This thesis presents perspectives of men regarding abortion, contraceptive use and sexuality. Contrary to what we had expected, men expressed anxiety over abortion and contraceptive use, not because the issues concerned women’s health, but rather because men associated them with extramarital sexual activity they thought women were concealing. To understand the meanings of sexuality and factors shaping these meanings appeared to be a necessary step in promoting women’s health. We thus included in the study participants with different characteristics including men, women and adolescents, and used a variety of qualitative methods to explore in-depth these issues. Men’s anxiety over wives’ sexuality seemed to be exacerbated by their separation from the family through labour migration, and their inability to play the expected role of the family breadwinner. The men described using different strategies to ensure their wives did not use contraceptives. Men’s perspectives and the related dynamics seem therefore to be a manifestation of contradictory experiences of gender power within contexts of spousal separation. The thesis also illuminates the paradoxical situation of adolescents and adolescent sexual and reproductive health. As guardians, the men described how they are intolerant to premarital sex and pregnancy, which might threaten the expected bride wealth from the marriage of a daughter or sister. They therefore respond with violence. Ironically, information or service which would enable unmarried girls to prevent pregnancy is also denied. This is so in spite of the great concern by families over premarital pregnancy, and common knowledge that young girls are sexually abused by adult men. The men and boys described the pressure they exert on the girls for sex, but also how they then blame the girls for deliberately becoming pregnant in order to trap them into marriage. The boys are nevertheless anxious about pregnancy also for fear of family violence and the threat of being forced to terminate schooling. The girls expressed feeling trapped between the violence from guardians and partners, a situation which may lead to unsafe abortion. The silence, denial and violence imply the young people generally cannot discuss sexual abuse or abortion with parents, or seek health care when needed. Rather, sexually transmitted infections may be ndured or even self-treated, and abortion sought in silence. Preventive actions such as condom use are similarly difficult for the youth. The knowledge the youth may have about AIDS may also simply become a burden when room for applying it is limited. This thesis challenges public health promotion approaches that assume firstly a universal manifestation of gender power, and secondly ability of individuals to effect behaviour change once provided with information regardless of contextual factors. Whether in AIDS education or involvement of men in sexual and reproductive health, understanding social contexts and dynamics, and identities and experiences within these contexts is crucial.

FOOD HABITS, DIETARY INTAKE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS DURING ECONOMIC CRISIS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN CENTRAL JAVA, INDONESIA Th. Ninuk Sri Hartini, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences, Dept. of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Community Health and Nutrition Research Laboratories, Gadjah Mada University, Jogjakarta, Indonesia; Nutrition Academy, Ministry of Health, Jogjakarta, Indonesia ABSTRACT Objectives: The overall objective of this thesis was to study the effect of the economic crisis on food habits, dietary intake and nutritional status among pregnant women in Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia. Subjects and methods: Since 1994, the Community Health and Nutrition Research Laboratories (CHN-RL), Gadjah Mada University, Jogjakarta, Indonesia have operated a surveillance system in Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia. Between 1996 and 1998, a monthly monitoring of new pregnancies took place within the surveillance system. This project included a detailed evaluation of dietary intake during pregnancy. Each trimester six repeated 24-hour recalls were conducted on 450 pregnant women. Weight and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were measured monthly, height and serum ferritin concentration was measured once. Here, the dietary intake and nutritional status of the women during the second trimester are evaluated in relation to the emergence of the economic crisis, that started in 1997. Women were classified into four socio-economic groups. A computer program (Inafood) was developed to calculate nutrient intake. To support the quantitative results, a qualitative study was carried out between January and June 1999. Focus group discussions were held with four groups of women, in-depth interviews with 16 women, three traditional birth attendants and four midwives, and observations were carried out with four women. Here, food habits and coping strategies in relation to the economic crisis were explored. Results: Before the crisis, more than 80% of the pregnant women had inadequate energy and 40% had inadequate protein and vitamin A intake. All women had inadequate calcium and iron intake. The food intake consisted of rice, nuts and pulses and vegetables, meaning that it was mainly plant-based food. Rice behaved as a strongly inferior good in economic term, meaning that its consumption increased in spite of its price increase. Rice remained an important supplier of energy, protein and carbohydrates also during the crisis. Especially, rural, poor women with access to rice fields increased their rice intake and decreased their intake of non-rice staple foods. Reasons for the continued rice intake included the women had been accustomed to eating rice since they were born and that cooking methods for non-rice staple foods were difficult. The intake of animal food was low initially and decreased further during the economic crisis. Rich women decreased their intake of fat. The intake of nuts and pulses and vegetables increased for most groups. Nuts and pulses were an important supplier of calcium and iron, and vegetables were an important supplier of vitamin A. The rural, poor women with access to rice fields kept their food taboos also during the crisis. Rich women were able to maintain a good nutrient intake during the crisis, although fat intake decreased. Also, urban poor and rural, poor, landless women had an increased intake “during crisis” because relatives and neighbour provided some foods and perhaps also because of the government support programme. Conclusion: Before the crisis, energy and nutrient intake of pregnant women were inadequate. The food pattern of the women was predominately plant-based. Rich women were able to maintain a good nutrient intake during the crisis, although fat intake decreased. Rural poor women with access to rice fields had a higher rice intake than other groups throughout the crisis. Urban poor and rural poor, landless women experienced a decreased intake of most nutrients in the transition period but an increased intake during the crisis, reflecting government intervention and support from relatives and neighbours. The latter, however, is not sustainable. Thus, vulnerable groups are at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies without food support programmes. Key words: Food intake, nutrient intake, nutritional status, food pattern, pregnancy, food habits, coping strategies, economic crisis, Indonesia.

Background: Iron and zinc are difficult to provide in sufficient amounts in complementary foods to infants world-wide, resulting in high prevalence of both iron and zinc deficiency. These deficiency states cause anemia, delayed neurodevelopment, impaired growth, and increased susceptibility to infections such as diarrhea and respiratory infections. Design: Two different intervention strategies; reduction of a possible inhibitor of iron and zinc absorption, i.e. phytate, or supplementation with iron and zinc, were applied to two different populations in order to improve iron and zinc nutrition: In a high-income population (Umeå, Sweden), the amount of phytate in commonly consumed infant cereals was reduced. Healthy, term infants (n=300) were at 6 mo of age randomized to phytate-reduced infant cereals, conventional infant cereals, or infant formula and porridge. In a low income population (Purworejo, Indonesia), daily iron and zinc supplementation was given. Healthy, term infants (n=680) were at 6 mo randomized to supplementation with iron, zinc, a combination of iron and zinc, or placebo. Blood samples, anthropometrical measurements, and data on infant neurodevelopment and morbidity were collected. Also, in the Swedish study, detailed information on the dietary intake was recorded. Results: In the Swedish study, the reduction of phytate had little effect on iron and zinc status, growth, development or incidence of diarrhea or respiratory infections, possibly due to the presence of high contents of ascorbic acid, which may counteract the negative effects of phytate. In the Indonesian study, significant negative interaction between iron and zinc was evident for several of the outcomes; Hb and serum ferritin improved more in the iron only group compared to placebo or the combined iron and zinc group. Further, supplementation with iron alone improved infant psychomotor development and knee-heel length, whereas supplementation with zinc alone improved weight and knee-heel length compared to placebo. Combined iron and zinc supplementation did decrease the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and low serum zinc, but had no other positive effects. Vomiting was more common in the combined group. Analyses of dietary intake from the Swedish study showed that dietary iron intake in the 6-11 mo period was significantly associated with Hb, but not serum ferritin at 9 and 12 mo, whereas the opposite was true in the 12-17 mo period, i.e. dietary iron intake was significantly associated with serum ferritin, but not Hb at 18 mo. Conclusions: The phytate content of commercial infant cereals does not seem to contribute to poor iron and zinc status of Swedish infants as feared. However, the current definitions of iron and zinc deficiency in infancy may overestimate the problem, and a change in the recommended cutoffs is suggested. These studies also indicate that dietary iron is preferably channeled towards erythropoiesis during infancy, but to an increasing amount channeled towards storage in early childhood. This suggests that in evaluating dietary programs, Hb may be superior in monitoring response to dietary iron in infancy, whereas S-Ft may respond better later in childhood. However, as shown in this study, increasing Hb may not necessarily be an indicator of iron deficiency, as more dietary iron increased Hb regardless of iron status. In the low-income setting combined supplementation with iron and zinc resulted in significant negative interaction. Thus, it is not possible to recommend routine iron-zinc supplementation at the molar concentration and mode used in this study. It is imperative that further research efforts are focused at finding cost-effective strategies to prevent iron and zinc deficiency in low-income populations.

<p>Childhood obesity appears to be increasing throughout the world. China has joined the global epidemic. Childhood obesity is not only a chronic disease which is associated with lifestyle, but also a public health problem in children. Obesity intervention should become a public health priority in China. This thesis reports on intervention to treat and prevent childhood obesity. The field work was implemented in Beijing, China. </p><p>This thesis is based on four papers: Paper I evaluated the feasibility and impact of family-based behavior treatment on obese children. Two years of intervention resulted in obese children with improvements in body mass index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. </p><p>Paper II assessed the effects of a school-based intervention on obesity among primary school children. After a three-year intervention, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were significantly lower in the intervention schools than in the control schools. Fewer non-obese children became obese in the intervention schools than in the control schools. </p><p>Paper III explored the family related factors of overweight in 2- to 6-year-old children. Significant associations were observed between children’s overweight and parent characteristics for frequency of eating in restaurants, daily time spent viewing television, and engaging in physical activity. Child overweight was associated with parental overweight, low maternal education level and television watching >2h/d. </p><p>Paper IV investigated how grandparents influence their young grandchildren’s eating behaviors in Chinese three-generation families, using qualitative method. Three domains identified through the seven themes included: (1) Grandparents as primary caretakers of children in the three-generation family, (2) Grandparents' attitudes to child nutrition and healthy eating habits, and (3) The role of food as an educational and emotional tool. The results showed that nutrition education involving grandparents is thus a potential framework for improving healthy dietary behaviors in young children.</p>

Childhood obesity appears to be increasing throughout the world. China has joined the global epidemic. Childhood obesity is not only a chronic disease which is associated with lifestyle, but also a public health problem in children. Obesity intervention should become a public health priority in China. This thesis reports on intervention to treat and prevent childhood obesity. The field work was implemented in Beijing, China. This thesis is based on four papers: Paper I evaluated the feasibility and impact of family-based behavior treatment on obese children. Two years of intervention resulted in obese children with improvements in body mass index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. Paper II assessed the effects of a school-based intervention on obesity among primary school children. After a three-year intervention, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were significantly lower in the intervention schools than in the control schools. Fewer non-obese children became obese in the intervention schools than in the control schools. Paper III explored the family related factors of overweight in 2- to 6-year-old children. Significant associations were observed between children’s overweight and parent characteristics for frequency of eating in restaurants, daily time spent viewing television, and engaging in physical activity. Child overweight was associated with parental overweight, low maternal education level and television watching &gt;2h/d. Paper IV investigated how grandparents influence their young grandchildren’s eating behaviors in Chinese three-generation families, using qualitative method. Three domains identified through the seven themes included: (1) Grandparents as primary caretakers of children in the three-generation family, (2) Grandparents' attitudes to child nutrition and healthy eating habits, and (3) The role of food as an educational and emotional tool. The results showed that nutrition education involving grandparents is thus a potential framework for improving healthy dietary behaviors in young children.

The main objective of this epidemiological study was to assess the incidence of unintentional non-fatal injuries, together with their determinants and consequences, in a defined Vietnamese population, thus providing a basis for future prevention. A one-year follow-up survey involved four quarterly cross-sectional household injury interviews during 2000. This cohort study was based within a demographic surveillance site in Bavi district, northern Vietnam, which provides detailed, longitudinal information in a continuous and systematic way. Findings relate to three phases of the injury process: before, during and after injury. The study showed that unintentional non-fatal injuries were an important health problem in rural Vietnam. The high incidence rate of 89/1000 pyar reflected almost one tenth of the population being injured every year. Home injuries were found to be most common, often due to a lack of proper kitchens and dangerous surroundings in the home. Road traffic injuries were less common but tended to be more severe, with longer periods of disability and higher unit costs compared with other types of injury. The leading mechanisms of injury were impacts with other objects, falls, cuts and crushing. Males had higher injury incidence rates than females except among the elderly. Elderly females were often injured due to falls in the home. Being male or elderly were significant risk factors for injury. Poverty was a risk factor for injuries in general and specifically for home and work related injuries, but not for road traffic injuries. The middle income group was at higher risk of traffic injuries, possibly due to their greater mobility. Injuries not only affected people’s health, but were also a great financial burden. The cost of an injury, on average, corresponded to approximately 1.3 months of earned income, increasing to 7 months for a severe injury. Ninety percent of the economic burden of injury fell on households, only 8% on government and 2% on health insurance agencies. Self-treatment was the most common way of treating injuries (51.7%), even in some cases of severe injury. There was a low rate of use of public health services (23.2%) among injury patients, similar to private healthcare (22.4%). High cost, long distances, residence in mountains, being female and coming from ethnic minorities were barriers for seeking health services. People with health insurance sought care more, but the coverage of health insurance was very low. Some prevention strategies might include education and raising awareness about the possible dangers of injury and the importance of seeking appropriate care following injury. To avoid household hazards, several strategies could be used: better light in the evening, making gravel paths around the house, clearing moss to avoid slipping, wearing protective clothing when using electrical equipment and improving kitchens. Similarly, improving road surfaces, having separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists and better driver training could reduce road accidents. In Vietnam, and especially in a rural district without any injury register system, a community-based survey of unintentional injuries has been shown to be a feasible approach to injury assessment. It gave more complete results than could have been obtained from facility-based studies and led to the definition of possible prevention strategies.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory joint disease associated with psoriasis. PsA has a heterogeneous pattern, expressed by different manifestations such as mild mono-oligoarthritis or very severe, erosive and destructive polyarthritis. Measurable inflammatory activity is not always prominent. The aetiology is unknown but genetic factors are believed to be of importance. The pattern of inheritance is proposed to be polygenic. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of joint and axial manifestations, characterise the disease in relation to inflammatory and genetic markers, and to identify disease susceptibility gene(s) for PsA in patients from northern Sweden. All patients from the city of Umeå (n=276), selected from a community and hospital based psoriasis register (n=1737) at the Dept of Dermatology, were invited to a prevalence study. Two hundred-two patients were examined and 97 (48%) had inflammatory manifestations such as peripheral arthritis, axial disease, undifferentiated spondylarthropathy (uSpA) and enthesopathies. Of the 67 patients (33 %) with peripheral arthritis and/or axial disease, 30 were not previously diagnosed. The association of clinical manifestations and potential markers of aggressive joint disease with HLA associations were analysed in 88 patients with PsA. We were not able to confirm findings of other groups reporting strong association with several HLA-antigens. The prevalence of HLA-B17, B37 and B62 was increased compared with controls, but the strongest predictive factors among our patients for an aggressive disease, in a multiple logistic analysis, were polyarthritic disease and distal interphalangeal engagement. In order to investigate for disease susceptibility genes, five genetic loci were analysed with microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms in an association study of 120 patients with PsA. There was a significant association with the TNFB locus on chromosome 6p but not with any other loci examined; 1q21 (PSORS4), 3q21 (PSORS5), 8q24 and CTLA4. When stratifying for the TNFB alleles the association was confined to allele 123. In a subgroup of patients who were HLA-typed (n=83), we were not able to verify linkage disequilibrium with the TNFB allele 123 and the HLA antigens; B17, B27, B37, B62 or Cw*0602. The presence of renal abnormalities was evaluated as a manifestation of systemic inflammation in 73 patients with PsA. Renal abnormalities defined as decreased creatinine-clearance (≤ mean - 2SD) and/or urinary albumin &gt;25 mg/24 h was found in 23% of the patients. The predictive factors for renal abnormalities was inflammatory activity (ESR &gt; 25 mm/h and/or CRP &gt;15 mg/L) indicating a systemic effect in some of the patients. In conclusion, we found high prevalence of inflammatory manifestations in patients with psoriasis. There was no strong association between PsA and HLA antigens and predictive factors for aggressive disease were polyarthritic disease and DIP joint engagement. The TNFB locus was associated with PsA and there were no linkage disequilibrium with the HLA antigens B17, B27, B62 or Cw*0602. There were evidence for systemic effects as renal abnormalities in patients with PsA and measurable inflammatory activity.

There is still a debate concerning the evidence base for community interventions. The randomised clinical trial design (RCT) is increasingly challenged as a gold standard for their evaluation. This thesis takes the Norsjö health programme in Västerbotten as the starting point for a discussion about the ethical platform of community interventions and for exploring the role of self-rated health. The specific objectives are: 1) to better understand barriers to community participation and to assess the role of ethical premises among decision-makers, 2) to explore how health related norms and attitudes interact with self-rated health and the risk factor outcome of an intervention and 3) to analyse the gender and socio-cultural interplay of self-rated health with biomedical risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The participation and views of different actors in the planning and implementation phases of the intervention were studied by contrasting information between official documents, interviews with decision makers and professionals and questionnaires to community members. The role of basic values in setting priorities and choosing intervention strategies utilised a questionnaire design with hypothetical scenarios sent to a representative sample of Swedish health care politicians. Qualitative research interviews were used to explore health related norms and attitudes. Health examination measurements and questionnaire data formed the basis for analysis of the development of self-rated health and risk factor load during a 10-year follow-up of the intervention. Access to a stroke registry enabled a case-referent approach for studying the interaction between bio-medical risk factors, socio-demographic factors and self-rated health. Data from the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) could be utilised for a cross-country comparison with a “sister project” in Otsego, U.S.A. The results point to both strengths and limitations of the efforts made to involve people in the intervention. The problem definition mainly remained with the professionals and participation as a goal in itself, strengthening local democracy was felt to be an exaggerated ambition. However, there was an overall agreement about the seriousness of the health problem, the need to intervene and about the implementation mode. Self-rated health and reported behavioural change were important indicators of participation and young men with bad health seemed to have been least involved. Among Swedish health care politicians there was an overall agreement to allocate resources for prevention directed towards communities when there are serious health problems. The majority preferred an intervention strategy that involved primary health care. The risk of harm by creating some degree of anxiety or stigma was for many considered an acceptable drawback of a successful intervention. The follow-up study revealed a positive risk factor reduction accompanied by a positive development of self-rated health, especially for men. Additional support for an intervention effect was given through a comparison with a reference area. The interaction pattern between risk reduction and self-rated health was more polarised for men than for women, with a corresponding pattern for the lower compared to the higher educated. These results could be linked to a transition in the health related norm system and to “ideal types” representing attitudinal sets towards the intervention. The case-referent analysis suggested an interaction effect between self-rated health and bio-medical risk factor load in predicting stroke that was greater for men than for women. The cross-country comparison revealed a stronger influence of education in the U.S.A. The lower educated, with a high risk load, had a greater risk of self-rated poor health than their Swedish counterparts. The thesis suggests that self-rated health is an unexplored indicator, potentially important for understanding the complexity of community interventions. Self-rated health may predict disease development as well as modify the impact of established risk factors.

The use of hand-held vibrating tools may lead to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), a condition with vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms. Vibrating tools are used in several occupations in which women can be found, e.g. by metal- and wood workers, drivers, and dental personnel. The risk of women developing HAVS is hard to estimate, as little research has been done on women exposed to hand-arm vibration. The overall aim of this thesis has been to fill this gap of knowledge. It is based upon one questionnaire study and one interview study on women who have reported an occupational injury related to hand-arm vibration. The thesis also comprises two laboratory studies of female and male subjects exposed to hand-arm vibration from a handle. The questionnaire and the interview study showed that the women had a high prevalence of symptoms, such as numbness, weakness, pain and white fingers. Neurological symptoms were more common and developed after shorter time of exposure compared to vascular symptoms. The symptoms had a considerable impact on all domains of the women’s lives, not only on their physical functioning, such as the ability to work, to participate in leisure activities and to do household activities, but also on their relationships and identity. Forty per cent of the women had retired or retrained due to the injury. Dental personnel had the highest relative risk of vibration injuries. In one of the laboratory studies 12 female and 12 male subjects were exposed to vibration in two vibration directions, (Xh and Zh) and at two vibration levels. The absorbed power was higher in the Zh direction and at the higher vibration level. The volumes of the subjects’ arms affected the power absorption in the Zh direction. There were no indications of a gender difference in the absorption of power. In the other laboratory study, the effect of handle size, vibration level, anthropometric measures and maximal grip force on the ability to perform a precision task was studied in 20 female and 20 male subjects. Ratings of difficulty and discomfort were made after each test round. The results indicate that the male subjects performed better in all the tests, but no gender difference was seen in the ratings. The higher vibration level resulted in higher ratings of discomfort. In the female subjects, the handle size, the anthropometric measures and maximal grip force affected both the performance and the ratings. In conclusion, the studies indicate that vibration injuries are severely disabling and influence many parts of the sufferer’s life. Vibration injuries are preventable, and the extensive consequences found underscore the importance of preventive action. This can be done by informing employees about the risks, and by giving them the opportunity to choose suitable machines and to practice work tasks when starting a new job.

<p>The aim the thesis was to investigate, the prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS). Moreover, we examine symptom severity and different levels of distress and describe how different symptoms from the lower urinary tract affect the self-assessed health, sadness, happiness and the quality of life in men. </p><p>The studies are based on two data collections. In the first data collection, all men aged 40 – 80 years (n=2571) living in the Swedish community received a postal questionnaire. Twelve months later, 504 men who had earlier reported LUTS and 504 who had not reported symptoms were asked to complete the DAN-PSS and the SF-36 questionnaires. </p><p>The overall prevalence of LUTS was 24%. Post-micturition dribbling (21%) was the most frequent symptom, and stress incontinence (2%) was the least frequent symptom. Urge incontinence, stress incontinence and “other” incontinence cause a high level of distress, even if the symptoms do not occur very often. Men experiencing mild, moderate or severe urge, stress or “other incontinence” had lower mean scores for all of the eight dimensions measured by the SF-36 than men without the same symptoms. Men experiencing a moderate/severe degree of weak stream or nocturia reported a poorer quality of life in all dimensions compared to men with a mild level of the same symptoms. The total burden of moderate/severe LUTS is related to self-assessed health, sadness and happiness. For each of the 12 specific LUTS, men with mild, moderate or severe symptoms had lower scores for self-assessed health and happiness, and higher scores for self-assessed sadness, than men without the same symptoms. </p><p>In conclusions, one of every four men reports LUTS. Urinary incontinence causes high level of distress even to men who experience this symptom rarely. LUTS have a negative impact on quality of life, health, sadness and happiness. </p>