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Results of comparisons of a laser interferometric oil manometer developed at the Mendeleev Institute (VNIIM), which reproduces the unit of pressure over the range 1-1000 Pa, with the national standards at the Metrology and Accreditation Center of Finland (MIKES) are described. The comparisons confirm the metrological characteristics of the VNIIM manometer and show that the size of the pressure unit reproduced by it agrees with the Finnish national standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood and current economic difficulties are associated with physical health. However, evidence concerning the factors underlying these associations is sparse. This study examines the contribution of a range of social and behavioural factors to associations between economic difficulties and physical functioning. Methods: We used comparable data on middle-aged white-collar employees from the Finnish Helsinki Health Study cohort (n = 3843) and the British Whitehall II Study cohort (n = 3052). Our health outcome was physical functioning measured by the SF-36 Physical Component Summary. Relative indices of inequality (RII), calculated using logistic regression analysis, were used to examine associations between economic difficulties and physical functioning, and the contribution of further socio-economic circumstances, health behaviours, living arrangements and work–family conflicts to these associations. Results: In age-adjusted models, childhood (RII = 1.76−3.06) and current (RII = 1.79−3.03) economic difficulties were associated with poor physical functioning in both cohorts. Further adjusting for work–family conflicts attenuated the associations of current economic difficulties with physical functioning in both cohorts, and also those of childhood economic difficulties in the Helsinki cohort. Adjustments for other socio-economic circumstances also caused some attenuation, while health behaviours and living arrangements had small or negligible effects. Conclusions: Conflicts between work and family contribute to the associations of economic difficulties with physical functioning among employees from Finland and Britain. This suggests that supporting people to cope with economic difficulties, and efforts to improve the balance between paid work and family may help employees maintain good physical functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: To further increase our understanding of socio-economic health inequalities, we need studies considering multiple socio-economic circumstances and comparing different cultural contexts. This study compared the associations of past and present socio-economic circumstances with physical functioning between employees from Finland and Britain. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data from the Helsinki Health Study (n=5866) and the Whitehall II Study (n=3052) were used. Participants were white-collar public sector employees aged 45-60 years. Physical functioning was measured with the SF-36 physical component summary. The socio-economic indicators were parental and own education, childhood and current economic difficulties, occupational class, income, housing tenure. Results: Childhood and current economic difficulties were independently associated with physical functioning in both cohorts, although in London women childhood difficulties did not reach statistical significance. Own education was independently associated with physical functioning in Helsinki. Occupational class showed associations with physical functioning in both cohorts. These were mainly attenuated by education and income, but in London women there was a strong independent association. The association of income with physical functioning was attenuated by education (Helsinki) and occupational class (London). Parental education and housing tenure showed no consistent associations. Conclusions: Past and present economic difficulties were independently associated with physical functioning. The conventional socio-economic indicators showed less consistent associations which were partly mediated through other indicators and modified by the national context. The associations that varied according to the indicators and between the cohorts highlight the importance of considering the multiplicity of socio-economic circumstances and comparing different cultural contexts in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]