| 1. |
- Andersson, Elin M., et al.
(author)
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From risk communication about asymptomatic atherosclerosis to cognitive and emotional reactions and lifestyle modification
- 2024
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In: BMC Psychology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2050-7283. ; 12:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Non-adherence in the general population to preventive guidelines on cardiovascular disease calls for an interdisciplinary approach acknowledging psychological factors of relevance for risk communication and lifestyle modification. Evidence is building up regarding the advantage of sharing arterial imaging evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis with asymptomatic individuals, but there is limited understanding of how this relates to mechanisms of importance for behavioural change. Longitudinal studies on associations between patients’ reactions and lifestyle modification are missing. The population-based randomized controlled trial VIPVIZA investigates the impact of pictorial information about subclinical atherosclerosis, added to traditional risk factor-based communication. The intervention includes a personalized, colour-coded and age-related risk communication strategy and a motivational conversation, and has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Methods: In the present study we assessed cognitive and emotional reactions to the intervention, and how these reactions are associated to lifestyle modification. The participants’ evaluation of the risk communication was assessed in the intervention group (n=1749). Lifestyle modification was assessed with a lifestyle index based on physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol consumption at baseline and after 3 years. Associations between cognitive and emotional response and lifestyle modification were tested with analyses of covariance in a subset of participants (n=714-857).Results: The intervention increased understanding of personal CVD risk, the possibility to influence the risk, and how to influence the risk. Severity of atherosclerosis was associated with emotional reactions, but emotions of strong negative valence were uncommon. Cognitive response and emotional arousal evoked by the intervention were positively associated with lifestyle modification, whereas negative emotions in isolation were not. High level of cognitive response in combination with high level of emotional arousal was found to be most beneficial for lifestyle modification.Conclusions: The results demonstrate the potential of communicating asymptomatic atherosclerosis with a pictorial, colour-coded and age-related strategy, also including a motivational conversation. Furthermore, the results show the importance of CVD risk communication evoking engagement, and that an interaction between cognitive and emotional reactions might be central for sustained lifestyle modification. Our results also indicate that, in an asymptomatic population, atherosclerosis screening may strengthen disease prevention and health promotion.
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| 2. |
- Roshanay, Afsaneh Hayat, et al.
(author)
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A group intervention for improving time management in people with intellectual disability
- 2021
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In: JARID. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 1360-2322 .- 1468-3148. ; 34:5, s. 1269-1270
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Swedish version of the Let's Get Organized (LGO-S) intervention, aiming to support time-management habits and organizational skills, by exploring possible enhancements in time management skills and satisfaction with daily occupations, in people with time-management difficulties due to intellectual disability.Method: A pre-test post-test design study including 23 adult participants with mild intellectual disabilities who reported difficulties in daily time management affecting their functioning in daily life negatively. Instruments used: Assessment of Time Management Skills (ATMS-S), Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA-SE) and Satisfaction with Daily Occupation measure (SDO-13). Intervention: The group intervention contained ten occasions one per week. Data was collected pre-and post-intervention, and 3- and 12-months follow-ups.Results: The main preliminary findings were significant changes, post-intervention and at 3- and 12-months follow-ups in organization and planning, and at the 3-month follow-up in time management skills. The results at 12-month follow-up indicated sustainability in outcomes measured by ATMS-S. A non-significant but positive trend was observed in other outcomes between pre- and post- intervention.Conclusions: Improvement with indicated sustainability in in organization and planning and in time management skills might be possible for persons with intellectual disabilities when participating in LGO group intervention.
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| 3. |
- Brandt, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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System thinking on Risk Analysis
- 2004
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In: SABI 2004: Business Systems -- Environmental Contexts.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The word risk originates from the Italian word risicare which means to dare and from this point of view, risk is more of a choice than a fate. Risk is about the actions that we dare to take and these in turn depend on the freedom we have to make choices (Bernstein, 1998). It can also be defined as the possibility of harm or loss to any resource within an information system, which accentuate the importance of identifying the organisation's assets (Ramachandran, 2002).The obvious fact that information is one of the most important asset within a company, results in that it is necessary to try to predict the risks that exists against these and consequently also against the organisation's goals and visions. It is impossible to identify all potential risks but a very good tool for identifying as many as possible and then assigning them appropriate protective measures, is the risk analysis.Since many significant security processes are built upon risk analysis and also security planning, it is necessary that the analysis is accomplished in an accurate way. This meaning that factors in the inner and outer surrounding environment that could affect the final result also must be taken into consideration, e.g. different communication channels. Thus, a holistic perspective is necessary when performing a risk analysis but also when working with security issues in general.Today, security solutions are often focused on technology and not on the system as a whole (Schneier, 2000) and considering that development and use of technology has lead us to think in terms of systems, we mean that this should hold for the information security area as well. Also the fact that the concept of wholeness is very important in information security and that general system theory is a general science of wholeness (v. Bertalanffy, 1969), makes us wonder: what could be more suitable to apply on security issues?For that reason, we present some ideas for a modified risk analysis method in this paper, based upon an existing risk analysis used by the case study object The Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies, Apoteket AB. They has recently added two customer care centres to its organisation and as a result of this, also a number of communication channels that are integrated with different information sources that contains classified information, e.g. personal particulars. The ideas of a modified risk analysis could be used by customer care centre organisations using several communication channels. These ideas are influenced by general systems theory that has been combined with a method used to analyse information flows in organisations. We have studied the company's existing risk analysis method and in combination with qualitative data, e.g. interviews, we have some suggestions of a risk analysis that emphasises the holistic perspective and the relations between the different entities in the overall information system.The suggested ideas will be reviewed together with the department of IT-security at Apoteket AB and after that tested within the organisation. It is noticeable that like all work with information security, the suggested method is a cyclic process that constantly develops and undergoes changes in relation to its dynamic context. Results and feedback from this implementation will be presented in forthcoming papers during 2004.
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| 4. |
- Hultin, Magnus, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Design of a program for complementary education of International Medical Graduates in Sweden : to include Swedish or not
- 2019
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In: AMEE 2019 : an International Association for Medical Education. - : AMEE. ; , s. 1390-1390
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: International medical graduates (IMGs) can either select to take a proficiency test to become licensed to practice in Sweden or to take a 1-2-year complimentary medical education (CME) to qualify for internship. Both paths test the participant for proficiency according to the national Swedish standards for becoming a licensed physician and are given in Swedish. The national standards include medical knowledge, interprofessional skills, communication with patient, relatives and other personnel, and scientific scholarship. A prerequisite for the CME is a passing grade in a Swedish language level 3 course at an accredited adult education center. A recurring observation was that both those failing the proficiency test for IMGs and those taking previous CME was lacking in Swedish proficiency.Summary of Work: A programmatic approach was taken to implement systematic training in Swedish applied in medicine at this two-year CME that is mainly based on distance training using videoconference systems. During the first year the language training corresponds to 50% of the curriculum. Research questions: Did the students at the new CME perceive the education in Swedish as valuable and did the students pass the examinations? Design: Cross-sectional study based on the course evaluations and the results of the examinations from the first semester.Summary of Results: 28 students were admitted to the program and 22 remained with the course for the finals of the first semester. The majority had increased their proficiency in Swedish as measured in vocabulary and correct use of words, but the grammar had not improved. Half of the students failed the summative assessment and three of the students also failed the majority of the formative assessments. The participants scored the relevance and the value of the Swedish training as high.Discussion and Conclusions: The students appreciate the training in Swedish while also having difficulties to pass the tests. A more comprehensive study is warranted to study how to best deliver language training to IMGs.Take-home Messages: Medical education for IMGs needs to take language proficiency into account.
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| 5. |
- Waagaard, Lovisa, et al.
(author)
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Body mass index and weight gain in pregnancy and cardiovascular health in middle age: A cohort study
- 2024
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In: BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1470-0328 .- 1471-0528. ; 131:8, s. 1136-1145
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To examine associations between body mass index (BMI) in early pregnancy and gestational weight gain (GWG) with cardiovascular health in middle age using the 'Life's Essential 8' (LE8) concept of the American Heart Association (AHA).Design: Population-based cohort study.Setting: Swedish CardioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS).Population: A total of 8871 women from SCAPIS were included.Methods: Information on cardiovascular health in middle age was collected from SCAPIS and linked to pregnancy weight data obtained from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, with an average follow-up time of 24.5 years. An LE8 score between 0 and 100 was determined, where a score under 60 points was defined as poor cardiovascular health. Binary logistic regression and restricted cubic splines were used.Main outcome measures: Cardiovascular health according to LE8 in middle age.Results: The odds of having poor cardiovascular health in middle age were significantly higher in women who had overweight (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 3.30, 95% CI 2.82-3.88) or obesity (aOR 7.63, 95% CI 5.86-9.94), compared with women classified as being of normal weight in pregnancy. Higher odds were also found for excessive GWG (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.09-1.57), compared with women who gained weight within the recommendations. Conclusions: A high BMI in early pregnancy and excessive GWG were associated with greater odds of poor cardiovascular health in middle age. Although further studies are needed, our results highlight pregnancy as an important period to support long-term cardiovascular health.
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| 6. |
- Wennberg, Louise, et al.
(author)
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Information security - an application of a systems approach
- 2006
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In: Kybernetes. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0368-492X .- 1758-7883. ; 35:6, s. 786-796
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose – The paper aims to describe and discuss the establishment of customer care centres in Sweden with particular concerns about information security.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is part of a series about information security and the approach is to study the subject within an organisation and initially to understand how it works.Findings – An effective way was found to embrace as many factors as possible by using a theory that contains the characteristics of the organisation. It was found that a combination of general systems theory and classic information systems theory was very successful.Practical implications – The new systems and new structure within the Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies (Apotekes) will in future create better conditions for customers and the opportunity to have products delivered at home or by collection from the centres.Originality/value – Describes new and ongoing developments aimed at improving customer care and demonstrates the application of system theory to the resulting organisation and implementation.
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| 7. |
- Wheeler, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Distinct effects of acute exercise and breaks in sitting on working memory and executive function in older adults: a three-arm, randomised cross-over trial to evaluate the effects of exercise with and without breaks in sitting on cognition
- 2020
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In: British Journal of Sports Medicine. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 0306-3674 .- 1473-0480. ; 54:13, s. 776-781
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Sedentary behaviour is associated with impaired cognition, whereas exercise can acutely improve cognition.Objective: We compared the effects of a morning bout of moderate-intensity exercise, with and without subsequent light-intensity walking breaks from sitting, on cognition in older adults.Methods: Sedentary overweight/obese older adults with normal cognitive function (n=67, 67±7 years, 31.2±4.1 kg/m2 ) completed three conditions (6-day washout): SIT (sitting): uninterrupted sitting (8 hours, control); EX+SIT (exercise + sitting): sitting (1 hour), moderate-intensity walking (30min), uninterrupted sitting (6.5 hours); and EX+BR (exercise + breaks): sitting (1 hour), moderate-intensity walking (30min), sitting interrupted every 30min with 3min of light-intensity walking (6.5 hours). Cognitive testing (Cogstate) was completed at four time points assessing psychomotor function, attention, executive function, visual learning and working memory. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) was assessed at six time points. The 8-hour net area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for each outcome.Results: Working memory net AUC z-score·hour (95%CI) was improved in EX+BR with a z-score of +28 (−26 to +81), relative to SIT, −25 (−79 to +29, p=0.04 vs EX+BR). Executive function net AUC was improved in EX+SIT, −8 (− 71 to +55), relative to SIT, −80 (−142 to −17, p=0.03 vs EX+SIT). Serum BDNF net AUC ng/mL·hour (95%CI) was increased in both EX+SIT, +171 (−449 to +791, p=0.03 vs SIT), and EX+BR, +139 (−481 to +759, p=0.045 vs SIT), relative to SIT, −227 (−851 to +396).Conclusion: A morning bout of moderate-intensity exercise improves serum BDNF and working memory or executive function in older adults, depending on whether or not subsequent sitting is also interrupted with intermittent light-intensity walking.
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