Flow situations during everyday practice in a medical hospital ward. Results from a study based on experience sampling method

Nursing is a constant balance between strain and stimulation and work and health research with a positive reference point has been recommended. A health-promoting circumstance for subjective experience is flow, which is a psychological state, when individuals concurrently experience happiness, motivation and cognitive efficiency. Flow situations can be identified through individuals' estimates of perceived challenge and skills. There is, to the best of our knowledge, no published study of flow among health care staff. The aim of this study was to identify flow-situations and study work-related activities and individual factors associated with flow situations, during everyday practice at a medical emergency ward in Sweden, in order to increase the knowledge on salutogenic health-promoting factors.The respondents consisted of 17 assistant nurses and 14 registered nurses, who randomly and repeatedly answered a small questionnaire, through an experience sampling method, during everyday nursing practice. The study resulted in 497 observations. Flow situations were defined as an exact match between a high challenge and skill estimation and logistic regression models were used to study different variables association to flow situations.The health care staff spent most of its working time in individual nursing care and administrative and communicative duties. The assistant nurses were more often occupied in individual nursing care, while the registered nurses were more involved in medical care and administrative and communicative duties. The study resulted in 11.5% observations of flow situations but the relative number of flow situations varied between none to 55% among the participants. Flow situations were positively related to medical care activities and individual cognitive resources. Taking a break was also positively associated with flow situations among the assistant nurses.The result showed opportunities for work-related interventions, with an adherent increase in flow situations, opportunity for experience of flow and work-related health among the nursing staff in general and among the assistant nurses in particular

Work ethics and general work attitudes in adolescents are related to quality of life, sense of coherence and subjective health – a Swedish questionnaire study

BACKGROUND: Working life is an important arena in most people's lives, and the working line concept is important for the development of welfare in a society. For young people, the period before permanent establishment in working life has become longer during the last two decades. Knowledge about attitudes towards work can help us to understand young people's transition to the labour market. Adolescents are the future workforce, so it seems especially important to notice their attitudes towards work, including attitudes towards the welfare system. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse upper secondary school students' work attitudes, and to explore factors related to these attitudes. METHODS: The sample consisted of 606 upper secondary school students. They all received a questionnaire including questions about quality of life (QOL), sense of coherence (SOC), subjective health and attitudes towards work. The response rate was 91%. A factor analysis established two dimensions of work attitudes. Multivariate analyses were carried out by means of logistic regression models. RESULTS: Work ethics (WE) and general work attitudes (GWA) were found to be two separate dimensions of attitudes towards work. Concerning WE the picture was similar regardless of gender or study programme. Males in theoretical programmes appeared to have more unfavourable GWA than others. Multivariate analyses revealed that good QOL, high SOC and good health were significantly related to positive WE, and high SOC was positively related to GWA. Being female was positively connected to WE and GWA, while studying on a practical programme was positively related to GWA only. Among those who received good parental support, GWA seemed more favourable. CONCLUSION: Assuming that attitudes towards work are important to the working line concept, this study points out positive factors of importance for the future welfare of the society. Individual factors such as female gender, good QOL, high SOC and good health as well as support from both parents, positive experience of school and work contacts related positively to attitudes towards work. Further planning and supportive work have to take these factors into account

Inequalities of quality of life in unemployed young adults: A population-based questionnaire study

BACKGROUND: It is well known that unemployment is a great problem both to the exposed individual and to the whole society. Unemployment is reported as more common among young people compared to the general level of unemployment. Inequity in health status and life-satisfaction is related to unemployment. The purpose of this population-based study was to describe QOL among unemployed young people compared to those who are not unemployed, and to analyse variables related to QOL for the respective groups. METHODS: The sample consisted of 264 young unemployed individuals and 528 working or studying individuals as a reference group. They all received a questionnaire about civil status, educational level, immigration, employment status, self-reported health, self-esteem, social support, social network, spare time, dwelling, economy and personal characteristics. The response rate was 72%. The significance of differences between proportions was tested by Fisher's exact test or by χ(2 )test. Multivariate analysis was carried out by means of a logistic regression model. RESULTS: Our results balance the predominant picture of youth unemployment as a principally negative experience. Although the unemployed reported lower levels of QOL than the reference group, a majority of unemployed young adults reported good QOL, and 24% even experienced higher QOL after being unemployed. Positive QOL related not only to good health, but also to high self-esteem, satisfaction with spare time and broad latitude for decision-making. CONCLUSION: Even if QOL is good among a majority of unemployed young adults, inequalities in QOL were demonstrated. To create more equity in health, individuals who report reduced subjective health, especially anxiety need extra attention and support. Efforts should aim at empowering unemployed young adults by identifying their concerns and resources, and by creating individual programmes in relation not only to education and work, but also to personal development

Predictors of positive health in disability pensioners: a population-based questionnaire study using Positive Odds Ratio

BACKGROUND: Determinants of ill-health have been studied far more than determinants of good and improving health. Health promotion measures are important even among individuals with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to find predictors of positive subjective health among disability pensioners (DPs) with musculoskeletal disorders. METHODS: Two questionnaire surveys were performed among 352 DPs with musculoskeletal disorders. Two groups were defined: DPs with positive health and negative health, respectively. In consequence with the health perspective in this study the conception Positive Odds Ratio was defined and used in the logistic regression analyses instead of the commonly used odds ratio. RESULTS: Positive health was associated with age ≥ 55 years, not being an immigrant, not having fibromyalgia as the main diagnosis for granting an early retirement, no regular use of analgesics, a high ADL capacity, a positive subjective health preceding the study period, and good quality of life. CONCLUSION: Positive odds ratio is a concept well adapted to theories of health promotion. It can be used in relation to positive outcomes instead of risks. Suggested health promotion and secondary prevention efforts among individuals with musculoskeletal disorders are 1) to avoid a disability pension for individuals <55 years of age; if necessary, to make sure rehabilitation actions continue, 2) to increase efforts to support immigrants to adjust to circumstances connected to ill-health and retirement, 3) to pay special attention to individuals with fibromyalgia and other general pain disorders, and 4) to strengthen ADL activities to support an independent active life among disability pensioners

Salutogena arbetsfaktorer för friska medarbetare : en enkätstudie inom primärvården

Bakgrund: En fungerande primärvård är viktig för invånarnas hälsa. Hälso- och sjukvården i Sverige är under stor press och sjukvårdspersonalens välbefinnande är ett omdiskuterat ämne. Många studier i primärvården lyfter fram stress och ohälsa bland personalen, medan s.k. salutogena studier, dvs. sådana som lyfter fram resurser och möjligheter, i princip saknas. Det övergripande syftet med denna studie var att belysa goda arbetsförhållanden i primärvården ur ett salutogent perspektiv. Metod: En enkätstudie genomfördes vid samtliga 26 vårdcentraler, 18 offentliga och åtta privata, i sex kommuner i nordöstra Skåne. Enkäten riktade sig till alla anställda inom primärvården (n = 599). Frågorna omfattade olika dimensioner av arbetsförhållanden och hälsa. Som bas användes två salutogent inriktade mätinstrument: SHIS (Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale), som mäter indikatorer på hälsa, och WEMS (Work Experience Measurement Scale), med frågor om upplevelsen av arbetet och arbetssituationen. Dessa frågor kompletterades med nyskapade frågor. Dels gjordes en inledande intervjustudie, som resulterade i frågor av särskild relevans för primärvården, dels inkluderades frågor inspirerade av befintliga frågeinstrument. Index bildades utifrån de olika områdena, vilka skapades genom att frågor med logiskt samband slogs samman. Samtliga index presenteras i den här rapporten. Resultat: Den totala svarsfrekvensen var 84 procent. Det fanns stora individuella variationer mellan de olika vårdcentralerna. Hälsotillståndet hos de anställda var i första hand associerat med återhämtning, följt av balans mellan arbete och privatliv samt individuella inre arbetsupplevelser, som t.ex. att kunna gå till jobbet med glädje och att uppleva arbetet som meningsfullt och utmanande. Egenskaper som präglar arbetsplatsen hade det tydligaste förhållandet till upplevelsen av energi på arbetet, och det mest signifikanta sambandet med feed-back var att ha en tillgänglig chef. Det fanns en positiv trend för den yngre åldersgruppen (&lt;35 år) i upplevelsen av hälsa (SHIS). Samma grupp hade inom flera andra områden signifikant högre värden än resterande åldersgrupper, bl.a. gällande individuella inre upplevelser samt upplevelsen av feedback och arbetet som energigivare. Bland yrkesgrupperna var SHIS högt bland sköterskorna liksom upplevelsen av arbetet som energigivare. Den paramedicinska personalen upplevde självbestämmande såväl som möjlighet till reflektion på arbetet i störst utsträckning, medan den administrativa personalen tillsammans med läkarna upplevde högst grad av feedback på arbetet. Slutsats: Studien ger en grund för arbetsrelaterade insatser i syfte att stärka de funna salutogena faktorerna, samt för att öka de anställdas deltagande i framtida hälsofrämjande arbete. Varje vårdcentral har genom studien goda möjligheter att arbeta vidare med de egna resultaten.Arbetet har delfinansierats av Region Skåne och Distriktsläkarföreningens Samfond.</p

Low physical capacity among adolescents in practical education

The aim of this study was to obtain better knowledge about teenagers' physical capacity and physical activity. The study group consisted of 301 students in upper secondary school, 191 students in practical education (74 girls and 117 boys) and 110 students in theoretical education (57 girls and 53 boys). The adolescents were 16-19 years old and lived in southern Sweden. The study comprised three parts: a questionnaire, seven physical tests (one test to predict maximal oxygen uptake, three strength tests, two flexibility tests and one balance test) and information on each pupil's grades. Pupils in practical education for occupations like industrial- and building workers, mechanics, assistant nurses and hairdressers, all of which are occupations involving physical effort, had lower physical capacity than pupils in theoretical education among both girls and boys. A correlation was found between physical capacity and grades

Masterutbildning i hälsovetenskap - folkhälsovetenskap i ett integrerat ämnesområde

Högskolan Kristianstad beviljades år 2007 rätt att utfärda masterexamen inom området hälsovetenskap. Beslutet hade föregåtts av ett års intensivt arbete med att ta fram underlag till en ansökan. Man satsade på en integration av ämnen för att på ett aktivt sätt möta framtidens behov av personal med mångprofessionell kunskap. Arbetet med ansökan ledde till flera innovativa arbetsformer. Ett brett engagemang med intensiva dialoger skapades, såväl bland den egna lärarstaben som med det omgivande samhället.In 2007 a master programme in (integrative) health sciences at Kristianstad University College was approved by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education. The process to secure approval by the Swedish national Agency was extensive and complex. The programme aimed to combine scientific knowledge from various disciplines into a joined body of knowledge geared to both the national and international labour markets in public health, health care and social sectors. The development process incorporated keywords including “interdisciplinary” and “multiprofessional”. New innovative working methods were used in this process. A broad engagement with intensive dialogues was developed among the personnel as well as to the surrounding community