Avdeling for samfunnsmedisin og global helse (IHS-SAMGLOB)

• Dahl, Cecilie; Madsen, Christian; Omsland, Tone Kristin; Frohn, Lise Marie; Geels, Camilla & Holvik, Kristin [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2026). Air pollution and bone fractures in a high-risk population: differences by age and sex. Environment International. ISSN 0160-4120. 217, s. 110570–110570. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2026.110570. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Purpose: Fracture incidence is high in Norway compared to other European countries. We examined whether ambient air pollution levels are associated with forearm and hip fracture incidence, and whether these associations differed by sex and age. Methods: Register data on 127,799 forearm fractures (age ≥40 years) and 103,754 hip fractures (age ≥50 years) were linked to population data from Statistics Norway (2008–2018). Annual levels of particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were modelled in the NordicWelfAir project using the Urban Background Model and combined via ArcGIS. Fracture Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) by pollutant levels were estimated using Poisson regression, adjusting for education level, marital status, and immigrant background, urban/rural and inland location, health region, and climate, and examining interactions by sex and age (multiplicative and additive). Results: PM2.5 ranged from 0.90–66.1 µg/m3 (mean: 5.5) and NO2 from 0.20–72.2 µg/m3 (mean: 8.1). In the highest PM2.5 tertile compared to the lowest, age- and year-adjusted forearm fracture risk was IRR = 1.22 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.25) in men and IRR = 1.24 (95% CI: 1.22, 1.26) in women. They were partly attenuated after adjusting for annual temperature and geographic variables. Associations with NO2 and with hip fractures were similar, though weaker. Interactions by sex and age were present for both fracture types, most notably a stronger NO2– hip fracture association in individuals aged ≥80 years. Conclusion: Ambient air pollution is associated with fracture risk, even at low exposure levels. The most consistent finding was a stronger association among individuals aged 80 years and above.

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• Lie, Anne Kveim (2026). Mandag - Studio 2 - NRK Radio. [Radio]. NRK P2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Helsereform er på vei, men hva forventer vi av helsevesenet?

• Prince, Ruth Jane; Malinga, Wayne & Berger, Inga Rotneim (2026). Solar-Powered Boreholes, Community Participation and Sustainability in rural Zimbabwe: A master thesis study in a rural community in Matabeleland North. Universitetet i Oslo. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Access to safe and reliable water is fundamental for sustaining life. Despite international commitments and ongoing efforts to achieve universal access to clean water, gaps persist particularly in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. In recent decades, solar-powered boreholes have been promoted as a solution to rural water access challenges. This study examines the technical, social, financial and institutional factors that influence these systems long term sustainability from three rural villages in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. The study also explores how these factors contribute to the distribution of benefits within the community, between one non-governmental organisation, and for-profit solar borehole installation companies. The study uses a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through individual interviews and three focus group discussions. Participants included community members, village heads, non-governmental representatives and local solar-borehole installation companies. The analysis and discussion were informed by socio-technical systems theory and the critiques produced from the anthropology of development. The findings from this study show that the solar-powered boreholes improved water access, and community members described water as closer and easier to collect. Women and girls benefited from reduced physical labour and time available for other activities, although responsibility for fetching water largely remained theirs. At the same time, the solar-powered boreholes had several challenges, with limited storage capacity, ageing components, security concerns, high repair costs, financial constraints and limited local technical knowledge. Major repairs and specialist knowledge remained dependent on the non-governmental organisation for payments, to the solar-borehole installation companies. The study concludes with that the solar-powered boreholes should be understood as social systems through relationships between technology, community and external actors. It is accurate to recognize that the non-governmental organisation included in this study, is part of the network through which the solar-powered boreholes continue to function in the rural community in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.  

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