Theodor Abelin

On the epidemiology of running injuries The 1984 Bern Grand-Prix study

Using a survey questionnaire design, we investigated the incidence, site, and nature of jogging injuries among all participants of a popular 16 km race. The response rate was 83.6%. Of 4,358 male joggers, 45.8% had sustained jogging injuries during the 1 year study period, 14.2% had required medical care, and 2.3% had missed work because of jogging injuries. Occur rence of jogging injuries was independently associated with higher weekly mileage (P < 0.001), history of previous running injuries (P < 0.001), and competitive training motivation (P = 0.03). Higher mileage was also associated with more frequent medical consultations due entirely to jogging-related injuries. In 33 to 44 year olds (N = 1,757), the number of years of running was inversely related to incidence of injuries (P = 0.02). Injuries were not significantly related to race running speed, training surface, characteristics of running shoes, or relative weight. Achillodynia and calf muscle symptoms were the two most common overuse injuries and occurred significantly more often among older run ners with increased weekly mileage. We conclude that jogging injuries are frequent, that the number of firmly established etiologic factors is low, and that, in recom mending jogging, moderation should be the watchword.

Pathomorphological findings in thyroid cancers of children from the Republic of Belarus: a study of 86 cases occurring between 1986 (‘post‐Chernobyl’) and 1991

Recently, an impressive increase in malignant thyroid tumours has been observed among children less than 15 years of age living in the Republic of Belarus at the time of the nuclear accident of Chernobyl in 1986. More than half of these patients lived in the region of Gomel, nearest to Chernobyl. Because of the very short time interval between the accident and the tumour occurrence an independent review of the available histopathological material was done. Out of 101 cases diagnosed as thyroid cancers, we reviewed slides of 93 cases and agreed the diagnosis of malignancy in 92.5%. Of these tumours 96.5% were papillary carcinomas, 61.5% were moderately or poorly differentiated. Extrathyroidal extension was observed in 60.5%, regional lymph node metastases in 74% and distant metastases in 7%. One of the patients died from lung metastases. Our results confirm that the neoplasms increasingly diagnosed between 1986 and 1991 among children of this region are thyroid carcinomas. In addition, we correlate several histopathological findings with sex and age of the patients and other parameters, and compare the results with data from other studies.

Spitaleintritte wegen akutem Myokardinfarkt — Eine Trendanalyse

Hospitalization trends for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) since 1974 have been analyzed on the basis of the Swiss Hospital Discharge Data Base. There are indications for a reduction of morbidity of AMI for men below 65 years.RésuméAnalysée sur la base de la Statistique médicale VESKA, montre, pour la première fois, des indices sérieux pour une diminution de la morbidité par IM chez les hommes de moins de 65 ans en Suisse.SummaryHave been analyzed on the basis of the Swiss Hospital Discharge Data Base. There are indications for a reduction of morbidity of AMI for men below 65 years.

Global public health: A challenge for the 21st century

Public health is as old as the epidemic occurrence of disease, but as the nature o f epidemics changed, public health constantly developed to meet the new challenges. A last major adaptation occurred when it was recognised that a number o f severe chronic diseases were caused by unfavourable behaviours related to eating habits, substance abuse, and lack o f physical exercise. It reached maturity with the Ottawa Charter on Health Promotion of19861, when the need for intersectoral action and empowerment was recognised as countermeasures to social, economic, and ecologic developments incompatible with good health. Health promotion has since primarily relied on action in local settings. Networks o f healthy schools, workplaces, health facilities, and communities were developed across national borders, mainly with the aim to facilitate and support local action. However, many of todays health problems are beyond significant influence of localised action, because they are aggravated if not caused by developments at the global level Increasing air traffic and international transports spread infectious diseases o f humans and animals across borders faster than ever. Multinational companies have introduced new products into what had been subtly balanced regional economies, weakening local production and leading to those lifestyles having previously caused chronic disease in the industrialised world. International tobacco companies bring aggressive product promotion to countries where local manufacturers had been satisfied with smaller markets. Thriving toward economic growth and shareholder value brings about stress and chronic fatigue among those having a chance to be among the winners, and frustration, social isolation, addictive behaviour, hunger and illnesses caused by poverty to the many losers. Climate change due mainly to automobile and air traffic has already led to floods and landslides in catastrophic dimensions, and threatens to bring tropical diseases in what had so far been temperate climate zones 2.