1. |
- Almevall, Albin Dahlin, et al.
(author)
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Associations between everyday physical activity and morale in older adults
- 2022
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In: Geriatric Nursing. - : Elsevier. - 0197-4572 .- 1528-3984. ; 48, s. 37-42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Studies that objectively investigate patterns of everyday physical activity in relation to well-being and that use measures specific to older adults are scarce. This study aimed to explore objectively measured everyday physical activity and sedentary behavior in relation to a morale measure specifically constructed for older adults. A total of 77 persons (42 women, 35 men) aged 80 years or older (84.3 ± 3.8) wore an accelerometer device for at least 5 days. Morale was measured with the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS). PGCMS scores were significantly positively associated with number of steps, time spent stepping, and time spent stepping at >75 steps per minute. Sedentary behavior did not associate with PGCMS. Promoting PA in the form of walking at any intensity–or even spending time in an upright position—and in any quantity may be important for morale, or vice versa, or the influence may be bidirectional.
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2. |
- Almevall, Ariel, et al.
(author)
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Self-rated health in old age, related factors and survival: A 20-Year longitudinal study within the Silver-MONICA cohort
- 2024
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In: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 122
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Self-rated health (SRH) offers insights into the evolving health demographics of an ageing population.Aim: To assess change in SRH from old age to very old age and their associations with health and well-being factors, and to investigate the association between SRH and survival.Methods: All participants in the MONICA 1999 re-examination born before 1940 (n = 1595) were included in the Silver-MONICA baseline cohort. The Silver-MONICA follow-up started in 2016 included participants in the Silver-MONICA baseline cohort aged 80 years or older. Data on SRH was available for 1561 participants at baseline with 446 of them also participating in the follow-up. The follow-up examination included a wide variety of measurements and tests.Findings: Most participants rated their health as "Quite good" (54.5 %) at baseline. Over the study period, 42.6 % had stable SRH, 40.6 % had declined, and 16.8 % had improved. Changes in SRH were at follow-up significantly associated with age, pain, nutrition, cognition, walking aid use, self-paced gait speed, lower extremity strength, independence in activities of daily living, weekly physical exercise, outdoor activity, participation in organized activities, visiting others, morale, and depressive symptoms. SRH at baseline was significantly associated with survival (p < 0.05).Conclusion: This study demonstrates associations between changes in SRH and a multitude of health- and wellbeing-related factors, as well as a relation between survival and SRH, accentuating their relevance within the ageing population.
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3. |
- Johansson, Sanna, et al.
(author)
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A clinically feasible short version of the 15-item geriatric depression scale extracted using item response theory in a sample of adults aged 85 years and older
- 2022
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In: Aging & Mental Health. - : Routledge. - 1360-7863 .- 1364-6915. ; 26:2, s. 431-437
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: To extract the items most suitable for a short version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) in a sample of adults aged ≥ 85 years using item response theory (IRT).Method: This population-based cross-sectional study included 651 individuals aged ≥ 85 years from the Umeå 85+/GErontological Regional DAtabase (GERDA) study. Participants were either community dwelling (approximately 70%) or resided in institutional care (approximately 30%) in northern Sweden and western Finland in 2000–2002 and 2005–2007. The psychometric properties of GDS-15 items were investigated using an IRT-based approach to find items most closely corresponding to the GDS-15 cut off value of ≥5 points. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the performance of the proposed short version with that of previously proposed short GDS versions.Results: GDS-15 items 3, 8, 12, and 13 best differentiated respondents’ levels of depressive symptoms corresponding to the GDS-15 cut off value of ≥5, regardless of age or sex, and thus comprise the proposed short version of the scale (GDS-4 GERDA). For the identification of individuals with depression (total GDS-15 score ≥ 5), the GDS-4 GERDA with a cut-off score of ≥2 had 92.9% sensitivity and 85.0% specificity.Conclusion: The GDS-4 GERDA could be used as an optimized short version of the GDS-15 to screen for depression among adults aged ≥ 85 years.
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4. |
- Jonsson, Fanny, et al.
(author)
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Association between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health in very old people in Sweden
- 2024
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 19:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden implemented social distancing measures to reduce infection rates. However, the recommendation meant to protect individuals particularly at risk may have had negative consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on very old Swedish peoples' mental health and factors associated with a decline in mental health.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among previous participants of the SilverMONICA (MONItoring of Trends and Determinants of CArdiovascular disease) study. Of 394 eligible participants, 257 (65.2%) agreed to participate. Of these, 250 individuals reported mental health impact from COVID-19. Structured telephone interviews were carried out during the spring of 2021. Data were analysed using the χ2 test, t-test, and binary logistic regression.Results: Of 250 individuals (mean age: 85.5 ± 3.3 years, 54.0% women), 75 (30.0%) reported a negative impact on mental health, while 175 (70.0%) reported either a positive impact (n = 4) or no impact at all (n = 171). In the binary logistic regression model, factors associated with a decline in mental health included loneliness (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) (3.87 [1.83-8.17]) and difficulty adhering to social distancing recommendations (5.10 [1.92-13.53]). High morale was associated with positive or no impact on mental health (0.37 [0.17-0.82]).Conclusions: A high percentage of very old people reported a negative impact on mental health from the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily from loneliness and difficulty adhering to social distancing measures, while high morale seemed to be a protective factor.
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5. |
- Kreft, A. K., et al.
(author)
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Do gender patterns in diplomacy disappear over time?
- 2022
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In: European Journal of Politics and Gender. - 2515-1088. ; 5:3, s. 279-302
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Existing scholarship points to gender patterns in diplomacy. This study examines such gender patterns in new ways, expecting women to be less likely to be ambassadors in states with more economic clout and in conflict-affected states, but more likely to serve as ambassadors in more gender-equal states. Most importantly, we examine whether these gender differences diminish over time. New data on ambassador appointments for Denmark, Sweden, the UK and the US spanning the period 1970–2015 reveal that whereas there are no gender differences with respect to postings to gender-equal states or states with domestic conflict, women are indeed less likely to be ambassadors in economically significant states and in states in inter-state conflict. Crucially, these patterns are not diminishing over time. This study opens up for future investigation into underlying mechanisms that explain the persistence of some gender patterns and the absence of others. © European Conference on Politics and Gender and Bristol University Press 2022.
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6. |
- Ludt, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Speaking the Unspeakable: Disclosures of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Asylum Credibility Assessments
- 2022
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In: Nordic Journal of Human Rights. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1891-8131 .- 1891-814X. ; 40:3, s. 441-460
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article explores the extent to which the human rights framework relating to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is upheld in the Norwegian asylum system, by investigating if and how asylum bureaucrats enable the disclosure of SGBV and how such disclosure may impact the assessment of applicants’ credibility. Credibility assessment is important in deciding who is eligible for protection. Eliciting disclosures of SGBV in general is notoriously difficult, and SGBV allegations are often disbelieved. It is also well known that credibility assessment in the asylum system involves working with ambiguity and challenges, but this has rarely been explored with a particular focus on SGBV. Through an analysis of public case summaries and 18 semi-structured interviews with asylum caseworkers and key actors, drawing on Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucrats, we conclude that caseworkers’ use of coping mechanisms makes them reluctant to enable, or engage with, disclosures of SGBV, and that this may endanger human rights.
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7. |
- Niklasson, Birgitta, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Accountability in Swedish Political Parties? Survey evidence of misconduct and whistleblowing
- 2023
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- What is the nature of misconduct and whistleblowing in political parties? While there is a large and established literature on the causes and consequences of whistleblowing in many organizational settings, we are yet to understand how these processes work in political parties: organisations that operate at the heart of democracy and are distinctive in their cultural and hierarchical structures. This paper develops expectations for misconduct and whistleblowing in parties from a substantial body of research on whistleblowing from the field of business ethics and supplements this with insights from organizational theory. We then carry out a first attempt to empirically gauge the nature of misconduct and whistleblowing in political parties using a survey of over 1,165 Swedish politicians from the national, regional, and local levels – the Politikerpanel – following the formation of the Swedish government in 2022. The results show that reported misconduct in political parties tends to refer to either serious structural organisational problems, or instances of inappropriate personal conduct. Misconduct is overwhelmingly dealt with internally within parties, through both formal and informal means. However, some types of misconduct – specifically structural issues – are more likely to be reported than others that are potentially more politically costly. These findings give new insight into how frequent misconduct and wrongdoing is in political parties, what the nature of these misconducts are, and what mechanisms are used for addressing them by witnesses and authorities.
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8. |
- Niklasson, Birgitta, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Diplomatic Gender Patterns and Symbolic Status Signaling: Introducing the GenDip Dataset on Gender and Diplomatic Representation
- 2023
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In: International Studies Quarterly. - 0020-8833. ; 67:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This research note introduces a new dyadic dataset on gender and diplomatic representation and shows its potential to address questions about international status, gender patterns in international politics, and more. The GenDip dataset includes the names and gender classification of all bilateral ambassadors heading embassies 1968-2019 (74,549), structured as dyad/decade for 1968-1998 and dyad/lustrum for 1998-2019. Cross-fertilizing the quantitative study of status with qualitative studies on women's symbolic meaning for the status of states, we illustrate the utility of this data by showing that the gender of ambassadors is implicated in status hierarchies among states. For instance, states with a reputation as strongly patriarchal are more likely than others to post their female ambassadors to states with an international gender equality profile, for status and to signal policy alignment. We also show that shares of female ambassadors vary considerably among sending states, in unexpected ways, identifying the need for more research explaining why. This dataset enables new, crucial questions to be asked of international relations, mapping gender changes in diplomacy over time and place and explaining their causes and effects. Esta nota de investigacion presenta un nuevo conjunto de datos diadicos en materia de genero y representacion diplomatica y muestra su potencial de cara a abordar cuestiones relativas tanto al estatus internacional, como a los patrones de genero dentro la politica internacional y a otras cuestiones. El conjunto de datos GenDip incluye los nombres, con su correspondiente clasificacion en materia de genero, de todos los embajadores bilaterales que encabezaron embajadas entre 1968 y 2019 (74.549), estructurados de la siguiente forma: diada/decada para los datos de entre 1968 y 1998 y diada/lustro para los datos de entre 1998 y 2019. Ilustramos la utilidad de estos datos mostrando que el genero de los embajadores tiene implicaciones para las jerarquias de estatus entre los Estados, a traves del cruce de datos entre el estudio cuantitativo del estatus y los estudios cualitativos sobre el significado simbolico de las mujeres para el estatus de los Estados. Por ejemplo, aquellos Estados que tienen una reputacion de ser fuertemente patriarcales son mas propensos que otros a enviar a sus embajadoras a los Estados que cuentan con un perfil internacional de igualdad de genero, por motivos de estatus y con el fin de simbolizar la alineacion entre las politicas. Tambien demostramos que las proporciones de embajadoras varian considerablemente entre los Estados de origen, en maneras inesperadas, lo cual nos permite identificar la necesidad de realizar una mayor investigacion que pueda explicar por que ocurre esto. Este conjunto de datos nos permite hacer nuevas preguntas cruciales en materia de relaciones internacionales, asi como mapear los cambios de genero en la diplomacia a lo largo del tiempo y el espacio y explicar sus causas y efectos. Cette note de recherche presente un nouvel ensemble de donnees dyadique sur le genre et la representation diplomatique, et montre son potentiel lorsqu'il s'agit de repondre entre autres aux questions relatives au statut et aux schemas genres en politique internationale. L'ensemble de donnees GenDip comprend les noms et la classification de genre de tous les ambassadeurs bilateraux a la tete d'ambassades entre 1968 et 2019 (74 549), en les structurant par dyade/decennie entre 1968 et 1998 et par dyade/lustre de 1998 a 2019. En fertilisant mutuellement l'etude quantitative du statut et les etudes qualitatives sur la signification symbolique des femmes pour le statut des etats, nous illustrons l'utilite de ces donnees en montrant que le genre des ambassadeurs est implique dans les hierarchies de statut des etats. Par exemple, les etats reputes fortement patriarcaux auront plus de chances que les autres de poster les ambassadrices dans les etats au profil international d'egalite des sexes, tant pour le statut que pour indiquer un alignement politique. Nous montrons aussi que la part d'ambassadrices differe beaucoup et de facons inattendues chez les pays emetteurs, et identifions donc la necessite de mener de nouveaux travaux de recherche pour en expliquer les raisons. Cet ensemble de donnees permet de poser de nouvelles questions essentielles aux relations internationales, en representant les evolutions relatives au genre en diplomatie au fil du temps et en fonction du lieu et en en expliquant les causes et effets.
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9. |
- Niklasson, Birgitta, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Introduction: Approaching Gender and Ministries of Foreign Affairs
- 2022
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In: The Hague Journal of Diplomacy. - : Brill. - 1871-1901 .- 1871-191X. ; 17, s. 339-369
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This introductory article situates Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs) as gendered institutions at the intersection between domestic and international relations. Based on an extensive literature review and analysis of articles on Australian, Bulgarian, Czech, Japanese, Turkish, UK, and US MFAs in this special issue, we claim that research on gender and MFAs has made important contributions to diplomatic studies by deepening, challenging, and diversifying understandings of what MFAs are; MFAs' institutional structures; and power struggles within MFAs. MFA relations with other actors remain decidedly understudied from a gender perspective, however. Future research on gender and MFAs should direct attention to these relationships, including how they shape MFAs as gendered institutions. Future studies would also benefit from global and intersectional analyses of multiple axes of power and differentiation. By identifying research questions, new theoretical perspectives, and largely unapplied research designs, we hope to facilitate the pursuit of such studies.
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10. |
- Niklasson, Birgitta, 1975, et al.
(author)
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Misconduct and whistleblowing in political parties: A party loyalty dilemma
- 2024
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In: PARTY POLITICS. - 1354-0688 .- 1460-3683.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- What is the nature of misconduct and whistleblowing in political parties? While there is a large literature on whistleblowing in other organisational settings, we are yet to understand how these accountability processes work in parties. Using a survey of 1165 Swedish politicians, we show that misconduct in parties primarily relates to serious structural organisational problems and inappropriate personal conduct. Witnessed misconduct is reported around half of the time and this is chiefly done through internal means, which are less costly for the party. We also test expectations derived from research on party unity and demonstrate that officials from incumbent parties with greater party discipline and loyalty blow the whistle to a lesser extent, though this pattern does not hold for the occurrence of negative consequences and is driven mainly by the Social Democrats. Our results suggest that whistleblowing presents politicians with a loyalty dilemma, the outcome of which is determined largely by party factors.
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