PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B Brorsson

Publications and source records attributed to B Brorsson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Facing AIDS: reactions among police officers, nurses and the general public in Sweden.

This study compares police officers and registered nurses and the general public concerning their perceptions of the risk of HIV infection, attitudes toward HIV-infected individuals, and attitudes toward measures used to fight the AIDS epidemic. Information was obtained through mail questionnaires sent to random samples of individuals, aged 25-44 years, from the 3 groups. The samples included 525, 501 and 1600 individuals respectively. Response rates were 85, 93 and 74%. The study showed good knowledge concerning verified carriers of HIV infection (blood, sperm, vaginal secretion, etc.). A widespread fear of unverified carriers of infection (public toilets, kissing on the mouth) existed particularly among the public and police officers. Negative attitudes toward HIV-infected individuals and demands for compulsory measures were common among all groups, although least common among nurses and most common among the police. Positive relationships were established between the fear of unverified carriers of infection, repulsive attitudes toward individuals infected by HIV, and demands for compulsory measures.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

AIDS in the minds of Swedish people: 1986-1989.

In order to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour related to AIDS, annual mail surveys (1986-1989) were sent to random samples of the general public, aged 16-44 years. In total, 16,900 individuals were sampled, with an average response rate of 71%. Knowledge about the major routes of infection was generally good during the entire study period. The fear of unverified infection risks and of contact with HIV-infected people decreased during the period studied, but still remained high in 1989. Over the entire period, respondents expressed a strong fear concerning the spread of HIV in the population. Although an increasing percentage of respondents reported altered sexual habits as a result of fear of AIDS, overall sexual behaviour did not change sufficiently to reduce the risk of spread of any sexually transmissible disease. Progress toward knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour aimed at prevention of transmission of infection and unnecessary fear and counteraction of prejudice was most rapid during the middle of the study period when public debate concerning AIDS was at its peak. Knowledge and attitudes did not change during the last year of the study, but, in some respects, reverted to previous levels.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

The AIDS epidemic in Sweden: estimates of costs, 1986, 1987 and 1990.

This study calculates the cost of medical care during the different stages of HIV infection, from the asymptomatic period to a confirmed AIDS diagnosis. Also, we have estimated the total cost of taking specimens and performing tests related to HIV infection, and the cost of information, research, etc. Medical costs were based on estimates of the average cost per day and the total number of days at the various stages of HIV infection. The cost estimates for testing include costs related to taking specimens, analysing samples, managing test results, etc. The cost outlook until 1990 is discussed using different assumptions concerning incidence, survival and the level of preventive efforts. The total estimated costs for medical care, HIV tests, information, etc. doubled between 1986 and 1987. During 1987, costs totaled 313 million Swedish kronor (SEK). The costs for specimens and tests totaled SEK 124 million, medical costs for HIV positives who had not developed AIDS totaled SEK 31 million, and medical costs for AIDS patients totaled SEK 26 million. The costs discussed in this study will probably increase by at least 50% by 1990.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1989

The risk of accidents among older drivers.

The number of older persons holding a driver's license is rapidly increasing, as is the number of older persons driving a car. This paper examines driver accident risk by age group, focusing on the older driver. Two different measures of accident risk are used; involvement in personal injury traffic accidents per million kilometers driven, and involvement in traffic accidents where one or more pedestrians were injured per million kilometers driven. The latter measure is used to refute the assumption that the elderly's risk of being involved in personal injury accidents might, to some extent, be explained by the fact that older drivers generally tend to run a higher risk than younger drivers of being injured in the event of a traffic accident. Another motive is that it provides a measure of the extent to which drivers of different ages present a risk to their fellow road users. This study shows that drivers in the 75-84 age group are at four to six times greater risk than are middle-aged drivers of being involved in personal injury traffic accidents.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1989

Age and injury severity.

This study aims at showing if and to what extent injury severity in frontal car crashes increases with the age of front seat occupants. Data on 2658 belted drivers and front seat passengers in Volvo private car series 140, 240 and 740/760, involved in frontal crashes were extracted from the Volvo Car Crash Register. The results show that the risk of injury resulting in "medical observation" does not increase systematically with age. However, the risk of fracture with any localization is more than three times higher among those aged 65-74 than in those aged 18-24, and the risk of fracture in the rib cage is nearly eleven times higher among the older than in the younger age group. It can be concluded that the incidence of specific types of injuries - as exemplified with fractures of any localization and fractures in the rib cage - increases with advancing age.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1988

Injuries from single-vehicle crashes and snow depth.

Swedish official statistics on road traffic accidents shows a remarkable variability among different winter seasons in single-vehicle crashes resulting in personal injuries--one of the major causes of personal injury in road traffic. This study presents results from analyses investigating the role played by snow as an injury-reducing factor. The regression model specified implies, when applied to Swedish data, that an increase in snow depth by 1 cm--for snow depths less than 40 centimetres--reduces the number of crashes with occupant injury by 3%. This finding has implications for assessing trends in traffic safety through the use of routine statistics on motor vehicle occupant injuries and also shows that roadside design is a decisive factor in the generation of injury to the individual in single-vehicle crashes.

Accidents, Traffic↗