French-speaking Region Research Articles

Association Between Modifiable Structural and Process Factors and the Quality Indicator Pain in Nursing Home Residents: A MultiCentre Cross-Sectional Survey.

The aim of this study is to examine the association between modifiable structural and process factors and self-reported as well as observed pain in Swiss residential long-term care residents. Sub-study of a multicentre cross-sectional survey. Institution, unit, and staff data were collected from September 2018 to October 2019 in 118 residential long-term care institutions in Switzerland's German- and French-speaking regions using paper questionnaires. Resident data were exported during the same period from routine data sets. In this study, 6213 residents from 86 residential long-term care institutions were included. Modifiable structural factors such as institutions having access to geriatricians, nursing experts and a palliative care team, the presence of a pain guideline on the unit and good teamwork among care workers were associated to less pain in residents. It is possible for residential long-term care institutions to improve pain in residents and to optimise the quality of care by providing access to geriatricians, nursing experts and a palliative care team, working with a pain guideline and fostering teamwork. Residential long-term care institutions can modify and implement modifiable structural factors which can reduce pain in residents to optimise residents' quality of life and quality of care. Improved pain management in residential long-term care institutions can lead to optimised quality of care and quality of life for individual residents. STROBE checklist. No patient or public contribution.

Post-pandemic consumption of outpatient antibiotics in Switzerland up to pre-pandemic levels, 2018–2023: An interrupted time series analysis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for health-care systems and antibiotic stewards as uncertainty regarding treatment and bacterial coinfections raised concern. MethodsThis retrospective observational study examined the association of the pandemic on outpatient antibiotic sales and prescriptions in Switzerland using interrupted time series (ITS) analyses. Data from IQVIA™ and the Sentinella Network were used to analyze antibiotic consumption and prescription patterns over a 72-month period from January 2018 to December 2023, divided into pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. ResultsAntibiotic consumption decreased during the pandemic and returned to pre-pandemic levels in the post-pandemic period. A decrease in level was most pronounced in the French-speaking region (−2.82 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID) per month, 95 %CI [−4.34, −1.30], p < 0.001) and the Italian-speaking region (−2.80 DID per month, 95 %CI [−4.78, −0.82], p < 0.01), followed by the German-speaking region (−1.72 DID per month, 95 %CI [−2.71, −0.74], p < 0.01). Similarly, in the ITS, the relative change of model estimates in antibiotic prescriptions by GPs and pediatricians for upper respiratory tract infections, was of −36.0 % and −50.3 % resp. in the pandemic period and +10.1 % and −2.6 % in the post-pandemic period compared with the pre-pandemic period. ConclusionsA decrease of antibiotic prescriptions was observed in GPs and pediatricians during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a return to pre-pandemic levels. The patterns in antibiotic prescriptions aligned with the epidemiology of respiratory infections and demonstrated a pronounced association with the implementation and subsequent removal of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the French version of the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale for acute and chronic pain: a prospective clinical study.

Pain assessment and proper evaluation of pain are prerequisites for treatment of acute and chronic pain. Until now, most evaluations have used only resting pain intensity and a unidimensional scale, although multidimensional pain assessment and especially assessment of functional pain impact on activities are recommended. The Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) permits this multidimensional assessment, but no validated French translation exists. To validate the French translation of the multidimensional DVPRS, called the Functional Pain Scale (FPS), in multiple settings of acute and chronic pain. Prospective observational study. Two large hospitals in the French-speaking region of Switzerland. We recruited 232 patients from February 2022 to January 2023. Patients with acute or chronic pain in different settings received a paper questionnaire with both a numerical rating scale (NRS) and the FPS and a customized evaluation questionnaire. Correlation between the FPS and NRS, psychometric properties, and patient preferences were analyzed. Correlation between the FPS and NRS was high for the whole group of 232 patients, as well for all subgroups. The multi-item FPS scale showed excellent internal consistency. A large majority of patients, even those >75 years of age, preferred the FPS over the NRS and stated that the FPS was easy to use. The study confirms that the French translation of the DVPRS (the FPS) is a valid measurement instrument for acute and chronic pain evaluation in a wide range of patient groups and is easy for patients to use. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05307380.

Supporting multilingual children with language impairment in a multilingual environment: experience and perspectives from speech and language therapists in Switzerland

ABSTRACT This work reports the results of a survey study conducted with French-, German-, and Italian-speaking speech and language therapists (SLTs) in Switzerland. In this survey we asked respondents about their language background, training in multilingual matters, and practices with multilingual patients, as well as their opinions on the current SLT provisions for multilingual children in Switzerland. The main results showed that despite high levels of SLT multilingualism in Switzerland, there is often a mismatch between the additional languages spoken by the SLTs and the heritage languages spoken by their patients. To circumvent the challenges of assessing a multilingual child, SLTs across Switzerland reported using a variety of assessment tools and methods, although therapeutic options are still missing. The results also revealed some differences based on linguistic region, with SLTs working in French-speaking region having the highest number of multilingual caseloads but those working in the German-speaking region receiving the most training on multilingualism. Conclusions drawn are that across Switzerland there is still a need for SLTs to be better trained to work with multilingual children and for suitable tools for assessing and especially treating multilingual patients to be developed. Full results are reported and discussed.

Evaluating an inclusive program for promoting equal-status participation in classrooms with high sociolinguistic diversity: diversity valuation and multilingual cooperative activities.

The inclusion of students with diverse heritage languages is an emerging issue in all OECD countries due to the global rise in international migration. With regard to their large cultural and linguistic heterogeneity, primary school classes in the French-speaking region of Switzerland are extraordinary grounds to develop inclusive teaching in context of high diversity. This research-action aims to enhance students' status among their peers and promote equal-status participation in academic activities in such classes. The research perspective focuses on valuing diversity within classes and emphasizing students' linguistic competence through cooperative activities. The tested inclusive program places value on linguistic diversity and proposes multilingual cooperative activities that involve students' family languages and require the contributions of all students. The research was conducted over the course of a school year, involving 3rd-4th grade students. It compared the evolution students' status among peers (being chosen as a groupmate for play and work) from the beginning to the end of the school year in four classes with the inclusive program (N = 77) and four control classes without the inclusive program (N = 62). The results indicated expected changes in status: status increased in classes with the inclusive program, while it decreased in classes without the program. Moreover, the intervention specifically supported the status of vulnerable pupils. In classes with the inclusive program, students with initially low status experienced the greatest improvement, whereas in control classes, there was no correlation between initial status and changes in status. At the beginning of the school year, across all classes, students with low status participated passively, experiencing higher levels of exclusion and displaying more discrete behavior, highlighting potential initial status-problems issues. This pattern persisted in control classes without the inclusive program, where low-status students were more likely to remain passive, while initially high- status students were more likely to become leaders. In contrast, with the inclusive program, the relationship between status and participation diminished by the end of the year. These findings suggest that the inclusive program contributed to reducing status-related problems and promoting more equal-status participation.

Attitudes of Swiss psychiatrists towards cannabis regulation and medical use in psychiatry: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundChanges in regulation for cannabis for nonmedical use (CNMU) are underway worldwide. Switzerland amended the law in 2021 allowing pilot trials evaluating regulative models for cannabis production and distribution. Simultaneously, cannabis for medical use (CMU) in psychiatry is a growing issue, asked for by patients and being discussed by medical professionals.MethodsFrom December 2021 to February 2022, we conducted an online survey of psychiatrists in Switzerland. The survey comprised questions on attitudes towards regulative models for CNMU and towards prescribing CMU for mental disorders.ResultsWe contacted 2010 psychiatrists in Switzerland. A total of 274 (14%) participated in the survey. Sixty-four percent agreed to a regulated legalization of CNMU, and 89% would welcome pilot trials in Switzerland assessing models for regulating CNMU with those from a French-speaking region being more skeptical. Forty-nine percent of psychiatrists agree that CMU might have a therapeutic effect in mental disorders, but 50% agree that there is not enough scientific evidence yet. Participants working in an inpatient setting or in a French-speaking region as well as those with a longer duration of practice were more skeptical on CMU for mental health.ConclusionsMost surveyed Swiss psychiatrists favor the regulation of CNMU and the conduct of pilot trials. Despite little evidence and potential negative consequences, many participating Swiss psychiatrists agreed that cannabis could be efficacious in the treatment of some mental disorders advocating for more research in this topic.

The Impact of Host Language Proficiency on Migrants’ Employment Outcomes

This paper estimates the economic gains from proficiency in the host country’s language on migrants’ employment outcomes by exploiting the exogenous placement of refugees to Swiss cantons and a sharp language border dividing German- and French-speaking regions. Using administrative data on African refugees who applied for Swiss asylum between 2008 and 2017, I compare French-speaking refugees assigned to the French-speaking region to French-speaking refugees assigned to the German-speaking region and adjust for common regional differences with outcomes from English-speaking African refugees. The results suggest that language proficiency more than doubles the employment level in the first five years after arrival. (JEL J15, J24, J31, J82, R23)

Strongyle faecal egg counts in Swiss horses: A retrospective analysis after the introduction of a selective treatment strategy

The standard parasite management of horses based on regular anthelmintic treatments, now practiced for decades has resulted in a worrying expansion of resistant helminth populations, which may considerably impair control on the farm level. The aim of the present study was to obtain a retrospective (year 2010 – 2016) nationwide analysis of faecal egg count (FEC) data from the Swiss adult horse population, related to horse age and geographic region. Thirteen labs provided a total of 16,387 FEC data of horses aged four to 39 years (average: 13.6 years). The annual number of performed FEC tests increased from 38 to 4,939 within the observation period. Independent of the annual sample size the yearly patterns of the FEC were very similar. Seventy-eight percent (n = 12,840) of the samples were negative and 90 % (n = 14,720) showed a FEC below 200 strongyle eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces. The annual mean strongyle FEC ranged between 60 and 88 EPG with a total mean of 75 EPG. Horses aged 4–7 years showed a significantly (p < 0.00001) higher mean FEC compared with the other age groups, differences were not significant among the older horses. Based on ZIP codes, samples were allocated by 70.0 %, 6.0 % and 0.2 % to the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland, respectively. With 222 EPG the mean FEC in the French part of Switzerland was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in the German-speaking region (60 EPG). Eggs of Parascaris spp., anoplocephalids and Strongyloides westeri were found in 0.36 %, 0.32 % and 0.01 % of the samples, respectively. Based on 3,813 questionnaire feedbacks from owners in 2017 covering a total of 12,689 horses, sixty-eight percent (n = 8,476) were dewormed without diagnosis, two percent (n = 240) were not dewormed at all, whereas for 30 % (n = 3,721) the selective anthelmintic treatment (SAT) concept was applied. The SAT implementation rate differed significantly (p < 0.0005) between regions, with 33 %, 20 % and 25 % for the German-, French- and Italian-speaking areas, respectively. The rate of horses spending 16–24 h on pasture per day was significantly higher in the French-speaking region compared to the German-speaking part of Switzerland (p < 0.0001). In addition, pasture hygiene was practiced at a significantly lower rate in the French-speaking part compared to the German- and Italian-speaking regions (both p < 0.0001). Overall, the shift towards the SAT-concept represents a very promising development with respect to mitigating the further spread of anthelmintic resistance.

Misuse of Pregabalin: a qualitative study from a patient’s perspective

IntroductionThe misuse of Pregabalin has been the subject of growing concern for several years. The effects sought are multiple and it is rarely taken as a single drug. It is most frequently used together with opioids, which may increase the risk of fatal overdose. In response to this emerging phenomenon, we seek to better understand the situation of misuse in Belgium and identify the people involved in it.MethodologyA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 20 participants who misuse Pregabalin was conducted throughout the French-speaking region of Belgium between August 2021 and January 2022. Recruitment mostly took place in addictions centers, shelters for migrants and homeless persons and primary care centers. We then conducted a thematic analysis with the help of Nvivo software.ResultsA profile emerged, of young male users, immigrants, mainly first generation immigrants coming from North Africa. They had in common a challenging or even traumatic migration pathway and precarious living conditions in Belgian territory. Most of them had no stable income. They saw Pregabalin as enabling them to cope with their daily situation. All had psychiatric and/or somatic comorbidities for which they had apparently not recieved adequate medical care. This seemed to lead many of them to use Pregabalin as self-medication, for anxiety-depressive disorders and chronic pain, and it was sometimes initiated in their home country. Pregabalin was never used alone.ConclusionThis study has highlighted a rare and insufficient documented profile of Pregabalin misuse: self-medication among a group of first generation immigrants, most of whom have no previous history of opioid-related disorders. Measures should be taken to improve access to health and social care for this population, considering all their biopsychosocial vulnerabilities.

Dépistage, diagnostic et prise en charge du TDAH chez l’enfant et l’adolescent : point de vue des parents en Suisse-Romande

IntroductionAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in children and adolescents, but its prevalence may vary depending on the context. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate parents’ experiences of the diagnostic process and proposed treatments for their child with ADHD. This will allow to discuss the concordance between parents’ experiences in a French-speaking region and the “good practices” recommended in international guidelines. MethodAn ad hoc questionnaire was completed online by 128 parents of children aged between 5 and 18 diagnosed with ADHD. ResultsDescriptive analyses showed that more than half of the parents encountered difficulties in obtaining a timely and accurate diagnosis for their child. Furthermore, perceived quality of listening varied depending on the profession of the diagnostician, as well as in the treatments recommended. The diagnosis was most often received as a relief, but parents expressed frustration with the lack of trained professionals to offer treatment alternatives to medication. ConclusionThese findings emphasize the importance of improving access to quality information for the public and providing training for front-line professionals. The diagnosticians should improve their consideration of the child and the impact of the disorder on the family, as well as their knowledge of the disorder and treatment alternatives. Professionals should also receive training in evidence-based treatments such as parenting programs. Ultimately, improving the diagnostic process and access to appropriate treatments for ADHD in French-speaking regions can have a positive impact on the well-being of affected children and their families.

Administrative burden in Swiss nursing homes and its association with care workers’ outcomes—a multicenter cross-sectional study

BackgroundCare workers in nursing homes often perform tasks that are rather related to organizational or management activities than ‘direct patient care’. ‘Indirect care activities’, such as documentation or other administrative tasks are often considered by care workers as a burden, as they increase overall workload and keep them away from caring for residents. So far, there is little investigation into what kind of administrative tasks are being performed in nursing homes, by which type of care workers, and to which extent, nor how administrative burden is associated with care workers’ outcomes.PurposeThe objective of this study was to describe care workers’ administrative burden in Swiss nursing homes and to explore the association with four care worker outcomes (i.e., job dissatisfaction, emotional exhaustion, intention to leave the current job and the profession).MethodsThis multicenter cross-sectional study used survey data from the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project 2018. It included a convenience sample of 118 nursing homes and 2′207 care workers (i.e., registered nurses, licensed practical nurses) from Switzerland’s German- and French-speaking regions. Care workers completed questionnaires assessing the administrative tasks and burden, staffing and resource adequacy, leadership ability, implicit rationing of nursing care and care worker characteristics and outcomes. For the analysis, we applied generalized linear mixed models, including individual-level nurse survey data and data on unit and facility characteristics.ResultsOverall, 73.9% (n = 1′561) of care workers felt strongly or rather strongly burdened, with one third (36.6%, n = 787) reporting to spend 2 h or more during a "normal" day performing administrative tasks. Ratings for administrative burden ranged from 42.6% (n = 884; ordering supplies and managing stocks) to 75.3% (n = 1′621; filling out the resident’s health record). One out of four care workers (25.5%, n = 561) intended to leave the profession, whereby care workers reporting higher administrative task burden (OR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.02–1.50) were more likely to intend to leave the profession.ConclusionThis study provides first insights on care workers’ administrative burden in nursing homes. By limiting care workers’ burdensome administrative tasks and/or shifting such tasks from higher to lower educated care workers or administrative personnel when appropriate, nursing home managers could reduce care workers’ workload and improve their job satisfaction and retention in the profession.

RDPLF annual report: Profile of peritoneal dialysis patients in France in 2022, synthetic raw results

We present the main descriptive data of patients treated by peritoneal dialysis in France in 2022 in the form of tables and graphs. Patients from DROM-TOM and other French-speaking countries and regions of the RDPLF will be described in a future issue in order to group together regions with similar socio-economic and climatic characteristics.&#x0D; Since the SARS-Cov2 epidemic in 2020 and the three years that followed, the number of patients treated by peritoneal dialysis in France has decreased by 6.7%, but with significant regional variations ranging from +20% to -30%.&#x0D; Vascular (23.5%) and diabetic (20.5%) nephropathies are the most numerous.&#x0D; The average age for CAPD is 70 years and 58 years for APD&#x0D; 36% of patients are assisted by a nurse and 5% by a family member.&#x0D; The average waiting time for transplant patients was 20 months.&#x0D; There is a great difference in the technique of catheter placement with a catheter survival of 72% at 5 years.

Assessing the speech production of multilingual children: A survey of speech-language therapists in French-speaking Belgium.

Assessing the speech production of multilingual children is challenging for speech-language therapists (SLTs) around the world. Scientific recommendations to improve clinical practice are available, but their implementation has mostly been described in studies from English-speaking countries. This survey aimed to describe the perspectives and practices of SLTs in assessing the speech production of multilingual children in French-speaking Belgium. An online survey was completed by 134 SLTs in French-speaking Belgium. SLTs predominantly used norm-referenced assessment approaches, which are not recommended for use with multilingual children, and lacked necessary training and resources to implement recommended practices in the assessment of speech production of multilingual children. The shift towards more appropriate practices with multilingual children seems to be in its infancy among SLTs in French-speaking Belgium. Some challenges identified by the SLTs were common to those in other countries and languages, such as the difficulty to distinguish between speech differences and speech disorders. Other challenges were specific to the French language and/or the Belgian context, such as the lack of appropriate tools in French. Action is required to improve clinical practice in assessing the speech production of multilingual children in French-speaking contexts: better training for SLTs regarding linguistic diversity, more implementation research in the field of SLT, and advocacy for linguistic diversity with decision makers. What is already known on this subject Existing research indicates that assessing the speech production of multilingual children is challenging for speech-language therapists (SLTs). Scientific recommendations for best practices have been published, and the shift to more appropriate assessment practices may be progressing differently across countries. SLTs' practices have been described in surveys, mostly conducted in English-speaking countries. Although French is the fifth most spoken language in the world, data about SLTs' perspectives and practices in French-speaking regions are scarce. What this study adds The implementation of recommended practices in assessing multilingual children's speech production was limited among SLTs in French-speaking Belgium. The norm-referenced approach to assessment was predominant and few SLTs used recommended practices (e.g., criterion-referenced measures, dynamic assessment, assessment of the child's speech production in the home language). Some challenges were identified that related specifically to practices in French-speaking contexts (e.g., lack of French tools) and Belgian context (e.g., health policies unfavourable to multilingualism). These findings confirm that specific understanding of a situation is needed to develop context- and/or language-specific solutions-and ultimately improve clinical practice. What are the clinical implications of this work? SLTs in French-speaking Belgium require specific training and support to provide appropriate assessment of speech production in multilingual children. Efforts to improve practices in French-speaking contexts should focus on increasing understanding and consideration of cultural and linguistic diversity at all levels of the child's environment. Evidence-based knowledge, assessment tools and multilingual resources are available to SLTs on websites in French and in English.

Translation of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire in French and its Validation

Background. Questionnaires measuring occupational balance have been created in recent years, but those available in French are limited. Purpose. This study aimed to translate and transculturally adapt the Occupational Balance Questionnaire and to examine the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the French version. Methodology. A cross-cultural validation was conducted with adults in Quebec (n = 69) and in French-speaking Switzerland (n = 47). Results. Internal consistency was good in both regions (α > 0.85). Test-retest reliability was satisfactory in Quebec (ICC = 0.629; p < 0.001), but a significant difference was found between the two measurement times in French-speaking Switzerland. Significant associations were found between the results of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire and those of the Life Balance Inventory (Quebec, r = 0.47; French-speaking Switzerland, r = 0.52). Implications. These initial results support the use of the OBQ-French in the general population of two French-speaking regions.

How Did Swiss Small and Medium Enterprises Weather the COVID-19 Pandemic? Evidence from Survey Data

The COVID-19 pandemic had unprecedented consequences on businesses and, in particular, small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The aim of this paper is to empirically study the impact of the COVID-19 sanitary crisis on Swiss SMEs two years after the onset of the pandemic. Using a sample of 149 SMEs operating in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, we find that revenue loss across the full sample averaged 14% in 2020 compared to 2019. Our findings show that firm characteristics are not significant in explaining turnover loss while business management strategies such as business restructuring, remote working, and prioritizing employee protection were significantly associated with revenue. Our results suggest that remote work should be gradually introduced in sectors of activity whenever possible to reduce the financial burden of any future pandemic on SMEs. Additionally, we quantify the impact of closure on SMEs and find that firms having reported to have closed partially or completely due to sanitary restrictions were impacted seven times more in terms of revenue loss compared to SMEs that did not cease their activity during the COVID-19 crisis. This paper contributes to our understanding of the magnitude of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs and highlights the importance of SMEs adopting efficient business management strategies, and implementing measures to support smaller firms by public authorities in times of crisis.

Increase in methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in Switzerland: a nationwide surveillance study (2008–2021)

PurposeAn increasing burden of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (BSI), despite a decrease in the percentage of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), was described recently in other European countries. The main aim of this study was to analyse recent temporal trends of S. aureus, methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA BSI for Switzerland as well as the different linguistic regions within Switzerland. An additional aim was to estimate potential differences among patient-based and epidemiological risk factors.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted in Switzerland over a period of 14 years (2008–2021). Trends in S. aureus, MSSA and MRSA BSI were analysed by applying linear regression models.ResultsStaphylococcus aureus BSI increased by + 30% from 19.7 to 25.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants between 2008 and 2021 (P < 0.01) in Switzerland. Thereof, MSSA increased by + 37% from 17.8 to 24.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (P < 0.01). MRSA decreased from 1.9 to 1.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (P < 0.01), which was driven by decreasing incidence in the French-speaking region. MSSA BSI increased significantly (P < 0.01) in both linguistic regions. A further stratification revealed that incidence increased the most in male patients of the age group ≥ 80 years of the German-speaking region.ConclusionThe increasing health burden of MSSA BSI in Switzerland indicates that not only proportions of resistant microorganisms but also total BSI incidences should be monitored. In addition, data stratification revealed that the increase was mainly driven by an increasing incidence in elderly males of the German-speaking region.

A wave of support? A natural experiment on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the popularity of a basic income

Although a basic income (BI) has already been widely debated, the COVID-19 crisis further intensified the discussion about this periodic cash payment that is unconditionally delivered to all. However, it remains unclear whether the crisis spurred a wave of public support for its introduction. To investigate this, we aim to answer two research questions: (1) How did support for a BI evolve in reaction to the COVID-19 crisis? and (2) To what extent did the evolution in support differ across regional contexts and social groups with varying levels of deprivation? We rely on a natural experiment by analysing data from the Belgian National Elections Study that was collected both before and during the pandemic. The results indicate an increase in support for a BI due to the pandemic, although it seems short lived and not necessarily specific to a BI. Importantly, however, the increase in popularity is only observable in the high-unemployment French-speaking region of Belgium and among relatively deprived groups.

Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccination Among Individuals With Vaccine Hesitancy in French-Speaking Belgium

This cross-sectional study examines why people in French-speaking regions of Belgium who initially resisted getting the COVID-19 vaccine eventually chose to get vaccinated.

Contemporary translated children’s literature in Sweden with a focus on literature from French-speaking regions

This article sheds light on translated children’s literature in Sweden during the period 2015−2020. A relatively large portion of children’s literature in Sweden (36% in 2020), from books for toddlers to young adult literature, comes from translations. It has been shown in polysystem research, that ‘semi-peripheral’ countries such as Sweden, or places having a so-called ‘dominated language’, are known to import much literature because, for example, their internal production is rather limited, which a priori is not the case in Sweden. We first present a panorama of the kinds of books that are translated to Swedish and the languages they are translated from. We then focus on the particular position in Sweden of African children’s literature from French-speaking regions and assume that French is used as a tool that enables this literature to reach a Swedish audience, as part of the global phenomena of serial books and the emerging wimmelbooks. We conclude that even if Sweden’s national production is greater than book importing and translation, there is still a not insignificant number of translated picturebooks through which authors and illustrators from French-speaking regions occupy a stable share of this production, and may in this way transport cultural values from more peripheral countries.

Ten-year changes in colorectal cancer screening in Switzerland: The Swiss Health Interview Survey 2007, 2012 and 2017

Recent recommendations for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening suggest fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or colonoscopy. Since 2013, mandatory health insurance in Switzerland reimburse CRC screening. We set out to determine if CRC testing rate and type of CRC screening changed in Switzerland from 2007 to 2017 and between the three main language regions. We extracted data on 50–75-year-olds from the Swiss Health Interview Survey (SHIS) 2007, 2012 and 2017 to determine rates of self-reported testing with FOBT within last 2 years and colonoscopy within last 10 years. We estimated prevalence ratio (PR) in multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models and compared rates in German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions, adjusting for sociodemographic, self-rated health and insurance variables. Overall testing rates (FOBT or colonoscopy) increased in all regions from 2007 to 2017 (German-speaking 33.6% to 48.3%; French-speaking 30.8% to 48.8%; Italian-speaking 37.9% to 46.8%), mainly because of an increase in colonoscopy rate for screening reasons (p < 0.001 in all regions). Rates of FOBT testing fell significantly in the German-speaking region (11.9% to 4.4%, p < 0.001), but not in the Italian- (13.9% to 8.5%, p = 0.052) and French-speaking regions (7.6% to 7.4%, p = 0.138). Overall CRC testing rate rose from 33.2% in 2007 to 48.4% in 2017, mainly because of an increase of colonoscopy rate for screening reasons. Coverage remains below the 65% target of European guidelines. Organized screening programs encouraging FOBT screening could contribute to further increasing the CRC testing rate.