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Abstract Background Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic disorder in genetically predisposed individuals in which a small intestinal immune-mediated enteropathy is precipitated by dietary gluten. It can be difficult to diagnose because signs and symptoms may be absent, subtle, or not recognized as CD related and therefore not prompt testing within routine clinical practice. Thus, most people with CD are undiagnosed and a public health intervention, which involves screening the general population, is an option to find those with unrecognized CD. However, how these screening-detected individuals experience the diagnosis and treatment (gluten-free diet) is not fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adolescents with screening-detected CD before and one year after diagnosis and treatment. Methods A prospective nested case-referent study was done involving Swedish adolescents who had participated in a CD screening study when they were in the sixth grade and about 12 years old. Screening-detected adolescents (n = 103) and referents without CD who participated in the same screening (n = 483) answered questionnaires at the time of the screening and approximately one year after the screening-detected adolescents had received their diagnosis that included the EQ-5D instrument used to measure health status and report HRQoL. Results The HRQoL for the adolescents with screening-detected CD is similar to the referents, both before and one year after diagnosis and initiation of the gluten-free diet, except in the dimension of pain at follow-up. In the pain dimension at follow-up, fewer cases reported problems than referents (12.6% and 21.9% respectively, Adjusted OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.27-0.94). However, a sex stratified analysis revealed that the significant difference was for boys at follow-up, where fewer screening-detected boys reported problems (4.3%) compared to referent boys (18.8%) (Adjusted OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.73). Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that adolescents with unrecognized CD experience similar HRQoL as their peers without CD, both before and one year after diagnosis and initiation of gluten-free diet, except for boys in the dimension of pain at follow-up.

Abstract Background A gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for celiac disease. Our aim was to investigate the effect of a gluten-free diet on celiac disease related symptoms, health care consumption, and the risk of developing associated immune-mediated diseases. Methods A questionnaire was sent to 1,560 randomly selected members of the Swedish Society for Coeliacs, divided into equal-sized age- and sex strata; 1,031 (66%) responded. Self-reported symptoms, health care consumption (measured by health care visits and hospitalization days), and missed working days were reported both for the year prior to diagnosis (normal diet) and the year prior to receiving the questionnaire while undergoing treatment with a gluten-free diet. Associated immune-mediated diseases (diabetes mellitus type 1, rheumatic disease, thyroid disease, vitiligo, alopecia areata and inflammatory bowel disease) were self-reported including the year of diagnosis. Results All investigated symptoms except joint pain improved after diagnosis and initiated gluten-free diet. Both health care consumption and missed working days decreased. Associated immune-mediated diseases were diagnosed equally often before and after celiac disease diagnosis. Conclusions Initiated treatment with a gluten-free diet improves the situation for celiac disease patients in terms of reduced symptoms and health care consumption. An earlier celiac disease diagnosis is therefore of great importance.

Abstract Background To determine how the delay in diagnosing celiac disease (CD) has developed during recent decades and how this affects the burden of disease in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and also to consider differences with respect to sex and age. Methods In collaboration with the Swedish Society for Coeliacs, a questionnaire was sent to 1,560 randomly selected members, divided in equal-sized age- and sex strata, and 1,031 (66%) responded. HRQoL was measured with the EQ-5D descriptive system and was then translated to quality-adjusted life year (QALY) scores. A general population survey was used as comparison. Results The mean delay to diagnosis from the first symptoms was 9.7 years, and from the first doctor visit it was 5.8 years. The delay has been reduced over time for some age groups, but is still quite long. The mean QALY score during the year prior to initiated treatment was 0.66; it improved after diagnosis and treatment to 0.86, and was then better than that of a general population (0.79). Conclusions The delay from first symptoms to CD diagnosis is unacceptably long for many persons. Untreated CD results in poor HRQoL, which improves to the level of the general population if diagnosed and treated. By shortening the diagnostic delay it is possible to reduce this unnecessary burden of disease. Increased awareness of CD as a common health problem is needed, and active case finding should be intensified. Mass screening for CD might be an option in the future.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of parental diabetes between children with and without type 1 diabetes (T1D), and to compare clinical characteristics at diagnosis of T1D in children with, versus without, a family history of diabetes., Research Design and Methods: Parental diabetes among children with T1D was compared with a general population cohort. Clinical characteristics were compared by family history of diabetes in parents and grandparents of 3,603 children with T1D using relative risk (RR) and ANOVA., Results: Children with T1D more often had parents with type 2 diabetes (T2D) (RR 1.88; P < 0.001) than did children without diabetes. Children with T1D and a family history of T2D were more likely to be overweight or obese (P = 0.002)., Conclusions: A family history of T2D and being overweight may contribute to increased risk of T1D., (© 2024 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Background: Healthcare organizations worldwide face persistent challenges relating to turnover and intention to leave the nursing profession among registered nurses. Factors contributing to their retention and well-being at work include high job satisfaction, professional competence, and self-efficacy. Few multicenter studies have investigated these factors in relation to work experience in a Nordic context. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate job satisfaction, professional competence, and self-efficacy among registered nurses., Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study survey was part of a larger overarching Swedish-Norwegian project, and was conducted among registered nurses (n = 1137) in September 2021. The participants worked in a variety of health care units, e.g., hospital units, primary health care, and home care. Data was subjected to descriptive and comparative statistical analysis; chi-square test, one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis test., Results: The findings show that job satisfaction is reported as lowest in registered nurses with medium-term work experience as compared to newly qualified and long-term work-experienced registered nurses. Professional competence and self-efficacy are reported as higher among registered nurses with long-term work experience as compared to those with medium-term work experience and newly qualified registered nurses. However, the participants reported their professional competence as highest in relation to the same factor - "Value-based nursing care" - regardless of their work experience., Conclusions and Implications: This study underscores the need for continuous support and professional development for registered nurses throughout their careers. Proactive support for newly qualified nurses may improve job satisfaction as they progress to being registered nurses with medium-term work experience. Tailored interventions to address the distinct needs of both newly qualified and medium-term work-experienced registered nurses are crucial for nurturing a sustainable nursing workforce., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Existing research has focused mostly on mentees' experiences of mentoring rather than mentors' experiences. Therefore, this study describes registered nurses' experiences of being a mentor for newly qualified nurses., Design: A qualitative interview study based on semistructured individual interviews. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis., Participants and Setting: A purposive sample of experienced registered nurses (n=21) from healthcare units in northern Sweden and northern Norway. Inclusion criteria were to have been a mentor to at least one newly qualified nurse, hold permanent employment of 75%-100% as a registered nurse and to be able to communicate in Swedish or Norwegian., Results: Our study's findings suggest that being a mentor plays a crucial role in establishing safety in complex work environments. The main theme consists of three themes: feeling motivated in being a mentor; continuously developing the learning environment; and navigating obstacles and cultivating support., Conclusion: Being a mentor is a complicated role for registered nurses. The mentoring role is beneficial-ie, positive and rewarding-if facilitated sufficiently in the context of a structured organisation. This study brings a more profound understanding of and provides new insights into registered nurses' perspectives and needs regarding being a mentor and the study's findings make an important contribution to the field of nursing regarding the facilitation of mentoring., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To examine the prevalence and predictive factors for celiac disease (CD) after a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children and adolescents, to improve the current screening guidelines., Research Design and Methods: The association between sex, age at T1D diagnosis, HLA, and diabetes autoantibodies, and a diagnosis of CD was examined in 5,295 children with T1D from the Better Diabetes Diagnosis study in Sweden., Results: The prevalence of biopsy-proven CD was 9.8%, of which 58.2% already had a CD diagnosis before or at T1D onset. Almost all, 95.9%, were diagnosed with CD within 5 years after the T1D diagnosis. Younger age at the T1D diagnosis and being homozygote for DQ2 increased the risk of CD after T1D, but neither sex nor diabetes-related autoantibodies were associated with the risk., Conclusions: Age at and time after diabetes diagnosis should be considered in screening guidelines for CD in children with T1D., (© 2024 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a devastating yet preventable condition that disproportionately affects low-middle-income countries and indigenous populations in some high-income countries. Various preventive interventions have been implemented across the globe, but evidence for the effectiveness of these measures in reducing the incidence or prevalence of acute rheumatic fever and RHD is scattered. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of preventive interventions and identify the strategies used to reduce the burden of RHD., Methods and Results: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant studies on RHD prevention interventions including interventions for primordial, primary, and secondary prevention. Effectiveness measures for the interventions were gathered when available. The findings indicate that school-based primary prevention services targeting the early detection and treatment of Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis infection with penicillin have the potential to reduce the incidence of Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis and acute rheumatic fever. Community-based programs using various prevention strategies also reduced the burden of RHD. However, there is limited evidence from low-middle-income countries and a lack of rigorous evaluations reporting the true impact of the interventions. Narrative synthesis was performed, and the methodological quality appraisal was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools., Conclusions: This systematic review underscores the importance of various preventive interventions in reducing the incidence and burden of Group A Streptococcus pharyngitis, acute rheumatic fever, and RHD. Rigorous evaluations and comprehensive analyses of interventions are necessary for guiding effective strategies and informing public health policies to prevent and reduce the burden of these diseases in diverse populations., Registration: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; Unique identifier: CRD42020170503.

Purpose: Our aim was to elicit a value set for Capability-Adjusted Life Years Sweden (CALY-SWE); a capability-grounded quality of life instrument intended for use in economic evaluations of social interventions with broad consequences beyond health., Methods: Building on methods commonly used in the quality-adjusted life years EQ-5D context, we collected time-trade off (TTO) and discrete choice experiment (DCE) data through an online survey from a general population sample of 1697 Swedish participants. We assessed data quality using a score based on the severity of inconsistencies. For generating the value set, we compared different model features, including hybrid modeling of DCE and TTO versus TTO data only, censoring of TTO answers, varying intercept, and accommodating for heteroskedasticity. We also assessed the models' DCE logit fidelity to measure agreement with potentially less-biased DCE data. To anchor the best capability state to 1 on the 0 to 1 scale, we included a multiplicative scaling factor., Results: We excluded 20% of the TTO answers of participants with the largest inconsistencies to improve data quality. A hybrid model with an anchor scale and censoring was chosen to generate the value set; models with heteroskedasticity considerations or individually varying intercepts did not offer substantial improvement. The lowest capability weight was 0.114. Health, social relations, and finance and housing attributes contributed the largest capability gains, followed by occupation, security, and political and civil rights., Conclusion: We elicited a value set for CALY-SWE for use in economic evaluations of interventions with broad social consequences., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aims: Between 1985 and 1996, Sweden experienced an "epidemic" of celiac disease with a fourfold increase in incidence in young children. Timing and amount of gluten introduced during infancy have been thought to explain this "epidemic". We aimed to study whether the cumulative incidence of type 1 diabetes differs between children born during the "epidemic" compared to children born after., Methods: This is a national register study in Sweden comparing the cumulative incidence of type 1 diabetes in two birth cohorts of 240 844 children 0-17 years old born 1992-1993, during the "epidemic", and 179 530 children born 1997-1998, after the "epidemic". Children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were identified using three national registers., Results: The cumulative incidence of type 1 diabetes by the age of 17 was statistically significantly higher in those born after the "epidemic" 0.77% than in those born during the "epidemic" 0.68% (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The incidence of type 1 diabetes is higher in those born after the epidemic compared to those born during the epidemic, which does not support the hypothesis that gluten introduction increases the incidence of T1D. Changes in gluten introduction did not halt the increased incidence of type 1 diabetes in Sweden., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability among adults worldwide. A timely structured follow-up tool to identify patients' rehabilitation needs and develop patient-tailored rehabilitation regimens to decrease disability is largely lacking in current stroke care. The overall purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel digital follow-up tool, Rehabkompassen®, among persons discharged from acute care settings after a stroke., Methods: This multicentre, parallel, open-label, two-arm pragmatic randomized controlled trial with an allocation ratio of 1:1 will be conducted in Sweden. A total of 1106 adult stroke patients will have follow-up visits in usual care settings at 3 and 12 months after stroke onset. At the 3-month follow-up, participants will have a usual outpatient visit without (control group, n = 553) or with (intervention group, n = 553) the Rehabkompassen® tool. All participants will receive the intervention at the 12-month follow-up visit. Feedback from the end-users (patient and health care practitioners) will be collected after the visits. The primary outcomes will be the patients' independence and social participation at the 12-month visits. Secondary outcomes will include end-users' satisfaction, barriers and facilitators for adopting the instrument, other stroke impacts, health-related quality of life and the cost-effectiveness of the instrument, calculated by incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY)., Discussion: The outcomes of this trial will inform clinical practice and health care policy on the role of the Rehabkompassen® digital follow-up tool in the post-acute continuum of care after stroke., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04915027. Registered on 4 June 2021. ISRCTN registry ISRCTN63166587. Registered on 21 August 2023., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The work for Swedish home care workers is challenging with a variety of support and healthcare tasks for home care recipients. The aim of our study is to investigate how these tasks relate to workload and health-related quality of life among home care workers in Sweden. We also explore staff preferences concerning work distribution., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 municipalities in Northern Sweden. Questionnaires with validated instruments to measure workload (QPSNordic) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), were responded by 1154 (~ 58%) of approximately 2000 invited home care workers. EQ-5D responses were translated to a Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) score. For 15 different work task areas, personnel provided their present and preferred allocation. Absolute risk differences were calculated with propensity score weighting., Results: Statistically significantly more or fewer problems differences were observed for: higher workloads were higher among those whose daily work included responding to personal alarms (8.4%), running errands outside the home (14%), rehabilitation (13%) and help with bathing (11%). Apart from rehabilitation, there were statistically significantly more (8-10%) problems with anxiety/depression for these tasks. QALY scores were lower among those whose daily work included food distribution (0.034) and higher for daily meal preparation (0.031), both explained by pain/discomfort dimension. Personnel preferred to, amongst other, spend less time responding to personal alarms, and more time providing social support., Conclusion: The redistribution of work tasks is likely to reduce workload and improve the health of personnel. Our study provides an understanding of how such redistribution could be undertaken., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: From 1986 to 1996, there was a four-fold increase in coeliac disease among young Swedish children, known as the Swedish coeliac epidemic. Children with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of developing coeliac disease. We studied whether the prevalence of coeliac disease differed in children with type 1 diabetes born during and after this epidemic., Methods: We compared national birth cohorts of 240 844 children born in 1992-1993 during the coeliac disease epidemic and 179 530 children born in 1997-1998 after the epidemic. Children diagnosed with both type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease were identified by merging information from five national registers., Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of coeliac disease among children with type 1 diabetes between the two cohorts: 176/1642 (10.7%, 95% confidence interval 9.2%-12.2%) in the cohort born during the coeliac disease epidemic versus 161/1380 (11.7%, 95% confidence interval 10.0%-13.5%) in the post-epidemic cohort., Conclusion: The prevalence of having both coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes was not significantly higher in children born during, than after, the Swedish coeliac epidemic. This may support a stronger genetic disposition in children who develop both conditions., (© 2023 The Authors. Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.)

Background: Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) causes high morbidity and mortality rates among children and young adults, impacting negatively on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL and healthcare consultations of adult patients with RHD in Namibia., Methods: From June 2019 to March 2020, a questionnaire was administered to 83 RHD patients during routine follow-ups. The EQ-5D-5L instrument was used to assess the health-related quality of life before diagnosis and at the time of the survey. The Ethiopian value set for EQ-5D-5L was used to calculate Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY)., Results: Most respondents were women (77%), young adults below the age of 30 years (42%), and individuals who grew up in rural areas (87%). The mean QALY statistically significantly improved from 0.773 pre-diagnosis to 0.942 in the last 12 months (p < 0.001). Sixty-six patients who had surgery reported a better QALY. Healthcare visits statistically significantly increased from on average 1.6 pre-diagnosis to 2.7 days in the last 12 months (p < 0.001). The mean distance to the nearest facility was 55 km, mean cost of transport was N$65, and mean time spent at the clinic was 3.6 h. The median time from diagnosis to the survey was 7 years (quartiles 4 and 14 years)., Conclusion: Treatment and surgery can improve HRQoL substantially among RHD patients. Being diagnosed with RHD affects patients living in socioeconomically disadvantaged rural areas through cost and time for healthcare visits. It would be valuable with further research to understand differences between disease severities., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The study aims to elicit a value set based on the EQ-VT for the EQ-5D-5L that can be used to support decision-making in Sweden., Methods: Participants were recruited from the general population based on age, sex and urban/rural area quota sampling from five regions across Sweden. In total, 785 interviews were conducted from February 2020 to April 2021 using the EQVT 2.1 protocol, and both composite time trade-off (c-TTO) and discrete choice experiments (DCE) were used to elicit health preferences. A variety of models have been tested for the c-TTO data (generalized least square, Tobit, heteroskedastic models) and DCE data (conditional logit model), as well as the combined c-TTO and DCE data (hybrid modelling). Model selection was based on theoretical considerations, logical consistency of the parameter estimates, and significance of the parameters (p = 0.05). Model goodness-of-fit was assessed by AIC and BIC, and prediction accuracy was assessed in terms of mean absolute error. The predictions for the EQ-5D-5L health states between models were compared using scatterplots., Results: The preferred model for generating the value set was the heteroskedastic model based on the c-TTO data, with the health utilities ranging from -0.31 for the worst (55,555) to 1 for the best (11111) EQ-5D-5L states., Conclusion: This is the first c-TTO-based social value set for the EQ-5D-5L in Sweden. It can be used to support the health utility estimation in economic evaluations for reimbursement decision making in Sweden., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Both undiagnosed celiac disease and some chronic childhood diseases are associated with lower academic achievement. However, there is little knowledge of achievements in those diagnosed with celiac disease. Our aim was to investigate school achievements in upper secondary school among Swedish adolescents with celiac disease., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using register data. We analyzed choice of upper secondary school program, completion of upper secondary school including achievements of basic eligibility for college/university, and final grade in individuals with celiac disease diagnosed before 15 years of age, born 1991-97. We compared with the Swedish population of the same birth years. Analyses were adjusted for sex, year of birth, living region at 17 years of age, and parental education as well as income., Results: The cohort included 734 074 individuals, whereof 3 257 (62% females) with celiac disease. There was no significant difference in choice of upper secondary school program. No significant difference was found in completion or achieving basic eligibility for college/university in adjusted analyses. The mean final grade in the celiac disease group was 13.34 (standard deviation 4.85) compared to 12.78 (standard deviation 5.01) in the reference population (p < 0.001), out of a maximum of 20. The effect of celiac disease on final grade remained in adjusted analyses (p = 0.012)., Conclusions: We found that diagnosed celiac disease does not negatively affect school achievements in upper secondary school. This finding suggests the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up programs of celiac disease could reverse potential deleterious academic processes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Stress-induced exhaustion disorder is a major challenge in Swedish working life. Despite its increase in prevalence, there is still limited knowledge about the effectiveness of different rehabilitation methods. In this study, we aim to describe the healthcare utilisation for patients with stress-induced exhaustion disorder before, during and after a multi-modal rehabilitation (MMR) programme, as well as the health-related quality of life, work ability, sick leave level and psychological measures, and their possible relations., Methods: In this longitudinal observational study, 53 patients who were part of an MMR programme at the Stress Rehabilitation Clinic participated with survey data, and among them 43 also contributed with healthcare data. Data were collected from one year before start of MMR to one year after the end of it. The patients also answered a questionnaire at the start of, end of and at a one-year follow-up of the MMR, which included questions about health-related quality of life, work ability, clinical burnout, sick leave level, anxiety and depression., Results: There was a statistically significant increase in healthcare consumption during MMR, if including visits to the Stress Rehabilitation Clinic, while it decreased if excluding such visits, when comparing with before and after MMR. During the follow-up period there was a non-statistically significant (p=0.11), but still rather large difference (15.4 compared with 12.0 visits per patient), in healthcare consumption in comparison with the period before MMR, when excluding follow-up visits at the Stress Rehabilitation Clinic. Health-related quality of life was rated as poor before MMR (mean 0.59). There was a statistically significant improvement, but values were still below normal at the end of follow-up (mean 0.70). In addition, the level of sick leave, the work ability and signs of clinical burnout improved statistically significantly after MMR, but were not fully normalised at the end of follow-up. Individual healthcare consumption was related to residual health problems., Conclusions: Patients with stress-induced exhaustion disorder have not reduced their healthcare consumption notably after MMR, and residual health problems remain for some patients. More studies are needed for a deeper understanding of the individual effectiveness of MMR, and also of its cost-effectiveness., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Chronic pain is a widespread condition that causes much suffering and significant cost to society. Pain rehabilitation programs (REH) have dominated the treatment of chronic pain in Sweden in recent decades. Although radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) was cost-effective in recent studies, the long-term health and economic effects of REH have not been comprehensively evaluated., Design: Observational study with propensity score weighting to compare RFN and REH., Methods: Patients assessed and treated between 2010 and 2016 were eligible; 15,357 underwent REH and 254 underwent RFN. Patient data were combined with linked data from national registers. We used propensity score weighting to mimic a randomized controlled trial using baseline gender, age, and baseline health-related quality of life as covariates., Results: Health-related quality of life improved significantly in both groups, by 0.164 and 0.352 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at 1 and 2 years after REH, and by 0.186 and 0.448 QALYs after RFN. The assessment and diagnostic procedures were slightly more expensive for RFN, but the treatment costs were greater for REH. Sick leave decreased after treatment in both groups, particularly after RFN. The cost per QALY gained 1 year after REH was ∼121,633 USD, which is considered "very expensive" according to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. By comparison, the cost of RFN was ∼13,715 USD, in the "moderate" range. After 2 years the cost per QALY gained was in the "moderate" range for REH and "low" for RFN., Conclusions: RFN and REH improved health-related quality of life, with significantly greater improvement with RFN. The treatments were comparable based on propensity score weighting, and RFN was cost-effective in the moderate to low range, whereas REH was considered very expensive to moderate. Expanding RFN from 2% currently to 25% of the treatments given in Sweden could save ∼21.2 million USD annually in healthcare expenditure., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability among adults, with heavy social and economic burden worldwide. A cost-effective solution is urgently needed to facilitate the identification of individual rehabilitation needs and thereby provide tailored rehabilitations to reduce disability among people who have had a stroke. A novel digital graphic follow-up tool Rehabkompassen has recently been developed to facilitate capturing the multidimensional rehabilitation needs of people who have had a stroke., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a definitive trial to evaluate Rehabkompassen as a digital follow-up tool among people who have had a stroke in outpatient clinical settings., Methods: This pilot study of Rehabkompassen was a parallel, open-label, 2-arm prospective, proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an allocation ratio of 1:1 in a single outpatient clinic. Patients who have had a stroke within the 3 previous months, aged ≥18 years, and living in the community were included. The trial compared usual outpatient visits with Rehabkompassen (intervention group) and without Rehabkompassen (control group) at the 3-month follow-up as well as usual outpatient visit with Rehabkompassen at the 12-month follow-up. Information on the recruitment rate, delivery, and uptake of Rehabkompassen; assessment and outcome measures completion rates; the frequency of withdrawals; the loss of follow-up; and satisfaction scores were obtained. The key outcomes were evaluated in both groups., Results: In total, 28 patients (14 control, 14 Rehabkompassen) participated in this study, with 100 patients screened. The overall recruitment rate was 28% (28/100). Retention in the trial was 86% (24/28) at the 12-month follow-up. All participants used the tool as planned during their follow-ups, which provided a 100% (24/24) task completion rate of using Rehabkompassen and suggested excellent feasibility. Both patient- and physician-participants reported satisfaction with the instrument (19/24, 79% and 2/2, 100%, respectively). In all, 2 (N=2, 100%) physicians and 18 (N=24, 75%) patients were willing to use the tool in the future. Furthermore, modified Rankin Scale as the primary outcome and various stroke impacts as secondary outcomes were both successfully collected and compared in this study., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the high feasibility and adherence of the study protocol as well as the high acceptability of Rehabkompassen among patients who have had a stroke and physicians in an outpatient setting in comparison to the predefined criterion. The information collected in this feasibility study combined with the amendments of the study protocol may improve the future definitive RCT. The results of this trial support the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a large definitive RCT., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04915027; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04915027., (©Xiaolei Hu, Karolina Jonzén, Olof A Lindahl, Marcus Karlsson, Fredrik Norström, Erik Lundström, Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (https://humanfactors.jmir.org), 29.07.2022.)

Introduction: Studying the relationship between unemployment and health raises many methodological challenges. In the current study, the aim was to evaluate the sensitivity of estimates based on different ways of measuring unemployment and the choice of statistical model., Methods: The Northern Swedish cohort was used, and two follow-up surveys thereof from 1995 and 2007, as well as register data about unemployment. Self-reported current unemployment, self-reported accumulated unemployment and register-based accumulated unemployment were used to measure unemployment and its effect on self-reported health was evaluated. Analyses were conducted with G-computation, logistic regression and three estimators for the inverse probability weighting propensity scores, and 11 potentially confounding variables were part of the analyses. Results were presented with absolute differences in the proportion with poor self-reported health between unemployed and employed individuals, except when logistic regression was used alone., Results: Of the initial 1083 pupils in the cohort, our analyses vary between 488-693 individuals defined as employed and 61-214 individuals defined as unemployed. In the analyses, the deviation was large between the unemployment measures, with a difference of at least 2.5% in effect size when unemployed was compared with employed for the self-reported and register-based unemployment modes. The choice of statistical method only had a small influence on effect estimates and the deviation was in most cases lower than 1%. When models were compared based on the choice of potential confounders in the analytical model, the deviations were rarely above 0.6% when comparing models with 4 and 11 potential confounders. Our variable for health selection was the only one that strongly affected estimates when it was not part of the statistical model., Conclusions: How unemployment is measured is highly important when the relationship between unemployment and health is estimated. However, misspecifications of the statistical model or choice of analytical method might not matter much for estimates except for the inclusion of a variable measuring health status before becoming unemployed. Our results can guide researchers when analysing similar research questions. Model diagnostics is commonly lacking in publications, but they remain very important for validation of analyses., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most commonly acquired heart disease in children and young people in low and middle-income settings. Fragile health systems and scarcity of data persist to limit the understanding of the relative burden of this disease. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of RHD and to assess the RHD-related health care systems in Namibia., Methods: Data was retrieved from outpatient and inpatient registers for all patients diagnosed and treated for RHD between January 2010 to December 2020. We used descriptive statistics to estimate the prevalence of RHD. Key observations and engagement with local cardiac clinicians and patients helped to identify key areas of improvement in the systems., Results: The outpatient register covered 0.032% of the adult Namibian population and combined with the cumulative incidence from the inpatient register we predict the prevalence of clinically diagnosed RHD to be between 0.05% and 0.10% in Namibia. Young people (< 18 years old) are most affected (72%), and most cases are from the north-eastern regions. Mitral heart valve impairment (58%) was the most common among patients. We identified weaknesses in care systems i.e., lack of patient unique identifiers, missing data, and clinic-based prevention activities., Conclusion: The prevalence of RHD is expected to be lower than previously reported. It will be valuable to investigate latent RHD and patient follow-ups for better estimates of the true burden of disease. Surveillance systems needs improvements to enhance data quality. Plans for expansions of the clinic-based interventions must adopt the "Awareness Surveillance Advocacy Prevention" framework supported by relevant resolutions by the WHO., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: We previously performed a population-based mass screening of coeliac disease in children aged 12 years in two birth cohorts resulting in 296 seropositive children, of whom 242 were diagnosed with coeliac disease after duodenal biopsies. In this follow-up study, we wanted to identify new cases in the screening population that tested negative-either converting from potential coeliac disease (seropositive but normal duodenal mucosa) or converting from seronegative at screening to diagnosed coeliac disease., Methods: All seropositive children were invited to a follow-up appointment 5 years after the screening with renewed serological testing and recommended endoscopic investigation if seropositive. Seronegative children in the screening study (n=12 353) were linked to the National Swedish Childhood Coeliac Disease Register to find cases diagnosed in healthcare during the same period., Results: In total, 230 (77%) came to the follow-up appointment, including 34 of 39 with potential coeliac disease. Of these, 11 (32%) had converted to coeliac disease. One new case was found in the National Swedish Childhood Coeliac Disease Register who received the diagnosis through routine screening in children with type 1 diabetes., Conclusions: There is a high risk of conversion to coeliac disease among those with potential disease. However, a negative screening test was associated with a very low risk for a clinical diagnosis within a follow-up period of 5 years., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Increasing evidence suggests a link between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and intake of gluten, but no controlled trials have examined whether a gluten-free diet (GFD) has positive effects on glycemic control in children with T1D., Methods: We conducted a non-randomized feasibility study. Twenty-three children with newly diagnosed T1D were included and either followed a GFD (n = 14) or a normal diet (n = 9) for 12 months. Effects of diet on glycemic control were examined by measuring insulin production (c-peptide), hemoglobine A1c (HbA1c) and insulin dose adjusted A1c (IDAA1c). Degree of adherence to the GFD and effects on quality of life were also examined., Results: Children on a GFD showed a statistically significantly lower HbA1c at six months (P = 0.042) compared with children on a normal diet and point estimate differences indicated better glycemic control in the GFD group at 6 and 12 months. Adherence to a GFD varied but was satisfactory for a majority of children. The GFD group reported poorer quality of life at inclusion and there was a non-significant difference for quality of life between groups throughout the study., Conclusions: A strict GFD can be maintained by children with newly diagnosed T1D and may have positive effects on glycemic control. Our findings should be interpreted carefully because of small samples and possible confounding. We provide recommendations for future trials and suggest using a randomized-controlled design with 30-40 participants in each arm., Competing Interests: On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has long been used for treating individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Esketamine has recently emerged as a new treatment for TRD due to its rapid antidepressant effects. To further inform the decision regarding choice of treatment, this paper aims to evaluate whether ECT or esketamine is the more cost-effective option., Methods: The cost-effectiveness was derived as cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) using a Markov model from a societal and life-time perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated. Health states included different depression and remission states and death. Data to populate the model was derived from randomised controlled trials and other research. Various sensitivity analyses were carried out to test the robustness of the model., Results: The base case scenario shows that ECT is cost-effective compared to esketamine and yields more QALYs at a lower cost. The sensitivity analysis shows that ECT is cost-effective in all scenarios and ECT dominates esketamine in 12 scenarios., Conclusions: This study found that, from a cost-effectiveness point of view, ECT should be the first-hand option for individuals with TRD, when other first line treatments have failed. Considering the lack of economic evaluation of ECT and esketamine, this study is of great value to decision makers., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Rheumatic heart disease is preventable, yet associated with significant health burden, mostly in low-resourced settings. It is prevalent among children and young adults living in impoverished areas. Primordial, primary, and secondary preventive measures have been recommended through health interventions and comprehensive programmes, although most implemented interventions are the high-resourced settings. The proposed review aims to synthesise the evidence of prevention effectiveness of implemented health interventions for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease., Methods and Design: This article describes a protocol for a systematic review. A predefined search strategy will be used to search for relevant literature published from the year 2000 to present. Electronic databases Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched for the studies, as well as reference lists of relevant studies included. Risk of bias and quality appraisal will be done for the included studies using ROBINS-I tool and Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised control trials. Findings will be analysed in subgroups based on the level of intervention and prevention strategy implemented. We will present the findings in descriptive formats with tables and flow diagrams., Discussion: This review will provide evidence on the prevention effectiveness of interventions or strategies implemented for the prevention of RHD. The findings of this will be significant for policy, practice, and research in countries planning to implement interventions., Registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42020170503.

Background: Knowledge is scarce on how needs for home help and special housing evolve among older people who begin to receive support from municipal social care. The purpose of this study was to describe baseline distributions and transitions over time between levels of dependency among older persons after being granted social care in a Swedish municipality., Methods: Based on a longitudinal cohort study in a Swedish municipality, data was collected retrospectively from municipal records. All persons 65 years or older who received their first decision on social care during 2010 (n = 415) were categorized as being in mild, moderate, severe, or total dependency, and were observed until the end of 2013. Baseline distributions and transitions over time were described descriptively and analysed with survival analysis, with the Kaplan-Meier estimator, over the entire follow-up period. To test potential differences in relation to gender, we used the Cox-Proportional hazards model., Results: Baseline distributions between mild, moderate, severe, and total dependency were 53, 16, 24, and 7.7%. During the first year, between 40 and 63% remained at their initial level of dependency. Among those with mild and moderate levels of dependency at baseline, a large proportion declined towards increasing levels of dependency over time; around 40% had increased their dependency level 1 year from baseline and at the end of the follow-up, 75% had increased their dependency level or died., Conclusions: Older people in Sweden being allocated home help are at high risk for decline towards higher levels of dependency, especially those at mild or moderate dependency levels at baseline. Taken together, it is important that municipalities make use of existing knowledge so that they implement cost-effective preventative interventions for older people at an early stage before a decline toward increasing levels of dependency.

Background: Living with undiagnosed symptomatic coeliac disease is connected with deteriorated health, and persons with coeliac disease often wait a long time for their diagnosis. A mass screening would lower the delay, but its cost-effectiveness is still unclear. Our aim was to determine the cost-effectiveness of a coeliac disease mass screening at 12 years of age, taking a life course perspective on future benefits and drawbacks., Methods: The cost-effectiveness was derived as cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) using a Markov model. As a basis for our assumptions, we mainly used information from the Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Sweden (ETICS) study, a school-based screening conducted in 2005/2006 and 2009/2010, where 13,279 12-year-old children participated and 240 were diagnosed with coeliac disease, and a study involving members of the Swedish Coeliac Association with 1031 adult participants., Results: The cost for coeliac disease screening was 40,105 Euro per gained QALY. Sensitivity analyses support screening based on high compliance to a gluten-free diet, rapid progression from symptom-free coeliac disease to coeliac disease with symptoms, long delay from celiac disease with symptoms to diagnosis, and a low QALY score for undiagnosed coeliac disease cases., Conclusions: A coeliac disease mass screening is cost-effective based on the commonly used threshold of 50,000 Euro per gained QALY. However, this is based on many assumptions, especially regarding the natural history of coeliac disease and the effects on long-term health for individuals with coeliac disease still eating gluten.

Aim: The aim of our study was to examine whether there is a difference in coeliac disease prevalence in regard to parents' education level and occupation, and whether this differs between screened and clinically diagnosed children at the age of 12 years., Methods: The study, Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Sweden (ETICS), was a school-based screening study of 12-year-old children that was undertaken during the school years 2005/2006 and 2009/2010. Data on parental education and occupation were reported from parents of the children. Specifically, by parents of 10 710 children without coeliac disease, 88 children diagnosed with coeliac disease through clinical care, and 231 who were diagnosed during the study., Results: There were no statistically significant associations between occupation and coeliac disease for either the clinically detected (prevalence ratio 1.16; confidence interval 0.76-1.76) or screening-detected coeliac disease cases (prevalence ratio 0.86; confidence interval 0.66-1.12) in comparison with children with no coeliac disease. Also, there were no statistically significant associations for parental education and coeliac disease diagnosis., Conclusion: There was no apparent relationship between coeliac disease and socio-economic position. Using parents' socio-economic status as a tool to help identify children more likely to have coeliac disease is not recommended., (© 2020 The Authors. Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.)

Objective: Epilepsy is a common, chronic neurological disorder that disproportionately affects individuals living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the treatment gap remains high and adherence to medication remains low. Community health workers (CHWs) have been shown to be effective at improving adherence to chronic medications, yet no study assessing the costs of CHWs in epilepsy management has been reported., Methods: Using a Markov model with age- and sex-varying transition probabilities, we determined whether deploying CHWs to improve epilepsy treatment adherence in rural South Africa would be cost-effective. Data were derived using published studies from rural South Africa. Official statistics and international disability weights provided cost and health state values, respectively, and health gains were measured using quality adjusted life years (QALYs)., Results: The intervention was estimated at International Dollars ($) 123 250 per annum per sub-district community and cost $1494 and $1857 per QALY gained for males and females, respectively. Assuming a costlier intervention and lower effectiveness, cost per QALY was still less than South Africa's Gross Domestic Product per capita of $13 215, the cost-effectiveness threshold applied., Significance: CHWs would be cost-effective and the intervention dominated even when costs and effects of the intervention were unfavorably varied. Health system re-engineering currently underway in South Africa identifies CHWs as vital links in primary health care, thereby ensuring sustainability of the intervention. Further research on understanding local health state utility values and cost-effectiveness thresholds could further inform the current model, and undertaking the proposed intervention would provide better estimates of its efficacy on reducing the epilepsy treatment gap in rural South Africa., (© 2020 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)

Background and Aims: There are guideline discussions on a lifetime approach to cardiovascular risk. Many of the available risk models estimate the short-term, usually 10-year risk of non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular diseases (CVD) grouped together. We aimed to develop lifetime risk models for non-fatal coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and death from CVD and non-CVD., Methods: We included 92,915 individuals who had participated in a community-based lifestyle intervention programme at 40, 50 and/or 60 years of age. Their collected data on selected risk factors were linked to register data on hospitalizations and death. Parametric multivariable survival regression with a competing risks approach was employed to model cause-specific hazards, which were translated into cumulative incidence functions to provide the risk of experiencing each event separately. All analyses were performed gender-age wise. For illustrative purposes, "better" and "worse" risk profiles were created by setting three modifiable risk factors to the best and worst levels, respectively., Results: Most of the risk factors qualified for inclusion in the regressions. Men had a higher risk of cardiovascular events and the events occurred at a younger age than women. In the created risk profiles, where serum total cholesterol, smoking status and blood pressure were modified, an excessive number of CVD events were observed in the worse profiles., Conclusions: Using these models, the lifetime risk of each of the first CVD events can be estimated for different risk factor profiles. Since the predictions are diagnosis specific, the estimates are more accurate., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Previous studies have shown that high workload affects health negatively. However, studies are lacking among home care workers. The aim of this study is to examine the burden of perceived workload on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among home care workers and to determine whether psychosocial factors modify such a relationship., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 1162 (58% response rate) home care workers participated. The psychosocial factors were measured by QPSnordic. HRQoL was measured by EuroQol 5 dimensions, from which responses were translated into quality-adjusted life year scores (QALY). Propensity scores were used with absolute risk differences (RD). Stratified analysis was used to test the buffer hypothesis of the demand-control-support model., Results: Personnel with a high workload had a statistically significant 0.035 lower QALY than personnel with a normal workload. This difference was also statistically significant for the Visual Analogue Scale (RD 5.0) and the mobility (RD 0.033) and anxiety/depression scales (RD 0.20) dimensions of EQ-5D. For QALY, the effect of a high workload compared to a normal workload was higher, with low (RD 0.045, significant) compared with high (RD 0.015, non-significant) social support; while it was similar, and non-significant results, for low and high control., Conclusions: Our study shows that lowered work burden would be beneficial for home care personnel. Furthermore, our results suggest that interventions aimed at increasing social support could reduce work-related illness.

Background: Obesity among children and adolescents is a worldwide public health concern. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence are increasing, with heredity and socioeconomic status as possible risk factors. How these factors affect the risk of childhood obesity remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between obesity and parental diabetes among 12-year-olds in Sweden, and how it relates to parental education level. Methods: We used data collected within the Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Sweden (ETICS) study, a cross-sectional multicenter national screening study for celiac disease in 12-year-old children. Relative risk (RR) and confidence interval (CI) were calculated for the association between parental diabetes and obesity, also stratifying for gender and highest parental education. Results: Among 11,050 children, for both children with parental T1D and T2D, 31% of the children were overweight or obese, compared with 21% among other children. Comparing those with parental T1D with those without parental T1D within gender, boys had a statistically significant higher risk [RR 1.6 (95% CI 1.3-2.0)], and girls had a nonsignificant increased risk [RR 1.3 (95% CI 0.95-1.8)], of being overweight. For children with parental T2D, both boys and girls had a statistically significant increased risk of 1.5. Parental education showed no sign of influencing the RRs. Conclusions: Parental diabetes is associated with an increased risk of overweight among children, independent of parental education. Concomitant parental diabetes and overweight should be particularly alarming criteria when prioritizing preventive interventions at an early age.

Anemia remains a public health concern, and its prevalence varies between countries as well as between age, sex and levels of poverty. This study aims at examining the association between socio-demographic factors and anemia among children aged 6-59 months in Namibia. Data was extracted from the 2013 Namibian Demographic Health Survey. The association between anemia and other factors was examined with logistic regression. Results are reported in odds ratio (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In total, 1,383 children aged 6-59 months had complete data and included in the analyses. Our study shows that there is a statistically significantly increased risk of anemia among children from poorer households compared with the richest quintile. Also, there was a statistically significance supporting anemia being more common among boys than girls. There was also a statistically significant negative effect related to age. Our study shows that young children, boys and children in poorer households have an increased risk of anemia. Considering the adverse impact of anemia on child development, policies must prioritize factors exacerbating anemia risk., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©Copyright: the Author(s).)

Objectives: The aims of the study were to ascertain whether the Celiac Dietary Adherence Test (CDAT) could contribute in determining adherence to a gluten-free diet in patients with celiac disease and to evaluate the diet adherence and well being of a study population 5 years after a celiac disease screening known as "Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Sweden.", Methods: Through the screening, 90 adolescents (born 1997) were diagnosed with biopsy-proven celiac disease at 12 years of age. Of them, 70 (78%) came to a 5-year follow-up where anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies 2 was tested and a questionnaire was filled in, including CDAT, which consists of 7 questions related to adherence. Nonparametrical tests were used to determine associations between adherence measures., Results: Among the adolescents, 86% were adherent to a gluten-free diet 5 years after screening, 38% reported their general well being as excellent, 50% very well, and 12% well. Statistically significant associations were seen between anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies 2 and the CDAT score (P = 0.033), and the self-reported adherence question and the CDAT score (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: The screening-detected adolescents reported a high level of well being and adherence to a gluten-free diet 5 years after screening. We conclude that the CDAT can be used in clinical practice as an estimation of adherence to a gluten-free diet. It would be most suitable to use in conjunction with currently used adherence measures, but can also be used as a stand-alone method when others are not accessible.

Background: Previous studies have shown that unemployment has negative impacts on various aspects of health. However, little is known about the effect of unemployment on health-related quality of life. Our aim was to examine how unemployment impacts upon health-related quality of life among Swedish adults, and to investigate these effects on population subgroups defined by education level, marital status, previous health, and gender., Methods: As part of a cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was sent to 2500 randomly selected individuals aged 20 to 64 years living in Sweden in 2016. The questionnaire included the EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument and was answered by 967 individuals (39%). Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) scores were derived from the EQ-5D responses. Of the respondents, 113 were unemployed and 724 were employed. We used inverse probability-weighted propensity scores in our analyses to estimate a risk difference. Gender, age, education level, marital status, and previous health were used as covariates in our analyses., Results: There was a statistically significant lower QALY score by 0.096 points for the unemployed compared to the employed. There were also statistically significant more problems due to unemployment for usual activities (6.6% more), anxiety/depression (23.6% more), and EQ-5D's Visual Analogue Scale (7.5 point lower score). Grouped analyses indicated a larger negative health effect from becoming unemployed for men, those who are married, and young individuals., Conclusions: In our study, we show that the health deterioration from unemployment is likely to be large, as our estimated effect implies an almost 10% worse health (in absolute terms) from being unemployed compared to being employed. This further highlights that unemployment is a public health problem that needs more focus. Our study also raises further demands for determining for whom unemployment has the most negative effects and thus suggesting groups of individuals who are in greatest need for labor market measures.

The effectiveness of health promotion for community-dwelling older people is well documented; however, there is a general lack of health economic evaluations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate long-term cost-effectiveness over 4 years of two health promoting interventions: senior meetings and a preventive home visit, for community-dwelling older people in relation to no intervention. We applied a Markov model including five states defined in relation to level of dependency of home help and place of residency. The model included transitions between dependency states, scores for quality of life and societal costs for each state, intervention costs and intervention effects for two formats of health promoting interventions. For each intervention and a no-intervention control group, we calculated the accumulated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and societal costs over 4 years. Sensitivity analyses included higher intervention costs, lower intervention effects and additional intervention costs and effects related to booster sessions. The results of all analyses indicated that health promotion implemented for community-dwelling older people in the format of senior meetings or a preventive home visit was cost-effective. Both interventions lead to QALY gains and reduce societal costs at any follow-up over 4 years, and thus, resources can be used to implement other interventions. The most important factor for the magnitude of QALY gains and cost savings was the intervention effect. Yearly booster sessions implemented for those persons who maintained their level of functioning extended the intervention effects adding additional QALYs and further reducing societal costs., (© The Author(s) 2019.)

Background: Assessing disparities in health-related quality of Life (HRQoL) is important as a part of health-related disparities in the society. The aim of this study was to explore HRQoL among 12-year-olds in Sweden in terms of differences between years 2005 and 2009 and disparities related to sociodemographic background., Methods: During the school years 2005 and 2009, a total of 18,325 sixth grade students in Sweden were invited to a celiac disease screening study; 13,279 agreed to participate. Jointly with the celiac screening, the children answered a questionnaire that included EuroQol 5 Dimensions-youth (EQ-5D-Y) and their parents responded to separate questionnaires about their own and their child's country of birth, family structure, their employment status, occupation, and education. In total 11,009 child-parent questionnaires were collected. Logistic regression was used to study differences in HRQoL between 2005 and 2009, and between various sociodemographic subgroups., Results: Compared with 2005, children in 2009 reported more pain (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3) and more mood problems (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5). In general, girls reported more pain and mood problems and had more disparities than boys. There were no significant differences based on parents' occupation, however, children of parents with low or medium education levels reported less "mood problems" than those of parents with high education levels (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.92) and (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.96), respectively. A slight variation was seen in HRQoL between children with different migration background. Girls living in small municipalities reported more pain (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.14-2.01), and problems performing usual activities (OR: 3.77, 95% CI: 2.08-6.84), compared to girls living in large municipalities. In addition, children living with two parents had less mood problems than children living in other family constellations., Conclusion: More children reported pain and mood problems in 2009 compared with 2005. To study future trends, health outcomes among children in Sweden should continue to be reported periodically. More efforts should be invested to increase the awareness of health-related disparities as highlighted in this study especially for girls living in small municipalities and children of parents with high education level.