Cohort In Denmark Research Articles

Who Is Most at Risk of Becoming a Convicted Rapist? The Likelihood of a Rape Conviction among the 1966 Birth Cohort in Denmark

The conventional response to the atrocious crime of rape is punishment. However, the aim of criminal justice organizations should be to prevent the behaviour occurring in the first place. Using results from a prospective study of all boys born in 1966 in Denmark where those convicted of rape (N=96) between the ages of 15 and 27 years are compared with those who are not (N=43,307), various risk factors are identified. Identifying risk factors does not produce a panacea but illustrates a possible prevention programme. While recognizing that those convicted of rape may not be representative of all those committing rape, prevention of rape may usefully be associated with enhancing the life chances of fathers and sons, in providing greater support for those who have been in foster/residential care, and in recognizing that parental or personal psychiatric illness may have serious consequences. The fact that the risk factors for future violence are similar to those for rape endorses the point that rape is essentially a violence offence rather than a sex offence. It further demonstrates that prevention programmes for rape will have associated benefits.1

Shift work, Job Stress, and Late Fetal Loss: The National Birth Cohort in Denmark

The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) was used to examine whether shift work or job stress correlate with late fetal loss. We identified 33,694 pregnancies of daytime workers and 8,075 pregnancies of shift workers in women recruited to the DNBC between 1998 and 2001. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained by linkages to the national registers. Hazard ratios of fetal loss were calculated by using Cox regressions with left truncation. Fixed night work was associated with fetal loss (hazard ratio = 1.85, 95% confidence interval = 1.00-3.42). No high risk of fetal loss was seen for other types of shift work. Job stress, as measured in our study, was not associated with fetal loss. Our results suggest that fixed night work during pregnancy increases the risk of late fetal loss.

The Role of Environmental Hazards in Premature Birth

Vol. 112, No. 10 AnnouncementsOpen AccessThe Role of Environmental Hazards in Premature Birth Jørn Olsen Jørn Olsen Jørn Olsen is professor and head of the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre and head of the National Birth Cohort in Denmark. His main research interest is reproductive epidemiology. Search for more papers by this author Published:1 July 2004https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.112-a582AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit Edited by Donald R. Mattison, Samuel Wilson, Christine Coussens, and Dalia GilbertWashington, DC:National Academies Press, 2003. 127 pp. ISBN: 0-309-09065-2, $35 paperPreterm birth occurs frequently in most countries from which we have reliable statistics. Prematurity—a birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation—is a serious condition that carries a substantial excess risk of death, diseases, and social burdens for the infant, especially for those born before 32 weeks of gestation. “Prematurity” is a clinical term indicating that the newborn is not yet suited for extra-uterine life.As stated in The Role of Environmental Health Hazards in Premature Birth, researchers believe that preterm birth is increasing in some countries, but the extent to which it is increasing is not known. It is of the utmost importance to find out whether preterm birth in fact is increasing, and the workshop participants presented in the book could have elaborated on this aspect in greater detail. The way we estimate gestational age is, of course, significant in determing an increase in preterm birth, and the widespread use of ultrasound to estimate gestational age has enhanced predictions for clinical practice but perhaps not for monitoring. Using ultrasound as a monitoring instrument requires use of comparable procedures and appropriate standards. The changes in fertility patterns in many countries as well as the increasing use of infertility treatment may play a role.This book combines epidemiology with biology and clinical research findings. The importance of prematurity clearly justifies investments in research, and the March of Dimes, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Institute of Medicine, among other organizations, have taken up this important challenge. At present several attempts to prevent preterm birth have failed, and the promising results based on early intake of progesterones or n-3 fatty acids will at best only prevent some cases of preterm birth. Without effective preventive measures not much will be gained by being able to identify a pregnant woman at high risk.The book presents six summaries from five workshops, as well as abstracts. Workshop participants included pediatricians, perinatologists, economists, epidemiologists, toxicologists, as well as other scientists. The chapters cover determinants of preterm birth, the biology of preterm birth and delivery, gene–environment interactions, and finally social implications and future directions for research. The weakest chapter is on gene–environment interactions, which is not surprising because we still know little about the role of genetics in prematurity. Family studies indicate that genetic factors do play a role.More could be gained by investing better methods for monitoring preterm birth. Having monitoring programs following the same protocol in different countries could provide important clues to aspects that are the most important determinants of preterm birth. Given the large variation we expect to see on this condition among populations, much more could be learned from focusing on the big picture rather than looking at the biologic details. The book unfortunately does not go into detail about the conditions for setting up such a monitoring program, which should be implemented in addition to the monitoring of low birth weight.Despite this shortcoming, the book is highly recommended for all with an interest in preterm birth and prematurity.Figures and TablesFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 112, No. 10 July 2004Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 July 2004Published in print1 July 2004 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.

Shift work, duration of pregnancy, and birth weight:: The National Birth Cohort in Denmark

Objective We used the Danish National Birth Cohort to estimate the effect of shift work on the duration of pregnancy and birth weight. Study design In the Danish National Birth Cohort (1998-2001), we identified women (and their singleton births): 32465 women with daytime work, 1038 women with fixed evening work, 400 women with fixed night work, 3137 women with rotating shift work (without night), and 3197 women with rotating shift work (with night) during pregnancy (first and second trimester). Birth outcomes were collected by linkage to the Central Population Register, the National Patient Register, and the National Birth Register. Gestational age at birth and birth weight were analyzed by means of general linear regression and logistic regression. Results Mean gestational age at birth and birth weight at term for daytime work were 281 days and 3616 g, although 281 days and 3586 to 3626 g for shift work. There were no statistically significant differences in gestational age at birth or birth weight at term between any types of shift work and daytime work. Fixed night work had a high risk of postterm birth (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.01-1.79); fixed evening work had a high risk of full-term low birth weight (odds ratio, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.10-2.94); and shift work as a group showed a slight excess of small-for-gestational-age babies (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00-1.18). The risk of postterm birth was modified by maternal occupation. Industrial workers with fixed night work had a high risk of postterm birth. Conclusion Our results suggest that shift work during pregnancy had limited effects on indicators of fetal growth. Night work may prolong the duration of pregnancy and reduce fetal growth, especially among industrial workers.

An upbringing to violence? Identifying the likelihood of violent crime among the 1966 birth cohort in Denmark

Why do some boys develop into troublesome youths who eventually get sentenced for violent crimes? In planning a strategy to fight violent crime, it is important to identify significant risk factors for violent criminal behaviour among adolescents and young men. In this study information from population-based registers covers various aspects both for children, aged between 15 and 27 years, and their parents: health (mental and physical), education, social networks, family violence, self-destructive behaviour, parental alcohol or drug abuse, and unemployment. First-time convicted offenders have an increased risk of coming from seriously disadvantaged families; they also seem to be characterized by unstable education and employment records (e.g. not graduating, no vocational training), occasional work, or long-term unemployment.

Who should not receive adjuvant chemotherapy? International databases.

The optimal selection of patients for adjuvant therapy, avoiding overtreatment and undertreatment, of disease is a significant challenge in the management of early breast cancers. Population-based cohorts in Denmark and in two Swedish health care regions were investigated to identify patients with breast cancer who have a sufficiently low risk of recurrence without adjuvant therapy. Published data on different calcification patterns were also included from the randomized Swedish mammography two-county study. The Danish Breast Cancer Group's population-based registry revealed that patients with lymph node-negative and estrogen receptor- or progesterone receptor-positive cancers of histological grade I that were less than 20 mm in size had a 5-year survival rate similar to age-matched groups without breast cancer. Data from the Stockholm Breast Cancer Group identified a similar risk group (no information on cancer grade) with an approximate 10% risk of dying from breast cancer after 10 years without any adjuvant therapy. In women older than 50 years, approximately 20% died of other causes. Mammographically and lymph node-negative-detected cancers that are less than 15 mm in size generally have an excellent survival outcome, excluding patients with casting calcifications. Patients who have lymph node-negative breast cancers that are less than 20 mm in size, combined with estrogen receptor positivity, can be identified as a low-risk group. The vast majority of these patients are unlikely to benefit from the addition of conventional chemotherapy, but some of them may. The dilemma is that we cannot identify these patients prospectively because of the lack of relevant predictive factors for chemotherapy.

Breast cancer risk in male twins: joint analyses of four twin cohorts in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

To test the hypothesis that in utero exposure to high levels of oestrogen increases the risk of male breast cancer, we followed 115 235 male twins for more than 3.5 million person-years at risk. We observed 11 cases of male breast cancer versus 16.16 expected based on national rates (standardized rate ratio 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.34–1.22) and conclude that any adverse influence of in utero oestrogen exposure is likely to be small. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

Cancer risk among patients with finger and hand joint and temporo‐mandibular joint prostheses in Denmark

The use of artificial joint implants has risen greatly over the past years. However, few investigations of the cancer risk associated with implants have been performed. We investigated cancer risk in patients with finger and hand joint and temporo-mandibular (TMJ) joint implants. A nationwide cohort in Denmark of patients with finger and hand joint prostheses (n = 858) or TMJ implants (n = 389) was followed from January 1, 1977, to December 31, 1995, to evaluate any potential cancer risks subsequent to receiving these implants. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for all cancers were 1.0 (95% CI = 0.8–1.2) for the finger and hand joint cohort and 1.1 (95% CI = 0.8–1.7) for the TMJ cohort. A significant risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was found in the finger and hand joint cohort (SIR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.5–7.8). When the finger and hand joint cohort was stratified by diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, the excess risk was seen only in the group with rheumatoid arthritis. This is consistent with past studies, which have found an association between rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Our results provide evidence that the cancer risk for patients with finger and hand joint prostheses and TMJ implants is similar to that for the general population. Int. J. Cancer 81:723–725, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cancer risk among patients with finger and hand joint and temporo-mandibular joint prostheses in Denmark.

The use of artificial joint implants has risen greatly over the past years. However, few investigations of the cancer risk associated with implants have been performed. We investigated cancer risk in patients with finger and hand joint and temporo-mandibular (TMJ) joint implants. A nationwide cohort in Denmark of patients with finger and hand joint prostheses (n = 858) or TMJ implants (n = 389) was followed from January 1, 1977, to December 31, 1995, to evaluate any potential cancer risks subsequent to receiving these implants. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for all cancers were 1.0 (95% CI = 0.8-1.2) for the finger and hand joint cohort and 1.1 (95% CI = 0.8-1.7) for the TMJ cohort. A significant risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was found in the finger and hand joint cohort (SIR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.5-7.8). When the finger and hand joint cohort was stratified by diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, the excess risk was seen only in the group with rheumatoid arthritis. This is consistent with past studies, which have found an association between rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Our results provide evidence that the cancer risk for patients with finger and hand joint prostheses and TMJ implants is similar to that for the general population.

Suicide rates in cohorts over time in Denmark.

Data on the suicide rates of birth cohorts in Denmark from 1922 to 1991 did not support the hypothesis that cohorts with a high suicide rate at one point in their lives would have a low suicide rate at other points.

A prospective study of young men at high risk for alcoholism: school behavior and achievement.

From a large consecutive birth cohort in Denmark, 134 sons of alcoholic fathers (high-risk group) and 70 matched controls were selected for a prospective longitudinal study of alcoholism. A premorbid multidisciplinary assessment was conducted at age 19-20. Data were derived from three sources: a social worker interview, a psychopathological interview that also collected information about current drinking pattern, and a questionnaire sent to teachers. The high-risk group reported having experienced a more disturbed school career, and were rated by their teachers as having been more impulsive and as having had poorer verbal proficiency. These factors may be predictive of future alcoholism.