Adult Norwegians Research Articles

Unemployment as a risk factor for gambling disorder: A longitudinal study based on national registry data.

Unemployment rates are elevated among individuals with disordered gambling, yet the directionality of the relationship remains unclear. The present study investigated paid and unpaid unemployment as risk factors for future gambling disorder (GD). The study employed a case-control design, including all adult Norwegians receiving a GD diagnosis within specialist health services from January 2008 to December 2018 (n = 5,131). These individuals were compared with age- and sex-matched controls from the general population (n = 30,164), as well as controls with somatic and psychiatric diagnoses (n = 30,476). Logistic regressions showed that those in the highest quartile of unpaid unemployment days had more than double the odds (odds ratio [OR] 2.23 (95% CI [1.96, 2.52]) of developing GD compared to those with no unpaid unemployment days. Similarly, higher levels of paid unemployment were also found to increase the odds for GD, with those in the highest quartile having an OR of 1.86 (95% CI [1.50, 2.28]) compared to those with no paid unemployment days. Moreover, an interaction analysis indicated that the association between paid unemployment days and GD was significantly stronger among men compared to women. The present study suggests that both paid and unpaid unemployment constitute risk factors for GD. Programs aiming at obtaining and sustaining work have been found to improve health and future studies should examine ifthe risk for GD can be similarly mitigated.

E-privacy concerns: a facet theoretical approach

Although the ubiquitous use of smartphones and social media poses serious risks to the privacy of users, research is sparse regarding how users perceive these risks. We present a study investigating the perception of e-privacy risks, assuming that risk perception depends on context and situation, and employing a facet theory approach to define and analyze privacy risk perceptions. Specifically, we define three facets that characterize situations involving an e-privacy risk: Facet A refers to the type of data disclosed, distinguishing three types: a person’s identity information, information about health, and information about private activities. Facet B refers to the type of actor misusing the information, distinguishing between commercial organizations, public authorities, social networks, and criminal actors. Facet C distinguishes three kinds of harm that might be experienced as a consequence: financial loss, physical harm, and negative psycho-social experiences. Questionnaire items were constructed by creating fictitious but realistic scenarios, each representing a combination of one element from each facet, yielding 36 (3 × 4 × 3) scenarios. For each scenario, respondents rated the likelihood and the negativity of experiencing that scenario. Following the facet theoretical paradigm, item intercorrelations were analyzed via ordinal multidimensional scaling. Results from a representative survey among 500 adult Norwegians yield a distinct partitioning with respect to Facets A and B, called a radex configuration. Facet B (actors) shows an angular partition. Facet C (type of harm) yields a contrast of financial versus psycho-social harm. In sum, we conclude that our three-faceted definition provides a satisfying first approximation to people’s perception of privacy risks on the Internet while remaining open for extensions with additional facets.

Visiting crowded places during the COVID-19 pandemic. A panel study among adult Norwegians.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions, including promotion of social distancing, have been applied extensively in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding cognitive and psychological factors regulating precautionary behavior is important for future management. The present study examines the importance of selected factors as predictors of having visited or intended to visit crowded places. Six online questionnaire-based waves of data collection were conducted in April-October 2020 in a Norwegian panel (≥18 years). Sample size at Wave 1 was 1,400. In the present study, "Visited or intended to visit crowded places" for different types of locations were the dependent variables. Predictors included the following categories of items: Perceived response effectiveness, Self-efficacy, Vulnerability, Facilitating factors and Barriers. Data were analyzed with frequency and percentage distributions, descriptives, correlations, principal components analysis, negative binomial-, binary logistic-, and multiple linear regression, and cross-lagged panel models. Analyses of dimensionality revealed that a distinction had to be made between Grocery stores, a location visited by most, and locations visited by few (e.g., "Pub," "Restaurants," "Sports event"). We merged the latter set of variables into a countscore denoted as "Crowded places." On the predictor side, 25 items were reduced to eight meanscores. Analyses of data from Wave 1 revealed a rather strong prediction of "Crowded places" and weaker associations with "Supermarket or other store for food." Across waves, in multiple negative binomial regression models, three meanscore predictors turned out to be consistently associated with "Crowded places." These include "Response effectiveness of individual action," "Self-efficacy with regard to avoiding people," and "Barriers." In a prospective cross-lagged model, a combined Response effectiveness and Self-efficacy score (Cognition) predicted behavior ("Visited or intended to visit crowded places") prospectively and vice versa. The results of this study suggest some potential to reduce people's visits to crowded locations during the pandemic through health education and behavior change approaches that focus on strengthening individuals' perceived response effectiveness and self-efficacy.

Responses of the public towards the government in times of crisis.

We experimentally investigate how and when the public responds to government actions during times of crisis. Public reactions are shown to follow different processes, depending on whether government performs in exemplary or unsatisfactory ways to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'how' question is addressed by proposing that negative moral emotions mediate public reactions to bad government actions, and positive moral emotions mediate reactions to good government actions. Tests of mediation are conducted while taking into account attitudes and trust in the government as rival hypotheses. The 'when' question is studied by examining self-regulatory moderators governing the experience of moral emotions and their effects. These include conspiracy beliefs, political ideology, attachment coping styles and collective values. A total of 357 citizens of a representative sample of adult Norwegians were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group, where complaining, putting pressure on the government and compliance to Covid-19 policies were dependent variables. The findings show that negative moral emotions mediate the effects of government doing badly on complaining and pressuring the government, with conspiracy beliefs moderating the experience of negative moral emotions and attachment coping moderating the effects of negative moral emotions. The results also show that positive moral emotions mediate the effects of government doing well on compliance with COVID-19 regulations, with political ideology moderating the experience of positive moral emotions and collective values moderating the effects of positive moral emotions.

Reproducibility and feasibility of an online self-administered food frequency questionnaire for use among adult Norwegians.

BackgroundNew methods of dietary assessment are increasingly making use of online technologies. The development of a new online food frequency questionnaire warranted investigation of its feasibility and the reproducibility of its results.ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility and reproducibility of a newly developed online FFQ (WebFFQ).DesignThe semiquantitative WebFFQ was designed to assess the habitual diet the previous year, with questions about frequency of intake and portion sizes. Estimations of portion sizes include both pictures and household measures, depending on the type of food in question. In two independent cross-sectional studies conducted in 2015 and 2016, adults were recruited by post following random selection from the general population. In the first study, participants (n = 229) filled in the WebFFQ and answered questions about its feasibility, and in two subsequent focus group meetings, participants (n = 9) discussed and gave feedback about the feasibility of the WebFFQ. In the second study, the WebFFQ’s reproducibility was assessed by asking participants (n = 164) to fill it in on two separate occasions, 12 weeks apart. Moreover, in the second study, participants were offered personal dietary feedback, a monetary gift certificate, or both, as incentives to complete the study.ResultsIn the feasibility study, evaluation form results showed that participants raised issues regarding the estimation of portion size and the intake of seasonal foods as being particularly challenging; furthermore, in the focus group discussions, personal feedback on diet was perceived to be a more motivating factor than monetary reward. In the reproducibility study, total food intake was lower in the second WebFFQ; however, 63% of the food groups were not significantly different from those in the first WebFFQ. Correlations of food intake ranged from 0.62 to 0.90, >86% of the participants were classified into the same or adjacent quartiles, and misclassification ranged from 0 to 3%. Average energy intake was 3.5% lower (p = 0.001), fiber showed the least difference at 1.6% (p = 0.007), and sugar intake differed the most at −6.8% (borderline significant, p = 0.08). Percentage energy obtained from macronutrients did not differ significantly between the first and second WebFFQs.ConclusionOur results suggest that at group level, the WebFFQ showed good reproducibility for the estimations of intake of food groups, energy, and nutrients. The feasibility of the WebFFQ is good; however, revisions to further improve portion size estimations should be included in future versions. The WebFFQ is considered suitable for dietary assessments for healthy adults in the Norwegian population.

Concerns Related to the COVID-19 in Adult Norwegians during the First Outbreak in 2020: A Qualitative Approach.

Concerns related to the first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Norwegian population are studied in a cross-sectional web-survey conducted between 8 April and 20 May 2020. The qualitative thematic analysis of the open-ended question “Do you have other concerns related to the pandemic?”, followed a six-step process. Concerns from 1491 informants were analyzed, 34% of women and 30% of men (p = 0.05) provided concerns. Respondents with higher educational level reported concerns more often (86% vs. 83%, p = 0.022). The qualitative analysis revealed five themes—society, health, social activities, personal economy and duration—and 13 sub-themes, mostly related to the themes “society” and “health” (724 and 704, respectively). Empathy for others was prominent, for society (nationally and globally), but also concerns related to infecting others and family members at risk for developing serious illness if infected. The responses to the open-ended question yielded additional information, beyond the information obtained from questions with pre-categorized response options, especially related to concerns about society and health. Themes arising from the qualitative analysis shed light on what are important concerns for people during the pandemic and this may serve as targeted measures for the authorities.

Sexual function in people with epilepsy: Similarities and differences with the general population.

The potential impact of epilepsy on sexual function is important for patient welfare, but often neglected. This study explored the occurrences of different sexual problems in patients with both well-controlled and mostly refractory epilepsy, and compared these with equivalent information from the general population. Between 2015 and 2017, a total of 221 adult inpatients and outpatients, mostly with intractable epilepsy, at the National Centre for Epilepsy in Norway, and 78 outpatients with well-controlled epilepsy at Lillehammer hospital participated in a questionnaire survey on sexual function. Information on the individual patient's epilepsy was collected. The results were compared with equivalent data on sexual function from 1671 adult Norwegians in the general population. Patients with epilepsy reported a significantly higher frequency of problems with orgasm, dyspareunia, erectile dysfunction, and feelings of sexual deviance. However, reduced sexual desire, premature ejaculation/climax, and vaginal dryness occurred at similar frequencies in the general population. After controlling for gender, we found no significant association between sexual problems and seizure control or use of enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs. In both genders, feelings of sexual deviance were associated with lower quality of life. Fewer patients with epilepsy were satisfied with their sex lives. The perception of sex as an important part of daily life was similar among women with epilepsy and women from the general population, whereas significantly fewer men with epilepsy than men in the general population reported that sex was an important part of their daily lives. Women with mostly refractory epilepsy reported asking for help with their sexual problems significantly more often than women in the other groups. Some sexual problems occur significantly more often in patients with epilepsy than in the general population and feelings of sexual deviancy occur more frequently. No epilepsy-related factors could be identified as specific predictors.

Patterns and correlates of physical activity in adult Norwegians: a forecasted evolution up to 2025 based on machine learning approach

BackgroundAs other westerns countries, a large portion of Norwegians do not meet the minimum recommendations for weekly physical activity (PA). One of the primary targets of the WHO’s Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases is to reduce insufficient PA by 10% within 2025. In order to effectively increase the PA levels in the population, an in-depth understanding of PA habits within different sub-groups is therefore vital. Using a machine learning (ML) approach, the aim of this study was to investigate patterns and correlates of PA in adult Norwegians, as well as to construct a predictive model of future PA.MethodsData were retrieved from the Norsk Monitor survey, which consists of about 3000 items on individual characteristics and sociocultural factors. The dataset contained information about 52,477 adult Norwegians, collected between 1985 and 2013. Past patterns and changes of three PA components (Frequency, Duration, and Intensity) were initially assessed using a series of ANOVAs. A Conditional Mutual Information Maximization Method and a recursive feature elimination with cross-validation were then used to examine the factors associated with such patterns and changes. Finally, the future evolution of the three PA components up to 2025 was predicted using an autoregressive model.ResultsIn line with previous literature, the analysis of the PA patterns showed a progressive increment of the PA Frequency (which was greater in women), while the PA Duration and Intensity (which were in general higher among men) resulted fairly stable. The PA correlates identified by the ML analysis, which include men and women of different age groups, are presented and discussed. The autoregressive model predicted a general increment of the PA Frequency and PA Intensity by 2025, while the PA Duration is predicted to reduce. Different patterns emerged among the different sub-groups, overall suggesting smaller increments of PA in men and older individuals, as compared to women and younger individuals.ConclusionsThe findings of this study can inform public health efforts that aim at increasing PA levels in specific target groups. The ML approach is proposed as a useful tool in public health monitoring and assurance.

Is Green Exercise for All? A Descriptive Study of Green Exercise Habits and Promoting Factors in Adult Norwegians.

Background: Physical activity (PA) in natural environments, known as green exercise (GE), can provide health benefits above and beyond PA in other environments, but little is known about the extent to which GE is an accessible form of weekly PA across different social groups. This study aims to examine the “GE phenomenon” in Norway, and evaluate possible differences in GE habits and perceived factors that promote GE across sub-groups of this population. Methods: 2168 adults from all over Norway reported weekly GE and other forms of PA, specific forms of GE, and perceived factors that promote GE. Data were examined in the overall sample and in relation with the respondents’ PA status and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: GE, especially “walking in the forest” and “activities by/on the sea”, was the most popular form of weekly PA, even among those with low PA levels. GE was fairly represented across all social groups, and especially among the elderly, those who live with spouse/partner and those who live in the west regions of Norway, while no associations were found in relation to sex, centrality, education level or household income. “Time flexibility” and “PA-supportive places” were generally perceived as the most important factors that promote GE across all social groups. “Accessibility to nature” was generally perceived relatively little important, though a gradient was observed in relation to age, education level and household income. Conclusions: GE is an important source of weekly PA and health among adult Norwegians, especially in sub-groups of interest for public health such as the elderly, those with lower socio-economic status and those who live in non-urban areas. More should be done to understand and address the inequities relative to the perceived accessibility to nature.

Sexual problems in people with refractory epilepsy.

Sexual dysfunction is an important but often neglected aspect of epilepsy. The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence and types of sexual problems in patients with epilepsy and compare the results with similar data obtained from a representative sample of the general population. At the National Centre for Epilepsy in Norway, 171 of 227 consecutive adult inpatients and outpatients with epilepsy (response rate: 75.3%) and their neurologists participated in a questionnaire study about epilepsy and sexuality. The results were compared with data available from 594 adult Norwegians who had completed the same questionnaire. Patients with epilepsy had a significantly higher prevalence of sexual problems (women: 75.3% vs. 12.0%; men: 63.3% vs. 9.6%). The most commonly reported problems (>30%) were reduced sexual desire, orgasm problems, erection problems, and vaginal dryness. The patients reported considerable dissatisfaction regarding sexual functioning. Significantly more sexual problems were found in patients of both sexes with reduced quality of life and in women with symptoms of depression. We found no significant association between sexual problems and age of epilepsy onset, type of epilepsy, or use of enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs. Whereas age at sexual debut did not differ between the patients with epilepsy and the general population, men with epilepsy had a lower number of partners during the last 12months, and the proportion of women with a low frequency of intercourse was higher in the group with epilepsy. In conclusion, sexual problems are significantly greater in Norwegian patients with epilepsy than in the general adult population. As no single epilepsy type or treatment could be identified as a specific predisposing factor, it seems likely that there are multiple causes underlying our results, including both organic and psychosocial factors.

Natural environments and physical activity: Exploring the mediation effect of nature related beliefs

Studies show that access to natural environments (NE) is associated with higher levels of physical activity (PA). Findings are, however, ambiguous. Furthermore, very few cross-sectional studies have investigated cognitive and motivational processes that might influence the NE-PA relationship. The aim of this study was to investigate whether perceived access to NE predicts PA in adult Norwegians, and to establish to what extent nature-related beliefs mediate the relation. The data were derived …

Consumption of lead-shot cervid meat and blood lead concentrations in a group of adult Norwegians

Several recent investigations have reported high concentrations of lead in samples of minced cervid meat. This paper describes findings from a Norwegian study performed in 2012 among 147 adults with a wide range of cervid game consumption. The main aim was to assess whether high consumption of lead-shot cervid meat is associated with increased concentration of lead in blood. A second aim was to investigate to what extent factors apart from game consumption explain observed variability in blood lead levels.Median (5 and 95 percentile) blood concentration of lead was 16.6µg/L (7.5 and 39µg/L). An optimal multivariate linear regression model for log-transformed blood lead indicated that cervid game meat consumption once a month or more was associated with approximately 31% increase in blood lead concentrations. The increase seemed to be mostly associated with consumption of minced cervid meat, particularly purchased minced meat. However, many participants with high and long-lasting game meat intake had low blood lead concentrations. Cervid meat together with number of bullet shots per year, years with game consumption, self-assembly of bullets, wine consumption and smoking jointly accounted for approximately 25% of the variation in blood lead concentrations, while age and sex accounted for 27% of the variance. Blood lead concentrations increased approximately 18% per decade of age, and men had on average 30% higher blood lead concentrations than women. Hunters who assembled their own ammunition had 52% higher blood lead concentrations than persons not making ammunition. In conjunction with minced cervid meat, wine intake was significantly associated with increased blood lead. Our results indicate that hunting practices such as use of lead-based ammunition, self-assembling of lead containing bullets and inclusion of lead-contaminated meat for mincing to a large extent determine the exposure to lead from cervid game consumption.

Relationship problems and extradyadic romantic and sexual activity in a web‐sample of Norwegian men and women

The purpose of this paper is to describe the prevalence of self-reported types of extradyadic romantic and sexual activity among adult Norwegians and to explore the role of infidelity in breaking up a permanent relationship. The results are based on 1,001 web interviews with persons ranging in age from 18 to 67 years. The majority of respondents reported having engaged in some kind of extradyadic romantic and/or sexual activity. Forty-five percent of the women and 39% of the men claimed they had experienced a previous breakup from a marriage or cohabiting relationship. Among those aged 50 years or older, the most important reasons for breaking up a previous relationship were infidelity (38%) and lost love (38%). More men (44%) than women (33%) reported infidelity. Respondents younger than 50 years were more motivated by boredom. Among respondents below the age of 50 years, the most frequently reported reasons for considering termination of a present relationship were quarreling (37%), poor sex life (29%), and "other" reasons (25%). Accordingly, infidelity was not identified as an essential factor for considering a breakup from the present relationship.

The use of pornography and sexual behaviour among Norwegian men and women of differing sexual orientation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumption of pornography and sexual behaviour in a sample of adult Norwegians of differing sexual orientation. A random sample of 12,000, 18–59 years-old, Norwegians was drawn from the Population Register. Data collection was carried out by anonymous questionnaires. A total of 2381 persons responded (response rate 20%). Ninety-four percent of all men, 92% of lesbians/bisexuals, and 67% of heterosexual women reported exposure to pornography. The estimated mean percent of the time having used pornography when masturbating was 51% among gays/bisexuals, 42% among heterosexual men, 24% among lesbians/bisexuals, and 12% among heterosexual women. Gays/bisexuals reported having used pornography when having partner sex 10% of the time, compared to 4% among heterosexuals. Among heterosexual men, the use of pornography was associated with sexual activity and sexual experimentation often portrayed in pornography. There was also some evidence of an association between use of pornography during partner sex and sexual risk behaviour in gay/bisexual men.

Subjective Sexual Well-Being in a Web Sample of Heterosexual Norwegians

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to describe and analyze subjective sexual well-being in terms of emotional and cognitive evaluation of the individual's sexual function in adult Norwegians. The results from this study are based on 1,671 Web interviews among 18- to 67-year-olds randomly selected from Synovate's eBase. A total of 4,285 persons in the Web panel were asked to participate, yielding a response-rate of 39%. The results showed that sexual well-being decreased with increasing age and the number of years married or cohabiting. Young women were more satisfied than young men, and older men were more satisfied than older women. The presence of sexual problems heavily inflicted sexual well-being, as well as living with a partner or not. Subjective sexual well-being was also related to the person's habitualized negative or positive thinking about oneself. In a therapeutic context, restoring sexual function and increasing the client's self-esteem may be the way to increased sexual well-being.

Beliefs about factors affecting the Reliability of eyewitness testimony: A Comparison of judges, jurors and the general public

AbstractWe surveyed 164 members of the juror pool of the Court of Appeal and a representative sample of 1000 adult Norwegians without juror experience, about their knowledge and beliefs about eyewitness testimony, and compared their answers to a prior survey of Norwegian judges. Although the judges were somewhat more knowledgeable than jurors and the general public, all groups had limited knowledge of eyewitness testimony. Juror experience, in terms of number of times serving as juror, did not correlate with eyewitness knowledge. Consistent with this finding, the knowledge scores of the jurors were similar to the scores of the general public, tested with an abridged seven‐item version of the questionnaire. Comparisons with the results of surveys conducted in the US, indicate similar levels of knowledge among law professionals and jurors in the two countries. Increasing the knowledge of eyewitness testimony among the principal participants in the judiciary system may be an important component of the solution to eyewitness error. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lifestyle of Patients With Self-Reported Food Hypersensitivity Differ Little From Controls

The aim of this study was to examine the lifestyle of adult patients with abdominal discomfort (i.e., diarrhea, bloating, pain, and irregular defecation) self-attributed to food hypersensitivity and compare it with controls to see if the patients had a special lifestyle explaining their symptoms. Forty-six participants in this study were adult ethnic Norwegians referred by general practitioners to the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Allergy at Haukeland University Hospital because of gastrointestinal complaints, which the patients or their doctors suspected could be due to food allergy. They were compared with 70 age- and sex-matched volunteer controls from the general population. All participants filled out an extensive questionnaire focusing on different lifestyle aspects. One hundred percent of the patients and 43% of the controls (p < .0001) reported hypersensitivity to at least one food item. Significantly, fewer patients than controls reported daily consumption of milk (p = .004), coffee (p = .02), and alcohol (p = .008) for the past year. Among consumers, the participants used less milk (P = .002) and coffee (P = .04) than controls. Eating habits, meal patterns, quality of sleep, the amount of exercise, and use of painkillers were similar in both groups. There were small differences in lifestyle between the patients and the controls. Patients with gastrointestinal complaints self-attributed to food hypersensitivity used less milk, coffee, and alcohol, but none of those differences explain their symptoms. Such lifestyle would rather be expected to lessen symptoms, and we postulate that it is the consequence of their food intolerance and not its cause.

Maternal Dietary Intake of Vitamin A and Risk of Orofacial Clefts: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Norway

Orofacial clefts—among the commonest birth defects worldwide—are relatively frequent in Norway. At the same time, adult Norwegians have a comparatively high intake of vitamin A in diet and supplements. This Norwegian population-based case-control study, covering the years 1996–2001, was an attempt to assess the association, if any, between maternal vitamin A intake from both diet and supplements and the risk of having a newborn infant with an orofacial cleft. Adequate data were available for 535 cases: 188 with cleft palate only and 347 with cleft lip (with or without cleft palate). Control subjects numbered 693. Dietary vitamin A was estimated using “retinol equivalents” calculated as dietary retinol plus one-twelfth of the estimated beta-carotene intake. The offspring of women in the highest quartile of total maternal vitamin A intake had an adjusted odds ratio (OR) for an isolated cleft palate alone of 0.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24–0.94), compared to the offspring of women with the lowest intake. There was, however, no statistically significant association between total vitamin A intake and isolated cleft lip, with or without cleft palate. The children of women whose vitamin A intake was above the 95th percentile had a lower estimated risk of all isolated clefts (adjusted OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.20–1.14) than those whose mother's vitamin A intake was at the 40th–60th percentile. Comparing a high with a median intake of retinol and beta-carotene separately, the adjusted ORs of all isolated clefts were, respectively, 0.4 (95% CI, 0.15–1.02) and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.17–0.97). These findings indicate that a high maternal vitamin A intake protects against isolated cleft palate. The evidence for protection against cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, is much less persuasive. The investigators conclude that maternal consumption of foods high in vitamin A during early pregnancy should not be discouraged.

Detection of measles- and mumps-specific IgG antibodies in paired serum and oral fluid samples from Norwegian conscripts

The aim of this study was to measure the seroprevalence to mumps in Norwegian conscripts belonging to the first children vaccination cohorts that had been offered two doses of MMR vaccine. The seroprevalence to mumps was 76% with the Microimmune assay and 85% with the Enzygnost assay. We also compared the performance of the Microimmune assay for detection of mumps- and measles-specific IgG antibodies in 340 paired serum and oral fluid samples from the conscripts and evaluated the effect of revaccination. Mumps-specific IgG antibodies were detected in only 61% of the oral fluids. In contrast, high levels of measles-specific IgG antibodies were detected in both the serum and oral fluid samples. Based on these results, we are only able to recommend the use of oral fluid for surveillance of measles in Norway. Our results may also indicate that the seroprevalence necessary to interrupt transmission of mumps has not been reached in vaccinated young adult Norwegians. Seroconversion was observed in all initially measles seronegative conscripts after revaccination, whereas 23 of 27 initially mumps seronegative conscripts failed to seroconvert.

Sexual dysfunction and sexual well-being in people with heart disease

The aim of this study was to describe sexual well-being and sexual problems in the general population of Norway and, specifically, among people with heart disease. What is the relationship between sexual well-being, sexual problems and psychological, medical and relational factors? Data were collected from among 1664 persons with heart disease, aged 18 – 84 years (2004, LHL study), and from among a representative sample of 1093 adult Norwegians (1997, MMI study). Questionnaires were anonymous and self-administered. The response rate was 36% in the LHL study and 54% in the MMI study. Twenty-six percent in the LHL study and 11% in the MMI study reported ever having had sexual problems. Among those <40 years old, 54% in the LHL study and 34% in the MMI study reported problems with desire/interest. In the age group 40 – 49 years, 73% of men with heart disease and 17% of men in the general population reported erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, 22% from the LHL study had experienced sexual problems in the past 30 days. The best predictors of recent sexual problems were habitual negative body perception, worries about one's sexuality and body, sexual motivation problems, cordial infarction and (not) taking blood thinners. Having a sexual problem was an important predictor of sexual well-being.