Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between language knowledge at 5 years of age and later academic achievement throughout compulsory school in Iceland. Methods Between 1997 and 1998, 267 Icelandic preschool children aged from 5;4 to 5;10 were tested with the HLJÓM-2 (an Icelandic test of phonological awareness) and the Icelandic version of TOLD-2P (oral comprehension tasks). In 2011 these individuals, now aged 18–19, were contacted again. Of the original 267 participants, 221 (83%) gave permission to link their results from the preschool language assessments with their performance on national tests in Grades 4, 7, and 10. Results The results showed strong correlation between phonological awareness (as measured by HLJÓM-2) and academic achievement (Icelandic and mathematics) in Grades 4, 7, and 10. There was also a significant but lower correlation with oral comprehension skills, as measured with TOLD-2P. Regression analysis showed that the preschool oral language assessments in phonological awareness and oral comprehension explained between 35% and 43% of variability in scores on national tests in Icelandic and between 20% and 39% of the variability in scores in mathematics. Conclusions Preschool language knowledge is a reliable predictor of later academic achievement.

Multidisciplinary pain-management programs have the potential to decrease pain intensity, improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and increase sleep quality. In this longitudinal prospective cohort study, the aim was to investigate the long-term effects of multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation interventions in Iceland. More precisely, we (a) explored and described how individuals with chronic pain evaluated their pain severity, sleep, and HRQOL at pre-treatment and at one-year follow-up and (b) examined what predicted the participants’ one-year follow-up HRQOL. Seventy-nine patients aged 20–68 years, most of whom were women (85%), responded. The participants scored their pain lower at one-year follow-up (p < 0.001). According to their response, most of them had disrupted sleep, mainly because of pain. One year after the treatment, more participants slept through the night (p = 0.004), and their HRQOL increased. Higher pre-treatment mental component summary (MCS) scores and having pursued higher education predicted higher MCS scores at one-year follow-up, and higher pre-treatment physical component summary (PCS) scores predicted higher PCS scores at one-year follow-up. Sleep problems, being a woman, and having children younger than 18 years of age predicted lower MCS scores at one-year follow-up. These findings are suggestive that patients should be examined with respect to their mental status, and it could be beneficial if they received some professional support after completing the intervention.

Objective: To study the self-reported prevalence of experienced violence among a cohort of women about two years after giving birth, their health during pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and their experience of their child’s health. Setting and subjects: In 2011, a total of 657 women participated in phase III of the Childbirth and Health Cohort Study in Icelandic Primary Health Care, 18 to 24 months after delivery. The women had previously participated in phase I around pregnancy week 16 and phase II 5–6 months after delivery. Data were collected by postal questionnaires. Main outcome measures: Women’s reported history of experienced violence, sociodemographic and obstetric background, self-perceived health, the use of medications and their child’s perceived health. Results: In phase III, 16% of women reported experiencing violence. These women felt less support from their current partner (p < 0.001), compared to those who did not report violence. Their pregnancies were more frequently unplanned (p < 0.001), deliveries more often by caesarean section (p < 0.05), and their self-perceived health was worse (p < 0.001). They reported more mental and somatic health complaints, and their use of antidepressant drugs was higher (p < 0.001). Furthermore, women with a history of violence considered their child’s general health as worse (p = 0.008). Conclusions: Our study confirms that a history of violence is common among women. A history of violence is associated with various maternal health problems during and after pregnancy, a higher rate of caesarean sections and maternal reports of health problems in their child 18–24 months after birth.

Aim: To explore the lived experience of individuals' in chronic pain of participating in a pain rehabilitation programme in Iceland.Design: Phenomenological research.Method: The Vancouver School of Doing Phenomenology. Eleven participants were interviewed.Results: The overarching theme was as follows: “the journey of breaking the vicious circle of chronic pain.” Before the programme, the participants felt they were in survival mode, trying to survive each day; they were stuck in a vicious circle of chronic pain, simultaneously trying to ease and conceal the pain. Reaching out for professional help was a turning point. While attending the programme, participants began deconstructing their old ways of dealing with chronic pain. After completing the programme, they were still reconstructing their daily lives. In conclusion, pain rehabilitation programmes can be the first step towards breaking the vicious circle of chronic pain.

Multidisciplinary long-term pain rehabilitation programs with a team of healthcare professionals are an integrated approach to treat patients with chronic non-malignant pain. In this longitudinal prospective cohort study, we investigated the long-term effects of multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation on the self-reported causes of pain, pain self-management strategies, sleep, pain severity, and pain’s interference with life, pre- and post-treatment. Eighty-one patients, aged 20–69 years, with chronic pain responded. The two most frequently reported perceived causes of pain were fibromyalgia and accidents. The difference in average self-reported pain severity decreased significantly at one-year follow-up (p < 0.001), as did pain’s interference with general activities, mood, walking ability, sleep, and enjoyment of life. At one-year follow-up, participants (21%) rated their health as good/very good and were more likely to state that it was better than a year before (20%). No change was found in the use of pain self-management strategies such as physical training at one-year follow-up. The intervention was effective for the participants, as reflected in the decreased pain severity and pain interference with life.