| 1. |
- Eilegård Wallin, Alexandra, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Bereaved siblings' perception of participating in research : a nationwide study
- 2013
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Ingår i: Psycho-Oncology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1057-9249 .- 1099-1611. ; 22:2, s. 411-416
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveThe objective of the present study is to examine bereaved siblings' perception of research participation.MethodsA Swedish nationwide study on avoidable and modifiable health care‐related factors in paediatric oncology among bereaved siblings who lost a brother or sister to cancer between the years 2000 and 2007 was conducted. Data are presented as proportions, and the differences between groups were statistically tested at the 5% significant level using Fisher's exact test.ResultsOut of 240 eligible siblings, 174 responded (73 %). None of the siblings (0/168) thought their participation would affect them negatively in the long term. However, 13% (21/168) stated it was a negative experience to fill out the questionnaire, whereas 84% (142/169) found it to be a positive experience. Women were more likely to report their participation as positive in a long‐term perspective compared with men (p = 0.018).ConclusionsNone of the bereaved siblings in this Swedish nationwide study anticipated any long‐term negative effect from their research participation. A majority reported it as positive to revisit their needs and experiences throughout their brother or sister's illness and death 2–9 years following the loss. We believe that the stepwise approach used in this study contributed to the high acceptance.
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| 2. |
- Eilegård Wallin, Alexandra, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Psychological health in siblings who lost a brother or sister to cancer 2 to 9 years earlier.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Psycho-Oncology. - : Wiley. - 1057-9249 .- 1099-1611. ; 22:3, s. 683-691
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess long-term psychological distress in siblings who lost a brother or sister to cancer 2 to 9 years earlier, as compared with a control group of non-bereaved siblings from the general population.METHODS: During 2009, we conducted a nationwide follow-up study in Sweden by using an anonymous study-specific questionnaire. Siblings who had lost a brother or sister to cancer between the years 2000 and 2007 and also a control group of non-bereaved siblings from the general population were invited to participate. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure psychological distress, and to test for differences in the ordinal outcome responses between the groups, we used Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test.RESULTS: Among the bereaved siblings, 174/240 (73%) participated and 219/293 (75%) among the non-bereaved. Self-assessed low self-esteem (p = 0.002), difficulties falling asleep (p = 0.005), and low level of personal maturity (p = 0.007) at follow-up were more prevalent among bereaved siblings. However, anxiety (p = 0.298) and depression (p = 0.946), according to HADS, were similar.CONCLUSION: Bereaved siblings are at increased risk of low self-esteem, low level of personal maturity and difficulties falling asleep as compared with non-bereaved peers. Yet, the bereaved were not more likely to report anxiety or depression.
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| 3. |
- Lööf, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Development and psychometric testing of the Swedish version of the Body Awareness Questionnaire
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 69:7, s. 1643-1651
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim This paper is a report of the development and psychometric testing of the Swedish version of the Body Awareness Questionnaire to measure bodily focus of attention. Background The Body Awareness Questionnaire has been identified as an instrument with excellent psychometric properties within the concept of body awareness. It has been used in both research and clinical settings in different contexts. However, a validated Swedish version is not available. Method A cross-sectional design was applied for adaptation of the Body Awareness Questionnaire and psychometric validation. Data were collected between autumn 2009 and spring 2011 from 120 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and from 120 students. The concurrent think aloud' method was used in a pre-test to determine the usability of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was used to test the internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the construct validity. Results According to the confirmatory factor analysis, neither the one-factor model nor the four-factor model tested in this study fulfilled the pre-specified criteria in accordance with the Comparative Fit Index, Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation. The value of Cronbach's alpha for the Swedish version of the Body Awareness Questionnaire was satisfactory. Conclusion Our results indicate that the two models tested in this study do not provide a good fit to the observed data. Further refinement and testing of the Swedish version of the Body Awareness Questionnaire is therefore required. The concept of body awareness may be useful in the management of chronic disease and can be addressed in nursing.
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| 4. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Cyber nursing : Health 'experts' approaches in the post-modern era of virtual encounters
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Nursing Studies. - : Elsevier. - 0020-7489 .- 1873-491X. ; 50:3, s. 335-344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The imperative to gather information online and to become an ‘expert’ by locating effective advice for oneself and others is a fairly new support phenomenon in relation to health advice. The creation of new positions for health ‘experts’ within the space of the Internet has been addressed as a cybernursing activity. A focused analysis of communication in health forums might give insight into the new roles that are available for healthexperts in cyberspace.Aim. The aim of this study is to describe approaches to being an ‘expert’ in lifestyle health choice forums on the Internet and to elaborate on the communicative performances that take place in the forums.Method. An archival and cross-sectional observational forum study was undertaken using principles for conducting ethnographic research online. 2640 pages of data from two health Internet forums were gathered and analyzed.Findings. The results reveal three distinctive types of experts that emerge in the forums: (1) those that build their expertise by creating a presence in the forum based on lengthy and frequent postings, (2) those who build a presence through reciprocal exchanges with individual posters with questions or concerns, and (3) those who build expertise around a “life long learning” perspective based on logic and reason.Discussion. The results suggest that experts not only co-exist in the forums, but more importantly they reinforce each others’ positions. This effect is central; alongside one another, the posts of the three types of experts we identify constitute a whole for those seeking the forum for advice and support. Users are provided with strong opinions and advice, support and Socratic reasoning, and a problem-oriented approach. The Internet is now an integral part of everyday living, not least of which among those who seek and offer support in cyberspace. As such, cyber nursing has become an important activity to monitor, and formal health care professionals and nursing researchers must stay abreast of developments.
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| 5. |
- Ryve, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Analyzing effective communication in mathematics group work : The role of visual mediators and technical terms
- 2013
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Ingår i: Educational Studies in Mathematics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0013-1954 .- 1573-0816. ; 82:3, s. 497-514
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Analyzing and designing productive group work and effective communication constitute ongoing research interests in mathematics education. In this article we contribute to this research by using and developing a newly introduced analytical approach for examining effective communication within group work in mathematics education. By using data from 12 to 13-year old students playing a dice game as well as from a group of university students working with a proof by induction, the article shows how the link between visual mediators and technical terms is crucial in students' attempts to communicate effectively. The critical evaluation of visual mediators and technical terms, and of links between them, is useful for researchers interested in analyzing effective communication and designing environments providing opportunities for students to learn mathematics.
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| 6. |
- Salzmann-Erikson, M., et al.
(författare)
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Fathers sharing about early parental support in health-care : virtual discussions on an Internet forum
- 2013
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Ingår i: Health and Social Care in the Community. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0966-0410 .- 1365-2524. ; 21:4, s. 381-390
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Becoming a father is a life changing event and this transition is associated with various emotions. Educational activities aimed at new parents are important in healthcare parental support (HCPS). HCPS has been critiqued for its predominant focus on mothers, while the needs of fathers seem to have been downplayed. As a result, fathers often turn to Internet-based forums for support. As virtual discussions and mutual support among fathers take place in cyberspace, it is important to monitor these forums to observe the ways in which the fathers discuss HCPS. The aim of this study is to explore the ways in which new fathers visiting an Internet-based forum for fathers communicated their experiences of HCPS. A netnographic method consisting of six steps was used to gather and analyse the data. The findings show that fathers shared with one another their experiences of the attitudes expressed by HCPS workers as well as their own attitudes towards HCPS. The attitudes of HCPS workers that were directed towards the fathers were perceived as highly personal and individual, while fathers described their attitudes towards the HCPS in general terms, towards HCPS as a system. Overall, the fathers described HCPS as a valuable confirmatory support that eased their worries concerning sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), colic, weight gain, fever and teething. Although the fathers expressed gratitude towards HCPS, they also shared their negative experiences, such as feeling invisible, disregarded and insulted. In fact, the twofold attitudes that exist in the relationship between the fathers and HCPS can act as a barrier rather than being a confirmatory support. We recommend that HCPS adopts a broader approach using more targeted and strategic didactic methods for supporting fathers in the growth of their own personal awareness, as such an approach would offer a competitive and professional alternative to the support offered in informal experience-based Internet forums. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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| 7. |
- Carrington, Thomas, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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An empirical test of the hierarchical construct of professionalism and managerialism in the accounting profession
- 2013
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Ingår i: Behavioral Research in Accounting. - : American Accounting Association. - 1050-4753 .- 1558-8009. ; 25:2, s. 1-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research into the tension between professionalism and commercialism in the accounting profession is inconclusive and warrants greater attention. How to conceptualize and measure these constructs are thus pressing concerns. Using questionnaire data from 1646 auditors in Sweden, and applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural regression models within a structural equation modeling framework to a measurement model developed by Suddaby et al. (2009), we find little empirical evidence for the existence of the two logics of professionalism and managerialism (i.e., commercialism) as two higher-order latent constructs shared by auditors. However, we find that two sub-elements of the proposed higher-order constructs do discriminate between each other in a way that could indicate two exclusive value statements in the accounting profession connected to the professionalism-commercialism tension: these are the respective emphases on independence enforcement and client commitment.
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| 8. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Supporting a caring fatherhood in cyberspace : an analysis of communication about caring within an online forum for fathers
- 2013
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - Oxford : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 27:1, s. 63-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Today’s parents seek out social support on the Internet. A key motivation behind the choice to go online is the need for more experience based information. In recent years, new fathers have increasingly taken on an active parental role. Men’s support for their caring activities for infants on the Internet needs attention.Aim: The aim was to describe communication about caring activities for infants among men who visited an Internet-based forum for fathers and elaborate on the dimensions of support available in the forum.Method: An archival and cross-sectional observational forum study was undertaken using principles for conducting ethnographic research online: “nethnography”. A total of 1203 pages of data from an Internet forum for fathers were gathered and analysed.Result: Support for a caring fatherhood in cyberspace can be understood as fathers’ communicating encouragement, confirmation and advice. The findings show that important ways of providing support through the forum included a reciprocal sharing of concerns – how to be a better father – in relation to caring for an infant. Concerns for their child’s well-being and shared feelings of joy and distress in everyday life were recurrent supportive themes in the communication. Information gained from contacting others in similar situations is one important reason for the fathers’ use of the Internet.Discussion: Support offered in this kind of forum can be considered as a complement to formal support. Professionals can use it to provide choices for fathers who are developing themselves as caregivers without downplaying the parental support offered by formal health care regimes.Further research: Online support will probably be one of the main supporting strategies for fathers in Scandinavia. Caring and nursing researchers need to closely monitor support activities that develop, and over time, as these ill likely become an important source of support for people.
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| 9. |
- Lööf, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Pain and fatigue in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis : Association with body awareness, demographic, disease-related, emotional and psychosocial factors
- 2013
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Ingår i: Open Journal of Nursing. - : Scientific Research Publishing. - 2162-5336 .- 2162-5344. ; 3:2, s. 293-300
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Patients and clinicians report pain and fatigue as key outcome measures in rheumatoid arthritis. Fatigue and pain are a major concern to patients. Aim: The objective of this study was to examine fatigue and pain in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate the association between pain and fatigue with body awareness, demographic, disease-related, emotional and psychosocial factors.Method: Data were collected from a sample of patients with RA (n = 120) recruited from a Rheumatology clinic in a large university hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Eligible for inclusion were patients between 20 - 80 years of age and with a confirmed diagnosis of RA. Fatigue was measured using the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) scale, while the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess components of pain. A multiple stepwise regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors related to fatigue and pain. In the first step a univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for all relevant independent factors. In the next step backwards stepwise regression was applied.Result: Fatigue was significantly associated with the Disease Activity Score 28-joints (DAS 28) (p = 0.049), the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ) (p = 0.006), the Positive Affect (PA) scale (p = 0.008) and no smoking (p = 0.021). Pain was significantly associated with the EuroQol EQ-5D (p = 0.008) and the DAS 28 (p = 0.001). The adjusted R-square was 28.6% for fatigue and 50.0% for pain. Conclusion: This study clearly demonstrates that fatigue and pain in patients with RA appear to be associated with disease-related factors. Furthermore, fatigue was related to body awareness and emotional factors, and pain was related to health related quality of life.
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| 10. |
- Memedi, Mevludin, et al.
(författare)
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Automatic and objective assessment of alternating tapping performance in Parkinson’s disease
- 2013
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Ingår i: Sensors. - Basel : MDPI AG. - 1424-8220. ; 13:12, s. 16965-16984
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents the development and evaluation of a method for enabling quantitative and automatic scoring of alternating tapping performance of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Ten healthy elderly subjects and 95 patients in different clinical stages of PD have utilized a touch-pad handheld computer to perform alternate tapping tests in their home environments. First, a neurologist used a web-based system to visually assess impairments in four tapping dimensions (‘speed’, ‘accuracy’, ‘fatigue’ and ‘arrhythmia’) and a global tapping severity (GTS). Second, tapping signals were processed with time series analysis and statistical methods to derive 24 quantitative parameters. Third, principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimensions of these parameters and to obtain scores for the four dimensions. Finally, a logistic regression classifier was trained using a 10-fold stratified cross-validation to map the reduced parameters to the corresponding visually assessed GTS scores. Results showed that the computed scores correlated well to visually assessed scores and were significantly different across Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores of upper limb motor performance. In addition, they had good internal consistency, had good ability to discriminate between healthy elderly and patients in different disease stages, had good sensitivity to treatment interventions and could reflect the natural disease progression over time. In conclusion, the automatic method can be useful to objectively assess the tapping performance of PD patients and can be included in telemedicine tools for remote monitoring of tapping.
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