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Biomedical subjects

R Nordhagen

Publications and source records attributed to R Nordhagen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Parental reported bullying among Nordic children: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Bullying has been shown to be a serious problem amongst school children, but few studies have been population-based and included pre-school children. METHODS: The study is part of a cross-sectional comparative study in 1984 and 1996, focusing on children's and their families' health and welfare in the Nordic countries. At each point of time parents of 3000 randomly selected children aged 2-17 years in each of five Nordic countries received a postal questionnaire. Altogether approximately 20,000 questionnaires were completed. The prevalence of bullying, risk factors for bullying and possible effect factors were analysed. RESULTS: Parents reported bullying of their child in 15.1% of the cases. Bullying varied from 7.2% in Sweden to about 20% in Denmark and Finland. There was a small increase in bullying from 13.7% in 1984 to 16.4% in 1996. Bullying was most frequent in boys (OR: 1.4) and in children 2-6 and 7-12 years old (OR: 2.0 and 2.2 compared with older children). Children of single parents and of parents with low education had increased risks (OR: 1.4 and 1.4). Children with chronic conditions had higher risks for being bullied (OR: 2.3). In 1996 children with psychiatric/nervous problems and hyperactivity had high risks for being bullied (OR: 8.8 and 10.5) and for bullying others (3.9 and 3.5). Being bullied was associated with poor thriving and psychosomatic and psychological problems. No countries had national interventions before 1984, but Sweden had early focused on the problem and implemented a strong national policy before 1996. After 1996 national anti-bullying policies were strengthened in the Nordic countries, most in Sweden and Norway. CONCLUSION: Bullying is common among Nordic children, including pre-school children. Bullying is a threat to children's health, and augments problems in children with chronic conditions. The low prevalence of bullying in Sweden may be a result from sustained, strong anti-bullying policies. There is still a need for continuing interventions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Nasal congestion and earache--upper respiratory tract infections in 4-year-old children].

BACKGROUND: Few population-based studies in Norway have addressed upper respiratory infections in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire concerning health, diseases and living condition was administered to parents of all four-year-old children in Vestfold county (n = 1912). Participation rate was 79%. RESULTS: Close to one out of three of the children suffered from recurrent common cold (four episodes or more) during the last year. One third experienced otitis at least once, and one out of twenty experienced four episodes of otitis or more. Day-care centre attendance was the only significant risk factor for recurrent common cold (odds ratio 1.50; 95% CI 1.18-1.92) or otitis (odds ratio 1.42; 95% CI 1.12-1.77). The odds ratios were essentially unchanged after logistic regression analysis, when mother's education, housing, other children in the family, passive smoking, and history of breastfeeding were included in the analysis. Children with otitis or recurrent common cold consulted a doctor almost ten times as often as other children. INTERPRETATION: Day-care centre attendance has significant influence on the occurrence of upper respiratory infections in four-year-olds, but less influence than reported for younger children. Other environmental differences seem to be of little importance and do not represent any potential for prophylaxis.

Child Day Care Centers↗
PubMed2000

Recurrent pain symptoms in children and parents.

UNLABELLED: Recurrent pain in five different areas (stomach, arms & legs, head, back and neck & shoulders) in a population of 348 school children and their parents has been investigated. The study presented here is restricted to 229 mother-father-child trios. Forty-four percent of the children reported pain in at least one area compared to 60% of the mothers and 51% of the fathers. Headache and pains in arms and legs were most common in boys. The most frequent pain sites for girls were head and back. Overall, girls complained more than boys. No significant associations between complaints in parents and their children were demonstrated, analysed by logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, there was no significant association between the reported pain in the mother and father. CONCLUSION: Children's pain did not associate with parental pain in this study. The results do not support previous hypotheses that recurrent pain clusters in families.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Drug prescription to 4-year-old children in the county of Vestfold].

We carried out a study of four-year-old children's general health, diseases and use of medicines over a 12-month period in 1995-96. The study was based on a questionnaire administered in connection with the regular health controls. Questionnaires from 1,912 children were returned, representing 79% of children born during one year in the county. More than half the children had received medicine prescribed by a physician, corresponding to 557 preparations per 1,000 children. Some children had used several types of drugs, with a mean of 1.4 preparations per child. Antibiotics were prescribed to 63% of the children. Compared to what has been found in other studies, the use of prescribed medicine was moderate. More pharmacoepidemiological studies are needed to assess whether the use of medicine in children is at an acceptable level.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents↗
PubMed1998

[Regional differences in the incidence of femoral neck fractures in Norway].

Studies reporting data from the late seventies indicated there were significant differences in the incidence of hip fracture from county to county in Norway. We used the most recent available data on the occurrence of hip fracture in 1994 and 1995 and analyzed regional variations in the incidence of hip fracture, standardized for age and sex, among people aged 65 years and over. In 1994 and 1995 16,779 hip fractures occurred in Norway among people aged 65 years and over, making an overall annual crude incidence rate of 12.1 per 1,000 population. Incidence rates varied from 8.1 for the county of Finnmark to 14.9 per 1,000 population for Oslo. Standardized rates per 1,000 aged 65 years and over varied from 9.2 in the county of Finnmark to 15.0 in Vestfold. There has been a clear regional pattern in the incidence rate. Oslo and the counties in the south and south-east had the highest incidence rate. Compared with reports from 1978 and 1979, the span of relative differences in the county incidence rates has narrowed. The sources of these differences are not explained.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Health status survey in a district with many immigrant children].

In Norway, prophylactic child health care is organized through local mother and child clinics, each of which serves a given population. This study summarizes the findings from the routine check-up of four-year-olds in a district with a high proportion of immigrant families. The sample consisted of 70 children, 33 of them from immigrant families. The ordinary check-up was supplemented by information obtained by means of a questionnaire, which was filled in by the public health nurse and the doctor in consultation with the parents. A validated scale, or checklist (BCL), for ordinary behavioural problems among pre-school children was also included. The findings must be interpreted with caution, one reason being the large socio-economic differences between the immigrant and the Norwegian families included in the study. Nevertheless, the difference between the eating habits of the two groups of children was striking, in spite of the emphasis placed on diet at the clinic. Another important finding was the poor knowledge of Norwegian among the immigrant children, which was obviously associated with the poor language skills of the mothers. Therefore, an important element of the preventive health work among immigrant children should be to encourage the mothers to attend courses in Norwegian.

Child Health Services↗
PubMed1995

[Academic degrees and changing ceremonies].

The traditions and ceremonies regarding doctoral dissertations in Europe date back to early medieval times, to the school of health at Salerno. The University of Oslo, founded in 1811, inherited the traditions from Denmark. Up to 1845, the dissertations were held in Latin, which was a burden on the candidates. The first four candidates who presented a thesis for a doctorate were all from the Faculty of Medicine. After 1845, the Norwegian language was permitted, but up to the end of the century there were still only few dissertations, and a doctorate degree was not highly valued. The number has since increased, and this degree is more highly esteemed. The ceremonies around the dissertations have also changed. The first promotions included solemn procedures in Latin, but later on the promotion ceremonies disappeared for 91 years. Promotion ceremonies reappeared in 1933, but changes have been observed more recently, probably related to changing cultural opinions and trends. The policy today seems to indicate a trend towards more ceremony, accompanied by festivity.

Academic Dissertations as Topic↗
PubMed1995

[Cerebral palsy in the light of old and new research results--in what direction does the pendulum swing?].

Cerebral palsy is reviewed from Little's first description of spastic diplegia in 1843 to the results of the most recent studies. One central question concerns whether prenatal or perinatal causes are the most important for the development of cerebral palsy. Current research indicates that conditions prior to and during pregnancy probably play a more important role than earlier thought. For years it has been the belief that cerebral palsy is caused by mismanagement in the perinatal period. At the same time, it has been suggested that improved perinatal care would reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy. This has not been the case, and many studies indicate that, despite proper perinatal care, the incidence of cerebral palsy is increasing. Much research remains to be done to obtain an overall picture of the etiology of cerebral palsy before we can establish measures to prevent this complex and serious condition.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1995

[Fall-related injuries among elderly at home].

The aim of this study was to describe the extent of the problem of injuries from falling among elderly people at home. The study is based on data from the National Injury Register, which contains information on all inpatients and outpatients treated for injuries by hospitals and emergency clinics in four Norwegian towns. This study included 594 cases of accidental fall-related injuries which occurred at home in 1992 among a total population of 23,942 persons aged 65 years and over living in two towns, Drammen and Stavanger. The incidence of fall-related injuries at home was 25 per 1,000. The incidence was higher among women than men (32 and 13 per 1,000 respectively). The ratio between falls to the same level and falls to lower levels was 2:1 in the age group 65-79 year and 4:1 in the age group over 80 years. The most common mechanisms causing injuries were loss of balance (46%), stumbling (19%) and sliding (12%). 60% of all patients sustained fractures (15 per 1,000). 50% of all patients were hospitalised. The findings show that possibilities exist for preventing these injuries. The strategies must be directed both at the home environment and at individual factors among the elderly population.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1995

Development of stomach-ache and headache during middle childhood: co-occurrence and psychosocial risk factors.

Development of somatic symptoms and associations with psychosocial risk factors were investigated in a longitudinal study of Norwegian children aged 4-10 years. Complaints of stomach-ache only were associated with emotionally well-adapted children, and mothers with low education and high emotional support. Children complaining of headache only behaved well as preschoolers, showed a tendency towards high achievement motivation at school and their mothers were employed outside the home. Children with the co-occurrence syndrome seemed to constitute a separate entity. They differed from the others as the syndrome was associated with previous behavioural and emotional problems, current emotional disturbances and mothers with less support. Family demographic stability, further child health problems and school factors were not associated with the co-occurrence syndrome.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1994

[In the beginning was the child...Is health and course of life determinated already in utero and during early childhood?].

This question has been asked in many medical journals in recent years. The British research group, DJP Barker and co-workers, has performed a series of studies where the delayed effects of the early environment have been documented. The studies comprise ecological, individual follow-up and case control studies, as well as studies of trends over time. They show associations between different measures of children's living conditions at birth and during the first year of life, and the prevalence of different diseases among adults, especially ischaemic heart disease. The Norwegian researchers Forsdahl and Waaler have also done early fundamental work in this field. The Barker group interprets their findings by suggesting that nutrition in foetal and early life is crucial. However, alternative interpretations of their findings have been suggested. The most important objection is perhaps that socio-economic conditions at birth tend to persist throughout life, and that these conditions are more decisive for adult health than the conditions associated with foetal life and birth. Longitudinal, prospective studies which could provide conclusive evidence are lacking.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

["The patient slipped on the ice...". Non-traffic related fractures among pedestrians, occurrence and seasonal variations].

The epidemiology of non-traffic-related fractures among pedestrians in three Norwegian towns (Drammen, Harstad and Stavanger, 515,602 person years) during the period 1 January 1988 to 31 December 1990 was studied on the basis of data form The Norwegian Injury Register. 1,104 such fractures occurred during the study period (21 per 10,000). The incidence increased with age from 12 per 10,000 in the age group < or = 14 years, to 47 per 10,000 in the group > or = 65 years. 57% of all patients with fractures were under the age of 65. Higher incidence during the winter months was observed in all three towns during the whole period. The increase occurred in the age groups 25-64 and > or = 65 years, both in males and females, but not in the age groups < or = 14 or 15-24 years. In 1990 we obtained more accurate information on the injury incident. 39% of all the fractures were caused by slipping on ice or snow. 45% of these were fractures of the elbow or lower arm. There seems to be a substantial potential for targeted preventive measures.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1994

Prevalence and persistence of stomach ache and headache among children. Follow-up of a cohort of Norwegian children from 4 to 10 years of age.

Results from a prospective cohort of 136 children, from 4 to 10 years of age, indicated that stomach ache was almost as prevalent among preschool children as children of school age. Headache was almost absent among 4-year-olds but prevalent at 10 years of age. Generally, early pain complaints were persistent. The co-occurrence of stomach ache and headache increased from 4% of children at 4 years of age to 20% when they reached 10 years of age.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1993

["Rough pleasures"--and the good outdoor life. Physicians as pioneers of the outdoor life].

From the middle of the last century, mountain tourism has become an important part of our national tradition and culture. The physical activity and the pleasure and relaxation achieved by walking in wild areas is believed to have beneficial effects on health. Several colleagues in the medical profession were early pioneers in mountain walking and in the discovery and description of former "white spots" on maps. They communicated their feeling and love for nature, and the pleasure gained from their eventful expeditions. They taught us respect and concern for our special environment, with its great opportunities for a variety of leisure time adventures.

Expeditions↗
PubMed1992

[To put one's femininity at stake. Admission of women to medical studies; Marie Spångberg and other pioneers].

In 1993, 100 years have passed since the first woman graduated in medicine from the University of Oslo. Her name was Marie Spångberg. A long-lasting "battle" had previously taken place to allow women to enter the University and to study medicine in particular. The first proposal to the Storting (the Norwegian national assembly) on this matter was made by Mr. L. Smitt, who strongly argued for the admittance of women to medical studies at the University. The Storting agreed, but the Medical Faculty protested violently in a note which was regarded as one of the most reactionary statements of the time on the nature of women. However, on 23 June 1884, an Act allowing women to graduate in all University studies was finally passed. In spite of the earlier resistance from the Medical Faculty, the female students did not experience any discrimination of women during their studies. They did meet difficulties, however, after their graduation, both in continuing their education and in obtaining a position.

Education, Medical, Graduate↗