1.
2.
Abrahamsson, Agneta, 1951-, et al.
(author)
Sense of coherence of reindeer herders and other Samis in comparison to other Swedish citizens
2013
In: International Journal of Circumpolar Health. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2242-3982 .- 2242-3982 .- 1239-9736. ; 72, s. 20633-
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
BACKGROUND: Samis are indigenous people in north Europe. In the territory called Sápmi (Lapland), reindeer herding is the traditional base for the Sami economy. The relation between living conditions and positive health of the Swedish Samis has been sparsely studied. As health is closely linked to sense of coherence (SOC), an understanding of the background factors to SOC may contribute knowledge that might be useful in promoting living conditions and health.METHODS: The study examines relations between the level of SOC and background factors from surveys in a Sami population (n=613) in comparison to a non-Sami population (n=525) in Sweden, and in comparison between 2 subsamples of Samis, that is, herders and non-herders.RESULTS: There are more similarities than differences between the Sami and non-Sami populations. However, dividing the Sami population, reindeer herders had significantly lower SOC, and in specific the subcomponent manageability, that is, less ability to use available resources to meet different demands in life, compared to non-herders.CONCLUSIONS: In addition to age and health, predictors of SOC are related to the life form of reindeer husbandry and the belonging to the herding community.
3.
Andersson, Anders-Petter, 1969-, et al.
(author)
Musical interaction for health improvement
2014
In: Oxford handbook of interactive audio. - Oxford : Oxford University Press. - 9780199797226 ; , s. 247-262
Book chapter (peer-reviewed) abstract
During the past decade, tangible sensor technologies have matured and become less expensive and easier to use, leading to an explosion of innovative musical designs within video games, smartphone applications, and interactive art installations. Interactive audio has become an important design quality in commercially successful games like Guitar Hero , and a range of mobile phone applications motivating people to interact, play, dance, and collaborate with music. Parallel to the game, phone, and art scenes, an area of music and health research has grown, showing the positive results of using music to promote health and wellbeing in everyday situations and for a broad range of people, from children and elderly to people with psychological and physiological disabilities. Both quantitative medical and ecological humanistic research show that interaction with music can improve health, through music’s ability to evoke feelings, motivate people to interact, master, and cope with difficult situations, create social relations and experience shared meaning. Only recently, however, the music and health field has started to take interest in interactive audio, based on computer-mediated technologies’ potential for health improvement. Here, we show the potential of using interactive audio in what we call interactive musicking in the computer-based interactive environment Wave. Interactive musicking is based on musicologist Christopher Small’s concept “musicking”, meaning any form of relation-building that occurs between people, and people and things, related to activities that include music. For instance, musicking includes dancing, listening, and playing with music (in professional contexts and in amateur, everyday contexts). We have adapted the concept of "musicking" on the design of computer-based musical devices. The context for this chapter is the research project RHYME. RHYME is a multidisciplinary collaboration between the Centre for Music and Health at the Norwegian Academy of Music, the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), and Informatics at the University of Oslo. Our target group is families with children with severe disabilities. Our goal is to improve health and wellbeing in the families through everyday musicking activities in interactive environments. Our research approach is to use knowledge from music and health research, musical composition and improvisation, musical action research, musicology, music sociology, and soundscape studies, when designing the tangible interactive environments. Our focus here is interaction design and composition strategies, following research-by-design methodology, creating interactive musicking environments. We describe the research and design of the interactive musicking environment Wave, based on video documentation, during a sequence of actions. Our findings suggest some interactive audio design strategies to improve health. We base the design strategies on musical actions performed while playing an instrument, such as impulsive or iterative hitting, or sustainable stroking of an instrument. Musical actions like these can also be used for musicking in everyday contexts, creating direct sound responses to evoke feelings that create expectations and confirm interactions. In opposition to a more control-oriented, instrument and interface perspective, we argue that musical variation and narrative models can be used to design interactive audio, where the audio is seen as an actor taking many different roles, as instrument, co-musician, toy, etc. In this way, the audio and the interactive musicking environments will change over time, answering with direct response, as well as nose-thumbing and changing response, motivating creation, play, and social interaction. Musical variation can also be used to design musical backgrounds and soundscapes that can be used for creating layers of ambience. These models create a safe environment and contribute to shared meaning.
4.
Andersson, Anders-Petter, 1969-, et al.
(author)
Vocal and tangible interaction crossing borders
2013
In: Include Asia 2013 Proceedings. - London : Helen Hamlyn Centre of Design, The Royal College of Art in London, The Hong Kong Design Centre. - 9781907342707
Conference paper (peer-reviewed) abstract
Our voice and body are important parts of our self-expression and self-experience for all of us. They are also essential for our way to communicate and build relations cross borders such as abilities, ages, locations and backgrounds. Voice, body and tangibility gradually become more important for ICT, due to increased development of tangible interaction and mobile communication. The voice and tangible interaction therefore also become more important for the Universal Design field. In this paper we present and discuss our work with voice and tangible interaction in our ongoing research project RHYME. The goal is to improve health for families, adults and children with disabilities through use of collaborative, musical, tangible and sensorial media. We build on use of voice in Music Therapy, knowledge from multi-sensory stimulation and on a humanistic health approach. Our challenge is to design vocal and tangible interactive media that are sensorially stimulating. Interactive media that through use reduce isolation and passivity and increase empowerment for all the users. We use sound recognition, generative sound synthesis, vibrations and cross-media techniques, to create rhythms, melodies and harmonic chords to stimulate voice-body connections, positive emotions and structures for actions.
5.
6.
Andersson, Ingemar, 1950-
(author)
Epidemiologi för vård- och hälsovetenskaperna : en fördjupning
2013
Book (other academic/artistic) abstract
Epidemiologi för vård- och hälsovetenskaperna är avsedd som en fördjupning i epidemiologi för dem som tillägnat sig grunderna. Den vänder sig främst till universitets- och högskolestuderande inom vård- och hälsoområdet, d.v.s. till blivande folkhälsovetare, sjuksköterskor, läkare, apotekare, sjukgymnaster, socialarbetare och arbetsterapeuter. Den är också användbar för yrkesverksamma inom samma områden samt i forskningsmetodiska utbildningar.
7.
Björklund, Margereth, 1950-
(author)
Living with head and neck cancer : a health promotion perspective - a qualitative study
2010
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic) abstract
Background and aim: In society there is a growing awareness that a vital factor for patientswith chronic diseases, such as head and neck cancer (HNC), is how well they are able to function in their every day lives – a common, but often overlooked, public health issue. The overall aim of this thesis is to reach a deeper understanding of living with HNC and to identify the experiences that patients felt promoted their health and well-being. It also explores the patients' experiences of contact and care from health professionals and whether these encounters could increase their feelings of health and well-being; salutogenic approach.Methods: This thesis engages a qualitative data design. On three occasions, 35 purposivelyselected patients were interviewed (31 from Sweden and one from Denmark, Finland, Island, and Norway). The first study was conducted in the Nordic counties (I), and the remainingstudies were conducted in Sweden (II, III, IV). Interviews were performed on a single basis(I, II, III) and then repeated (IV). The individual, semi-structured qualitative interviews usedopen-ended questions (n=53). Three different forms of analyses were used: critical incident technique (I), thematic content analysis (II), latent content analysis (III), and interpretativedescriptive analysis (paper IV).Findings: Living with head and neck cancer was expressed as living in captivity, in the sensethat patients' sometimes life-threatening symptoms were constant reminders of the disease. The patients experienced a threat against identity and existence. Patients struggled to find power and control over everyday life, and if successful this appeared to offer them better health and well-being along with spiritual growth. The general understanding was that these patients had strong beliefs in the future despite living on a virtual rollercoaster. The patients went through a process of interplay of internal and external enabling that helped them acquire strength and feelings of better health and well-being. Consequently, they found power and control from inner strength and other health resources, e.g. social networks, nature, hobbies, activity, and health professionals. However, the findings also revealed the opposite; that some patients were more vulnerable and felt powerless and faced everyday life with emotional and existential loneliness. They were dependent on next of kin and health professionals. Having good interpersonal relationships and emotional support 24 hours a day from next of kin were crucial, as were health promoting contacts and care from health professionals. This health promoting contact and care built on working relationships with competent health professionals that were available, engaged, respectful, validating, and, above all experienced in the treatment phase. But many patients experienced not health promoting contact and care – and a sense of not being respected, or even believed. Added were the patients' experiences of inadequate coordination between phases of their lengthy illness trajectory. They felt lost and abandoned by health services, especially before and after treatment.Conclusions: Inner strength, good relationships with next of kin, nature, hobbies, andactivities could create strength and a sense of better health and well-being. Patients experienced a mutual working relationship during dialoguing and sensed co-operation and equality in encounters with competent health professionals. This could lead to enhanced power and control i.e. empowerment in a patient's everyday life. The findings highlight psychosocial rehabilitation in a patient-centred organisation when health professionals supportpatients' inner strength and health resources , and also offer long-term support to next of kin.Finally, this research suggests that if health professionals could gain a deeper understanding of the psychosocial, existential, social, and economic questions on patients' minds, they could better sense how patients feel and would be better equipped not only to offer greater support, but to raise their voices to improve health policy and health care for these patients.
8.
Bolejko, Anetta, et al.
(author)
Psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the Consequences of Screening : Breast Cancer questionnaire
2014
In: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 70:10, s. 2373-2388
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
AIM: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a questionnaire addressing psychosocial consequences of false-positive mammographic screening.BACKGROUND: The Consequences of Screening - Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer questionnaires target psychosocial consequences of false-positive cancer screening. The Consequences of Screening - Breast Cancer questionnaire and ten items not considered lung cancer specific from the Lung Cancer questionnaire have been adapted for use in mammographic screening in Sweden, but remain psychometrically untested.DESIGN: Instrument development paper with psychometric cross-sectional and test-retest design.METHODS: Twelve scales of a Swedish questionnaire version were tested by the Rasch model and traditional psychometric methods. Women with false-positive (Group I, n = 640) and negative (Group II, n = 802) screening mammography responded to the study questionnaire and the Nottingham Health Profile during 2009-2011.RESULTS: Iterative analyses resulted in nine scales demonstrating Rasch model fit, but all scales exhibited poor targeting with relatively large floor effects. Corrected item-total correlations exceeded the recommended criterion. Score differences between Groups I and II and correlations with Nottingham Health Profile sections followed an expected pattern. Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability was acceptable for group-level assessments for ten and seven scales, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Five scales (Sense of dejection, Anxiety, Behavioural, Sleep and Existential values) of the Swedish questionnaire version demonstrated the best psychometric properties. Other scales should be used more cautiously. Although filling an important gap, causes of concern were identified across scales. The questionnaire should therefore be considered for group-level assessments rather than for measurement of individual degrees of psychosocial consequences.
9.
Cappelen, Birgitta, 1962-, et al.
(author)
Towards an empowering tangible interaction design for diversity
2013
In: Include Asia 2013 Proceedings. - London : The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, The ROyal College of Art in London, Hong Kong Desing Centre. - 9781907342707
Conference paper (peer-reviewed) abstract
The seven principles of Universal Design, such as ”4. Perceptible Information” and ”5. Tolerance for errors”, are formulated from the design’s or system’s perspective. The principles focus on the qualities of the system or design, not on the value of use, the long time experience and use by many different people. Nor do the principles embrace a cultural and social understanding of the value of things, designs and situations. In this paper we argue for the necessity to broaden this narrow system or product design perspective, when designing to empower diverse users. Our field of study is musical and cross-media Tangible Interaction Design, where multimedia computer capabilities are included in everyday objects. Our goal is to motivate social and musical co-creation for families with disabled children to improve their health and quality of life. To extend our design thinking, practice and understanding of a design’s value, meaning and empowering potential, we build on a humanistic health approach, resource-oriented thinking, Positive psychology and Empowerment philosophy. In the paper we present and discuss how we design cross-media, interactive, tangible and musical things to motivate and empower a variety of users in our on-going RHYME project.
10.
Carlsson, Noomi, et al.
(author)
How to minimize children’s environmental tobacco smoke exposure : an intervention in a clinical setting in high risk areas
2013
In: BMC Pediatrics. - 1471-2431 .- 1471-2431. ; 13, s. 76-
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Background:Despite the low prevalence of daily smokers in Sweden, children are still being exposed to nvironmental tobacco smoke (ETS), primarily by their smoking parents. A prospective intervention study using ethods from Quality Improvement was performed in Child Health Care (CHC). The aim was to provide nurses with ew methods for motivating and supporting parents in their efforts to protect children from ETS exposure.Method:Collaborative learning was used to implement and test an intervention bundle. Twenty-two CHC nurses ecruited 86 families with small children which had at least one smoking parent. Using a bundle of interventions, urses met and had dialogues with the parents over a one-year period. A detailed questionnaire on cigarette onsumption and smoking policies in the home was answered by the parents at the beginning and at the end of he intervention, when children also took urine tests to determine cotinine levels.Results:Seventy-two families completed the study. Ten parents (11%) quit smoking. Thirty-two families (44%) ecreased their cigarette consumption. Forty-five families (63%) were outdoor smokers at follow up. The proportion f children with urinary cotinine values of >6 ng/ml had decreased.Conclusion:The intensified tobacco prevention in CHC improved smoking parents’ ability to protect their children rom ETS exposure.
