| 1. |
- Alex, Lena, et al.
(author)
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Beyond a Dichotomous View of the Concepts of 'Sex' and 'Gender' Focus Group Discussions among Gender Researchers at a Medical Faculty
- 2012
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public library of science. - 1932-6203. ; 7:11, s. e50275-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: The concepts of 'sex' and 'gender' are both of vital importance in medicine and health sciences. However, the meaning of these concepts has seldom been discussed in the medical literature. The aim of this study was to explore what the concepts of 'sex' and 'gender' meant for gender researchers based in a medical faculty. Methods: Sixteen researchers took part in focus group discussions. The analysis was performed in several steps. The participating researchers read the text and discussed ideas for analysis in national and international workshops. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The authors performed independent preliminary analyses, which were further developed and intensively discussed between the authors. Results: The analysis of meanings of the concepts of 'sex' and 'gender' for gender researchers based in a medical faculty resulted in three categories; "Sex as more than biology", with the subcategories 'sex' is not simply biological, 'sex' as classification, and 'sex' as fluid and changeable; "Gender as a multiplicity of power-related constructions", with the subcategories: 'gender' as constructions, 'gender' power dimensions, and 'gender' as doing femininities and masculinities; "'Sex and gender as interwoven", with the subcategories: 'sex' and 'gender' as inseparable and embodying 'sex' and 'gender'. Conclusions: Gender researchers within medicine pointed out the importance of looking beyond a dichotomous view of the concepts of 'sex' and 'gender'. The perception of the concepts was that 'sex' and 'gender' were intertwined. Further research is needed to explore how 'sex' and 'gender' interact.
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| 2. |
- Aléx, Lena, et al.
(author)
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Lack of resilience among very old men and women : a qualitative gender analysis
- 2011
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In: Research and Theory for Nursing Practice. - : Springer Publishing Company. - 1541-6577 .- 1945-7286. ; 25:4, s. 302-316
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High degree of resilience has been described as an enduring positive view of life despite difficult circumstances during the aging process. How to become old and being old with low resilience have not been studied. The aim of this study was to illuminate experiences about becoming old and being old among very old people with low resilience. Interviews from very old women and men were analyzed using content analysis with the following themes identified: being out of it, emphasizing life experiences from the past, religious doubting, and accepting age. Except for religious doubting, the themes contained both similarities and variations between women and men. Our study showed that in spite of scoring low on the Resilience Scale (RS), very old persons can experience integration and well-being. However, the women seemed to be more vulnerable compared to men, and for them, it is important to strengthen social and relational possibilities for contributing to resilience.
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| 3. |
- Aléx, Lena, et al.
(author)
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Reflections of men and women in advanced old age on being the other sex
- 2010
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In: Ageing & Society. - 0144-686X .- 1469-1779. ; 30:2, s. 193-206
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The study reported in this paper is part of the Umeå 85+ project in Sweden. The aim was to investigate gender perspectives among ‘the oldest old’, by asking men and women in advanced old age living in a sparsely populated area of northern Sweden to reflect on how life might have been if they had been born the other sex. Thematic narratives from nine men and seven women were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The content of these narratives was resolved into eight categories in two domains, respectively men's and women's reflections about being born the opposite sex. The narratives of both the men and women indicated that they were satisfied with their actual birth sex. The men were aware that if they had been born female, they would probably have experienced more hard work and had a more restricted life, and they were conscious of both women's relative powerlessness and their greater ability to manage and organise work within the home. The women's narratives described a femininity characterised by longing for a state of being unconcerned when young, and their narratives also displayed awareness of women's physical strength and that men's lives had also been hard.
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| 4. |
- Choowattanapakorn, Tassana, et al.
(author)
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Resilience among women and men aged 60 years and over in Sweden and in Thailand
- 2010
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In: Nursing and Health Sciences. - : Wiley. - 1441-0745 .- 1442-2018. ; 12:3, s. 329-335
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to compare the level of resilience of people aged > or = 60 years in Sweden and Thailand. In a randomized sample of 422 people in Sweden and a convenience sample of 200 people in Thailand, the level of resilience was measured by using the Resilience Scale. A chi(2)-analysis was used for the differences between proportions. The relationships between the background variables and the resilience scores were analyzed by using stepwise multiple linear regression. The mean scores of resilience were 144 for the Swedish participants and 146 for the Thai participants. The two samples differed in their background characteristics. The Thai participants were more likely to be women, to be widowed, and to have more children, while among the Swedish participants, more women were married and more participants were aged > or = 80 years. Despite different background characteristics, the Swedish and the Thai participants' scores were almost the same on the Resilience Scale. More studies are necessary to address aspects of gender and ethnicity in relation to resilience.
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| 5. |
- Christianson, Monica, et al.
(author)
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Sex and gender traps and springboards : a focus group study among gender researchers in medicine and health sciences
- 2012
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In: Health Care for Women International. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 33:8, s. 739-755
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We explored the difficulties that gender researchers encounter in their research and the strategies they use for solving these problems. Sixteen Swedish researchers, all women, took part in focus group discussions; the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The problems reported fell into four main categories: the ambiguity of the concepts of sex and gender; traps associated with dichotomization; difficulties with communication; and issues around publication. Categories of suggested problem-solving strategies were adaptation, pragmatism, addressing the complexities, and definition of terms. Here the specific views of gender researchers in medicine and health sciences-"medical insiders"-bring new challenges into focus.
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| 6. |
- Hörnsten, Åsa, et al.
(author)
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A model of integration of illness and self-management in type 2 diabetes
- 2011
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In: Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness. - Singapore : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1752-9816 .- 1752-9824. ; 3:1, s. 41-51
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim. To describe the process of illness integration and self-management among people with type 2 diabetes.Background. Integration of illness is a developmental process referring to the emotional and existential aspects of being ill. It is an overarching concept that describes the process that a person undergoes in living with a chronic disease, from prediagnosis to adaptation to illness as a natural part of life. Despite the common use of terms such as illness integration and self-management, there exists little research that investigates how these concepts relate to one another.Methods. A narrative interview study applying qualitative content analysis was conducted with people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The study focused on their personal understandings of illness, and particularly, the relationship of the participants’ illness integration to self-management of the disease. Data were collected in 2002.Results. In the trajectory from prediagnosis to adaptation, there is a turning point when people seem to integrate the illness emotionally and existentially, and in relation to their self-management practice. The trajectory includes the phases of suspecting illness/being diagnosed, understanding and explaining the illness, and negotiating illness and taking stands about self-management. These phases in turn are influenced by perceptions of the seriousness and threat of the disease; the intensity and nature of the ill person’s emotional response to the disease and its management; goals and expectations for living with the disease and for living in general; and lastly, perceptions of the outcomes and impacts of self-management.Conclusion. Illness integration and self-management processes develop simultaneously. In some cases, a turning point occurs that causes the person to view self-management as both necessary and feasible.Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses may influence the illness integration trajectory and assist people with type 2 diabetes to integrate the disease and its management more readily.
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| 7. |
- Lundman, Berit, et al.
(author)
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Development and psychometric properties of the Inner Strength Scale
- 2011
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In: International Journal of Nursing Studies. - : Elsevier. - 0020-7489 .- 1873-491X. ; 48:10, s. 1266-1274
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Four dimensions of inner strength were previously identified in a meta-theoretical analysis: firmness, creativity, connectedness, and flexibility.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop an Inner Strength Scale (ISS) based on those four dimensions and to evaluate its psychometric properties.METHOD: An initial version of ISS was distributed for validation purpose with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the resilience scale, and the sense of Coherence Scale. A convenience sample of 391 adults, aged 19-90 years participated. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used in the process of exploring, evaluating, and reducing the 63-item ISS to the 20-item ISS. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest were used to measure reliability.RESULTS: CFA showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit for the 20-item ISS. The analysis supported a fourfactor solution explaining 51% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha on the 20-item ISS was 0.86, and the test-retest showed stability over time (r=0.79).CONCLUSION: The ISS was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for capturing a multifaceted understanding of inner strength. Further tests of psychometric properties of the ISS will be performed in forthcoming studies.
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| 8. |
- Lundman, Berit, et al.
(author)
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Inner strength-A theoretical analysis of salutogenic concepts.
- 2010
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In: International Journal of Nursing Studies. - : Elsevier BV. - 0020-7489 .- 1873-491X. ; 47:2, s. 251-260
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Theoretical and empirical overlaps between the concepts of resilience, sense of coherence, hardiness, purpose in life, and self-transcendence have earlier been described as some kind of inner strength, but no studies have been found that focus on what attributes these concepts have in common. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to perform a theoretical analysis of the concepts of resilience, sense of coherence, hardiness, purpose in life, and self-transcendence, in order to identify their core dimensions in an attempt to get an overarching understanding of inner strength. PRINT METHOD: An analysis inspired by the procedure of meta-theory construction was performed. The main questions underlying the development of the concepts, the major paradigms and the most prominent assumptions, the critical attributes and the characteristics of the various concepts were identified. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in the identification of four core dimensions of inner strength and the understanding that inner strength relies on the interaction of these dimensions: connectedness, firmness, flexibility, and creativity. These dimensions were validated through comparison with the original descriptions of the concepts. CONCLUSION: An overarching understanding of inner strength is that it means both to stand steady, to be firm, with both feet on the ground and to be connected to; family, friends, society, nature and spiritual dimensions and to be able to transcend. Having inner strength is to be creative and stretchable, which is to believe in own possibilities to act and to make choices and influence life's trajectory in a perceived meaningful direction. Inner strength is to shoulder responsibility for oneself and others, to endure and deal with difficulties and adversities. This knowledge about inner strength will raise the awareness of the concept and, in turn, hopefully increase our potential to support people's inner strength.
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| 9. |
- Lundman, Berit, et al.
(author)
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Inner strength in relation to functional status, disease, living arrangements, and social relationships among people aged 85 years and older
- 2012
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In: Geriatric Nursing. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-4572 .- 1528-3984. ; 33:3, s. 167-176
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inner strength is described as an important resource that promotes well-being. We used data from a sample of 185 people in the Umeå 85+ cohort study to relate inner strength and its attributes to objective health variables. The Resilience, Sense of Coherence, Purpose in Life, and Self-Transcendence scales were used to assess aspects of inner strength, and strong correlations between the scales were found. Prevalence of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, osteoporosis, or diagnosed depression was associated with low inner strength. Significant relationships were also found between high inner strength and various measures of social relationships. Participants with a higher degree of inner strength had better physical health and more satisfying social relationships. The promotion of inner strength should be a major aim of geriatric nursing.
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| 10. |
- Lundman, Berit, et al.
(author)
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Syn på åldrande och äldre personer
- 2012. - 1
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In: Det goda åldrandet. - Lund : Studentlitteratur AB. - 9789144068046 ; , s. 17-40
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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