Health literacy : a key to social change for better health and well-being

Abstract: Health literacy entails the knowledge, motivation, and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply information to form judgement and make decisions concerning health care, disease prevention and health promotion in everyday life to maintain and promote quality of life during the life course, often with support of health providers. Amidst the pandemic, we needed to find new ways of keeping ourselves fit, changing the way we interacted with others in order not to get infected, keeping focus on hygiene and physical distances, following the new research that was shared about the virus and the disease, and yet, being aware of fake news and silo-thinking. At times, it has been tiresome and lonely to be part of the disruptive new ways of living; yet also a reminder about what really matters, namely the good life with work, family and friends. Even before the pandemic, there were threats to the good life. The burden of non-communicable diseases was growing, the adherence to health education was lacking; and new digital habits hampered physical activity, particularly among children and adolescents.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Helleristninger i mørket

Denne masteroppgaven tar for seg en problemstilling i det arkeologiske fagfeltet. Det er Riksantikvarens syn at det ikke lenger er ønskelig å male opp helleristninger, noe som fører til at de blir mindre synlige for publikum. Dette prosjektet er et samarbeidsprosjekt med Arkeologisk feltenhet i Akershus fylkeskommune, der jeg ser på bruken av lys for å gjøre helleristninger mer synlige for publikum. Jeg bruker helleristningene ved Bingsfoss som case for å designe produkter som går inn i et helhetlig system der opplevelse står i fokus. Gjennom en systematisk tilnærming med intervjuer og utprøvninger finner jeg frem til krav og mål for produktene og opplevelsen. Jeg kommer frem til et konsept som går ut på å oppleve disse kulturminnene i mørket. Med dette som fokus designer jeg med en praktisk tilnærming belysningsobjekter, markører som leder vei og et teoretisk oppsett for energi sett i forbindelse med skilting i områdetThis thesis addresses a problem in the archaeological field. It is the Directorate for Cultural Heritage opinion that it is no longer desirable to paint rock carvings, which means that they are less visible to the public. This project is in collaboration with the Archaeological Field Unit in Akershus County, where I look at the use of light to make the carvings more visible to the public. I use the rock carvings at Bingsfoss as a case to design products that go into a holistic system where the experience is the focus. Through a systematic approach, by conducting interviews and experiments, I find the requirements and goals for the products and the experience. I come up with a concept that aims to experience these cultural monuments in the dark. With this focus I design with a practical approach lighting objects, markers that lead the way and a theoretical setup for energy seen in connection with the signs in the area.Master i produktdesig

Uma visão para a Literacia em Saúde na Europa

A literacia em saúde é uma questão transversal, que abrange desde os cuidados com a saúde, à prevenção de doenças até à promoção e proteção da saúde. Pode ser estudada tanto em níveis individuais e populacionais, como em níveis local e global. A literacia em saúde prolonga a vida útil, e é extensível a uma variedade de doenças e temas relacionados com a saúde. Parece abstrato, mas é tangível. É evidente e pode ser medida. É viável e uma inspiração para melhorar o bem-estar público. A literacia em saúde é importante para todos nós quando estamos doentes, quando estamos em risco e quando tentamos permanecer saudáveis. Essencialmente, a nossa revisão de literatura sobre as definições existentes, revelou que a literacia em saúde está ligada à literacia e envolve o conhecimento, a motivação e as competências para aceder, entender, avaliar e aplicar informações para formar julgamentos e tomar decisões sobre cuidados com a saúde, prevenção de doenças e promoção da saúde na vida cotidiana, assim como manter e melhorar a qualidade de vida durante o curso da vida (Sørensen, et al, 2012). Na nossa tentativa de fazermos o levantamento da literacia em saúde na Europa, efetuámos uma pesquisa sobre a literacia em saúde em oito países europeus, estabelecemos grupos de interesse nacionais e fundámos uma rede europeia em literacia em saúde chamada Health Literacy Europe.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Longitudinal modeling of age-dependent latent traits with generalized additive latent and mixed models

We present generalized additive latent and mixed models (GALAMMs) for analysis of clustered data with responses and latent variables depending smoothly on observed variables. A scalable maximum likelihood estimation algorithm is proposed, utilizing the Laplace approximation, sparse matrix computation, and automatic differentiation. Mixed response types, heteroscedasticity, and crossed random effects are naturally incorporated into the framework. The models developed were motivated by applications in cognitive neuroscience, and two case studies are presented. First, we show how GALAMMs can jointly model the complex lifespan trajectories of episodic memory, working memory, and speed/executive function, measured by the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), digit span tests, and Stroop tests, respectively. Next, we study the effect of socioeconomic status on brain structure, using data on education and income together with hippocampal volumes estimated by magnetic resonance imaging. By combining semiparametric estimation with latent variable modeling, GALAMMs allow a more realistic representation of how brain and cognition vary across the lifespan, while simultaneously estimating latent traits from measured items. Simulation experiments suggest that model estimates are accurate even with moderate sample sizes

Social Media for Public Health: An Exploratory Policy Analysis

Background: To accomplish the aims of public health practice and policy today, new forms of communication and education are being applied. Social media are increasingly relevant for public health and used by various actors. Apart from benefits, there can also be risks in using social media, but policies regulating engagement in social media is not well researched. This study examined European public health-related organizations' social media policies and describes the main components of existing policies. Methods: This research used a mixed methods approach. A content analysis of social media policies from European institutions, non-government organizations (NGOs) and social media platforms was conducted. Next, individuals responsible for social media in their organization or projects completed a survey about their social media policy. Results: Seventy-five per cent of institutions, NGOs and platforms had a social media policy available. The primary aspects covered within existing policies included data and privacy protection, intellectual property and copyright protection and regulations for the engagement in social media. Policies were intended to regulate staff use, to secure the liability of the institution and social responsibility. Respondents also stressed the importance of self-responsibility when using social media. Conclusions: This study of social media policies for public health in Europe provides a first snapshot of the existence and characteristics of social media policies among European health organizations. Policies tended to focus on legal aspects, rather than the health of the social media user. The effect of such policies on social media adoption and usage behaviour remains to be examine

Developing the HLS19-YP12 for measuring health literacy in young people: a latent trait analysis using Rasch modelling and confirmatory factor analysis

Background Accurate and precise measures of health literacy (HL) is supportive for health policy making, tailoring health service design, and ensuring equitable access to health services. According to research, valid and reliable unidimensional HL measurement instruments explicitly targeted at young people (YP) are scarce. Thus, this study aims at assessing the psychometric properties of existing unidimensional instruments and developing an HL instrument suitable for YP aged 16–25 years. Methods Applying the HLS19-Q47 in computer-assisted telephone interviews, we collected data in a representative sample comprising 890 YP aged 16–25 years in Norway. Applying the partial credit parameterization of the unidimensional Rasch model for polytomous data (PCM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with categorical variables, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the short versions of the HLS19-Q47; HLS19-Q12, HLS19-SF12, and HLS19-Q12-NO. A new 12-item short version for measuring HL in YP, HLS19-YP12, is suggested. Results The HLS19-Q12 did not display sufficient fit to the PCM, and the HLS19-SF12 was not sufficiently unidimensional. Relative to the PCM, some items in the HLS19-Q12, the HLS19-SF12, and the HLS19-Q12-NO discriminated poorly between participants at high and at low locations on the underlying latent trait. We observed disordered response categories for some items in the HLS19-Q12 and the HLS19-SF12. A few items in the HLS19-Q12, the HLS19-SF12, and the HLS19-Q12-NO displayed either uniform or non-uniform differential item functioning. Applying one-factorial CFA, none of the aforementioned short versions achieved exact fit in terms of non-significant model chi-square statistic, or approximate fit in terms of SRMR ≤ .080 and all entries ≤ .10 that were observed in the respective residual matrix. The newly suggested parsimonious 12-item scale, HLS19-YP12, displayed sufficiently fit to the PCM and achieved approximate fit using one-factorial CFA. Conclusions Compared to other parsimonious 12-item short versions of HLS19-Q47, the HLS19-YP12 has superior psychometric properties and unconditionally proved its unidimensionality. The HLS19-YP12 offers an efficient and much-needed screening tool for use among YP, which is likely a useful application in processes towards the development and evaluation of health policy and public health work, as well as for use in clinical settings.publishedVersio

Agency in avoidant personality disorder: a narrative review

Objectives: Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is a highly prevalent personality disorder, especially in clinical settings, yet scarcely researched. People diagnosed with AvPD have severe impairments in functioning and suffer greatly, yet we still lack meta-analytic evidence for therapy and only a few RCTs are conducted. Patient factors are the most important for outcome in therapy, in general. Lack of agency might be a core deficit in people diagnosed with AvPD. Their conditions might be improved if we understand their agency better. We review previous research regarding psychological mechanisms and interpersonal relationships that facilitate or hinder agency in AvPD in daily life and psychotherapy. Methods: Summarizing original literature in a narrative review with reflexive thematic analysis. Results: People diagnosed with AvPD seem to have significant impairments in their sense of agency due to a lack of emotional awareness, an overweight of inhibiting vs. activating emotions, and difficulties regulating emotions. Difficulties also seem related to high levels of attachment avoidance and fear, creating strong ambivalence in social needs, in addition to a strong tendency to subordinate to others. A weak sense of self with a poor narrative, self-doubt, and harsh self-critique makes a reflexive and intentional stand increasingly difficult for these people. Conclusion: This review gives a clinically meaningful understanding of core strengths and deficits in the personality functioning of AvPD that can help clinicians map out important therapeutic work, identify barriers to client-agency in therapy, and work through relational difficulties in the therapeutic alliance.publishedVersio

International Handbook of Health Literacy : Research, practice and policy across the lifespan

Okan O, Bauer U, Levin-Zamir D, Pinheiro P, Sørensen K, eds. International Handbook of Health Literacy : Research, practice and policy across the lifespan. Bristol: Policy Press, University of Bristol; 2019