| 1. |
- Ahlgren, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Engagement in New Dietary Habits : Obese Women's Experiences from Participating in a 2-Year Diet Intervention
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. - : Springer. - 1070-5503 .- 1532-7558. ; 23:1, s. 84-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Dietary weight loss interventions most often result in weight loss, but weight maintenance on a long-term basis is the main problem in obesity treatment. There is a need for an increased understanding of the behaviour patterns involved in adopting a new dietary behavior and to maintain the behaviour over time.PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to explore overweight and obese middle-aged women's experiences of the dietary change processes when participating in a 2-year-long diet intervention.METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 12 overweight and obese women (54-71 years) were made after their participation in a diet intervention programme. The programme was designed as a RCT study comparing a diet according to the Nordic nutrition recommendations (NNR diet) and a Palaeolithic diet (PD). Interviews were analysed according to Grounded Theory principles.RESULTS: A core category "Engagement phases in the process of a diet intervention" concluded the analysis. Four categories included the informants' experiences during different stages of the process of dietary change: "Honeymoon phase", "Everyday life phase", "It's up to you phase" and "Crossroads phase". The early part of the intervention period was called "Honeymoon phase" and was characterised by positive experiences, including perceived weight loss and extensive support. The next phases, the "Everyday life phase" and "It's up to you phase", contained the largest obstacles to change. The home environment appeared as a crucial factor, which could be decisive for maintenance of the new dietary habits or relapse into old habits in the last phase called "Crossroads phase".CONCLUSION: We identified various phases of engagement in the process of a long-term dietary intervention among middle-aged women. A clear personal goal and support from family and friends seem to be of major importance for long-term maintenance of new dietary habits. Gender relations within the household must be considered as a possible obstacle for women engaging in diet intervention.
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| 2. |
- Bohlin, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Perceived gender inequality in the couple relationship and musculoskeletal pain in middle-aged women and men
- 2013
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : Sage Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 41:8, s. 825-831
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Musculoskeletal pain is a major health problem, especially in women, and is partially determined by psychosocial factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether gender inequality in the couple relationship was related to musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Participants (n=721; 364 women and 357 men) were all individuals living in a couple relationship in the Northern Swedish Cohort, a 26-year Swedish cohort study. Self-administered questionnaire data at age 42 years comprised perceived gender inequality in the couple relationship and musculoskeletal pain (in three locations, summarised into one score and median-split), concurrent demographic factors, psychological distress, and previous musculoskeletal pain at age 30 years. Associations were examined using logistic regression. Results: Gender inequality was positively associated with symptoms of musculoskeletal pain in the total sample, remaining significant after addition of possible confounders and of previous musculoskeletal pain. Separate adjustment for concurrent psychological distress attenuated the association but not below significance. The association was present and of comparable strength in both women and men. Conclusions: Gender inequality in the couple relationship might contribute to the experience of musculoskeletal pain in both women and men. The results highlight the potential adverse bodily consequences of living in unequal relationships.
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| 3. |
- Hammarström, Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Central gender theoretical concepts in health research : the state of the art
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 68:2, s. 185-190
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite increasing awareness of the importance of gender perspectives in health science, there is conceptual confusion regarding the meaning and the use of central gender theoretical concepts. We argue that it is essential to clarify how central concepts are used within gender theory and how to apply them to health research. We identify six gender theoretical concepts as central and interlinked-but problematic and ambiguous in health science: sex, gender, intersectionality, embodiment, gender equity and gender equality. Our recommendations are that: the concepts sex and gender can benefit from a gender relational theoretical approach (ie, a focus on social processes and structures) but with additional attention to the interrelations between sex and gender; intersectionality should go beyond additive analyses to study complex intersections between the major factors which potentially influence health and ensure that gendered power relations and social context are included; we need to be aware of the various meanings given to embodiment, which achieve an integration of gender and health and attend to different levels of analyses to varying degrees; and appreciate that gender equality concerns absence of discrimination between women and men while gender equity focuses on women's and men's health needs, whether similar or different. We conclude that there is a constant need to justify and clarify our use of these concepts in order to advance gender theoretical development. Our analysis is an invitation for dialogue but also a call to make more effective use of the knowledge base which has already developed among gender theorists in health sciences in the manner proposed in this paper.
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| 4. |
- Hammarström, Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of barriers and facilitators to weight-loss in a diet intervention : a qualitative study of women in Northern Sweden
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Women's Health. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6874. ; 14, s. 59-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research about the experiences of participating in weight-reducing interventions. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to weight-loss experienced by participants in a diet intervention for middle-aged to older women in the general population in Northern Sweden.METHOD: In the intervention the women were randomised to eat either a Palaeolithic-type diet or a diet according to Nordic Nutrition recommendations for 24 months. A strategic selection was made of women from the two intervention groups as well as from the drop-outs in relation to social class, civil status and age. Thematic structured interviews were performed with twelve women and analysed with qualitative content analyses.RESULTS: The results showed that the women in the dietary intervention experienced two main barriers - struggling with self (related to difficulties in changing food habits, health problems, lack of self-control and insecurity) and struggling with implementing the diet (related to social relations and project-related difficulties) - and two main facilitators- striving for self-determination (related to having clear goals) and receiving support (from family/friends as well as from the project) - for weight-loss. There was a greater emphasis on barriers than on facilitators.CONCLUSION: It is important to also include drop-outs from diet interventions in order to fully understand barriers to weight-loss. A gender-relational approach can bring new insights into understanding experiences of barriers to weight-loss.
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| 5. |
- Hammarström, Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Health and masculinities shaped by agency within structures among young unemployed men in a northern Swedish context
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:5, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of our paper was to explore expressions of life choices and life chances (aspects of agency within structures) related to power and experiences of health among early unemployed adolescent young men during the transition period to adulthood. These expressions of agency within structure were interpreted in the light of Cockerham’s Health Lifestyles Theory. Furthermore, social constructions of masculinities were addressed in our analysis.Repeated interviews with ten young men in a cohort of school leavers were analyzed with qualitative content analysis.Cockerham’s model was useful for interpreting our findings and we found disposition to act to be a crucial theoretical tool to capture the will and intentions of participants in relation to health. We developed the model in the following ways: structure and socialization were visualized as surrounding the whole model. Analyses of what enhances or restricts power are important. In addition to practices of health lifestyles, we added experiences of health as outcome as well as emotional aspects in disposition to act. We interpret our findings as constructions of masculinities within certain structures, in relation to choices, habitus and practices.Qualitative research could contribute to develop the understanding of the agency within structure relationships. Future studies need to pay attention to experiences of health among young people at the margin of the labor market in various milieus – and to analyze these in relation to gender constructions and within the frame-work of agency within structure.
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| 6. |
- Hammarström, Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Living in the shadow of unemployment - an unhealthy life situation : a qualitative study of young people from leaving school until early adult life
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : BMC. - 1471-2458. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Despite the magnitude of youth unemployment there is a lack of studies, which explore the relations between health experiences and labour market position in various contexts. The aim of this paper was to analyse health experiences among young people in NEET (not in education, employment or training) in relation to labour market position from leaving school until early adult life.METHOD: The population consists of everyone (six women, eight men) who became unemployed directly after leaving compulsory school in a town in Northern Sweden. Repeated personal interviews were performed from age 16 until age 33. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: Health experiences can be viewed as a contextual process, related to the different phases of leaving school, entering the labour market, becoming unemployed and becoming employed. Perceived relief and hope were related to leaving compulsory school, while entering the labour market was related to setbacks and disappointments as well as both health-deteriorating and health-promoting experiences depending on the actual labour market position. Our overarching theme of "Living in the shadow of unemployment - an unhealthy life situation" implies that it is not only the actual situation of being unemployed that is problematic but that the other phases are also coloured by earlier experiences of unemployment .CONCLUSION: A focus on young people's health experiences of transitions from school into the labour market brings a new focus on the importance of macroeconomic influence on social processes and contextualised mechanisms from a life-course perspective.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Khatun, Masuma, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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The influence of factors identified in adolescence and early adulthood on social class inequities of musculoskeletal disorders at age 30 : A prospective population-based cohort study
- 2004
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : International Epidemiological Association. - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 33:6, s. 1353-1360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Social class inequities have been observed for mostmeasures of health. A greater understanding of the relativeimportance of different explanations is required. In this prospectivepopulation-based cohort study we explored the contribution offactors, ascertained at different stages between adolescenceand early adulthood, to social class inequities in musculoskeletaldisorders (MSD) at age 30.Methods We used data from 547 men and 497 women from a townin north Sweden who were baseline examined at age 16 and followedup to age 30. Using logistic regression models, we estimatedthe unadjusted odds ratios (OR) for MSD for blue-collar versuswhite-collar workers in men and women separately. We assessedthe contribution of different factors identified between adolescenceand early adulthood by comparing the unadjusted OR for socialclass differences with OR adjusted for these explanatory factors.Results We found significant class differences at age 30 withhigher MSD among blue-collar workers (OR = 2.03 in men [95%CI: 1.42, 2.90] and 1.98 in women [95% CI: 1.29, 3.02]). Afteradjustment for explanatory factors, class differences decreasedand were no longer significant, with OR of 1.20 in men (95%CI: 0.76, 1.95) and 1.18 in women (95% CI: 0.69, 2.03). Schoolgrades at age 16; being single and alcohol consumption at age21; having children, restricted financial resources, physicalactivity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and working conditionsat age 30 were important for men; parents' social class, schoolgrade, smoking and physical activity at age 16; being singleat age 21; and working conditions at age 30 were important forwomen.Conclusion The accumulation of adverse behavioural and socialcircumstances from adolescence to early adulthood may be anexplanation for the class differences in MSD at age 30. Interventionsaimed at reducing health inequities need to consider exploratoryfactors identified at early and later stages in life, also includingstructural determinants of health.
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| 9. |
- Lundman, Berit, et al.
(författare)
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Use of the model of Inner Strength for analysing reflective interviews in a group of healthy middle-aged adults
- 2019
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Ingår i: SAGE Open Medicine. - : SAGE Open. - 2050-3121. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Inner Strength has been described as a human resource that promotes well-being linked to health. The aim of this study was to explore how Inner Strength and its four dimensions are manifested in interviews in a group of middle-aged healthy women and men.Methods: Retrospective reflective interviews with middle-aged healthy women (n = 5) and men (n = 4) selected from a population study were content analysed deductively.Results: The following themes and their constituents were found in the respective dimensions of the Model of Inner Strength. Firmness: having a drive to act, being purposeful, having trust in one’s competence, and having a positive view of life. Connectedness: being in community, receiving and giving support, and, receiving and giving care. Creativity: changing unsatisfactory life situations, seeing new opportunities, and realizing dreams. Stretchability: balancing between options, and extending oneself.Conclusions: Expressions that were interpreted as belonging to Inner Strength could be referred the different dimensions of Inner Strength. The Model of Inner Strength is suitable for analysing Inner Strength among middle-aged men and women. The findings indicate that Inner Strength can be identified in human beings’ narratives if asked for.
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| 10. |
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