Gudrun Kristjansdottir

Factors associated with suicide ideation in adults

Abstract The study considers numerous factors potentially related to suicide ideation in adults, including life stress, stress perceptions, social support, personality, alcohol use, chronic conditions, distress symptoms and sociodemographic background. Using data from a health survey of 825 adult residents in the urban Reykjavik area of Iceland, the study finds that financial hardship, legal stress, family difficulties, stress perceptions and low material support are significantly related to thoughts of committing suicide. Multiple chronic conditions, frequent alcohol use and various forms of distress (e.g. depression, anxiety, hopelessness, pain) are also related to suicide ideation. Furthermore, low self-esteem and external locus of control (low sense of mastery) are both associated with suicidal thoughts. No significant relationships were found between sociodemographic background and suicide ideation. The meaning of the results, and their implications for continued theoretical and clinical work in this area, are discussed.

Sociodemographic differences in patterns of sedentary and physically active behavior in older children and adolescents

Numerous studies have found that involvement in moderate‐intensity and strenuous activity has positive effects on health. This study considered the prevalence of different aspects of physical activity and sedentary behavior in 11–16‐y‐olds based on a representative national survey of 3270 Icelandic primary schoolchildren (91% response rate). All‐day sedentary behavior was extremely rare (<1%), and the vast majority (91%) were physically active (≫3 times per week) during school or leisure time, thanks largely to school physical education. Only 39% were physically active (≫3 times per week) during leisure time, and only 29% engaged in regular (≫3 times per week) leisure time strenuous exercise. Girls were more sedentary, less leisure time physically active, and less involved in leisure time strenuous exercise. Sedentary behavior increased and physically active behavior decreased with age, especially after early adolescence. However, there were no age differences in strenuous leisure time exercise. Upper‐class students were less sedentary and more physically active during leisure time than working‐class students. Finally, rural students were more sedentary during leisure time, and less physically active than students from urban areas. An interaction was found between age and residence when predicting leisure time physical activity, indicating that the inverse age‐activity relationship in urban areas is partly reversed in rural areas.

Risk factors of back pain frequency in schoolchildren: a search for explanations to a public health problem

This study examined physical, behavioral and social factors associated with schoolchildrens back pain. Factors associated with back pain were also identified using a stepwise regression method. The study was based on a self‐administered questionnaire survey of a random national sample of 2173 Icelandic 11–12 and 15–16‐y‐old schoolchildren. It found that older subjects tended to report back pain more frequently than younger children. Back pain showed significant associations with different aspects of physical condition such as chronic health conditions, tiredness and physical fitness. A number of behavioral factors including participation in sports, television viewing, eating habits and smoking also had a relationship with back pain. Finally, children with lower social support were more likely to experience back pain.

A Study of the Needs of Parents of Hospitalized 2- to 6-Year-Old Children

The present study uses a qualitative approach to explore and identify areas of needs among parents of 2- to 6-year-old children who are hospitalized. An extensive literature review and informal in-depth interviews with five parents and six pediatric health care professionals were analyzed by content to develop a representative list of statements about needs. Six groups of needs were recognized: (a) the need to be able to trust doctors and nurses, (b) the need for information, (c) needs related to other family members, (d) a need to feel that they are trusted, (e) needs related to human and physical resources, and (e) the need for support and guidance. A congruency is found between statements about needs of parents of hospitalized 2- to 6-year-olds in the literature on the one hand and the needs of parents expressed by parents themselves and pediatric health care professionals on the other hand.

Venous oxygen saturation is reduced and variable in central retinal vein occlusion

Purpose To estimate the presence and variability of retinal hypoxia in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Bodily Deviations and Body Image in Adolescence

Adolescents with unusually sized or shaped bodies may experience ridicule, rejection, or exclusion based on their negatively valued bodily characteristics. Such experiences can have negative consequences for a person’s image and evaluation of self. This study focuses on the relationship between bodily deviations and body image and is based on a national survey of 3,898 students attending 9th and 10th grade (age 14-16) in the Icelandic school system (92% response rate). Girls had a considerably lower body image than boys. Overweight and heaviness were related to lower body image among both genders. Interactions with gender showed that short stature was negatively related to body image among boys, whereas underweight was positively related to body image among girls. Bodily deviations can have positive implications, as shown by the fact that tall boys and girls had a more positive image of their body than their peers of lower stature. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

The Relationship Between Pains and Various Discomforts in SchoolChildren

This study differentiates multiple and specific pain experiences (headache, stomach pain and back pain) in a sample of 2173 Icelandic 11- to 12- and 15- to 16-year-old schoolchildren, and explores their relationship with other discomforts typically viewed as distress symptoms. In particular, the study explores the relationship between pain combinations and specific as well as general discomforts. The study finds that subjects experiencing any frequency or number of pains have significantly more discomforts than painfree subjects. Furthermore, having two or more types of pain is associated with more discomfort than having individual pains at all pain frequency levels. Among subjects experiencing recurrent pain, the most frequent discomforts include anger, anxiety, sadness and sleeping difficulties. However, the discomforts most sensitive to recurrent pain include fatigue, dizziness, tension/restlessness, concentration problems and sadness. The results are troublesome in view of the generally high prevalence of pain experiences in schoolchildren.

The social context of drunkenness in mid-adolescence

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess sociodemographic, parental and peer predictors of self-reported drunkenness in mid-adolescence. Methods: The data were obtained from a national school survey covering a random half of all Icelandic 9th and 10th grade students (mean age 14.7 years). The overall response rate was 92% (n = 3,913). Results: 30% of the respondents reported having been drunk or intoxicated at least once during the 30-day period prior to the survey. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that living with a single father, or in an urban area; having friends who get drunk or accept drunkenness; being supported by friends; having a father who gets drunk; having parents who assent to drunkenness; and lacking support from parents, were significantly associated with drunkenness. The strongest predictors of drunkenness were drunkenness among friends and friends’ acceptance of drinking. The study did not find significant differences in the odds of drunkenness by gender or parental education. Students in 10th grade had higher odds of drunkeness than 9th grade students, which was accounted for by different family and peer contexts of younger and older adolescents. Conclusions: Residence, family structure, high peer support, peer acceptance, peer drunkenness, parental acceptance, father drunkenness, and low parental support was related to higher odds of drunkenness in mid-adolescents. The results give directions to future research and interventions intended to prevent alcohol abuse in this population.

Sociodemographic variations in parental role strain: Results from a national general population survey

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyse sociodemographic differences in specific and overall parental role strains in the general population of parents of children under 18. Methods: The study is based on a subsample of 872 Icelandic parents of children under 18, derived from a national postal health survey of Icelandic adults (response rate 69%). Results: The study found that parents age 25—54, parents with more children living at home, employed parents, and mothers, especially single mothers and mothers in lower income families, were more exposed than other parents to specific and overall strains associated with the parental role. Conclusions: Parental role strains were unevenly distributed in the parental population. Describing and explaining the distribution of parental role strains contributes to the wider understanding of adult population mental health.

Retinal oximetry measures systemic hypoxia in central nervous system vessels in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background Determination of the blood oxyhemoglobin saturation in the retinal vessels of the eye can be achieved through spectrophotometric retinal oximetry which provides access to the state of oxyhemoglobin saturation in the central nervous system circulation. The purpose of this study was to test the capability of the Oxymap T1 oximeter to detect systemic hypoxemia and the effect of supplemental oxygen on retinal vessel oxyhemoglobin saturation. Methods Oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in retinal arterioles and venules was measured in 11 subjects with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on long term oxygen therapy. Measurements were made with and without their daily supplemental oxygen. Eleven healthy age and gender matched subjects were measured during ambient air breathing for comparison of oxyhemoglobin saturation in retinal arterioles and venules. Retinal arteriolar oxyhemoglobin saturation in COPD subjects inspiring ambient air was compared with finger pulse oximetry and blood samples from radial artery. Results COPD subjects had significantly lower oxyhemoglobin saturation during ambient air breathing than healthy controls in both retinal arterioles (87.2%±4.9% vs. 93.4%±4.3%, p = 0.02; n = 11) and venules (45.0%±10.3% vs. 55.2%±5.5%, p = 0.01). Administration of their prescribed supplemental oxygen increased oxyhemoglobin saturation in retinal arterioles (87.2%±4.9% to 89.5%±6.0%, p = 0.02) but not in venules (45.0%±10.3% to 46.7%±12.8%, p = 0.3). Retinal oximetry values were slightly lower than radial artery blood values (mean percentage points difference = -5.0±5.4, 95% CI: -15.68 to 5.67) and finger pulse oximetry values (-3.1±5.5, 95% CI: -14.05 to 7.84). Conclusions The noninvasive Oxymap T1 retinal oximetry detects hypoxemia in central nervous system vessels in patients with severe COPD compared with healthy controls. The instrument is sensitive to changes in oxygen breathing but displays slightly lower measures than finger pulse oximetry or radial artery measures. With further technological improvement, retinal oximetry may offer noninvasive “on-line” measurement of oxygen levels in central circulation in general anesthesia and critically ill patients.