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PubMed2001

Icelandic occupational therapists' attitudes towards educational issues.

The purpose of this study was to assess the readiness of occupational therapists in Iceland to accept a professional as opposed to a technical view of the profession. Most Icelandic occupational therapists were educated in other countries, with little emphasis on liberal arts, sciences and research. The first Icelandic occupational therapy programme, a university-level programme, was founded in 1997. All Icelandic occupational therapists were surveyed. Eighty-seven questionnaires were sent out and 80 (92%) were returned and used for statistical analysis. The results of the study showed that Icelandic occupational therapists valued academic skills over technical skills, emphasizing occupational therapy theory unique to the profession and research to validate practice. More recognition among other health professionals was considered the most needed change in the profession. The results of the study showed that the clinicians' attitudes confirmed in general what is emphasized in the curriculum and in students' fieldwork. Further research is needed to explore whether the Icelandic occupational therapy profession succeeds in promoting research and recognition by other health professions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

[Prevalence of disability in Iceland in December 2002.].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the size and main medical and social characteristics of the group of individuals receiving disability benefits in Iceland in December 2002 and compare the results with figures from 1996. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study includes all those receiving disability benefits on December 1st 2002 and December 1st 1996 as ascertained by the disability register at the State Social Security Institute of Iceland. Information on age and gender distribution of the Icelandic population was obtained. Age-standardized risk ratio between the years 1996 and 2002 was calculated for both pension levels combined and for full disability pension alone. RESULTS: On December 1st 2002 there were 11,791 individuals receiving disability benefits, 7044 women (59.7%) and 4747 men (40.3%). Of these there were 10,960 individuals receiving full disability pension, 6500 women (59.3%) and 4460 men (40.7%). The prevalence of all disability pension was 6.2%; full disability pension 5.8% and partial disability pension 0.4%. The prevalence of disability was lower in the capital region compared with other regions of Iceland among women, but among men there was no significant difference in the prevalence of disability according to residence. The prevalence of disability increased with age. On the whole disability was more common among women than men, but in the age group 16-19 years it was more common among men than women. Mental and behavioural disorders and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue were the most prevalent causes of disability. The standardized risk ratio showed a significantly increased risk for both pension levels combined and for full disability pension alone both for men and women in the year 2002 as compared with the year 1996. CONCLUSION: The increase in the prevalence of disability in Iceland between the years 1996 and 2002 is probably mainly due to the introduction of a new method of disability evaluation in 1999 and increased pressure from the labour market, with increasing unemployment and competition. Mental and behavioural disorders are the most common cause of disability in Iceland and there has been a marked increase in disability due to these disorders since 1996.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2004

[Disability due to mental and behavioural disorders in Iceland.].

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of disability in Iceland on December 1st 2002 due to mental and behavioural disorders according to gender, place of residence and marital status and main subcategories. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The disability register of the State Social Security Institute was used to obtain information on the number, gender, age, place of residence, marital status and main diagnosis of recipients of disability pension. From Statistics Iceland the same information was obtained for the Icelandic population between the age of 16 and 66. RESULTS: The prevalence of disability due to mental and behavioural disorders was 2.32% for females and 1.98% for males. For males receiving disability pension the proportion having mental disorders as the main cause of disability was larger than for females. Among females the most common cause of disability was mood disorders whereas among males it was schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders. Most of those with schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders in Iceland receive full disability pension. The prevalence of disability due to mental and behavioural disorders was significantly higher in the capital region than in the rest of the country. Marriage and registered co-habitation was considerably less common among recipients of disability pension due to mental and behavioural disorders than among the nation in general. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of disability due to mental and behavioural disorders in the capital region is in excess of what is to be expected from the prevalence of these disorders and from disability in general in Iceland. The relatively high prevalence of disability due to mental and behavioural disorders among males is in line with epidemiological data. The prevalence of disability due to mental and behavioural disorders in Iceland has been rising. This needs to be addressed by improving vocational rehabilitation programs for those suffering from these disorders.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2004

[Oesophageal atresia in Iceland 1963-2002; Incidence outcome.].

OBJECTIVE: Oesophageal atresia is an congenital anomali with incidence of 1/3000-1/4500 live births. The results of reconstructive surgery has improved greatly, to 80-92% survival reported in the last two decades. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of oesophageal atresia in Iceland and to evaluate the results of operations at the Department of Pediatric surgery at The Children?s Hospital, Landspítal inn - University Hospital in Iceland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included all children diagnosed with oesophageal atresia in Iceland between 1963 and 2002. Information was gathered from hospital records, including birth-weight, gestational age, the type of atresia and the presence of other congenital anomalies. The results of operation were determined including post operative complications. Information on life births in Iceland for the same period was gathered from the Icelandic National Register. RESULTS: Thirtyseven children were diagnosed with oesophageal atresia in these 40 years. The average birth-weight was 2626g, including 14 children (38%) with low birth-weight (<2500g). Fifteen children (41%) were prematurely born (<38 weeks). Thirtyfour children (92%) had the most common type of oesophageal atresia with proximal blind loop and distal tracheooesophageal fistula. Thirtyfour children were operated on, including one in Denmark. Nine children died within 60 days after surgery. The most common cause of death was lung inflammation (n=7, 78%). The survival after surgery in Iceland was 73% in the study period. Other congenital defects were common in this patient group with congenital heart defects as the most common ones (n=12, 32%). The incidence decresead in the study period from 1/3737 in the first ten years to 1/10639 in the last decade, this did not reach statistical signifiquance. CONCLUSION: It is interesting to see this decrease in incidence in the study period and this is the lowest incidence known to us. The survival has improved from previous study but is however still lower compared to our neighbouring countries. Other congenital anomalies are common in this patient group.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2001

[Changes in myocardial infarction incidence and mortality in Iceland.].

INTRODUCTION: According to public health reports ischaemic heart disease was an uncommon cause of death in Iceland at the beginning of the last century. This death rate increased steadily until the ninety-eighties whereafter it leveled off and started to decline. The objective of the present study is to assess in detail the changes in myocardial infarction attack, incidence and death rate as well as case fatality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Crude death rate from ischaemic heart disease is available from the Statistical Bureau of Iceland from 1911 to 1996 and age and sex standardized death rate from 1951. In this paper, however, the material is mainly from the MONICA Project, a multinational study of myocardial infarction under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The study, in which Iceland has participated since 1981, registers all myocardial infarctions in people aged 25-74 years in the whole country. The registration is performed according to standardized criteria and external quality control was applied throughout by WHO designated quality control centers. The registration now covers the period 1981-1998. RESULTS: The crude death rate in ischaemic heart disease in both sexes combined increased steadily until about 1980 when it accounted for about 30% of deaths. Age and sex specific death rate from these diseases increased from 1951 to about 1970, leveled off for the next 10 years and has since decreased. The MONICA data show a decline of death rate from myocardial infarction of 57% in men aged 25-74 during 1981-1998 and a 51% decline in women. Incidence rate has declined by 40% and 34% in men and women respectively and attack rate by 49% and 44%. Incidence, death rate and case fatality in myocardial infarction in Iceland compares favorably with other European countries. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial infarction incidence and death rates have been declining in Iceland during the last two decades. Case fatality is now among the lowest compared to other countries. Preventive measures are most likely to further reduce incidence and death rates in myocardial infarction in Iceland.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2001

[Educational level, occupation and income of those who became disability pensioners in Iceland in the year 1997.].

INTRODUCTION: All claims for disability benefits in Iceland are managed by the State Social Security Institute of Iceland. The decision to grant a claimant disability benefits was until September 1999 mainly based on medical certificates but social and economic factors were also taken into consideration. As information on social and economic conditions in medical certificates is limited it was decided to investigate these factors particularly. In this paper a comparison of educational level, employment, and income is made between new recipients of disability benefits and a random sample of the Icelandic nation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All new recipients of disability benefits (full disability pension, partial disability pension and rehabilitation pension) in 1997 were contacted by phone and asked to answer a questionnaire. Their answers were compared with those obtained in a national survey carried out by the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Iceland in 1996 and 1997 with a sample representing accurately the Icelandic population in terms of gender, age and place of residence. Information about average income of disability pensioners was obtained and compared to that of people in employment. RESULTS: Educational level of those receiving disability benefits was considerably lower than expected in comparison with the population and unskilled workers were overrepresented. Contrary to what might be expected a larger proportion of the recently disabled have been employed at some time than is the case for the national sample, even though 63.6% of the new disability pensioners were women. Considerable number of those receiving disability benefits were still in employment, particularly those with partial disability pension. Mean monthly income of Icelanders participating in the labour market was almost twice that received by those on disability benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Since lower educational level and more restricted employment opportunities characterize disability pensioners as compared to the nation, it seems likely that more varied occupational rehabilitation and educational opportunities could improve the situation of those who have had to leave the labour market because of ill health, lack of education and poor working conditions.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2004

Familial risk of lung carcinoma in the Icelandic population.

CONTEXT: The dominant role of tobacco smoke as a causative factor in lung carcinoma is well established; however, an inherited predisposition may also be an important factor in the susceptibility to lung carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contribution of genetic factors to the risk of developing lung carcinoma in the Icelandic population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Risk ratios (RRs) of lung carcinoma for first-, second-, and third-degree relatives of patients with lung carcinoma were estimated by linking records from the Icelandic Cancer Registry (ICR) of all 2756 patients diagnosed with lung carcinoma within the Icelandic population from January 1, 1955, to February 28, 2002, with an extensive genealogical database containing all living Icelanders and most of their ancestors since the settlement of Iceland. The RR for smoking was similarly estimated using a random population-based cohort of 10,541 smokers from the Reykjavik Heart Study who had smoked for more than 10 years. Of these smokers, 562 developed lung cancer based on the patients with lung cancer list from the ICR. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Estimation of RRs of close and distant relatives of patients with lung carcinoma and comparison with RRs for close and distant relatives of smokers. RESULTS: A familial factor for lung carcinoma was shown to extend beyond the nuclear family, as evidenced by significantly increased RR for first-degree relatives (for parents: RR, 2.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.20-3.23; for siblings: RR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.77-2.23; and for children: RR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.53-2.39), second-degree relatives (for uncles/aunts: RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.15-1.49; and for nephews/nieces: RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10-1.43), and third-degree relatives (for cousins: RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.22) of patients with lung carcinoma. This effect was stronger for relatives of patients with early-onset disease (age at onset < or =60 years) (for parents: RR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.83-8.21; for siblings: RR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.19-4.58; and for children: RR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.34-7.21). The hypothesis that this increased risk is solely due to the effects of smoking was rejected for all relationships, except cousins and spouses, with a single-sided test of the RRs for lung carcinoma vs RRs for smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These results underscore the importance of genetic predisposition in the development of lung carcinoma, with its strongest effect in patients with early-onset disease. However, tobacco smoke plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of this disease, even among those individuals who are genetically predisposed to lung carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

Male breast cancer in Iceland.

All malignant tumours of the male breast diagnosed in Iceland during the 40-year period 1955-1994 were studied with regard to histological classification, tumour grading and flow cytometric analysis. Of 31 malignant tumours diagnosed, 29 were primary breast carcinomas. Male breast carcinoma constitutes 1% of all breast malignancies in Iceland and 0.25% of all malignant tumours in males. About 80% of the male breast carcinomas were diagnosed during the latter half of the study period. The mean age of the patients was 66.3 years and the left-to-right ratio was 1.9:1.0. Right-sided tumours appeared to be more aggressive. The mean tumour size was 2.6 cm. The vast majority of the carcinomas (79%) were of the infiltrating ductal type. Of these 21.7% were grade I, 43.5% were grade II and 34.8% grade III. Papillary carcinomas made up 17% of the total. These occurred in slightly older patients than the infiltrating ductal carcinomas and were diploid tumours. In this study 57% of the tumours were found to be aneuploid, but nearly 70% of the invasive ductal carcinomas NOS were aneuploid. In general, the aneuploid tumours were larger, of higher average histological grade and had a higher mean S-phase value. The overall mean S-phase fraction was 7.2% which is similar to that found in female breast tumours in Iceland. It is concluded that male-to-female ratio of breast carcinoma in Iceland is similar to that found in other Western countries. The age-standardised incidence has increased considerably in the last 20 years, in contrast to the rates reported from most other countries. Papillary tumours are unusually common in Icelandic males.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

The inheritance of hip osteoarthritis in Iceland.

OBJECTIVE: To assess, in a population-wide study in Iceland, the genetic contribution to hip osteoarthritis (OA) leading to total hip replacement (THR). METHODS: Information from 2 population-based databases in Iceland was combined: a national registry of all THRs performed between 1972 and 1996, and a genealogy database of all available Icelandic genealogy records for the last 11 centuries. A genetic contribution to THR for OA was assessed by 1) identifying familial clusters of OA patients with THR, 2) applying the minimum founder test (MFT) to estimate the minimum number of ancestors ("founders") that would account for the genealogy of all 2,713 patients with THR for OA, compared with the average number of founders for control lists, 3) calculating an average pairwise kinship coefficient (KC) for the patient list and control lists, and 4) estimating the relative risk (RR) for THR among relatives of OA patients who have undergone the procedure. One thousand matched control lists, each the same size as the patient list, were created using the genealogy database. RESULTS: A large number of familial clusters of patients with THR for OA were identified. The MFT showed that OA patients descended from fewer founders than did subjects in the control groups (P < 0.001). The average pairwise KC among patients with OA was greater than in the control population (P < 0.001). The RR for THR among siblings of OA patients was 3.05 (95% confidence interval 2.52-3.10). CONCLUSION: This population-based study shows that Icelandic patients with hip replacement for OA are significantly more related to each other than are matched controls drawn from the Icelandic population. These findings support a significant genetic contribution to a common form of OA and encourage the search for genes conferring an increased susceptibility to OA.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip↗
PubMed2005

Changing prevalence of hepatitis B virus genotypes in Iceland.

At present eight hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes have been characterized: A to H. The most common genotype in Northern Europe is genotype A. So far there is no record of the specific HBV genotype distribution in Iceland. Iceland has a small population whose homogeneity has changed due to increasing migration during the past decades. The distribution of HBV genotypes in Iceland was analyzed using sera from 170 Icelandic patients. The samples were obtained before 1989, during an HBV epidemic among intravenous drug users in 1989 to 1992 and after 1994. A fragment of the HBV S-gene was amplified, sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Among samples derived before 1989 genotypes A, C, and D were found. Most of the samples diagnosed during the epidemic belonged to genotype D and a smaller portion to genotype A. This suggests that the epidemic was most likely caused either by an endogenous HBV strain or by a strain imported from Europe or the USA. Among samples obtained after 1994, genotypes A to E and G were found, but the majority were of genotypes A, C, and D. This is consistent with an increase in migration and immigration from regions in Asia and Africa during the past 10 years. Thus, the changing prevalence of HBV genotypes in a small isolated community such as Iceland reflects the influence of migration and increasing contacts with regions outside the Western World.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1997

BRCA2 mutation in Icelandic prostate cancer patients.

Molecular genetic analysis of prostate cancer has gained considerable attention in recent years. The hope is to find genetic markers that can help to determine which patients are likely to develop a progressive or lethal disease and would therefore benefit from early treatment. The BRCA2 gene on chromosome 13 has been associated with familial male and female breast cancer. A founder mutation in this gene has been detected in the Icelandic population. This is a 5-bp deletion that leads to an early termination and truncated protein. Clustering of prostate cancers in some of the Icelandic BRCA2 families implies that mutation carriers are at increased risk of developing cancer of the prostate. The aim of the study was to investigate this mutation in Icelandic prostate cancer patients related to BRCA2 positive breast cancer probands and to estimate the prevalence of this mutation in unselected prostate cancer patients. To examine the potential role of this mutation in prostate cancer we analyzed prostate cancer cases from 16 BRCA2 families and all available samples from individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer in Iceland over a period of 1 year. The risk ratio of prostate cancer was 4.6 (1.9-8.8) in first-degree relatives and 2.5 (1.2-4.6) in second-degree relatives of the 16 BRCA2 positive breast cancer probands. Of 26 prostate cancer cases found in these families 12 were analyzed, and 8 of these (66.7%) had the BRCA2 mutation. All of these patients developed an advanced disease, and all have died of prostate cancer (median survival 22.5 months). Among unselected cases 3.1% (2/65) had the mutation and developed an advanced disease as well. This specific mutation in the BRCA2 gene is found in a subset of Icelandic prostate cancer cases and appears to be a marker for poor prognosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

A population-based study on the familial aggregation of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Iceland.

The aim of this study was to characterize the familial nature of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in Iceland. Risk ratio was used to estimate the risk among relatives of all CMM index cases diagnosed in Iceland over a 45-year period (1955-1999), using data from the National Cancer Registry and a genealogy database that covers the whole of Iceland's population. First-, second-, and third-degree relatives of CMM patients did not have an increased risk of the disease, and no added risk of other types of cancer among relatives was observed, except for thyroid cancer in first-degree male relatives. Seven individuals were diagnosed with two or more primary CMM in this period; none of these individuals had a first or second-degree relative with CMM. Altogether, 2.4% of cases were familial, as defined by commonly used criteria. In conclusion, high-penetrance susceptibility genes do not contribute much to CMM in the Icelandic population. The great majority of CMM cases in Iceland are most likely caused by the interplay between environmental causes and low-risk genes.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Occupational stress, job satisfaction, and working environment among Icelandic nurses: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' occupational stress decreases job satisfaction, increases turnover rate, and reduces nursing quality. At different workplaces nurses are confronted with different work tasks, working conditions and hence different sources of stress. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore what factors contribute to work-related stress among Icelandic nurses working within and outside the hospital environment. DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: The study population was composed of all working nurses registered at the Icelandic Nurses' Association (INA). Approximately 95% (N=2,234) of Icelandic nurses are members of the INA. Questionnaires were posted to 522 (23.4%) randomly selected participants. The response rate was 42% (N=219), representing 9.8% of the population. Data was analyzed from 206 nurses; 35% worked outside the hospital setting and 65% were hospital based. METHODS: Data was gathered on demographic information and indicators of working conditions, occupational stress, workload, and job satisfaction. A stepwise, multiple linear regression model was employed to calculate significant predictors of occupational stress. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the strenuous conditions of Icelandic nurses are felt more severely among hospital nurses than among nurses working outside hospital settings. The study identified which sources of occupational stress are specific to each of the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study found several factors that contribute to work-related stress. These findings can be used to guide preventive measures to diminish occupational stress among Icelandic nurses.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2005

Radiocaesium fallout behaviour in volcanic soils in Iceland.

The retention of 137Cs in various types of Andosols in Iceland was investigated. Soils were sampled at 29 sites with varying precipitation and environmental conditions. Samples were obtained from 0 to 5, 5 to 10, and 10 to 15 cm depths. The amount of radiocaesium present was quite variable, ranging between 300 and 4800 Bq m(-2) and correlated closely to total annual precipitation (r2=0.71). The majority of 137Cs, 82.7% on average, was retained in the uppermost 5 cm of the soil. The greatest penetration of 137Cs was observed for organic Histosols (76.3% in top 5 cm). The Icelandic Vitrisols (barren, poorly developed Andosols) are coarse grained with only 2-5% clay content and contain little organic matter (<1%). Yet these soils retained 74% of 137Cs in the top 5 cm. The results indicate that radiocaesium fallout is strongly retained by colloidal materials characteristic of Andosols, such as allophane and ferrihydrite. Most soils in Iceland are subject to severe and prolonged freezing and waterlogging; despite this, 137Cs is retained in the upper soil horizons and vertical migration is negligible in Icelandic Andosols. However, erosion and aeolian activity can markedly influence the amount and vertical distribution of radiocaesium in Icelandic soils.

Cesium Radioisotopes↗
PubMed2006

The fishery for Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) in the Northeast Atlantic.

This review focuses on the history and management of the Iceland scallop fishery in Iceland, Greenland and Norway (including the Svalbard archipelago and the islands of Bjørnøya and Jan Mayen), with information on research into each stock. The start of the fishery in all these regions followed the discovery of virgin scallop beds made up of old, large specimens in very high densities. Despite the apparent similarity of original conditions, the fishery has followed very different trends in each region, with drastic declines in Iceland, Svalbard and Jan Mayen. The general biology of the Iceland scallop is summarised and compared with the biology of other North Atlantic species of pectinids. The Icelandic fishery dates from 1969. There was a steady decrease in catch from 1985, when >16,000 tonnes were caught. By 2004 the stock had declined to 35% of its average size during the period 1993-2000 and a zero quota was advised. This decline is thought to have resulted from overexploitation, combined with a protozoan infestation and increasing sea bottom temperature. Scallop dredging commenced in west Greenland in 1983. The stock is not very large, but fishing was driven by social factors. Catches ranged from 400 to 1,900 tonnes during the period 1988-1992 and from 1,200 to 2,600 tonnes since 1995. There are indications that each scallop bed is extensively dredged before the fleet moves on to new areas, but nevertheless catches have been rather stable over the past decade. The scallop stocks in Svalbard, Bjørnøya and Jan Mayen were depleted in three fishing seasons between 1985-1987, when up to 45,000 tonnes of scallops were dredged in a single season. Following a survey carried out in 1991, Bjørnøya was open to the fishery with a maximum quota of 2,000 tonnes, but the stock off Svalbard was found to be not large enough to sustain a fishery.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Variability of mitochondrial DNA in a population sample from Iceland.

Over the past decade investigations of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have considerably contributed to our knowledge about human evolution and migration. The genome of the Icelandic population is of special interest since Iceland has been genetically isolated for centuries. The sequence of the hypervariable regions HVS-I and HVS-II of the mtDNA control region was generated for 100 Icelandic individuals. A total of 75 different mtDNA sequences were observed, of which 19 sequences were shared by more than one individual, 16 sequences were shared by two individuals and two sequences were shared by three individuals; the most frequent haplotype (16129 A, 16239 T, 00263 G and 00315.1 C) was found six times. Both the genetic diversity (0.9925+/-0.0031) and the average number of pairwise nucleotide differences (7.371) were comparable with most of the other European populations. However, we found a smaller number of distinct mitochondrial lineages, suggesting that founder effects and genetic drift may have exerted a visible influence on the Icelandic genetic diversity. We compared these data with 1400 other European sequences from the D-Loop-BASE database. The paper discusses the evolutionary relationship between Icelandic and Central European mtDNA under due consideration of the historical context. Finally, our study has been aimed at increasing the number of mtDNA sequences available throughout the world and contributing to human genome investigations.

DNA Fingerprinting↗
PubMed1999

The acquisition of past tense morphology in Icelandic and Norwegian children: an experimental study.

Icelandic and Norwegian past tense morphology contain strong patterns of inflection and two weak patterns of inflection. We report the results of an elicitation task that tests Icelandic and Norwegian children's knowledge of the past tense forms of a representative sample of verbs. This cross-sectional study of four-, six- and eight-year-old Icelandic (n = 92) and Norwegian (n = 96) children systematically manipulates verb characteristics such as type frequency, token frequency and phonological coherence--factors that are generally considered to have an important impact on the acquisition of inflectional morphology in other languages. Our findings confirm that these factors play an important role in the acquisition of Icelandic and Norwegian. In addition, the results indicate that the predominant source of errors in children shifts during the later stages of development from one weak verb class to the other. We conclude that these findings are consistent with the view that exemplar-based learning, whereby patterns of categorization and generalization are driven by similarity to known forms, appropriately characterizes the acquisition of inflectional systems by Icelandic and Norwegian children.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Hepatitis C virus infection in Iceland: a recently introduced blood-borne disease.

This study demonstrates a very high prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus among Icelandic intravenous (i.v.) drug users. Of 152 identified i.v. drug users 95 (63%) were shown to have antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. In contrast the seroprevalence in the general Icelandic population is low, (0.2%). Almost all cases of hepatitis C virus infection in Iceland are due to i.v. drug use or to use of infected blood or blood products. Sporadic cases with unexplained modes of transmission, a significant portion of hepatitis C infections elsewhere, are virtually non-existent in Iceland. The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the sporadic community-acquired cases could be caused by blood transfer due to bites from insect vectors such as mosquitoes which are not found in Iceland.

Adolescent↗