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In general, social capital was associated with less risky sexual behavior in our sample. However, gender and role of religion modified the effect so that we can not assume that risky sexual behavior is automatically reduced by increasing social capital in a highly religious society. The findings indicate the importance of understanding the interplay between social capital, religious influence, and gender issues in HIV/AIDS preventive strategies in Uganda.

AIM: The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) addresses cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the middle-aged population of Västerbotten County, Sweden. Self-reported health (SRH) is one of the risk factors for both conditions. The aim of this study was to analyse the development patterns of SRH among the VIP participants.

METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 1990 to 2007 were used to analyse the prevalence of poor SRH among 101,396 VIP participants aged 40-60 years. Panel data were used to study the change in SRH among 25,695 persons aged 30-60 years, who participated in the VIP twice within a 10-year interval.

RESULTS: Prevalence of poor SRH fluctuated between 1990 and 2007 in Västerbotten County. There was a temporary decline around 2000, with SRH continuously improving thereafter. The majority of panel participants remained in good SRH; over half of those with poor or fair SRH at baseline reported better SRH at follow-up. SRH declined in 19% of the panel participants, mostly among those who had good SRH at the baseline. The decline was common among both women and men, in all educational, age and marital status groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The SRH improvement among those with poor and fair SRH at baseline suggests that VIP has been successful in addressing its target population. However, the deterioration of SRH among 21% of the individuals with good SRH at baseline is of concern. From a public health perspective, it is important for health interventions to address not only the risk group but also those with a healthy profile to prevent the negative development among the seemingly healthy participants.

A comprehensive community-based programme for prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes was established in 1985 in a small municipality in northern Sweden. A cross-sectional survey to the general public was performed and semi-structured open-ended interviews were taken of actors at different levels. Notes from official records were also included in the study. The aim was to describe and discuss some factors that promote or constrain community participation in health programmes. The results generally confirmed that the right of definition concerning the health programme mainly remained with the health professionals. Community participation was mainly defined by the actors based on the medical and health planning approach and, thereby, as a means to transform health policy plans into reality by transmitting health knowledge and increasing consciousness among the citizens of the need for changing lifestyles. However, participation as a means of identifying problems and demonstrating power relationships and as elements in promoting local democracy was hardly represented among the actors at all. Overall, the CVD health programme was characterized by consensus between the actors. Despite this, debates and arguments about interpretations, social interests, personal conflicts and ideological constraints were observed. However, a majority of the public wanted the CVD preventive programme to continue.

BACKGROUND: The globalisation of the economy and the labour markets has resulted in a growing proportion of individuals who find themselves in a precarious labour market situation, especially among the young. This pertains also to the Nordic countries, despite their characterisation as well developed welfare states with active labour market policies. This should be viewed against the background of a number of studies, which have shown that several aspects of precarious employment are detrimental to mental health. However, longitudinal studies from the Nordic region that examine the impact of precarious labour market conditions on mental health in young individuals are currently lacking. The present study aims to examine this impact in a general cohort of Swedish young people.

METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent out in 1999/2000 to a stratified random sample of the Scania population, Sweden; the response rate was 58 %. All of those who responded at baseline were invited to follow-ups after 5 and 10 years. Employment precariousness was determined based on detailed questions about present employment, previous unemployment, and self-rated risk of future unemployment. Mental health was assessed by GHQ-12. For this study individuals in the age range of 18-34 years at baseline, who were active in the labour market (employed or seeking job) and had submitted complete data from 1999/2000, 2005, and 2010 on employment precariousness and mental health status, were selected (N = 1135).

RESULTS: Forty-two percent of the participants had a precarious employment situation at baseline. Labour market trajectories that included precarious employment in 1999/2000 or 2005 predicted poor mental health in 2010: the incidence ratio ratio was 1.4 (95 % CI: 1.1-2.0) when excluding all individuals with mental health problems at baseline and adjusting for age, gender, social support, social capital, and economic difficulties in childhood. The population attributable fraction regarding poor mental health in the studied age group was 18 %.

CONCLUSIONS: This study supported the hypothesis that precarious employment should be regarded as an important social determinant for subsequent development of mental health problems in previously mentally healthy young people.

This paper presents an initiative to revive the previous Somali-Swedish Research Cooperation, which started in 1981 and was cut short by the civil war in Somalia. A programme focusing on research capacity building in the health sector is currently underway through the work of an alliance of three partner groups: six new Somali universities, five Swedish universities, and Somali diaspora professionals. Somali ownership is key to the sustainability of the programme, as is close collaboration with Somali health ministries. The programme aims to develop a model for working collaboratively across regions and cultural barriers within fragile states, with the goal of creating hope and energy. It is based on the conviction that health research has a key role in rebuilding national health services and trusted institutions.