Negative associations between step-up height and waist circumference in 8-year-old children and their parents.

AIM: To study cross-sectional relationships between step-up height and waist circumference (WC), a potential proxy for sarcopenic obesity, in Swedish children and parents. METHODS: Participants were recruited from Swedish schools in disadvantaged areas in 2017. Height, body weight, WC and maximal step-up height were measured in 67 eight-year-old children and parents: 58 mothers, with a mean age of 38.5 and 32 fathers, with a mean age of 41.3. Sedentary time and physical activity were registered by an accelerometer. Associations between maximal step-up height and WC were analysed using Pearson's correlation and adjusted linear regression. RESULTS: Abdominal obesity, WC ≥ 66 centimetres (cm) in children, ≥88 cm in women and ≥102 cm in men, was observed in 13% and 35% of girls and boys, and in 53% and 34% among mothers and fathers, respectively. Negative associations between maximal step-up height and WC were found for children (r = -0.37, p = 0.002) and adults (mothers r = -0.58, p < 0.001, fathers r = -0.48, p = 0.006). The associations remained after adjustments for height, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity in adults. Reduced muscle strength clustered within families (r = 0.54, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Associations between reduced muscle strength and abdominal obesity were observed in children and parents. Sarcopenic obesity may need more attention in children. Our findings support family interventions.

To capture the child's interest - nurses experiences of 'Saga stories in health talks'.

BACKGROUND: As unhealthy lifestyle habits have been found to be established early in life and often track into adulthood, early preventive initiatives are important. 'Saga Stories in health talks' is a newly developed material that is intended to be used as a support for nurses at child health care (CHC) centers in their health talks with children and parents in Sweden. The aim of this study is to explore how CHC nurses experience the usability of the 'Saga Stories in health talks' material. METHODS: This study used a qualitative design. The material 'Saga Stories in health talks' was tested by 33 CHC nurses working in 11 CHC centers in three regions in Sweden. All CHC nurses were invited to participate in the interviews and 17 agreed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: Three categories and eight sub-categories emerged. The categories were: (1) An appreciated tool suitable for health talks, (2) Illustrations to capture children's interest in the conversation with families, and (3) Barriers and facilitators. Saga Stories in health talks' was experienced by the CHC nurses as an appreciated tool with content highly relevant to what should be discussed during the health talks. The CHC nurses described the material as well-designed with illustrations that helped them capture the child's interest and increase their participation, while still involving the parents. Support from colleagues, the researchers, and managers were seen as important facilitators. Challenges included structural factors such as how and when to best use the material, especially concerning that the 4-year visit contained many other mandatory parts. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study show that the material 'Saga Stories in health talks' was highly appreciated by CHC nurses and facilitated their health talks with families in CHC. Important aspects with the material were the relevant content and the focus on healthy living habits, as well as the child friendly illustrations. These findings can be used when similar material is developed to facilitate health talks with families in other contexts. Our results also highlight the importance to adjust the implementation of a new material with already established practice and routines.

Adolescents' experiences of a school-based health promotion intervention in socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged areas in Sweden: a qualitative process evaluation study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a transition period in which positive experiences of physical activity have the potential to last into later adulthood. These experiences are influenced by socioeconomic determinants, leading to health inequalities. This study aims to explore adolescents' experiences and participation in a multi-component school-based intervention in schools located in socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged areas in Sweden. METHODS: A qualitative design was used to evaluate how participants experienced the intervention. The intervention was a multi-component school-based intervention. It was conducted in six schools (four control and two intervention schools) with a total of 193 students and lasted one school year. It was teacher-led and consisted of three 60-minute group sessions per week: varied physical activities, homework support with activity breaks, and walks while listening to audiobooks. In total, 23 participant observations were conducted over eight months and 27 students participated in focus groups. A content analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The results describe a main category 'Engaging in activities depending on socioeconomic status' and three generic categories: 1. Variations in participation in PA together with classmates and teachers; 2. Variations in engagement in PA after school; and 3. Differences in time and place allocated to do homework and listen to audiobooks. These categories illustrate how participants looked forward to the physical activities but used the time spent during the walks and homework support differently depending on how busy they were after school. Frequently, those who were busiest after school were also those from the advantaged area, and those who had little to do after school were from the disadvantaged area. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic factors influence participants' possibilities to engage in the intervention activities as well as how they use their time in the activities. This study showed that it is crucial to support adolescents' participation in physical activities by providing structure and engaging well-known teachers in the activities, especially in schools located in disadvantaged areas.

Parents' experiences of participating in the Healthy School Start Plus programme - a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The rise in overweight and obesity among children is a global problem and effective prevention interventions are urgently required. Parents play an important role in children's lifestyle behaviours and body weight development and therefore there is a great need to investigate how to involve parents effectively in health promotion and prevention programmes. The aim of the study was to describe parents' experiences of barriers and facilitators of participating in the Healthy School Start Plus (HSSP) intervention study. METHODS: HSSP is a parental support programme, conducted in Sweden, with the aim to promote a healthy diet, physical activity and preventing obesity in 5-7-year-old children starting school. In total 20 parents from 7 schools participated in semi-structured telephone-based interviews. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis, with a deductive approach based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). RESULTS: Parental experiences of barriers and facilitators informing the implementation of the HSSP intervention were identified within all five domains of the CFIR. Two additional constructs, not included in the CFIR were identified: Social factors and Cooperation. The findings of parental experiences of barriers and facilitators related to the importance of (1) adaptation of the intervention to fit the abilities of the parents with different social and cultural backgrounds; (2) the need for continuous delivery of information related to healthy behaviours; (3) the commitment and efforts of the deliverers of the intervention; (4) the need for repetition of information related to healthy behaviours given by the deliverers of the intervention; (5) encouragement and facilitation of the involvement of the family and key people around them through the intervention activities and by the deliverers of the intervention; (6) awareness of unexpected impacts and social and cultural conditions complicating the execution of the intervention and; (7) cooperation and a well-functioning interaction between parents and school staff. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers and facilitators indicated by the parents highlighted that interventions like the HSSP need to be adapted to fit the parents' abilities, with reminders, follow-ups and delivery of relevant information. Variations in social and cultural conditions need to be taken into consideration. The commitment of the school and the interaction between the school staff and the family as well as key people around them appears to be important. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Healthy School Start Plus trial was retrospectively registered in the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry on January 4, 2018 and available online at ClinicalTrials.gov: No. NCT03390725.

Intensive care nurses' lived experience of altruism and sacrifices during the Covid-19 pandemic: A phenomenological study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to understand the lived experience of altruism and sacrifices among Swedish nurses working in intensive care units (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: This was a descriptive phenomenological study. METHODS: The study was conducted between June 2020 and March 2021 and included 20 nurses who were directly involved in the ICU care of COVID-19 patients in Sweden during the pandemic. The text transcripts were analysed using Malterud's Systematic Text Condensation. FINDINGS: The analysis revealed four themes. The work situation changed from 1 day to another-the nurses were brutally confronted with a new and highly demanding situation. Adapting to the chaotic situation-despite fear, anguish and exhaustion, the nurses adapted to the new premises. They shouldered the moral responsibility and responded to the needs of the patients and the health care system since they had the competence. Being confronted with ethical and moral challenges-the nurses were overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness and inadequacy because despite how hard they worked, they were still unable to provide care with dignity and of acceptable quality. The importance of supporting each other-collegiality was fundamental to the nurses' ability to cope with the situation. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, being exposed to a constantly changing situation, facing the anguish and misery of patients, families, and colleagues, and being confronted with a conflict between the moral obligation to provide care of high quality and the possibility to fulfil this commitment resulted in suffering among the nurses. Collegial back-up and a supportive culture within the caring team were important for the nurses' endurance. IMPACT: The study contributes an understanding of nurses' lived experience of working during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the importance of protecting and preparing nurses and nursing organisation for potential future crises.

Assessing students interprofessional competence using a Swedish version of the Interprofessional Collaborator Assessment Rubric.

Valid instruments to assess interprofessional competence in students during clinical studies are needed, especially considering an increasingly pressured healthcare environment where supervisors have various experience of supervision and assessment. The aim of this study was to explore the applicability of a Swedish version of the Interprofessional Collaborator Assessment Rubric (ICAR) in different clinical education contexts from both student and supervisor perspectives. The study used a qualitative design. Data was collected using focus group discussions with students (n = 35) and individual interviews with supervisors (n = 8). Data was recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. The findings show that the instrument was perceived as a relevant working tool for assessing interprofessional competencies. The importance for learning was highlighted, which included an increased understanding and insight about different professions' roles and responsibilities, created opportunities of self-reflection and stimulated discussion about students' individual assessments. In terms of the interpretation and understanding of included concepts and user instructions, different suggestions for clarification emerged. Views about time for assessment varied between students and supervisors. In this study, the Swedish version of ICAR was considered an adequate assessment tool for assessing students' progression of interprofessional competencies in relation to course specific learning outcomes.

Study protocol for an effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial to evaluate a health promotion intervention in parents and their 5-year-old child: Saga Stories in health talks in Swedish child healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as a poor diet, inadequate physical activity, and excessive screen time have been shown to be established in childhood and track into adulthood, demonstrating the need for health promotion interventions in the pre-school years. The overall aim of this project is to: (i) evaluate the effectiveness of `Saga Stories in health talks´ within child healthcare (CHC) on parental self-efficacy to promote healthy diet, physical activity, and screen time behaviours in their child; children's intake of key dietary indicators and screen time and (ii) evaluate and explore the implementation of `Saga Stories in health talks´ with regards to acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, adoption, sustainability, satisfaction, and usage. METHODS: A hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation trial will be conducted. A cluster randomized controlled trial will be used to assess the effectiveness of `Saga Stories in health talks´ in 42 CHC centers across six regions in Sweden. `Saga Stories in health talks´ consists of material for CHC nurses to use to facilitate the health talk with both the child and parent(s) and is complemented with take-home material. Parent and child dyads are recruited (n = 450) from participating CHC centers when they attend their 5-year routine visit. The intervention group receives the health talk using Saga Stories and take-home material, whereas the control group receives the standard health talk. The primary outcome is parental self-efficacy to promote healthy diet, physical activity, and screen time behaviours in their child and secondary outcomes include children's intake of key dietary indicators and screen time. All outcomes are assessed at baseline and 2-months post-intervention. The implementation outcomes that will be assessed are: acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, satisfaction, usage, fidelity, adoption, and sustainability (assessed quantitatively and qualitatively). DISCUSSION: The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare have identified the need of more material, education, and working methods for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours in CHC. Following this trial `Saga Stories in health talks´ has great potential to be implemented in CHC across Sweden to aid nurses to promote and support healthy lifestyle behaviours in pre-school children and their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05237362 . Registered 2 February 2022.

Spontaneous ethics in nurses' willingness to work during a pandemic.

Background: In modern healthcare, the role of solidarity, altruism and the natural response to moral challenges in life-threatening situations is still rather unexplored. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to obtain a deeper understanding of nurses' willingness to care for patients during crisis.Objective: To elucidate clinical expressions of ontological situational ethics through nurses' willingness to work during a pandemic.Research design, participants and context: A qualitative study with an interpretive design was applied. Twenty nurses who worked in intensive care unit at two Swedish hospitals during the first, second, and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed. The analysis was interpretative and applied a theoretical ethics perspective.Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority and informed consent was obtained from all participants.Findings: From a philosophical perspective, the nurses expressed sovereign life expressions of mercy and compassion, which arose spontaneously in response to seeing vulnerable fellow humans. They referenced ''the nurse inside me'' and their choice of profession as motives to provide care. Ontological situational ethics in culture and norms were noted in the constructs of competence, responsibility, solidarity with colleagues and organization; and interest and learning were driving forces. Ethical demand was evident when nurses expressed ideas of meaningfulness in helping their fellow humans; but themes of ambiguity, exhaustion and unwillingness were also present.Conclusions: The nurses showed a high willingness to care for patients during a crisis. Responding to the ethical demand and to care for vulnerable human beings while risking their own health and lives could be interpreted as an inter-human vocation. These spontaneous altruistic actions saved the lives of many patients during the pandemic and need to be understood and supported.

Barriers and facilitators to successful implementation of sustainable school meals: a qualitative study of the OPTIMAT™-intervention.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to align human diets with goals for environmental sustainability and population health. The OPTIMAT™-intervention study was developed to implement and evaluate a nutritionally adequate and climate-friendly 4-week lunch menu in Swedish primary schools. This study aimed to explore pupils' and kitchen staff's experiences of the intervention and to identify barriers and facilitators to successful implementation of sustainable school meals. METHODS: An inductive manifest qualitative method was used. Nine focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, six with pupils in grades 5 (ages 10-11) and 8 (ages 14-15) (n = 29) and three with kitchen staff (n = 13). Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Five main categories and 11 subcategories at a manifest level emerged. The five main categories were: 1) Experiences with the new menu, unfolding variations in how the new menu was received and kitchen staff's experiences of working with it; 2) The meaning of diet sustainability, comprising pupils' and kitchen staff's perceptions about diet sustainability as a concept and part of their everyday lives; 3) Factors influencing plant-based food acceptance, covering aspects such as the influence of sensory factors, habits and peer pressure; 4) Opportunities to increase plant-based eating, including factors related to pupils' and kitchen staff's ideas for how to increase plant-based food acceptance; and 5) Need for a supportive environment to achieve dietary change, comprising pupils' and kitchen staff's thoughts on the importance of more knowledge, resources and involvement of stakeholders to eat more plant-based meals in schools. CONCLUSIONS: Successful implementation of sustainable school meals would require more knowledge among pupils and kitchen staff. Staff also need more training in cooking of sustainable meals. Barriers among pupils could be tackled by introducing new plant-based meals more gradually and by more carefully considering the seasoning, naming and aesthetics of dishes. An increased leadership support for change and involvement of stakeholders from multiple levels within society will be key in the transition to sustainable school meals at scale. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial registration for the OPTIMAT™-intervention may be found at clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT04168632 Fostering Healthy and Sustainable Diets Through School Meals (OPTIMAT)).

Health and suffering are associated with social support: a cross-sectional study of women and mothers with exhaustion and pain.

BACKGROUND: Despite women are generally overrepresented in behavioral, mental, and musculoskeletal disorders, motherhood as a central part of women's life is poorly understood in relation to exhaustion and long-lasting pain. Mothers' health impairments imply suffering both for herself and her family. A profound understanding of health is needed taking mothers' subjective health experience, their suffering and life situation into account to give women, their families and society better prerequisites to alleviate exhaustion and long-lasting pain. The aim of the study was to describe health and suffering of women and mothers undergoing rehabilitation for long-lasting pain and exhaustion and its correlation with perceived social support. METHODS: The study had a cross-sectional design with an exploratory approach. A main sample consisted of 166 women undergoing rehabilitation for exhaustion and long-lasting pain and a reference sample included 129 women working and studying within health care professions. Both samples included women with and without children. Women's subjective health and suffering was assessed from a caring science perspective using the recently developed and validated Health and Suffering Scale. Two additional scales measuring exhaustion and social support were distributed among the two samples. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression models, including health and suffering and perceived social support, were analyzed. RESULTS: Mothers undergoing rehabilitation for pain and exhaustion reported significantly poorer health and more suffering compared to healthy mothers, but similar health and suffering when compared with childless women in rehabilitation. Health and suffering were correlated with perceived social support among both healthy and exhausted mothers. In both samples, the correlation between health and suffering and social support was stronger among mothers than among women without children. CONCLUSIONS: Women and mothers living with exhaustion and long-lasting pain show signs of unbearable suffering and perceived insufficient social support. Social support from various sources particularly helps mothers to create meaning in life and make their suffering bearable. Hence, health care must address the fact that mothers are dependent on their immediate social environment and that this dependency interacts with their health and suffering on an existential level.

Variations in perceptions of parenting role related to children's physical activity and sedentary behaviours - a qualitative study in a Northern European context.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to increase understanding of the variation in parental perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in relation to children's physical activity and sedentary behaviours. METHODS: This qualitative study was based on data from the Healthy School Start intervention study II, in the form of recorded motivational interviewing (MI) sessions with mothers and fathers participating in the intervention. Forty-one MI sessions where parents discussed physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour were selected for analysis. Data analysis was performed using a phenomenographic approach. RESULTS: Three categories describing a structural relationship of parents' different views on their own role in relation to their child's habits were identified: 1) The parent decides - Child physical activity according to my beliefs and views as a parent and where I, as a parent, decide, 2) Parent-child interaction - child physical activity is formed in interaction between me as a parent and my child or 3) The child/someone else decides - The child or someone other than me as a parent decides or has the responsibility for my child's physical activity. All three categories included four subcategories of specific activities: organised activity, activity in everyday life, being active together and screen time, describing practical approaches used in each of the three categories. CONCLUSIONS: This study found variation in mothers' and fathers' perceptions of their roles and responsibilities for their child's physical activity and sedentary behaviours related to specific types of activities. The results indicate areas where parents need support in how to guide their children and how parental responsibility can have a positive influence on children's physical activity and sedentary habits.

IMplementation and evaluation of the school-based family support PRogram a Healthy School Start to promote child health and prevent OVErweight and obesity (IMPROVE) - study protocol for a cluster-randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: IMPROVE aims to conduct a hybrid type 3 evaluation design to test the effectiveness of bundled implementation strategies on intervention fidelity of the Healthy School Start (HSS) program, while simultaneously monitoring effects on health outcomes of children and parents. The HSS is a 4-component family support program for children starting school (5-7 years of age) promoting healthy dietary habits and physical activity in the home environment to prevent childhood obesity and parents' risk of developing type 2 diabetes. METHODS: IMPROVE is a cluster-randomized controlled trial with two arms to evaluate and compare the effects of two different bundles of implementation strategies on intervention fidelity expressed as adherence and responsiveness at 12 and 24 months (primary outcomes). Thirty schools in two municipalities will participate in the study reaching about 1400 families per school year. In stakeholder workshops, key implementation determinants were identified according to the domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Through a consensus process with stakeholders, two bundles of implementation strategies were tailored to address context-specific determinants. Schools randomly assigned to group 1 will receive bundle 1 (Basic) and group 2 will receive bundle 1 + 2 (Enhanced). Bundle 2 consists of external facilitation, fidelity monitoring and feedback strategies. Secondary outcomes will include change in acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and organisational readiness as perceived by school staff. In addition, child weight status and diet, and parents' feeding practices and risk of type 2 diabetes will be monitored. Linear and ordinal regression analysis will be used to test the effect on the primary and secondary outcomes, taking clustering and covariates into consideration where needed. Process evaluation will be conducted through key stakeholder interviews to investigate experiences of the program and perceptions on sustainability. DISCUSSION: This systematic approach to investigating the effectiveness of two different bundles of implementation strategies tailored to context-specific determinants on the fidelity of the HSS intervention will provide new insight into feasible implementation strategies and external support needed for the HSS to be effective and sustainable. Results will help inform how to bridge the gap between the research on school-based health programs and routine practice in schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered prospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04984421 , registered July 30, 2021.

"We were all together"- families' experiences of the health-promoting programme - A Healthy Generation.

BACKGROUND: Healthy lifestyle habits, including physical activity (PA), are associated with a broad range of positive psychosocial and physical health benefits. However, there are challenges involved in reaching vulnerable groups in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. There is a lack of research on family-based PA interventions, specifically considering psychosocial health. The purpose of this study was to explore how families experienced psychosocial aspects of health after participation in a family-based programme, A Healthy Generation. METHODS: A Healthy Generation is a health-promoting, family-based programme delivered in collaboration with local municipalities and sport associations in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Sweden. Families with children in grade 2 (8-9 years), including siblings, participate in health-promoting activities, including activity sessions, healthy meals, health information and parental support groups. Data was collected through interviews with parents and children (n = 23) from a controlled pilot trial of the programme. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method. RESULTS: Three themes and seven sub-themes emerged. The themes were: "A sense of belonging", "Awareness of one's role as a parent" and "Inspiration towards new and healthier behaviours". In terms of A sense of belonging, participation in the programme was the families own free zone, where they also had the opportunity of being together with other families in the programme. For participants that were isolated and lacked a social network, their participation helped them towards social participation. During the programme, parents created an Awareness of one's role as a parent, with new insights on how to act as a parent and they also negotiated differences between each other. Participation in the programme contributed to Inspiration towards new and healthier behaviours such as experience-based insights and healthy lifestyle changes. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of co-participation in family-based health-promoting programmes to enhance psychosocial health among families in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The results give new insights into participants' experiences of psychosocial aspects of health after participation in a family-based PA programme. This knowledge can contribute to the understanding of how to design health-promoting, family-based interventions to promote psychosocial health in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN ISRCTN11660938 . Retrospectively registered 23 September 2019.

Effectiveness of a family intervention on health-related quality of life-a healthy generation, a controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is associated with better health, but knowledge about health promoting interventions, including physical activity for families in disadvantaged areas and the impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is sparse. The aim of this study was to assess HRQOL in children and their parents after participation in the programme "A Healthy Generation". METHODS: The programme is delivered in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Sweden and offers physical activity and a healthy meal or fruit twice a week from August to May to families with children in grade 2. Children (n = 67), aged 8-9 years, and their parents (n = 90) participated in this controlled study conducted in four schools, two control and two intervention schools. HRQOL of children and adults was assessed at baseline and follow-up after the intervention with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 and the Gothenburg Quality of Life scale, respectively. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), linear regression and Pearson's correlation were conducted. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between intervention and control in HRQOL among children or adults after the intervention. However, in a subgroup of children (n = 20) and adults (n = 29) with initial low HRQOL scores at baseline, there was a significant difference between the intervention group and control group after the intervention (children (total score): p = 0.02; adults (social domain) p = 0.04). Furthermore, within the intervention group, there was a significant relationship between level of participation in "A Healthy Generation" and the physical domain of HRQOL among girls (r = 0.44, p = 0.01), but not boys (r = - 0.07, p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: Participation in the programme "A Healthy Generation" did not show a significant intervention effect on HRQOL in general. However, the findings suggest that HRQOL may be increased for children and adults with low HRQOL in disadvantaged areas. This knowledge can contribute to the development of health promoting interventions in such areas, and to more equitable health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN ISRCTN11660938. Retrospectively registered 23 September 2019.

Women's Lived Experiences of Chronic Pain: Faces of Gendered Suffering.

Women are overrepresented in pain rehabilitation. They seem to be more exposed to comorbidity between mental illness and diseases of the musculoskeletal system than men, implying that besides biopsychosocial factors, gender relations and cultural context should be considered. The aim of the study is to understand the lived experience of women with chronic pain from a caring science and gender perspective. Gadamerian philosophical hermeneutics has been used to analyze interviews from 21 women living with chronic pain in Sweden. The hermeneutical process revealed intertwined experiences of overperformance, loneliness, pain, and exhaustion. Women's experience of an overwhelming life situation and the significance of mutual dependency seem to be central to health and suffering in women with chronic pain. We suggest, contemporary health care to acknowledge women's health and suffering in relation to their life situation and prevailing gender roles.

Measuring patients' health and suffering - the first stages of instrument development.

BACKGROUND: Patients have reported unanticipated and transformative health changes in existential character after integrative healthcare rehabilitation. Although there are several instruments measuring patients' experiences of health, identified instruments do not sufficiently capture patients' experiences of health and suffering after integrative health care. From a caring science perspective, health and suffering are understood as an integral part of human life. The objective of this study was to develop a first version of an instrument to measure patients' experiences of health and suffering, focusing on existential signs. METHODS: This Swedish study used a methodological design with three iterative phases for instrument development. Firstly, an item pool was developed based on qualitative patient interviews (n = 64). Subsequently, the relevance of the items was explored in two rounds of cognitive patient interviews (n = 5 and n = 3). Finally, expert consultations (n = 5) were used to further refine the instrument. The construct of the instrument, its dimensions and domains emerged through the iterative development process. RESULTS: The first phase development of the instrument resulted in two inter-related overarching dimensions: existential signs of 'Health' and 'Suffering', characterised by five domains: 'Life passion and energy', 'Personal freedom', 'Relationships', 'Presence in life' and 'Meaning'. Instrument items were formulated using contemporary language and word pairs to reflect a movement and relation between health and suffering. The cognitive interviews and expert opinions helped refine items and domains. CONCLUSIONS: The dimensions, domains and items of the instrument 'Existential signs of health and suffering' are well represented in caring science theories. Further clinical implementation and evaluation of the instrument, including psychometric properties, will allow for greater diversity in terms of context generalisability and patient characteristics. The instrument is anticipated to be of value for evaluations in research, development of healthcare practice and theory development in caring science.

The acceptability, usability, engagement and optimisation of a mHealth service promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours: A mixed method feasibility study.

Objective: Mobile health (mHealth) services suffer from high attrition rates yet represent a viable strategy for adults to improve their health. There is a need to develop evidence-based mHealth services and to constantly evaluate their feasibility. This study explored the acceptability, usability, engagement and optimisation of a co-developed mHealth service, aiming to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours. Methods: The service LongLife Active® (LLA) is a mobile app with coaching. Adults were recruited from the general population. Quantitative results and qualitative findings guided the reasoning for the acceptability, usability, engagement and optimisation of LLA. Data from: questionnaires, log data, eight semi-structured interviews with users, feedback comments from users and two focus groups with product developers and coaches were collected. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. A mixed method approach was used to interpret the findings. Results: The final sample was 55 users (82% female), who signed up to use the service for 12 weeks. Engagement data was available for 43 (78%). The action plan was the most popular function engaged with by users. The mean scores for acceptability and usability were 3.3/5.0 and 50/100, respectively, rated by 15 users. Users expressed that the service's health focus was unique, and the service gave them a 'kickstart' in their behaviour change. Many ways to optimise the service were identified, including to increase personalisation, promote motivation and improve usability. Conclusion: By incorporating suggestions for optimisation, this service has the potential to support peoples' healthy lifestyle behaviours.

Perspectives on Promoting Physical Activity Using eHealth in Primary Care by Health Care Professionals and Individuals With Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The trend of an exponential increase in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is projected to continue rising worldwide. Physical activity could help prevent T2D and the progression and complications of the disease. Therefore, we need to create opportunities for individuals to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to self-manage their chronic condition through physical activity. eHealth is a potential resource that could facilitate self-management and thus improve population health. However, there is limited research on users' perception of eHealth in promoting physical activity in primary care settings. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the perspectives of health care professionals and individuals with prediabetes and T2D on eHealth to promote physical activity in primary care. METHODS: A qualitative approach was applied using focus group discussions among individuals with prediabetes or T2D (14 participants in four groups) and health care professionals (10 participants in two groups). The discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was used inductively to code the data. RESULTS: Three main categories emerged: utility, adoption process, and accountability. The utility of eHealth was described as a motivational, entertaining, and stimulating tool. Registration of daily medical measurements and lifestyle parameters in a cohesive digital platform was recognized as a potential resource for strengthening self-management skills. The adoption process includes eHealth to increase the accessibility of care and personalize the support of physical activity. However, participants stated that digital technology might only suit some and could increase health care providers' administrative burden. Accountability refers to the knowledge and skills to optimize eHealth and ensure data integrity and security. CONCLUSIONS: People with prediabetes and T2D and health care professionals positively viewed an integration of eHealth technology in primary care to promote physical activity. A cohesive platform using personal metrics, goal-setting, and social support to promote physical activity was suggested. This study identified eHealth illiteracy, inequality, privacy, confidentiality, and an increased workload on health care professionals as factors of concern when integrating eHealth into primary care. Continuous development of eHealth competence was reported as necessary to optimize the implementation of eHealth technology in primary care.

"Sometimes It Felt Great, and Sometimes It Just Went Pear-Shaped": Experiences and Perceptions of School Nurses' Motivational Interviewing Competence: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study.

In this convergent mixed-methods study, the aim was to explore how objective and subjective quality ratings of school nurses' motivational interviewing (MI) correlate whilst also considering the perceptions of delivering and participating in the same MI sessions. Quantitative and qualitative data were derived from seven intervention schools participating in the Healthy School Start Plus parenting support intervention. School nurses were trained in MI and conducted an MI session with parents of 6-7-year-old children to discuss children's physical health and development. Quantitative data comprised objective ratings of school nurses' MI competence using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2 [MITI-4] protocol, as well as parents' and school nurses' subjective ratings of the MI sessions. Qualitative data comprised semi-structured interviews with parents and school nurses about their perceptions of the MI sessions. First, quantitative data were analysed using Spearman's rank correlation, and qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. Next, quantitative and qualitative findings were merged. Our findings suggest that school nurses' MI performances were rated and perceived as valuable and family-centred by both school nurses and parents who had left the meeting feeling motivated and empowered to promote their children's healthy behaviours. Nonetheless, school nurses were critical to their own MI technical performance, and they found that reflections were easier to deliver and to self-rate. Overall, MITI ratings were the lowest and parents' ratings were the highest. Future studies should focus on relating clients' subjective ratings of MI with clients' behavioural outcomes.

The health and suffering scale: Item reduction, reliability and validity among women undergoing rehabilitation for exhaustion and long-lasting pain.

AIM: To investigate the necessity of an item reduction and to evaluate estimates of dimensionality, reliability and validity of the Health and Suffering Scale among two groups of women, one undergoing rehabilitation for exhaustion and long-lasting pain and one reference group. DESIGN: Psychometric evaluation of the scale using cross-sectional data. METHOD: The Health and Suffering Scale is a self-report scale which measures perceived suffering in relation to health on a semantic visual analogue scale. Classical and modern test theory were applied for item reduction and to explore estimates of reliability and validity. RESULTS: The Health and Suffering Scale was found to be unidimensional, nine of originally twenty items were part of a consistent factor structure and hierarchical order. These items were internally consistent, discriminated between patients and healthy respondents, and had an excellent level of separation of individuals experiencing various levels of health and suffering. Re-test reliability estimates were moderate.