Exploring spatial patterns of cardiovascular disease in Sweden between 2000 and 2010.

AIMS: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, including in Sweden. The main aim of this study was to explore the temporal trends and spatial patterns of CVD in Sweden using spatial autocorrelation analyses. METHODS: The CVD admission rates between 2000 and 2010 throughout Sweden were entered as the input disease data for the analytic processes performed for the Swedish capital, Stockholm, and also for the whole of Sweden. Age-adjusted admission rates were calculated using a direct standardisation approach for men and women, and temporal trends analysis were performed on the standardised rates. Global Moran's I was used to explore the structure of patterns and Anselin's local Moran's I, together with Kulldorff's scan statistic were applied to explore the geographical patterns of admission rates. RESULTS: The rates followed a spatially clustered pattern in Sweden with differences occurring between sexes. Accordingly, hot spots were identified in northern Sweden, with higher intensity identified for men, together with clusters in central Sweden. Cold spots were identified in the adjacency of the three major Swedish cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study can serve as a basis for distribution of health-care resources, preventive measures and exploration of aetiological factors.

Beyond Access: Characteristics of the Food Environment and Risk of Diabetes.

Characteristics of the built environment, including access to unhealthy food outlets, are hypothesized to contribute to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Swedish nationwide registry data on 4,718,583 adults aged 35-80 years living in 9,353 neighborhoods, each with at least 1 food outlet, were geocoded and linked to commercial registers (e.g., restaurants and grocery stores). Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the prospective relationship between characteristics of the food environment and T2D from 2005 to 2010. Relative access to health-harming food outlets was associated with greater likelihood of both prevalent and incident T2D in a curvilinear manner, with the highest risk being observed for environments in which one-third of outlets were health-harming. Relative to individuals whose food environment did not change, those who moved into areas with more health-harming food outlets had higher odds of developing T2D (odds ratio = 3.67, 95% confidence interval: 2.14, 6.30). Among those who did not move, living in an area that gained relative access to health-harming food outlets was also associated with higher odds of T2D (odds ratio = 1.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.27, 2.33). These results suggest that local food environment, including changes that result in greater access to unhealthy food outlets, is associated with T2D.

Ethnic enclaves and risk of psychiatric disorders among first- and second-generation immigrants in Sweden.

PURPOSE: Some non-Western immigrant groups in Europe have elevated risk of psychosis relative to native-born. It is hypothesized that neighborhood ethnic density moderates this risk. Immigration to Sweden has increased substantially recently, particularly from the Middle East. This study examined the relationship between neighborhood ethnic density (i.e., living in an immigrant enclave) and risk of psychotic and affective disorders among three groups: Iraqi immigrants, immigrants from other nations, and native-born Swedes. METHODS: Individuals aged 15-60, without prevalent psychopathology, were drawn from Swedish population-based registries and followed from 2005 to 2010 (N = 950,979). Multi-level logistic regression was used to examine the association between neighborhood ethnic composition and incident psychopathology. RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of psychopathology was greater in Iraqi enclaves relative to predominantly Swedish neighborhoods (6.3 vs. 4.5%). Iraqis living in enclaves did not have significantly greater risk of psychosis (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.66, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.92-2.97) or affective disorders (OR: 1.04, 95%CI 0.85-1.27) relative to those in predominantly Swedish neighborhoods. There was no increased risk of psychosis (OR: 0.93, p > 0.05) or affective disorders (OR: 0.93, p > 0.05) for other immigrants living in an enclave. Swedes living in an enclave had elevated risk of both psychosis (OR: 1.37, p < 0.05) and affective disorders (OR: 1.14, p < 0.05) relative to those in predominantly Swedish neighborhoods. Second-generation Iraqis had higher risk of psychotic but not affective disorders relative to first-generation. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood ethnic density does not moderate risk of psychopathology for immigrants in Sweden. Findings regarding Swedes are consistent with social drift.

Immigrant enclaves and risk of diabetes: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The diversity of the Swedish population has increased substantially over the past three decades. The aim of this study was to assess whether living in an ethnic enclave is associated with risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) among first and second-generation immigrants and native Swedes. METHODS: Cumulative incidence of DM in three urban municipalities was assessed from 2006-2010 by linking records from the national census, multi-generational family register, and prescription drug register. Immigrant enclaves were identified using Moran's Index. Multi-level logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between enclave residence and risk of DM for three groups: Iraqi immigrants, non-Iraqi immigrants, and native Swedes (N = 887,603). RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of DM was greater in Iraqi enclaves compared to other neighborhoods (4.7% vs. 2.3%). Among Iraqi immigrants, enclave residence was not associated with odds of DM (Odds ratio (OR): 1.03, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.86 - 1.24). Among other immigrants, enclave residence was not associated with DM after accounting for neighborhood deprivation. Among native Swedes, enclave residence was associated with elevated risk of DM even after accounting for neighborhood deprivation and individual-level characteristics (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.11 - 1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Residential ethnic composition is associated with DM but this relationship differs across ethnic group. Enclave residence is not associated with increased odds of DM for immigrants, regardless of their nation of origin, but it is associated with increased likelihood of DM for native Swedes.

Immigrant enclaves and risk of drug involvement among asylum-seeking immigrants in Sweden: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Sweden is a major host nation for asylum-seeking immigrants, and residential placement of these immigrants is an important policy concern. This quasi-experimental study estimated of the impact of being placed into an "immigrant enclave" on risk of officially-recognized drug involvement (ORDI) among asylum-seeking immigrants over a 15-year period. METHODS: All data come from Swedish registries. The sample consisted of (a) asylum-seeking immigrants aged 5-35 years old at arrival (N = 51,017) that were subject to a nationwide policy (enforced 1987-1991) that dispersed asylum-seeking immigrants across municipalities, and (b) native-born Swedes aged 15 and older during this same period (N = 1,040,311). Neighborhood immigrant composition was quantified using the Reardon Index; residents of "immigrant enclave" neighborhoods (n = 960) were compared to residents of all other neighborhoods (n = 2,471). Cox proportional hazards models assessed the relationship between living in an enclave and risk of ORDI, identified by national registries, through 2015. RESULTS: Overall, 29.7% of immigrants were assigned to, and 25.5% of Swedes lived in, an enclave. Cumulative incidence of ORDI in enclaves was 6.34% as compared to 6.89% in other neighborhoods. Immigrants living in an enclave had lower risk of ORDI (Hazard ratio (HR): 0.86, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.77 - 0.96). This protective association was marginally stronger in lower poverty areas. Native-born Swedes living in an enclave had higher risk of ORDI (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03-1.08), a relationship that was exacerbated by neighborhood poverty. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood immigrant composition is associated with risk of ORDI, with differential associations for immigrants and native-born populations.