls) at age 17 y, and 2509 singletons (1147 boys, 1362 girls) at age 16.5 y. Both twin and singleton samples are nationally representative. RESULTS: At the ages of 16y and 17y, genetic effects accounted for over 80% of the interindividual variation of BMI. The correlations for male-female pairs were smaller than for either male-male or female-female dizygotic pairs. The singletons, especially the boys, had a higher BMI than the twins. Nine percent of singleton boys, but only 4-6% of twin boys and twin and singleton girls were 'overweight' (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2). CONCLUSIONS: Among adolescents, genetic factors play a significant role in the causes of variation in BMI. The genetic modelling suggested that the sets of genes explaining the variation of BMI may differ in males and females. At this age, the twin boys, but not girls, seem to be leaner than singletons. Further follow-up will indicate whether these small differences disappear, and if not, what implications it might have to the generalizability of twin studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Health related lifestyle in adolescence predicts adult educational level: a longitudinal study from Finland.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relative importance of perceived health and health related lifestyle in adolescence in the production of educational differences. DESIGN: A longitudinal study: survey data from 1981 and 1985 linked with Educational Registry data from 1993. SETTING: The whole of Finland. PARTICIPANTS: A representative sample of 4761, 16 and 18 year olds. The follow up rate was 82%. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The outcome variable was the attained educational level at age 24 to 30. Predictive variables described health related lifestyle and health at the age of 16 and 18. Those whose educational level was low at follow up, had in adolescence, a more health compromising lifestyle than those who had reached higher levels. They had placed less emphasis on health promoting behaviours like not smoking, physical exercise, good diet, and dental hygiene. Smoking was the outstanding predictor of attained educational level. Among the health variables, only psychosomatic symptoms predicted high educational levels in girls, and both psychosomatic symptoms and height in boys. CONCLUSION: Those who reach a high level of education in adulthood, have had a health enhancing lifestyle already in adolescence, while those reaching only a low level, have had a health compromising lifestyle. Health plays only a small part in the prediction of adult educational level. The results suggest that a health compromising lifestyle, adopted already in adolescence, is an important mechanism from which educational health differences originate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Maternal menstrual history and small-for-gestational-age births in a population-based Chinese birth cohort.

The relationship between maternal menstrual history and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births is examined in a population-based birth cohort of 5291 mothers with singleton births and 28 completed gestational weeks in Qingdao, China, in 1992. Multivariate analyses suggest that the length of the menstrual cycle and age at menarche had independent effects on SGA after controlling for sex of the infant, physical size of the mother, blood pressure at the first antenatal visit, parity, gestational week at the first antenatal visit, number of antenatal visits, number of previous spontaneous abortions and maternal educational attainment and occupation. The relative risk (RR) of SGA among thin mothers (BMI < = 21) is 1.63 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16-2.29) if the mother's menarche started after 14 years (reference to < = 14 years), 1.75 (95% CI 0.96-3.20) if the mother's menstrual cycle was 29-30 days and 2.92 (95% CI 1.42-6.03) if the menstrual cycle > = 31 days ( < = 28 as a reference category for both). Among normal weight mothers (BMI 21-24), only a menstrual cycle equal or longer than 31 days still had a significant effect on SGA (RR 2.17, 95% CI 1.18-4.08), and among fat mothers no significant effects were observed. The results encourage further evaluation of the association between maternal menstrual background and fetal development among other ethnic populations and exploration of the possible biological mechanisms behind this relationship.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Dental services utilization between 1977 and 1995 by Finnish adolescents of different socioeconomic levels.

Equal distribution of health care services has long been a major goal of health policy in the Nordic countries. According to these guidelines, every child is expected to have an examination and treatment at least every second year. The aim of this study was to analyze the trends and, in particular, the socioeconomic differences in dental visits between 1977 and 1995. The data were collected as part of a nationwide research program, the Adolescent Health and Lifestyle Survey, which began in 1977. Every second year a self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of 14-, 16- and 18-year-old Finns. The sample sizes in the surveys varied from 2422 to 9556, making a total of 56,605 subjects in the whole study. The response rates in different years varied from 77% to 88%. The percentage of adolescents visiting a dentist increased between 1977 and 1981 and thereafter remained stable. Dental visits seemed to correlate with the occupational and educational status of the parents up to 1983, but not after that. The Finnish primary oral health care policy seems to have gained a major objective by eliminating social inequality in dental service utilization among adolescents.

Adolescent↗