| 1. |
- Åström, Charlotte, 1979-
(författare)
-
Effects of vibration on muscles in the neck and upper limbs : with focus on occupational terrain vehicle drivers
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Occupational drivers of terrain vehicles are exposed to several risk factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower back as well as in the neck and upper limbs. Vibration has been suggested to be a main risk factor. These drivers are exposed to both whole-body vibration (WBV) and hand-arm vibration (HAV). Aim: This study establishes the association between driving terrain vehicles and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the neck and upper limbs as well as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). In addition, this study examines the effect on muscles in the neck and upper limbs of the type of vibration exposure that occurs in occupational driving of terrain vehicles. Methods and results: In Paper I, a cross-sectional questionnaire study on occupational drivers of terrain vehicles, increased Prevalence Odds Ratios (POR) were found for numbness, sensation of cold and white fingers (POR 1.5-3.9) and for MSDs in the neck (POR 2.1-3.9), shoulder (POR 1.8-2.6) and wrist (POR 1.7-2.6). For the shoulders, neck and elbow, there appears to be a pattern of increased odds with increasing exposure time. In Paper II, an experimental study on the trapezius muscle, which included 20 men and 17 women, the mean frequency of the electromyography signal (EMGMNF) decreased significantly more in a three minute sub-maximal contraction without vibration (-3.71Hz and -4.37Hz) compared to with induced vibration (-3.54Hz and -1.48Hz). In Paper III, a higher initial increase of the mean of the root-mean-square of the electromyography signal (EMGRMS) was seen in a three minute sub-maximal contraction with vibration exposure compared to without vibration (0.096% vs. 0.045%). There was a larger mean EMGMNF decrease for NV compared to V in the total three minutes, and a larger decrease also in the first time period was seen for the NV compared to V. A small gender effect was also noticed. In Paper IV, the combination of HAV and WBV was studied in laboratory settings and resulted in a higher trapezius EMGRMS compared to the HAV and WBV separately. Conclusion: Occupational drivers of terrain vehicles are likely to experience symptoms related to HAVS and musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck and upper limbs. Local vibration does not seem to have any negative acute effects on trapezius muscle fatigue. Vibration exposure seems to cause an initial increase in muscle activity in the trapezius that could be related to recruitment on new motor-units. A combination of HAV and WBV causes a larger muscular demand on the trapezius muscle.
|
|
| 2. |
- Enberg, Birgit, 1956-
(författare)
-
Work experiences among healthcare professionals in the beginning of their professional careers : a gender perspective
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Swedish healthcare organizations have undergone substantial organizational and economic restructuring during the 1990s due to financial cutbacks. Little is known about recently graduated healthcare professionals´ work experience in healthcare and their future career preferences. The overall aims of this thesis was, to increase knowledge about how recently graduated healthcare professionals in Sweden perceive their work in healthcare organizations. A gender perspective is adopted. In this national cross-sectional study, four stratified random samples were separately drawn from the 1999 Swedish university graduates who were nurses (NS), occupational therapists (OT), physical therapists (PT) and (registered) physicians (PN) and who at the time of the sampling procedure were living in Sweden. Stratification was performed by sex. A total of 3989 were eligible and of those, 1434 were selected: 535 NS, 250 OT, 250 PT and 399 PN. A questionnaire was constructed containing questions about socio-demographic factors, working conditions, career preferences, work satisfaction and questions about the responsibility for and actual work with home and family, the so called unpaid household work. The questionnaires also contained questions measuring psychosocial working conditions: the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire (ERI-Q) and the demand-control questionnaire (DCQ). Collection of the data for NS, OT and PT was completed in March 2002 and for PN in May 2003. The response rate was 81% and 76% respectively. The total sample thus consists of 1145 participants; 423 nurses, 212 occupational therapists, 205 physiotherapists and 305 physicians. Most of the respondents were employed in the public sector, but many desired privately employment within the coming five year period, men more often than women. Career preferences for future work differed between women and men. A majority indicated that they did not have the opportunity to pursue knowledge development in the professional field during working hours and nearly one half could not work as independently as they wished. Satisfaction with work in general was high, but many were dissatisfied with management at work and a majority was dissatisfied with the work organization. This dissatisfaction was associated with the opportunity to work as independently as they wished and the opportunity to pursue knowledge development in the professional field. Significantly more women than men had the main responsibility for home and family and did most of the unpaid household work. Among the OT and PT working for county councils and municipalities, the results revealed that those working for municipalities, experienced low control at work compared with those working for county councils. No differences were found between OT and PT or between men and women in the two professions regarding the DCQ and the ERI-Q except for the WOC scale. Women had significantly higher scores on the WOC scale compared with men. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant association between WOC and ERI, effort, reward and sex. One fourth of the OT and PT working for county councils and municipalities was dissatisfied with their job and this dissatisfaction was significantly associated with type of employer, reward and effort-reward imbalance (in the ERI-Q) and control (in the DCQ). Differences regarding scoring on the ERI-Q were found between nurses and physicians working in county councils but not between women and men in the same group, with the exception of the scores on overcommitment. Significantly more nurses were defined as having high effort, low reward and effort-reward imbalance compared with the physicians. More women in the NS and PN group were defined as experiencing WOC compared to men. Logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between experiences of WOC and ERI, effort and reward. Nearly one fifth in the NS and PN group were dissatisfied with work and this dissatisfaction was particularly high among those with high effort, low reward, those with the greatest imbalance between effort and reward and those who experienced high overcommitment. In conclusion, in order to limit future work related problems and to be able to retain well educated professionals in healthcare work, dissatisfaction among the recently graduated must be taken seriously. Healthcare employers should better utilize the knowledge that recently graduated possess, regarding for example how to be a part of the development of the profession and the job. It is also important that healthcare employers address gender (in) equality at work and that work environments allow both women and men to combine careers with family duties.
|
|
| 3. |
- Nordvall, Helena, 1950-
(författare)
-
Factors in secondary prevention subsequent to distal radius fracture : Focus on physical function, co-morbidity, bone mineral density and health-related quality of life
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In Sweden approximately 25000 distal radius fractures occur annually, which is 37 % of all fractures related to osteoporosis. In this thesis, risk factors for osteoporosis, bone mineral density (BMD) and health-related quality of life (the SF-36) were compared in patients who suffered a distal radius fracture after low energy trauma with a control group matched on the basis of age, gender, and municipality of residence. The aim was also to analyse, among these patients, whether a risk factor questionnaire, tests on dynamic and static balance and a one-leg rise test could identify those, who have osteopenia or osteoporosis, and run a risk of new falls. Moreover, in a three-year follow-up, mortality, the need for in- and outpatient care, and health-related quality of life after radius fracture were investigated and compared between the patients and matched controls. Finally, the effect of a preventive intervention program including patient education and self-training was evaluated. Falls were reported in a risk factor questionnaire and in a fall diary. The patients aged 45-64 years showed lower, although not statistically significant, BMD, compared with the controls of the same age, but there was no difference concerning their history of falls. In contrast, the patients aged 64 years or older had a history of falling more often than the corresponding controls, but no difference in BMD was found. For all other risk factors, except falls, no differences were found between the patients and the controls. The results of the one-leg rise test were associated with those of dynamic and static balance, but none of the functional tests were associated with the number of falls. Decreased height and cigarette smoking were the only risk factors, which predicted osteopenia and osteoporosis. Five patients, although none of the controls, died during the study time. The patients needed statistically significantly more episodes as inpatients than the controls. The patients also had lower SF-36, Role Physical scores, than the controls at three months. This difference disappeared by the time of the follow-up. Both the patients, who participated in a four-week intervention program, “the osteoporosis school” followed by a one-year home-based exercise program, and the controls showed statistically significantly improved dynamic and static balance, ability to walk backwards and to stand on one leg with eyes open and closed at the end of the study. However, no significant differences were found between the patients and the controls in any of the tests, in BMD or in the number of the falls. The thesis shows that, except for the falls in patients aged over 64 years, there were no significant differences between patients and controls with respect to BMD and other risk factors related to osteoporosis. Consequently, in patients aged 45-64 years and older, the underlying cause of a distal radius fracture is more related to falls than to osteoporosis. Furthermore, the thesis shows that the functional tests and the risk factor questionnaire seem to be of limited value for identifying 8 people with a radius fracture, who are at risk of falling or have osteopenia or osteoporosis. If, in spite of this, functional tests on musculoskeletal function are considered for testing of functional ability in patients with a recent radius fracture, the one leg-rise test may be sufficient. There seems to be an increased mortality and morbidity necessitating inpatient care among patients with a recent radius fracture. The osteoporosis school had no significant effect on BMD, balance, muscle strength or falls in this thesis. Therefore, the lack of proven efficacy of the osteoporosis school for the secondary prevention of distal radius fractures highlights the need for more and long-term randomised controlled follow-up studies in this specific population.
|
|
| 4. |
- Röding, Jenny, 1972-
(författare)
-
Stroke in the younger : Self-reported impact on work situation, cognitive function, physical function and life satisfaction - A national survey
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The majority of people affected by stroke are older however one fifth of all persons with stroke are younger than 65 years. In Sweden the mean age at the time of a stroke is 75 years and about 5 % of those who suffer a stroke are 55 years or younger. The aim of this thesis was to describe and analyse the consequences of stroke in the younger population in terms of experiences of the rehabilitation process, return to work, self-reported physical and cognitive function and life satisfaction. Sex differences, as well as gender specific associations regarding factors of importance for return to work, deteriorated physical ability and satisfaction with life as a whole, were also studied. This thesis was based on an in-depth interview study and self reported data collected from a questionnaire answered by 1068 individuals, 18-55 years old with a first ever stroke registered in Riks-Stroke, the Swedish national quality register for stroke care. The questionnaire concerned aspects of current health condition, living and social arrangements, physical and cognitive functions, activities in daily life, relationships, social life, leisure pursuits, self-perception, participation, work and life satisfaction. Most of the questions aimed to investigate differences between the present time and before stroke onset. In-depth interviews with two men and three women aged 37-54, living at home after their stroke generated the hypotheses that younger persons with stroke are frustrated and feel invisible and outside. Rehabilitation for the young was perceived as in adequate due to the fact that the rehabilitation setting does not acknowledge the specific needs that younger persons with stroke have. Prior to the stroke 855 of 1068 (80%) of the participants, had been in paid employment. After the stroke, 65% of the men and 66 % of the women returned to work. Factors of importance for return to work were associated with the self-reported data: the feeling that it was important to work (OR 5.1), not perceiving oneself as a burden to others (OR 3.3), not having a deteriorated ability to run a shorter distance (OR 2.8) and having support for return to work (OR 3.7). Changes in self-reported physical and cognitive functions as compared with pre-stroke condition was explored in 867 (513 men and 354 women) P-ADL independent persons with stroke. Deteriorated physical abilities were reported in 56-79% and deteriorated cognitive abilities in 48- 68% of the participants. Women were significantly more affected in terms of both physical and cognitive deterioration than the men. Seventy-two percent of the participants did not know how much they could physically exert themselves after their stroke, women significantly more than men. In addition, significant associations were found between deteriorated physical function and deteriorated cognitive function as well as fear of physical exertion. The strongest association for deteriorated ability to move in crowded environments was the risk factors deteriorated cognitive ability (OR of 5.4) and being afraid of physical exertion (OR of 3.1). Life Satisfaction and factors associated with not being satisfied with life as a whole in 1068 (631 men and 437 women) persons with stroke was assessed with the LiSat 9, baseline data from Riks- Stroke and self-reported answers from the questionnaire. Fifty-three percent of the participants were not satisfied with life as a whole. Men and women were analyzed separately in terms of associations with not being satisfied with life as a whole. Women who had a haemorrhage (OR 3.9) and a deteriorated ability to concentrate (OR 2.1) had a higher risk of not being satisfied. For men the risk was associated with living without a significant other (OR 3.2), not working (OR 2.3) and deteriorated ability to concentrate (OR 2.0). In conclusion, younger individuals who have experienced a stroke feel frustrated and invisible due to the fact that their needs are not acknowledged. Age and gender have an impact on outcome of present rehabilitation programs and the problems of younger persons with stroke can be detected at an earlier stage by developing appropriate instrument and delivering information directly aimed at physical functioning. Further studies on gender specific differences in stroke outcome concerning physical and cognitive functions as well as life situation after stroke are needed. In order to optimize rehabilitation in terms of return to work, external support and motivation seem to be important factors to consider. Key words: Adult, cognition disorders, gender differences, middle aged, motor activity, quality of life,questionnaires, stroke, work
|
|
