Somatic morbidity and criminality: the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between adverse physical disorders and violent/non-violent criminal behaviour.


METHODS
The study material consisted of the large, prospectively followed, unselected and genetically homogeneous Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, the Finnish Hospital Discharge Registers and the National Crime Register (n=10934).


RESULTS
The results of the logistic regression analyses showed that male offenders had statistically significantly more injuries (adj. OR=1.81, 95% CI=1.51-2.17), when compared with males without a criminal history. Violent male offenders exhibited greater morbidity to the diseases of the respiratory system (adj. OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.03-2.60) when compared with non-violent criminals. Female offenders suffered more commonly from poisonings (adj. OR=3.84, 95% CI=1.69-8.72), injuries (adj. OR=2.79, 95% CI=1.67-4.66), infections (adj. OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.16-2.99) and indefinite symptoms (adj. OR=2.02, 95% CI=1.20-3.40) than non-offending females.


CONCLUSIONS
At epidemiological level, criminal behaviour seems to be associated especially with an increased risk of injuries for both sexes. The observed increase of the diseases of the respiratory system among violent but not among non-violent males calls for further investigations.
Timonen
Markku
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Box 5000, FIN-90014, Oulu Finland. markku.timonen@oulu.fi
Mäkikyrö
Taru
T
Miettunen
Jouko
J
Hakko
Helinä
H
Zitting
Paavo
P
Kinnunen
Juha
J
Räsänen
Pirkko
P
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*