Increased number of applications for late termination of pregnancy in Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: Last year, it was 40 years since the introduction of legal abortion until the 12th week of gestation and the possibility of late termination of pregnancy in Denmark. The aim of this study was to describe the development in applications for late termination of pregnancy in the 1986-2011-period focusing on indications related to the women's conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All applications for late termination of pregnancy in 1986 were reviewed by Nordentoft et al, and access to all applications from 2011 was granted by the abortion committees and the Appeals Board. All applications were reviewed in order to explore the development since 1986. RESULTS: The total number of applications for late termination of pregnancy has increased by 45% from 1986 to 2011 with 594 and 862 applications, respectively. Despite this increase, the number of permissions granted with reference to the women's conditions has decreased. In 1986 and 2011, 488 and 382 women, respectively, applied for late termination of pregnancy with reference to the women's conditions. Of the 519 women who were granted permission in 1986, 31% were ≤ 20 years of age. In 2011 this age group represented only 12%. CONCLUSION: Significant changes in the women's age and the reasons they provide when applying for late termination of pregnancy have been observed from 1986 to 2011. Further investigation of this subject will contribute to securing the best possible conditions for women going through late termination of pregnancy. FUNDING: not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

[The use of foeticide in late termination of pregnancies in Denmark]. / Brug af foetocidium ved sene provokerede aborter i Danmark.

As a result of prenatal screening the number of late terminations of pregnancy is increasing in Denmark. The fact that the foetus sometimes shows signs of life after the termination is a large concern for health-care staff and parents. In other countries foeticide is performed intrauterinely to ensure that the foetus is dead before the delivery. In Denmark this method is legally used in foetal reduction, but not in late termination of pregnancy. In the light of international literature on the subject, perspectives on foeticide in late termination of pregnancy are explored.

[Different attitudes among health-care professionals to late termination of pregnancy--a systematic review]. / Sundhedspersonales holdninger til sene provokerede aborter varierer.

International studies show that late termination of pregnancy causes more distress for the health-care professionals than early termination of pregnancy. The most commonly cited concern is the risk that the fetus will show signs of life after the abortion. Studies indicate that the cause of abortion, religious beliefs and profession influence the attitudes. The number of late terminations of pregnancy is increasing as the methods for prenatal diagnostics develop. As a result there is a need for research on Danish health-care professionals' attitudes towards late termination of pregnancy.

Gender bias in specialty preferences among Danish medical students: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Female medical students tend to prefer person-oriented specialties characterized by close doctor-patient contact and aspects of care. Conversely, male medical students tend to seek towards specialties with elements of autonomy, technology and "action" . Furthermore, female doctors will outnumber male doctors in Denmark by 2017 and this may have implications for the availability of specialized doctors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data derives from a baseline questionnaire pertaining to a Danish follow-up study. A total of 561 first year medical students enrolled in 2006 and 2007 answered the questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratio estimates of the relationship between gender and specialty preference. Variables measuring self-image were included in the analysis as potential mediators. RESULTS: 47% female and 19% male students pursued personoriented specialties and 46% female and 68% male students pursued technique-oriented specialties. More female students pursued technique-oriented specialties than in 1992. Female students have 69% less probability of choosing a technique-oriented specialty than males. This association is mediated by lack of self-confidence. CONCLUSION: If specialty preferences are persistent during medical school, the results suggest that we will face more difficulties recruiting males to person-oriented specialties than females to technique-oriented specialties in the future. Furthermore, when addressing students' specialty preferences, we should consider both self confidence and gender. FUNDING: not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Female medical students are estimated to have a higher risk for developing eating disorders than male medical students.

INTRODUCTION: Studies show that university students are at risk for eating disorders. However, risk behaviour has not been studied among Danish medical students, nor have the gender differences in risk behaviour been described in a Danish context. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All first-year medical students (n = 979) received a questionnaire related to body perception, exercise habits, eating habits, height and weight in the fall of 2006 and 2007. The response rate was 57% (n = 561). The gender distribution of the study population was 71.8% females and 28.2% males and the average age was 21.5 years. RESULTS: More males (89.8%) than females (73.1%) were satisfied with their body and more females (34.8%) than males (10.9%) felt too fat. More females (42.7%) than males (19.9%) felt guilty when eating unhealthy food. 2.3% (all females) claimed to feel anxiety when they were about to eat. More males (48.4%) than females (28.6%) stated that they could not keep themselves from exercising. 13.5% of the underweight females (body mass index < 20 kg/m²) felt too fat, while none of the underweight males had this perception. In average, females and males displayed 2.8 and 2.1 risk behaviours, respectively. CONCLUSION: Female medical students have a drive for thinness and male medical students want to be muscular. More female than male students have a negative body perception. Female medical students are estimated to have a higher risk for developing eating disorders than male students. Future research in this area should address the causes of such behaviour.

[Gender differences in the social relations of students]. / Kønsforskelle i studerendes sociale relationer.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to study gender differences in social network and social support among university students with a special view to social relations as a coping strategy for dealing with personal problems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1,126 (48%) medical, psychology and liberal arts students who initiated their studies in 2006 or 2007 participated in the study. Data derives from a student register and a questionnaire on social network and social support. RESULTS: Approximately 85% of the students visit friends weekly, and about 40% spend time with their family weekly. Nearly half of the students have a partner. More female than male medical students have a partner when initiating their studies. More than 80% of the students have experienced mental health or social problems in the past, more female than male medical and liberal arts students. More than half of the male students handle their personal problems by themselves, whereas female students receive more social support. Significant gender differences in social support are mostly found among medical and liberal arts students. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that male and female students use different coping strategies when dealing with social and mental health problems, and gender differences in social relations seem to be most widespread among medical and liberal arts students - why and how should be investigated further.

[The social recruitment of medical students in year group 2006 and 2007 at the University of Copenhagen]. / Den sociale baggrund hos medicinstuderende ved Københavns Universitet.

AIMS: To study the social recruitment of medical students at the University of Copenhagen in 2006 and 2007 and compare it to the social recruitment in 1992, the Danish population and other study programmes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Questionnaire survey of first-year medical students from year 2006-2007. The population comprised 446 students, of whom 71% were women. They were categorised according to parents' social class, parents' education and presence of doctors in the family. RESULTS: 81% of the students belonged to social class I and II, 41% of the students' parents had a higher education and 17% had at least one parent who was a trained physician. For the Danish population and for students at Psychology and the Humanities, the numbers were significantly lower. Fewer students were recruited from the higher social classes in 1992, but more students had parents with higher education. In 1992, the quota system had an equalizing effect on the distribution across social classes; this effect did not seem to be present in 2006-07. CONCLUSION: The distribution of medical students across social classes is less equal than in the rest of the Danish population and has remained close to unchanged in the period 1992 to 2007. Furthermore, the medical school recruits more students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds than other fields of study at the University of Copenhagen. There is a need for an increased focus on the social recruitment and an intensified effort to recruit a more differentiated segment of students, among others through an increase in quota 2 admission rates.

[Gender and stress]. / Køn og stress.

Stress is an independent risk factor for developing e.g. heart diseases and depression. There are marked gender differences which need to be examined in depth. Some of the explanation seems to be related to the traditional pattern of gender roles--men as breadwinners and women with responsibility for the family as well as paid work in addition to housework. But gender differences in biological factors also seem to play an important role in chronic stress and stress-related diseases. We need to know more about gender differences, but we can already incorporate the known ones in the prevention of stress-related disorders.

[Gender differences in stress among physicians]. / Kønsforskelle i stress blandt laeger.

INTRODUCTION: It is difficult to evaluate gender differences in relation to health because occupation and position are different for males and females. It is therefore necessary to evaluate how health is affected for both genders with the same working conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate: 1) gender differences in relation to different stressors within daily life, working life and health, 2) how these stressors affect the correlation between stress and gender. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A questionnaire was sent out in 2001 to a total of 1414 physicians; 707 males and 707 females. The response rate was 58%. Using SPSS, the answers were reviewed by gender differences in relation to selected stressors in daily life, working life and health. Finally, a logistic regression was run where the correlation between gender and stress was controlled for all significant stressors. RESULTS: It was found that female physicians more often experience stressors in relation to daily life and health while male physicians experience stressors in relation to their working life. It was also shown that female physicians had more than twice the risk of being stressed on a daily basis compared to male physicians, when controlling for cohabitant/spouse working hours, own working hours, conflicting demands at work, the feeling of never having enough time for oneself and depression. CONCLUSION: Female physicians had more than twice the risk of being stressed on a daily basis compared to their male colleagues, in spite of control for stressors in relation to daily life, working life and health.

[Health-related problems in adopted children]. / Sundhedsmaessige problemer hos adoptivbørn.

International research shows that the standard of health among children adopted from abroad, especially those adopted by single parents, is not as good as that of other children. Danish studies indicate similar problems. The causes could be several, such as poor development in the embryonic and fetal stages, low birth weight, starvation, neglect, infections, and the lack of the natural bonds between mother and child. Surveys indicate that many adoptive parents, single parents in particular, receive children with health problems. There is no Danish research available, but it is important to be aware of these issues in order for both adoptees and adoptants to receive the most support.

[Is it time to reevaluate the entrance requirements for medical studies?]. / Tid for revurdering af adgangskravene til laegestudiet?

INTRODUCTION: Since 1960, the number of female medical students has risen and now amounts to about 60% of the total. During this period, the entrance requirements for medical studies have been changed, meaning that it is average A-level marks that qualify students for studying medicine (Quota 1 students). Some students whose A-level marks are unsatisfactory can be admitted anyhow, if they have had occupational experience (Quota 2 students). The aim of this article is to present some of the conditions that are of importance to the students' rate of finishing their medical studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1992 to 2002, four questionnaires were given to a cohort of medical students admitted to the university in summer 1992. The first questionnaire, the data from which are used in this article, was answered by 252 students (79%). Information about the graduation status of this group was extracted from the university database. RESULTS: The results showed that 49% of the 252 students were Quota 2 students and that these were on average somewhat older at time of admittance (22.3 years) than were Quota 1 students (20.3 years). More women (53%) than men were Quota 1 students. There was no difference between Quota 1 and 2 students as regarded the time spent on their studies and the percentage who graduated. Male students were significantly more successful in finishing their studies (75%) than were female students (61%). Furthermore, there was a majority of upper-class students, and these students, like the students with a background in natural science and those whose father had a university degree, had a high completion rate. CONCLUSION: The study does not show that there is a basis for abolishing the Quota 2 arrangement. Even if the differences are minor, it might lead to a reduction in the number of male students. Seen from the point of view of gender equality, that would not be desirable. The fact that so many students, particularly the female students, do not finish their studies should be further examined.

[The newly graduated doctor.Is he or she sufficiently prepared to fulfill a doctor's responsibilities?]. / Den nyuddannede laege. Er denne tilstraekkelig godt "klaedt på" til laegegerningen?

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to illuminate how a group of newly graduated medical doctors experienced their knowledge and resources in their work shortly after they had graduated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective study of the students who started medical school in 1992. 252 students (79%) answered questionnaire 1, which was sent to them at the beginning of medical school in 1992. Questionnaire 4 was sent to the students at their graduation in 2002, and 57% answered. 80% (n = 143) of those who had graduated answered questionnaire 4. 111 of those who had graduated had been practising medicine for more than 1 year and were included in the study. RESULTS: 72% of the medical doctors stated that the theoretical part of medical school had given them a solid foundation for clinical work but too little direction toward clinical work. They did not feel that they had developed a good foundation for collaborating with other professionals, did not have good role models or had not received good enough support for personal development. Only 55% felt that it was easy to talk about professional issues. At the start of medical school, many of the students reported having had psychological problems; this percentage fell during the course of medical school but was again high at graduation. 60% of the medical doctors stated that the clinical work had strengthened their self-esteem, but 41% felt that the clinical work had caused them personal problems. The study showed that conditions in the students' private life as well as at the university were important to the results. Women doctors had the most serious problems. CONCLUSION: The medical doctors did not feel that they were well enough equipped for their clinical work. The study points out that it is important to make clinical education better and to give more personal support to the students during their time in medical school. Furthermore, focus is directed at the pattern of the gender roles, where women in particular are having problems.