Ethicalization in bioscience--a pilot study in Finland.
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Bioethical Issues↗
Biomedical subjects
Piia Jallinoja
Publications and source records attributed to Piia Jallinoja.
Rural-urban differences in health and health behaviour: a baseline description of a community health-promotion programme for the elderly.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To (1) describe the setting and design of the Good Ageing in Lahti Region (GOAL) programme; (2) by using the baseline results of the GOAL cohort study, to examine whether living in urban, semi-urban, or rural communities is related to risk factors for chronic diseases and functional disability in ageing individuals. DESIGN: The baseline data of a cohort study of ageing individuals living in three community types (urban, semi-urban, rural). Data were collected by two questionnaires and laboratory assessments. SETTING: Fourteen municipalities in the Lahti region (Päijät-Häme County) in Finland. PARTICIPANTS: A regionally and locally stratified random sample of men and women born in 1946-50, 1936-40, and 1926-30. A total of 4,272 were invited and 2,815 (66%) participated. MAIN RESULTS: Elevated serum cholesterol, obesity, disability, sedentary lifestyle (<2 times/week walking), and high fat intake were more prevalent in rural vs. urban and semi-urban communities. After adjustment for sex, age, education, obesity, diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol use, rural communities remained the only community type with increased (p<0.05) probability for high BMI (OR 1.33) and high waist circumference (OR 1.43). CONCLUSIONS: The unfavourable health and lifestyle profile, together with an old population, makes health promotion for elderly citizens a special challenge for rural communities such as those in Päijät-Häme County, Finland. Most, if not all, of the differences in health between the three community types were explained by educational background, physical activity, and smoking.
Aged↗
Negotiation over self-control and activity: an analysis of balancing in the repertoires of Finnish healthy lifestyles.
This study analyses arguments for and against the notion of healthy lifestyles, and the construction of responsibility for health, in group discussions in Finland. With data from four focus groups, we identified five interpretative repertoires: a strong activity repertoire reflects the dominant cultural value of health and emphasizes self-control. Three other repertoires--illness, external barriers, and weak character--share the underlying values of the activity repertoire, but exemplify situations where the individual lacks control, seeking to justify deviations from the norm of activity. One counter-repertoire, the pleasure repertoire, questions the hegemonic value of health, and discusses other competing values. The discussion of health is an ongoing dialectical process drawing from the different repertoires. In order to avoid stigmatization and to save face in the social situation of a focus group, the subjects strive to balance their accounts of behaviours considered unhealthy by also claiming healthy behaviours. They also strike a balance between extreme rigidity and carelessness, emphasizing the ideal of moderation and harmony. The findings point to a need to consider variations in and underpinnings of a "good life" at the individual level. Encouraging people to specify the meaning and content of moderation in their personal lives could provide a new perspective for health education and health promotion.
Communication↗
Medical and lay attitudes towards genetic screening and testing in Finland.
The purpose of this study was to compare physicians', midwives' and lay people's attitudes towards genetic screening and testing to find out whether medical education and experience influence attitudes of genetic screening and testing. The study was based on comparison of answers to joint questions in three different cross-sectional postal surveys between October 1996 and April 1998 in Finland. Target groups were physicians (study base n=772, response rate 74%, including gynaecologists, paediatricians, general practitioners and clinical geneticists), midwives and public health nurses (collectively referred to as midwives in the following; n=800, response rate 79%), and lay people (n=2000, response rate 62%). Midwives were more worried about the consequences of genetic testing and stressed the autonomy of the customer more strongly than lay people did. Furthermore, professionals considered that lay peoples' expectations as regards to genetic testing are too high. Having more medical education was related to having less 'cannot say' and missing responses. Our results do not suggest that major conflicts about the direction of genetic testing and screening would arise in near future. However, different positions and interests should be considered. Reporting in public about new prospects and developments in medical genetics should pay more attention also to concerns for balancing promises and drawbacks.
Attitude of Health Personnel↗