Assessment of potential myopia risk factors, including chronotype, in Estonian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Myopia is a growing healthcare concern worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that sleep and circadian rhythms may be associated with myopia. Furthermore, the risk factors of myopia have not been studied in the Estonian population to date.

Seven-month wintertime supplementation of 1200 IU vitamin D has no effect on hand grip strength in young, physically active males: A randomized, controlled study.

Background: There has been a growing interest in the role of vitamin D for the well-being and physical performance of humans under heavy training such as conscripts in military service; however, there is a lack of long-term supplementation studies performed on members of this type of young, physically active, male population. The hypothesis of the study was that vitamin D supplementation during wintertime will decrease the prevalence of critically low vitamin D blood serum levels and increase hand grip strength during the winter season among young male conscripts.

Study Design: Longitudinal, triple-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Estonian version of the Oxford Knee Score.

Objective: The aim of this study was to adapt the Estonian version of The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and test its psychometric properties.

Methods: The original OKS questionnaire was translated into Estonian using the forward and back-translation method recommended in the literature. The face validity of the Estonian OKS was then tested.

Self-Reported Knee Pain Does Not Impact Physical Training Negatively in Conscripts.

Introduction: Despite the great number of investigations on the effects of injuries during military service, there is limited information available on the use of self-reported instruments. This study evaluated self-reported knee pain (KP) and its effect on physical performance during military service in the Estonian Defense Forces.

Material And Methods: Ninety-five male conscripts aged 19-25 years were divided into two study groups based on the occurrence of KP or not.

Administrative database as a source for assessment of systemic lupus erythematosus prevalence: Estonian experience.

Background: Administrative database research is widely applied in the field of epidemiology. However, the results of the studies depend on the type of database used and the algorithms applied for case ascertainment. The optimal methodology for identifying patients with rheumatic diseases from administrative databases is yet not known.

Further international adaptation and validation of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life (RAQoL) questionnaire.

The Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life (RAQoL) questionnaire was developed directly from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to measure quality of life (QoL). Since then, it has become widely used in clinical studies and trials and has been adapted for use in 24 languages. The objective was to develop and validate 11 additional language versions of the RAQoL in US English, Mexican Spanish, Argentinean Spanish, Belgian French, Belgian Flemish, French, Romanian, Czech, Slovakian, Polish and Russian.

The living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease scale was successfully adapted for use in Southern European (Italian and Spanish) and Eastern European (Russian) cultures.

Objective: The living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (LCOPD) scale was developed in the United Kingdom and the United States to assess the quality of life (QoL) of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The scale was shown to be well accepted by patients, to be unidimensional, and to have very good psychometric properties. This article reports on the adaptation of the measure for use in representative Southern European (Italian and Spanish) and Eastern European (Russian) languages.

The sources of disease-related information for Estonia's rheumatoid arthritis patients: a qualitative study.

Objective: To describe rheumatoid arthritis patients' perceptions of being informed and of the value of the information obtained.

Background: About the accessibility of the disease-specific information to the patients, a prerequisite for any kind of the patient empowerment, can be considered as a priority area for investigation.

Design: Six focus groups (involving 27 patients) were conducted.

The adaptation, reliability and validity testing of the Estonian version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire's Disability Index.

The aim of our study was the adaptation of the Health Assessment Questionnaire's Disability Index (HAQ-DI) for Estonia along with the assessment of its psychometric properties. The linguistic validation included phases of translation, back translation and testing on patients. Reliability and validity were tested on a sample of 50 rheumatoid arthritis patients by administering the HAQ-DI and the comparator instruments at two visits; disease activity and radiological stage were assessed.

Adaptation of the rheumatoid arthritis quality of life scale for Estonia.

The aim of the study was to adapt the rheumatoid arthritis quality of life scale (RAQoL) for Estonia and assess its psychometric properties. The RAQoL was translated into Estonian using the dual panel method. The translation was assessed for face and content validity by means of interviews with 15 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

The value of the qualitative method for adaptation of a disease-specific quality of life assessment instrument: the case of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Scale (RAQoL) in Estonia.

Background: Due to differences in current socio-economical situation and historically shaped values, different societies have their own concepts of high-quality life. This diversity of concepts interferes with quality of life (Qol) research in health sciences. Before deciding to apply a Qol assessment tool designed in and for another society, a researcher should answer the question: how will this instrument work under the specific circumstances of my research.