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The present study investigates the prevalence of sexual victimization and correlations between sexual victimization and indicators of poor health in two representative samples of men and women in Demnark. Specifically, the authors explore the prevalence of self-reported victimization among adolescents (N = 5,829) and adults (N = 3,932) and analyze differences in selfreported health outcomes between male and female victims and corresponding controls. Gender differences are found in the reported prevalence of sexual victimization. Significantly more females than males reported forced sexual experiences in both samples. Associations between sexual victimization and poor health outcomes are found for both genders. Comparable patterns of association for men and women are found on a number of variables, particularly those pertaining to risk behavior. Keywords: sexual victimization, gender; health; risk behavior; Denmark

Restriction of means for suicide is an important part of suicide preventive strategies in different countries. The effect on method-specific suicide rate and overall suicide rate of restrictions on availability of carbon monoxide, barbiturates, and dextropropoxyphene was examined. From 1970 to 2000, overall suicide mortality and method-specific suicide mortality in Denmark were compared with official information about availability of barbiturates and analgesics and carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust and household gas. Restrictions on availability of household gas with carbon monoxide content and barbiturates was associated with a decline in the number of suicides and suicides by self-poisoning with these compounds after controlling for the effect of calender year. Restricted access occurred concomittantly with a 55 percent decrease in suicide rate.

Objective: To describe different data sources that may illuminate the incidence and character of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Denmark in the late 1990s. Method: Data concerning alleged sexual abuse of children below 15 years of age in the 1990s were retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register and the Danish National Criminal Register. In addition, all police files concerning reported CSA in 1 year (1998), were reviewed. Results: The average annual incidence of CSA was .06 per 1,000 children, based on data in the National Patient Register; however, it was .5 per 1,000 based on data in the Criminal Register. In the Criminal Register, significant annual differences were found in cases of sexual offence against children below 12 years. The police reports comprised very comprehensive information about the victims and the character of CSA. Based on this information the incidence of police reported CSA in 1998 was 1.0 per 1,000 children, and .6 per 1,000 excluding reported cases of indecent exposure. Half of intra-familial CSA resulted in a conviction compared to 40% of extra-familial CSA and 16% of indecent exposure. Conclusions: In Denmark, criminal statistics contain the most systematic collection of data on CSA. However, data reflect the reporting behavior by parents or other closely related adults, which may be influenced by changes in public awareness of the problem. Consequently, register data should be supplemented by data obtained from self-reported surveys on CSA. Keywords: Child sexual abuse: Information system; Prevalence; Register data; Police reports; Denmark

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.11.005 Byline: Karin Helweg-Larsen (a), Helmer BA[cedilla]ving Larsen (b) Keywords: Child sexual abuse; Information system; Prevalence; Register data; Police reports; Denmark Abstract: To describe different data sources that may illuminate the incidence and character of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Denmark in the late 1990s. Author Affiliation: (a) National Institute of Public Health, Oster Farimagsgade 5A, DK 1399 Copenhagen, Denmark (b) Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Njalsgade 88, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark Article History: Received 21 June 2002; Revised 8 November 2004; Accepted 15 November 2004 Article Note: (footnote) [star] This research was supported by the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs.

Objectives. We evaluated ethical constraints concerning youth surveys on child sexual abuse (CSA). Methods. We reviewed internationally published studies and Danish regulations concerning school-based surveys conducted without active parental consent. Results. Ethical constraints concerning participants in youth community studies have been scantily assessed. Danish legislation accords minors the right to be heard on issues concerning themselves. The anticipated societal benefits of children's participation in community studies justify conducting anonymous surveys among schoolchildren based upon their own informed consent. Conclusions. No ethical or legal objections were found to conducting an anonymous survey in Denmark on CSA among 9th-grade pupils without parental consent, provided that the survey was accompanied by an offer of counseling.

Infants who have risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) such as low birth weight and prematurity may be at even greater risk than previously thought if placed on their stomach or side when sleeping position. Two hundred forty-four infants who died of SIDS were compared to a control group of 869 babies who died of other causes. Both stomach and side sleeping were strongly associated with an increased risk of SIDS. When these sleeping positions were combined with other risk factors, the incidence of death by SIDS increased significantly. It is possible that in an infant predisposed to SIDS, these sleeping positions may trigger the event., Objective. Prone sleeping is a strong risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). We investigated whether the combined effect of prone sleeping position and prenatal risk factors further increased the SIDS risk. Methods. In the Nordic Epidemiological SIDS Study, parents of SIDS victims in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden completed a questionnaire on potential risk factors for SIDS. Forensic pathologists verified the SIDS diagnosis. Four controls of the same gender, age, and place of birth were selected. This matched case-control study, which included 244 SIDS cases and 869 controls from 1992 to 1995, was analyzed by conditional logistic regression. Results. Odds ratios (ORs) for prone and side sleeping compared with supine sleeping for the last sleep were 13.9 (95% confidence interval 8.2-24) and 3.5 (2.1-5.7). Infants 13 to 24 weeks old had particularly high risk in prone and side sleeping at 28.5 (7.9-107) and 5.9 (1.6-22). OR for prone sleeping was higher in girls, at 30.4 (11-88), than in boys, 10.3 (5.5-19). We found strong combined effects of sleeping position and prenatal risk factors (more than multiplicative). The OR for prone and side sleeping was increased for infants with birth weight [is less than] 2500 & at 83 (25-276) and 36.6 (13-107); for preterm infants, at 48.8 (19-128) and 40.5 (14-115); and for intrauterine growth retarded, at 38.8 (14-108) and 9.6 (4.3-22), compared with supine position in infants without these prenatal factors. The combined effect of nonsupine positions and intrauterine growth retarded was highest among 13- to 24-week-old infants. Effects of combined presence of nonsupine sleeping positions and each of the factors of smoking in pregnancy, young maternal age, higher parity, low level of maternal education, and single motherhood were more than additive. Attributable fractions in the population for prone and side sleeping were 18.5% and 26.0%. Conclusions. Both prone and side sleeping increased the risk of SIDS. The risk was increased further in low birth weight infants, preterm infants, and infants at the age of 13 to 24 weeks, suggesting that SIDS may be triggered by nonsupine sleeping in infants with prenatal risk factors during a vulnerable period of postnatal development. Pediatrics 1997;100:613-621; birth weight, fetal growth retardation, gestational age, infant mortality, infant, premature, prone position, sudden infant death., The Nordic countries experienced a dramatic increase in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) during the 1980s, concurrent with an increase in total postperinatal deaths.[1-3] The highest incidence was observed in [...]

There appears to be no association between induced abortion and the risk of breast cancer. Danish researchers used a population registry and an abortion registry to see if there was a link between abortion and breast cancer. Among the 1.5 million women studied, there were 370,715 abortions and 10,246 cases of breast cancer. Women who had had an abortion had the same risk of breast cancer as those who had never had one. Scientists have speculated that abortion may increase the risk of breast cancer because full-term pregnancy seems to protect women from developing breast cancer.

To investigate a reported increase, from 0.4 to 1.3 per thousand live birth, in the Danish incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a retrospective analysis of SIDS in Denmark from 1972 to 1983 was carried out. Based on data registered with the National Board of Health, a notable regional differences in SIDS rate between the western and eastern parts of Denmark was found. This difference did not correlate with the overall postneonatal mortality by region. Danish law requires medicolegal investigation in all cases of sudden unexpected death. Medicolegal autopsies are performed only in the three forensic institutes which cover all of Denmark. Despite the law and a uniform organization of the forensic medical services, differing application of postmortem examinations and individual interpretation of the history and autopsy in cases of sudden infant death existed. Differences in reporting of respiratory infections, suffocation, and cardiac malformation were found to contribute to the increase and to regional disparities in SIDS incidence. The three Danish forensic institutes examined all cases of sudden infant deaths in Denmark 1987 and 1988. These cases were classified as explained cause of death, pure SIDS, and atypical SIDS; atypical cases were evaluated by consensus. The SIDS incidence (the number of classic SIDS and atypical SIDS per thousand live births) was 1.9 in 1987 and 1.3 in 1988, and it was identical in the eastern and western part of Denmark; however, a higher incidence both of overall postneonatal and SIDS mortality was found in the middle region of Denmark. The analysis stresses the importance of high autopsy rate and expert investigation in all cases of infant death in order to obtain reliable data for epidemiological studies. A prospective joint study of all postneonatal infant deaths in Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark will be carried out to analyze the reliability and the possible cause of reported differences in SIDS incidence in the five Nordic countries. Pediatrics 1992;89:855-859