Population based study of health and living conditions in areas with both Sámi and Norwegian populations--the SAMINOR study.

OBJECTIVES: The overall aim of the SAMINOR project was to study health and diseases in relation to living conditions among the Sámi population and to compare these with the Norwegian population in the same area. This article provides an overview of the background of the study and a description of the methods employed for the data collection. We give sample characteristics and elaborate on different definitions of ethnicity. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, population-based study, including questionnaires, a clinical examination and analyses of blood samples. METHODS: All individuals 30 or 36 to 79 years of age who were living in defined municipalities or specified local areas with a known Sámi population were invited to a cardiovascular screening program. The data were collected during 2003-2004. The questionnaires focused on living conditions, health, Sámi traditions and ethnicity. The eligible population consisted of 27,987 individuals and 16,865 (60.6%) participated by answering at least one questionnaire. Analyses were restricted to the 36 to 79 year-old age group which had 16,538 participants. The screening program comprised a blood sample, measurements of blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip ratio. Different definitions of Sámi ethnicity were explored. RESULTS: Of the sample, 35.6% reported Sámi background, and 13.2% reported that they, their parents and their grandparents had Sámi as their domestic language. This stringent definition of Sámi produced clearer differences between Sámi and Norwegians, as shown for some measures of socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: The findings that are related to more strict definitions of Sámi ethnicity have important implications for the interpretation of earlier works and for future studies.

[Changes in cardiovascular risk factors among men in Oslo during 28 years]. / Endring i risikofaktorer for hjerte- og karsykdom blant menn i Oslo gjennom 28 år.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to measure changes in known risk factors for cardiovascular disease among men over a period of 28 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present cohort study comprises a selection of men previously included in the Oslo-study of 1972/73. The men selected, were either followed-up in the Oslo II study (n = 5,323), or were included in five other studies in the period 1996-2001 (n = 1,834). The total material is named The second screening of the Oslo-study and consists of 7157 men. RESULTS: The men were born between 1923 and 1952. All age groups showed a marked increase in mean weight by 4.4 Kg. Body Mass Index changed from 24.3 to 26.4 kg/m2 , coinciding with reduced level of physical activity in all age groups. A comparison of body mass index in men of the same age in 1972/73 and 2000, show a mean increase in body mass index of two units. An increase of 0.30 mmol/L glucose (non-fasting) was observed. Total cholesterol decreased from 6.19 to 5.95 mmol/L and triglycerides remained unchanged (1.89 to 1.87 mmol/L). Systolic blood pressure increased but not the diastolic pressure. Overall 30.8 % of the men took medication for increased blood pressure, versus 3.1 % at the first screening. The percentage of daily smokers decreased from 44.2 % to 17.4 %. INTERPRETATION: The most encouraging result was the strong reduction in number of daily smokers. The study confirms the weight increase observed among men in Norway.

[Is a healthy lifestyle worthwhile?]. / Lønner det seg å leve sunt?

BACKGROUND: The men invited to participate in the Oslo Study in 1972/3 were invited again to participate in the Oslo II study in 2000. We examined whether self-reported lifestyle habits were associated with biological markers, a range of symptoms and several illnesses in 2000. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In addition to data from Oslo II, were data from those men of the Oslo-cohort who participated in 5 other studies between 1998 and 2001. The total material is named The second screening of the Oslo-study. Levels of lipids and glucose, height, weight, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure were measured in 6,410 men born in 1923-32 that participated in both surveys. Participants were divided into four groups according to their lifestyle habits in both surveys, as follows: unhealthy, somewhat unhealthy, somewhat healthy and healthy lifestyle. RESULTS: Participants with a healthy lifestyle had a lower number of symptoms and illnesses, prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and waist-hip ratio, compared to those with a less healthy lifestyle. The number of men with psychological distress leading to treatment, was inversely associated with an increasingly healthy lifestyle. After adjustment for level of education and smoking in both 1972/3 and in 2000, the relationship between health profile and lifestyle became more linear. INTERPRETATION: A healthy lifestyle was associated with protective levels of risk factors and lower prevalences of a wide range of illnesses.

Genetic and environmental contributions to the variance of the body mass index in a Norwegian sample of first- and second-degree relatives.

Height and weight were measured in a health screening of the population in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Correlations for the body mass index were computed for 23,936 pairs of spouses, 43,586 pairs of parents and offspring, 19,151 pairs of siblings, 1,251 pairs of grandparents and grandchildren, 1,146 cognate avuncular pairs, 801 noncognate avuncular pairs, 168 pairs of same-sexed twins, and smaller groups of other types of relatives. Correlations were largely independent of age and age difference within pairs of relatives, suggesting a stable effect of the same set of genes and familial environment throughout adulthood. No effect of convergence during marriage could be detected. Correlations were approximately .20 for parents and offspring, .26 for same-sexed siblings, .20 for opposite-sexed siblings, .58 for monozygotic twins, and close to zero for most second-order relatives. Results from structural equation model-fitting indicate a broad heritability of .4, much of which is due to genetic dominance or other genetic nonadditivity.

Promoting physical activity in a multi-ethnic district - methods and baseline results of a pseudo-experimental intervention study.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: A combined community and high-risk intervention study of three years duration started in one district in Oslo after a baseline health survey in two multi-ethnic and low socio-economic status (SES) districts, using a pseudo-experimental design with an age-matched sample from the other district as controls. The intervention focused on promoting physical activity to reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: A total of 6140 subjects were invited to participate (age group: 31-67). Data on health status and health-related behaviours, collected via standardized questionnaires, physical examinations and blood sample analyses, were available for 2950 persons (attendance rate 48%), whereas official statistics were available for the invited population. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported diabetes was 5.1% in men and 3.5% in women, but the total diabetes prevalence was 9% for men and 5.1% for women. One-third of the population were sedentary in their leisure time, men more than women (38% versus 29%). The prevalence of obesity did not differ between the genders (21% had BMI 30 kg/m(2)). The relatively high mean scores on most psychosocial variables related to physical activity, especially among women, indicate a high motivational readiness for increase in physical activity behaviour. The baseline data, for example on the prevalence of chronic diseases were similar in the two districts. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-reported diabetes is remarkably higher than reported from other studies in Norway. The proportion of undiagnosed diabetes was higher than anticipated, and constituted 39% of all those categorized as diabetics.