Antti Uutela

The Prevalence and Context of Family Violence against Children in Finland.

The prevalence and context of violence against children in their families was surveyed as part of a study on the sexual abuse of children. A random sample of 409 comprehensive school classes with approximately 9,000 15-year-olds was asked to anonymously fill out questionnaires. The majority filled out the questionnaires in the privacy of the school nurses office, the rest in their classrooms. Of the selected classes, 88.8% participated in the survey, and the response rate of the students in those classes was 96%. Mild violence (slapping, pushing, etc.) was reported by 72% of the respondents, and severe violence (hitting with a fist, kicking, use of weapons) was reported by 8%. Violence was committed by the parents sometime before the children reached age 14. Incidents of violence during the year preceding the survey were reported by 19% and 5%, mild and severe, respectively. Mild violence was committed slightly more often by mothers than fathers. Severe violence was perpetrated more frequently by fathers. Girls reported mild abuse more often than boys. Severe violence was experienced equally often by both sexes. Children living with single mothers reported less-than-average mild violence, but more frequent severe violence. The highest incidence of severe violence was found among youth living in families with a stepfather. Unemployment in a family tended to increase both mild and severe violence. Violence was reported least often by children living in farming families or Swedish speaking families (which make up about 6% of Finnish population). Overall the frequency of violence toward children in Finland is significantly lower than in the U.S. Comparison to Sweden seems to show an identical level of child abuse, although different study methods make comparisons difficult.

The prevalence of child sexual abuse in Finland

The prevalence and context of child sexual abuse was surveyed in Finland. A random sample of 409 comprehensive school classes with about 9,000 15-year-olds were asked to anonymously fill out questionnaires. The majority (93%) filled the questionnaires out in the privacy of the school nurses office, the rest in their classrooms. Eighty-nine percent of the selected classes participated in the survey and the response rate of the students in those classes was 96%. Eighteen percent of girls and 7% of boys reported sexual experiences with a person at least 5 years older than themselves at the time of the incident. Voluntary experiences with boy or girlfriends were then excluded to get an estimate of the prevalence of sexual abuse. About 6-8% of girls and 1-3% (depending on the used criteria) of boys reported experiences that could be classified as sexual abuse. Force had been used against 2% and violence against 1% of the girls. Regional differences were so great both in sexual experience and in sexual abuse that they could be interpreted as giving support to a subculture theory of sorts. The results are compared with prevalence estimates from the United States and the Nordic countries.

The Prevalence and Context of Incest Abuse in Finland.

The prevalence and context of father-daughter incest was surveyed in Finland in connection with a larger study about physical and sexual child abuse in 1988. A random sample of 409 comprehensive school classes with about 9,000 15-year-olds were asked to fill out questionnaires anonymously. The majority (93%) responded in the privacy of the school nurses office, the rest in their classrooms. Eighty-nine percent of the selected classes participated in the survey and the response rate of the students in those classes was 96%. Girls reporting sexual experiences with their father or stepfather was 5%. Girls reporting experiences with their biological father was 2% and 3.7% of the girls living with a stepfather reported sexual experiences with him. This survey shows that the feelings of the girls about their incestual experiences are overwhelmingly negative. The results are compared with prevalence estimates from the U.S. and the Nordic countries.

Trends in the use of climacteric and postclimacteric hormones in Nordic countries

The extent of menopausal and postmenopausal hormone use in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden during 1981-1992 was studied by means of drug sales figures and associations between hormone use, education, employment and occupational status, by questionnaire surveys in each of the respective countries in the 1980s-90s. According to sales figures, hormone use has been different in each of the countries studied. In 1981 use was three times more common in Denmark than in Norway. In 1992 use had increased in all the other countries except Denmark, and was highest in Finland and Sweden. Based on 1981 data for Norway, on 1987 data for Denmark and on 1989 data for Finland, use of hormone therapy was related to education, employment or occupational status in Finland but not in Denmark or Norway. Differences in the phases of innovation diffusion between these countries may offer a partial explanation for these results.

Moral Reasoning and Values in Medical School: A longitudinal study in Finland

Changes in moral reasoning, value priorities and self-descriptions were examined in 43 medical students over the first two years of study. At both times, moral reasoning was assessed using a written Kohlberg Moral Judgment Interview, values by the Rokeach Value Survey and self-image by the Ha¨yrynen Inventory. Moral reasoning scores declined significantly while no significant changes were found in any other measures. Schwartzs value model was used to analyse the relationship of moral stages and values. In accordance with previous studies, universalism values correlated positively and self-enhancement values nega tively with moral stage. The instrumental value hierarchy of the students converged by the third year toward the typical medical student value hierarchy. The results are discussed in terms of the disillusionment hypothesis and alternative interpretations of the Kohlberg stages.

Social Functioning and Psychological Well‐Being of 347 Young Adults with Epilepsy Only—Population‐Based, Controlled Study from Finland

Summary:u2002 Purpose: To explore social functioning and psychological well‐being in a population‐based cohort of epilepsy patients compared to matched controls.

Hysterectomy among Finnish women: prevalence and women's own opinions

Hysterectomy among furnish women: Prevalence and Womens own Opinions. Luoto R., Hemminki E., Topo P., Uutela A. and Kangas I. University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health Helsinki, Finland This article describes the prevalence of hysterectomy, womens own opinions of it, and socioeconomic characteristics of hysterectomized women compared to non-hysterectomized ones. The questionnaire was sent in spring 1989 to 2000 45 to 64-year-old Finnish women picked randomly from the Population Census. After two reminders, 1713 (86%) had responded. One fifth of the women had had a hysterectomy and 5% had also had both ovaries removed. Among the highest educated there were less hysterectomized women than among the less educated. The largest differences in the prevalence of hysterectomy were between counties, not between socioeconomic groups. Fourtyone percent of the hysterectomized women had themselves wished hysterectomy, 25% did not have any specific opinion about the operation. Results raise further questions about clinical decision making and regional variation of hysterectomy.

Type a behaviour and back pain

Etude des relations entre la competitivite dans le monde du travail et le mal de dos en fonction du type demploi (travail sedentaire et travail manuel) realisee aupres de 461 employes dans lindustrie metallurgique

Alternative drug use for the climacteric in Finland

OBJECTIVESnTo investigate the use of alternative drugs for the climacteric in Finland, which products are used, and who are the women using them.nnnMETHODSnThe study was based on a population-based survey conducted in 1989 among 2000 Finnish women aged 45-64 (response rate 86%).nnnRESULTSn11% of the women reported the use of alternative drugs for the climacteric. Food supplements and bee products were the most common types of alternative drugs used. Some of them may have allergic or other side effects. Users differ little from other women judging by health habits and the utilization of health care services. The best predictors for alternative drug use were urban residence, more than 9 years of general education, and among 50 54-year olds, the use of prescription or OTC drugs for menopause. Over half of the users of alternative drugs had also used hormone therapy.nnnCONCLUSIONSnWomen using alternative drugs during and after the climacteric represent a large group. More information is needed about the clinical effects of alternative drugs, and the characteristics of alternative drug users.

Garlic: a sensory pleasure or a social nuisance?

A total of 100 female and male shoppers in Helsinki were interviewed to evaluate beliefs, attitudes and norms concerning the consumption of garlic. In a subsequent postal questionnaire, the annoyance related to the smell of garlic, compared with other social odors, was also measured. The most frequent beliefs about garlic pertained to its good taste, unpleasant smell, and healthiness. Users and non-users showed distinctly different belief patterns. Sweat and alcohol were considered the most annoying social odors, and garlic and perfume/aftershave the least so. The Fishbein-Ajzen model, in which individual beliefs and their evaluations as well as subjective norms were used as predictors, explained 35-36% of the variation of the reported consumption and intention to use garlic. The predictive power of the model rose to 56-62% when past behavior was included as a third independent variable. Although the predictive power of attitudes was greater than that of subjective norms, the latter were also significant predictors. Thus, use of garlic is a somewhat unusual form of food-related behavior in that it is controlled by both attitudes and normative factors.