Groups In Finland Research Articles

The cost effectiveness of zoledronic acid 5 mg for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women with prior fractures: evidence from Finland, Norway and the Netherlands

Objective:This study was conducted to assess the cost effectiveness of zoledronic acid 5 mg as a first-line treatment for the secondary prevention of fragility fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis in Finland, Norway and the Netherlands.Methods:A discrete-event, individual-patient computer-simulation model was used to compare the cost effectiveness of zoledronic acid with that of basic treatment (calcium and vitamin D) and commonly prescribed bisphosphonates in postmenopausal women aged 50–80 years who have experienced one previous fracture and have a bone mineral density T-score of −2.5.Results:The cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained with zoledronic acid compared with basic treatment ranged from being cost saving in all age groups in Norway, to costing approximately €19,000 in Finland and €22,300 in the Netherlands. Compared with the other branded bisphosphonates, zoledronic acid was cost saving in many scenarios, including all age groups in Finland. In Norway, zoledronic acid dominated branded risedronate and ibandronate in all age groups and dominated or had incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of up to NOK83,954 per QALY gained compared with branded alendronate. In the Netherlands, zoledronic acid dominated branded intravenous ibandronate in all age groups; compared with branded risedronate and oral ibandronate, zoledronic acid dominated or had ICERs of up to €4832 per QALY gained; compared with branded alendronate, it had ICERs of up to €48,383 per QALY gained. In all three countries, zoledronic acid may be cost effective compared with generic alendronate when patient compliance with drug therapy is taken into account. Sensitivity analyses showed that the model was robust to changes in key values. The main model limitations were the lack of real-life compliance and persistence data, and lack of country-specific data for some parameters.Conclusions:Using local or commonly used thresholds, this analysis suggests that zoledronic acid would be a cost-effective first-line option compared with other branded bisphosphonates and, in some scenarios, compared with generic alendronate, for the secondary prevention of fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis in Finland, Norway and the Netherlands.

Embracing Hungarian: top-down emancipation of an immigrant language in Finland

The term “language emancipation” has to date been mainly used in the context of historical minority languages and underprivileged vernaculars. The aim of the present article is to discuss the extension of this concept to other language categories and in this case, an immigrant language. It focuses on the situation of Hungarians and Hungarian in Finland and discusses the relevance of language emancipation in this context. The factors which are concentrated on are: first, the long history of cultural relations between Hungarians and Finns; second, the situation of Hungarian at various levels of education in Finland; and third, the attitudes towards Hungarian on the part of the majority society as well as the Hungarians themselves. The situation of Hungarian in Finland is special compared with other immigrant languages because Hungarian was part of the Finnish nationalist language emancipation. This historical heritage still seems to positively affect the status of Hungarians and the Hungarian language in Finnish society as reflected in a recent sociolinguistic study carried out among second generation Hungarians in Finland. Both official support from the state level and the favorable attitudes among majority language speakers contribute to the privileged status of Hungarians among immigrant groups in Finland.

Determinants of late HIV diagnosis among different transmission groups in Finland from 1985 to 2005

To study determinants of late HIV diagnosis in a low-HIV-prevalence (<0.1%) country where HIV spread among men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexuals in the 1980s, and among injecting drug users (IDUs) in the late 1990s. Newly diagnosed HIV cases referred to the Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1985 and 2005 were reviewed to identify determinants of late HIV diagnosis, defined as diagnosis when the first CD4 count was <200 cells/microL, or when AIDS occurred within 3 months of HIV diagnosis. Determinants of late diagnosis were analysed using multivariate logistic regression. Among 934 HIV cases, 211 (23%) were diagnosed late. In the first 4-year interval of each sub-epidemic (1985-1989 for MSM and heterosexuals, 1998-2001 for IDUs), rates of late HIV diagnosis were 13%, 18% and 6%, respectively, but increased thereafter to 29%, 27% and 37%. Late diagnosis was associated with non-Finnish ethnicity, older age, male gender, lack of earlier HIV testing, diagnosis at health care settings and later stage of the sub-epidemic. The lower rate of late diagnosis in the first 4-year interval of each HIV sub-epidemic suggests that the early stages of the HIV epidemic in Finland were detected early. This factor may have contributed to the low prevalence of HIV infection in Finland. The stage and age of the epidemic should be taken into account when interpreting the data on late HIV diagnosis, especially in cross-country comparisons.

The Potential and Challenge of the Network Realization Capability for SMEs in Ireland and Finland

In recognizing that the term ‘network’ can be interpreted in a multitude of ways and from a number of varying perspectives, the purpose of this article is to report the findings of a study designed to determine whether SME owner/manager see networks as an industrial relationship phenomenon. This gap, termed ‘realization capability’ refers to the SMEs’ ability to visualize the inter-organizational embedded systems that they are a part of that could enhance their marketing efforts. Bonds tie network members together and provide the context for relationships. Therefore, in measuring the level of SME realization capability the authors conceptualized the concept into social and structural bonds to ascertain the network perspective of the SME participants. To determine the level of realization of SME actors, a participatory action research method was employed in an Irish setting and compared to a control group in Finland. Findings suggest that from an Irish perspective, realization was low, highlighting that misconceptions existed amongst the SMEs regarding the nature and dynamics of networks whereby they were viewed as a predominantly personal contact structure. Conversely, the Finnish participants viewed networks as interconnected business relationships, continually operating in close collaboration with other stakeholders within their business. The findings are discussed in detail as they raise the barrier for many SMEs to participate in networks which by definition are proposed as cost effective solutions which can address many of the gaps to implementing marketing approaches by SMEs.

Language-group mortality differentials in Finland in 1988-2004: assessment of the contribution of cause of death, sex and age

The higher mortality among Finnish-speaking than Swedish-speaking Finns is well established and has been shown to be very persistent. However, the most recent comprehensive documentation on the language-group differential extends only to the mid-1980s. We study recent trends in sex- and age-specific language-group mortality from 1988 to 2004, focusing on the relative contribution of the main causes of death and differences in sociodemographic structure. The register data are based on an 11% sample of Finns aged > or =30 years at the end of 1987--which further includes an oversample of deaths covering 80% of all deaths in the period 1988-2004. Finnish-speaking men had 19% and women 11% higher age-adjusted mortality rates than the Swedish speakers. Further adjustments for sociodemographic composition explained 47% and 36%, respectively, of these differences. Age group-specific analyses showed the steepest differences in the young and middle-aged groups (30-49 years) in both men and women. The cause-specific differences were most pronounced in alcohol-related diseases, suicide and other external causes, for which a slight increase in differentials was also observed. The relative difference in mortality between the two main language groups in Finland persists, with a slight narrowing of the gap among women. Moreover, the largest differences and indications of diverging trends were found among the youngest age groups. The causes of death in which the difference is greatest highlight the importance of health-related behaviour and cultural differences in lifestyle.

Finnish professional criminals and their organisations in the 1990SA

This article concentrates on Finnish professional criminals and their organisations in Finland and in cross-border crime operations. It is based on qualitative empirical material. It focus on 14 different Finnish groups active in the 1990s in smuggling (alcohol, tobacco and drugs), and/or procuring prostitutes, and/or handling stolen goods. The objective of the study was twofold: 1) to gather collective information about the world of the Finnish professional criminals by studying the personal characteristics of the group members, the crimes they commit, and the structures of the criminal groups, 2) to compare differences and similarities of professional criminals and organised crime groups in Finland and abroad. The study clearly shows, that Finnish professional criminal groups are loosely structured networks that based on trade relations between the participants. The operational time of the groups is short and laundering of profits is not planned beforehand. The comparison of studied groups and internationally well known organised crime groups shows, that the Finns are a long way behind in all matters related on organised crime and its criminality. Finnish groups are loosely structured networks working on ad hog basis, at the moment and a certain time. International groups are monopolistic business enterprises that corrupt and threats state authorities and surrounding society to leave them in peace, promote its own business matters and reputation of top men.

The impact of smoking on health-related and overall quality of life: A general population survey in Finland

The objective of the study was to examine the association between overall and health-related quality of life and smoking in men and women of discrete smoking groups in Finland. The design was a Health 2000 Survey, conducted in Finland 2000--2001. The setting and participants were a two-stage, stratified, nationally representative cluster sample that comprised 8,028 persons aged 30 or over living in mainland Finland. Health-related quality of life was measured by the 15D questionnaire; and overall quality of life was assessed by a single question measure capturing the respondent's own perception and estimation of his/her quality of life. The present study showed that daily smokers had both lower health-related and overall quality of life than never-smokers among the Finnish adult population. Health-related quality of life profiles showed that daily smokers did worse than never-smokers in a considerable number of the health dimensions. The effects of smoking were observed not only through health: the daily smokers registered significantly lower ratings of overall quality of life compared with never-smokers, too. Both the health-related and overall quality of life of ex-smokers approached those of never-smokers. The results of the present study suggest that improved health is not the only benefit of smoking cessation; better quality of life and more fulfilling everyday living can also be expected. As the major health consequences of smoking usually manifest themselves only after several years of smoking, both health-related and overall quality of life measurements could be used as an intervention tool for motivating people to quit.

Habitual Trust in Encountering Violence at Work

• Summary: This article analyses attitudes towards client-perpetrated violence among Finnish social workers and nurses. The research material consists of 25 theme interviews and 20 thematic writings which are examined by means of content analysis.• Findings: Although statistics show that among all the professional groups in Finland, people working in social welfare and health care are most likely to encounter violence, the risk of violence is underestimated by these professionals. In addition, violence that has taken place is not recognized as `real' violence, but as an excusable expression of clients' distress, or as a justified reaction to the employees' conduct. By using Niklas Luhmann's idea of trust as a way of ignoring risks in spite of being aware of them, the present study shows how trust is at the core of professional activity for caring professions such as those of social workers or nurses. Pierre Bourdieu's concept `habitus', in its part, explains the way in which trusting has became part of a professional orientation which works automatically and seems natural. The study shows that trust orientation is deeply embedded in professional practices, and therefore slow to change.• Applications : These findings have implications for the prevention of violence: the structural level of the social formation of the habitual trust orientation should be taken into account while the formal policies of prevention are planned.

Group size, group status and trait valence as determinants of intergroup bias: Stereotyping in Finland and Sweden

AbstractThe effects of group size, group status and trait valence (positive or negative stereotypes of in‐ and outgroup) on intergroup bias was studied in nation‐wide probability samples of majority and minority groups in Finland and Sweden, (N = 2479). Ethnolinguistic vitality was used as a proxy for status. It is argued that the specific history of real‐life intergroup relations has to be duly acknowledged when predicting main and interactive effects on intergroup bias in natural contexts. Supporting the predictions made, numerical group size showed a stable main effect; members of numerical minorities showed more bias than members of numerical majorities, regardless of trait valence. While status had no main effect, there was a significant interaction between status and size as well as between status and trait valence: intergroup bias was highest in the high status minority, and low status groups showed less bias than high status groups on negatively valenced traits. In fact, minority members showed the reverse of PNAE. In addition, majority members favoured the outgroup on negatively valenced traits, but favoured their ingroup on positively valenced traits. Different explanations for these results are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

New bilingualism in the bilingual Finnish context

Despite of constituting only 5.8% of the Finnish population, the Finland-Swedes form a national group in Finland for historical reasons. Unlike most other minorities in Europe, the Finland-Swedes can be defined neither by a common origin – because parts of their ancestors came as immigrants from different European countries during the 19th century – nor by territory (they do not dispose of a specific territory). According to Finnish legislation, Finland is a bilingual nation with two national languages, and the question of language is a matter of personal choice. There are parallel educational institutions in both Finnish and Swedish and both languages are compulsory subjects at school. Presently, the situation of the Swedish language in Finland seems to be good and there is no lack of pupils in Swedish schools. Nevertheless, the question of language use or of (linguistic) identity is a complex one – especially in respect of pupils with a mixed linguistic background. A study conducted on that subject, including pupils from Finnish as well as from Swedish schools, led to interesting results, particularly with regard to a special kind of bilingualism at Swedish schools. The study also reveals that school language is of utmost importance with regard to the forming of language identity and the use of language.

The esoteric milieu in Finland today

As in the other Scandinavian countries, so in Finland an exceptionally high percentage of the population belongs to a religious community. Today, about 82 per cent of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. However, the picture of the Finnish religious and spiritual landscape is more complex than it may at first appear. The project ‘Religions in Finland’ was started in 2003. The project is a joint-effort of the Church Research Institute and the Research Network for the Study of New Religious Movements. The aim is to create an electronic database for describing, mapping and analysing religious associations and communities in Finland (active ones and also those that no longer exist). In August 2007 there were 777 communities and organizations listed in the database. They are classified into ten categories representing religious traditions according to their historical and cultural background. There are 29 organizations classified under the category Western esotericism. This article presents a general overview of the major and recently founded esoteric groups in Finland, most of which are registered associations.

The effect of social capital on health: The case of two language groups in Finland

The aim of this study was to examine the association between individual-level social capital and two aspects of self-reported health—self-rated health and psychological health—in Finland. Data were taken from a nationwide survey conducted in year 2000/2001. Two language groups, the Swedish-speakers and the Finnish-speakers in Finland were used as examples to illustrate ethnic differences in social capital. Moreover, social capital was used to explore the reasons behind health inequalities between the language groups. The results of the study demonstrated a positive association between individual-level cognitive social capital and the health outcomes. We further found that Swedish-speakers possess more structural and cognitive social capital compared to Finnish-speakers. Social capital explains to some extent health differences between the language groups. The results indicate the importance of considering ethnic differences in social determinants of health.

Writing of sadness and pain: Diary work with depressed women in Finland

Through diaries, depressed women are able to chart their passage through depression side-by-side with their involvement in the therapeutic process. Writing in diaries provides meaning for their own experience of depression and enhances the therapeutic process. As diarists, by retelling and reclaiming the events in one's life, they are able to become aware of their own “true” selves and become experts in depression. It is possible that, through depression narratives, voices that are used to expressing sadness become more visible to oneself through the healing pen. The primary objective of this paper is to describe how intensive diary writing can be used as a psychotherapeutic tool for depressed women involved in time limited professionally guided self-help groups in Finland. There were two main ways in which members used their diaries: as a tool for self-reflection and as a support in dealing with psychological and physical pain. The conclusions drawn were that diary work was all about the self in dialogue and this implied a movement away from, if not out of, depression.

Trace fossils from the Dividalen Group of northern Finland with remarks on early Cambrian trace fossil provincialism

The Dividalen Group is exposed in a narrow zone along the eastern Caledonian front of northern Fennoscandia. Trace fossils provide important age constraints in these largely siliciclastic strata and demonstrate that in Sweden the entire Dividalen Group is of Cambrian age. Here we provide the first detailed description of trace fossils from the Dividalen Group in Finland, based on new material from the Kilpisjärvi area. This material includes the vertical spiral Gyrolithes polonicus and trace fossils with a three-lobed lower surface, here informally described as the Bure ichnocomplex. These trace fossils have a wide distribution in Baltica and probably represent a rare case of trace fossil provincialism.

Empowering depressed women: Changes in ‘individual’ and ‘social’ feelings in guided self-help groups in Finland

The Women and Depression Project began in 1994 within a Finnish national research programme. We developed professionally guided self-help groups as a therapeutic intervention in mental health clinics. Through a gender lens, we explored the effect of group participation on depressed women's ‘individual’ and ‘social’ feelings over three time periods. The central research question was: were there significant changes in members’ individual and social feelings between these time periods? Using an innovative, culturally sensitive measurement tool, we measured these changes. We analysed quantitative data from the feelings questions on Questionnaires 1, 2 and 3 and qualitative data from the question, ‘How has the group helped you to create changes in your life?’. We applied the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks z-test to the quantitative data to assess statistically between the time periods. Responses to the open-ended question generated qualitative data that were mainly descriptive, an important contribution considering the paucity of information on depressed women. Our findings advance, albeit in a small way, an understanding of how women accepted managed or healed their depression as they broke down the public and private boundaries of their emotional lives. Members became empowered to understand themselves and believe in their potential as social individuals through their participation in the group. In the long term, they altered their feelings and relationships to themselves and their environment.

Does relationship marketing improve customer relationship satisfaction and loyalty?

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship marketing (RM) strategy of a retail bank and examine whether – after its implementation – customer relationships were strengthened through perceived improvements in the banking relationship and consequent loyalty towards the bank.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted on two profitability segments, of which the more profitable segment had been directly exposed to a customer oriented RM strategy, whereas the less profitable segment had been subjected to more sales oriented marketing communications.FindingsNo significant differences were found between the segments on customers' evaluations of the service relationship or their loyalty toward the bank. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that relationship satisfaction was less important as a determinant of loyalty in the more profitable segment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted as a case study of one specific branch of a bank group in Finland, which limits the external validity of its results. It was not possible to ascertain if, or to what extent, customers of the more profitable segment had received the intended RM treatment. Other limitations are also discussed.Practical implicationsCustomer orientation is desirable within retail banking and more studies are needed on the differential drivers of loyalty across customer profitability segments. By identifying the aspects of a banking relationship that are more highly valued among more profitable customers than among less profitable customers, bank managers would be able to more effectively devise appropriate strategies for different segments.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the RM literature and marketing of financial services by providing empirical evidence of the effects of RM activities on customer relationship perceptions in different profitability segments.

Using Choice Experiments to Value the Natura 2000 Nature Conservation Programs in Finland

This paper is concerned with the preferences of the Finnish households for a controversial nature conservation program – the European Union's Natura 2000 Network. Since the program was mainly based on biological considerations, it met strong public opinions from different interest groups in Finland. Using the choice experimental method, we attempt to estimate the values that the Finnish households would place on different preservation levels. It is found that the mean willingness to accept for a decrease in the nature preservation area is much greater than the mean willingness to pay for an increase by the same amount. Also, the marginal willingness to pay becomes zero after an initial increase in the natural preservation area, which is consistent with our earlier findings in a binary choice valuation study. Policy implications of these results are also discussed in relation to different decision criteria.

A system of key indicators for needs assessment at local level: The Finnish network of information producers

Healthcare needs assessment of a local population combines national and local health registries with practice-based data, surveys and qualitative methods. A working group in Finland has developed a system of key indicators for local needs assessment based on a comparative approach. It uses 45 key indicators within four different fields: demography, health behaviour, health status and use of health services. Indicators had to: describe an aspect of health affecting large groups; be available and accessible in existing data files; and be valid, reliable and easy to interpret. A user interface is needed to extract the indicators via the Internet. An educational package of instructions and exercises will be prepared. The use of evidence in health service planning needs to be strengthened. The project offers a new toolkit for healthcare needs assessment, planning of local health services and public health development.

Unemployment persistence of different labour force groups in Finland

Fractional integration long memory models are used to estimate the unemployment persistence of different labour force groups. The data comes from Finland, and has youth and total labour force unemployment rates for both males and females. It is found that unemployment is less persistent for females and young people than for males and the whole labour force.

Electronic citizenship and global social movements

This paper is an attempt at a more systematic study of the impact of new social movements on participatory politics and citizenship at a European level. It presents the empirical findings from my work on ecological NGOs and addresses the following questions: * In what ways is the Internet conducive to discursive democracy when used by grassroots organizations, and more specifically by environmental groups in Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and Greece? * What kind of information is offered on the Web sites of some environmental organizations in the five countries? * How is this related with the level of Internet development in these countries? It concludes that ecological organizations use the Internet for publicity purposes and for diffusion of information mainly, while the dimensions of discursive, interactive communication and the establishment of 'nexuses of global action' are still underplayed.