A prospective population-based cohort study with a nested case-control study was conducted to estimate the incidence of gastroenteritis and the associated pathogens in the general Dutch population. Follow-up of two consecutive cohorts was performed by weekly reporting cards from December 1998 to December 1999. Cases and controls in the case-control study supplied a questionnaire and stool samples. The standardized gastroenteritis incidence was 283 per 1,000 person-years. The incidence rose with increasing level of education and was higher for persons with a history of diarrhea and for young children. Bacterial pathogens accounted for 5% of cases, bacterial toxins for 9%, parasites for 6%, and viral pathogens for 21%, with Norwalk-like virus (NLV) as the leading pathogen in 11% of cases. The gastroenteritis incidence was higher than that reported for England, but lower than for the United States. In community cases, viral pathogens are the leading cause of gastroenteritis, with NLV being the number one cause of illness in all age groups but one. In many countries, preventive measures are implemented to decrease bacterial infections. However, additional prevention of viral infections, especially NLV, might significantly decrease the number of gastroenteritis cases in the community.

No abstract

The Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K10) is an instrument that is widely used to screen for mental disorders, but information is lacking on its psychometric qualities in non-Western samples. This study used a population-based sample (N = 725) to assess the reliability and validity of the K10 across ethnic groups in an urban area. The results were generally supportive of the K10 as a reliable and valid instrument to screen for anxiety and depression in all three groups. Cronbach's alpha was high (0.93) and the results indicated the existence of a solid single factor structure. Item bias in relation to ethnic background was minor. In each group, there was good criterion validity with respect to one-month DSM-IV diagnosis for depressive and/or anxiety disorder. The results nevertheless highlight the importance of cross-cultural validation, as we found different cut-off values for ethnic subgroups to obtain optimal sensitivity and specifi city for detecting depressive and/or anxiety disorders.

Infection with thermophilic Campylobacter spp. usually leads to an episode of acute gastroenteritis. Occasionally, more severe diseases may be induced, notably Guillain Barré syndrome and reactive arthritis. For some, the disease may be fatal. We have integrated available data in one public health measure, the Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY). DALYs are the sum of Years of Life Lost by premature mortality and Years Lived with Disability, weighted with a factor between 0 and 1 for the severity of illness. The mean health burden of campylobacter-associated illness in the Dutch population in the period 1990-5 is estimated as 1400 (90% CI 900-2000) DALY per year. The main determinants of health burden are acute gastroenteritis (440 DALY), gastroenteritis related mortality (310 DALY) and residual symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome (340 DALY). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that alternative model assumptions produced results in the above-mentioned range.

Turkish women and men and Moroccan men in Amsterdam seem to have a higher risk of current affective disorders. Ethnicity is an independent predictor of common mental disorders in the Netherlands.