| 1. |
- Khan, MD. Ershad Ullah, 1979-
(författare)
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Renewables Based Polygeneration for Rural Development in Bangladesh
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Despite the country's rural electrification programme, kerosene is the predominant source for lighting, and unsustainable and polluting woody biomass is virtually the only option available for cooking. The rural population also struggles with unsafe drinking water in terms of widespread arsenic contamination of well water. The present work has taken an integrated approach in an attempt to mitigate problems through small-scale polygeneration, a concept linking renewable energy sources to these energy needs via novel energy conversion systems.Anaerobic digesters (AD) for biogas production are promising in the rural setting, and field surveys have identified problems in the construction, maintenance and operation of existing AD, particularly in overall performance of household digesters. Based on these results, a number of operational and technological improvements are suggested for employing digesters in polygeneration units. This study also examines one approach for small-scale, low cost arsenic removal in groundwater through air gap membrane distillation, a thermally-driven water purification technology.Integration of biogas production with power generation and water purification is an innovative concept that lies at the core of feasibility analyses conducted in this work. One of the case studies presents a new concept for integrated biogas based polygeneration and analyzes the techno-economic performance of the scheme for meeting the demand of electricity, cooking energy and safe drinking water of 30 households in a rural village of Bangladesh. The specific technologies chosen for the key energy conversion steps are as follows: plug-flow digester; internal combustion engine; and membrane distillation. One major concern is local feedstock availability for the digester, since a single feedstock is impractical to serve both cooking, lighting and water purification systems. In this circumstance solar PV could be a potential option for integrated hybrid systems.
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| 2. |
- Åhman, Hanna Bozkurt, 1981-
(författare)
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Timed Up-and-Go Dual-Task Tests for Early Detection of Dementia Disorder
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Dementia constitutes an important and growing public health concern. There is a need for new, simple, and inexpensive methods to detect dementia disorders early in the disease progression. For this purpose, dual-tasking, i.e., simultaneous performance of two tasks, has been proposed.The overall aim of this thesis was to explore if Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) dual-task (TUGdt) tests can be used for early detection of dementia disorder. Cross-sectional and longitudinal designs were used. Participants were recruited when undergoing memory assessment at memory clinics (patients) and through advertisements (controls). The TUGdt tests involved TUG combined with the cognitive tasks a) naming animals (TUGdt NA) and b) reciting months in reverse order (TUGdt MB). The tests were video recorded. Test outcomes were calculated using time scores and/or verbal performances. Additionally, the data collection comprised clinical tests and medical record reviews. Paper I included 90 patients who had carried out lumbar puncture as part of the memory assessment. By Spearman’s rank correlation, the TUGdt NA test outcomes “number of animals” and “animals/10 s” correlated negatively to the cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers t-tau and p-tau, suggesting that neurodegeneration is associated with dual-task performance. In Paper II, 298 patients and 166 controls participated. Logistic regression models showed that “animals/10 s” and “months/10 s” discriminated significantly between dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), and controls. Thus, TUGdt testing could be useful in diagnostic assessments. Paper III involved 172 patients, initially diagnosed with MCI or SCI, for whom diagnostic information was available after 2.5 years. Logistic regression showed inverse associations between “animals/10 s” and dementia incidence, particularly for patients <72 years (median age). For these younger patients, the predictive capacity of “animals/10 s” was excellent. Hence, TUGdt NA has potential for predicting dementia from SCI or MCI, particularly among younger patients. Paper IV included 166 controls for presenting TUGdt reference values in age- and sex-specific groups, and 43 controls for test-retest reliability. Reference values were calculated with quantile regression and may be useful in clinic and research. Intra-class correlation coefficients showed excellent reliability for time scores, while the other test outcomes were poor to good. “Animals/10 s” showed fair to good reliability despite being a ratio of other variables, which negatively affects reliability. In summary, TUGdt NA has the potential to be used for early detection of dementia disorder, and the test outcome “animals/10 s” merits further evaluation.
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| 3. |
- Boström, Gustaf
(författare)
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Depression in older people with and without dementia : non-pharmacological interventions and associations between psychotropic drugs and mortality
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to investigate associations between psychotropic drug use and death, associations between functional capacity, dependency in ADL and depression, and to evaluate a non-pharmacological intervention to reduce depressive symptoms, among older people with and without dementia.There is limited knowledge about the risk of death associated with psychotropic drug use among those aged ≥85 years, those with dementia, or those living in residential care facilities; groups that have a higher intake of psychotropic drugs and who are also more prone to adverse drug reactions. In a representative sample of people ≥85 years (n = 992), baseline antidepressant use was not associated with an increased 5-year mortality risk when adjusting for confounding factors. A significant interaction between gender and antidepressant use was found, with a higher mortality risk in women, than in men. When analyzing men and women separately, no significant associations were found. In a sample of older people (i.e. ≥65 years) with dementia (n = 1037), there was a significant gender difference in 2-year mortality associated with the baseline use of antidepressant drugs, with a lower mortality risk in men, than in women. In men, the mortality risk was significantly reduced with antidepressant use, while there was no significant association in women. The association between baseline use of benzodiazepines and mortality had a tendency toward an increased risk during the first year of follow-up, although this became non-significant after adjustments. In this time period, the interaction term for sex was significant, with a higher mortality risk among men than women. When the sexes were analyzed separately, no significant associations were found. No significant associations were found between baseline use of antipsychotic drugs and mortality.Drug treatment for depression seems to have a limited effect in older people and may have no effect in people with dementia. In order to find alternative ways of treating or preventing depression in older age, it is important to increase our knowledge about factors associated with this condition. Functional capacity and dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) are associated with depression in community-dwelling older people. However, it is uncertain whether the same associations are to be found in very old people (i.e. ≥80 years), including those with severe cognitive or physical impairments. In a heterogeneous sample (n = 392) with a high mean age, a large range of cognitive and functional capacity, a wide spectrum of dependency in ADL, and a high prevalence of comorbidities, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with functional balance capacity, but not with overall dependency in ADL. Among individual ADL tasks, dependency in transfer and dressing were associated with depressive symptoms.Physical exercise has shown effect sizes similar to those of antidepressants in reducing depressive symptoms among older people without dementia, with moderate–high-intensity exercise being more effective than low-intensity exercise. However, these effects are unclear among older people with dementia. Care-facility residents with dementia (n = 186) were cluster-randomized to a high-intensity functional exercise program or a non-exercise control activity conducted for 45 minutes every other weekday for 4 months. No significant difference between the exercise and control activity was found in depressive symptoms at 4 or 7 months. Among participants with high levels of depressive symptoms, reductions were observed in both the exercise and control groups at 4 and 7 months.In conclusion, ongoing treatment at baseline with any of the three psychotropic drug classes antidepressants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines did not increase the risk of mortality in older people with dementia. Neither did antidepressant drugs in very old people. In both samples, gender differences were found in the mortality risk due to antidepressant use. In those with dementia, the mortality risk due to benzodiazepine use also differed by gender. The potential risk from initial treatment and gender differences regarding mortality risk require further investigation in randomized controlled trials or in large cohort studies properly controlled for confounding factors. In older people, living in community and residential care facilities, functional capacity seems to be independently associated with depressive symptoms whereas overall ADL performance may not be associated. Dependency in the individual ADL tasks of transfer and dressing appear to be independently associated with depressive symptoms and may be an important focus for future interdisciplinary multifactorial intervention studies. Among older people with dementia living in residential care facilities, a 4-month high-intensity functional exercise program has no superior effect on depressive symptoms than a control activity. Both exercise and non-exercise group activities may reduce high levels of depressive symptoms. However, this finding must be confirmed in three-armed randomized controlled trials including control groups receiving standard care.
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| 4. |
- Stecksén, Anna, 1982-
(författare)
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Stroke thrombolysis on equal terms? : implementation and ADL outcome
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Stroke thrombolysis is a method for restoring cerebral blood flow after ischemic stroke, with high priority in the Swedish national guidelines. implementation of stroke thrombolysis in Swedish routine stroke care has shown marked differences between demographic groups, hospital types, and regions. The general aim of this thesis were to examine the implementation of ischemic stroke thrombolysis in Swedish routine stroke care with an equity perspective; to gain more insight into the factors that influence implementation, how the treatment has reached patient groups, and differences in long-term outcomes between women and men. Analysis of data from research interviews with clinicians working within stroke care displayed that the facilitators of and barriers to the implementation of stroke thrombolysis could broadly be categorized into those related to individuals, to social interactions and context, and to organizational and resource issues. Key facilitating factors expressed in interviews were work pride and motivation, good leadership, involvement of all staff members in the implementation process, and quality assurance. Major barriers concerned lack of competence and experience, outdated attitudes regarding stroke management, counterproductive power structures, lack of continuity, and insufficient human resources. National quality register data displayed that stroke thrombolysis treatment expanded to reach more patients with mild deficits. Groups with higher education were more likely to receive treatment, compared to groups with lower educational level. These education group differences have, however, decreased over time in relative terms, but not in absolute terms. Further, there were considerable between-hospitals differences in treatment rates for patients with milder deficits, associated with hospital’s overall stroke thrombolysis rates. Moreover, larger non-university hospitals displayed treatment rate differences between educational groups that were not attributable to patient characteristics. Among thrombolysis-treated women and men, that was independent in ADL before their stroke and survived the first year post-stroke, women experienced higher probability to be dependent in ADL at both 3 and 12 months post-stroke, compared to men. This difference remained significant despite comprehensive adjustments for individual characteristics, symptom severity, and acute effects from stroke thrombolysis.This thesis displays that clinicians face barriers and facilitators at several levels, suggesting implementation interventions could be targeted towards both the individual-, the social interactions and context-, and also the organisation and available resources level. Assurance of clinicians’ individual competence, peer support, and clinical leadership seem to be important areas to intervene. Stroke thrombolysis rates have expanded over time, and an increase in stroke thrombolysis delivery to patients with mild stroke symptoms has contributed to this increase. However, it seems considerable differences between hospitals inhibit equity of care delivery. Further, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups receive less often stroke thrombolysis. Type of hospital seems to play a role, yet the reasons for this difference are not fully understood. This thesis also display that stroke thrombolysis-treated women that survive 1 year after stroke, appears to face higher risk for dependency in ADL, compared to men.
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| 5. |
- Toots, Annika, 1971-
(författare)
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Gait speed and physical exercise in people with dementia
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of the thesis was to investigate the importance of physical function for survival in very old people, and furthermore, whether physical exercise could influence physical function, cognitive function, and dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs) in older people with dementia living in nursing homes.The world’s population is ageing. Given the age-related increase in chronic disease such as dementia and compounded by physical inactivity, the prevalence in need for assistance and are in daily activities in older people is expected to increase in the near future. Gait speed, a measure of physical function, has been shown to be associated with health and survival. However, studies of the oldest people in the population, including those dependent in ADLs, living in nursing homes and with dementia, are few. Moreover, in people with dementia physical exercise may improve physical and cognitive function and reduce dependence in ADLs. Further large studies with high methodological quality and with designs incorporating attention control groups are needed in this population. In addition, no study has compared exercise effects between dementia types.The association between gait speed and survival was investigated in a population based cohort study of 772 people aged 85 years and over. Usual gait speed was assessed over 2.4 metres and mortality followed for five years. Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used in analyses. Effects of physical exercise in people with dementia were investigated in a randomised controlled trial that included 186 participants with various dementia types living in nursing homes. Participants were allocated to the High-Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) program or a seated control activity, which both lasted 45 minutes and held five times fortnightly for four months. Dependence in ADLs was assessed with Functional Independence Measure and Barthel ADL Index, and balance with Berg Balance Scale. Usual gait speed was evaluated over 4.0 metres in two tests; first using habitual walking aid if any, and thereafter without walking aid and with minimum living support. Global cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale, and executive function using Verbal fluency. Blinded testers performed assessments at baseline, four (directly after intervention completion) and seven months. Analyses used linear mixed models in agreement with the intention-to-treat principle.Gait speed was found to be an independent predictor of five-year all-cause mortality, where inability to complete the gait test or a gait speed below 0.5 iv meters per second (m/s) was associated with higher mortality risk. In analyses of exercise effects on ADLs there was no difference between groups in the complete sample. Interaction analyses showed a difference in exercise effect according to dementia type at seven months. Positive between-group exercise effects were found for dependence in ADLs in participants with non-Alzheimer’s type of dementia (non-AD) at four and seven months. In balance, a difference between groups was found at four but not at seven months in the complete sample, and interaction analyses indicated a difference in effect according to dementia type at four and seven months. Positive between-group exercise effects were found in participants with non-AD. No difference between groups in gait speed was found in the complete sample, where the majority habitually walked with a walking aid. In interaction analyses exercise effects differed according to walking aid use. Positive between-group exercise effects in gait speed were found in participants that walked unsupported at four and seven months. No difference between groups in cognitive function was found in the complete sample. The effects of exercise on gait speed and cognitive function did not differ according to sex, cognitive level, or dementia type.In conclusion, among people aged 85 or older, including those dependent in ADLs and with dementia, gait speed seems to be a useful clinical indicator of health status. Inability to complete the gait test or a gait speed below 0.5 m/s appears to be associated with higher five-year mortality risk. In older people with mild to moderate dementia living in nursing homes, a four-month high-intensity functional exercise program appeared to attenuate loss of dependence in ADLs and improve balance, albeit only in participants with non-AD type of dementia. Further studies are needed to validate this result. Furthermore, exercise had positive effects on gait speed when tested unsupported, in contrast to when walking aids or minimum support were used. The result implies that the use of walking aids in the gait speed test may conceal exercise effects. The exercise program had no superior effects on global cognition or executive function when compared with an attention control activity. This thesis suggests that, in older people with dementia, exercise effects on physical function rather than cognitive function may explain effects on dependence in ADLs.
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| 6. |
- Bajraktari, Saranda, 1989-
(författare)
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Health promotion and fall prevention for older people : impact, relevance and economic justification for decision making in a municipality context
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The proportion of older people is increasing and calls for a shift towards proactive approaches to support healthy ageing. The evidence base on health-promoting and preventive interventions (HPP) is promising in terms of maintaining health in older people, but for such interventions to have an impact on population health, translation of evidence to practice is crucial. To facilitate this process, factors relevant for decision makers are important to consider. One specific public health challenge is fall-related injuries in older people which cause the highest number of injury-related deaths, have many consequences for the individual (physical and psychological) as well as wide-ranging societal costs. Translation of evidence to practice faces challenges with regards to reach, limiting the public health impact of such interventions. Digital interventions have the potential to increase reach and thereby contribute as an innovative proactive approach. The aim with this thesis was twofold. First, to review the scientific literature in the field of health promotion and prevention conducted in Nordic Countries and targeting community-dwelling older people. Secondly, to evaluate reach, self-reported health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the Safe Step digital fall preventive exercise intervention in an observational study in the municipality of Östersund-Sweden.Methods: In paper I, a scoping review design was applied to review and summarise a broad field of research focusing on seven factors important for decision-makers such as: context, population, content, feasibility aspects, experiences of participants, intervention effects, and cost-effectiveness. In Paper II, data related to reach including recruitment rate, and participant characteristics (based on self-reported health outcomes and socioeconomic status) were collected. The sample was compared with a representative sample of older people for the purpose of exploring representativeness. In paper III, self-reported health outcomes in relation to balance, leg strength, fear of falling and health-related quality of life were evaluated over the course of the one-year intervention and in relation to exercise time, reported in quarterly questionnaires. In paper IV, the cost effectiveness of the Safe Step intervention was modelled in a Markov model with five states over 12 years to evaluate the potential cost-effectiveness of the intervention in community-dwelling older people at risk of falling.Results: Paper I showed that all included studies, except one, reported a positive effect in at least one health outcome measured. Most studies did not report on cost-effectiveness, feasibility, or experiences of participants. Based on the summarised evidence, senior meetings, preventive home visits and various forms of fall preventive exercise interventions emerged as most recommendable for implementation. Results from paper II showed that the majority of participants had a better health status, were women, and were more commonly using technology in comparison to a sample population. Paper III showed that participants in the intervention self-reported positive changes in balance and leg strength at different follow-ups. Balance and leg strength indicated a small but positive association with self-reported exercise activity. Paper IV showed the potential of Safe Step being a cost-saving intervention with better health outcomes and lower costs compared to no intervention alternative. Assuming a lower estimated intervention effect and higher recruitment costs still indicated that Safe Step was cost effective.Conclusion: This thesis provides evidence to support proactive approaches in healthy ageing and recommends increased efforts in research regarding translation of such interventions to practice as to maximize impact on a population level. The Safe Step intervention shows promise in being used independently in community-dwelling older people with good overall health and familiarity with internet and digital technologies. The majority reached were women with higher education, which infers a need for other non-digital interventions or additional support to increase reach in the general population of older people at risk for falling. Preliminary effectiveness results imply that Safe Step can lead to self-rated changes in known fall-risk factors although participants reported exercise time was lower than the recommended levels. Safe Step indicates also to be a cost-effective intervention even with conservative estimates of intervention effects and higher costs.
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| 7. |
- Conradsson, Mia, 1981-
(författare)
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Physical exercise and mental health among older people : measurement methods and exercise effects focusing on people living in residential care facilities
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to study the effects of exercise on mental health among older people living in residential care facilities. The aim was also to study the reliability of an assessment scale for balance function and the usefulness of an assessment scale for depressive symptoms among older people, including people with cognitive impairments. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is frequently used to assess balance in older people, but knowledge is lacking about its absolute reliability. The BBS (0-56 points) was assessed twice among older people living in residential care facilities by the same assessor, at approximately the same time of day, and with 1-3 days in between. The absolute reliability was calculated as being 7.7 points, using 95% confidence level, and the Intra Class Correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to 0.97. Depression is common among older people and is often not detected and not treated adequately. The Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15) was designed to assess depressive symptoms among older people, but there is limited knowledge about the usefulness of the scale among people with varying degree of cognitive impairment. A sample of people aged 85 years and over was divided into groups according to cognitive function using their Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores; 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-27, and 28-30. In total, 650 (78%) of the 834 participants completed the GDS-15. The lower the cognitive function, the smaller the proportion who completed the GDS-15 assessment; for the two MMSE groups with scores of < 10, the proportions who completed the GDS-15 were 1% and 42%, respectively, compared to 64–95% in people with MMSE scores of ≥ 10. The level of correlation between the GDS-15 and a scale of psychological wellbeing, the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS), did not differ between MMSE groups with scores of ≥5 compared to people in the group with the highest scores (MMSE 28–30). Exercise has been suggested as effective in influencing mental health among community-dwelling older people, but there is a need for a well-designed study to establish the effects among older people living in residential care facilities. A high-intensity functional exercise programme was evaluated for effects on depressive symptoms and psychological wellbeing among older people dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and living in residential care facilities. The study was a cluster-randomised controlled study. Participants were randomised to either a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program (HIFE Program) or a control activity. Sessions were held in groups, for approximately 45 minutes, five times over each two-week period for three months, a total of 29 times. The outcome measures, the GDS-15 and the PGCMS, were blindly assessed at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up. There were no differences between the groups at the 3- or 6-month follow-ups in the total sample. However, sub-groups analyses showed a difference in PGCMS scores in favor of the exercise group among people with dementia at the 3-month follow-up. Regarding older people living in residential care facilities, including people with cognitive impairments, there is a lack of evidence showing that exercise has a positive influence on mental health. This may either be due to a lack of effect, or an insufficient amount of effect of exercise on physical capacity or dependence in ADL, which could be two important mediating factors for influencing mental health. The association between changes in physical capacity (BBS) or dependence in ADL (Barthel ADL Index) and changes in mental health (GDS-15 and PGCMS) was evaluated. The results showed no significant associations between change in physical capacity or dependence in ADL, and change in depressive symptoms or psychological well-being. Further, interaction analyses showed no moderating effects for dementia disorder. In conclusion, despite a high ICC value, the result of the absolute reliability evaluation shows that a change of 8 BBS points is required to reveal a genuine change in function among older people who are dependent in ADL and living in residential care facilities. This knowledge is important in the clinical setting when evaluations are made of an individual’s change in balance function over time in this group of older people. The GDS-15 seems useful in assessing depressive symptoms among very old people with MMSE scores of ten or above. More studies are needed to strengthen the validity among people with MMSE scores of 10-14, and for people with lower MMSE scores than ten there may be a need to develop and validate other measurements. Furthermore, a high-intensity exercise programme offered 2-3 times/week seems not to generally influence mental health among older people living in residential care facilities. However, the exercise programme may have a short-term effect on well-being among people with dementia. A change in physical capacity or dependence in ADL does not appear to be associated with a change in depressive symptoms or psychological well-being among older people who are living in residential care facilities. These results may explain why studies of using exercise to influence mental health have not shown effects in this group of older people. In future research, there is a need for studies that evaluate whether exercise offered more frequently, or interventions that aim to increase the level of physical activity in daily life, can influence mental health among older people living in residential care facilities.
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| 8. |
- Månsson, Linda, 1973-
(författare)
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Digital fall prevention for older adults : Feasibility of a self-managed exercise application and development of a smartphone self-test for balance and leg strength
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- As the numbers of older adults grow, fall prevention is vital to reduce health care needs due to falls and to increase quality of life. Balance and strength exercises have been found to be effective in fall prevention, however, long-term adherence is often poor. The growth of digital technology in society has generated opportunities for fall prevention with eHealth. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the feasibility and use of a new digital fall prevention exercise programme, and to develop and investigate a smartphone self-test application for balance and leg strength. Three different studies included community-dwelling older adults ≥ 70 years, who were able to rise from a chair and stand without support. A feasibility study evaluated a new digital exercise programme (DP) compared to a paper booklet exercise programme (PB) for self-managed fall prevention in a four-month controlled participant preference trial (n = 67) (Paper I & II). Self-reported data on adherence, falls efficacy, and functional ability were collected and analysed, along with performance-based measures of gait speed, balance, and chair stand test. In Paper II the feasibility was explored of using the self-reported scales and performance-based outcome measures. A self-test application was also developed (Paper III) in co-creation with 10 participants, who met during five sessions to design the application’s instructions and user interface. The participants’ preference for and their contribution to the application design was analysed with qualitative content analysis with a deductive-inductive approach. A concurrent validity study (n = 31) (Paper IV) assessed the correlations between variables from the self-test prototype and outcome measures from clinical instruments. Results from the feasibility study show that 43% chose the DP and 57% PB, and the attrition rate was 17% and 37% respectively. Both groups had similar adherence, but for the subgroup that exercised most, participants in the DP group reported significantly more exercise time (Paper I). Participants in both groups reported a boost in balance after the intervention, and in the DP group also improved leg strength. Significantly more participants continued to use the DP at 12 months. The self-managed exercise intervention (Paper II) resulted in improvements in functional leg strength, which positively correlated with exercise time, but no other performance-based outcomes showed any significant improvements. Performance-based measurements of balance as well as the self- reported balance confidence and fear of falling revealed ceiling effects. Pre-assessments of self-reported outcomes and performance-based measures showed significant but low correlations, no such correlations were seen in change scores. The deductive-inductive analysis of the co-creation process resulted in 17 subcategories within the seven facets of the Optimized Honeycomb model for iii user experience (Paper III). The main results were that participants desired clear and appropriate information to understand why things were done in a certain way, and their contributions enhanced the user experience of the self-test. The concurrent validity testing of the self-test prototype (IV) showed low to moderate correlations for the strength test but limited correlations for the balance test. In conclusion the DP group showed comparable adherence to the programme as the PB group, as well as to previous studies, indicating it was feasible to use the new DP. DP participants also reported better exercise maintenance after 12 months. Positive self-reported effects were expressed in addition to leg strength improvement. Outcome measures for balance and falls efficacy revealed ceiling effects, consequently, these instruments might not be suitable for assessments in all community-dwelling older adults. In particular, for balance related outcomes there is a need for new more sensitive measurements. The co-creation of the smartphone self-test was feasible and valuable for user experience, but further validity and reliability testing are needed before it can serve as an independent assessment tool.
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| 9. |
- Frisendahl, Nathalie, et al.
(författare)
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Predictive Performance of the FIF Screening Tool in 2 Cohorts of Community-Living Older Adults
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. - : Elsevier. - 1525-8610 .- 1538-9375. ; 21:12, s. 1900-1905
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The First-time Injurious Fall (FIF) screening tool was created to identify fall risk in communityliving older adults who may benefit from primary preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of the FIF tool in 2 cohorts of older adults. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Setting and Participants: The Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Skane (SNAC-S) and Blekinge (SNAC-B), Sweden. Community-living people aged >= 60 years (n = 2766). Methods: Nurses and physicians collected data in the 2 cohorts through interviews and testing. Data on injurious falls were collected from register data and were defined as receipt of care after a fall. The FIF tool, consisting of 3 questions and 1 balance test, was examined in relation to injurious falls for up to 5 years of follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models. The predictive performance of the FIF tool was further explored using Harrell C statistic and Youden cut-off for sensitivity and specificity. Results: The hazard ratios (HRs) of an injurious fall in the high-risk group for women and men were 3.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.53, 5.73) and 5.10 (95% CI 2.57, 10.12) in SNAC-S and 4.45 (95% CI 1.86, 10.61) and 32.58 (95% CI 4.30, 247.05) in SNAC-B compared with those in the low risk group. The sensitivity and specificity of the Youden cut-off point (3 or higher for high-risk) were 0.64 and 0.69 for women and 0.68 and 0.69 for men in SNAC-S, and 0.64 and 0.74 for women and 0.94 and 0.68 for men in SNAC-B. The predictive values (Harrell C statistic) for the scores for women and men were 0.73 and 0.74 in SNAC-S and 0.72 and 0.89 in SNAC-B. Conclusions and Implications: Our results suggest that the FIF tool is a valid tool to use for prediction of first-time injurious falls in community-living older adults. (C) 2020 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
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| 10. |
- Gustavsson, Johanna
(författare)
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Stötdämpande golv som skadepreventiv åtgärd på särskilt boende : En studie av effekten på fallskador och arbetsmiljö
- 2015
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Omfattande ansträngningar har gjorts för att minska risken för fallskador bland äldre men för de som bor på särskilt boende har det visats sig vara svårt att utforma effektiva åtgärder. En skada uppstår när kroppens vävnad utsätt för energi som överstiger dess toleranströskel. Åtgärder för att minska energin vid en olycka har tillämpats inom många områden med mycket goda resultat. Antagandet om att energireduktion minskar risken för skada bygger på fysikens grundläggande lagar och benämns inom skadepreventionsområdet för energiprincipen. Idén om ett stötdämpande golv som energireducerande åtgärd för att motverka fallskador dök upp i vetenskaplig litteratur på tidigt 1990-tal, och sedan dess har speciella golv utvecklats och testats i laboratoriemiljö. Syftet med denna licentiatuppsats är att utvärdera effekter av ett stötdämpande golv på särskilt boende för äldre personer. De aspekter som studerats är den potentiellt fallskadepreventiva effekten för de boende samt påverkan på vårdpersonalens arbetsförhållanden. Resultatet visar att golvet minskar risken för skador samt att personalen är positiva till att arbeta i lokaler med stötdämpande golv.
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| 11. |
- Littbrand, Håkan, 1966-
(författare)
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Physical exercise for older people : focusing on people living in residential care facilities and people with dementia
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main purposes of this thesis were to evaluate a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme, regarding its applicability (attendance, achieved intensity, adverse events) as well as its effect on physical functions and activities of daily living (ADL) among older people living in residential care facilities, with a special focus on people with dementia. Furthermore, a main purpose was to systematically review the applicability and effects of physical exercise on physical functions, cognitive functions, and ADL among people with dementia.A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme that includes lower-limb strength and balance exercises in standing and walking, was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial among 191 older people, dependent in ADL, living in residential care facilities, and with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of ten or more. One hundred (52.4%) of the participants had dementia. Participants were randomised to an exercise programme or a control activity, consisting of 29 supervised sessions over 3 months, as well as to an intake of a protein-enriched energy supplement or a placebo drink immediately after each session. The effect on physical functions was evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale, usual and maximum gait speed, and one-repetition maximum in a leg press machine measuring lower-limb strength. The effect on ADL was evaluated using the Barthel Index. These outcome measures were followed up at 3 and 6 months by blinded assessors and analysed using the intention-to-treat principle.The evaluation of the applicability of the high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme showed that there was a high rate of attendance, a relatively high achieved intensity in the exercises, and all except two adverse events were assessed as minor or temporary and none led to manifest injury or disease. No statistically significant differences were observed in applicability when comparing participants with dementia and participants without dementia. In addition, the applicability of the programme was not associated with the participants’ cognitive function. Significant long-term effects of the exercise programme were seen regarding functional balance, gait ability and lower-limb strength in comparison with the control activity. The intake of the protein-enriched energy supplement did not increase the effect of the training. Age, sex, depression, dementia disorder, nutritional status, and level of functional balance capacity did not influence the effect on functional balance of the high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding overall ADL performance. Analyses for each item revealed that a significantly smaller proportion of participants in the exercise group had deteriorated regarding indoor mobility at 3 and 6 months. For people with dementia, there was a significant difference in overall ADL performance in favour of the exercise group at 3 months, but not at 6 months.In a systematic review, randomised controlled trials, evaluating the effects of physical exercise among people with dementia, were identified according to pre-defined inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently extracted predetermined data and assessed methodological quality. Ten studies were included in the review and the majority of the participants were older people with Alzheimer’s disease living in residential care facilities. Four studies reached “moderate” methodological quality and six “low”. The results showed that among older people with Alzheimer’s disease in residential care facilities, combined functional weight-bearing exercise over 12 months at an intended moderate intensity seems applicable for use regarding attendance and adverse events and there is some evidence that the exercise improves walking performance and reduces ADL decline. Furthermore, there is some evidence that walking exercise over 16 weeks performed individually, where the participant walks as far as possible during the session, reduces decline in walking performance, but adverse events need to be evaluated.In conclusion, among older people who are dependent in ADL, living in residential care facilities, and have an MMSE score of 10 or more, a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise programme is applicable for use and has positive long-term effects on functional balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength and seems to reduce ADL decline related to indoor mobility. An intake of a protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercise does not appear to increase the effect of the training. In people with dementia, the exercise programme may prevent decline in overall ADL performance, but continuous training may be needed to maintain that effect. The positive results regarding applicability and effects of combined functional weight-bearing exercise among people with dementia is confirmed when the scientific literature is systematically reviewed. It seems to be important that exercise interventions among people with dementia last for at least a few months and that the exercises are task-specific and intended to challenge the individual’s physical capacity. Whether physical exercise can improve cognitive functions among people with dementia remains unclear. There is a need for more exercise studies of high methodological quality among people with dementia disorders.
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| 12. |
- Rosendahl, Erik
(författare)
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Fall prediction and a high-intensity functional exercise programme to improve physical functions and to prevent falls among older people living in residential care facilities
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Impairments in balance, mobility, and lower-limb strength are common in the growing population of older people and can lead to dramatic consequences for the individual, such as dependency in activities of daily living, admission to nursing home, falls, and fractures. The main purposes of this thesis were, among older people in residential care facilities, to validate a fall-risk assessment tool and to evaluate a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise pro-gramme regarding its applicability as well as its effect on physical functions and falls. The prediction accuracy of the Downton fall risk index within 3, 6 and 12 months was evaluated among 78 residents, aged 65 years or more, at one residential care facility. The participants were assessed as having either a low or high fall risk according to the index and were followed-up for falls using two different fall definitions related to the cause of the fall. With all falls included, a significant prognostic separation was found between the low- and the high-risk group at 3, 6 and 12 months. A definition in which falls precipitated by acute illness, acute disease, or drug side-effects were excluded did not improve the accuracy of the fall prediction. The effect on physical functions of a high-intensity functional exercise programme was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial among 191 older people, dependent in activities of daily living, with a Mini-Mental State Examination score of ten or more, and living in nine residential care facilities. Participants were randomised to an exercise programme or a control activity, including 29 supervised sessions over 3 months, as well as to an intake of a milk-based 200 ml protein-enriched energy supplement (7.4 g protein per 100 g) or a placebo drink immediately after each session. The Berg Balance Scale, usual and maximum gait speed, and one-repetition maximum in lower-limb strength in a leg press machine were followed up at 3 and 6 months by blinded assessors and analysed using the intention-to-treat principle. Significant long-term effects of the high-intensity functional exercise programme were seen in balance, gait ability and lower-limb strength in comparison with the control activity. The intake of the protein-enriched energy supplement did not increase the effect of the training. The evaluation of the applicability of the exercise programme showed that there was a high rate of attendance, a relatively high achieved intensity in the exercises, and only two serious adverse events, neither of which led to manifest injury or disease, despite that most of the participants had severe cognitive or physical impairments. The applicability of the programme was not associated with the participants’ cognitive function. The evaluation of the fall-prevention effect of the exercise programme, during the 6 months following the intervention, showed that neither fall rate nor proportion of participants who sustained a fall differed between the exercise programme and the control activity, when all participants were compared. However, among participants who improved their balance during the intervention period, a significant reduction in fall rate was seen in favour of the exercise group. In conclusion, among older people living in residential care facilities, the Downton fall risk index appears to be a useful tool for predicting residents sustaining a fall, irrespective of the cause of the fall, even with a perspective of only a few months. A high-intensity functional exercise programme is applicable for use, regardless of cognitive function, and has positive long-term effects on balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength. An intake of a protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercise does not appear to increase the effect of the training. Participants who improve their balance function due to the exercise programme may reduce their risk of falling.
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| 13. |
- Sondell, Anna, 1968-
(författare)
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Exercise and team rehabilitation in older people with dementia : applicability, motivation and experiences
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The world’s population is aging. With the growing population of older people, dementia disorders are becoming increasingly common. Dementia disorders are progressive and include impairments in cognitive and physical function, which lead to increased risks of inactivity, falls, fractures, and comorbidity. Dementia is also the leading cause of dependency in activities of daily living. Therefore, rehabilitation including exercise is needed for this population. To obtain optimal effects on the functional ability of older people, exercise should be task specific, functional, performed at high intensity at sufficient frequency and duration, and include both balance and strength training. Motivation to participate is important for exercise program participation, the fulfillment of exercise recommendations and facilitation of motor learning in order to achieve exercise response. However, exercise recommendations for older people are based mainly on findings from studies conducted with people without dementia. Exercise may be challenging for some people with dementia due to complicating symptoms, such as cognitive deficits, depression, apathy or lack of motivation, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Studies exploring the applicability of exercise programs have been called for to optimize exercise programs; knowledge about motivation is lacking, and how this together influences exercise response in this group. Additionally, dementia disorders significantly affect all aspects of life for the affected persons and their informal caregivers, friends, and family members in their immediate networks. Furthermore, the care and rehabilitation needs of community-dwelling people with dementia must be considered due to the decreasing proportion of nursing home residents in Sweden today. Scientific knowledge and clinical experiences regarding the use of interdisciplinary team rehabilitation for people with dementia are limited, despite the urgent need for rehabilitation and its proven effects after events such as hip fracture. The effects of person-centered multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs for people with dementia, including education and counseling for informal primary caregivers, have not been evaluated and need to be explored.The overall aim of the thesis was to evaluate exercise and team based rehabilitation among older people with dementia. Specifically, the objectives were to evaluate motivation to participate in and applicability of a high-intensity functional exercise program, and to explore participants’ experiences with a multidimensional interdisciplinary team rehabilitation program including high-intensity functional exercise, among older people with dementia.In the Umeå Dementia and Exercise (UMDEX) study, a cluster-randomized controlled trial including 186 people with dementia in nursing homes, the effects of the High-Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) Program and a seated social activity, both lasting for 45 minutes and held five times fortnightly for 4 months, were compared. Participants’ motivation to go to activity sessions and motivation during sessions were assessed using a five-point Likert scale. The applicability of the exercise program (with regard to attendance, achieved intensity, and adverse events) was assessed with a focus on dementia type and reasons for non-attendance and for not achieving high intensity, based on exercise diary data. Balance exercise response was investigated using the Berg Balance Scale, assessed at baseline and 4 month follow-up. In the Multidimensional InterDisciplinary Rehabilitation in Dementia (MIDRED) study, a randomized controlled study, a person-centered multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for community-dwelling older people with dementia, including education and counseling for informal primary caregivers, was evaluated. With the aim of exploring experiences with program participation, 16 participants with dementia were interviewed and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.The UMDEX study showed that motivation during activities was quite high, with no overall difference between groups; over time, however, motivation increased in the exercise group and decreased in the social activity group. Motivation during activity sessions was greater than motivation to go to sessions in both groups. The exercise program was applicable, with high attendance rates, moderate to high intensity achieved, and the occurrence of only minor and temporary adverse events. Dementia subtype, low motivation, pain, and presence of BPSD seemed to affect applicability. The exercise response varied widely, with many participants showing improved balance after the intervention. The applicability of the exercise program and motivation did not seem to be associated with paramount balance response. Four categories emerged from the MIDRED study analysis: being empowered through challenges; gaining insight, motives and rising concerns about the future; to participate is worthwhile, if you are seen; and togetherness in prosperity and adversity.In conclusion, for older people with dementia living in nursing homes, who have a high prevalence of medical conditions and functional limitations, motivation to participate in a high-intensity exercise program was high and did not differ from motivation to participate in a less physically demanding social activity. The exercise program seems to be applicable with regard to attendance, achieved intensity, and adverse events. The prediction of balance exercise response based on program applicability and participant motivation does not seem to be possible. The promotion of strategies to encourage people with dementia to join exercise groups is of great importance, and more knowledge about strategies is needed to overcome low pre-exercise motivation levels. An interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for community-dwelling older people seems feasible, according to reported experiences. The participants had positive experiences and perceived improvement and empowerment due to the rehabilitation, which can influence well-being in daily life in this population. The results of this research support the inclusion of this population in team rehabilitation and high-intensity functional exercise programs.
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| 14. |
- Vahlberg, Birgit, 1964-
(författare)
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Physical Functioning, Body Composition and Exercise in Elderly Community-living Individuals with Stroke
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A comprehensive view of physical function, body composition and exercise post-stroke that is based on clinical examination is lacking. The effects of a progressive resistance and balance (PRB) exercise program have not been fully evaluated in community-living individuals after stroke.The overall aim of this thesis was to explore and describe physical function, physical activity, body composition, nutritional status and psychological factors. Another aim was to evaluate both the short-term and long-term effects of a PRB exercise program.Physical function, physical activity, body composition, nutritional status and psychological factors were assessed in community-living individuals (65-85 years) approximately 1 year after stroke. Paper I-II (n=195, n=134) had a cross-sectional design and the main outcome was mobility and physical activity. In paper III-IV, (n=67, n=43) individuals were randomly assigned to either a PRB exercise program group or a control group. The main outcomes were balance, mobility, fat-free mass (FFM) and fat-mass (FM).In paper I, mobility was reduced and physical activity level was low compared to age-matched healthy controls. Factors explaining the variance in mobility were age, physical activity, fall-related self-efficacy and EQ-5D. In paper II, >20% had a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and had an altered body composition that was mainly characterised by a high fat-mass index (FMI). Neither fat-free nor FM were associated with mobility in this cohort. The factors associated with low mobility were low physical activity Odds ratio (OR) (CI 95%) 8.2 (2.8-24.2), risk for malnutrition, OR 5.8 (1.6-21.1), and each 10-year period, OR 2.8 (1.24-6.24). Individuals participating in the PRB exercise program (paper III, n=67) revealed significantly higher balance, walking capacity and comfortable walking speed compared to the control group at 3 months. The faster walking speed persisted at 6 and 15 months. In paper IV (n=43), at 3 months, the PRB exercise group had a significant reduction in FM percentage and a decrease in IGF-1 compared with the control group. Further, changes in FMI were associated with improved walking capacity.Many individuals perceived partly modifiable disabilities 1 year after stroke. Exercising in groups for 3 months improved physical function and decreased fat-mass percentage and IGF-1.
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