Family social class, maternal body mass index, childhood body mass index, and age at menarche as predictors of adult obesity.

Background: Obesity is an increasingly prevalent nutritional disorder throughout the world and is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. The prevalence of obesity increases with age.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the associations between BMI at 31 y of age and family social class during early childhood, maternal body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, BMI at birth and at 1 and 14 y of age, and age at menarche.

Ways to promote a noise control programme.

The purpose of this study was to find out the proper ways to promote and to start a noise control programme in small and medium size industries. The situation of the noise control programme was inspected in four industrial enterprises. The noise exposure and the noise sources were studied and recommendations for noise reduction were given.

Effects of metabolic rate on thermal responses at different air velocities in -10 degrees C.

The effects of exercise intensity on thermoregulatory responses in cold (-10 degrees C) in a 0.2 (still air, NoWi), 1.0 (Wi1), and 5.

Effects of whole body cooling on sensory perception and manual performance in subjects with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) have abnormal digital vasoconstriction in response to cold. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of cooling on sensory perception and manual performance in healthy male subjects and subjects with RP. There were two groups of subjects with primary RP: 12 subjects fulfilled the criteria of Lewis (L) and the other 12 the more critical criteria of Maricq (M).

The pituitary-thyroid axis in healthy men living under subarctic climatological conditions.

In order to evaluate the effects of climatic factors on the secretion of thyroid hormones and TSH in a high latitude population, we have taken serum and urine samples from 20 healthy men from northern Finland (67 degrees -68 degrees N) every 2 months for a period of 14 months. Serum free triiodothyronine (T(3)) levels were lower in February than in August (3.9 vs 4.

Dependence of cold-related coronary and respiratory symptoms on age and exposure to cold.

Cold causes cardiopulmonary stress often perceived as shortness of breath or chest pain, and causes exacerbation of these symptoms in persons suffering heart or lung disease. We investigated the prevalence of these symptoms and their association with sex, age and cold exposure in a population-based sample of 1,785 persons who lived in three areas of Finland. The exposure to cold was measured by the annual number cold days (mean daily temperature below 0 degree C) in the resident locality and weekly hours spent in the cold in winter.

Seasonal variation of deaths in Finland--is it still diminishing?

The seasonal variation of deaths in Finland during the period 1961-1995, and its possible diminution over time was examined on a daily and monthly basis. The daily pattern of deaths over the year was asymmetric, with a very steep rise in December (peak on December 26), a slow rise in late winter and spring, a secondary rise in June (peak on June 24) and a trough in late August. The December peak was 26% higher than the August trough and showed no diminution over the period studied.

Prediction of duration limited exposure for participants wearing chemical protective clothing in the cold.

The suitability of the IREQ (insulation required) index for predicting the thermal responses of 6 participants wearing chemical protective clothing was tested during exercise at -20 and -25 degrees C. IREQ was used to calculate duration limited exposure (DLE). Measured DLE correlated (r =0.

Predisposing factors and prevention of frostbite.

This review focuses on the physiological, behavioural and environmental factors which predispose to frostbite. Also prevention of frostbite is summarised. Predisposing factors may increase heat loss, decrease heat production, decrease the insulation of the clothing, make people especially susceptible to cold or make them to behave inadequately.

Thermal responses to cold wind of thermoneutral and cooled subjects.

The effects of initial thermal state on thermoregulatory responses to cold (-10 degrees C) in a 0.2 (still air), 1.0, and 5.

Stretch- and H-reflexes of the lower leg during whole body cooling and local warming.

Background: This study was undertaken to evaluate if possible changes in stretch- and H-reflexes could be related to the changes in the EMG activity of the cooled lower leg muscles observed during a stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

Methods: Eight subjects wearing shorts and jogging shoes were exposed once to 27 degrees C and twice to 10 degrees C for 60 min each. During the second exposure to 10 degrees C, the subject's lower legs were kept warm (10 degrees Clw) with electrical pillows.

Surveying mortality in northern Finland: two towns with contrasting trends.

Mortality was compared in two major towns in northern Finland (Kemi and Oulu), which according to previous studies have high and low mortalities, respectively. In 1991-1995 life expectancy at birth in Oulu exceeded the national average by 0.7 years in males and 0.

Muscle fatigue caused by repeated aerial combat maneuvering exercises.

Background: Little is known about the development of in-flight muscular fatigue during repeated flights.

Hypothesis: This study was conducted to evaluate muscular fatigue in different upper body and neck muscles during repeated aerial combat maneuvering exercises.

Methods: Six pilots volunteered as test subjects.

Heat balance at -5 degrees C after cold water immersion.

Two different possible behaviors at -5 degrees C after cold water immersion were studied. A test subject wearing winter clothing walked (5 km/h) on a treadmill for 45 minutes at -5 degrees C and at a wind velocity of 3 m/s with dry clothing, immediately after a thorough immersion in 5 degrees C water, or after immersion and wringing, freezing, and beating of the clothing (to remove ice). A marked heat debt (ca.

Submaximal exercise in the cold: does cooling potentiate the development of muscle injuries in the rat?

To test the effect of low ambient temperature on muscular strain and possible development of muscle injuries, male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 35) were exercised at a speed of 15 m min-1 on a treadmill at a 6 degrees inclination for 1.5 h in a warm (22 degrees C) or a cold (-10 degrees C) environment. Blood and tissue samples were collected 0 and 48 h postexercise.

Effects of repeated exercise/rest sessions at -10 degrees C on skin and rectal temperatures in men wearing chemical protective clothing.

The development of thermophysiological responses during four consecutive exercise/rest sessions in the cold was studied in men wearing chemical protective clothing and a face mask. Six men repeated four exercise/rest sessions during 8 h at -10 degrees C. Each session consisted of step exercise (240 W x m(-2)) for 60 min and rest for another 60 min.

Manual performance in cold conditions while wearing NBC clothing.

Manual performance while wearing a whole body covering NBC garment was studied at -10 degrees C. Hands were protected by thin cotton gloves, which were covered with rubber gloves. The test subjects were exposed for 40 min in one of the four conditions: standing at -10 degrees C, standing for 10 min followed by walking (5 km/h) for 30 min on a treadmill, standing while holding a solid steel bar (see section 2.

Work ability of young adults.

This paper reviews the themes related to work ability of young adults. Premature working discapacity causes significant economical and social costs in Finland compared to other Nordic countries and has for that reason been studied most intensively there. Work ability is an interaction of social, environmental and individual factors such as physical fitness, coping skills, social support behaviour and health behaviour.

Obesity is a health problem.

Obesity is a very common and an increasing nutritional problem in Finland and in other western countries and also in circumpolar areas. Dietary factors like high intakes of fat and alcohol, and physical inactivity predispose to obesity. Childhood obesity increases the risk of obesity in adulthood.

Ambient and biological monitoring of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at a coking plant.

The exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was measured in a Finnish coking plant over a 7-year period (1988-1994), since the beginning of production. Hygienic measurements including dust and vapour sampling were performed and the correlations between the concentrations of airborne pyrene with the levels of pyrene metabolite 1-pyrenol in urine were calculated. The profile of measured 12 or 15 PAHs was very similar between mean concentrations of personal samples, which suggests that it is possible to calculate the concentrations of total PAH by using e.

Thermal responses and physiological strain in men wearing impermeable and semipermeable protective clothing in the cold.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of long term cold exposure on thermal responses and physical performance in men while wearing nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protective clothing. Six healthy men performed 60 min work/60 min rest cycles during 8 hours at an ambient temperature of -10 degrees C. Work was performed by stepping on a 20 cm high bench 15 times.

Muscle performance and electromyogram activity of the lower leg muscles with different levels of cold exposure.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between different levels of body cooling and muscle performance decrement and to study the motor co-ordination of the working agonist-antagonist muscle pair of the lower leg. Eight volunteer male subjects dropped from a 40-cm bench on to a force plate and performed a maximal rebound jump (stretch-shortening cycle). The jumps were performed after 60-min exposures to 27 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 15 degrees C and 10 degrees C.

Muscle strain during aerial combat maneuvering exercise.

Background: Little is known about the in-flight muscular strain of fighter pilots.

Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to measure fighter pilots' mean and peak muscular strain during aerial combat maneuvering exercises. The results obtained were compared against existing ergonomic recommendations.