Gunilla Ringbäck Weitoft

The Influence of Educational Level on Polypharmacy and Inappropriate Drug Use: A Register-Based Study of More Than 600,000 Older People

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether low educational attainment is associated with polypharmacy and potential inappropriate drug use (IDU) in older people.

Is perceived nervousness and anxiety a predictor of premature mortality and severe morbidity? A longitudinal follow up of the Swedish survey of living conditions

Study objective: To find out if people perceiving nervousness, uneasiness, and anxiety have excess risks of premature death and severe morbidity. Design, setting, participants: Random samples of the Swedish population aged 16–74 years in 1980–81, 1988–89, and 1995–96 were followed up for 5 and 10 years with regard to deaths and hospital admissions for different causes. Relative risks were estimated by Poisson regression, comparing those who reported perceived nervousness, uneasiness, and anxiety with those who did not and adjustments were made for baseline characteristics as age, education, smoking, and longstanding illness. Main results: Perceived nervousness, uneasiness, and anxiety was strongly related to subsequent risks of suicide attempt and psychiatric disease. Those perceiving severe complaints of anxiety had a relative risk (fully adjusted) for suicide attempt of 9.2 (95% CI 3.0 to 28.8) for men and 3.1 (1.4 to 7.1) for women. Even for less severe complaints, there was a significant, but less pronounced excess risk. These negative feelings were also associated with later risks for all cause mortality, hospital care, and ischaemic heart disease, although to a lesser extent and more strongly among men. Unchanged relative risks over time shows no trend in response attitude and perceived anxiety seems to be a better predictor of a negative health outcome than self reported longstanding illness. Conclusions: Positive responses to self report survey questions about anxiety/nervousness are associated with adverse health outcomes, particularly hospital admission for deliberate self harm. This is an alarming signal bearing in mind the rapid increase in prevalence of perceived anxiety in the Swedish society.

Metropolitan income inequality and working-age mortality: A cross-sectional analysis using comparable data from five countries

The relationship between income inequality and mortality has come into question as of late from many within-country studies. This article examines the relationship between income inequality and working-age mortality for metropolitan areas (MAs) in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, and the United States to provide a fuller understanding of national contexts that produce associations between inequality and mortality. An ecological cross-sectional analysis of income inequality (as measured by median share of income) and working-age (25–64) mortality by using census and vital statistics data for 528 MAs (population >50,000) from five countries in 1990–1991 was used. When data from all countries were pooled, there was a significant relationship between income inequality and mortality in the 528 MAs studied. A hypothetical increase in the share of income to the poorest half of households of 1% was associated with a decline in working-age mortality of over 21 deaths per 100,000. Within each country, however, a significant relationship between inequality and mortality was evident only for MAs in the United States and Great Britain. These two countries had the highest average levels of income inequality and the largest populations of the five countries studied. Although a strong ecological association was found between income inequality and mortality across the 528 MAs, an association between income inequality and mortality was evident only in within-country analyses for the two most unequal countries: the United States and Great Britain. The absence of an effect of metropolitan-scale income inequality on mortality in the more egalitarian countries of Canada. Australia, and Sweden is suggestive of national-scale policies in these countries that buffer hypothetical effects of income inequality as a determinant of population health in industrialized economies.

Sex Differences in Inappropriate Drug Use: a Register-Based Study of Over 600,000 Older People

Background: Several studies have observed a higher rate of inappropriate drug use in elderly women than in elderly men, although few have focused explicitly on sex differences. Also, educational level (a measure of socioeconomic status) has been associated with both polypharmacy and inappropriate drug use in the elderly population, which could explain sex differences in inappropriate drug use. Objective: To investigate whether sex is associated with inappropriate drug use in a large general population of older people, after adjustment for age, socioeconomic status (ie, educational level), and comorbidity (ie, number of drugs). Methods: We conducted an analysis of data on sex, age, dispensed drugs, and education for people aged 75–89 years who were registered in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register between July and October 2005 (N = 645,429). The main outcome measures were the filling of prescriptions for anticholinergic drugs or long-acting benzodiazepines, concurrent use of 3 or more psychotropic drugs, and potentially serious drug–drug interactions. Results: Potentially inappropriate drug use was more common in women (24.6%) than in men (19.3%). More women than men were exposed to all types of inappropriate drug use, except for potentially serious drug–drug interactions. Logistic regression analysis showed that women were more likely to be exposed to potentially inappropriate drug use than were men (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.26) after adjustment for age, education, and number of drugs (used as a proxy for comorbidity). In particular, female sex was highly associated with Inappropriate psychotropic use (eg, long-acting benzodiazepines: adjusted OR [ORadjusted] 1.45; 95% CI 1.42 to 1.49; >3 psychotropic drugs: QRadjusted 1.50; 95% CI 1.47 to 1.53). In contrast, women had a lower probability of potentially serious drug-drug interactions than did men (ORadjusted 0.81; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.83). Conclusions: Inappropriate drug use in the elderly should be monitored separately for women and men. Our results suggest that neither socioeconomic status nor comorbidity seem to explain sex differences in inappropriate drug use. Future research in other large study populations is needed for investigation of other explanations behind these sex differences.

Underweight, overweight and obesity as risk factors for mortality and hospitalization

Aims: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in many countries. We aimed to investigate differences in mortality and severe morbidity between underweight people (body mass index (BMI)<18.5), overweight people (BMI 25 to <30), obese people (BMI≥30), and those with normal weights (BMI 18.5 to <25). Methods: Random samples of the Swedish population aged 16—74 years in 1980—81 and 1988—89 were followed for 12 years with regard to all-cause mortality and mortality from circulatory diseases, all inpatient care, and inpatient care for circulatory and musculoskeletal diseases. Relative risks (RRs) for different levels of BMI were adjusted for age, longstanding illness, smoking, and educational level at baseline. In addition, analyses were made with delayed entry until the fourth-year after interview. Results: Obesity and underweight, but not overweight, was associated with higher all-cause mortality. Among underweight men, the adjusted RR for all-cause mortality was 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.6—3.6), and among underweight women it was 2.0 (1.5—2.7), but population attributable risks (PARs) were small, at 1.2% and 2.7%, respectively. Overweight was associated with increased risks for inpatient care for circulatory diseases, with PARs being 13.4% among men and 8.1% among women, and musculoskeletal diseases (PARs were 12.7% and 12.9%, respectively). Obese men and women had about 50% higher risks of all-cause mortality than normal-weight people, PARs being 3.2% and 3.8% respectively. Conclusions: This study supports the findings of other studies, in that overweight seems to be an exaggerated risk factor for all-cause mortality, but is related to other chronic disease. Underweight and obesity generally implies greater increases of RRs, but avoidance of overweight may have greater effect on the population level with regard to reduced cardiovascular and locomotor disease.

ADHD in international adoptees: a national cohort study

Several investigators have reported an increased frequency of attention/hyperactivity symptoms in international adoptees, though population-based studies are lacking. In this national cohort study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of ADHD medication in international adoptees in Sweden, in comparison to the general population. A further purpose was to study gender, age at adoption and region of origin as predictors of ADHD medication in international adoptees. The study population consisted of all Swedish residents born in 1985–2000 with Swedish-born parents, divided into 16,134 adoptees, and a comparison population of 1,326,090. ADHD medications were identified in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register during 2006. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios. The rates of ADHD medication were higher in international adoptees than in the comparison population for both boys (5.3 vs. 1.5% for 10–15-year olds) and girls (2.1 vs. 0.3% for 10–15-year olds). International adoptees from all regions of birth more often consumed ADHD medication compared with the majority population, but the age and sex adjusted odds ratios were particularly high for adoptees from Eastern Europe, Middle East/Africa and Latin America. Adjusting for maternal education and single parenthood increased the odds ratios even further. The risk also increased with higher age at adoption. Adoptees from Eastern Europe have a very high risk for ADHD medication. A structured identification and support programme should be tailored for this group. Adoptees from other regions have a more moderately increased risk, which should be communicated to adoptive parents and to professionals who care for adoptees in their clinical practice.

Quality of medical care and excess mortality in psychiatric patients—a nationwide register-based study in Sweden

Objective To assess overall and cause-specific mortality and the quality of somatic care among psychiatric patients. Design A register-based cohort study. Setting All individuals aged 20–79 years in Sweden in 2005. Participants In total 6 294 339 individuals. Primary outcome measure The individuals were followed for mortality in 2006 and 2007, generating 72 187 deaths. Psychiatric patients were grouped according to their diagnosis in the National Patient Register. Mortality risk of psychiatric patients was compared with that of non-psychiatric patients. Estimates of RR of mortality were calculated as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs using Poisson regression analysis. Psychiatric patients were compared with non-psychiatric patients for three healthcare quality indicators: the proportion of avoidable hospitalisations, case death rate after myocardial infarction and statin use among diabetic patients. Results Compared with individuals with no episodes of treatment for mental disorder, psychiatric patients had a substantially increased risk of all studied causes of death as well as death from conditions considered amenable to intervention by the health service, that is, avoidable mortality. The highest mortality was found among those with another mental disorder, predominantly substance abuse (for women, an IRR of 4.7 (95% CI 4.3 to 5.0) and for men, an IRR of 4.8 (95% CI 4.6 to 5.0)). The analysis of quality of somatic care revealed lower levels of healthcare quality for psychiatric patients, signalling failures in public health and medical care. Conclusion This study shows a marked increase in excess mortality, suggesting a lower quality of somatic healthcare in psychiatric patients.

School grades, parental education and suicide—a national register-based cohort study

Background To investigate whether school performance is a risk factor for suicide death later in life and, if so, to what extent this is explained by intergenerational effects of parental education. Methods This population-based cohort study comprises national birth cohorts between 1972 and 1981 in Sweden. We followed 898 342 students, graduating between 1988 and 1997 from the 9 years of compulsory school, equivalent to junior high school, until 31 December 2006, generating 11 148 758 person-years and 1490 suicides. Final school grades, in six categories, and risk of suicide were analysed with Poisson regression. Results The incidence rate ratio (RR) for suicide death for students with the lowest grades was 4.57 (95% CI 2.82 to 7.40) for men and 2.67 (1.42 to 5.01) for women compared to those with highest grades after adjustment for a number of sociodemographic and parental morbidity variables, such as year of graduation, parental education, lone parenthood, household receiving social welfare or disability pension, place of schooling, adoption, maternal age and parents mental illness. Students with grades in the middle categories had RRs in between. These relationships were not modified by parental education. Conclusions The strong association between low school grades and suicide in youth and young adulthood emphasises the importance of both primary and secondary prevention in schools.

Education and Use of Dementia Drugs: A Register-Based Study of Over 600,000 Older People

Background/Aims: Low education has been shown to be a risk factor for dementia. However, little is known about the association between educational level and dementia drugs. Methods: We conducted a register-based study in Sweden of 645,973 people aged 75–89 years. Data on age, sex, type of residential area (urban/rural), dispensed drugs and education were analyzed from people aged 75–89 years registered in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register during July to October 2005. The 3 main outcome measures were dispensed dementia drugs, cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine) and memantine. Results: Dementia drugs were used by 3% of the study population, cholinesterase inhibitors by almost 3% and memantine by 0.4%. High education was associated with dementia drugs (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.19–1.34 for ≧15 years of education compared with ≤9 years), cholinesterase inhibitors (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.17–1.33 for ≧15 years of education compared with ≤9 years) and, especially, memantine (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.26–1.68 for ≧15 years of education compared with ≤9 years), after adjustment for age, sex, type of residential area and number of dispensed drugs. Conclusion: The results indicate that there may be inequalities in the use of dementia drugs among elderly Swedes. Future research is required to explain why educational level has the opposite relationship to dementia drugs than to dementia diagnosis.

Mortality, attempted suicide, re-hospitalisation and prescription refill for clozapine and other antipsychotics in Sweden—a register-based study

The aim of this study was to analyse prescription refill, re‐hospitalisation, total mortality, mortality because of suicide and attempted suicide among patients who were taking various types of antipsychotics.