European journal of public health
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Eur J Public Health · Feb 2008
Parental smoking behaviour and effects of tobacco smoke on children's health in Finland and Russia.
There is little information on potential differences in smoking behaviour of parents between Finland and Russia and on the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure on allergic and respiratory diseases among Finnish and Russian children. The aim of the study was to compare the smoking behaviour of parents and school children and to assess the relations of tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy and childhood with occurrence of allergic diseases and respiratory infections among school children. ⋯ Smoking behaviour of parents and ETS exposure during childhood differed markedly between Finland and Russia. Asthma was particularly increased in relation to high exposure to maternal smoking in Finland. The results suggest that more efforts should be directed to reducing tobacco smoke exposure of children in both Finland and Russia. (250 words).
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Eur J Public Health · Feb 2008
'Children and obesity: a pan-European project examining the role of food marketing'.
Rising levels of obesity in school-age children across Europe are causing increasing concern. The 'Children, Obesity and associated avoidable Chronic Diseases' project sought to examine the effects of promotion within food marketing, given the influential role it plays in children's diets. ⋯ Recommendations include the amendment of the European Union's Television Without Frontiers Directive to ban all TV advertising of unhealthy food to children, the adoption of a commonly agreed European Union definition of an 'unhealthy' food, and the establishment of a mechanism for pan-European monitoring of the nature and extent of food marketing to children and its regulation.
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Eur J Public Health · Dec 2007
A cost-effectiveness analysis of alcohol prevention targeting licensed premises.
A multi-component alcohol prevention programme targeting licensed premises has been ongoing in Stockholm since 1996. An earlier study has established that this led to a 29% reduction in police-reported violence. The objective of the present study is to calculate the programme's cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective; the cost of implementation, the savings made as a result of fewer assaults, unlawful threats and violence towards officials, and the health gains in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). ⋯ The most significant concern is the low response rate (35%), and caution needs to be exercised when interpreting our results. Yet, a reasonable conclusion is that the monetary and human benefits have been considerable.
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Eur J Public Health · Oct 2007
Health care provision for illegal migrants: may health policy make a difference?
Illegal migrants in Europe are, generally, only entitled to emergency care and services for children and pregnant women. In 2002 legal changes in Spain made accessible medical cards and free medical care for illegal migrants in similar terms than the legal migrants or the Spanish population. ⋯ We did not find differences in the utilization of health services when ill between legal and illegal migrants. However, a significantly lower utilization of health services was associated with less education (RP = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9).
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Eur J Public Health · Oct 2007
Medical costs of obese Japanese: a 10-year follow-up study of National Health Insurance in Shiga, Japan.
For the Japanese population, a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0-29.9 is classified as obesity and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension. ⋯ The Japanese NHI beneficiaries with a BMI of 25.0 or over showed increased medical costs compared to those with a BMI of 18.5-24.9.