Young children's voices in an unlocked Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden was one of the few countries that rejected lockdowns in favour of recommendations for restrictions, including careful hand hygiene and social distancing. Preschools and primary schools remained open. Several studies have shown negative impacts of the pandemic on children, particularly high levels of anxiety. The study aim was to explore how Swedish school-aged children aged 6-14 years, experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and their perceived anxiety. METHODS: In total, 774 children aged 6-14 years and their guardians answered an online questionnaire containing 24 questions, along with two instruments measuring anxiety: the Children's Anxiety Questionnaire and the Numerical Rating Scale. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used for analysing the quantitative and qualitative data. Each data source was first analysed separately, followed by a merged interpretative analysis. RESULTS: The results showed generally low levels of anxiety, with no significant sex differences. Children who refrained from normal social activities or group activities (n=377) had significantly higher levels of anxiety. Most of the children were able to appreciate the bright side of life, despite the social distancing and refraining from activities, which prevented them from meeting and hugging their loved ones. CONCLUSIONS: These Swedish children generally experienced low levels of anxiety, except those who refrained from social activities. Life was nonetheless mostly experienced as normal, largely because schools remained open. Keeping life as normal as possible could be one important factor in preventing higher anxiety and depression levels in children during a pandemic.

To be or not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 - The adolescents' perspective - A mixed-methods study in Sweden.

Vaccination of the population seems to be an important strategy in halting the COVID-19 pandemic in both local and global society. The aim of this study was to explore Swedish adolescents' willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and its association with sociodemographic and other possible factors. A survey was distributed in Sweden between 7 July and 8 November 2020. The main qualitative question concerned adolescents' thoughts on vaccination against COVID-19 and evaluated whether the adolescents would like to be vaccinated when a COVID-19 vaccine is made available. In total, 702 adolescents aged between 15 and 19 responded to the questionnaire. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. The results showed that nearly one in three adolescents had not decided if they wanted to get a COVID-19 vaccine, i.e. 30.5%: n = 214. Of the participants 54.3% (n = 381) were willing to be vaccinated. Girls had higher levels of anxiety about the vaccine compared to boys. In addition, high levels of anxiety impacted on the participants' willingness to be vaccinated. One reason for being undecided about the vaccine was that participants felt they did not know enough about it. Practising social distancing increased willingness to be vaccinated, as reflected in the qualitative results which showed participants wanted to be vaccinated to protect others. The results impart important knowledge to healthcare professionals and contribute to their communication with adolescents about vaccine hesitancy.

[Reproductive risk factors associated with breast cancer in Colombian women]. / Factores de riesgo reproductivo asociados al cáncer mamario, en mujeres colombianas.

INTRODUCTION: As of 1992, breast cancer has been the second cause of death in Columbian women, with a rising trend in mortality due to this type of neoplasm (average annual rate 4.5*/100.000 inhabitants). Information about potential risk factors for breast cancer in Latin American countries is scarce. The objectives of the project were to test the breastfeeding protection against breast cancer and to establish the reproductive factors associated with breast cancer in Columbia. METHODS: A hospital case-control study was carried out from July 1995 to March 1996 in Bogotá, Columbia, using paring by age groups. The study population consisted of 171 histopathologically confirmed cases and 171 controls. Reproductive history and sociodemographic data were collected through a questionnaire, and logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: The following associated factors were found as principal results: nuli-parousness as compared with women with over 3 children (OR=3.35 CI 1.40-8.0), age at first birth (OR=1.83 CI 0.70- 4.80), breast cancer history, breastfeeding the first child (OR=0.09 CI 0.01-0.64 for 1-11 months) and with a highly significant trend for accumulated breastfeeding above 24 months (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates the importance of focusing on the promotion of prolonged breastfeeding by women identified as being at higher risk, and confirms that socio-economic level can determine life styles and reproductive events among women (such as breastfeeding time); this could explain the increase in breast cancer mortality in Latin American countries, similar to that in developed countries in terms of fertility and risk factors for breast cancer. The epidemiological information produced by this study will be useful for planning and carrying out early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in women identified as being at high risk of this disease.

Organochlorine exposure and breast cancer risk in Colombian women.

An epidemiological study was performed in Santa Fé de Bogota, Colombia, with a total of 306 women enrolled, including 153 incident BC cases and 153 age-matched controls. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between BC risk and serum dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethene (DDE) levels. Sociodemographic and reproductive data, diet, and past exposure to pesticides were obtained through a structured questionnaire. Chemical analysis of samples was performed by high resolution gas chromatography-ECD. Likelihood of developing BC by exposure to these substances was evaluated through odds ratios (OR) adjusted for: first-child breast-feeding, family BC history, body mass index (BMI), parity, and menopausal status. Data analysis was performed by conditional logistic regression techniques. Adjusted OR for exposure to serum DDE and BC suggests an increase risk of BC in the higher category of DDE exposure (OR=1.95; CI 1.10-3.52). The test for trend was not statistically significant (p=0.09). We confirm that serum DDE levels bear a positive association to risk of BC and could support the association between risk of BC and burden of DDE exposure.

Organochlorine exposure and breast cancer risk in Colombian women

Em estudo epidemiológico realizado em Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colômbia, 153 casos incidentes de câncer de mama (CM) foram comparados com 153 controles, pareados por idade. Avaliou-se a associaçäo entre o risco de CM e níveis séricos do pesticida DDT(DDE). Dados reprodutivos e sócio-demográficos, características da dieta e informaçäo sobre exposiçäo pregressa a pesticidas foram obtidos por meio de questionário. A análise química de amostras de sangue foi realizada através de cromatografia a gaz de alta resoluçäo - ECD. A verossimelhança de desenvolver CM como decorrência de exposiçäo a estas substâncias foi avaliada através de odds ratios (OR), obtidas por técnicas de regressäo logística condicional, ajustadas para amamentaçäo do primogênito, história familiar de CM, índice de massa corporal, paridade e presença de menopausa. As OR ajustadas sugerem um risco aumentado de CM no estrato de maior exposiçäo a DDE (OR + 1,95; C.I. 1,10-3,52), embora o teste de tendência fosse estatisticamente näo significativo (p=0,09). Os resultados encontrados constataram que os níveis séricos de DDE estäo positivamente associados com o risco de CM, e poderiam apoiar a hipótese desta associaçäo.