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Geographical Locations - Iceland
 The WWW Virtual Library: Public Health
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Country Information
- (Statistical) Number of Inhabitants per Doctor: 355
- CIA World Factbook : Iceland
Organisations and Networks
UN and Multinational
Government
Non-Government
- Icelandic Cancer Society
"The Icelandic Cancer Society is a nation-wide, voluntary organisation with 23 active, regional divisions, some recently re-activated, and 17 cancer patients' self-help groups around the country. Seven of the regional divisions have local service centres with a part-time employee, partly supported by the society. At the same time the society, with about 90 employees, can also be regarded as an institution with multiple functions that plays an important role in the Icelandic health service."
Academic Institutions
National Policy and Related Documents
Reports, Guidelines, and Projects
- A survey of early health effects of the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption in Iceland: a population-based study
Objective: To estimate physical and mental health effects of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption on nearby residents. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted on 14 April 2010. The eruption lasted for about 6 weeks and was explosive, ejecting some 8 million tons of fine particles into the atmosphere. Due to prevailing winds, the ash spread mostly to the south and south-east, first over the rural region to the south, later over the Atlantic Ocean and Europe, closing European air space for several days. Participants: Residents (n=207) of the most ash-exposed rural area south and east of the volcano. Methods: The study period was from 31 May to 11 June 2010. Participants were examined by a physician. To ascertain respiratory health, standardised spirometry was performed before and after the use of a bronchodilator. All adult participants answered questionnaires about mental and physical health, their children’s health and the use of protective equipment. Results: Every other adult participant reported irritation in eyes and upper airway when exposed to volcanic ash. Adults (n=26) and children (n=5) with pre-existing asthma frequently reported worsening of their symptoms. No serious health problems requiring hospitalisation could be attributed to the eruption. The majority of the participants reported no abnormal physical or mental symptoms to the examining physician. Compared to an age- and gender-matched reference group, the ash-exposed participants reported lower smoking rates and were less likely to have ventilation impairment. Less than 10% of the participants reported symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression. Conclusions: Short-term ash exposure was associated with upper airway irritation symptoms and exacerbation of pre-existing asthma but did not contribute to serious health problems. The exposure did not impair respiratory function compared to controls. Outdoor use of protective glasses and face masks was considered protective against irritation in eyes and upper airway. [author abstract] [BMJ Open 2012; 2: e000343]
- Antidepressants and public health in Iceland: time series analysis of national data
Background: Major depressive Disorder is the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years in developed regions of the world and antidepressants are the third-ranking therapy class worldwide. Aims: To test the public health impact of the escalating sales of antidepressants. Method: Nationwide data from Iceland are used as an example to study the effect of sales of antidepressants on suicide, disability, hospital admissions and outpatient visits. Results: Sales of antidepressants increased from 8.4 daily defined doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in 1975 to 72.7 in 2000, which is a user prevalence of 8.7% for the adult population. Suicide rates fluctuated during 1950-2000 but did not show any definite trend. Rates for outpatient visits increased slightly over the period 1989-2000 and admission rates increased even more. The prevalence of disability due to depressive and anxiety disorders has not decreased over the past 25 years. Conclusions: The dramatic increase in the sales of antidepressants has not had any marked impact on the selected public health measures. Obviously, better treatment for depressive disorders is still needed in order to reduce the burden caused by them. [British Journal of Psychiatry, 2004, 184: 157-162]
- Assessment of a two-year school-based physical activity intervention among 7-9-year-old children
Background: Physical activity (PA) in children has declined in recent decades, highlighting the need for effective intervention programs for school-aged children. The main objective of this study was to assess to what extent PA during and after school hours changed among children who received a progressive two-year long intervention vs. that of children who only received general curriculum-based PA. Methods: A cluster randomized intervention study was conducted and six elementary schools randomly assigned to serve as control- or intervention schools. All children attending second grade (mean age = 7.4 years - born in 1999) were invited to participate in the fall of 2006 (N = 320, 82% participated), again in 2007 (midpoint) and 2008 (end of intervention). The intervention consisted of multi-component PA-intervention during school hours and was conducted by teachers at each intervention school. PA was assessed by means of accelerometers and subjectively at the intervention schools via teachers’ PA log-books. Results: There was no difference in PA intensity (minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity - min of MVPA) between the two study groups at baseline, but children in the intervention schools were more physically active at moderate-to-vigorous intensity compared to those in control schools after one year of intervention (mean difference of MVPAlog-minutes: 0.61, 95%CI: 0.02, 1.20, p = 0.04). Moreover, the model for minutes of MVPA during school hours, showed a significant three-way interaction between time at mid-point, group and gender (mean difference of MVPAlog-minutes: 1.06, 95%CI: 0.15, 1.97, p = .02), indicating a significantly greater increase among the boys in the intervention schools compared to girls. No difference in PA was detected between the study groups at the end of the study period after two years of intervention. Conclusions: The results suggest that the objective of increasing PA at school was met after one year of intervention, and it was more pronounced among boys. The lack of increase at the end of the study period suggested that any increase in PA during school may highly depend on both motivation and training of general teachers. Boys may respond better to PA interventions such as the one described in this study. [International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2011, 8: 138]
- Chronic leg ulcers among the Icelandic population
Background: Chronic leg and foot ulcers are a major health care concern, especially among the elderly population. To date little is known about the extent of the problem of chronic leg ulcers in Iceland. Aim: To identify the number of chronic leg ulcer patients in Iceland and determine their aetiology in order to create an empirical background for further research, health care policy making and evaluation of service. Methods: Descriptive, retrospective study. Chronic leg ulcers were defined as all ulcers below knee, open 6 weeks. Patients were identified by health care professionals. Data were collected in every health care institution in Iceland, 166 units altogether. Twenty cases were selected for further validation. Results: Leg ulcer prevalence was 0.072% (n=226), rising up to 0.61% among population ≥ 70 years. Male/female ratio was 1.2/1. Estimated aetiology was venous in 34% cases, other or unknown in 25% cases. Diagnosis based on clinical observation alone was in 57% cases. Conclusion: Prevalence is low compared to other studies. Male/female ratio differs from most studies. Diagnostic methods need to improve. Evidence based leg ulcer practice needs to be implemented. Empirical background on chronic leg ulcers in Iceland has been established. [author abstract] [EWMA Journal, vol.10, no.1, pp.17-21, 2010]
- Health behaviour and academic achievement in Icelandic school children
Interest in the relationship between health behaviours and academic achievement has recently intensified in the face of an epidemic of childhood and adolescent obesity and converging school reforms in the United States and other nations with advanced economies. Epidemiologic research has demonstrated that poor diet and lack of adequate physical activity place children at risk for being overweight and obese and thus influence future health status. Additional research has also shown that children and adolescents whose diets are nutritious and whose participation in physical activity is high tend to perform better on various measures of cognitive performance and academic achievement. We analysed cross-sectional survey data from 5810 Icelandic school children to explore the relationship between selected health behaviours and academic achievement. Body mass index, diet and physical activity explained up to 24% (P < 0.01) of the variance in academic achievement when controlling for gender, parental education, family structure and absenteeism. Variance explained increases to 27% when depressed mood (P < 0.05) and self-esteem (P < 0.01) are added to the model, but confounds the role of physical activity. Although not robust, these findings are consistent with previous work and affirm the complexity of the relationship of health to academic achievement. [author abstract] [Health Education Research, vol.22, no.1, 2007, pp.70–80]
- Health Care Systems in Transition Iceland
The Health Care Systems in Transition (HiT) profiles are country-based reports that provide an analytical description of a health care system and of reform initiatives in progress or under development. The HiTs are a key element of the work of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
- Social correlates of cigarette smoking among Icelandic adolescents: a population-based cross-sectional study
Background: Previous research has shown that between 80 and 90 percent of adult smokers report having started smoking before 18 years of age. Several studies have revealed that multiple social factors influence the likelihood of smoking during adolescence, the period during which the onset of smoking usually occurs. To better understand the social mechanisms that influence adolescent smoking, we analyzed the relationship and relative importance of a broad spectrum of social variables in adolescent smoking in Iceland, a Nordic country with high per-capita income. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 7,430 14- to 16 year-old students (approximately 81% of all Icelanders in these age cohorts) in the 2006 Youth in Iceland study. The Youth in Iceland studies are designed to investigate the role of several cognitive, behavioral, and social factors in the lives of adolescents, and the data collected are used to inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of substance use prevention programs that are being developed by Icelandic social scientists, policy makers, and practitioners. Results: Our analysis revealed that friends' smoking behavior and attitude toward smoking were strongly associated with adolescent smoking and other tobacco use, as well as alcohol consumption during the previous 30 days. Main protective factors were parent's perceived attitude toward smoking, the quantity of time spent with parents, absence of serious verbal conflict between parents and adolescents, and participation in physical activity. Family structure was related to adolescent smoking to a small extent, but other background factors were not. Conclusion: We conclude that multiple social factors are related to adolescent smoking. Parents and other primary preventive agents need to be informed about the complicated nature of the adolescent social world in order to maximize their impact. [author abstract] [BMC Public Health 2008, 8: 86]
- Substance use prevention for adolescents: the Icelandic model
Data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs have shown that adolescent substance use is a growing problem in western and particularly Eastern European countries. This paper describes the development, implementation and results of the Icelandic Model of Adolescent Substance Use Prevention. The Icelandic Model is a theoretically grounded, evidence- based approach to community adolescent substance use prevention that has grown out of collaboration between policy makers, behavioural scientists, field-based practitioners and community residents in Iceland. The intervention focuses on reducing known risk factors for substance use, while strengthening a broad range of parental, school and community protective factors. Annual cross-sectional surveys demonstrate the impact of the intervention on substance use among the population of 14- to 16-year-old Icelandic adolescents. The annual data from two cohorts of over 7000 adolescents (.81% response rate) show that the proportions of those who reported being drunk during the last 30 days, smoking one cigarette or more per day and having tried hashish once all declined steadily from 1997 to 2007. The proportions of adolescents who reported spending time with their parents and that their parents knew with whom they were spending their time increased substantially. Other community protective factors also showed positive changes. Although these data suggest that this adolescent substance use prevention approach successfully strengthened a broad range of parental, school and community protective factors, the evidence of its impact on reducing substance use needs to be considered in light of the correlational data on which these observations are based. [author abstract] [Health Promotion International, vol. 24, no. 1, pp.16-25 (2008)]
- Surveillance of influenza in Iceland during the 2009 pandemic
In a pandemic setting, surveillance is essential to monitor the spread of the disease and assess its impact. Appropriate mitigation and healthcare preparedness strategies depend on fast and accurate epidemic surveillance data. During the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, rapid improvements in influenza surveillance were made in Iceland. Here, we describe the improvements made in influenza surveillance during the pandemic , which could also be of great value in outbreaks caused by other pathogens. Following the raised level of pandemic influenza alert in April 2009, influenza surveillance was intensified. A comprehensive automatic surveillance system for influenza-like illness was developed, surveillance of influenza-related deaths was established and laboratory surveillance for influenza was strengthened. School absenteeism reports were also collected and compared with results from the automatic surveillance system. The first case of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) was diagnosed in Iceland in May 2009, but sustained community transmission was not confirmed until mid-August. The pandemic virus circulated during the summer and early autumn before an abrupt increase in the number of cases was observed in October. There were large outbreaks in elementary schools for children aged 6–15 years throughout the country that peaked in late October. School absenteeism reports from all elementary schools in Iceland gave a similar epidemiological curve as that from data from the healthcare system. Estimates of the proportion of the population infected with the pandemic virus ranged from 10% to 22%. This study shows how the sudden need for improved surveillance in the pandemic led to rapid improvements in data collection in Iceland. This reporting system will be improved upon and expanded to include other notifiable diseases, to ensure accurate and timely collection of epidemiological data. [publication summary] [Euro Surveill. 2010; 15(49): pii= 19742]
- The Icelandic genome debate
Three of the central issues in contemporary debates about the commodification of the human body are those of property, ownership, and access. This article uses the case of the central medical database on Icelanders to discuss contesting claims about the ownership of the human genome, with respect to the rapid development of biotechnology, human genome projects and DNA collections. We emphasize the contrast between commercial and communitarian perspectives and to illustrate our argument we explore debates about the Icelandic database. These debates have been intense, focusing on a range of issues, including ethics, academic freedom, public health and, last but not least, the control and ownership of medical records, genetic information and genealogical data. This article should be seen primarily as an anthropological commentary on ongoing developments. [publication summary] [Trends in Biotechnology, vol.19, no.5, pp.166-171, May 2001]
- Trends in prevalence of substance use among Icelandic adolescents, 1995–2006
Background: Adolescent substance use continues to be of great global public health concern in many countries with advanced economies. Previous research has shown that substance use among 15–16 year-old-youth has increased in many European countries in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine trends in prevalence of daily smoking, alcohol intoxication, and illicit substance use among Icelandic adolescents. Methods: Repeated-measures, population-based cross-sectional surveys of between 3,100 and 3,900 10th-grade students who participated in the annual Youth of Iceland studies were analyzed, with response rates of between 80% and 90%. Results: The prevalence of daily smoking, alcohol intoxication, and illicit substance use was at a peak in 1998, with almost 23% having reported daily smoking, 42% having reported becoming intoxicated at least once during the last 30 days, and over 17% having used hashish once or more often in their lifetime. By 2006, daily smoking had declined to 12%, having become intoxicated once or more often during the last 30 days to 25%, and having ever used hashish declined to 9%. Conclusion: The prevalence of substance use among Icelandic 10th graders declined substantially from 1995 to 2006. Proportions of adolescents who smoke cigarettes, had become intoxicated during the last 30 days, as well as those admitting to hashish use all decreased to a great deal during the period under study. The decline in prevalence of adolescent substance use in Iceland is plausibly the result of local community collaboration where researchers, policy makers and practitioners who work with young people have combined their efforts. [author abstract] [Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2008, 3: 12]
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