Publications (44) View all
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Article: Parents matter - but relations to parents do not explain gender differences in self-reported health in adolescents.
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ABSTRACT: Scand J Caring Sci; 2012 Parents matter - but relations to parents do not explain gender differences in self-reported health in adolescents The aim of the study was to explore whether parent-adolescent relations are associated to self-reported health of adolescents. Logistic regression analyses were performed on a cross-sectional data set consisting of 5060 adolescents, grades 7-9, from six municipalities in the northern part of Sweden. The study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Umeå, Sweden. Results showed that, in both boys and girls, experiencing low parental demands as well as perceiving the relationship quality and the communication with parents as poor were significantly associated with having poor general health, somatic complaints and feelings of stress. In general, girls scored lower on self-reported health than boys, but our findings indicate that these gender differences could not be explained by relations to parents. In conclusion, relations to parents play an important role for self-reported health of adolescents. Although no causal-effect statements can be determined in this study, it is implied that there is a need for health professionals, such as school nurses, school welfare officers, etc., to pay special attention to parent-adolescent relations in their work with adolescents.Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 02/2012; · 0.89 Impact Factor -
Article: Gender differences and predictors of self-rated health development among Swedish adolescents.
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the development of self-rated health among boys and girls during adolescence. Longitudinal cohort study, involving 1,046 Swedish adolescents from the seventh (12-13 years old) to the ninth grade. Self-rated health (well-being) and health-related empowerment were measured using a questionnaire. In the seventh as well as in the ninth grade, the proportion of adolescents reporting a good health was lower in girls than in boys. In general, girls showed lower health-related empowerment as compared with boys and this difference remained between both the grades. In boys and girls belonging to both grades, a high empowerment score was related to a high self-rated health. For both boys and girls, self-rated health declined between the seventh and ninth grade. In girls, the proportion rating their health as "very good" declined from 47 % to 30%, and in boys the same proportion declined from 56% to 46%, indicating an increasing gender difference. Only a minor proportion of adolescents (16% of the boys and 13% of the girls) reported an improvement. A high self-rated health in grade nine was, in girls, predicted by positive school experiences in seventh grade and, in boys, by a good mood in the family. During adolescence, girls reported lower self-rated health than boys and this gender difference increased over the years. High empowerment is related to high self-rated health, and positive school experiences and a good mood in the family seem to be important predictors of a positive development of self-rated health.Journal of Adolescent Health 02/2011; 48(2):143-50. · 3.33 Impact Factor -
Article: Struggling for recognition and inclusion-parents' and pupils' experiences of special support measures in school.
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ABSTRACT: During the last decade an increasing use of differentiated support measures for pupils with special educational needs, indicative of a discrepancy between educational policies and practices, has been witnessed in Sweden. Another trend has been the increased use of medical diagnoses in school. The aim of this study was to explore the main concern of support given to pupils with special educational needs and how pupils and parents experience and handle this. Interviews were conducted with eight pupils in Grades 7-9-and their parents-at two compulsory schools in a city in northern Sweden. A grounded theory approach was used for analyzing the interview data. A conceptual model was generated illuminating the main concern of special support measures for pupils and parents. The core category of the model, struggling for recognition and inclusion, was related to two categories, which further described how this process was experienced and handled by the participants. These categories were labeled negotiating expertise knowledge within a fragmented support structure and coping with stigma, ambivalence, and special support measures. The developed conceptual model provides a deeper understanding of an ongoing process of struggle for recognition and inclusion in school as described by the pupils and parents.International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being 01/2010; 5. · 0.48 Impact Factor -
Article: Obesity in 4-year-old children more prevalent in girls and in municipalities with a low socioeconomic level.
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ABSTRACT: To provide updated prevalence data of BMI and obesity in 4-year-old Swedish children, also exploring socioeconomic differences. A total of 4407 children born 1998-1999 (2231 boys and 2176 girls) in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Overweight and obesity was estimated using the International Obesity Task Force cutoff values (ISO BMI). Information about socioeconomic level of the municipalities was collected from a health survey of the adult population. Of the boys, 16.7% were classified as overweight and 3.1% of these as obese. Corresponding figures for girls were 22.1% and 6%. [corrected] The P50 and P95 values for BMI were 16.2 and 18.8 for boys and 16.1 and 19.3 for girls, respectively. P50 was at the same level as in previous Swedish studies, while P95 was higher in this study. Obesity, in girls, was more prevalent in municipalities with a low socioeconomic level. Overweight and obesity in pre-school children in Sweden is more prevalent in girls than in boys, and the prevalence is as high as in school age children. A low socioeconomic level of living area seems to be related to a higher prevalence of obesity. Increased preventive efforts, both on the individual and the societal level, must be undertaken to reduce future health risks in obese children.Acta Paediatrica 02/2007; 96(1):113-6. · 2.07 Impact Factor -
Chapter: Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Childhood and Adolescence
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ABSTRACT: Key Points • Obesity in children and adolescents as well as the related metabolic consequences of insulin resistance and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are increasing worldwide. • Obesity has become a pediatric problem. Tracking of obesity into adulthood increases with the degree of obesity and age of the child. • Genetically determined susceptibility makes certain individuals and families more vulnerable than others regarding the development of obesity and its metabolic consequences. • Besides being a storage depot for fat, adipose tissue is also an endocrine organ with a key function in integrating endocrine, metabolic, and inflammatory signals for the control of energy homeostasis and is mediated through a number of newly discovered bioactive molecules collectively called adipocytokines. • Increased concentrations of adipose tissue cortisol caused by excess activity of the enzyme 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 may contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome in humans. • Disregarding the molecular mechanisms behind obesity in children, a higher consumption of energy-dense food in combination with a sedentary lifestyle is the major explanation behind the “obesity epidemic.” • Adjusted body mass index is a suitable measure for diagnosis and monitoring of obesity in children and adolescents. • Early identification, monitoring, and intervention are recommended for children and adolescents with weight problems. • Programs targeting obesity in children and adolescents should focus on parental guidance skills regarding diet and physical activity in combination with primary preventive efforts to change the “obesogenic” environment.12/2004: pages 293-319;
