Statistics over Adoptees in Sweden

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Study 1, Socioeconomic factors as of 1999 (no adjustment)

 

A1 = Adoptees born outside Europe (birth years 1960-79): 16 352 individuals (62% female, 73% born in Asia)

C1 = Immigrants born outside Europe, non-adopted (birth years 1960-79): 19 705 individuals (49,8% female, 82,9% born in Asia)

A2 = Adoptees born in Sweden (birth years 1960-79): 25 552 individuals

C2 = Ethnic Swedes or the majority population, non-adopted (birth years 1960-79): 1 028 745 individuals

 

OR =odds ratio

%=cumulated incidence

AF = adoption factor
EF = ethnic factor

GF = gender factor

 

Lower compulsory education

Senior level school leasing certificate missing for two subjects or more: A1 2,1% (C1 11,6%), A2 0,5% (C2 0,5%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe have more often a complete senior level school leaving certificate than immigrants born outside Europe (5,5 OR), but less often than both adoptees born in Sweden and the majority population (4,2 OR), explained by the double effect of AF and EF for the first group.

 

Higher voluntary education

College or university education: A1 24,5% (K1 17,9%), A2 24,1% (K2 31,7%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe have more often a college or university education than immigrants born outside Europe, while both adoptees born outside Europe and in Sweden have less often a college or university education than the majority population (1,3 OR), explained by AF.

 

Place of living

Big city: A1 25,2% (K1 32,3%), A2 17,3% (K2 18,5%)

 

Commentary: Both adoptees and immigrants born outside Europe tend to settle more often in big cities than adoptees born in Sweden and the majority population, explained by EF.

 

Civil status

Married + divorced: A1 9,9%+2%=11,9% (K1 22,4%+3%=25,4%), A2 32%+8,5%=40,5% (K2 24,4%+3,4%=27,8%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe are less often married or divorced than both immigrants born outside Europe (2,1 OR), adoptees born in Sweden (3,4 OR) and the majority population (2,3 OR). On the other hand are adoptees born in Sweden more often married (1,3 OR) or divorced (2,5 OR) than the majority population. The first may be explained by EF (problems to find a spouse), and the second by AF (relation problems).

 

Occupation

Gainfully employed: A1 60,2% (K1 42%), A2 77,6% (K2 77,1%)

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe have more often an employment than immigrants born outside Europe (1,4 OR), but less often than both adoptees born in Sweden and the majority population (1,3 OR), explained by EF.

 

Income

0-79 999 SEK: A1 50% (K1 69,1%), A2 27,4% (K2 28,6%)

80 000-199 999 SEK: A1 35,4% (K1 23,1%), A2 36,7% (K2 35,6%)

200 000-319 999 SEK: A1 12,9% (K1 6,9%), A2 29,4% (K2 29,2%)

320 000 SEK-: A1 1,7% (K1 0,9%), A2 6,5% (K2 6,6%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe have more often higher incomes than immigrants born outside Europe, but less often than both adoptees born in Sweden and the majority population, explained by EF.

 

Allowance

Housing allowance: A1 14,7% (K1 39,8%), A2 13,4% (K2 9,6%)

Social allowance: A1 11,6% (K1 39,2%), A2 7,9% (K2 5%)

Unemployment benefit: A1 22,9% (K1 17%), A2 20,2% (K2 17,4%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe have less often allowance than immigrants born outside Europe, while both adoptees born outside Europe and in Sweden have more often allowance than the majority population, explained by AF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Study 2, Epidemiological factors as between 1987-99 (no adjustment)

 

A1 = Adoptees born outside Europe (age 5-39): 17 172 individuals

C1 = Immigrants born outside Europe, non-adopted (age 10-39): 11 400 individuals

A2 = Adoptees born in Sweden (age 10-44): 25 661 individuals

C2 = The majority population or the majority population, non-adopted (age 5-44): 1 033 199 745 individuals

 

OR =odds ratio

%=cumulated incidence

OR = overrepresentation

AF = adoption factor
EF = ethnic factor

GF = gender factor

 

Institutional care for addiction

Alcohol addiction: A1 292 individuals=1,7% (K1 72=0,6%), A2 339=1,3% (K2 7466=0,7%)

Drug addiction: A1 112=0,7% (K1 84=0,7%), A2 206=0,8% (K2 3141=0,3%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for alcohol addiction than both immigrants born outside Europe (2,8 OR), adoptees born in Sweden (2,4 OR) and the majority population (1,3 OR), explained by the double effect of AF and EF for the first group.

 

Adoptees born outside Europe are institutionalised for drug addiction as often as both immigrants born outside Europe and adoptees born in Sweden, but more often than the majority population (2,2 OR), explained by both AF and EF.

 

Female adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for both alcohol (3,6 OR) and drug addiction (3,1 OR) than females of the majority population, explained by the triple effect of GF, AF and EF.

 

Institutional care for psychiatric illness

Psychosis: A1 133=0,8% (K1 57=0,5%), A2 201=0,8% (K2 5201=0,5%)

Neurosis: A1 97=0,6% (K1 35=0,3%), A2 150=0,6% (K2 2927=0,3%)

 

Commentary: Both adoptees born outside Europe and in Sweden are more often institutionalised for psychosis than immigrants born outside Europe (1,6 OR) and the majority population (1,5 OR). Female adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for psychosis than male adoptees born outside Europe (1% versus 0,5% = 2 OR).

 

Both adoptees born outside Europe and in Sweden are more often institutionalised for neurosis than immigrants born outside Europe (2 OR) and the majority population (2 OR). Female adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for neurosis than male adoptees born outside Europe (0,9% versus 0,3% = 3 OR).

 

Female adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for both psychosis (2,3 OR) and neurosis (2,7 OR) than females of the majority population, explained by the triple effect of GF, AF and EF.

 

Suicide

Institutional care for suicide attempt: A1 519=3% (K1 249=2,2%), A2 438=1,7% (K2 8588=0,8%)

Death because of suicide: A1 56=0,3%, A2 82=0,3% (K2 1222=0,1%)

 

Commentary: Adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for suicide attempt than both immigrants born outside Europe (1,4 OR), adoptees born in Sweden (1,8 OR) and the majority population (3,6 OR) as is also adoptees born in Sweden compared to the last group (2,1 OR). This is explained by the double effect of AF and EF for the first group and AF for the second. Female adoptees born outside Europe are more often institutionalised for suicide attempt than male adoptees born outside Europe (4,7% versus 1,4% = 3,4 OR), explained by GF.

 

Both adoptees born outside Europe and in Sweden have more deaths because of suicide than the majority population (2,8 OR).

 

Female adoptees born outside Europe are both more often institutionalised for suicide attempt (4,6 OR) and have more deaths because of suicide (4,5 OR) than females of the majority population, explained by the triple effect of GF, AF and EF.

 

 

Suicide in first- and second-generation immigrants in Sweden. A comparative study
By Anders Hjern and Peter Allebeck

 

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