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Biomedical subjects

K G Götestam

Publications and source records attributed to K G Götestam.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

The relationship between eating disorders and personality in physically active women.

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personality factors, self-reported eating disorders, type of physical activity, level of sport competition and hours spent on physical activity each week among physically active non-athletes and athletes. A total of 591 high school women participated in the study. The mean age was 19 during the data collection. Scores were obtained on the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) and a questionnaire concerning eating disorders (1) and physical activity. All diagnoses were based upon the DSM-IV criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). The prevalence of AN was 1.5%, BN 2.0%, AN+BN 0.3% and EDNOS 12.9%. The prevalence of eating disorders (ED) was highest among physically active non-athletes who were members of fitness clubs (odds ratio (OR)= 1.86, 95% CI: 1.08-2.79). However, there was no relationship between the prevalence of eating disorders and the level of sport competition or time spent on physical activity. The results showed that women with eating disorders scored higher in anxiety, hostility and detachment, and lower in socialisation than the women without eating disorders. The results indicated that individuals with certain personality characteristics had a higher risk for being classified with ED, but it does not seem to be related to whether they are physically active or not. The findings in this study may support the hypothesis that participating in physical activity can have some positive psychological effects, but this does not necessarily apply to patients with AN and BN. ED may have a biological/genetic explanation according to Eysenck's personality theory.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of eating disorders in Norwegian general hospitals 1990-1994: admissions per year and seasonality.

OBJECTIVE: To study the occurrence of eating disorders in patients admitted to somatic hospitals. METHOD: For all, approximately 3.3 million, admissions to Norwegian general hospitals in the period 1990-1994, admissions with the primary diagnoses for the eating disorders anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) were selected. Data on gender, age groups, emergency admission, different hospital types, length of stay, seasonal differences, and differences along the latitudes were related to the primary diagnosis. RESULTS: A small number of men with eating disorders were admitted; 9-17 times more women were admitted (140-183 female and 11-15 male admissions per year). The male/female ratio was on the mean 8% for the period. About two thirds to three fourths were emergency admissions. The mean length of stay was 12-19 days, and the median stay was 6-8 days. A significant (p = .03) season of admission was found. A significant number of admissions occurred in the beginning of March and a minimum in June. The best model was two harmonics without trend. DISCUSSION: There are few reports on eating disorders in somatic inpatients in the literature, but our results indicate that it is important to consider the general hospital in this connection. Bulimia nervosa was rather unusual in the present study, while anorexia nervosa was prevalent, specifically for women. Seasonality has rarely been reported in relation to hospitalization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Expectancies of and specific attitudes towards smoking as predictors of a general attitude about smoking.

Outcome expectancies and self-efficacy are the two main predictors of smoking behavior in social learning theory. There has been considerable research effort on self-efficacy, but almost nothing on outcome expectancies related to smoking. Rohsenow, Abrams, Colby, Gulliver, Niaura, and Monti constructed the Smoking Effects Questionnaire to measure such expectancies. In a questionnaire survey among a random sample from the adult Norwegian population, 1,639 out of 5,014 respondents were current smokers. Confirmatory factor analyses were applied to examine the questionnaire's dimensionality. The fit of the original factor structure was compared to the structure which emerged from a principal component analysis and was well suited to the Norwegian data. Also, attitudes about how smoking affects other people and a general attitude towards smoking were measured. The outcome expectancies together with the specific attitudes predicted the general attitude, while the opposite was not true. LISREL-analyses indicated that women were more influenced by negative psychological effects and reduction of negative affect in their general attitude, while men were more influenced by negative physical effects.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Prevalence of eating disorders among Norwegian women and men in a psychiatric outpatient unit.

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of the study was to establish lifetime and point prevalence of different eating disorders in a psychiatric outpatient population of both men and women. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent out to 364 patients referred to a psychiatric outpatient department. Of these questionnaires, 234 (64.3%) were completed and returned. Patient questionnaires were analyzed to assess the prevalence for different groups of eating disorders according to DSM-III-R criteria. RESULTS: In women there was a lifetime prevalence of 5.2% of anorexia nervosa (AN), 16.1% bulimia nervosa (BN), 6.5% binge eating disorder (BED), and 11.0% eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), in total 38.7%. The point prevalence was 1.9% AN, 5.2% BN, 3.2% BED, nd 8.4% EDNOS, in total 18.7%. The lifetime prevalence in men was 0% AN, 10.7% BN, 6.7% BED, and 4.0% EDNOS, in total 21.3%. Point prevalence was found to be 0% AN, 2.7% BN, 5.3% BED, and 6.7% EDNOS, in total 14.7%. Staff information yielded substantially lower rates of eating disorders among these patients. There was a significantly higher rate of eating disorders in the close family of eating-disordered patients compared to the patient group without such a disorder. DISCUSSION: The results support earlier studies indicating that younger patients have more eating disorders. The men showed frequencies of BN and BED at the same level as women, but the frequency of EDNOS was lower, and there were no cases of AN.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Prognostic factors and survival in a heterogeneous sample of cancer patients.

This study examines the prognostic value of clinical assessments, including a 3-fold classification of cancer patients by treatment intention. It is based upon a sample of 253 patients with different cancer diagnoses who filled out a 108-item questionnaire. Cox regression analysis (the proportional hazards model) was used to analyse the relationship of the three groups of covariates (clinical, demographic and psychosocial) with survival. The univariate analysis showed that several clinical, demographic and psychosocial covariates are significantly related to survival. The study located two main prognostic factors: the 3-fold classification by treatment intention being the most important one, followed by physical functioning which may be seen as a proxy for performance status. Several additional covariates including psychosocial ones were related to survival when considered separately. However, their effects disappeared when controlling for treatment intention and physical functioning. Thus, the additional psychosocial covariates did no add to the prognostic value of the model.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

General population-based epidemiological study of eating disorders in Norway.

In a questionnaire-based study of eating disorders in a representative sample of the general female population of Norway, the lifetime prevalence of eating disorders was 8.7% with a point prevalence of 3.8%. The lifetime prevalence of binge eating disorder (BED) was 3.2%, bulimia nervosa (BN) 1.6%, and anorexia nervosa (AN) 0.4%. Eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) had a lifetime prevalence of 3.0%. Point prevalence of BED was 1.5%, BN 0.7%, AN 0.3%, and EDNOS 1.3%.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

An epidemiological study of eating disorders in Norwegian psychiatric institutions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to establish the prevalence of eating disorders in psychiatric patients. METHOD: The total inpatient (n = 8,942) and outpatient (n = 10,125) Norwegian psychiatric population was investigated with a staff-report questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of eating disorders in the inpatient population was 3.8% for women and 1.6% for men. In the outpatient population, the differentiated diagnoses anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and the comorbidity of AN+BN was 5.7%, 7.3%, and 1.6% for women, and 0.8%, 0.7%, and 0.3% for men (this could be reduced to AN and BN prevalences of 7.3% and 8.9% for women and 1.0% and 1.0% for men). DISCUSSION: The level of the prevalence figures is in the expected area, thus the present study confirms earlier studies with smaller psychiatric populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Quality of life of cancer patients with different prognoses.

This study examines differences and similarities in the quality of life of 253 cancer patients with good, medium and poor prognoses. Our main hypothesis was that patients with a good prognosis will experience a higher quality of life than patients with a medium or poor prognosis. A multivariate analysis of covariance of eight quality of life scales was performed with prognosis as a factor and with age, sex, and the duration of the illness as covariates. Significant main effects of prognosis were found for the general QOL-scale and for physical aspects of quality of life. There were, however, only marginal and non-significant effects of prognosis groups on social and psychological functioning. A final multivariate analysis confirms earlier findings that performance status shows a weak but significant relationship with the psychological functioning. Thus, the physical condition of the patient at the time of measurement seems to have some influence on the psychological functioning, whereas the severity of the disease as indicated by the classification into prognosis groups does not. These results question the general attitude that seriously ill cancer patients have reduced social and psychological well-being. An alternative interpretation is that the scales used to measure psychological aspects of quality of life are inadequately sensitive.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Increased antipanic efficacy in combined treatment with clomipramine and dixyrazine.

A double-blind 12 week trial was undertaken to compare the effects of clomipramine + dixyrazine with clomipramine + placebo in the treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Of 45 patients included (21 dixyrazine, 24 placebo), 16 dropped out (6 dixyrazine, 10 placebo). The number of panic attacks and the scores on the panic disorder subscale of the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale were significantly reduced in response to both treatment regimens, but the reduction was significantly greater in the dixyrazine group. The patients' daily functioning was significantly more improved with the dixyrazine combination. The serum concentration of desmethylclomipramine monotherapy was significantly higher and the side effects significantly lower in the combined treatment with dixyrazine than with clomipramine monotherapy. Clomipramine combined with dixyrazine seems superior to clomipramine in the treatment of panic disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Changes in smoking legislation, attitudes, and behavior.

Legislative changes and attitude campaigns are generally acknowledged to be effective in the battle against smoking and its health hazards. In some instances it seems as if these means are insufficient to produce necessary change. In this study, the following general hypotheses were posed: (1) an advertising ban leads to reduced tobacco sale and (2) to reduced smoking; (3) attitude campaigns improve attitudes about regulation of smoking and (4) reduce smoking. In addition, two national hypotheses were formulated. The results supported neither hypothesis! It is concluded that it is important to follow the development closely with scientific methods of high quality. Further, smoking campaigns must include a broad spectrum of interventions to be sufficiently effective.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Sudden infant death in Norway--does bedding play any role?].

During the last decade the occurrence of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has increased in Norway, which now has the highest incidence in Scandinavia. A factor which might explain the differences between countries is discussed. Use of different kinds of bedding in the different Nordic countries seems to correspond to differences in the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. Temperature disturbance has been suggested earlier as a possible aetiological factor and the present hypothesis seems to be supported by results showing the effects of temperature on the syndrome.

Bedding and Linens↗
PubMed1991

Treatment of insomnia with two benzodiazepines: a double-blind crossover study.

Twenty-eight patients (12 M, 16 F) with insomnia were treated with nitrazepam 5 mg/d and oxazepam 25 mg/d, each for 11 days, in a double-blind crossover comparison with placebo. Half the patients received nitrazepam in the first drug period, and oxazepam in the second and the other half followed the contrary sequence. Both nitrazepam and oxazepam were found to be effective in inducing sleep and increasing sleep quality. No effects on dreaming or adverse effects were found. Nitrazepam did influence the frequency of awakening, but only in the second drug period. In the first period it reduced self-waking. It is concluded that both nitrazepam and oxazepam were effective in inducing sleep and in improving sleep quality.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Opioid antagonist impedes exposure.

Exposure is a rapid and effective treatment for simple phobias. This study tested the assumption that endorphin release may be involved in exposure to a feared situation. Thirty spider-phobic Ss underwent exposure to 17 phobic-related, graded performance tasks. Half the Ss were randomly assigned to naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, and half to a placebo. Measures of heart rate, blood pressure, self-efficacy, anxiety, and cognitions were obtained during treatment. Six of the 15 Ss in the naltrexone group dropped out after the 10th step in the treatment compared with 1 of the 15 Ss in the placebo group, chi 2(1, N = 30) = 4.7, p = .03. The naltrexone group took significantly longer to complete the first 10 steps (the last step that included all Ss) compared with the placebo group, F(9, 252) = 2.17, p = .024. Maximum heart rate and anxiety were significantly greater at Step 10 in the naltrexone group, but no differences were found for self-efficacy or cognitions. The study provides further evidence that the endogenous opioid system may be involved in the process of exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The nature and treatment of excessive gambling.

Satisfactory models of the nature and treatment of excessive gambling must incorporate behavioural, cognitive, emotional and physiological findings. The acquisition of gambling behaviour is apparently influenced by social exposure and financial reinforcement. Continuation is promoted by partial reinforcement schedules and biased cognitions. Excessive gambling also involves changes in the individual's internal state, including physiological arousal, euphoria, distraction and perceived control. These effects might depend on the prior characteristics of the individual. Treatment should remove conditioned triggers, establish alternative means of financial and internal regulation, and reduce the individual's need for the financial and subjective rewards provided by gambling. Treatment goals and resources are discussed.

Arousal↗
PubMed1990

[Smoking and attitude to smoking in Norway].

Prohibition of smoking on flights has received much public attention, and one has the impression that Norway lies ahead of other countries as regards regulation and reduction of smoking. According to a recent international comparison, quite the opposite seems to be the case. Norway has the worst figures compared with other Western countries. A local study conducted over the past ten years shows that attitudes towards smoking have changed dramatically, but there has been no change in the number of daily smokers. We suggest some ways of achieving a more smoke-free environment and reducing passive smoking.

Adult↗