Genomic relationships of the North American isolate of infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) to the Norwegian strain of ISAV.
(9/3226)
Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were determined for a 436 bp reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) cDNA fragment from genome segment 8 and a 1151 bp RT-PCR cDNA fragment from genome segment 2 of the North American isolate of infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) and compared to the published sequences of Norwegian isolates of ISAV. The North American ISAV isolate exhibited 82.9% identity with the Sotra 92/93 ISAV isolate from Norway in the partial cDNA sequence of genome segment 2, which encodes a polymerase component protein (PB1). The North American ISAV exhibited 88 and 89% identity with 2 partial cDNA sequences of genome segment 8 (nonstructural, NS, gene) reported for the Glesvaer/2/90 isolate from Norway. The North American ISAV exhibited 96.6% similarity with the Sotra 92/93 ISAV isolate from Norway in the deduced amino acid sequences of the PB1 protein. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein encoded in the partial cDNA fragment of open reading frame (ORF) 1 of genome segment 8 of the North American ISAV exhibited only 71.2 and 66.7% similarity with the 2 sequences of the Norwegian Glesvaer/2/90 isolate. However, the North American ISAV isolate exhibited 96.2 and 87.2% similarity with the 2 sequences of the Norwegian Glesvaer/2/90 isolate in the deduced amino acid sequences of the protein encoded in the partial cDNA of ORF 2. Comparison of these partial cDNA nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences confirmed that the North American isolate is ISAV. However, the differences observed in these genomic sequences suggest that the North American isolate may represent a distinct genomic variant from the previously described Norwegian strains. (+info)
Breast cancer screening by mammography in Norway. Is it cost-effective?
(10/3226)
BACKGROUND: Mammography screening is a promising method for improving prognosis in breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this economic analysis, data from the Norwegian Mammography Project (NMP), the National Health Administration (NMA) and the Norwegian Medical Association (NMA) were employed in a model for cost-effectiveness analysis. According to the annual report of the NMP for 1996, 60,147 women aged 50-69 years had been invited to a two-yearly mammographic screening programme 46,329 (77%) had been screened and 337 (0.7%) breast cancers had been revealed. The use of breast conserving surgery (BCS) was in this study estimated raised by 17% due to screening, the breast cancer mortality decreased by 30% and the number of life years saved per prevented breast cancer death was calculated 15 years. RESULTS: The cost per woman screened was calculated 75.4 Pounds, the cost per cancer detected 10.365 Pounds and the cost per life year (LY) saved 8.561 Pounds. A raised frequency of BCS, diagnosis and adjuvant chemotherapy brought two years forward, follow-up costs and costs/savings due to prevented breast cancer deaths were all included in the analysis. A sensitivity analysis documented mammography screening cost-effective in Norway when four to nine years are gained per prevented breast cancer death. CONCLUSION: Mammography screening in Norway looks cost-effective. Time has come to encourage national screening programmes. (+info)
Use of laboratory testing for genital chlamydial infection in Norway.
(11/3226)
OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of laboratory tests for genital chlamydial infection in Norway. DESIGN: Questionnaire survey of general practitioners' practice in chlamydial testing, retrospective survey of laboratory records, 1986-91, and prospective study of testing in one laboratory during four weeks. SETTING: All 18 microbiological laboratories in Norway (4.2 million population), including one serving all doctors in Vestfold county (0.2 million population). SUBJECTS: 302 general practitioners. MAIN MEASURES: GPs' routine practice, methods used for testing, 1986-91, and sex specific and age group specific testing in 1991. RESULTS: 201(69%) GPs replied to the questionnaire: 101(51%) would test all women younger than 25 years at routine pelvic examination, 107(54%) all girls at first pelvic examination, 131(66%) all pregnant women, and 106(54%) all men whose female partner had urogenital complaints. Nationwide in 1986, 122,000 tests were performed (2.9 per 100 population); 10% were positive and 51% were cell culture tests. In 1991, 341,000 tests were performed (8.0 per 100 population); 4.5% were positive and 15% were cell culture tests. 13,184 tests were performed in Vestfold in 1991 (6.6 per 100 population). The age group specific rates (per 100 population) among women were: age 15-19 years, 22.0(95% confidence interval 18.2 to 25.8); 20-24 years, 47.2(42.1 to 52.3); 25-29 years, 42.3(37.1 to 47.5); 30-34 years, 29.8(25.4 to 34.2); and 35-39 years, 12.5(9.5 to 15.5). CONCLUSIONS: GPs use liberal indications for testing. The dramatic increase in testing, especially by enzyme immunoassays, in populations with a low prevalence of infection results in low cost effectiveness and low predictive value of positive tests, which in women over 29 years is estimated as 17-36%. IMPLICATIONS: Doctors should be educated about the limitations of enzyme immunoassays in screening low prevalence populations, and laboratories should apply a confirmatory test to specimens testing positive with such assays. (+info)
Provocative appeals in anti-smoking mass media campaigns targeting adolescents--the accumulated effect of multiple exposures.
(12/3226)
This paper reports findings from a longitudinal study that evaluated the accumulated effect of three consecutive mass media campaigns using provocative and dissonance arousing appeals to prevent cigarette smoking by adolescents. In the spring of 1992, all eligible adolescents aged 14 and 15 in one intervention county (N = 4898) and one control county (N = 5439) in Norway were included in the study, and were followed until they were 17 and 18 years of age in 1995. Only students who completed questionnaires both in 1992 and 1995 were included in the analyses. Among the non-smokers at baseline, a significantly lower proportion of adolescents of both genders had started to smoke in the intervention county compared to the proportion in the control county. Among those who were smokers at baseline, significantly more girls in the intervention county had stopped smoking than in the control county, while no significant difference between the counties was detected among boys. Our findings suggest that provocative and dissonance arousing appeals that create affective reactions and lead to interpersonal communication should be given more attention in campaigns designed to influence adolescent smoking. However, such appeals may easily produce negative reactions and the normative context should be thoroughly considered when using such appeals in future interventions. (+info)
Do local inhabitants want to participate in community injury prevention?: a focus on the significance of local identities for community participation.
(13/3226)
During the 1980s the community became the object of new interest and enthusiasm among many health promotion practitioners and researchers, and the principle of community participation was put on the research agenda. However, recent evaluations of major community health promotion programs have questioned the value of community interventions. This paper argues that the community level need not be of less importance in future health promotion initiatives. It is discussed whether the cultural dimension and the significance of local identities, neglected in most community health promotion programs, should receive more attention when local inhabitants are invited to participate in health promotion or disease prevention activities. Results from a study of injury prevention projects in small Norwegian municipalities indicate that the inhabitants' identification with local spatial subarenas might play an important role when they decide to become involved in injury prevention. Contemporary sociological approaches to the community, focusing on developments of local identities in processes of globalization, have formed a theoretical frame of reference in this study. (+info)
Evaluation of the Norwegian campaign against the illegal spirits trade.
(14/3226)
In 1993, a 21m NOK (3m US$) national campaign against trade with illegal spirits (homebrewed or smuggled) was launched in Norway. This article reports results of its evaluation study. Surveys covering the age range 16-80 were carried out just before the campaign started and 1 year later. Half of those responding at baseline as well as a new sample were surveyed after 1 year. While at baseline 48% reported to have drunk and 16% to have bought illegal spirits during the last 12 months, the corresponding figures after 1 year were 42 and 14%. Significant associations between being exposed to the campaign and reduced use and buying of illegal spirits were found. Further, use and buying of illegal spirits at baseline, and stopping to use and buy illegal spirits from baseline to follow-up were analyzed in bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. In the multivariate prediction of stopping to use illegal spirits, only behavioral norms and significant others' opinions (both measured at baseline) obtained significance. (+info)
Mammography: influence of departmental practice and women's characteristics on patient satisfaction: comparison of six departments in Norway.
(15/3226)
OBJECTIVE: To investigate how departmental practice and women's characteristics are related to low patient satisfaction with mammography. DESIGN: Survey of patients by means of self administered questionnaires before and after mammography. PATIENTS: 488 women (89% of those invited), aged 23-86 years, at six departments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Low level of satisfaction measured on psychometric scales of physical pain, psychological distress, staff punctuality and technical skills, information provided, and physical surroundings. RESULTS: Satisfaction varied by department on the scales for pain, punctuality, information, and surroundings. After adjustment for women's characteristics an attributable risk of negative outcome by department was identified on the scales for pain, distress, punctuality, information, and surroundings. Adjusted odds ratio (ORs) ranged from 0.3 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2 to 6.0) on the pain scale, to 6.0 (2.9 to 12.3) on the punctuality scale. After adjustment for confounding variables, higher risk of dissatisfaction was associated with age < 50, nervousness about mammography, expected pain, lack of knowledge about mammography, and distrust in mammography (adjusted OR (95% CI) ranged from 1.6 (1.0 to 2.7) to 3.7 (2.0 to 7.3)). CONCLUSION: Departmental practices differed for breast compression, information, punctuality, and facilities and were associated with a low level of satisfaction irrespective of patient characteristics. Women's lack of knowledge about mammography and distrust in the procedure were confirmed as risk factors for dissatisfaction. All these factors might be helped by training the staff, improving facilities, and informing the women. (+info)
Consanguinity and recurrence risk of stillbirth and infant death.
(16/3226)
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the recurrence risk for stillbirth and infant death and compare results for offspring of first-cousin parents with results for offspring of unrelated parents. METHODS: The study population consisted of all single births with a previous sibling born in Norway between 1967 and 1994. Altogether, 629,888 births were to unrelated parents, and 3466 births were to parents who were first cousins. The risk of stillbirth and infant death was estimated for subsequent siblings contingent on parental consanguinity and survival of the previous sibling. RESULTS: For unrelated parents, the risk of early death (stillbirth plus infant death) for the subsequent sibling was 17 of 1000 if the previous child survived and 67 of 1000 if the previous child died before 1 year of age. For parents who were first cousins, the risk of early death for the subsequent sibling was 29 of 1000 if the previous child survived and 116 of 1000 if the previous child died. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of recurrence of stillbirth and infant death is higher for offspring of first-cousin parents compared with offspring of unrelated parents. (+info)