Differential cancer morbidity towards year 2000 in a population disease outlook across europe II. The male gender

Mats Foldevi, Christos Lionis, Antonis Koutis, Michael Fioretos, Tomas Faresjö, Erik Trell, Kristina Davidsson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The conception of new, 'avoidable' life style diseases in affluent Western societies is largely based upon observations in groups of middle-aged urban males with mortality as the major end-point. This applies to cancer, too, and studies of morbidity, where cancer is put within the overall disease spectrum, are called for as a necessary intermediary stage for hypothesis generation and initiation of evaluative and interventive epidemiological projects in the community. Here also the conditions and circumstances that determine health and well being, that is, salutogenetic factors, come increasingly into focus. We made a comparative analysis of the total hospitalization for somatic diseases during 1986-1987 at the Linkoping University Hospital in the county of Ostergotland, Sweden and the both complementary and commensurable Heraklion University Hospital on Crete. They are representative of their respective European situations, and are the only somatic hospitals in their regions. Large differences were found with lower morbidity in the more 'Arcadian' rural settings. The results provide valuable data on traits and patterns between earlier surveys such as the Seven Countries study and today. We have earlier reported on the findings from the female group of the two populations, and here wish to concentrate on the males. In particular, cancer is compared with the both prominent and 'archetypical' forms of male ill-health that are comprised by cardiovascular diseases and accidents. We discuss some of the salutogenetic as well as pathogenetic factors that call for closer study in the next stage of our project, whose emblem of Ariadne's thread we feel also has a strong bearing on the masculine gender.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2707-2713
Number of pages7
JournalAnticancer Research
Volume17
Issue number4 A
Publication statusPublished - 1997

Keywords

  • Cancer
  • Crete
  • Gender
  • Greece
  • Health systems research
  • Hospital admissions
  • Hospital statistics
  • Morbidity
  • Population diseases
  • Rural population
  • Sweden
  • Urban population
  • Women health

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