To investigate the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and related co-occurring conditions in Faroese children and examine differences regarding sex and age at diagnosis. It is hypothesised that prevalences are increasing, are higher in boys compared to girls, that girls are diagnosed later than boys, and that stress-related mental health conditions are related to higher age at diagnosis. A retrospective study was conducted with children born from 2004 to 2022, using health register data on patients diagnosed with ASD or ADHD at the National Hospital of the Faroe Islands. A total of 479 children were included in the study. Prevalence rates were calculated alongside age- and sex-standardised measures, including the mean age at diagnosis and the frequency of co-occurring conditions, with all estimates including 95

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The Faroe Islands follow a selective screening strategy for GDM, and little population-based data exist. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of GDM in the Faroe Islands and its association with perinatal outcomes. This nationwide, register-based study included all women with singleton pregnancies from 2021 to 2023 (n = 1,703). Under the national risk-based screening strategy, 1,017 (60

OBJECTIVE:Abnormal thyroid function is particularly problematic in pregnant women. Iodine is important to maintain normal thyroid function, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a raised iodine intake in pregnant compared with non-pregnant adults. The raised iodine intake level from 100 to 150 µg/L includes a safety margin, and we hypothesized that the thyroid is not strained until urinary iodine concentration (UIC) is below 100 μg/L. DESIGN:Nationwide cross-sectional study. SETTING:Routine prenatal care at the National Hospital System of the Faroe Islands, 2020-2022. PARTICIPANTS:A total of 623 pregnant women, representing 63% of all pregnancies in the Faroe Islands during the study period, with no known thyroid disease. EXPOSURE:Iodine-containining dietary intake was assessed indirectly through urinary iodine concentration (UIC) measured on spot urine using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction. MAIN OUTCOME:The primary outcomes were serum Thyroglobulin (s-Tg) and thyrotropin (TSH) concentration serving as indicators of potential thyroid strain and thyroid function. MEASURES:UIC and TSH was measured in all participants. sS-Tg was measured in a randomly selected subset of 236 participants. RESULTS:Women were seen in median gestational week 20. None had elevated TSH; the median UIC was 108 µg/L, and the median s-Tg was 10.3 µg/L. Serum Tg differed only for the group with UIC below 50 µg/L (P = .02), but not when UIC was above 50 µg/L. TSH increased with higher UIC (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:Thyroglobulin levels increased only in the group of Faroese pregnant women with UIC below 50 µg/L, indicating that strain on the thyroid gland was seen with low UIC levels parallel to that of non-pregnant adults. Our results suggest that the UIC limit recommended in pregnancy may be overly strict and warrant reconsideration to balance health efficacy.

There is robust evidence linking diet and physical activity to major public health concerns such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. Dietary habits of children and adolescents are frequently discussed in health policy debates due to their modifiability, making them viable targets for prevention and health promotion initiatives. This study aimed to assess the dietary habits of 14–15-year-old Faroese adolescents using an online 24 h recall tool, examining their intake relative to public recommendations and exploring associations with health behaviour and wellbeing. A total of 78 participants (45 girls, 33 boys), with a mean age of 14.3 years, recorded their food intake and completed a questionnaire. Results indicated a higher intake of saturated fats and sugar and a lower intake of dietary fibre, n-3 fatty acids, fruits, and vegetables compared to recommendations. Healthier food intake was associated with better health behaviour and wellbeing. This very first study of Faroese adolescents’ overall diet underscores the need for health-promoting interventions, and suggests the feasibility of using an online 24 h recall tool for dietary assessment in this age group, albeit with necessary adjustments for Faroese language and traditional foods.

OBJECTIVE:The occurrence of thyroid disease varies among populations. While the iodine nutrition level of the Faroese seems to have been decreasing over the past decades, there is no systematic evaluation of the thyroid disease pattern in the Faroe Islands. Such knowledge of thyroid disease occurrence in the North Atlantic region may support healthcare planning and prevention. To investigate incidence rates, including subtypes of thyroid diseases, and demographic characteristics of thyroid disease patients in the Faroe Islands, to improve understanding of the patterns and trends of these disorders.DESIGN AND METHOD:A registry-based observational study was conducted over 10 years, encompassing all adult Faroese individuals.PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS:Health records from general practitioners and hospitals were used to identify incident cases of thyroid diseases. Validation was performed using multiple data sources. The incidence rates were standardised using population data from the middle of the study period 2006-2018.RESULTS:Among the 1152 individuals diagnosed with thyroid disease, the standardised incidence rates per 100,000 person-years were 55 for hyperthyroidism and 112 for hypothyroidism, and around four times higher in women than in men. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was the dominant cause of hypothyroidism, while Graves' disease was the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. The incidence of hypothyroidism increases with age. A decreasing trend was observed over time for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.CONCLUSION:Considering the decrease in iodine nutrition levels over the past decades, we were surprised by the high incidence of autoimmune thyroid disease. The findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring of thyroid disease occurrence in coastal areas of the North Atlantic Ocean.

PURPOSE:Evaluating the quality of psychiatric care from the patient's perspective is crucial to measure the effectiveness of the provided care. This study aimed to translate the original Swedish Quality in Psychiatric Care - Inpatient (QPC-IP) instrument into Faroese, adapting it to the specific context of psychiatric inpatient care in the Faroe Islands, conducting a detailed evaluation of its psychometric properties, and to describe patients' perception of quality of psychiatric care. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Following a thorough translation and back-translation, the content validity of the Faroese QPC-IP was confirmed by a group of Faroese patients. Subsequently, the instrument was completed by 61 psychiatric inpatients. RESULTS:Item total correlations revealed that most items strongly correlated with their intended dimensions, mirroring the original Swedish version. However, a noteworthy exception was found in the discharge dimension, leading to the exclusion of an item related to helping find an occupation; this task was not performed by the ward. While the internal consistency of the overall scale was excellent, specific dimensions exhibited lower consistency. CONCLUSIONS:The translation and cultural adaptation of the Faroese QPC-IP proved satisfactory. The psychometric evaluation affirmed a shared understanding of the quality of psychiatric care in both Faroese and Swedish cultural contexts. As a result, the Faroese QPC-IP emerges as a valuable instrument for assessing the quality of psychiatric care in the Faroe Islands. Its utility extends to quality assurance initiatives and contributes to cross-cultural research examining the quality of psychiatric care from the patient's perspective.

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Ensuring adequate iodine nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for fetal brain development. Thus, the WHO recommend monitoring iodine nutrition in pregnant women. With changing dietary habits and declining iodine intake in coastal populations, iodine nutrition in pregnant Faroese women was a focus in newly established pregnancy cohorts. This study aimed to monitor the iodine status of pregnant women in the Faroe Islands by assessing urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and maternal iodine intake. For 2 years, all pregnant women were invited to participate in a nationwide study. Participants completed questionnaires addressing personal and lifestyle factors, supplement intake and dietary habits, Additionally, they provided spot urine samples for UIC measurements. Iodine was measured spectrophotometrically using the ceri/arsen method after alkaline-ashing. Among the 1030 invited, 654 participated and 647 provided a spot-urine sample. The average age was 30·4 years (18–47 years). The overall median UIC was 110 µg/l, declined from 117 to 101 µg/l over 2 years ( P = 0·004). UIC was significantly impacted by diet. Women consuming fish and eggs had a higher median UIC compared with those whose primary iodine source was dairy: fish-dinner, 151 µg/l; dairy products, 112 µg/l ( P < 0·001). Furthermore, there was a positive association between maternal age, reported intake of iodine-containing supplements and the UIC. This nationwide study of pregnant Faroese women found UIC below the WHO-recommended cut-off for pregnant women and decreasing with time. This decline highlights the importance of continuous monitoring to prompty identify shifts in iodine status, enabling timely intervention to address emerging deficiencies.

AIMS:The Faroe Islands is a small homogenous archipelago located in the North Atlantic Ocean with no prior study of violence among adults. In an adult population-based sample, we studied physical, sexual and emotional violence and health and socio-economic determinants. METHODS:A population-based cross-sectional survey conducted between November 2020 and February 2021 was based on a newly initiated questionnaire that included 1068 randomly selected individuals aged 18-75. RESULTS:A total of 34.8% reported exposure to physical violence, 21.8% to sexual violence and 22.3% to emotional violence. A total of 12.6% of the women and 7.6% of the men reported exposure to all three types of violence. The consequences of childhood violence had a more significant effect on the subjects compared to adult-life violence. Additionally, individuals exposed to violence had significantly lower odds of achieving any educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS:Compared to men and after adjustments, women had 50% lower odds of exposure to physical (odds ratio=0.5, p<0.001) and more than three times the odds of exposure to sexual violence (odds ratio=3.1, p<0.001). The odds of emotional violence were sex independent, both unadjusted and adjusted. Moreover, exposure to violence showed a life-long negative impact.

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Iodine nutrition is critical for human health. While iodine excretion was low within the recommended range among adult Faroese, younger generations tend to abandon local foods. Such changes raise a concern about iodine intake, which led us to perform this first study of iodine nutrition among teenagers in the North Atlantic islands. We used samples from a nationwide collection of urine samples in 14-year-olds following iodine fortification of salt in 2000. Urine was analysed for iodine and creatinine to adjust for dilution by iodine/creatinine, and a food frequency questionnaire was used to record the intake of iodine-rich foods. The 129 participants yielded a 90 % precision of the estimated iodine nutrition level. The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 166 μg/l (bootstrapped 95 % confidence interval 156–184 μg/l). The median creatinine-adjusted UIC was 132 μg/g (bootstrapped 95 % CI 120–138 μg/g). Fish and whale meat dinners were more frequent among residents of villages compared with the capital: median fish dinners, 3v.2 per week (P= 0⋅001), and whale meat, 1v.0⋅4 per month (P< 0⋅001). UIC decreased with fewer fish dinners (P= 0⋅03). Our study demonstrated that Faroese teenagers were iodine-replete. The changing dietary habits emphasise the need for continuous monitoring of iodine nutrition and surveying iodine deficiency disorders.

Aims:Detrimental effects on health and well-being were reported during the COVID-19-induced lockdown periods in several countries, but these associations have not been studied in small-scale island societies. This study aimed to examine the lockdown period's impact on general well-being, perceived stress and activity levels in the Faroe Islands. Methods:We used cross-sectional data from two extensive population-based surveys of the general health conducted in November 2019 (the pre-COVID survey; n=2906), and four to six weeks into the first national lockdown (the lockdown survey; n=1204). Results:A larger proportion of participants in the lockdown survey versus pre-COVID survey displayed excellent/very good self-rated health (68.1% vs. 62.0%; p<0.001), and the same pattern was observed for reporting good quality of life (85.7% vs. 82.7%; p<0.05). These associations remained statistically significant in a logistic regression model after adjusting for characteristics for which varying impact of the pandemic has been shown. Indicators of health behaviour showed that larger proportions of participants kept active during the lockdown survey versus pre-COVID survey, and these differences were statistically significant for physical, mental and spiritual activities (p<0.001). On the other hand, similar stress levels in the pre-COVID/lockdown periods were observed, but stratified analysis showed that participants with a high-stress level displayed better self-rated health in the lockdown period compared to the pre-COVID period (p=0.001). Conclusions:Findings indicate that self-reported health and quality of life improved during the early phase of the COVID lockdown, and individuals reported higher activity levels associated with good mental health during the COVID-19-induced lockdown period.

Iodine is essential for human health, and dietary iodine sources are critical. Living isolated on islands in the North Atlantic Ocean fostered unique dietary traditions in the Faroe Islands. The dietary peculiarities led us to collect and measure the iodine content of local foods and beverages and calculate daily iodine intakes based on four Faroese dietary scenarios. Marine foods and birds had iodine contents from 300 µg/kg and up, markedly higher than dairy, grains, terrestrial, vegetables, and liquid foods (p<0.001). Vegetables and beverages contained negligible iodine. Wind-dried fermented lamb meat iodine content varied by 100% depending on whether it was herded on an island with beaches (105 µg/kg) or with cliffs (53 µg/kg) facing the ocean. The daily iodine intake varied from around 50 µg to just over 200 µg with diets rich in fish and whales. In conclusion, the traditional diet has been a critical source of iodine on the Faroe Islands. The Faroese may be iodine replete with traditional diets but face the risk of iodine deficiency with dietary transition towards a more western diet. Locally produced Faroese foods are therefore relevant to promote health, and may additionally support food security, local involvement and knowledge, and long-term sustainability.

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Objective A recent report from the Faroe Islands suggested mild iodine deficiency among women aged 40 years and older. New preliminary results showed an average urinary iodine concentration of 457 mu g/L. This spurious finding encouraged the present report. Methods A subset of 17 consecutive pregnant women from an ongoing study provided an additional morning spot urine sample; one part was tested for a few seconds with a test strip for glucose, protein, and erythrocytes, and the other was left untouched. The women recorded the previous week's intake of iodine-rich foods. Additionally, 12 tap water samples were collected such that three samples were sealed immediately, the remaining were strip tested for 10, 30 and 60 s, respectively. Urine and water samples were analysed using the ceri/arsen method after alkaline ashing. Results Median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in pristine urine samples was 116 mu g/L (IQR 79-204 mu g/L; range 26-475 mu g/L), and positively associated with iodine-rich food intake. UIC increase with test-strip dip varied from 10 to 94 times the non-dip value. In tap water, the pristine samples had an iodine concentration of 2-4 mu g/L, which increased to 10,000 mu g/L after 60 s. Conclusion Urine samples exposed to test strips can be contaminated within a few seconds leading to unreliable iodine results. Therefore, it is crucial that the study protocol clearly states the procedure for urine sample collection and handling, strict adherence to protocol, and that utensils used are dedicated to collecting urine to measure iodine.

Aims: The Faroe Islands is considered a homogeneous society and has a low Gini coefficient, but the knowledge about the social distribution of health and disease is sparse. In a large population-based sample we investigated: (a) the association between socioeconomic position defined by level of education and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus by self-report in the Faroe Islands; and (b) to what degree lifestyle factors mediate the association. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the population-based Public Health Survey Faroes 2015 (n=1095). We present odds ratios for type 2 diabetes mellitus by socioeconomic position from logistic regression models. In our main model we adjusted for potential confounders and in a secondary model we additionally adjusted for potential mediating lifestyle factors. Results: Individuals with middle and low levels of education display higher odds ratios of type 2 diabetes mellitus of 2.80 (95% confidence interval 1.32-5.92) and 4.65 (95% confidence interval 1.93-11.17) in adjusted analysis, respectively, compared to their counterparts with high education. After adjustment for potentially mediating lifestyle factors the estimates were attenuated slightly, but a significant statistical association remained, with lifestyle-related mediating factors in total explaining 21% for middle education and 34% for low education participants. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that there may be a social gradient in the distribution of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Faroe Islands, and that the association is partly mediated by lifestyle factors.

Abstract The WHO recommends monitoring iodine status in all populations with median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) below 100 µg/l suggesting iodine deficiency. There are no data on the iodine intake among the population of the Faroe Islands. This study aimed to provide data on iodine nutrition in a representative sample of the general adult population from the Faroe Islands. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey in 2011–2012 and measured iodine in urine from 491 participants (294/197 men/women) using the ceri/arsen method after alkaline ashing. Participants include about 100 subjects in each of four adult decades and included participants from both the capital city and villages. The median UIC was low within the recommended range 101 µg/l (range 21–1870 µg/l). No samples were in the range suggesting severe iodine deficiency, but half of the samples were in the range of just adequate or mildly insufficient iodine intake with UIC markedly lower in women than in men (86 v. 115 µg/l; P < 0·001). Intake of fish and whale meals affected the UIC. In conclusion, nearly half of the population had an iodine excretion in the range of borderline or mild iodine deficiency. The lowest iodine nutrition level among Faroese women is a concern as it may extend to pregnancy with increased demands on iodine nutrition. In addition, we found that large variations and the intermittently excessive iodine intakes warrant follow-up on thyroid function in the population of the Faroe Islands.