Commentary: Components in the interpretation of the high mortality in the county of Finnmark

Abstract

The weather in Northern Norway is severe. Anders Forsdahl describes ‘polar nights, harsh cold and long winters’ that force people to spend much of their time indoors. He himself, however, put his long winters to good use, reflecting on why the adult population of Finnmark, far above the Arctic Circle, has such high death rates. He quickly disposed of smoking and genes as possible explanations. He concluded that since economic and social conditions in Finnmark were similar to those in other parts of Norway, its 25% higher adult mortality rates must be a legacy of its history, of events during the childhood or adolescence of the adult population. This was the first of two platforms on which he developed . . .