Stroke morbidity in Swedish- and Finnish-speaking populations of Turku, Finland

Lammintausta, Aino; Lehtonen, Aapo; Immonen-Räihä, Pirjo; Kaarisalo, Minna M.; Torppa, Jorma; Airaksinen, Juhani; Salomaa, Veikko

doi:10.1080/14017430802389537

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…However, a recent European study found few differences between men and women in factors affecting mental well-being (Dreger et al, 2014). In addition, the same gender difference in language-groups in Finland has been observed in other areas of health, like stroke (Lammintausta et al 2009), myocardial infarction (Lammintausta et al, 2011) and mortality (Sipilä and Martikainen, 2009), and in wages and wealth (Saarela and Finnäs, 2004; Saarela, 2006). Nevertheless, further research is needed on the possible contribution of social environment to gender differences in schizophrenia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Risk of schizophrenia and minority status: A comparison of the Swedish-speaking minority and the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland

Suvisaari¹,

Opler²,

Lindbohm³

et al. 2014

Schizophrenia Research

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Approximately five percent of the Finnish population are Swedish-speaking and have higher socioeconomic position and longer life expectancy than the Finnish-speaking majority. Previous studies have not investigated whether Swedish-speaking Finns have lower risk of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) than Finnish-speaking Finns. We investigated this in a representative sample of 47 445 Finns born in 1972–1984. Hazard ratios of SSD between language groups were assessed with conditional proportional hazards regression. Sex, parental ages at birth, paternal employment around conception, parental psychosis and place and residence in the capital area were used as other explanatory variables. The prevalence of SSD was 0.7% in the Swedish-speaking minority and 1.5% in the Finnish-speaking majority. In the adjusted regression model, belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority was associated with lower risk of SSD (hazard ratio (HR) 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24–0.69). In a subset analysis by gender, the protective effect was evident among Swedish-speaking males (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.15–0.68) but marginal in females (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.41–1.37). Parental psychosis and place of birth in the capital area were associated with higher risk of SSD, whereas paternal employment at the time of conception was associated with lower risk of SSD. Our results support the role of social factors in the etiology of schizophrenia. Belonging to a minority with high socioeconomic status and social capital may be protective against schizophrenia, especially for males.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Risk of schizophrenia and minority status: A comparison of the Swedish-speaking minority and the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland

Suvisaari¹,

Opler²,

Lindbohm³

et al. 2014

Schizophrenia Research

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“…The Swedish-speaking minority in Finland tends to be in better health than the Finnish-speaking majority [10,40,41], and factors such as social status and social capital have been considered potential explanatory factors, though they do not completely account for differences [11,[42][43][44][45][46][47]. Anglophones in Québec have historically had higher social status [14,16], thus their higher life expectancy is not unexpected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life expectancy gap between the Francophone majority and Anglophone minority of a Canadian population

et al. 2011

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Language is an important determinant of health, but analyses of linguistic inequalities in mortality are scant, especially for Canadian linguistic groups with European roots. We evaluated the life expectancy gap between the Francophone majority and Anglophone minority of Québec, Canada, both over time and across major provincial areas. Arriaga's method was used to estimate the age and cause of death groups contributing to changes in the life expectancy gap at birth between 1989-1993 and 2002-2006, and to evaluate patterns across major provincial areas (metropolitan Montréal, other metropolitan centres, and small cities/rural areas). Life expectancy at birth was greater for Anglophones, but the gap decreased over time by 1.3 years (52% decline) in men and 0.9 years (47% decline) in women, due to relatively sharper reductions in Francophone mortality from several causes, except lung cancer which countered reductions in women. The life expectancy gap in 2002-2006 was widest in other metropolitan centres (men 5.1 years, women 3.2 years), narrowest in small cities/rural areas (men 0.8 years, women 0.7 years), and tobacco-related causes were the main contributors. Only young Anglophones <40 years in small cities/rural areas had mortality higher than Francophones, resulting in a narrower gap in these areas. Differentials in life expectancy favouring Anglophones decreased over time, but varied across areas of Québec. Tobacco-related causes accounted for the majority of the current life expectancy gap.

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“…Nevertheless, recent data concerning Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) from north Savonia suggest that ischemic strokes remain relatively common in eastern Finland [122]. Previous data also show the importance of cultural factors in stroke incidence, which are evident when Swedish-speaking and Finnishspeaking Finnish men are compared (the Swedish-speaking minority also shows a lower all-cause mortality) [123][124][125]. It is, therefore, unfortunate that current data on nationwide stroke incidence and the recent trends in Finland are not available, let alone valid and comprehensive epidemiological sex-, age-and region-specific data that include variables indicating socioeconomic status, cultural associations and modifiable stroke risk factors.…”

Section: Great Unknownsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult-Onset Neuroepidemiology in Finland: Lessons to Learn and Work to Do

Sipilä

2023

JCM

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Finland is a relatively small genetic isolate with a genetically non-homogenous population. Available Finnish data on neuroepidemiology of adult-onset disorders are limited, and this paper describes the conclusions that can be drawn and their implications. Apparently, Finnish people have a (relatively) high risk of developing Unverricht-Lundborg disease (EPM1), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal muscular atrophy, Jokela type (SMAJ) and adult-onset dystonia. On the other hand, some disorders, such as Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) and Wilson’s disease (WD), are almost absent or completely absent in the population. Valid and timely data concerning even many common disorders, such as stroke, migraine, neuropathy, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, are unavailable, and there are virtually no data on many less-common neurological disorders, such as neurosarcoidosis or autoimmune encephalitides. There also appear to be marked regional differences in the incidence and prevalence of many diseases, suggesting that non-granular nationwide data may be misleading in many cases. Concentrated efforts to advance neuroepidemiological research in the country would be of clinical, administrative and scientific benefit, but currently, all progress is blocked by administrative and financial obstacles.

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Stroke morbidity in Swedish- and Finnish-speaking populations of Turku, Finland

Abstract: The attack rate of ischaemic stroke was lower among Swedish-speaking than among Finnish-speaking men. This difference was not totally explained by the higher SES of the Swedish-speaking population.

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Risk of schizophrenia and minority status: A comparison of the Swedish-speaking minority and the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland

Risk of schizophrenia and minority status: A comparison of the Swedish-speaking minority and the Finnish-speaking majority in Finland

Life expectancy gap between the Francophone majority and Anglophone minority of a Canadian population

Adult-Onset Neuroepidemiology in Finland: Lessons to Learn and Work to Do

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