Data availabilitySummary statistics generated by COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative are available online (https://www.covid19hg.org/results/r6/). The analyses described here use the freeze 6 data. The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative continues to regularly release new data freezes. Summary statistics for samples from individuals of non-European ancestry are not currently available owing to the small individual sample sizes of these groups, but the results for 23 loci lead variants are reported in Supplementary Table 3. Individual-level data can be requested directly from the authors of the contributing studies, listed in Supplementary Table 1.

BackgroundSmoking is a major single cause of preventable morbidity and premature mortality. Tobacco use among adolescents is a significant public health problem as smoking behaviour is undeniably established in adolescence. While cigarette smoking among adolescents has been a significant public health problem for years, waterpipe smoking is considered to be a new global public health threat. The objectives of this study were to describe trends of cigarette smoking and the prevalence of waterpipe smoking and to study the association between cigarette and waterpipe smoking among adolescents in Estonia.MethodsThis study was based on a four-yearly HBSC survey of health behaviour among school-aged children conducted in 1994–2006 in Estonia. It was a school-based survey of a nationally representative sample using standardized methodology. The target group of the survey were 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old schoolchildren (N = 13826), 6656 boys and 7170 girls. Cigarette and waterpipe smoking was determined on a 4-stage scale: every day, at least once a week, less than once a week, not smoking. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine gender- and age-specific smoking trends and to study the association between cigarette and waterpipe smoking.ResultsPrevalence of smoking was higher among boys than girls in all age groups during the whole study period. The prevalence of cigarette smoking increased in 1994–2002 and then slightly decreased in both genders. The increase in smoking was larger among girls. Among girls, daily smoking increased during the whole study period. Among 15-year-old schoolchildren one-third of the boys and one quarter of the girls were cigarette smokers, 21% of the boys and 12% of the girls were daily smokers in 2006. One fourth of the boys and one sixth of the girls were waterpipe smokers. A logistic regression analysis revealed a strong association between cigarette and waterpipe smoking among schoolchildren.ConclusionThe results of this study can significantly enhance the capacity to develop and implement tobacco prevention and control programmes among the youth in Estonia.

The exposure of IPV was an important contributor to sexual risk behaviour and adverse sexual health outcomes among women of reproductive age in Estonia. Any strategy to promote sexual health should include prevention of IPV and other forms of violence against women with the strengthening of women's sexual and reproductive rights.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate gender-specific associations between metabolic syndrome (MS) and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin in an Estonian adult population. Methods: Plasma HMW adiponectin was measured in 458 subjects (191 men) who participated in a population-based cross-sectional multicenter study (nZ495) on the prevalence of metabolic disorders in Estonia. MS was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Results: Median HMW adiponectin levels (mg/ml) were significantly lower among all subjects with MS compared with subjects without MS: 2.1 vs 2.8 in men (PZ0.002) and 3.1 vs 5.1 in women (P!0.001). In a fully adjusted, logistic regression model containing HMW adiponectin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), BMI, and age, HMW adiponectin was significantly associated with MS only in women. Comparison of HMW adiponectin and HOMA-IR as markers for MS indicated that HOMA-IR predicted MS better than did HMW adiponectin in both genders. However, after adjusting for age and BMI, HOMA-IR was a significantly better predictor only in men. HMW adiponectin and HOMA-IR predicted the presence of MS at the same level in women. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for HMW adiponectin and HOMA-IR were 0.833 vs 0.88 in men (PZ0.02) and 0.897 vs 0.907 in women (PZ0.5). Conclusions: These data suggest that the association between low HMW adiponectin levels and presence of MS might be stronger in women compared with men.

Self-perceived health was poorer in Estonia than in Finland, but Estonia shares with Finland a similar socioeconomic pattern of health. Further research is needed to monitor socioeconomic variations in health behaviour and mortality in both countries.