Does a condom-promoting strategy (the Swiss STOP-AIDS campaign) modify sexual behavior among adolescents?

Objective: To measure sexual behavior changes (especially the use of condoms) among adolescents after 5 years of a population-based acquired immunodeficiency syndrome prevention strategy at the national and regional level.

Design: Two comparative cross-sectional surveys by self-administered questionnaires were conducted in 1987 and 1990.

Setting: Two similar samples of 16- to 19-year-old apprentices.

Assessing AIDS/HIV prevention: what do we know in Europe?

An EC concerted action on the assessment of AIDS/HIV prevention strategies was conducted between 1989 and 1992. The aim of this concerted action (CA) was to bring together researchers who are active in this assessment field, make an initial appraisal of the results of AIDS prevention efforts, in various population groups in Europe and develop an assessment methodology. Five areas of study were selected for the CA: the population as a whole ("general population"), men who have sexual relations with other men, intravenous drug users, migrant populations, monitoring of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to determine changes in behaviour.

Short and longterm fluctuations of generational MS risk.

According to the hypothesis that childhood is an important age stage in view of MS predisposition, alterations of MS risk may be expected in respect of generational succession. Age-period-cohort-analysis in the appropriate statistical analysis model in this connection. After having shown considerable fluctuations of generational MS risk in the long term view we have tried to derive additional informations from corresponding short term fluctuations: descriptive informations as well as results in relation to the short term fluctuations of infectious diseases' mortality.

Evaluation of AIDS prevention among homosexual and bisexual men in Switzerland.

Attitudinal and behavioural change among gay men in Switzerland was measured between 1987 and 1990 to evaluate the effectiveness of AIDS prevention activities. The methodology used included a self-administered questionnaire published in Swiss gay magazines and distributed by gay organizations (N = 795 in 1987, N = 720 in 1990) and in-depth interviews with men recruited through advertisements and through the questionnaire (N = 42 in 1987, N = 24 in 1990). The two independent sampling procedures yielded similar samples with regard to socio-demographic characteristics, allowing comparisons to be made between the 1987 and 1990 data.

Childhood leukaemia in Switzerland: comparison of different sources of data.

Since 1976 the Swiss Paediatric Oncology Groups (SPOG) has registered leukaemia cases occurring in Switzerland. The registration was set up for clinical research; however, since 1985 efforts have been made to complete the registers with cases not taking part in a clinical trial. The data of the SPOG register between 1976 and 1989 are compared to data from cancer registers and the mortality statistics of the Federal Office of Statistics.

Oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer as a cause of death among Swiss cooks.

In an analysis of Swiss mortality data (1979-1987) excess mortality due to oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer was found among cooks, and the rate was very high in the age group < 55 years. The peak number of cases was observed among cooks in the age category 45-49 years. In the standard population the highest number of such deaths was observed between 65 and 69 years of age.

Too little concern for breast cancer risk in radiation protection estimates?

Risk estimates of radiogenic breast cancer from recent consensus reports are found to depend as much on the models used as on the data. Some features of the models of BEIR V and the ICRP 1990 Recommendations are hardly supported in the literature and tend to underrate breast cancer risk in radioprotection.

Ambulatory medical care for the elderly in Switzerland.

Data from a study on ambulatory medical care in two Swiss cantons are used to describe the characteristics of consultations delivered to patients 65 years old and over. The differences with younger patients are presented. The elderly generally suffer from different diseases, and their problems are often chronic.

Importation of poliomyelitis to industrialised nations between 1975 and 1984: evaluation and conclusions for vaccination recommendations.

World Health Organisation and public health authority records show that 175 cases of paralytic poliomyelitis were imported to industrialised countries between 1975 and 1984. Detailed case reports were therefore analysed to identify characteristic features associated with acquisition of the infection. Of the 175 cases, 96 (55%) were diagnosed in foreign workers or their families, 47 (27%) in nationals travelling on holiday or business, 11 (6%) in immigrants, and 21 (12%) either in contacts who had not travelled or in unclassified groups.