Women's intimate partner violence versus community violence: Comparing injuries as presented in Iceland's largest emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread, often unidentified and hidden public health problem, which has serious consequences. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the clinical characteristics of women's violence inflicted physical injuries, as presented at Iceland's largest Emergency Department (ED). Three groups were created based on registered reason of injury: (1) IPV, (2) community violence (CV) with a history of IPV (HIPV), and (3) CV with no history of IPV. METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively by using the Nomesco classification system of external causes of injuries. Participants were adult women, residing in the capital area, visiting the ED during 2005-2019. RESULTS: IPV inflicted ED visits declined by 45% during the research period and CV visits declined by 61%. Women in the IPV group had the highest prevalence of repeated new ED visits per 1000 women in the capital area. The majority of IPV occurred in residential areas (86.4%), inflicted by a current partner (54.7%), and included only one perpetrator (95.3%). Women involved in CV were most likely to visit the ED on weekends (p = 0.003) and IPV women were most likely to visit between 08:00 and 16:00 (p < 0.001). Superficial injuries were the most common type of injury among all groups and IPV women were twice as likely (7.1%) to have injuries on their neck than CV women (3.5%). IPV women were most likely to be admitted (3.0%). CONCLUSION: Time of ED visit, number of perpetrators and location of assault can be indicators of IPV inflicted injuries, as opposed to otherwise inflicted injuries. Repeated visits, superficial injuries and neck injuries might also be an indicator of IPV, however wounds and sprains and injuries on head and upper limbs are more likely to be non-IPV inflicted.

The impact and cost-effectiveness of introducing the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the paediatric immunisation programme in Iceland-A population-based time series analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a cause of infections that range in severity from acute otitis media (AOM) to pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). The 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV10) was introduced into the Icelandic paediatric immunisation programme in 2011. The aim was to estimate the population impact and cost-effectiveness of PHiD-CV10 introduction. METHODS: Data on primary care visits from 2005-2015 and hospitalisations from 2005-2017 were obtained from population-based registries. A Bayesian time series analysis with synthetic controls was employed to estimate the number of cases of AOM, pneumonia and IPD that would have occurred between 2013-2017, had PHiD-CV10 not been introduced. Prevented cases were calculated by subtracting the observed number of cases from this estimate. The cost of the programme was calculated accounting for cost-savings due to prevented cases. RESULTS: The introduction of PHiD-CV10 prevented 13,767 (95% credible interval [CI] 2,511-29,410) visits for AOM from 2013-2015, and prevented 1,814 (95%CI -523-4,512) hospitalisations for pneumonia and 53 (95%CI -17-177) admissions for IPD from 2013-2017. Visits for AOM decreased both among young children and among children 4-19 years of age, with rate ratios between 0.72-0.89. Decreases were observed in both pneumonia hospitalisations (rate ratios between 0.67-0.92) and IPD (rate ratios between 0.27-0.94). The total cost of implementing PHiD-CV10 in Iceland was -7,463,176 United States Dollars (USD) (95%CI -16,159,551-582,135) with 2.1 USD (95%CI 0.2-4.7) saved for every 1 USD spent. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of PHiD-CV10 was associated with large decreases in visits and hospitalisations for infections commonly caused by pneumococcus and was cost-saving during the first five years of the immunisation programme.

Suicide rates in Iceland before and after the 2008 Global Recession: a nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Economic downturns have been associated with increased suicide rates. The 2008 global financial crisis varied across countries but hit Iceland relatively hard. We aimed to study potential changes in suicide rates in Iceland during this major economic transition. METHODS: Data were retrieved on all suicides in Iceland during 2002-14. The study period was divided into a pre-collapse period (2002-08) and a post-collapse period (2008-14). Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between pre-to-post economic collapse and suicide rates, expressed as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Analyses were stratified by age and sex. RESULTS: A total of 470 suicides were recorded during the study period. The mean age at death was 45 years and 75% were males. The overall suicide rates per 100 000 were 13.3 pre-collapse and 15 post-collapse revealing no overall differences in pre-to-post collapse (RR 1.12; CI 0.94-1.35). This was true for both men and women (RR 1.18; CI 0.96-1.46 and RR 0.96; CI 0.67-1.38, respectively). An increase in the unemployment rate was not associated with the overall suicide rate (RR 1.07; CI 0.86-1.33), and neither were changes in gross domestic product (RR 1.29; CI 0.94-1.79) or balance of trade (RR 1.08; CI 0.96-1.22). CONCLUSION: The economic collapse and rising unemployment rates in Iceland did not result in an overall increase in suicide rates. A strong welfare system and investing in social protection during the economic crisis may have mitigated suicide risk.

CP-North: living life in the Nordic countries? A retrospective register research protocol on individuals with cerebral palsy and their parents living in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disabilities. Yet, most individuals with CP are adults. How individuals with CP fare in terms of health, quality of life (QoL), education, employment and income is largely unknown. Further, little is known about the effects of having a child with CP on the parents. The Nordic countries are known for their strong welfare systems, yet it is unknown to what extent the added burden related to disability is actually compensated for. We will explore how living with CP affects health, QoL, healthcare utilisation, education, labour market outcomes, socioeconomic status and mortality throughout the lifespan of individuals with CP and their parents. We will also investigate if these effects differ between subgroups, within and across the Nordic countries. METHODS AND ANALYSES: CP-North is a multidisciplinary 4-year (1 August 2017 to 31 July 2021) register research project. The research consortium comprises researchers and users from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. Data from CP registries and follow-up programmes, or cohorts of individuals with CP, will be merged with general national registries. All individual studies are structured under three themes: medical outcomes, social and public health outcomes, and health economics. Both case-control and cohort designs will be included depending on the particular research question. Data will be analysed in the individual countries and later merged across nations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The ethics approval processes in each individual country are followed. Findings will be published (open access) in international peer-reviewed journals in related fields. Updates on CP-North will be published online at http://rdi.arcada.fi/cpnorth/en/.

The association between different traumatic life events and suicidality.

Background: Traumatic life events have been associated with increased risk of various psychiatric disorders, even suicidality. Our aim was to investigate the association between different traumatic life events and suicidality, by type of event and gender. Methods: Women attending a cancer screening programme in Iceland (n = 689) and a random sample of men from the general population (n = 709) were invited to participate. In a web-based questionnaire, life events were assessed with the Life Stressor Checklist - Revised, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criterion was used to identify traumatic life events. Reports of lifetime suicidal thoughts, self-harm with suicidal intent and suicide attempt were considered as lifetime suicidality. We used Poisson regression, adjusted for demographic factors, to express relative risks (RRs) as a measure of the associations between traumatic events and suicidality. Results: Response rate was 66% (922/1398). The prevalence of lifetime traumatic events was 76% among women and 77% among men. Lifetime suicidality was 11% among women and 16% among men. An overall association of having experienced traumatic life events with suicidality was observed [RR 2.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-3.75], with a stronger association for men (RR 3.14, 95% CI 1.25-7.89) than for women (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.70-2.99). Increased likelihood for suicidality was observed among those who had experienced interpersonal trauma (RR 2.97, 95% CI 1.67-5.67), childhood trauma (RR 4.09, 95% CI 2.27-7.36) and sexual trauma (RR 3.44, 95% CI 1.85-6.37), with a higher likelihood for men. In addition, an association between non-interpersonal trauma and suicidality was noted among men (RR 3.27, 95% CI 1.30-8.25) but not women (RR 1.27, 95% CI 0.59-2.70). Conclusion: Findings indicate that traumatic life events are associated with suicidality, especially among men, with the strongest association for interpersonal trauma.

Antecedentes: Los eventos vitales traumáticos han sido asociados con un riesgo más alto de trastornos mentales, incluso suicidalidad. Nuestro objetivo fue investigar la asociación entre diferentes eventos vitales traumáticos diferentes y suicidalidad, por tipo de evento y género. Método: Fueron invitados a participar las mujeres que se atiendian un programa de detección de cáncer en Islandia (N=698) y una muestra aleatoria de hombres de la población general (N=709) . En un cuestionario online, los eventos vitales fueron evaluados con la Lista de Chequeo de Estresores Vitales-Revisada y se usaron los criterios DSM-5 para identificar eventos vitales traumáticos. Los reportes de pensamientos suicidas, autoflagelación con intención suicida e intento suicida a lo largo de la vida fueron considerados como suicidalidad a lo largo de la vida. Usamos la regresión de Poisson, ajustada por factores demográficos, para mostrar los riesgos relativos como una medida de las asociaciones entre eventos traumáticos y suicidalidad. Resultados: La tasa de respuesta fue de un 66% (922/1398). La prevalencia de eventos traumáticos a lo largo de la vida fue de 76% para mujeres y de 77% para hombres. La suicidalidad a lo largo de la vida fue de 11% para mujeres y de 17% para hombres. Se observó una asociación global entre haber experimentado eventos vitales traumáticos con suicidalidad (RR 2.05, IC 1.21­3.75), con una asociación más fuerte en hombres (RR 3.14, IC 1.25­7.89) que mujeres (RR 1.45, CI 0.70­2.99). Una mayor probabilidad de suicidalidad fue observada entre quienes han experimentado trauma interpersonal (RR 2.97, IC 1.67­5.67), trauma infantil (RR 4.09, IC 2.27­7.36) y trauma sexual (RR 3.44, IC 1.85­6.37), con una más alta probabilidad para hombres. Además, la asociación entre trauma no-interpersonal y suicidalidad fue identificado en hombres (RR 3.27, IC 1.30­8.25) pero no en mujeres (RR 1.27, IC 0.59­2.70). Conclusiones: Los hallazgos indican que los eventos vitales traumáticos están asociados con suicidalidad, especialmente entre hombres, con una asociación más fuerte para el trauma interpersonal.

Suicide attempts and self-harm during a dramatic national economic transition: a population-based study in Iceland.

Background: Macroeconomic downturns have been associated with increased suicide rates. This study examined potential changes in suicide attempts and self-harm in Iceland during a period of major economic transition (2003-12). Methods: Data were retrieved from the National University Hospital in Reykjavik (population size: 204.725), containing all ICD-10 diagnoses connected to potential suicidal behaviour. Poisson regression models were used to compare attendance rates before and after the 2008 economic collapse. Results: During the study period, a total of 4537 attendances of 2816 individuals were recorded due to suicide attempts or self-harm. We noted a significant change in total attendance rates among men, characterized by an annual increase in attendance rate pre-collapse of 1.83 per 100.000 inhabitants and a decrease of 3.06 per 100.000 inhabitants post-collapse ( P = 0.0067). Such pattern was not observed among women. When restricting to first attendances only, we found a reduced incidence post-crisis among both men (RR: 0.85; 0.76-0.96) and women (RR: 0.86; 0.79-0.92). We further found 1% increase in unemployment rate and balance of trade to be associated with reduced attendance rates among men (RR: 0.84; 0.76-0.93 and RR: 0.81; 0.75-0.88, respectively) but not among women. Conclusion: These data suggest no overall increase in attendance rates due to suicide attempts or self-harm following the 2008 Icelandic economic collapse. In fact, a high-point in self-harm and suicide attempts was observed among men at the height of the economic boom and a decrease in new attendances among both men and women after the economic collapse.

Smoking and obesity among pregnant women in Iceland 2001-2010.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy in Western societies has decreased in the last decades, whereas prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased. Our objective was to study secular trends and patterns of smoking and body weight among pregnant women in Iceland, during a period of dramatic changes in the nation's economy. METHODS: On the basis of the Medical Birth Registry, we used a random sample of 1329 births between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2010. Information on smoking, body mass index and background factors during pregnancy was retrieved from the Medical Birth Register and maternity records. Trends in smoking, overweight, obesity and body mass index were assessed using logistic and linear regression analyses. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the annual odds of smoking and obesity and by socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: We found a decrease in the prevalence of continued smoking during pregnancy from 12.4% in 2001 to 7.9% in 2010 [odds ratio (OR) = 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.88-1.00)], particularly among women with Icelandic citizenship [OR = 0.92, 95% CI (0.86-0.98)], whereas no changes in obesity [OR = 1.02, 95% CI (0.96-1.07)] were observed. The highest prevalence of maternal smoking and obesity was observed in 2005-06. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that smoking during pregnancy decreased among Icelandic women in 2001-10, whereas an initial increase in obesity prevalence seemed to level off towards the end of the observation period. Interestingly, we found that both of these maternal risk factors reached their highest prevalence in 2005-06, which coincides with a flourishing period in the nation's economy.

Can physician laboratory-test requests be influenced by interventions?

BACKGROUND: Laboratory tests affect healthcare costs and unnecessary test requests can thus be a concern. We studied whether it was possible to influence physician laboratory-test requests using four structured interventions: introduction of clinical guidelines, education, feedback, and reminder letters. The interventions occurred at different times at Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. Akureyri Hospital, northern Iceland, was used as a control, since no formal interventions were introduced there. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six types of laboratory tests were analyzed. The relative risk of a laboratory test being conducted at Landspítali University Hospital compared to Akureyri Hospital was calculated for various points in time, as well as the associated 95% confidence intervals. The primary estimates compare the pre- and post-intervention periods (2007-2009 vs. 2010-2013), but also on a monthly basis in order to observe the trends in greater detail. RESULTS: Interventions at Landspítali University Hospital led to a significant reduction in the average number of laboratory tests (12-52%, p < 0.001) compared with Akureyri Hospital. Relative risk coefficients of laboratory tests at Landspítali University Hospital (LUH) compared to Akureyri Hospital (AH) were calculated pre- and post-guidelines, the relative risk for ASAT, CRP and GGT fell markedly, while ALAT and ALP tests did not show a significant decrease. Relative risk for a blood culture test in the period after the guidelines was statistically significantly increased. CONCLUSION: It is possible to influence physician laboratory-test requests using multifaceted interventions that include continuous monitoring and follow-up.