The Nordic Congress on Public Health, at Gothenborg, in June 1995, was focused on questions of evaluation. The article reviews basic evaluation concepts, presents a checklist for the planning of evaluation, and proposes an evaluation strategy, as well as standardised terminology for use in trials related to the spread of innovations. The following terms are proposed: news trials, demonstration trials, acceptance trials, and quality assurance trials, each type of trial being linked with appropriate methods. It is suggested that Nordic consensus on this terminology should be achieved as a basis for common language and understanding.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1993

Fibromyalgia in the adult Danish population: I. A prevalence study.

Epidemiologic studies of fibromyalgia have so far been based on rheumatologic and general practice settings, which are poor proxies for the underlying population. The study is based on a national health interview survey carried out by the Danish Institute for Clinical Epidemiology in 1990/91 on approx. 6000 randomly selected Danish citizens. For this study 1219 subjects from the eastern part of Denmark aged 18 to 79 years were asked about widespread muscle pain. One-hundred-and-twenty-three persons fulfilled the screening criteria. Clinical examination could be performed on 65 persons (53%). Eight subjects, all female, met the 1990 American College of Rheumatism criteria for fibromyalgia. Dropouts were regarded as not having fibromyalgia. The prevalence of fibromyalgia in the Danish population between 18 and 79 years of age was found to be a minimum estimate of 0.66% (95% confidence limits 0.28%-1.29%).

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Fibromyalgia in the adult Danish population: II. A study of clinical features.

Clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia have so far been based mainly on patients identified in rheumatologic settings. This paper offers the clinical findings in fibromyalgia based on a national health interview survey, in which 123 persons fulfilled preset criteria for widespread pain. Clinical examination could be performed on 65 subjects (53%) and included physical examination, tender point palpation by two blinded trained physicians, blood sample analysis, measurement of dynamic muscular strength and a detailed self-administered questionnaire. Significantly more subjective swelling, fatigue, headache, difficulty in stair-climbing, and poorer self-evaluated health with more tender points was found. Contrary to that which was expected, fibromyalgia subjects did not suffer from sleep disturbances, irritable bowels or morning stiffness. Our findings indicate that clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia in the general population may differ from those found in rheumatological settings.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

[Epidemiology of acute myocardial infarction].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Denmark↗

PubMed1989

[Self-reported pattern of illness and hospitalization during pregnancy. Results from a nation-wide questionnaire study].

In a representative questionnaire investigation covering all of Denmark, 3,152 women provided information about their health during a recent pregnancy. Of these, 1,411 (45%) had been ill or had experienced severe complaints related to the pregnancy and 625 (20%) had been hospitalized during pregnancy. The average duration of hospitalization was two weeks with great variations in the various conditions. Women with multiple pregnancies were hospitalized for an average of six weeks. Increased incidence of hypertension and placental insufficiency were found among women over the age of 35 years whereas preeclampsia was most common among primigravidae. Women who had previously had a spontaneous abortion had an increased frequency of haemorrhage, threatened abortion and threatened premature delivery. Previous infertility was not associated with increased occurrence of complications of pregnancy-related morbidity were observed between women who had work outside the home and women who worked in their homes. Women with work outside the home who reported illness or severe pregnancy-related symptoms had an average period of sick-leave of six weeks for health reasons. The most prolonged periods of sick-leave were in cases of threatened abortion, threatened premature delivery and multiple pregnancies. The right to take leave with pay or maintenance allowance prior to the expected date of delivery is not utilized to any great extent more by women with illness during pregnancy. On the other hand, women with long educations utilized this right to a greater extent than unskilled women, who had, on the other hand increased leave on account of health reasons.

Adult↗

PubMed1988