| 1. |
- Elm, Annika, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Academic teachers’ experiences of technology enhanced learning (TEL) in higher education – A Swedish case
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cogent Education. - Abingdon : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-186X. ; 10:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article presents a Swedish study on the potential of technology to transform teaching and learning practices in higher education. Sweden is at the forefront of technological innovation and digitalization and when it comes to technology in education this is not an exception. Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) has emerged as an important pedagogical aspect within higher education in recent years. The term TEL is used to demonstrate teaching experiences that intend to improve such support. Previous research has recognized bottom-up initiatives from academic staff with specialists in technology often addressed by individual enthusiasts. Also, most internal processes regarding digitalization are identified as top-down initiatives driven by policy rather than influenced teachers. Hence, the main aim of this study is to analyse academic teachers´ experiences with digital technologies that support students’ learning in higher education. To support this aim, following research questions are posed: 1) What factors facilitate TEL in teaching in higher education and why? 2) What factors limit TEL in higher education and why? Focus group interviews with 36 academic teachers from two Swedish universities were conducted. Results show that on the one hand teachers experience both benefits and limitations with TEL. On the other hand, important organisational aspects of using TEL are highlighted. The choices that academic teachers face and give expression to do not appear to be a matter of individual choice or stance in teaching situations. These results have relevance globally for all involved in teaching and learning in higher education. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 2. |
- Fritzell, Kaisa, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of people's values and preferences for colorectal cancer screening participation
- 2017
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Ingår i: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 27:6, s. 1079-1084
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: To explore how individuals reason when they make decisions about participating in colorectal cancer(CRC) screening.Methods: Individuals randomized colorectal cancer (CRC) screeningto FIT or colonoscopy included in the Screening of Swedish Colons (SCREESCO) program was invited to focus group discussions and individual telephone interviews. The concept of shared decision-making (SDM: information; values/preferences; involvement) was used as a matrixfor the analyses. To validate findings, additional focus group discussions using the nominal group technique were performed.Results: Lack of knowledge of CRC and CRC screening was prominent for participants and non-participants, while the results differed between the groups in relation to their values and preferences. The influence of significant others promoted participation while it prevented it among non-participants. Those who participated and those who did not made it clear that there was no need to involve health care professionals when making the decision.Conclusions: Based on the results, a display of different ways to spread knowledge and communicate about CRC and CRC-screening could be applied such as, community-based information campaigns, decisions aids, interactive questionnaires, chat-functions and telephone support. The disparity in values and pref-erences between participants and non-participants may be the key to understand why non-participants make theirdecisions not to participate and warrant further exploration.
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| 3. |
- Fritzell, Kaisa, et al.
(författare)
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Translation and cultural adaption of the decisions module for colorectal cancer screening into a Swedish version - the SCREESCO questionnaire
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 52:11, s. 1248-1252
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES:Colorectal cancer (CRC) is suitable for population screening due to its high incidence and the recognizable and treatable prephase, and the present study is part of the larger study; Screening for Swedish Colons (SCREESCO). In Sweden, there is, to our knowledge, no questionnaire assessing shared decision making (SDM) with regard to CRC screening and, therefore, the aim of the study was to translate and culturally adapt the CRC screening module of the National Survey of Medical Decisions (DECISIONS) into a Swedish context.MATERIAL AND METHODS:A qualitative design inspired by guidelines based on methods for cross-cultural adaptation of questionnaires was used. In addition, focus group discussions, individual interviews and think-aloud (TA) sessions were performed.RESULTS:Of the 54 items included in the original DECISION survey, 32 were excluded, 22 were modified, and three were added as a result of the qualitative study. How the health care organization communicated and CRC screening knowledge was communicated were found to be the most important cultural differences between Sweden and the USA. The final questionnaire consists of 24 items.CONCLUSION:The process of translation and cultural adaptation of the CRC screening module of the DECISIONS survey resulted in the removal and modifying of a considerable number of items. The major rationale for the removal and modifying of items can be explained by the different cultural traditions between Sweden and the USA when communicating with the health care system regarding screening participation and how CRC screening information and knowledge is communicated.
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| 4. |
- Holmberg, Jörgen, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Teachers’ and students’ understanding and use of ICT for teaching and learning – Combining different perspectives and methodologies in research on technology-enhanced learning
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- More than half of the 14,000 students currently studying at the University of Gävle (HiG) are enrolled in courses that are totally or partly online based. In 2015, a university-wide project on technology enhanced learning (TEL) (Steffens et al 2015) was initiated. The project focuses on course and programme development and is divided into four sub-projects, all of which contribute to the overall goals of project.AIMS of the projectThe aims of the project are to: (a) restructure teaching facilities and integrate digital technologies, (b) develop technology supported teaching methods, (c) integrate campus and distance education, (d) enhance teachers' and students' digital skills and (f) increase collaboration with relevant external actors.These aims are achieved through the work of four project groups.The digital environment group's (1) main focus is on digital tools for learning and the physical arrangement of learning spaces. The collaboration group's (2) main focus is on the maintenance and development of collaborative relationships and connections with communities in higher education for e-learning. The education and professional development group (3) focuses on issues such as professional development, learning design and the implementation of ICT in different courses and subjects. The research group (4) focuses on different issues connected to TEL.One of the main principles of the project is that the above areas are interlinked and interdependent and that the different experiences and skills of each group and its members contribute to a broader perspective of TEL.This poster focuses on the research conducted by the project's research group. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the research focuses on issues and aspects of teaching and learning in higher education that contribute to multifaceted knowledge. The overall aim of the research is to generate knowledge about how conditions for teaching and learning change when the use of technology increases. The four research studies that are initiated are described below.Study 1: Lecturers’ and students’ agency in encounters with digital media in higher educationThis research study focus on issues related to lecturers’ digital teaching practices and students’ digital technological use in their everyday lives and for learning purposes.Digital practices are defined as the different contexts in which lecturers teach and students participate in digital media (such as learning management systems, forums, communities etc.). Previous research shows that students’ own digital practices are not always made use of in higher education (Buzzard et al., 2011; Kelm, 2011).A controversial issue in the Swedish higher education context is the discourse on students as customers. The perception of students as customers and “buyers” of ready-packaged content from lecturers is problematic. This view of what higher education stands for clashes with traditional academic views emphasizing critical thinking, reflection, self-directed learning, collaborative and individual learning etc.In this study, the concept of agency is important in that it reflects “the capacity of actors to critically shape their own responsiveness to problematic situations” (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998, p. 971). In the different perceptions of students’ and lecturers’ tasks and roles in teaching and learning, especially in TEL, all the actors have to display agency in order to manoeuvre in the educational and digital contexts. Notably, agency is not something that people have, but is something that people achieve (Biesta & Tedder, 2006).AimThe aim of the research project is to study: (a) students’ use of digital technology in their everyday practices and in relation to teaching situations and (b) how lecturers’ agency is played out in teaching and learning when trying to facilitate TEL.MethodologyIn spring 2017 an online survey involving up to 200 students will be conducted in order to generate knowledge about (a) students’ everyday experiences of digital practices and how these are utilized in higher education and (b) how higher education challenges and develops students’ digital skills and knowledge. In the same period, interviews with lecturers at the university will be conducted in order to generate knowledge about lecturers’ (c) everyday teaching practices with digital technologies and (d) the perceived challenges and development of teaching in relation to their use.Study 2: Teachers’ understanding and enactment of practice in online and blended educational contextsThe knowledge that teachers need to develop is referred to as a ‘didaktik’ knowledge in the German/European tradition (cf. Kansanen 2009) and as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the Anglo-Saxon literature (Shulman 1986; 1987). However, in what Castells (2011) describes as a network society, teachers are faced with new challenges and opportunities. Koehler et al (2014) argue that teachers’ development and integration of a new knowledge domain is not simply a matter of adding this “technology knowledge” to existing knowledge, but involves a reframing and reconceptualization of their existing professional practices and knowledge. They refer to this amalgam knowledge as technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The TPACK framework has been widely accepted as a useful theoretical construct. However, there is a need for research on the development and manifestation of TPACK in different disciplinary contexts (Koehler et al 2014).AimThe aim of this sub-project is to study: a) how teachers reframe and reconceptualize their practices and the kind of knowledge that is needed in online contexts b) how teachers practices are manifested when ICT is used to create (intended) added pedagogical values in educational designs c) the characteristics of educational designs regarded as adding pedagogical valueMethodologyThree higher education teachers of different courses and subjects in three different departments participate in the study. A design-based research approach is applied, where one of the participating researchers engages in so-called design conversations with the teachers. As is characteristic of DBR, this researcher does not only observe and interview, but also acts as a “co-designer” on the understanding that the teachers are the context experts and the final decision makers (McKenney & Reeves 2012; Plomp & Nieveen 2013).The data consists of recorded design conversations, educational designs and the artefacts used in the educational designs, the researcher’s/co-designer’s field notes and recorded “field-note conversations” between the researcher/co-designer and the other researcher.Expected outcomesThe study is expected to contribute knowledge about how teachers’ knowledge and practices are understood and manifested in online and mixed higher educational contexts.Study 3: Researching and developing student nurses’ drug calculation skills in an explorative design comprising digital technologiesThis study is partly experimental in nature. It focuses on the challenges involved in student nurses’ development of accurate drug calculation skills. Challenges like this are not specific to nurse education at the University of Gävle, but appear to be universal (cf. Wright, 2009). However, it has also been claimed that written drug calculation tests do not accurately evaluate the skills involved in drug calculation, in that they are decontextualized from healthcare settings (Wright, 2005; 2012). It has also been claimed that this problem is more imaginary than factual, given that in practice nurses have been shown to handle drug calculation well (Wright, 2009).AimThe aims of this sub-project are to: (a) deepen the understanding of the challenges and mistakes that student nurses make in drug calculation exams, why they occur and how they might be prevented, (b) explore how the teaching and examination of drug calculation can be made more effective and contextualized and whether digital technologies can help in this.MethodologyA multiple design method is employed using empirical data from written examinations, analyses of the set tasks and interviews with student nurses.Expected outcomesIt is expected that the study will contribute knowledge about why (some) student nurses find it difficult to pass exams and that sufficient knowledge will be developed to facilitate the exploration of an experimental design for teaching and learning that includes digital technologies.Study 4: Situating ICT in teacher education programmes at the University of GävleIntegrating ICT as an integral part of teacher education programmes has been addressed as the most significant factor in determining the future level of ICT use in teaching and learning practices (Davis, 2010). According to the Swedish Higher Education Act, ICT should be embedded across entire educational practices in teacher education programmes (Government Bill, 2009/10:89). Numerous teacher educationprogrammes have made extensive efforts to prepare and empower teacher education students’ ICT competences so that ICT-based technologies are seamlessly woven into the teaching and learning process. Most schools try to enhance teachers’ digital competences by in-service education and expect newly qualified teachers to be adequately trained to use digital technologies in their educational practices. However, in reality it would seem that many newly qualified teachers do not have the necessary skills for this (see Chigona, 2015; Koehler, Mishra, Akcaoglu, & Rosenberg, 2013). AimsThis study focuses on understanding why a large number of the newly qualified teachers in teacher education institution remain underprepared to use digital technologies in their educational practices, despite an increased investment in the provision of digital technologies in these institutions. MethodologyIn order to explore how digital technologies are integrat
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| 5. |
- Stake-Nilsson, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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A qualitative study of complementary and alternative medicine use in persons with uninvestigated dyspepsia
- 2009
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Ingår i: Gastroenterology Nursing. - 1042-895X .- 1538-9766. ; 32:2, s. 107-114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dyspepsia is a common disorder. A lack of effective therapies for managing dyspepsia may invite use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The aim of this study was to elucidate CAM methods and their perceived effects in a middle-sized community in Sweden. Group interviews were used. Persons with uninvestigated dyspepsia, according to the Rome II criteria, were included. Data were studied systematically using manifest content analysis. A total of 25 persons (13 women and 12 men) were assigned to five different groups. The CAM methods used by participants were categorized as follows: (1) nutritional, (2) drug/biological, (3) spiritual/psychological, and (4) physical activity. In this study, 26 CAM methods associated with various effects were identified and all persons had used at least one method.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Stake-Nilsson, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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A Study of Self-Care Practice in Routine Radiotherapy Care: Identifying Differences Between Practitioners and Non-Practitioners in Sociodemographic, Clinical, Functional, and Quality-of-Life-Related Characteristics
- 2022
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Ingår i: Integrative Cancer Therapies. - : Sage Publications. - 1534-7354 .- 1552-695X. ; 21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe self-care practice during radiotherapy for cancer and to identify potential differences between practitioners and non-practitioners of self-care regarding sociodemographic, clinical, functional, and quality-of-life-related characteristics.Methods: In this descriptive study, 439 patients (87% response rate) undergoing radiotherapy responded to a study questionnaire regarding self-care, sociodemographic, clinical (eg, experienced symptoms), functional, and quality-of-life-related characteristics.Results: Of the 439 patients, 189 (43%) practiced at least one self-care strategy, while 250 (57%) did not. In total, the patients described 332 self-care practices, resulting in 14 different categories of self-care strategies. The 5 most common indicators of practicing self-care were fatigue, general wellbeing, psychological symptoms, nausea, vomiting and improving physical condition. The 5 most common self-care strategies were physical activity, increased recovery, healthy eating, distraction, and skincare. Patients who were married, were older than 69, patients with less education than university education, patients undergoing a combination of internal and external radiotherapy, patients experiencing fewer than 8 symptoms, and better quality of life, practiced self-care to a lower extent than did other patients. Functional capacity did not differ between self-care practitioners and non-practitioners.Conclusion and Implications for Practice: Of the patients undergoing radiotherapy, slightly less than half practiced self-care during an ordinary week of radiotherapy. Because older and less-educated patients were less likely to practice self-care, cancer care practitioners should consider paying particular attention to helping such patients with their self-care practice.
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| 8. |
- Stake-Nilsson, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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Changes in symptoms and lifestyle factors in patients seeking healthcare for gastrointestinal symptoms : an 18-year follow-up study
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepathology. - 0954-691X .- 1473-5687. ; 25:12, s. 1470-1477
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms and lifestyle change over time. The data from this 18-year longitudinal study are intended to further elucidate the long-term natural course of functional gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and possible influencing factors.Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between lifestyle factors over time by reassessing symptom profiles in patients who presented with GI symptoms in 1990.MethodThe study population comprises a subset of individuals enrolled in the Swedish Dyspepsia Study, which commenced in 1990. In 1990, each participant in the Swedish Dyspepsia Study underwent physical assessment and completed a computer-based questionnaire on eight GI symptoms and lifestyle factors. An identical questionnaire was completed in 2008.Results: In total, 137 participants, 85 women and 52 men, were included in the follow-up study. None of the symptoms increased in frequency. Four of the symptoms decreased in frequency: abdominal pain [odds ratio (OR) 2.70], flatulence (OR 4.09), nausea (OR 3.05), and acid regurgitation (OR 1.59). Significant lifestyle changes included increased BMI (P<0.0001), decreased tobacco smoking (P<0.0001), and milk drinking (P=0.0080). Increased exercise was correlated with a decrease in acid regurgitation (OR 3.05) and vomiting (OR 7.38), but an increase in diarrhea (OR 0.23) and nausea (OR 0.33). Decreased smoking was correlated with a decrease in acid regurgitation (OR 3.45) and heartburn (OR 2.91).Conclusion: The results indicated that the lifestyle changes in the studied population followed the same pattern as seen in the general population, and changes in lifestyle factors may have an impact on GI symptoms and may guide symptom management in the patient, all in order to reduce personal suffering and healthcare costs in the form of fewer visits to the doctor and lower numbers of drug prescriptions. (C) 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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| 9. |
- Stake-Nilsson, Kerstin, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Complementary and alternative medicine used by persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders to alleviate symptom distress
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 21:5-6, s. 800-808
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim. The aim of this study was to describe the complementary and alternative medicine methods most commonly used to alleviate symptom distress in persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Background. People with functional gastrointestinal disorders face many challenges in their everyday lives, and each individual has his/her own way of dealing with this illness. The experience of illness often leads persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders to complementary and alternative medicine as a viable healthcare choice. Design. Quantitative and describing design. Method. A study-specific complementary and alternative medicine questionnaire was used, including questions about complementary and alternative medicine methods used and the perceived effects of each method. Efficacy assessments for each method were preventive effect, partial symptom relief, total symptom relief or no effect. Results. A total of 137 persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders answered the questionnaire, 62% (n = 85) women and 38% (n = 52) men. A total of 28 different complementary and alternative medicine methods were identified and grouped into four categories: nutritional, drug/biological, psychological activity and physical activity. All persons had tried at least one method, and most methods provided partial symptom relief. Conclusion. Persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders commonly use complementary and alternative medicine methods to alleviate symptoms. Nurses have a unique opportunity to expand their roles in this group of patients. Relevance to clinical practice. Increased knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine practices would enable a more comprehensive patient assessment and a better plan for meaningful interventions that meet the needs of individual patients.
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| 10. |
- Stake-Nilsson, Kerstin
(författare)
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Functional gastrointestinal disorders, development of symptoms over time, and self-care
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Adults with Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as abdominal pain, acid regurgitation, flatulence, diarrhea, constipation and nausea constitute a large part of the patient population in both primary and specialist care. Today, up to half of patients with gastrointestinal symptoms seen by gastroenterologists go through a standard diagnostic work-up usually including endoscopy, laboratory testing, and possibly radiological evaluation but do not show any signs explaining their symptoms. This group of patients is said to have Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs), as it is assumed that abnormalities in gastrointestinal function underlie the generation of their symptoms. Functional dyspepsia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are both examples of FGIDs. The pathogenesis and mechanisms underlying FGIDs are largely unknown, and many principles such as neutralizing gastric acid, inhibiting gastric acid production and eliminating triggering factors have been tested in medical treatment of FGIDs, but the benefits have been limited. People with FGIDs face many challenges in their everyday lives, and each individual has his/her own way of dealing with this illness. The patient’s experiences of illness and the lack of effective therapies for managing FGIDs may lead to an interest in applying complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a viable healthcare choice. CAM can be defined as “self-initiated healthcare measures taken to achieve symptom relief” and offers alternative or complementary treatments to those provided by the medical service. Although dealing with daily life with FGIDs is primarily the task of the patients themselves, close contact with the healthcare system is still important. If the healthcare system is to provide care and support appropriate to patients’ needs, healthcare personnel must have knowledge of available forms of care and treatment conventional as well as nonconventional. In this context, nurses have a unique opportunity to develop their nursing work. Aim and Method: The aim of Study I was to elucidate CAM methods and their perceived effects in a middle-sized community in Sweden. Group interviews were conducted and manifest content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results of Study I would come to form the basis of the self-care survey used in Study IV. The aim of Study II was to conduct a descriptive analysis of GI symptoms, lifestyle factors and demographics in a cohort of patients suffering from abdominal or other symptoms assumed to be related to the digestive system and diagnosed as FGIDs in 1990. These data were then used as baseline data for an 18-year follow-up (Study III). Study II included a subset of patients enrolled in the Swedish Dyspepsia Study, which commenced in 1990. The study included a basic physical examination, measuring such things as weight and height, blood pressure, and waist and seat circumference, as well as a computer-based questionnaire (the Glasgow Diagnostic System for Dyspepsia; GLADYS) to collect data on symptoms and lifestyle. GLADYS is a computer-based questionnaire for medical history taking and symptom assessment; it contains 162 two- to six-grade response levels, the GI symptom-related items including: Somatic symptoms: pain, nausea, dysphagia, vomiting, heartburn, flatulence, acid regurgitation, diarrhea and constipation; Lifestyle factors: tobacco, alcohol, food, coffee consumption, exercise and BMI; and finally demographic data such as age, gender and marital status. The aim of Study III was to conduct a longitudinal follow-up on subjects initially seeking healthcare for FGIDs and to assess the possible impact of lifestyle factors over time on initial symptoms. The study population comprised a sub-set of subjects enrolled in the Swedish Dyspepsia Study, which commenced in 1990. Each subject in that study underwent a physical assessment and completed a computer-based questionnaire on nine GI symptoms and lifestyle factors in 1990, using the same methods as in Study II. The aim of Study IV was to describe the CAM methods most commonly used to alleviate symptom distress in persons with FGIDs and to develop a study-specific CAM questionnaire, including questions about the CAM methods used and the perceived effects of each method. The results were presented using descriptive statistics. Results: Study I included a total of 25 persons (median age 58 years, range 18-82 years), 13 women and 12 men, who were assigned to five different groups. Twenty-six CAM methods associated with various effects were identified, and all persons had used at least one method. The CAM methods used by participants were categorized as follows: nutritional, drug/biological, spiritual/psychological and physical activity. The effects were described using the categories labeled: prevention, partial symptom relief or total symptom relief. Study II included 161 women and 106 men (mean age 42 years, range 18- 81 years). The most frequent symptoms were abdominal pain (92%) and acid regurgitation (63%), and 69% of patients reported 4 or more symptoms. Acid regurgitation (p=0.034) and heartburn (p=0.016) were more common in men, while constipation (p=0.004) and nausea (p=0.028) were more common in women. Patients with constipation had a more regular fiber intake (p=0.006), while patients with flatulence were more likely to be milk drinkers (p=0.002) than non-milk drinkers. More non- smokers suffered from abdominal pain (p=0.023), and patients who vomited had a low intake of alcohol (p=0.000). Patients with dysphagia had dinner more often than 3 days/week (p=0.006) and patients with heartburn reported no or little exercise (p=0.039). Study III included 137 subjects, 85 women and 52 men. None of the symptoms increased in frequency. Four of the symptoms decreased in frequency: abdominal pain (OR 2. 70), flatulence (OR 4. 09), nausea (OR 3. 05) and acid regurgitation (OR 1. 59). Significant lifestyle changes were increased BMI (p <, 0001), decreased tobacco smoking (p = <, 0001) and milk drinking (p= 0, 008). Increased exercise correlated with a decrease in acid regurgitation (OR 3. 05) and vomiting (OR 7. 38), but an increase in diarrhea (OR 0. 23) and nausea (OR 0. 33). Decreased smoking correlated with a decrease in acid regurgitation (OR 3. 45) and heartburn (OR 2. 91). A decrease in BMI was associated with decreased dysphagia (OR 7. 48). Study IV included 137 persons with FGIDs, and the gender distribution was 85 women and 52 men (mean 58 years, range 37-93 years). A total of 28 different CAM methods were identified and grouped into four categories: Nutritional, Drug/biological, Psychological activity, and Physical activity. Efficacy assessments for each method were preventive effect, partial symptom relief, total symptom relief or no effect. All persons had tried at least one method and most methods provided partial symptom relief. The most commonly used CAM method was Nutritional. Antacids and Proton pump inhibitors were used by the majority, and drugs used that were purchased from the healthcare store were dominated by Aloe Vera. There were no gender differences. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present doctoral thesis has shown that persons with FGIDs have a high frequency of GI complaints. Some symptoms decreased significantly over time, while others remained at the same level. To our knowledge, the follow-up time used here – 18 years – is the longest of its kind to date. There was no difference in symptom frequency between men and women. A small number of significant relationships between symptoms and lifestyle factors were revealed. All participants had used at least one self-care method on their own initiative in an attempt to alleviate symptoms. Of the 28 self-care methods that emerged, most of which consisted of household remedies, the effects were preventive, partial symptom relief, or total symptom relief. Larger population-based studies are needed to elucidate the various self-care methods and their effects on GI complaints. Also of importance are studies that can shed light on healthcare personnel’s knowledge and treatment of patients’ use of self-care. The present results should be seen as a point of departure for further research in this area. In the end, this is a question of people’s long-term trust in the healthcare system and of societal resources, but most importantly it is a question of people’s health, well-being and feeling of security.
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