Cíl: Porovnat zdravotní stav, nemocnost, pohodu a zdravím podmíněnou kvalitu života starší městské populace ve staré zemi EU (Finsko) a v nové zemi EU (Estonsko). Typ studie: Populační kohortová studie využívající dotazníků rozesílaných poštou. Umístění: Helsinky, Finsko, Tallin, Estonsko. Osoby zahrnuté do studie: Náhodně vybraná populace mužů a žen ve věku 80?86 let žijících v Helsinkách (n = 969) a v Tallinu (n = 289). Hlavní výsledné ukazatele: Subjektivní hodnocení fyzické a psychické pohody, uváděné nemoci, zdravím podmíněná kvalita života měřená nástrojem 15D (skóre 15D na stupnici 0?1 a profil o 15 dimenzích). Výsledky: Vzorky byly srovnatelné z hlediska věku, pohlaví, vzdělání a nikotinové závislosti. Procento sledované populace, které žilo v jednočlenné domácnosti, bylo podstatně vyšší v Helsinkách než v Tallinu. Obyvatelé Tallinu uváděli podstatně častější výskyt kardiovaskulárních nemocí; v prevalenci diabetu, plicních onemocnění a rakoviny nebyly významné rozdíly. Subjektivní hodnocení fyzické a psychické pohody bylo podstatně lepší v Helsinkách, stejně jako zdravím podmíněná kvalita života měřená nástrojem 15D. Skóre 15D bylo 0,812 (95 % CI 0,804?0,821) v Helsinkách a 0,767 (95 % CI 0,749?0,785) v Tallinu (p < 0,0001), rozdíl byl klinicky významný. Nejzřetelnější rozdíly v profilu 15D se týkaly těchto dimenzí: deprese, smutek, vitalita, sexuální a vyměšovací funkce, zrak a sluch. Rozdíly se prakticky nezměnily ani při porovnání etnických Estonců (s vyloučením estonských Rusů) s účastníky studie z Helsinek. Závěr: Výsledky studie ukazují jasné rozdíly mezi zdravotním stavem a zdravím podmíněnou kvalitou života starší populace ve staré a v nové zemi EU. Tyto rozdíly jsou pravděpodobně způsobeny zdravotní zátěží, psychologickými a socioekonomickými omezeními za sovětské éry v Estonsku., Objective: To compare health, diseases, wellbeing and health related quality of life of urban community-dwelling elderly in an old EU country (Finland) and a new EU country (Estonia). Design: A population based cohort study with postal survey. Setting: Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia. Subjects: 80-86 year old randomly selected community dwelling men and women in Helsinki (n = 969) and Tallinn (n = 289). Main outcome measures: Self reported health and psychological wellbeing, reported diseases, health related quality of life measured by the 15D instrument (both 15D score on a 0-1 scale and profile with 15 dimensions). Results: The samples were comparable as to age, sex, education, and smoking status. A significantly greater proportion lived alone in Helsinki than in Tallinn. The inhabitants of Tallinn reported significantly more cardiovascular diseases, whereas the prevalencies of diabetes, pulmonary diseases and cancer were not significantly different. The self reported health and psychological wellbeing were significantly better in Helsinki, as was the health-related quality of life measured by the 15D instrument. 15D score was 0.812 (95 % CI 0.804?0.821) and 0.767 (95 % CI 0.749?0.785) in Helsinki and Tallinn, respectively (p < 0.0001), the difference was clinically important. In the 15D profile clearest differences were observed in the following dimensions: depression, distress, vitality, sexual and elimination functions, seeing and hearing. The differences remained virtually unchanged when comparing only ethnic Estonians (excluding Estonian Russians) with participants in Helsinki. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate clear differences in elderly health and health related quality of life between an old and new EU country. These differences are probably due to both disease burden, and psychological and socioeconomic constraints during the Soviet era in Estonia., and T. E. Strandberg, K. Saks, A. Soots, K. H. Pitkälä, H. Sintonen, T. Huusko, R. S. Tilvis
BACKGROUND: The male-female ratio at birth (M/F: male births divided by total births), which is anticipated to approximate 0.515, has been shown to exhibit latitude gradients and secular trends. METHODS: Annual national data for male and female live births for the 15 countries that comprise the former Soviet Union were obtained from the World Health Organisation for the period 1980-2009 (115,167,569 total live births) and analysed with contingency tables. Spearman correlation was also carried out to compare percentage annual gross domestic product growth (GDP%--downloaded from the World Bank) and M/F. In this context, GDP% is used as a measure for economic hardship or wellbeing within the populace. RESULTS: There have been overall highly significant secular increases in M/F (p < 0.0001) in the countries and regions investigated. M/F is significantly lower in the three more northern regions (Russian Federation, Baltic States and Central Asia. M/F 0.51324, 0.51335-0.51314) than the two more southern regions (Southern Caucasus and Eastern Europe. M/F 0.51654, 0.51635-0.51672). There was a male excess of 113,818 live births.There was a significant positive correlation between GDP% and M/F for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. There was a significant negative correlation in Estonia. CONCLUSION: Previous studies have shown that improving socioeconomic conditions increase M/F, and the converse has also been demonstrated. This is a potential influence in this geographical area since this region has relatively recently emerged from communist rule and experienced an overall economic upturn, but is only partially supported using GDP%. Another factor may be the selective termination of female pregnancies. The latitude gradient parallels that of neighbouring Europe but no theory has been put forward to convincingly explain this finding to date. and V. Grech