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Objective: To study the awareness of the Heart Symbol in different age and educational groups, and changes in the awareness over a 9-year period. In addition, the reported use of products with the symbol was examined.Design: A series of annual cross-sectional postal surveys on Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Adult Population.Setting: A random sample (n 5000 per annum) from the Finnish population aged 15-64 years, drawn from the National Population Register, received a questionnaire.Subjects: Men and women (n 29 378) participating in the surveys in 2000-2009.Results: At the early 2000s, 48 % of men and 73 % of women reported to be familiar with the symbol. The corresponding rates were 66 % for men and 91 % for women in 2009. The reported use of products with the symbol increased from 29 % to 52 % in men and from 40 % to 72 % in women. In men, the awareness did not vary by age, whereas older women (45-64 years) were less likely to be aware of the symbol compared with younger women (25-34 years). Men and women with the highest education were best aware of the symbol and more likely to use the products in the early 2000s. The educational differences diminished or disappeared during the study period.Conclusions: The majority of Finnish adults are familiar with the Heart Symbol, and the reported use of such products increased in all age and educational groups, especially among the less educated. The symbol may work as an effective measure to diminish nutrition-related health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine socio-economic differences from 1994 to 2004 in the use of butter and milk in Pitkäranta in the Republic of Karelia, Russia and North Karelia, Finland.Methods: Health behaviour surveys in Pitkäranta (n = 3,599) and North Karelia (n = 3,652) in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004.Results: A clear overall decrease occurred in the use of butter in cooking in Pitkäranta from 1994 to 2004. In both areas, subjects with lower education used butter in cooking and drank fat-containing milk more often. Regarding butter on bread, the educational patterns in the two areas were opposite: in Pitkäranta, subjects with lower education used butter less often but in North Karelia, they used butter on bread more often. Practically, no changes in socio-economic differences from 1994 to 2004 were observed in either area.Conclusions: The socio-economic differences in the use of dairy fat were stable in both areas but larger in North Karelia than in Pitkäranta. Our results support earlier assumptions of a weaker role of education as a determinant of health in Russia than in the western societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Despite their clear association with health, smoking and alcohol consumption among elderly people have not been extensively researched. This study examined changes in smoking and alcohol consumption and their sociodemographic patterning among the Finnish population aged 65-79 years over the period 1985-2001. METHODS: Population-based monitoring surveys conducted biennially from 1985 to 2001 were pooled into three time periods. Trends in smoking and alcohol consumption and their sociodemographic variations among 5870 men and 5923 women were calculated. Logistic regression was used as the main method of analysis. RESULTS: Smoking declined slightly among men, and consumption of higher levels of alcohol rose in both genders from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. Smoking among women remained at a very low level throughout the study period. Smoking and higher level of alcohol consumption were more prevalent among the younger elderly and among the men than among their counterparts. Higher alcohol use was more common among retired office workers than other former employees. Smoking was clearly more prevalent among unmarried than married people. CONCLUSIONS: Declining numbers of male smokers and remarkably few female smokers, together with positive changes already noted in diet and functional ability, suggest healthier senior years ahead. On the other hand, the rising trend of alcohol use poses a challenge to future public health. © 2004 The Institute For Cancer Prevention and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 has changed the everyday life of families. The aim of this study was to examine the concerns and effects of the pandemic on the everyday life of families with babies. Methods: The data consist of mothers (n=4550) and fathers (n=2955) with 3-6-month-old babies who participated in the national Fin Children survey in autumn 2020. The results were analyzed separately for mothers and fathers according to the number of children. One-child parents were compared to parents with several children by logistic regression adjusted for parents’ age, education and economic situation. Results: The response rate was 50% among mothers and 36% among fathers. Mothers worried about COVID-19 more than fathers and one-child parents more than parents with several children. Mothers reported increased loneliness more than fathers regardless of the number of children (48% vs 21%). Adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for concern related to delivery during the pandemic was 1.98 (1.74-2.25) for one-child mothers and 1.95 (1.66-2.30) for fathers and for concern to the danger of COVID-19 to the baby 1.66 (1.471.89) for one-child mothers and 1.97 (1.67-2.34) for fathers, respectively. Coping with everyday life was less likely to change due to the pandemic among one-child mothers (decrease 0.56, 0.48-0.65 / increase 0.59, 0.49-0.70) compared to mothers with several children. Contacts with grandparents were less likely to decrease among one-child mothers (0.75, 0.65-0.86). The amount of time spent with family was more likely to decrease among both one-child mothers (2.63, 2.11-3.28) and fathers (2.22, 1.51-3.27) compared to the parents with several children. Conclusions: The COVID-19 has had both negative and positive effects on the everyday life of families with babies. During and after the pandemic, it is necessary to pay attention to the coping of mothers and fathers, and to the support and services offered to them. Key messages: Mothers of small babies worry more and are more lonely than fathers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coping in everyday life is more polarised among families with several children than in one-child families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]