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“This path I must walk alone”. Challenges experienced by older patients while recovering from severe COVID-19 – a qualitative study
No full textBackground: In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged both the Norwegian population and healthcare system. In this study we explored how older men and women experienced rehabilitation and recovery after hospitalisation due to severe COVID-19.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 17 participants aged 60–96 years were performed 6 months after discharge from hospital. A thematic descriptive analysis was conducted.
Results: The results revealed that the participants experienced a challenging span between loneliness and companionship in recovering from severe COVID-19. The four subthemes highlighted experiences of being discharged to home and left to themselves, the importance of exercise and companionship at rehabilitation stay, requirement of self-effort and time to recover, and the challenging span between loneliness and companionship when being with family.
Conclusion: Among participants, the experiences of loneliness throughout the recovery period were striking. An individualised approach including psychological support should be emphasized in primary healthcare to promote recovery in older survivors after severe COVID-19 and their next-of-kin
Recreation in the Outdoors—Exploring the Friluftsliv Experience of Adolescents at Residential Care
No full textProviding recreational activities is an important aspect of the intervention at residential care. We explore adolescents’ experience of outdoor recreational activities organized by the care workers in the context of friluftsliv (literally: free-air-life). Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method is used to analyze eight interviews with adolescents from residential care homes. Our analysis reveals that their experience of friluftsliv is made up of three constituents, described as Departure from everyday life, Shared experience, and Facing a different existence. Our discussion investigates the qualities and challenges related to friluftsliv as recreational activities at residential care and relates to the literature on nature-based interventions in child and youth care
The Importance of Developmental Assets to the Five Cs of Positive Youth Development among Norwegian Youth
No full textPositive youth development (PYD) focuses on the positive assets of young people. The PYD framework views young people as resources to be developed. PYD research in the US has reported relationship between developmental assets and the experience of positive developmental outcomes (i.e., the five Cs), where young people who report several developmental assets also report positive developmental outcomes such as academic achievements. The present study examines the importance of developmental assets in Norwegian youth and whether there is a relationship between the experienced levels of assets and the five Cs of PYD. 220 upper secondary school students (47.7% female) aged 16-20 (mean age = 17.3) were surveyed. Findings from the correlation analysis showed that all developmental assets correlated significantly with the five Cs. Further regression analysis revealed significant associations between the five Cs and some of the developmental assets but not all of them. The environment asset category School did not show any association with any one of the five Cs of PYD. Based on the findings developmental assets can provide good framework for promoting positive developmental outcomes in the Norwegian youth. Further research is needed to better understand the experience of developmental assets is the Norwegian context
Den hybride arbeidshverdagen - Betydningen av kontorløsning for jobbengasjement og organisasjonstilhørighet sett i lys av ansattes personlighetskarakteristika
No full textSom en konsekvens av covid-19-pandemien ble store deler av norsk arbeidsliv satt til å arbeide fra hjemmekontor i mars 2020. Denne erfaringen har ført til at flere ønsker å benytte seg av en mer fleksibel kontorløsning, også etter pandemien. Den foreliggende studien undersøker hvordan ulike kontorløsninger, herunder hjemmekontor, hybridkontor og kontorplass hos arbeidsgiver er forbundet med jobbengasjement og organisasjonstilhørighet hos ansatte. Hybridkontor defineres som en løsning hvor ansatte arbeider noe på hjemmekontor og noe på kontorplass hos arbeidsgiver. I tillegg undersøker studien hvorvidt personlighetstrekkene ekstroversjon og nevrotisisme modererer sammenhengene mellom kontorløsning og engasjement, samt tilhørighet. Studien bruker jobbkarakteristikamodellen, konservering av ressursteori og person-job fit teorien for å forklare hvordan faktorene er relaterer til hverandre. Data ble samlet inn i to større, statlige, norske bedrifter ved bruk av spørreskjema og ble analysert videre ved bruk av SPSS. For de direkte sammenhengene ble det benyttet ANCOVA-analyser mens interaksjonsanalysene ble gjennomført i PROCESS Macro modell 2 for å undersøke hvorvidt personlighetstrekkene fungerer som moderatorer. Resultatene viser at ansatte som skårer høyt på nevrotisisme opplever mindre organisasjonstilhørighet på hjemmekontor sammenlignet med bruk av hybridkontor. Det ble ikke funnet sammenhenger mellom de andre undersøkte faktorene. Studien gir imidlertid et unikt innblikk i hvordan kontorløsninger påvirker de ansatte og gir verdifull informasjon som kan brukes ved utforming av «Den nye arbeidshverdagen»
Who you know: the classed structure of social capital
No full textThis article focuses on the social structuring of social capital, understood as resources embedded in social networks. The analysis integrates key theoretical–methodological insights from two distinct approaches concerned with social capital and inequality: the position-generator approach associated with Nan Lin and the spatial approach associated with Pierre Bourdieu. Empirically, we exploit the possibilities of survey data containing detailed information about the social ties of a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population (N = 4007). By means of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), we construct a space of social ties, a spatial representation of systematic similarities and differences between individuals' social ties to a set of 33 occupational positions. In this space, social capital is structured according to two primary dimensions: (i) the level of social ties, in terms of individuals' number of contacts; and (ii), the quality of social ties, in terms of a division between being connected to others in high-status positions and others in low-status positions. By means of Ascending Hierarchical Cluster analysis, five clusters are identified within the space of social ties: a homogenous working-class cluster, a well-connected working-class cluster, a cluster of high-status ties, a homogenous high-status cluster and a low-volume cluster. Moreover, the analysis clearly indicates that the structure of social capital is connected to respondents' class positions, their volumes of cultural and economic capital and their class origin. The analysis thus draws attention to the role of social capital in processes of social closure, regarding both resource monopolization and class formation
Reliability of preoperative MRI findings in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis
No full textBackground Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an important tool in preoperative evaluation of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Reported reliability of various MRI findings in LSS varies from fair to excellent. There are inconsistencies in the evaluated parameters and the methodology of the studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the preoperative MRI findings in patients with LSS between musculoskeletal radiologists and orthopaedic spine surgeons, using established evaluation methods and imaging data from a prospective trial. Methods Consecutive lumbar MRI examinations of candidates for surgical treatment of LSS from the Norwegian Spinal Stenosis and Degenerative Spondylolisthesis (NORDSTEN) study were independently evaluated by two musculoskeletal radiologists and two orthopaedic spine surgeons. The observers had a range of experience between six and 13 years and rated five categorical parameters (foraminal and central canal stenosis, facet joint osteoarthritis, redundant nerve roots and intraspinal synovial cysts) and one continuous parameter (dural sac cross-sectional area). All parameters were re-rated after 6 weeks by all the observers. Inter- and intraobserver agreement was assessed by Gwet’s agreement coefficient (AC1) for categorical parameters and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for the dural sac cross-sectional area. Results MRI examinations of 102 patients (mean age 66 ± 8 years, 53 men) were evaluated. The overall interobserver agreement was substantial or almost perfect for all categorical parameters (AC1 range 0.67 to 0.98), except for facet joint osteoarthritis, where the agreement was moderate (AC1 0.39). For the dural sac cross-sectional area, the overall interobserver agreement was good or excellent (ICC range 0.86 to 0.96). The intraobserver agreement was substantial or almost perfect/ excellent for all parameters (AC1 range 0.63 to 1.0 and ICC range 0.93 to 1.0). Conclusions There is high inter- and intraobserver agreement between radiologists and spine surgeons for preoperative MRI findings of LSS. However, the interobserver agreement is not optimal for evaluation of facet joint osteoarthritis
Drivers and barriers of circular economy business models: Where we are now, and where we are heading
No full textLiterature on the circular economy business model (CEBM) has witnessed a sharp upsurge in recent years. Although scholars have investigated CEBM from several perspectives, including the green business model, waste management, digital technology, the supply chain, and the financial impact of CEBM, critical analysis of the extant literature has not attracted scholarly attention. The current systematic literature review (SLR) on CEBM is an attempt to critically analyse and appraise the prior findings by following robust research protocols. We analysed a pool of 126 studies to identify the thematic research areas, recognise the research gaps and present future research agendas. Subsequently, we classified the research themes, namely the drivers of and barriers to CEBM. The paper thus provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the art on the drivers and barriers involved in executing CEBM. By identifying existing research gaps and presenting avenues for future research, the SLR illuminates the nuances of CEBM implementation. Moreover, we propose an actor-network theory-based conceptual framework for CEBM implementation for further investigation. We conclude the study by providing the theoretical and practical implications for those attempting to overcome the barriers and address the challenges involved in CEBM implementation
Global fossil carbon emissions rebound near pre-COVID-19 levels
No full textFossil CO2 emissions in 2021 grew an estimated 4.2% (3.5%–4.8%) to 36.2 billion metric tons compared with 2020, pushing global emissions back close to 2019 levels (36.7 Gt CO2)
The relationship between motherhood and use of mental health care services among married migrant and non-migrant women: a national register study
No full textBackground Giving birth to one’s first child is a life changing event. Beyond the post-partum period, little is known about the association between becoming a mother and mental disorder among migrant women. This study investigates outpatient mental health (OPMH) service use, a proxy for mental disorder, among married migrant and non-migrant women who become mothers and those who do not. Methods Using Norwegian register data, we followed 90,195 married women, aged 18-40 years, with no children at baseline between 2008-2013 to see if becoming a mother was associated with OPMH service use. Data were analysed using discrete time analyses. Results We found an interaction between motherhood and migrant category. Married non-migrant mothers, both in the perinatal period and beyond, had lower odds of OPMH use than married non-mothers. There was no association between motherhood and OPMH service use for migrants. However, there was no significant interaction between motherhood and migrant category when we excluded women who had been in Norway less than five years. Among women aged 25-40 years, a stable labour market attachment was associated with lower odds of OPMH use for non-migrants but not migrants, regardless of motherhood status. Conclusions The perinatal period is not associated with increased odds of OPMH use and appears to be associated with lower odds for married non-migrant women. Selection effects and barriers to care may explain the lack of difference in OPMH service use that we found across motherhood status and labour market attachment for married migrant women. Married migrant women in general have a lower level of OPMH use than married non-migrants. Married migrant women with less than five years in Norway and those with no/weak labour market attachment may experience the greatest barriers to care. Further research to bridge the gap between need for, and use of, mental health care among migrant women is required