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- Ng, Nawi, 1974, et al.
(author)
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Sustainable Behavior Change for Health Supported by Person-Tailored, Adaptive, Risk-Aware Digital Coaching in a Social Context: Study Protocol for the STAR-C Research Programme
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Public Health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: The Vasterbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) in the Region Vasterbotten Sweden is one of the very few cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programmes globally that is integrated into routine primary health care. The VIP has been shown as a cost-effective intervention to significantly reduce CVD mortality. However, little is known about the effectiveness of a digital solution to tailor risk communication strategies for supporting behavioral change. STAR-C aims to develop and evaluate a technical platform for personalized digital coaching that will support behavioral change aimed at preventing CVD. Methods: STAR-C employs a mixed-methods design in seven multidisciplinary projects, which runs in two phases during 2019-2024: (i) a formative intervention design and development phase, and (ii) an intervention implementation and evaluation phase. In the 1st phase, STAR-C will model the trajectories of health behaviors and their impact on CVDs (Project 1), evaluate the role of the social environment and social networks on behavioral change (Project 2) and assess whether and how social media facilitates the spread of health information beyond targeted individuals and stimulates public engagement in health promotion (Project 3). The findings will be utilized in carrying out the iterative, user-centered design, and development of a person-tailored digital coaching platform (Project 4). In the 2nd phase, STAR-C will evaluate the implementation of the coaching programme and its effectiveness for promoting behavioral change and the spreading of health information across social networks and via social media (Project 5). The cost-effectiveness (Project 6) and ethical issues (Project 7) related to the coaching programme intervention will be evaluated. Discussion: The STAR-C research programme will address the knowledge and practice research gaps in the use of information technologies in health promotion and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention programmes in order to narrow the health inequality gaps. Ethics: STAR-C has received approval from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr. 2019-02924;2020-02985). Dissemination: The collaboration between Umea University and Region Vasterbotten will ensure the feasibility of STAR-C in the service delivery context. Results will be communicated with decision-makers at different levels of society, stakeholders from other regions and healthcare professional organizations, and through NGOs, local and social media platforms.
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- Ostman, J., et al.
(author)
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Gender differences and temporal variation in the incidence of type 1 diabetes : results of 8012 cases in the nationwide Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden 1983-2002
- 2008
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In: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 263:4, s. 386-394
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives. To establish the gender difference amongst newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients aged 15-34 years, considering age at diagnosis, temporal trend and seasonal variation at time of diagnosis. Study design. A population-based prospective study with a mean annual population at risk of 2.3 million. Setting. All departments of medicine, endocrinology and paediatrics and primary health care units in Sweden. Subjects. Incident cases of diabetes aged 15-34 years at diagnosis 1983-2002. Measure instrument. Basic characteristics of patients at diagnosis were reported by the diagnosing doctor on a standardized form. Level of ascertainment was estimated at 80-90%. Results. Amongst all incident cases (n = 8012), 74% was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The mean annual incidence rate of type 1 diabetes was 12.7/100 000, in men 16.4/100 000 and in women 8.9/100 000. The incidence of type 1 diabetes decreased slowly by increasing age but was in all age groups higher in men, yielding an overall male/female ratio of 1.8. In both genders the incidence of type 1 diabetes decreased in average of 1.0% per year. A seasonal pattern with significantly higher incidence during January-March and lower during May-July was seen in both genders. Conclusions. A clear male predominance of type 1 diabetes was seen in all ages. The temporal trend and the seasonal pattern was similar in men and women. Hence, internal factors related to the gender rather than differences in the exposure to environmental factors seem to explain the consistent male-female bias in the postpubertal risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
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- Blomstedt, Yulia, et al.
(author)
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Flawed conclusions on the Vasterbotten Intervention Program by San Sebastian et .al
- 2019
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In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 19:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An evaluation of Vasterbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) was recently conducted by San Sebastian et al. (BMC Public Health 19:202, 2019). Evaluation of health care interventions of this kind require 1) an understanding of both the design and the nature of the intervention, 2) correct definition of the target population, and 3) careful choice of the appropriate evaluation method. In this correspondence, we review the approach used by San Sebastian et al. as relates to these three criteria. Within this framework, we suggest important explanations for why the conclusions drawn by these authors contradict a large body of research on the effectiveness of the VIP.
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- Blomstedt, Yulia, et al.
(author)
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Impact of a combined community and primary care prevention strategy on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality : a cohort analysis based on 1 million person-years of follow-up in Västerbotten County, Sweden, during 1990-2006
- 2015
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 5:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) by comparing all eligible individuals (target group impact) according to the intention-to-treat principle and VIP participants with the general Swedish population.DESIGN: Dynamic cohort study.SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: All individuals aged 40, 50 or 60 years, residing in Västerbotten County, Sweden, between 1990 and 2006 (N=101 918) were followed from their first opportunity to participate in the VIP until age 75, study end point or prior death.INTERVENTION: The VIP is a systematic, long-term, county-wide cardiovascular disease (CVD) intervention that is performed within the primary healthcare setting and combines individual and population approaches. The core component is a health dialogue based on a physical examination and a comprehensive questionnaire at the ages of 40, 50 and 60 years.PRIMARY OUTCOMES: All-cause and CVD mortality.RESULTS: For the target group, there were 5646 deaths observed over 1 054 607 person-years. Compared to Sweden at large, the standardised all-cause mortality ratio was 90.6% (95% CI 88.2% to 93.0%): for women 87.9% (95% CI 84.1% to 91.7%) and for men 92.2% (95% CI 89.2% to 95.3%). For CVD, the ratio was 95.0% (95% CI 90.7% to 99.4%): for women 90.4% (95% CI 82.6% to 98.7%) and for men 96.8% (95% CI 91.7 to 102.0). For participants, subject to further impact as well as selection, when compared to Sweden at large, the standardised all-cause mortality ratio was 66.3% (95% CI 63.7% to 69.0%), whereas the CVD ratio was 68.9% (95% CI 64.2% to 73.9%). For the target group as well as for the participants, standardised mortality ratios for all-cause mortality were reduced within all educational strata.CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that the VIP model of CVD prevention is able to impact on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality when evaluated according to the intention-to-treat principle.
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- Brunström, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Association of physician education and feedback on hypertension management with patient blood pressure and hypertension control
- 2020
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In: JAMA Network Open. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2574-3805. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the most important risk factor for premature death worldwide. However, hypertension detection and control rates continue to be suboptimal.To assess the association of education and feedback to primary care physicians with population-level SBP and hypertension control rates.This pooled series of 108 population-based cohort studies involving 283 079 patients used data from primary care centers in 2 counties (Västerbotten and Södermanland) in Sweden from 2001 to 2009. Participants were individuals aged 18 years or older who had their blood pressure (BP) measured and recorded in either county during the intervention period. All analyses were performed in February 2019.An intervention comprising education and feedback for primary care physicians in Västerbotten County (intervention group) compared with usual care in Södermanland County (control group).Difference in mean SBP levels between counties and likelihood of hypertension control in the intervention county compared with the control county during 24 months of follow-up.A total of 136 541 unique individuals (mean [SD] age at inclusion, 64.6 [16.1] years; 57.0% female; mean inclusion BP, 142/82 mm Hg) in the intervention county were compared with 146 538 individuals (mean [SD] age at inclusion, 65.7 [15.9] years; 58.3% female; mean inclusion BP, 144/80 mm Hg) in the control county. Mean SBP difference between counties during follow-up, adjusted for inclusion BP and other covariates, was 1.1 mm Hg (95% CI, 1.0-1.1 mm Hg). Hypertension control improved by 8.4 percentage points, and control was achieved in 37.8% of participants in the intervention county compared with 29.4% in the control county (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.29-1.31). Differences between counties increased during the intervention period and were more pronounced in participants with higher SBP at inclusion. Results were consistent across all subgroups.This study suggests that SBP levels and hypertension control rates in a county population may be improved by educational approaches directed at physicians and other health care workers. Similar strategies may be adopted to reinforce the implementation of clinical practice guidelines for hypertension management.
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- Brunström, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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From efficacy in trials to effectiveness in clinical practice : The Swedish Stroke Prevention Study
- 2016
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In: Blood Pressure. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0803-7051 .- 1651-1999. ; 25:4, s. 206-211
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Blood pressure treatment has shown great efficacy in reducing cardiovascular events in randomized controlled trials. If this is effective in reducing cardiovascular disease in the general population, is less studied. Between 2001 and 2009 we performed an intervention to improve blood pressure control in the county of Vasterbotten, using Sodermanland County as a control. The intervention was directed towards primary care physicians and included lectures on blood pressure treatment, a computerized decision support system with treatment recommendations, and yearly feed back on hypertension control. Each county had approximately 255000 inhabitants. Differences in age and incidence of cardiovascular disease were small. During follow-up, more than 400000 patients had their blood pressure recorded. The mean number of measurements was eight per patient, yielding a total of 3.4 million blood pressure recordings. The effect of the intervention will be estimated combining the blood pressure data collected from the electronic medical records, with data on stroke, myocardial infarction and mortality from Swedish health registers. Additional variables, from health registers and Statistics Sweden, will be collected to address for confounders. The blood pressure data collected within this study will be an important asset for future epidemiological studies within the field of hypertension.
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- Ekblad, Sara, et al.
(author)
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Estrogen effects on postural balance in postmenopausal women without vasomotor symptoms : A randomized masked trial
- 2000
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In: Obstetrics and Gynecology. - 0029-7844 .- 1873-233X. ; 95:2, s. 278-283
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To assess whether estrogen treatment given to postmenopausal women without vasomotor symptoms improves balance more than placebo. Methods: Forty healthy postmenopausal women without vasomotor symptoms were randomized to transdermal 17▀-estradiol (E2) 50 ╡g/day for 14 weeks or identical transdermal placebo patches. Postural balance was measured with dynamic posturography before and after 4, 12, and 14 weeks of therapy. In this test, the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems were provoked with increasing difficulty and body sway was measured with a dual forceplate. A low score showed large sway and a score of 100 showed no sway at all. Results: Thirty-eight women completed the study. Both groups had normal balance for their ages and near maximum scores in the three easier balance tests at baseline. In the most difficult test, both groups improved their postural balance significantly (from 13 to 32 and from 22 to 39, respectively) after 4 weeks. Thereafter, no change was seen. One problem was low statistical power, but the relative change in balance did not differ between groups. The comparison did not show even a minute advantage of E2 over placebo, so a study with higher power would probably not have shown a more pronounced effect of estrogen than placebo. The change over time did not differ between groups, which indicates a significant learning effect.Conclusion: In women without vasomotor symptoms, estrogen therapy did not seem to increase postural balance significantly more than placebo. However, we could not rule out that estrogens affect postural balance in women with vasomotor symptoms. Copyright (C) 2000 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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- Eriksson, Malin, et al.
(author)
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En pilotstudie om Hälsa och livskvalitet i Storuman : i en jämförelse med Västerbotten i stort
- 2004
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- I denna pilotundersökning har författarna, med hjälp av data från "Västerbottens hälsoundersökningar (VHU), tittat närmare på hur utfallet av hälsa och livskvalitet i Storumans kommun ser ut i en jämförelse med Västerbotten i stort. Bland de frågor som deltagarna fått svara på i VHU-materialet finns också upplysningar om socialt stöd, sociala nätverk och föreningsaktivitet - faktorer som ofta kopplas samman med begreppet socialt kapital. Dessa avser vi lyfta fram och diskutera som möjliga förklaringsfaktorer till utfallet av hälsa och livskvalitet. I studien finns också material från en intervju med en nyckelperson i Storuman, vilket bidrar till en subjektiv beskrivning av lokalsamhället Storuman. Utförd inom EU-projektet Urban Design.
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