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Early-life experiences can have lasting effects on health across multiple generations. The pathways of these transgenerational transmissions are difficult to explore, because of the complex interactions of social and biological factors involved. This study explores the potential role of one such pathway – inherited epigenetic modifications to gene expression – by controlling for shared environmental factors. It uses a database constructed from descendant genealogies of six lineages from Texel Island, The Netherlands. Heights and life spans of respectively 2761 and 3279 19-year old boys are related to the early-life experiences of themselves, parents and grandparents. Adversity in early-life is studied through trauma and food deprivation. Adversity has clear effects, especially on heights, but few of these effects were transmitted to children and grandchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical demography is generally concerned with the changing economic, social and normative contexts of human behaviour and health outcomes. To most historical demographers, the "genetic" component of behaviour and health is either unknown or assumed to be constant. However, several studies point at the shift over time in the relative importance of environment and genes: in periods and social groups with strong normative or economic constraints on behaviour, the "genetic potential" is often not realized. Therefore, to some extent, the waning of environmental constraints on heritability plays a role in changes in demographic outcomes over time. Determining the relative importance of heritability versus shared environment in historical populations for which only genealogies are available poses a challenge. Kin may live in different periods, and in different cultural and social settings. This explorative paper analyses the association between heights of conscripted relatives, as well as their life span. I estimate how the associations are affected by respectively genetic relatedness, shared historical period and shared social and geographical environment. Furthermore, I make a distinction between kin related via the mother versus kin related via the father. All kinds of kin are involved in the analysis: (half, full and twin) brothers, fathers, grandfathers, uncles and cousins. The data consist of about 3,000 men culled from Texel island genealogies, which also include descendants of families who had left the island. Life span has a weak, but still discernible, genetic element. The heritability of height is much stronger, especially at age 19/20. The correlations of mother's kin with her son's heights are stronger than those of her husband's kin. The analysis does not yield a consistent effect of a protective environment on kin correlations in either height or life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to examine hair cortisol levels and self-reported stress amongst conscripts during their basic military training, and how they are related to four types of theory-derived determinants. The following prediction was made: lower levels of perceived stress and hair cortisol will be associated with: (1) higher levels of emotional stability (the individual nonmilitary aspect); (2) a lower degree of private life problems (the contextual nonmilitary aspect); (3) more positive attitudes toward the military, higher engagement in military service, and higher adaptability to military conditions (the individual-military aspect); and (4) stronger group cohesion and better leadership (the contextual-military aspect). The sample consisted of a total of 107 male Lithuanian conscripts. Assessments were made at the beginning of their basic military training, in the middle, and at the end. Established instruments were used on all self-reported scales. Hair cortisol levels were established through analyses of hair samples. Low to moderate levels of stress were found throughout the basic training period regarding perceived stress levels. Hair cortisol levels were mainly unrelated to the self-rating scales. Regarding perceived stress, the prediction was fully confirmed. The future value of the theoretical model is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scholarly literature has long argued that dedovshchina — the mistreatment of young conscripts by older soldiers — was enduring, and will endure, despite ongoing reforms in the Russian military. This leads to a needed, updated exploration of dedovshchina a decade-plus since the "new look" reforms were launched. How we can understand this problem is lensed through Russian official statements and statistics, non-governmental organizations' reports, and Russian-language media. Challenging our ability to achieve an accurate understanding of the issue is academia's recent disinterest and of course the constricting information sphere in Russia. This article asks how we understand dedovshchina today, what this suggests for discipline in the military, and if those conditions might give some preliminary indications about the success of ongoing military reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The physical fitness of male conscripts has decreased, and body mass increased during the last few decades, especially in Nordic countries. However, limited research-based reports are available concerning the physical fitness profiles of female recruits. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate changes in physical fitness and body composition of female recruits entering voluntary Finnish military service between the years 2005 and 2015.Materials and methods: Data were collected from the initial fitness tests performed in military units during the first 2 weeks of military service. A total of 3,875 healthy female recruits (19.9 ± 2.1 year) participated in the fitness tests. Fitness tests consisted 12-minute running test and muscle fitness tests, which were sit-ups, push-ups, and standing long jump.Results: Increases in mean body mass (4.2%, p ≤ 0.01) and body mass index (3.8%, p < 0.01) were observed between 2005 and 2015. In addition, the proportion of overweight and obese female recruits increased by 12% (p ≤ 0.001). Mean endurance performance and overall muscle fitness remained unaltered during the study period, except for a decline in push-ups performance. However, the proportion of female recruits with poor endurance performance increased from 19.6% to 27.8% (p ≤ 0.001) between 2005 and 2015. Body mass was inversely associated with 12-minute running test distance (r = -0.35, p ≤ 0.001) and muscle fitness index (r = -0.25, p ≤ 0.001).Conclusions: In conclusion, the present study revealed that an increasing proportion of female recruits are overweight and/or have poor endurance performance, which are known risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries and premature discharge from military service. Therefore, specialized training programs should be designed specifically for female recruits with lower levels of fitness prior to military service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Neisseria meningitidis is transmitted from person-to-person. Thus, close contact with a healthy carrier can facilitate the spread of the bacteria and lead to life-threatening meningococcal disease. The aim of this study was to identify oropharyngeal carriers of N. meningitidis in volunteers preparing for military service before vaccination. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 226 volunteers entering military service were referred to the Shemiranat Health Center for meningococcal vaccination and assayed. Before vaccination, the participants underwent sampling of the throat using separate swabs. Thayer-Martin Agar medium and microbiological standard methods were used for culture and isolation of the organisms. The bacterial isolates were subjected to DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction. The obtained data were descriptively analyzed. Results: Out of the 226 (100%) young volunteers, only 18 (8%) yielded Gram-negative diplococci. The results showed the presence of N. meningitidis (carriage rate: 8%) in their oropharyngeal regions. The isolated serogroups were C, A, Y, W-135, and X with frequencies of 50, 22.2, 16.6, 5.5, and 5.5, respectively. Discussion: This study showed that the carriage rate in young volunteers for military service is around 8% before vaccination. Although the rates for serogroups A and C were dominant, the existence of serogroups Y and W indicate the necessary revision of the A/C vaccine. More research is needed to determine serogroup diversity and decrease the risk of meningococcal disease in individual groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A revised hearing conservation program (HCP) was implemented in the Swedish Armed Forces in 2002. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of significant threshold shifts (STS) in male conscripts heavily exposed to noise after the implementation of the new HCP, comparing the results to those of an earlier study from 1999/2000.Design: The study was prospective and longitudinal, covering the period from reporting to military service to discharge. The outcome measure was the incidence of STS. Statistics from the military insurance system was analysed.Study Sample: A total of 395 conscripts were included in the study (mean age 19 years). The control group (n: 839) consisted of men of the same age.Results: In 2004/2005 the incidence rate of STS was 2.3% compared to 7.9% in 1999/2000 and compared to 3.7% among the controls. The number of cases of auditory complications reported from conscripts to the insurance system has decreased, from 16 to 5/100 000 days of military training, during the last decade.Conclusions: The new HCP apparently reduced the incidence rate of STS to one third compared to before the program was introduced and leveled it to the incidence rate in the control-group not exposed to military noise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: In Switzerland, as in other developed countries, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased substantially since the early 1990s. Most of the analyses so far have been based on sporadic surveys or self-reported data and did not offer potential for small-area analyses. The goal of this study was to investigate spatial variation and determinants of obesity among young Swiss men using recent conscription data. Methods: A complete, anonymized dataset of conscription records for the 2010–2012 period were provided by Swiss Armed Forces. We used a series of Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression models to investigate the spatial pattern of obesity across 3,187 postcodes, varying them by type of random effects (spatially unstructured and structured), level of adjustment by individual (age and professional status) and area-based [urbanicity and index of socio-economic position (SEP)] characteristics. Results: The analysed dataset consisted of 100,919 conscripts, out of which 5,892 (5.8 %) were obese. Crude obesity prevalence increased with age among conscripts of lower individual and area-based SEP and varied greatly over postcodes. Best model's estimates of adjusted odds ratios of obesity on postcode level ranged from 0.61 to 1.93 and showed a strong spatial pattern of obesity risk across the country. Odds ratios above 1 concentrated in central and north Switzerland. Smaller pockets of elevated obesity risk also emerged around cities of Geneva, Fribourg and Lausanne. Lower estimates were observed in North-East and East as well as south of the Alps. Importantly, small regional outliers were observed and patterning did not follow administrative boundaries. Similarly as with crude obesity prevalence, the best fitting model confirmed increasing risk of obesity with age and among conscripts of lower professional status. The risk decreased with higher area-based SEP and, to a lesser degree – in rural areas. Conclusion: In Switzerland, there is a substantial spatial variation in obesity risk among young Swiss men. Small-area estimates of obesity risk derived from conscripts records contribute to its understanding and could be used to design further studies and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we analyze how the military authorities built and tried to impose the moral value of "sacrifice" among the conscripts sent to the Operation Independence. We wonder how was the moral code that sought to guide and condition the praxis of the soldiers built? Through which metaphors, institutional mandates, meanings and practices were the moral value of "sacrifice" encouraged? How was this emotional and moral legitimacy produced so that the soldiers were willing to give their lives in a context of political repression? To this end, we revisit some classics of anthropological theory on sacrifice, gift and debt, particularly Marcel Mauss, Henri Hubert as well as the rereading on them proposed by maurice Godelier (1998). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their representativeness and consistent measurement standards the medical und sports data of the Swiss conscripts provide a valuable basis for a continuous health monitoring of young Swiss men. During three to four years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity seems to stabilise on a high level. After a longer period of decreasing performance at the endurance test between the 1980s and 2002, the level of physical performance in the fitness test does no longer decrease since 2006. However, health and health behaviour show significant regional and socioeconomic inequalities among young Swiss men. Besides economic resources and education, major driving factors behind these inequalities can be identified in health knowledge, values, and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the views of army catering foods in 19–20-year-old Finnish male conscripts. Four to six weeks before starting their service, the conscripts ( n = 407) rated the pleasantness of 36 foods in general, and their expectation of pleasantness “when these foods are served in the army”. After 2 months of service, they rated the experienced pleasantness of the same products and their perceptions of the eating environment (dining hall). Demographic and psychosocial data were also collected. The “before” ratings showed no negative expectations of the foods served in the army, compared to expectations of those foods in general. However, 21 out of 36 foods served in the garrison failed meeting the hedonic expectations, and only six exceeded them. When grouped into categories, Cereal snacks and Sweet items were the best, and Soups and Salads and Fruit the least liked food categories. Sweet items was the only food category rated higher after 2 months of service. Psychosocial instruments did not predict ratings, suggesting that hedonic responses to the dishes represent a shared experience of this male cohort. Neither did the rated comfort of the dining hall relate to the experienced pleasantness of foods eaten in the dining hall. We suggest that the Finnish catering systems prior to the army service (day care, school lunch) raise the young men to accept institutional foods, but the perceived quality of army catering does not quite live up to the expectations. Positive responses to the sweet items in the army can reflect increased need for energy and enjoyment from the food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population-based incidence and risk factors for knee injuries in young adults were assessed in Finnish male conscripts performing their compulsory military service ( n = 128 584). The main outcome variables were (1) hospitalization due to knee injuries overall and (2) hospitalization due to knee disorders as categorized into specific International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision diagnoses (cruciate and collateral ligament tears, meniscal tears, traumatic chondral lesions, and patellar dislocations). Person-time injury-incidence rates were calculated by dividing the number of persons with a diagnosed knee injury by the total exposure time of 97 503 person-years. The number of subjects with surgical operations and military service class changes indicative of longer term notable disability are also reported. Risk factor analyses were performed by logistic regression. The person-based incidence of hospitalizations for knee injury was 11 cases per 1000 person-years [95% confidence interval ( CI): 10.4-11.7]. The most important risk factors were higher age (odds ratio 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.2) and obesity (odds ratio 1.6; 95% CI: 1.03-2.5). Two thirds of all subjects hospitalized for knee injuries had surgery, and one third had longer term notable disability. These findings indicate that knee injuries cause a significant burden of hospitalizations, often leading to surgery and longer term disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lynn and Vanhanen (2012) have convincingly established that national IQs correlate positively with GDP, education, and many other social and economic factors. The direction of causality remains debatable. The present study re-examines data from military psychological assessments of the German federal army that show strong IQ gains of 0.5 IQ point per annum for East German conscripts in the 1990s, after the reunification of the country. An analysis of IQ, GDP, and educational gains in 16 German federal states between 1990 and 1998 shows that IQ gains had a .89 correlation with GDP gains and a .78 correlation with educational gains. The short time frame excludes significant effects of biological or genetic factors on IQ gains. These observations suggest a causal direction from GDP and education to IQ. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Psychotic symptoms have been reported at varying rates in the general population in the West. We studied the association of psychotic symptoms with educational attainment and other psychiatric disorders in 23,248 male pre-enlistees for National Service in Singapore. Methods: In a 2-stage assessment, these enlistees were first screened with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-24) and the CRAFFT. Those screened positive were then assessed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to establish the presence of psychiatric disorders based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). Results: The rate of psychotic symptoms (after excluding those with psychotic disorders) was 8.2% ( n = 1,909). A multinomial logistic regression using the controls as the reference group revealed that younger age, lower PSLE scores, and mood and anxiety disorder remained significantly associated with both the diagnoses of psychotic disorders and the presence of psychotic symptoms. Conclusions: A combination of categorical and dimensional representation of psychopathology for the diagnosis of psychotic disorders would better inform treatment and prognosis as there is a considerable overlap in the presentation of psychotic symptoms and psychotic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims To investigate the relationship between intelligence measured at ages 18-19 and later alcohol-related hospital admission and mortality among men, while controlling for possible confounders. Design Cohort study. Setting and participants A total of 49 321 Swedish men who were conscripted for military training in 1969-70 and followed until 2007. Measurements Intelligence quotient (IQ) measured at conscription is the exposure, while alcohol-related hospital admission and death are the two outcomes. Adjustments for following variables were made: early life circumstances [childhood socio-economic position (SEP), father's drinking], mental health, social adjustment and behavioural factors measured at age 18 (psychiatric diagnosis, contact with police and child care, low emotional control, daily smoking, risky use of alcohol) and adult social position (attained education, SEP and income at age 40). Findings IQ had an inverse and graded association with later alcohol-related problems. For alcohol-related hospital admissions the crude hazard ratio (HR) was 1.29 (95% CI = 1.26-1.31) and for alcohol-related mortality it was 1.21 (95% CI = 1.17-1.24) for every one point decrease on the nine-point IQ scale. Adjustment for risk factors measured at age 18 attenuated the association somewhat for both outcomes. After adjustment for social position as adult, the HR was considerably lower resulting in a HR of 1.06 (95% CI = 1.02-1.10) for alcohol-related hospital admissions and 1.01 (95% CI = 0.95-1.08) for alcohol-related mortality. Conclusions In Swedish men there is an association between IQ in early adulthood and later alcohol-related hospital admission and death. Social position as adult could be an important contributory factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study explores young men''s (n =290) attitudes towards food and eating before and during military service and their associations with eating of sweet and fatty foods. Before service eating of sweet foods was associated negatively with health interest and positively with craving for sweet foods and using food as a reward, and eating of fatty foods negatively with health interest. At six months of service, craving, using food as a reward and pleasure increased, whereas health interest remained stable. At six months, eating of sweet foods was negatively associated with health interest and positively with craving. Mentally and physically hard conditions and easy access to indulgence items, affect the food related attitudes and food consumption among conscripts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of the exposure to ototraumatic factors and auditory symptoms, and to analyse the relations between these factors in a group of young healthy men. A total of 839 men, 19–22 years old, were recruited for the study when reporting for primary military service. A questionnaire was distributed and audiometry was performed. The prevalence of tinnitus, sensitivity to noise, and measured hearing impairment in the study group was 23.2%, 15.5%, and 14.5% respectively. Exposure to occupational noise often was reported by 21.4%, and playing loud music often by 16.5%. The young men who had experienced tinnitus after noise exposure had an elevated risk of high frequency hearing impairment, tinnitus, and sensitivity to noise. Those who played loud music had elevated prevalence values of tinnitus but not of hearing impairment. In this young group we observed high prevalence values of ototraumatic factors and auditory symptoms. We also observed significant correlations between tinnitus after noise exposure, self-assessed hearing symptoms, and hearing impairment. Sumario El objetivo de este estudio fue estimar la prevalencia de la exposición de factores traumáticos al oído y síntomas auditivos y analizar las relaciones entre estos factores y un grupo de hombres jóvenes y sanos. Un total de 839 hombres entre 19 y 22 años fueron reclutados para el estudio al momento que se reportaban para el servicio militar primario. Se distribuyó un cuestionario y se realizó una audiometría. En el grupo de estudio hubo presencia de acufeno, sensibilidad al ruido y se midió hipoacusia en un 23.2%, 15.5% y 14.5% respectivamente. EL 21.4% reportó exposición frecuente a ruido y 16.5% tocaban música a alta intensidad. El joven que presentó acufeno después de haberse expuesto a ruido tenía un alto riesgo de hipoacusia en frecuencias agudas, acufeno y sensibilidad al ruido. Aquellos que tocaban música a alta intensidad tenían valores de prevalencia elevados para acufeno pero no para hipoacusia. En este grupo de jóvenes observamos altos valores de prevalencia para factores traumáticos para el oído y síntomas auditivos. También observamos correlaciones significativas entre acufeno y exposición a ruido, síntomas auto-evaluados e hipoacusia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Respiratory diseases such as asthma may affect individuals' fitness for military service. In order to assess fitness for military service in subjects with asthma symptoms at conscription, objective and reliable tests are needed. Objective To prospectively determine the diagnostic value of the mannitol and methacholine bronchial provocation test (BPT) as well as exhaled nitric oxide in assessing physician-diagnosed asthma in a group of Swiss Armed Forces conscripts. Methods Questionnaire, spirometry, BPT with methacholine and mannitol, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and skin prick testing were conducted in 18–20-year-old male conscripts. Asthma was diagnosed by a military physician not involved in this study according to the medical record, results of BPT, current respiratory symptoms and use of asthma medication. Results Two hundred and eighty four subjects participated in the study. Complete data for the BPT with methacholine, mannitol and measurement of FeNO were available on 235 subjects. Forty-two conscripts (17.9%) had physician-diagnosed asthma. The sensitivity/specificity of mannitol to identify physician-diagnosed asthma was 41%/93% and for methacholine it was 43%/92%. Using a cut-off point of 36.5 p.p.b., FeNO had a similar negative predictive value to rule out physician-diagnosed asthma as BPT with mannitol or methacholine. Conclusion BPT with mannitol has a sensitivity and specificity similar to methacholine for the diagnosis of physician-diagnosed asthma in military conscripts but is less costly to perform without the need to use and maintain a nebulizer. Cite this as: D. Miedinger, N. Mosimann, R. Meier, C. Karli, P. Florek, F. Frey, K. Scherer, C. Surber, B. Villiger, F. Michel and J. D. Leuppi, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 224–231. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Computing Centre at the University of Tartu and to the 45th anniversary of the first dissertation on the anthropology of Estonian students, which also applied anthropometric data analysis by help of the computer. At this time the computer was Ural-1. Today is the new era -- from the beginning of the 1990s personal computers are used for data analysis. The goal of the present study was to investigate the correlations between the height, weight and BMI and other anthropometric measurements. The subjects of the present investigation were 17-year-old conscripts of the town of Tartu and Tartu County. In all of them height, weight, 33 anthropometric variables and 12 skinfolds were measured. The measurements were made after the recommendations of Martin (Knussmann, 1988). There were significant correlations between height and other anthropometric variables and between weight and other anthropometric variables. There were also correlations between BMI and circumferences, breadths and depths variables and skinfolds. Differently from weight, there were no significant correlations between height and BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The height records of 48,589 conscripts born in Jujuy between 1870 and 1960 were examined in order to study the variation in adult male height (AMH) in terms of geographical altitude and surnames. Data were clustered by origin of surnames (divided into native and foreign names), decades, and according to the four Jujenean geographical regions distributed along an altitudinal gradient (Puna, Quebrada, Valle, and Ramal). The variation of surnames, geographical altitude, and time on human height were examined by analysis of variance. Regardless of the drafting year, individuals in the four regions bearing foreign surnames proved significantly taller (P < 0.001) than those who had a native surname. Average height, regardless of ethnic group, presented a reverse relationship to geographical altitude. A higher AMH was found in individuals bearing foreign surnames in Jujuy and lower ones in the population located in the highlands and bearing native surnames. Interregional and intergroup AMH variations would be affected by the complex interaction between geographical altitude and factors associated to it and by the ethnic characteristics of these population as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the environment and genetics on individual biological characteristics, such as body mass and stature is well known. Many studies of these relationships have been based on conscript data. These studies often suffer from the fact that their data cover only a part of the population. Characterized by prosperity, democratic stability and enormous micro-regional cultural diversity, Switzerland is in the unique situation of offering data covering more than 80% of annual male birth cohorts. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of socioeconomic success, cultural differences, month of birth, and altitude (among other factors) on individual anthropometric characteristics of conscripts (N ∼ 28,000) in the 2005 census. Our result highlights in such a large male sample the relationship between economic environment, regional cultural diversity, climate, and other factors, such as individual month of birth on stature and weight. Socioeconomic status, culture (as reflected by mother tongue), and month of birth were found to have significant effects on height and weight, while altitude did not show such effects. In general, weight is more affected by all these variables than height. Taking weight-dependent mortality and morbidity into account, it is of foremost public interest to know more about paired effects of living conditions on stature and weight in a highly developed society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsTo investigate potential factors associated with the presence of myopia in a cohort of young adult men carrying out their military service in Greece.MethodsA nested case–control study of 200 conscripts (99 myopes and 101 non-myopes). The cohort consisted of approximately 1000 conscripts in compulsory national service. All cohort members had been screened for refractive errors by Snellen visual acuity measurement at presentation to military service; individuals not achieving visual activity 6/6 underwent noncycloplaegic refraction. The study sample consisted of the first 99 myopic and 101 nonmyopic conscripts who attended the study. In-person interviews of these 200 conscripts were conducted to obtain information on family history, occupation, level of education, near-work activities, and sleeping behaviour. χ2 and Mann–Whitney tests were used as univariate analysis methods to identify the potential factors associated with the presence of myopia. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted relative risk of myopia.ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that parental family history (P<0.001), older age (P<0.001), tertiary education (P<0.001), hours of reading per day (P<0.001), hours of computer use per day (P<0.001), and higher social classes (P<0.001) were associated with myopia. Sleeping in artificial or ambient light was not associated with myopia (P=0.75). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that older age (OR=1.25, 95% CI 1.05–1.49), tertiary education (OR=12.67, 95% CI 3.57–44.88) and parental family history (OR=3.39, 95% CI 1.56–7.36) were independently associated with myopia.ConclusionIn young Greek conscripts, parental family history, older age, and education level are independently associated with myopia.Eye (2008) 22, 542–546; doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702693; published online 12 January 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To study the hearing of 18-year-old men by using screening audiograms obtained at military conscription. Methods: The study group comprised 301,873 Swedish men belonging to six age cohorts born from 1953 to 1977 who had been screened at age 18 years from 1971 to 1995. The prevalence of mild to moderate hearing loss was investigated. Results: Of the entire study group, 13.1% had elevation of one or more pure tone thresholds. In most cases, 11.9%, the elevation was situated in the high-frequency region. High-frequency hearing loss was more common in the left ear (7.5%) than in the right ear (6.2%). The prevalence of hearing loss decreased during the period 1971 to 1981 from 15.7% to 8.3%. During the last part of the study period, 1986 to 1995, the prevalence increased from 9.8% to 16.3%. The increase included mild to moderate degrees of hearing loss with thresholds below 35 dB HL. The prevalence of threshold elevations was highest in sparsely populated areas of Sweden and lowest in large, metropolitan areas of Sweden from 1971 to 1986. During the last part of the study period the geographical differences decreased or disappeared. Conclusions: The total prevalence of hearing loss was in accordance with other reports. The frequency 6 kHz was most affected by threshold elevations. The prevalence of hearing loss decreased in the first part of the study period, and increased at the end of the study period. Hearing loss was most commonly seen in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present paper reports the results of a within and between family analysis of the relation between birth order and intelligence. The material comprises more than a quarter of a million test scores for intellectual performance of Norwegian male conscripts recorded during 1984–2004. Conscripts, mostly 18–19 years of age, were born to women for whom almost complete reproductive histories were obtained. Women with single births only 1967–1998 and first birth 1967–1976 were selected for analyses. The grand mean stanine score for intellectual performance standardized for age and calendar year was 5.05 (SD=1.80). The mean standardized score decreased with size of sibship and with higher birth orders in all sibship sizes. These patterns as well as the size of the difference between birth orders 1 and 3 were rather similar between and within families. Among 63951 adjacent sibling pairs the mean standardized scores were 5.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.16, 5.19) for the elder and 4.93 (95% CI: 4.91, 4.94) for the younger brother. The difference in mean of standardized scores between adjacent siblings was −0.251 (95% CI: −0.270, −0.231). The difference in mean standardized scores between brothers of adjacent birth orders increased with higher maternal level of education, was highest between brothers of married women, higher with paternal income and decreased with sibship size and longer spacing between births. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of myopia among Danish conscripts and compare the results with those from similar Danish studies carried out in 1882 and 1964. Furthermore, the relationships between myopia and educational level, ethnicity, intelligence (IQ), body mass index (BMI) and height were analysed. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study based on medical reports for 4681 male conscripts. The following data were collected from September to December 2004: age; place of birth; weight; height; power of spectacles or contact lenses; visual acuity; number of years at school (8-13 years); occupation; intelligence test (IQ test) score, and ethnicity. Results: The prevalence of myopia (≤ − 0.5 D, spherical equivalent) was 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]± 0.96); the prevalence of high myopia (< − 6.5 D) was 0.3% (95% CI ± 0.15). Myopes scored higher (45.3 [SD 9.4]) on IQ tests than emmetropes (41.4 [SD 10.4]) (p < 0.001) and had a higher educational level. No relationship was found between myopia and BMI, height or ethnicity. Conclusions: The study reports a significantly decreasing prevalence of low myopia among Danish conscripts in 2004 compared with 1964. Compared with the results from the 1882 study, the prevalence of low myopia seems stable. The prevalence of high myopia has decreased significantly since 1882 and has also tended to decrease from 1964. Number of years in education and IQ test score were related to myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of myopia among Danish conscripts and compare the results with those from similar Danish studies carried out in 1882 and 1964. Furthermore, the relationships between myopia and educational level, ethnicity, intelligence (IQ), body mass index (BMI) and height were analysed. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study based on medical reports for 4681 male conscripts. The following data were collected from September to December 2004: age; place of birth; weight; height; power of spectacles or contact lenses; visual acuity; number of years at school (8–13 years); occupation; intelligence test (IQ test) score, and ethnicity. Results: The prevalence of myopia (≤ − 0.5 D, spherical equivalent) was 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]± 0.96); the prevalence of high myopia (< − 6.5 D) was 0.3% (95% CI ± 0.15). Myopes scored higher (45.3 [SD 9.4]) on IQ tests than emmetropes (41.4 [SD 10.4]) (p < 0.001) and had a higher educational level. No relationship was found between myopia and BMI, height or ethnicity. Conclusions: The study reports a significantly decreasing prevalence of low myopia among Danish conscripts in 2004 compared with 1964. Compared with the results from the 1882 study, the prevalence of low myopia seems stable. The prevalence of high myopia has decreased significantly since 1882 and has also tended to decrease from 1964. Number of years in education and IQ test score were related to myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: [(1)] To study if young, Swedish men have poorer or better hearing according to screening at conscription in 1998 compared to 1969–1977. [(2)] To study how the results of screening and audiometry vary across the teenage years for a group of boys without middle ear disease. Method: A birth cohort has earlier been well documented regarding results in four general screenings with follow-up and examinations and treatment for middle ear disease at the ENT departments in the area. Their results when screened at conscription have been compared with those in ealier reports on screening of Swedish conscripts. We have also studied results in screenings and follow-up at 11 and 14 years of age with special focus on small losses at the frequencies of 3, 4, 6 and 8kHz and describe how 611 boys without known ear disease performed in these examinations and in screening at the age of 18. Results: There is no obvious trend in the prevalence of hearing loss in Swedish conscripts. At 11 years of age 80.4% and at 14 years of age 64.6% of small high tone losses diagnosed by screening were not confirmed by audiometry. Approximately half of those who had confirmed losses had normal screening at conscription. Conclusions: 18-year-old Swedish boys did not have poorer hearing in 1998 than 29 years earlier. Information drawn from screenings must be interpreted with caution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Objective: Many authors have shown a small effect on hearing from middle ear disease even a long time after active disease has subsided. We wanted to see to what extent those who have had otitis media in childhood in our district have normal hearing at the age of 18 years. The aim of the present study is to find out if a history of secretory otitis media (SOM) up to 14 years of age or acute otitis media (AOM) up to 4 years of age affects hearing at conscription in an age cohort of Swedish boys. Methods: For a cohort of 951 boys we have good knowledge of their ear diseases up to 14 years of age from previous studies. The prevalence of elevated thresholds in audiometric screening at conscription was compared for the group of boys who had been treated with tympanostomy tubes and the group of boys with no history of ear disease. Similarly, boys with a history of ear disease but no treatment with tubes were compared to boys without history of ear disease. We also compared the prevalence of elevated thresholds for boys with a history of at least four episodes of AOM up to the age of four to those who had had no episodes up to that age. Results: Those who had been treated with tympanostomy tubes because of longstanding SOM had a significantly higher prevalence of elevated thresholds for solitary frequencies. Two treated boys had a pure tone average greater than 25dB, one unilaterally, one bilaterally. No difference could be seen between those who had had episodes of ear disease but no treatment with tympanostomy tubes and those who had had no documented ear disease. The prevalence of elevated thresholds was not correlated to more than three treated episodes of acute otitis media up to the age of 4 years. Conclusions: Boys who had been treated with tympanostomy tubes had a higher prevalence of having a hearing threshold above 20dB for at least one frequency at the age of 18. Hearing handicap was not a common sequel to SOM. We can show no relation between more than three treated episodes of AOM before the age of four and screening results at the age of 18. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To describe the incidence, trends and nature of hospitalisation for injuries among Finnish conscripts between 1990 and 1999. Study design and setting: A hospital discharge register study on the hospitalisation for injuries with a follow-up of 213509-person-years. Results: During the 10-year study period, altogether 20016 hospitalisations for injuries were registered. Over this period, the annual incidence of hospitalisation for injuries declined with 26%, from 113.3 (95% CI: 108.7–118.0) per 1000 conscripts in 1990 to 84.1 (95% CI: 80.0–88.2) in 1999. Summer and autumn were the seasons with the highest incidence rates. Half of the injuries were sprains, strains, or fractures, and in half of the injuries, the anatomical location involved was the lower limb. The leading external causes of injuries were falls (31.8%) and injuries inflicted by foreign objects or machinery (18.5%). Conclusion: Although hospitalisations for injuries declined between 1990 and 1999, injuries are still an important cause of morbidity in the Finnish Defence Forces. Further studies to evaluate the risk factors and mechanisms of injuries are needed to develop effective prevention strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conscription has been employed for more than a century. To evaluate the course and fate of conscripts deemed mentally unfit for immediate continued service, a prospective questionnaire study of conscripts referred for mental evaluation was conducted. Questionnaires were completed at the time of enrolment, time of admittance for evaluation, time of discharge from their evaluation and at 1-year follow-up. Out of a class of 6949 conscripts, 93 were referred for psychiatric evaluation and 69 of those referred decided to enter the study (60 of these were in time deemed unfit for further military service). At the time of admittance, on average after 79 days of service, there was a significant 36%, 34%, 20% and 20% increase in depression, sleep, somatization and interpersonality scores, respectively. At the time of discharge 14 days after admittance, the symptom scores had dropped to a level comparable to scores at the time of enrolment. At 1-year follow-up, the descending trend in scores was maintained, though not reaching statistical significance compared with scores at time of discharge. The scores at 1-year follow-up were also, except for a higher depression score, comparable with the scores of a control group of conscripts evaluated 1 year after service. The psychological profile of conscripts referred for evaluation was different at the time of enrolment compared with conscripts in general, the scores being between 9% (interpersonality) and 29% (depression) higher. They also had a higher prevalence of adverse family events in their history. The course observed is indifferent from other situations of enforced stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore how pro-environmental energy behavior is manifested at a military unit and what behavioral change factors can enhance such behavior. The military unit represents an organization dominated by an exceptionally strong sense of community and belonging where individual pro-environmental energy behavior goes in line with a collective one. The application of Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) approach led to a better understanding of energy-saving behavior in the military as an organization where personnel are trained to increase their awareness of their peers' behavior. Methods: The results were obtained using data collected from two independent samples of both professional soldiers and conscripts at a military unit of Lithuanian defense forces located in a fixed installation in the time frame of 2018–2019. The total sample of respondents (professional soldiers and conscripts) was N = 454. A series of statistical tests were performed at the 0.05 level of confidence. Results: An extended COM-B model for the analysis of pro-environmental energy behavior in the military was proposed and applied. The results show that the three behavioral change factors—capability, opportunity, and motivation—are first of all positively linked with the collective energy behavior at the military unit and only then with the individual soldier's pro-environmental energy behavior. This is a new insight into the COM-B model as collective and individual behavior are identified as separate indicators and then combined into a single measurable construct. In addition, the results indicate that in the military unit, communality plays an important role in sustaining pro-environmental energy behavior, even if an individual behavior indicates low-involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate whether the increase in adult stature in European countries is continuing. Methods: The secular trend in growth after 1990 for various European countries was assessed by national conscript data. Results: In Scandinavia and the Netherlands, the height has reached a plateau at 179–181&ThickSpace;cm, and in Italy a plateau at 174&ThickSpace;cm. In Belgium, Portugal and Spain, height continued to increase. Conclusion: Only in the northern European countries and Italy height has ceased to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]