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The Northern Swedish Population Health Study (NSPHS)--a paradigmatic study in a rural population combining community health and basic research

Igl W, Johansson A, Gyllensten U

Rural and remote health, 2010

656 participants

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Health care and research in rural populations are often limited due to poor infrastructure and small sample sizes. However, such populations have a need for medical care and can be of great value when studying the health effects of lifestyle and genetic factors. The Northern Sweden Population Health Study (NSPHS) is a paradigmatic study that combines a survey of the health status and specific needs of the community with basic research into the environmental and genetic determinants of non-communicable diseases. This article presents the NSPHS results on lifestyle, subclinical, and clinical measures and gives a review of the past contributions of this study to our understanding of the genetic determinants of disease in international collaborations.

METHODS: A population-representative, cross-sectional sample (n=656) was examined from the Karesuando parish in Northern Sweden north of the Arctic Circle. The population consists of individuals living a traditional, subsistence-based lifestyle (TLS, n=96), mainly based on reindeer herding, hunting and fishing, and others following a modern, more industrialized lifestyle (MLS, n=560), similar to other western European countries. Subgroups with a modern versus traditional lifestyle were compared separately in men and women, highlighting differences in lifestyle (eg diet, physical activity), subclinical (eg blood circulation, blood lipids, lung function) and clinical measures (eg disorders of the cardiovascular,…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 656 participants or records.

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