The association between maternal education and postneonatal mortality. Trends in Norway, 1968-1991.

Background: This study examines whether the association between maternal educational level and postneonatal death has changed over time.

Methods: All single survivors of the neonatal period in Norway in three periods, 1968-1971, 1978-1981 and 1989-1991 were studied. There were 582 046 births and 1717 postneonatal deaths.

[Quality adjusted life years in assessment of preventive measures. Should blood donors be tested for HTLV-I/II infections?].

In planning preventive health measures, quality adjusted life-years (QALYs) are useful as a measure of benefit. As an example, the question of whether blood donors should be routinely tested for antibodies to the Human T-lymphotropic viruses I and II (HTLV I/II) is analysed. A mathematical model was set up to describe the consequences, in terms of lost life-years and years with disease due to transfusion-mediated infection (if testing is not performed) or years with reduced quality of life (in the case of testing).

Otitis media: relationship to tonsillitis, sinusitis and atopic diseases.

In order to estimate the co-morbidity between ear infections and related childhood diseases, data about the occurrence of recurrent ear infections, tonsillitis, sinusitis and atopic diseases from a population based sample of 7992 Norwegian twins were analysed. Correlational results revealed two general clusters, one consisting of upper respiratory tract infections (URI), the other defined by the atopic diseases. Overall, associations between the diseases were greater in males.

Marital status as a risk factor for fetal and infant mortality.

In order to study pregnancy outcome for married versus unmarried mothers when controlling statistically for maternal age, educational level, socioeconomic status and income, a total of 93,800 firstborn singleton births in 1978-1982 were examined. The unmarried mothers were younger, less well educated and had a lower socioeconomic status than the married mothers. The stillbirth, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates were higher among offspring of unmarried mothers.

[The AIDS epidemic in Norway--where did it go?].

The 1986 prognosis for the AIDS-epidemic in Norway has not been fulfilled. The epidemic has been far less extensive than anticipated. In 1986, little knowledge existed about the parameters that influence the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): the prevalence of HIV, the HIV transmission rate, the duration of the infectious period and the extent of risk behaviour.

Screening for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: what is the evidence of reducing a health problem?

Objectives: Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite which may give rise to congenital infection. Screening pregnant women for antibodies against toxoplasmosis is being debated in many countries. The preventive impact of toxoplasmosis screening of pregnant women depends on the magnitude of disease caused by congenital toxoplasmosis (incidence x transmission rate to fetus x diseased proportion of infected children), on the one hand, and the preventable proportion of disease (sensitivity of the screening test x efficacy of the treatment x compliance), on the other.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus in cervical scrapes, as analyzed by PCR, in a population-based sample of women with and without cervical dysplasia.

HPV is suspected of being a major cause of cancer of the uterine cervix. To understand the risk of disease in the general population of women, it is important to estimate the prevalence of HPV infection in a random population-based sample of women without disease. In this study, a total of 231 randomly selected women without dysplasia (controls) were examined, and compared with 103 women with histologically confirmed CIN II-III (patients).

Novel 2- and 5-azido-N-(diphenylcarbamoyl)proline methyl esters. Examples of a novel proline oxidation.

The crystal structures of two azido-substituted proline derivatives are reported. Racemic 2-azido-1-(diphenyl-carbamoyl)proline methyl ester, (I), C19H19N5O3, is resolved upon crystallization from methylene chloride-diethyl ether. The azido moieties are nonlinear with N--N--N angles of 173 (1) and 170.

Children with low birth weight and low gestational age in Oslo, Norway: immigration is not the cause of increasing proportions.

Study Objective: To determine the influence of children born to immigrant mothers on the total proportions of low birth weight and preterm deliveries in Oslo and to explain the increases in the proportions of children with low birth weight and low gestational age since 1980-1982.

Design: This was a cross sectional study based on Norwegian Medical Birth Registry data and information on mothers' country of birth from the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Setting: Oslo, Norway 1968-91.

Impact of pollution and place of residence on atopic diseases among schoolchildren in Telemark County, Norway.

For estimation of the prevalence, degree of severity, and association with outdoor pollution, a questionnaire on asthma and other atopic diseases was distributed to the parents of 4666 7-13-year-olds, comprising all the children in 36 schools in Telemark County, Norway, including 37% of the schoolchildren in the county. The response rate was 94%. In a validity study employing clinical evaluations, the questionnaire-based diagnosis of asthma was found to have a sensitivity of 0.

Impact on sexually transmitted disease spread of increased condom use by young females, 1987-1992.

Background: Sexual behaviour data are crucial for understanding the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Over a period (1987-1992) in which the HIV epidemic increased public awareness of safe sexual practices, we describe predictors of condom use, changes in condom use over time, and the estimated effects of these changes on the spread of STD.

Methods: Condom use reported by females aged 18-35 years with non-cohabiting partners was analysed using data from two cross-sectional postal surveys performed 5 years apart (1987 and 1992) on two separate representative samples of 10,000 subjects aged 18-60 years living in Norway.

[Steady homosexual relationship and HIV infection].

In order to study the relative impact of a steady homosexual relationship on the presence of HIV antibodies, a cross-sectional study was undertaken of 719 homosexual men in Oslo during the period of 1983-1987. 74/719 (10%) were HIV positive. 37/74 (50%) of the HIV positives and 185/645 (29%) of the HIV negatives were having a steady homosexual relationship that had lasted six months or more (chi-square test, p < 0.

Opposing placental gradients for thiocyanate and cotinine at birth.

In order to compare maternal and fetal exposure to compounds of tobacco smoke at the end of pregnancy, concentrations of cotinine and thiocyanate were measured in cord serum and maternal serum collected from 24 daily smoking and four non-smoking women at the time of child birth. The median level of thiocyanate (69 mumol/l) in maternal serum was about 50% higher than the median level (47 mumol/l) in cord serum (P < 0.0001) (Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test).

Human papillomavirus and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade II-III: a population-based case-control study.

The association between certain human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is well documented, but there is uncertainty about the strength of association and the role of co-factors is unclear. This population-based case-control study in Norwegian women 20-44 years of age included 103 cases with histologically confirmed CIN II-III and 234 age-matched and randomly selected controls. Cytological specimens from the cervix were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Two [7.3.1]azabicyclo-z-3-ene-1,5-diyne analogues of dynemicin A.

The crystal structures of methyl 6-methoxy-17-oxo-2-azatricyclo[7.7.1.

4,7-Dimethoxybenzo[c]furan.

The title compound, C10H10O3, is nearly planar with a maximum deviation from planarity of 0.140 (2) A for methoxy atom C11. The geometry of the benzo[c]furan moiety is indicative of a non-aromatic ring system.

Serial mass-media campaigns to promote physical activity: reinforcing or redundant?

Changes associated with two serial, nationwide, mass-media-based campaigns to promote physical activity conducted by the National Heart Foundation of Australia in 1990 and 1991 were examined. Surveys conducted before and after each campaign found statistically significant differences in message awareness (46% vs 71% in 1990; 63% vs 74% in 1991). In 1990, there were significant increases in walking, particularly among older people, and in intentions to exercise.

Is the higher postneonatal mortality in lower social status groups due to SIDS?

In order to study the influence of sociodemographic factors, postneonatal mortality of all live births surviving the neonatal period registered in the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry in 1978-1982 were examined (n = 209,030). Postneonatal deaths (n = 634) were divided into two categories; deaths due to the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (n = 359) and deaths due to other causes (non-SIDS) (n = 275). SIDS and non-SIDS deaths showed different relationships to sociodemographic factors, and the associations appeared to be different for first-born and later born children.