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Biomedical subjects

B Natvig

Publications and source records attributed to B Natvig.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Children and bodily pain. Strong association between bodily pain, mental problems and sleep disorders among school children].

Body pain is frequently reported in children, and it has been suggested that childhood pain could be the beginning of chronic disabling pain. Three hypotheses were tested: 1. Body pain is associated with mental distress and sleeping problems; 2. The association is dependent on the localisation of the pain; 3. The association increases with the number of painful areas. 86 percent of the pupils (569) in the 4th form (mean age 10.5 years), 7th form (mean age 13.5 years) and 9th form (mean age 15.5 years) from all the schools in a local community answered a questionnaire about self esteem, body image, physical activity and body pain. A strong association was found between the reporting of pain, mental distress and sleeping problems. Knee pain was the only problem reported more frequently by boys than by girls, and did not show the same association with mental distress and sleeping problems as pain from other regions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Localized low back pain and low back pain as part of widespread musculoskeletal pain: two different disorders? A cross-sectional population study.

In a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study we compared individuals with localized low back pain (LBP) with individuals with LBP as part of widespread musculoskeletal pain, according to demographic and lifestyle characteristics and functional ability. All the inhabitants in Ullensaker county born 1918-20, 1928-30, 1938-40, 1948-50, 1958-60 and 1968-70 were sent a questionnaire in 1994. The study population comprised 2,893 responders. LBP as part of widespread pain indicated reduced functional ability, and the groups differed in several demographic and lifestyle characteristics.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

Sleep problems: a predictor of long-term work disability? A four-year prospective study.

AIMS: This study investigates sleep problems as a predictor of long-term work disability. METHODS: Data from a community-based four-year prospective study were used. In 1990, all inhabitants of the municipality of Ullensaker, Norway, belonging to six age cohorts (20-22, 30-32, 40-42, 50-52, 60-62, and 70-72 years), were mailed a questionnaire. Of the 1,788 responders who were working and not older than 62 years, 1,426 (80%) returned a second questionnaire four years later (1994). RESULTS: Reporting mediocre or poor sleep (in contrast to good) in 1990 was significantly related to long-term work disability (> 8 weeks) during the previous 12 months in 1994 (odds ratio = 2.16; 95% confidence interval = 1.26-3.72), after adjustments for age, gender, civil status, body mass index, emotional symptoms, musculoskeletal pain, self-evaluated health, smoking, physical exercise, job satisfaction, and work characteristics. CONCLUSION: The study indicates that sleep problems are a predictor of long-term work disability.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Physical activity and bodily pain in children].

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal complaints are frequently reported not only by adults, but also by children. Sedentary lifestyle has been suggested as a possible cause. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 569 pupils in primary school in a Norwegian municipality, aged 10-15 years, answered a questionnaire on bodily pain, self-esteem, body image and physical activity. RESULTS: We found a tendency that the least and the most physically active children reported most complaints. The two groups reported complaints from different regions. INTERPRETATION: Whether complaints in childhood develop into adult chronic pain conditions, and whether increased activity among the most physically passive children can hinder such a development are still unanswered questions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Bodily pain, sleep problems and mental distress in schoolchildren.

UNLABELLED: It has been suggested that childhood pain could be the beginning of a career with chronic disabling pain. Bodily pain is frequent in children. We examined the association between self-reported bodily pain, mental distress and sleep problems in schoolchildren to test the following hypotheses: (i) that self-reported bodily pain is associated with mental distress and sleep problems, (ii) that the association is dependent on the localization of pain, and (iii) that the association increases with number of painful areas. Eighty-six percent of the pupils (569) in the 4th form (mean age 10.5 y), 7th form (mean age 13.5 y) and 9th form (mean age 15.5 y) from all the schools in a local community answered a questionnaire about self-esteem, body-image, physical activity and bodily pain. We found a strong association between the reporting of pain, mental distress and sleep problems. Pain in the knees was the only problem reported more frequently by boys than by girls, and knee pain did not show the same association with mental distress and sleep problems as pain from other regions. CONCLUSIONS: A possible cause-effect relationship between pain, mental distress and sleep problems is discussed, and the possibility that all the complaints are the simultaneous signs of a multisymptom syndrome is introduced.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Smoking and the functional status of young adults.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between smoking and the functional status of young adults. DESIGN: A 4-year prospective questionnaire study. SETTING: The municipality of Ullensaker, Norway. SUBJECTS: 1084 subjects, 20-22 years or 30-32 years of age (the two youngest age-cohorts in a larger population study), completed a mailed questionnaire in 1990. A second questionnaire, mailed to the respondents in 1994, was completed by 753 (69.5%) individuals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-evaluated functional status as measured with the COOP/Wonca Charts. RESULTS: In 1994, respondents who were daily smokers in 1990 reported lower physical fitness, poorer overall health, and more pain, emotional problems, limitations of social activities, and problems in performing daily tasks than nonsmokers. Smoking in 1990 was associated with moderate or low physical fitness (OR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.19-4.11) and moderate or severe pain (OR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.32-3.94) in 1994, after adjustment for age, gender, civil state, workplace characteristics, physical exercise, and emotional symptoms. CONCLUSION: Even young adults report a lower functional status if they smoke. If this reflects a causal relationship it could be an important argument when trying to persuade young people to avoid smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Questions you didn't ask? COOP/WONCA Charts in clinical work and research. World Organization of Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicists.

OBJECTIVE: COOP/WONCA Functional Assessment Charts are widely in use in research and clinical work. They originally evolved from Dartmouth COOP Functional Assessment Charts. Our objective is to describe our experiences with COOP/WONCA Charts and to provide data on reliability and reference data from a normal population. METHOD: A test-retest study comprising 40 randomly selected patients attending GPs' surgeries was conducted. Eight GPs took part in this study. The response rate for the questionnaire was 100%. In a second study, 245 asthma patents who consulted 53 different GPs were consecutively included; 171 of these repeated completion of the charts after 6 months. Mean scores from a random sample of 2864 persons in the total population of the municipality of Ullensaker in Norway are given as reference values. There was a postal return rate of 64%. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The reliability of the charts is good, and nine out of ten of the patients gave clinically meaningful answers after 2-3 days. The scores of the 171 asthma patients were nearly identical after 6 months. The reference values are presented. A standardized method for reliability testing is discussed, and the use of COOP/WONCA Functional Assessment Charts is commented on.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Smoking, heavy physical work and low back pain: a four-year prospective study.

Data from a community-based four-year prospective study were used to test the hypothesis that heavy physical work is a stronger predictor of low back pain in smokers than in non-smokers. Of 708 working responders without low back pain during the entire year prior to 1990, 562 (79%) completed a questionnaire four years later in 1994. A job involving heavy lifting and much standing in 1990 was a strong predictor of low back pain in smokers four years later [odds ratio (OR) = 5.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.93-15.84, p < 0.01) after having adjusted for other job characteristics, demographic factors, emotional symptoms, physical exercise and musculoskeletal pain elsewhere. In non-smokers, having a job with heavy lifting and much standing was not associated with low back pain. One explanation may be that smoking leads to reduced perfusion and malnutrition of tissues in or around the spine and causes these tissues to respond inefficiently to mechanical stress.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Job characteristics as predictors of neck pain. A 4-year prospective study.

Data from a community-based 4-year prospective study were used to investigate job characteristics as predictors of neck pain. Of 1791 working responders who completed a questionnaire in 1990, 1429 (79.8%) returned a second questionnaire 4 years later (1994). In responders without neck pain during the previous 12 months in 1990, the "little influence on own work situation" factor predicted neck pain during the previous 12 months (odds ratio = 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 4.14) and previous 7 days in 1994 (OR = 2.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 6.73) after adjustment for a series of potential confounders. In responders with neck pain in 1990, the little influence on own work situation factor was associated with persistent neck pain 4 years later. The study indicates that having little influence on one's own work situation is a predictor of neck pain.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Marital disruption and long-term work disability. A four-year prospective study.

Data from a community-based four-year prospective study were used to investigate the relationship between marital disruption and long-term work disability. In 1990, all inhabitants of the municipality Ullensaker, Norway, belonging to six cohorts (20-22 years, 30-32 years, 40-42 years, 50-52 years, 60-62 years and 70-72 years) were sent a questionnaire. Of the 1,359 respondents who were working, married or cohabiting, and not older than 62 years, 1,115 (82%) returned a second questionnaire four years later (1994). Separation or divorce between 1990 and 1994 was related to long-term work disability in 1994 (OR = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.57-5.81), even after adjustments for age, sex, work characteristics, number of work hours per week, job satisfaction, body mass index, having pre-school children, smoking, physical leisure activity, emotional symptoms and musculoskeletal pain (all measured in 1990). Emotional problems evoked by the marital disruption may be part of the explanation.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1998

Physical leisure activity level and physical fitness among women with fibromyalgia.

To determine selfreported physical leisure activity level and physical fitness in women with fibromyalgia we sent questionnaires to the female members of a local fibromyalgia association and the same questionnaire to the women in a population based cohort study. The fibromyalgia patients had higher physical leisure activity level, but lower physical fitness than the women in the population survey. The difference in physical leisure activity persisted even after controlling for a series of possible confounders, including employment status and work load in a logistic regression analysis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Smoking as a predictor of long-term work disability in physically active and inactive people.

Data from a Norwegian 4-year prospective questionnaire study were used to test our hypothesis that smoking is a weaker predictor of long-term work disability in physically active than inactive persons. Of 1,788 respondents who were working and not older than 62 years in 1990, 1,426 (80%) also returned a questionnaire in 1994. For respondents who were taking physical exercise less than once a week, smoking predicted long-term work disability four years later [odds ratio (OR) = 2.24; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30-3.87; p < 0.01], when adjusting for age, sex, work-hours per week, heavy lifting at work, emotional symptoms and musculoskeletal pain at time 0. In respondents who were exercising at least once a week, there was no association between smoking and long-term work disability.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Self-reported bodily pain in schoolchildren.

It has been suggested that musculoskeletal symptoms develop from early age and can be regarded as a lifespan phenomenon. The study of childhood pain might provide a better understanding of the origin of chronic pain in adults. In a study of 569 schoolchildren, aged 10-15 years, in a local community close to Oslo, 75% reported that they usually experience bodily pain. Girls reported more pain than boys. 25% of those reporting pain experience symptoms several days a week. Knee symptoms and back pain were most frequently reported. Thirty-seven % of the girls reported headache, only 20% of the boys. Girls also reported more neck and shoulder pain than boys. The oldest respondents reported symptoms from more body parts. Symptoms from several body parts were more frequent among girls. Thirty-eight % of the respondents reported that it sometimes is hard to concentrate because of the pain, and 26% reported that they sometimes have to use medication. The consequences of pain increased with increasing age and increasing number of body parts affected. The results are consistent with findings in the adult population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Assessment of one's own functional status. COOP-WONCA questionnaire charts in clinical practice and research].

Primary health care has needed an instrument that can be used to assess patients functional health status. Since 1988 the Classification Committee of WONCA, the World Organisation of Family Doctors, has been working on a revised edition of the Dartmouth COOP Functional Status Assessment Charts. The six COOP-WONCA Charts are described: physical fitness, feelings, daily activities, social activities, change in health and overall health. The charts have been tested against many other instruments and the validity has been found to be good. A Norwegian test-retest reliability study, the first on the revised COOP-WONCA Charts, showed good reliability. For 35 out of 40 of the office patients included in the study, either the answers were the same at test-retest, or "change of health" was consistent with changes in other variables. A study in a group of 171 asthma patients showed unchanged mean scores after six months. The results from a population study in the municipality of Ullensaker, comprising 2,864 persons, are presented as a basis for comparison. The COOP-WONCA instrument is simple and easy to use and understand. It meets the requirements for a useful tool in clinical practice and research and seems to provide valuable, additional information in daily practice. The COOP-WONCA Charts represent a simple and good method for assessing functional status.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

[Musculoskeletal complaints in a population. Occurrence and localization].

Musculo-skeletal complaints are widespread. In a population survey in Ullensaker, a local community 40 kilometers north-east of Oslo, only 15% reported no musculo-skeletal symptoms during the last year. Just as many, 15%, predominantly women aged 50-70 years years, reported having such symptoms every day during the last year. 53% reported that they had experienced low back pain during the last year. The corresponding figures for headache, neck symptoms and shoulder symptoms were 49%, 48% and 46% respectively. Headache was most common among the younger women and neck and shoulder symptoms among middle-aged, while hip and knee symptoms were most frequent in the elderly women. Women in all age groups reported symptoms from more parts of the body than the men did.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Variation in torus palatinus prevalence in Norway.

The variation in torus palatinus (TP) prevalence was investigated among a total of 2010 dental patients over 10 yr of age native to two different regions in Norway, the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway and the Gudbrandsdalen valley, an inland area in the southeastern part of the country. The two groups were presumed to belong to the same Caucasian stock, but were extremes with regard to the fish-to-meat ratio of the diet, which was 3:1 in Lofoten and 1:3 in Gudbrandsdalen, respectively representing a soft type of diet, and a tough type requiring greater muscular forces during mastication. The study revealed: 1) the prevalence of TP was higher among women than men; 2) TP seemed likely to arise from a multifactorial liability, with part of the genetic factors residing on the X chromosome; 3) the prevalence of TP appeared to be higher among natives of Lofoten, who consume the softer food, than among natives of Gudbrandsdalen, the higher prevalence being hypothesized to have some connection with nutrient substances present in saltwater fish, possibly omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; and 4) TP seemed to be a dynamic phenomenon capable of growth and subject to resorption remodeling.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Concurrence of torus mandibularis and torus palatinus.

Analysis of the concurrence of torus mandibularis and torus palatinus among a total of 2010 dental patients, by the test of independence, revealed that the concurrence was statistically significant among women, but not among men. A tentative hypothesis was proposed to explain the sexual dimorphism of the variable, combined occurrence of the two features.

Adolescent↗