| 1. |
- Emami, Azita, et al.
(author)
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Making sense of illness : late in life migration as point of departure for elderly Iranian immigrants´explanatory models of illness
- 2005
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In: Journal of Immigrant Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1096-4045 .- 1573-3629. ; 7:3, s. 153-164
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article is based on data gathered through 60 qualitative interviews conducted within the realm of three research projects that have used "culture-appropriate lenses" to study the postmigration situation of late-in-life Iranian immigrants to Sweden. The findings gathered through these studies were interpreted against the backdrop that culturally appropriate nursing theories provide. This meant that it was, at times, these elders' backgrounds as cultural "others" that were implicitly used to make sense of the various issues that were brought to the fore by these studies. The particular issue with which this article is concerned is the "unusualness" of these elders' explanatory models of illness. Inspired by the concept definition of situation in the symbolic interactionist perspective and by the feeling that this perspective might bring about a different interpretation of the original findings regarding their understandings of illness and disease, we set out to conduct a secondary analysis of these elders explanatory models of illness. The findings presented in this article will show how the elderly Iranian immigrants interviewed in these three studies utilize the process of "late in life migration" as a point of reference for their understandings of what has caused the illnesses from which they suffered. Hereby we will suggest that the "unusualness" of their explanatory models of illness might be best understood if we focus on what they shared as immigrants (i.e., the fact that the process of late-in-life migration has made their culture obsolete) as opposed to what they shared as Iranians (i.e., their culture of origin).
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| 2. |
- Cornelissen, Johannes H C, et al.
(author)
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Global negative vegetation feedback to climate warming responses of leaf litter decomposition rates in cold biomes
- 2007
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In: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 10:7, s. 619-627
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Whether climate change will turn cold biomes from large long-term carbon sinks into sources is hotly debated because of the great potential for ecosystem-mediated feedbacks to global climate. Critical are the direction, magnitude and generality of climate responses of plant litter decomposition. Here, we present the first quantitative analysis of the major climate-change-related drivers of litter decomposition rates in cold northern biomes worldwide.Leaf litters collected from the predominant species in 33 global change manipulation experiments in circum-arctic-alpine ecosystems were incubated simultaneously in two contrasting arctic life zones. We demonstrate that longer-term, large-scale changes to leaf litter decomposition will be driven primarily by both direct warming effects and concomitant shifts in plant growth form composition, with a much smaller role for changes in litter quality within species. Specifically, the ongoing warming-induced expansion of shrubs with recalcitrant leaf litter across cold biomes would constitute a negative feedback to global warming. Depending on the strength of other (previously reported) positive feedbacks of shrub expansion on soil carbon turnover, this may partly counteract direct warming enhancement of litter decomposition.
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| 3. |
- Jukkala, Tanya, et al.
(author)
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Economic strain, social relations, gender, and binge drinking in Moscow
- 2008
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In: Social Science and Medicine. - Oxford : Elsevier BV. - 0277-9536 .- 1873-5347. ; 66, s. 663-674
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The harmful effects of alcohol consumption are not necessarily limited to the amounts consumed. Drinking in binges is a specific feature of Russian alcohol consumption that may be of importance even for explaining the current mortality crisis. Based on interviews conducted with a stratified random sample of 1190 Muscovites in 2004, this paper examines binge drinking in relation to the respondents’ economic situation and social relations. Consistent with prior research, this study provides further evidence for a negative relationship between educational level and binge drinking. Our results also indicate a strong but complex link between economic strain and binge drinking. The odds ratios for binge drinking of men experiencing manifold economic problems were almost twice as high compared to those for men with few economic problems. However, the opposite seemed to be true for women. Being married or cohabiting seemed to have a strong protective effect on binge drinking among women compared to being single, while it seemed to have no effect at all among men. Women having regular contact with friends also had more than twice the odds for binge drinking compared to those with little contact with friends, while again no effect was found among men. Gender roles and the behavioural differences embedded in these, may explain the difference. The different effects of economic hardship on binge drinking may also constitute an important factor when explaining the large mortality difference between men and women in Russia.
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| 4. |
- Roxberg, Åsa, 1953-, et al.
(author)
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The meaning of consolation as experienced by nurses in a home-care setting
- 2008
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In: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - Chichester : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 17:8, s. 1079-1087
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims and objective. The aim of this study was to illuminate nurses’ experiences of consolation and how these experiences relate to suffering and care.Background. Consolation is commonly associated with the relief of suffering. The question of consolation in terms of its definition and relevance for care has, however, been a matter of discussion among nurse researchers. The question raised concerns about the nature of consolation, its place and its role in relation to care and the caring sciences.Design. An explorative qualitative interview study with 12 participants, six registered and six enrolled nurses, was carried out in a home-care context.Methods. A phenomenological-hermeneutic method inspired by the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur was used for the text analysis.Results. Two main aspects of consolation appeared: ‘the present consolation’, which is flexible, sustaining and opening and ‘the absent consolation’, which conceals the suffering and is incapable of consoling. The result was interpreted from a philosophical-ethical perspective, based on the works of Levinas and Lögstrup.Conclusions. Consolation appears as a complex phenomenon, both in terms of its existence and its absence consolation, constituting a caring and non-caring consolation. A caring consolation entails meeting the other as different and being present in a way that gives the other space to be the one he or she really is. It requires acceptance, accepting the sufferer and his/her way of suffering as unique.Relevance to clinical practice. The clinical nurse is involved in complex care situations, which entails both reflecting upon and using intuition when consoling. A caring consolation is a contradictory phenomenon that requires a nurse to be capable of both reflecting upon and acting intuitively on the unique suffering of the other. © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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| 5. |
- Jägerbrand, Annika K, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Plant community responses to 5 years of simulated climate change in meadow and heath ecosystems at a subarctic-alpine site
- 2009
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In: Oecologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0029-8549 .- 1432-1939. ; 161:3, s. 601-610
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Climate change was simulated by increasing temperature and nutrient availability in an alpine landscape. We conducted a field experiment of BACI-design (before/after control/impact) running for five seasons in two alpine communities (heath and meadow) with the factors temperature (increase of ca. 1.5-3.0°C) and nutrients (5 g N, 5 g P per m 2) in a fully factorial design in northern Swedish Lapland. The response variables were abundances of plant species and functional types. Plant community responses to the experimental perturbations were investigated, and the responses of plant functional types were examined in comparison to responses at the species level. Nutrient addition, exclusively and in combination with enhanced temperature increase, exerted the most pronounced responses at the species-specific and community levels. The main responses to nutrient addition were increases in graminoids and forbs, whereas deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, bryophytes, and lichens decreased. The two plant communities of heath or meadow showed different vegetation responses to the environmental treatments despite the fact that both communities were located on the same subarctic-alpine site. Furthermore, we showed that the abundance of forbs increased in response to the combined treatment of temperature and nutrient addition in the meadow plant community. Within a single-plant functional type, most species responded similarly to the enhanced treatments although there were exceptions, particularly in the moss and lichen functional types. Plant community structure showed BACI responses in that vegetation dominance relationships in the existing plant functional types changed to varying degrees in all plots, including control plots. Betula nana and lichens increased in the temperature-increased enhancements and in control plots in the heath plant community during the treatment period. The increases in control plots were probably a response to the observed warming during the treatment period in the region. © Springer-Verlag 2009.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Ekstedt, Mirjam, et al.
(author)
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Lived experiences of the time preceding burnout
- 2005
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In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 49:1, s. 59-67
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: This paper reports a study to illuminate the complex interaction between person and their life world during the burnout development period.BACKGROUND: Burnout is a construct describing the psychological state resulting from ineffective strategies for coping with enduring stress in both client and non-client work. Role conflict and role ambiguity, or long-term stress and frustration caused by strain in daily life, promote or exacerbate burnout, indicating that the person's entire life world is involved. There is still a lack of description of lived experiences of the time preceding manifest burnout.METHOD: Data were collected from interviews with eight people suffering from burnout and analysed using a phenomenological method.FINDINGS: The essential meaning of the phenomenon of burnout is understood as being trapped with stimulating challenges as a self-nourishing drive on one side and with responsibilities and demands on the other. This essence can be illuminated by its eight constituents: inner incentive, feeling responsible, threatened self-image, cutting off, bodily manifestations, psychological manifestations, fatigue and reaching the bottom line.CONCLUSIONS: The lived experiences of the time preceding manifest burnout are an ambiguous struggle. Cutting off is understood as a mean to shelter the threatened self-image in a state of vulnerability and weakened strength. Accordingly, a better understanding of how to reach behind the defence of 'cutting off' and thus help to open up for consolation and self-acceptance is an essential skill for nurses, health care professionals and others encountering the burnout sufferers. Furthermore this study illuminates early signs of burnout and an important issue is how to strengthen the individuals' ability to shelter their need for recovery and restitution.
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| 8. |
- Fläckman, Birgitta, et al.
(author)
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Despite shattered expectations a willingness to care for elders remains with education and clinical supervision
- 2007
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 21:3, s. 379-389
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim was to describe nursing home (NH) caregivers' work experiences while receiving education and clinical supervision for 2 years. Working in elder care seems to be losing its attraction especially with organizational changes, cutbacks and changes in work place conditions. Clinical supervision has been reported to increase job satisfaction and creativity. Semi-structured interviews from caregivers working at an NH in Sweden were conducted, at the start and again at 12 and 24 months. At about 12 months the caregivers were informed of planned cutbacks. Content analysis was the method used to analyse the interviews from seven caregivers who participated throughout the entire period. Findings show that the value of a caring milieu was one category generated by the subcategories: experiences related to work activities and changes, and experiences related to relationships. The value of knowledge was the other category that was influenced by the experiences related to the different backgrounds and the experiences related to increased knowledge gained from the support through education and clinical supervision. The categories contained positive as well as negative influences on care. The initial focus on practical duties associated with the opening of the NH shifted towards caregiver activities with the elders they spoke warmly about. After 2 years the caregivers' willingness to care continued despite their disappointment in the worsened working conditions. The main theme that resulted was: Despite shattered expectations a willingness to care for elders remained. Continued education and clinical supervision seems to be one factor behind the retained willingness. These findings demonstrate that support and caregiver involvement in educational programmes are important during times of change and when disappointments arise in the workplace.
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| 9. |
- Hildingsson, Ingegerd, et al.
(author)
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Characteristics of women giving birth at home : A national register study
- 2006
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In: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9378 .- 1097-6868. ; 195:5, s. 1366-1372
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to estimate the proportion of planned home births in Sweden and to identify maternal characteristics of women giving birth at home. STUDY DESIGN: This case-control study included register data of births from 1992 to 2001 in 352 women giving birth at home and 1760 women giving birth in a hospital. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty-nine out-of-hospital births were found during the study period, and the proportion of planned home births was less than 0.5/1000. Women with home birth were more likely to have 4 children or more (odds ratio 3.7 [1.4 to 9.9]), be born in a European country outside Sweden (odds ratio 3.5 [1.8 to 6.8]), have a family income below the median (odds ratio 2.9 [2.0 to 4.1]), not work outside the home (odds ratio 2.4 [1.7 to 3.5]), have a high level of education (odds ratio 2.1 [1.5 to 3.0]), and be older than 35 years (odds ratio 1.7 [1.1 to 2.5]). CONCLUSION: Women with planned home births appear to be a group having a different lifestyle, compared with Swedish women in general.
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| 10. |
- Hildingsson, Ingegerd, et al.
(author)
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Partner support in the childbearing period : a follow up study
- 2008
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In: Women and birth. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-1799 .- 1871-5192. ; 21:4, s. 141-148
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Social support is important during pregnancy and childbirth and the partner is usually the main source of support. Lack of partner support is associated with less emotional well-being and discontinuation of breastfeeding. RESEARCH PROBLEM: The purpose of the study was to investigate the proportion of women dissatisfied with partner support in early pregnancy, and to identify risk factors associated with dissatisfaction through a follow up 2 months and 1 year after childbirth. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A national cohort of 2430 Swedish speaking women recruited in early pregnancy and followed up 2 months and 1 year postpartum. Data were collected by means of three postal questionnaires. RESULTS: Five percent of women were dissatisfied with partner support in early pregnancy. Women dissatisfied with partner support were more likely to be multiparas, not living with their partner in early pregnancy and to report unfavorable timing of pregnancy. They experienced more physical symptoms, and less emotional well-being in terms of more depressive symptoms, more major worries and a lower sense of coherence. One year after childbirth a higher rate of divorces and disappointment with the partner's participation in childcare and household chores and understanding from partner was found in women being dissatisfied in early pregnancy. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that it might be possible to identify women who are lacking partner support already in early pregnancy. Women's social network and their support from partner should be investigated by health care providers and women in need of additional support should be refereed to available community resources.
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