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Aim: The goal of this paper is to analyze the COVID-19 policies of 10 European countries, including Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Hungary, with a time-series policy analysis tool. Subject and methods: The results of the COVID-19 policy analysis are based on a single time-series indicator, or daily population mortality rate: the number of COVID-19 daily cumulative deaths divided by the population in millions. The lower the score, the better the policy. Although many experts believe that the COVID-19 policy outcome analysis is premature, time series analysis is an excellent analysis that can provide information on the progress and transition of policy outcomes. In other words, the proposed time series analysis tool allows policymakers to identify and quantify when mistakes were made during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The COVID-19 policy analysis discovered many useful facts. Sweden failed due to the herd immunity approach. Hungary made a fundamental mistake in COVID-19 tactics. Countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Belgium, and Poland showed time-series changes that differed from the others. Conclusion: Public health interventions can play a key role in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed policy analysis tool, hiscovid demonstrated the effectiveness of the time-series score behavior for discovering when policymakers made mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as lockdowns have played a critical role in preventing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, but may increase psychological burden. This study sought to examine emotions reflected in social media discourse following the introduction of social contact restrictions in Central Europe. Subjects and methods: German-language Twitter posts containing '#corona' and '#covid-19' were collected between 2020/03/18 – 2020/04/24. A total of 79,760 tweets were included in the final analysis. Rates of expressions of positive emotion, anxiety, sadness and anger were compared over time. Bi-term topic models were applied to extract topics of discussion and examine association with emotions. Results: Rates of anxiety, sadness and positive emotion decreased in the period following the introduction of social contact restrictions. A total of 16 topics were associated with emotions, which related to four general themes: social contact restrictions, life during lockdown, infection-related issues, and impact of the pandemic on public and private life. Several unique patterns of association between topics and emotions emerged. Conclusion: Results suggest decreasing polarity of emotions among the public following the introduction of social contact restrictions. Monitoring of social media activity may prove beneficial for an adaptive understanding of changing public concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

im: Although working life issues are subject to European health monitoring schemes, not many routine data sources include information on occupations or working conditions. Additional in-depth analysis is therefore necessary for diseases with high public health impact. The aim of this paper is to introduce a multidimensional ranking procedure for priority setting of diseases based on European and national data. Subject and methods: Multidimensional ranking was carried out on ten disease-specific indicators. First, suitable data sources were identified and information on indicators was retrieved. Second, the diseases were sorted by their ranks according to each indicator. Third, all ranks were added to a rank sum. Finally, the diseases were sorted by their rank sum. Results: Diseases of the circulatory system account for the highest rank sum. The high public health impact is visible in regard to most criteria, particularly to mortality, hospital discharges, and costs. Diseases of the digestive system rank second mainly because of high ranks for hospital discharges and costs. The third place is assigned to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Conclusion: A multidimensional ranking procedure has advantages when used for priority setting of diseases. The procedure leads to an overall rank as a summary measure for the public health impact but information for each indicator is still retrieved. Furthermore, the procedure uses ranks and is therefore scale invariant. However, ranking procedures do not lead to a selection of diseases but a rank order. So, there is still a decision rule required to determine which diseases are selected e.g. for in-depth health reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We examined predictors of trust in the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic in 27 European countries. Subjects and methods: We used population-based data drawn from the Living, working and COVID-19 survey (N = 21,884, 52% female, ages 18 to 92 years) covering 27 European countries dated June and July 2020. Multilevel linear regression, linear regression, and regression-tree analyses were conducted. Results: We found that most participants tended to trust the healthcare system, although a substantial part could still be classified as distrusting (approx. 21%). Multiple variables, including being middle-aged or of older age, being female, lower levels of education, unemployment, worse general health status, having income difficulties, having unmet needs for healthcare, no healthcare contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, higher mental distress, and loneliness, were significantly associated with lower levels of trust. Among these variables mental distress, income difficulties, and unmet needs for healthcare emerged as especially important and, across European regions and countries, consistent predictors for lower trust in the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Medically vulnerable subgroups, such as individuals with unmet healthcare needs, higher levels of mental distress, and older age, as well as people living in socially and economically vulnerable situations, such as higher levels of loneliness and financial difficulties, were the least trusting of the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. As these vulnerable subgroups are also at highest risk for contracting COVID-19 and experiencing negative COVID-19-related outcomes, more targeted prevention and intervention efforts should be implemented in these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: I examined health/morbidity profiles across 20 countries, determined their associated demographic characteristics and risk factors and compared the distribution of these health/morbidity profiles across countries. Subject and methods: I used population-based data drawn from the European Social Survey (N = 20092, 52% female, ages 40+) covering 20 mostly European countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) from 2014. Diverse indicators of health/morbidity were used, including self-rated health, self-rated disability, self-reported health problems and mental health symptoms using the CES-D. Latent class analysis was conducted to determine health/morbidity profiles across countries. Results: I found that four distinct health profiles best describe overall health/morbidity status in the international sample, each associated with specific demographic and behavioural risk factors: 'healthy' profile (62% of participants), 'unhappy but healthy' profile (14%), 'high morbidity, mostly physical' profile (16%) and 'high morbidity, mostly psychological' profile (8%). With few exceptions, participants from Northern Europe and Western Europe were more likely to belong to the 'healthy' and the 'unhappy but healthy' profiles, whereas participants from Eastern Europe were more likely to belong to the 'high morbidity, mostly physical' profile. Distribution of the 'high morbidity, mostly psychological' profile appeared to be more uniform across regions. Conclusions: Distinct morbidity/health profiles could be identified across countries, and countries varied regarding the relative distribution of these profiles. Specific prevention and treatment consequences associated with each profile are discussed. Future studies should further investigate the patterns of overall health and morbidity in Europe's populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The burden of health and safety related issues emanating from the modern workplace is overwhelming. Although the prevailing statistics found in the literature show that victims of workplace fatalities and injuries are higher in developing countries and transition economies, there is a very limited understanding of the causal factors that may correspond to the continuous increase in the occupational exposure of employees to various fatalities and injuries. The purpose of this study was to review the literature on occupational safety of workers with the objective of highlighting the major causal factors of workplace injuries and fatalities from a multi-regional perspective, particularly on job-contexts with highest safety and health related hazards. Methodology: A systematic review of the literature was conducted on 73 empirical studies in the regions of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and the Americas (the US & Canada). Findings: The results showed that the highest number of injuries and fatalities were mostly found in the construction industry. It further emerged that most of the studies were centered in developing countries within Africa and Asia. Other results and recommendations were discussed for each region. Value: The findings from this study have the potential to expose the regional dynamics in relation to safety in the workplace. This study also addresses the main areas of concern for stakeholders to promote organizational development and safety culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: International health authorities suggest that individuals aged 65 years and above and people with underlying comorbidities such as hypertension, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are at increased risk of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, the prevalence of risk factors is unknown in many countries. Therefore, we aimed to describe the distribution of these risk factors across Europe. Subject and methods: Prevalence of risk factors for severe COVID-19 was identified based on interviews from 73,274 Europeans aged 50+ participating in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in 2017. Burden of disease was estimated using population data from Eurostat. Results: A total of 75.3% of the study population (corresponding to approx. 60 million European men and 71 million women) had at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19, 45.9% (approx. 36 million men and 43 million women) had at least two factors, and 21.2% (approx. 17 million men and 20 million women) had at least three risk factors. The prevalence of underlying medical conditions ranged from 4.5% for cancer to 41.4% for hypertension, and the region-specific prevalence of having at least three risk factors ranged from 18.9% in Northern Europe to 24.6% in Eastern Europe. Conclusions: Information about the prevalence of risk factors might help authorities to identify the most vulnerable subpopulations with multiple risk factors of severe COVID-19 and thus to decide appropriate strategies to mitigate the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic presents serious threats to global public health and the world economy. Therefore, the rapid escalation of the number of cases has led to national government and global interventions. This study aimed to assess the effect of school closures on the COVID-19 pandemic and epidemic trajectories in selected countries. Subject and methods: Information on the number of cases and population in each country were taken from official government reports. Dates of educational institutions closure were taken from the UNESCO database. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistica. We summarized the data graphically and descriptively. Results: Most of the European countries closed schools in the period of 11–20 of March 2020. However, there was a big difference in the phase of the epidemic on the day of closure. The data indicate that there was a strong correlation between the day of educational facilities closure and the incidence rate in the following days (16th, 30th, and 60th days since the 100th confirmed case in each country). Early closure of schools in analyzed countries is statistically significantly correlated with lower incidence rates further on during the different phases of the epidemic. Thereby closure of schools with delay is statistically significantly correlated with a higher incidence rate in the following days. Conclusion: The available data suggest that school closures can potentially reduce transmission during the pandemic, although more research is needed on the effectiveness of these practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The target of this work is to support the thesis that pharmaceutical companies' testing phase would be treated like any other form of production in a globalization process, that is to say, a specific phase of pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) could be localized where the cost of clinical evidence is lower. Subject and methods: Considering Europe, an empirical analysis in order to support the main hypothesis is performed. Taking trials of phases II and III, funded by Industry (dependent variable) and the main macroeconomic features (independent variables) of each nation into account, the empirical work is implemented via regression analysis on panel data (2000-2007). The sample analyzed considers EU-27 plus the candidate states-Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey-as well as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. Results: Results suggest the appropriateness of this process since clinical research is clearly affected by economic conditions, regardless of the scientific purpose. Conclusion: The conclusions regard the policy maker's point of view, that is to say, how national competitiveness could be increased on the European market of human experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate how researchers in the field of Public Health (PH) use graphical representations in the context of a scientific meeting. Subjects and methods: We evaluated 159 graphs contained in the oral presentations given at the 2006 European Conference on Public Health. An ad-hoc data extraction form was developed on the basis of the available literature to evaluate type and characteristics of the graphs (e.g. format of axes, scales, legend, use of colours, presence of distortions). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify latent variables. Results: We found that the majority of graphs were simple univariate displays such as bar diagrams (59.1%), and linear graphs (18.2%). Distortions were present in about 1 out of 3 graphs and they were less common in graphs made by researchers from northern and western European countries than in graphs made by researchers from other countries. Two factors emerged from PCA: clarity of the graph and appropriate use of colours. Conclusion: The ability of PH researchers to fully exploit the visual potential of graphs appeared limited. Clarity and use of colours characterised use of graphics in oral presentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The current study aims to examine the use of preventive and other health services among adults aged 50+ in eleven European countries. Methods: The data used were derived from 16,120 adults aged 50+ years participating in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (2004/05). Preventive Health Services Utilization score (PHSUs) and Health Care Services Utilization score (HCSUs) were assessed as a composite value from answers to 12 and 16 questions respectively, on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. Estimations were based on a complex study design. Results: Participants from Central European countries were found to have significantly higher mean PHSU and HCSU scores than their counterparts in Northern and Southern regions, (p < 0.05) and also exhibited a greater gap between the two scores (29.3, 95% CI: 28.6–30.1). Overall mean PHSU score was 39.9 (95% CI: 39.4–40.4) and mean HCSU score 12.4 (95% CI: 12.2–12.7). Women have a higher mean PHSUs and HCSUs (p < 0.001); as age increases, PHSUs falls and HCSUs rises (p < 0.001). Better educated participants appear to have higher mean PHSUs and HCSUs (p < 0.001). In addition, both of the above scores increase in the presence of chronic diseases (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Strong correlation is seen between comorbidity, increasing age, educational level, and retirement on the one hand, and increased use of health services on the other hand. The use of health services is a major issue with regard to public health policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous research has suggested that individuals are mostly prone to loneliness in their later years of life because of exposure to several risk factors typical of old age. The current study aims to examine possible demographic, health and social determinants of loneliness among older adults in Europe.Methods: Data on a nationally representative sample of 5074 Europeans aged ≥ 65 years were drawn from the first wave of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004/2005). Frequency of feelings of loneliness was examined according to adverse health conditions, stressful life events and social isolation indicators.Results: Female gender, older age, lower socioeconomic status, living unpartnered, being childless and having no activity involvement were significantly associated with frequent feelings of loneliness (p < 0.001). The proportion of the respondents who declared enduring loneliness most of the time compared with none of the time was significantly higher among Southern Europeans relative to their Northern counterparts (p < 0.001). Recent departure of offspring from the parental nest was a significant predictor of loneliness in both the second (ORs = 2.08; 95% CI 1.24-3.48) and the third (ORs = 1.75; 95% CI 1.03-2.96) multiple regression models.Conclusion: In this sample of older Europeans, several demographic characteristics, specific adverse health conditions, stressful life events and social isolation indicators were associated with feelings of loneliness. Policy initiatives for the alleviation of loneliness in older age should therefore aim at improving psychosocial and health-related difficulties faced by this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Compared to externalizing problem behavior, European and American research has indicated the danger of developing internalizing symptoms, especially in migrant children and adolescents. However, further specific risk factors in relation to internalizing disorders, for example gender aspects, were often found. Subjects and methods: The present study investigates a child and adolescent psychiatric health care population ( N = 6,269) from 2005 to 2011 in Germany. Around 50 % were diagnosed with internalizing disorders ( N = 3,706). Logistic regressions indicated whether migration background, such as ethnicities, or contextual factors could predict internalizing disorders. Results: Ethnicity or migration background had only a minor influence on internalizing disorders, with the exception of those of Asian origin. Generally, the influence of other environments was much stronger than migrant's characteristics such as gender, living in a single-parent family setting, medium educational background of parents, average or above average intelligence level of children, psychopathological problems of family members, abnormal parenting practice or acute burden living conditions. Interactions between migration background and risk factors were only visible in abnormal parenting practice or abnormal environments. Conclusions: Possibly, migrant children are currently not sufficiently supplied with psychiatric health services. Cross-cultural as well as familial aspects should increasingly be considered in psychiatric work with children showing internalizing symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Childhood obesity is an important concern for child health. However, despite widespread concern about the increase in childhood obesity, its causes are not monitored systematically in Europe. In 2007, the Scientific Platform Project on Lifestyle Determinants of Obesity identified routine data sources nationally available in European countries to measure childhood obesity. This work was revisited in 2014 to monitor any progress made. Subject and methods: In 2007, a literature review and project discussion resulted in a list of desirable indicators that could be collected in Europe to describe child populations at risk of overweight and obesity. Participants from EU member states, the EEA, Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey set out to discover which countries collected these indicators. Eight years later, a literature search sought to establish if the surveillance of children's nutrition and physical activity behaviour had changed. Results: In 2007, no countries collected all variables for all ages, leading to major gaps in knowledge. A literature search carried out in 2014 suggests that this is unchanged. There remains inconsistency of data surveillance in Europe, and disagreement on which age groups to collect data from or how to define obesity and overweight. Conclusion: There is a lack of consistent data collection on upstream influences on obesity. The true causes of the childhood obesity epidemic remain undiscovered, and the ability of research to identify effective prevention and treatment methods is compromised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study is aimed at comparing the effect of different measures of socioeconomic status on self-rated health throughout European welfare state regimes during the period 2002-2008, in order to study how diverse socioeconomic inequalities can vary our health over time. Subjects and methods: This study uses the European Social Survey to compare the impact of three specific socioeconomic measures (income, education and occupational status) on self-rated health. Results: The main finding to be highlighted is that the importance of education-related inequalities surpasses differences in income and occupational status, especially in southern and eastern countries. The relationship between income and self-rated health is stronger in liberal and social-democratic regimes, where labour market regulation is characterized by its flexibility and high liberalization. The impact of occupational status is moderate among liberal, social-democratic and conservative regimes, but lower in southern and eastern ones. Conclusion: These findings support the existence of a contextual effect among welfare states that varies the impact of social and economic indicators in self-rated health over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to estimate the differences in prevalence of multiple behavioral risk factors (MBRFs) for chronic diseases in European adults, from eleven North, Central and South European countries. Subjects and methods : We used data from 26,656 adults, aged 50+ years, participating in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (2004/05). Physical inactivity, high body weight, smoking and risky alcohol consumption were assessed and estimated based on sampling weights, controlling for socioeconomic characteristics. Results: 53.4 % of adults had 2+ MBRFs. Prevalence in the total sample was highest for physical inactivity (71.2 %) and lowest for smoking (18.1 %). The cluster of high body weight and physical inactivity had the highest prevalence of MBRFs (35.4 %), with higher prevalence in Southern Europe ( p < 0.05). Smoking and alcohol consumption presented the greatest degree of clustering (observed to expected ratio = 2.44). Spain and Greece had the highest prevalence of clustering 2+ MBRFs, whereas Southern European countries had a higher mean number of MBRFs, compared to North and Central European regions ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Prevalence of MBRFs varied between countries, with Southern European countries engaging in more risky behaviors. Primary prevention programmes should be developed to reduce MBRFs in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Juvenile alcohol use is a topic of major public interest. Early-onset and excessive drinking during adolescence can lead to serious problems immediately and in later life. Monitoring the prevalence of adolescents' alcohol use is thus crucial from a public health perspective. In order to evaluate prevention programs or to compare policy strategies of different countries, cross-national monitoring studies are essential. Subject and methods: On the basis of the Second International Self-Report Study on Delinquency (ISRD-2), alcohol use of 33,566 adolescents, aged 12 to 16, from 25 European countries is described. The findings are compared to those of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) and the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study (HBSC), in order to learn something about the validity of the data and to draw a comprehensive picture of juvenile alcohol consumption throughout Europe. Results: Even in a study not primarily concerned with alcohol use, more similarities than differences with respect to alcohol drinking habits across Europe were found. In sum, Northern- and Eastern-European adolescents show an alcohol affinity higher than adolescents from Western and Southern Europe. Frequent drinking is more common in Northern and Central European countries, while Northern and Eastern European Countries are leading with respect to drunkenness of lifetime users. Regarding heavy drinking, some remarkable differences for single countries (e.g. Finland, Portugal, Czech Republic) were indicated. Conclusions: Gaining sound knowledge about substance-use patterns across European countries could be helpful for assessing the relevance of policies on the one hand and traditions on the other for explaining adolescents' substance use. In order to get a deeper insight into the varying behaviour of alcohol and drug use in different countries, indicators (e.g. high frequent vs. heavy use) and their reference basis (e.g. all users vs. lifetime users) should be selected carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Data regarding infectious diseases in migrant populations in Europe are scarce. We aimed to assess whether information on migration status is collected in countries of the European Union (EU) as part of their national surveillance systems for major infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis B infection). Methods: Using different electronic sources we collected information about whether indicators of migration status were collected in national infectious diseases surveillance systems in European countries. Results: Of 27 EU countries, migration status was recorded in all 27 countries for TB surveillance (100%), in 22 countries for HIV (~82%) and in 23 countries for AIDS (~85%). Eight of 20 countries (40%) recorded migration status in hepatitis B surveillance systems. The most commonly recorded indicator of migration status was country of birth. Among countries which conducted migrant specific surveillance, country of birth was collected in ~82% of TB, ~86% of HIV, and ~83% of AIDS surveillance systems. Other indicators of the migration status were ethnicity (used in HIV and AIDS surveillance) and citizenship (TB surveillance). Conclusion: We showed differences in how migration status is recorded in surveillance systems from European countries. This was especially true for tuberculoses and hepatitis B, whereas data collection as part of HIV/AIDS surveillance was nearly uniform. These results suggest the need for a more uniform reporting of migration status as part of infectious disease surveillance in EU countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on European and German health promotion strategies. It cites that differences in income and the proportion of poor people in Germany have increased more rapidly as compared to other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The objectives of the German national government's strategy for promoting child health, the Strategie zur Förderung der Kindergesundheit, are also discussed.

Aim: The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (FP) are the European Union's funding programmes for research in Europe. The study analyses the features of external experts involved in evaluating the research proposals in FP6 (years 2003-2006) in the area of Life Sciences. Subjects and methods: Experts were analysed with respect to nationality, gender, organisational affiliation and rotation. The correlations between the number of experts by nationality and scientific research indicators were also explored. Result: Experts from 70 countries participated, with 70% coming from 10 countries. The gender composition was relatively stable, with approximately 30% of female experts. The majority of experts came from higher education establishments (51%) and 12% from industry. About 40% of experts participated in the evaluation process two or more times. The number of experts by nationality was linearly correlated with gross national income ( r = 0.95, p < 0.0001), population ( r = 0.91, p < 0.0001), and number of research publications in health sciences ( r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). However, using multiple linear regression analysis, only gross national income had partial regression coefficients significantly different from zero ( p = 0.017). The observed value of experts for Italy (312) and Belgium (155) were higher than predicted by this regression model (231 and 71 respectively). Conclusion: The expert panels involved were balanced with respect to nationalities, whereas the gender distribution was lower than the target. There was a satisfactory degree of rotation of experts between evaluation rounds. The percentage of experts from industry was lower than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the study was to investigate the use of nutrition information on food labels and understanding of guideline daily amount (GDA) front-of-pack nutrition labels in six European countries. In-store observations and in-store interviews were conducted in major retailers in the UK ( n = 2019), Sweden ( n = 1858), France ( n = 2337), Germany ( n = 1963), Poland ( n = 1800) and Hungary ( n = 1804), supplemented by questionnaires filled out at home and returned (overall response rate 50.3%). Use of labels was measured by combining in-store observations and in-store interviews on concrete purchases in six product categories. Understanding of GDA front-of-pack nutrition labels was measured by a variety of tasks dealing with conceptual understanding, substantial understanding and health inferences. Demographics, nutrition knowledge and interest in healthy eating were measured as potential determinants. Across six product categories, 16.8% of shoppers were found to have looked for nutrition information on the label, with the nutrition grid (table or list), GDA labels and the ingredients list as the main sources consulted and calories, fat and sugar the information most often looked for. Understanding of GDA labels was high in the UK, Sweden and Germany, and more limited in the other countries. Regression analysis showed that, in addition to country-specific differences, use and understanding are also affected by differences in interest in healthy eating and in nutrition knowledge and by social grade. Understanding of nutrition information seems to be more widespread than use, suggesting that lack of use is a question of not only understanding, but also motivation. Considerable national differences exist in both understanding and use, some of which may be attributed to different histories of the role of nutrition in the public debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resident medical training following medical school is a period of great importance in the instruction and education of young physicians, but also the first step into the labour market for doctors. Unfortunately, the long educational curricula as well as the low economic remuneration render medical training attractive only in some European countries: often low salaries accompany endless weekly working hours with a wide range of differences among the European countries. The aim of this study was to analyse the different economic conditions for resident trainees by reporting the different salaries and the weekly burden of working hours, and also comparing the different costs of living in eight European countries and in Israel. A questionnaire was sent to resident medical doctors working in large university hospitals in eight European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK) and Israel, and data on the monthly salary, number of weekly working hours and general satisfaction were collected. Purchase power parity (PPP) in US dollar (USD) adjustment was calculated according to the latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tables. Among the different countries, working hours per week ranged from 37 to 56. The net pay report had a median value of 2,000€ per month. The net monthly wage ranged between 1,000 and 3,000€. Power purchase parity in USD-corrected salaries varied from 1,388.80 (Greece) to 5,788.30 (UK), mean 2,562.30. Taking into account PPP-adjusted wages, France, Greece and Italy are below the median continental values. The trend of migration of medical trainees to countries where the economic situation is more favourable seems reasonable. Because of both the high salary and the language, the UK represents the most attractive training destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study concentrates on the issue of income related inequality in obesity for the case of European Union, an association, which has not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Ten European countries for a period of 4 consecutive years (1998–2001) are under consideration, with the information deriving from the “European Community Household Panel” (ECHP) dataset. In order to elaborate on the above association, the concentration index was selected as a means for measuring quantitatively the degree of inequality. Furthermore, an alternative method was introduced, known as the “indirect standardization method,” so as to examine if the observed level of inequality was over-reported. Treating the European Union as a whole, income inequality in obesity appears to be a burden for the less affluent. Investigation of each country separately reveals that inequality is of most importance for the female population, and especially for the middle-aged one, while no clear association was found for the males. Furthermore, negligence to adjust the models for the education level and the employment status could lead to an over-estimation of the inequality in obesity. Our primary results attest to the existing literature, showing that a BMI with a value greater than 30 is most likely to be an encumbrance for those of low socioeconomic profiles. However, the extent of inequality in the European Union is found to be low. Effective preventive policies should address the low socioeconomic status female population in Europe, and special attention should be given to the middle-aged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By taking the example of rotavirus in Europe, the aim of this article is to review the role of scientific societies in the decision-making process to recommend new vaccines. The guidelines for rotavirus vaccination issued by the European Society for Paediatric Diseases (ESPID) and the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatitis and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Expert Group are examined in the light of the methodology used and recommendations previously issued in the US. The experience of the ESPID-ESPGHAN Expert Group was largely positive. The group was supported equally by the two vaccine manufacturers involved in rotavirus vaccine production (Sanofi Pasteur MSD, Glaxo SmithKline). However, while benefiting from the input of manufacturers, the expert group developed its recommendations independently both from the industry and regulatory authorities in Europe. With a new vaccine, there is always a lack of expertise at the country level. Gaps in knowledge can be overcome by information and discussion in order to increase awareness of disease and available interventions. The ESPID-ESPGHAN Expert Group recommendations for rotavirus vaccine in Europe constitute the first evidence-based attempt of its kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]