Associations Between Active Commuting and Sickness Absence in Finnish Public Sector Cohort of 28 485 Employees.

Active commuting can be beneficial for health. We examined whether active commuting by walking or cycling was associated with a lower risk of sickness absence in a Finnish public sector cohort of 28 485 employees. We used negative binomial regression to test associations of weekly active commuting in kilometers (no, low, moderate, and high dose) with all-cause sickness absence.

Daylight during winters and symptoms of depression and sleep problems: A within-individual analysis.

Background: With climate change Northern areas of the globe are expected to have less daylight during winters due to less snow and more cloudiness. While wintertime has been linked to mental health problems, the role of wintertime daylight has been scarcely studied. We examined longitudinal associations for wintertime objective exposure to global radiation and self-reported daylight exposure with symptoms of depression and sleep problems.

Association between active commuting and low-grade inflammation: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Prior studies suggest that physical activity lowers circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. However, little is known about the association between regular active commuting, i.e.

Changes in active commuting and changes in health: Within- and between-individual analyses among 16 881 Finnish public sector employees.

Background: Active commuting, such as walking or cycling to work, can be beneficial for health. However, because within-individual studies on the association between change in active commuting and change in health are scarce, the previous results may have been biased due to unmeasured confounding. Additionally, prior studies have often lacked information about commuting distance.

Are active school transport and leisure-time physical activity associated with performance and wellbeing at secondary school? A population-based study.

Background: Physically active pupils may be better and more resilient learners. However, it is unclear whether walking or cycling to school yields similar educational and school-related mental health benefits as leisure-time physical activity. We examined the associations of active school transport and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with perceived academic performance, competency in academic skills, school burnout and school enjoyment.

Access to Alcohol Outlets From Home and Work in Sweden: Longitudinal Associations With Problem Drinking.

Objective: The association of proximity of alcohol outlets to the workplace with problem drinking has not been previously studied. We examined longitudinal associations of living and working in proximity to alcohol outlets with problem drinking.

Method: The data consisted of 13,306 employed respondents to the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health between 2012 and 2018.

Associations of leisure-time physical activity and active school transport with mental health outcomes: A population-based study.

Promoting physical activity can improve population health. This study aimed to examine associations of leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and active school transport with mental health, that is, symptoms of depression and anxiety, among 15- to 16-year-old adolescents. We also assessed the relationships with less-studied outcomes, such as chronic stress and visits to school psychologist.

Distance to sports facilities and low frequency of exercise and obesity: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Little research has investigated the associations between proximity to physical activity facilities and behavior-related health and the majority have focused on proximity from home address. We add to the literature by examining proximity of these facilities to work and home address and including a wide range of physical activity facilities. We assess the associations for proximity of physical activity facilities from home and work address with self-reported frequency of exercise and obesity.

Urban-rural differences in hypertension prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries, 1990-2020: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The influence of urbanicity on hypertension prevalence remains poorly understood. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the difference in hypertension prevalence between urban and rural areas in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the most pronounced urbanisation is underway.

Methods And Findings: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, from 01/01/1990 to 10/03/2022.

Clustering of disability pension and socioeconomic disadvantage in Sweden: a geospatial analysis.

Background: To characterize geospatial patterning of disadvantage in Sweden, we examined whether municipal-level indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage and disability pension (DP) rate were clustered, whether the different geospatial clusters were overlapping and whether the findings were similar among women and men.

Methods: Administrative national data from all 290 Swedish municipalities were used to determine the prevalence of DP and socioeconomic disadvantage [poverty, long-term unemployment, income inequality (GINI Index) and income inequality between women and men]. Geospatial cold spots (clusters of municipalities with a DP/socioeconomic disadvantage prevalence lower than the nationwide prevalence) and hot spots (clusters of municipalities with a DP/socioeconomic disadvantage higher than the nationwide prevalence) were identified, and whether a hot spot was overlapping with another hot spot and a cold spot overlapping with another cold spot were analysed using the Getis-Ord Gi statistics.

Prediction of Asthma Hospitalizations for the Common Cold Using Google Trends: Infodemiology Study.

Background: In contrast to air pollution and pollen exposure, data on the occurrence of the common cold are difficult to incorporate in models predicting asthma hospitalizations.

Objective: This study aims to assess whether web-based searches on common cold would correlate with and help to predict asthma hospitalizations.

Methods: We analyzed all hospitalizations with a main diagnosis of asthma occurring in 5 different countries (Portugal, Spain, Finland, Norway, and Brazil) for a period of approximately 5 years (January 1, 2012-December 17, 2016).

Commuting distance and behavior-related health: A longitudinal study.

Health benefits of active commuting and short commuting time are well-documented; however, limited evidence exists on the effects of commuting distance. We examined longitudinal associations between commuting distance and behavior-related health. Participants were from four survey waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018).

Contexts of sedentary time and physical activity among ageing workers and recent retirees: cross-sectional GPS and accelerometer study.

Objectives: We examined sedentary time and physical activity in different contexts among ageing workers, between their workdays and days off, and recent retirees, between their weekdays and weekend days.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Finnish Retirement and Aging study and Enhancing physical activity and healthy ageing among recent retirees-Randomised controlled in-home physical activity trial.

Home and Workplace Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Behavior-related Health: A Within-individual Analysis.

Background: The influence of individual and home neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) on health-related behaviors have been widely studied, but the majority of these studies have neglected the possible impact of the workplace neighborhood SES.

Objective: To examine within-individual associations between home and work place neighborhood SES and health-related behaviors in employed individuals.

Methods: We used participants from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health who responded to a minimum of two surveys between 2012 and 2018.

Interrelationships between job demands, low back pain and depression: A four-way decomposition analysis of direct and indirect effects of job demands through mediation and/or interaction.

Background: Psychosocial work stressors may lead to low back pain (LBP) through depressive symptoms or to depression through LBP. Depressive symptoms or LBP may also modify these associations.

Methods: We examined prospective interrelationships between job demands, LBP and depressive symptoms.

A call for urgent action to safeguard our planet and our health in line with the helsinki declaration.

In 2015, the Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission launched a report introducing a novel approach called Planetary Health and proposed a concept, a strategy and a course of action. To discuss the concept of Planetary Health in the context of Europe, a conference entitled: "Europe That Protects: Safeguarding Our Planet, Safeguarding Our Health" was held in Helsinki in December 2019. The conference participants concluded with a need for action to support Planetary Health during the 2020s.

Neighbourhood characteristics as a predictor of adherence to dietary recommendations: A population-based cohort study of Finnish adults.

To investigate the association of six-year cumulative level of socioeconomic neighbourhood disadvantage and population density with subsequent adherence to dietary recommendations, controlling for preceding dietary adherence, in adults in Finland. Population-based Health and Social Support (HeSSup) study participants from four age groups (20-24, 30-34, 40-44 and 50-54 years at baseline in 1998). Data on diet and alcohol consumption were obtained from the 2003 and 2012 surveys and information on neighbourhoods from Statistics Finland Grid database ( = 10,414 men and women).

Shift work, work time control, and informal caregiving as risk factors for sleep disturbances in an ageing municipal workforce.

Objectives This study aimed to examine the contribution of shift work, work time control (WTC) and informal caregiving, separately and in combination, to sleep disturbances in ageing employees. Methods Survey data were obtained from two prospective cohort studies with repeated measurements of working conditions, informal caregiving, and sleep disturbances. We used fixed-effect conditional logistic regression analysis to examine whether within-individual changes in shift work, WTC and informal caregiving were associated with changes in sleep.

Timing of Entry into Paid Employment, Adverse Physical Work Exposures and Health: The Young Helsinki Health Study.

It is not well known how the timing of entry into paid employment and physical work exposures contribute to different health outcomes in young employees. Thus, we determined the associations of age at entry into paid employment and physical work exposures with general and mental health in young employees and determined whether associations differ by behavior-related risk factors. Data were collected via online and mailed surveys in autumn 2017 from employees of the City of Helsinki aged 18-39 years (n = 5897; 4630 women and 1267 men, response rate 51.

Work participation and physicality of work in young adulthood and the development of unhealthy lifestyle habits and obesity later in life: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To determine the effects of early entry into the labour market and physicality of work in young adulthood on the development of obesity and unhealthy lifestyle habits later in life.

Methods: This study is a part of the Young Finns Study. Entry into the labour market and physicality of work were measured at baseline, when participants were aged 18, 21, or 24 years in 1986 or 18 years in 1989.

Cross-sectional associations of neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage and greenness with accelerometer-measured leisure-time physical activity in a cohort of ageing workers.

Objective: Neighbourhood characteristics may affect the level of physical activity (PA) of the residents. Few studies have examined the combined effects of distinctive neighbourhood characteristics on PA using objective data or differentiated between activity during working or non-working days. We examined the associations of socioeconomic disadvantage and greenness with accelerometer-measured leisure-time PA during working and non-working days.