Sense of coherence predicts adolescent mental health

Background: Strong sense of coherence (SOC) has been shown to predict good mental health among adults whereas its predictive value in adolescence is unclear. This life-course oriented prospective study explores whether SOC predicts mental health in a three-year follow-up.Methods: The data is part of the ongoing 'Finnish Family Competence Study' launched in 1986 in southwestern Finland (baseline n = 1287). The outcome variable was adolescents mental health at 18 years of age, measured on the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) scale. The main predictor was Antonovsky's SOC score (1987) measured at the age of 15. A total of 498 adolescents were included in the present analyses. Poisson regression was used by univariate and multivariable models using the parents' age and socioeconomic status and adolescents' gender as covariates.Results: Multivariable analysis showed that a one-unit increase in SOC decreased the relative risk of a DAWBAbased diagnosis by 4 % (RR [95% CI] 0.96 [0.94-0.98], p Limitations: Typical of very long follow-up, as in our study of nearly two decades, a substantial proportion of the original population-based cohort was lost to follow-up weakening the representability of our cohort.Conclusions: Sense of coherence is a useful and clinically sensitive tool to predict mental health in adolescence. The easily administered, coping-oriented SOC questionnaire is an appropriate instrument in screening for adolescents who would benefit from supportive measures to strengthen their mental well-being.</div

Food selection associated with sense of coherence in adults

BACKGROUND: Favorable dietary habits promote health, whereas unfavorable habits link to various chronic diseases. An individual's "sense of coherence" (SOC) is reported to correlate with prevalence of some diseases to which dietary habits are linked. However, understanding what determines an individual's dietary preferences and how to change his/her behavior remains limited. The aim of the present study was to evaluate associations between dietary intake and SOC in adults. METHODS: Diet intake was recorded by an 84-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and SOC was measured by the 13-item Antonovsky questionnaire in 2,446 men and 2,545 women (25–74 years old) from the population based northern Sweden MONICA screening in 1999. RESULTS: Intakes of energy, total and saturated fat, ascorbic acid, sucrose, and servings of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and sweets correlated with SOC among women, whereas intakes of total and saturated fat, ascorbic acid, fiber, and alcohol, and servings of fruits, vegetables, bread, bread and cereals, fish, and potatoes correlated with SOC among men. With a few exceptions, intakes of these nutrients/foods were significantly explained by SOC quartile scores in linear GLM models. Both women and men classified into the highest SOC quartile had significantly higher age-BMI-education standardized mean intakes of vegetables than those in the lowest quartiles. Women in the highest SOC quartile also had higher intake of fruits but lower intakes of energy, total and saturated fat, sucrose, and sweets. Projection to latent structures (PLS) multivariate modeling of intakes of the 84 food items and food aggregates simultaneously on SOC scores supported low SOC to coincide with a presumably less health promoting dietary preference, e.g. intake of pizza, soft drinks, candies, sausages for main course, hamburgers, mashed potato, chips and other snacks, potato salad, French fries, whereas men and women with high SOC scores were characterized by e.g. high intake of rye crisp whole meal bread, boiled potato, vegetables, berries, and fruits. CONCLUSION: Both men and women in the highest, as compared with the lowest, SOC score quartile reported more "healthy" food choices. Dietary habits for individuals in the lowest SOC quartile therefore may render a higher risk for various endemic diseases

Samverkan på lokal och regional beslutsnivå vid samhälleliga kriser

In this report networks of cooperation in crisis management are developed. The developed networks show the participant organisations in crisis management and on which level of decision they act. The networks will serve as a foundation for developing exercises in crisis management, but also as a foundation to establish contacts of cooperation in crisis management. A discussion of problems in crisis management is also carried out to increase the consciousness among the decision makers

Geosynteter. Beständighet och provningsmetoder. Förstudie

(1) Geosynteter i anläggningsverksahhet; (2) Beständighet hos geosynteter; (3) Provningsmetoder; (4) Förslag till forskning och utveckling i SverigeSveriges Provnings- och forskningsinstitut. SP Rapport 1994:11</p

Geosynteter. Beständighet och provningsmetoder. Förstudie.

(1) Geosynteter i anläggningsverksahhet; (2) Beständighet hos geosynteter; (3) Provningsmetoder; (4) Förslag till forskning och utveckling i SverigeSveriges Provnings- och forskningsinstitut. SP Rapport 1994:11</p

Oral Health Status of Older Adults in Sweden Receiving Elder Care Findings From Nursing Assessments

Background: Frail elderly people often have poor oral hygiene, contributing to oral health problems that can detract significantly from quality of life. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe oral health status of frail elderly individuals using the Revised Oral Assessment Guide-Jonkoping (ROAG-J), a mouth assessment instrument that can be used in daily nursing care Methods: Data were obtained from the Swedish Senior Alert quality registry in one Swedish municipality. ROAG-J assessments on admission to elder care and one subsequent occasion were used. ROAG-J measurements documented oral health in nine areas: voice, lips, oral mucosa, tongue, gums, teeth, saliva, swallowing, and presence of any prostheses or implants. Assessments were made by nursing staff during the course of daily nursing care Results: Individuals 65 years of age or older and receiving elder care services (N = 667) were involved; 1,904 assessments made between November 2011 and March 2014 were used for the analysis. On the basis of both assessments, less than one third of participants had oral health problems. No significant difference in any of the oral health variables was found between first and subsequent assessments. At first assessment, men and women differed in tongue health (p < .01); at the subsequent assessment, gender differences in voice (p < .05), mucous membranes (p < .003), tongue (p < .01), and saliva (p < .006) were observed Discussion: Most participants had good oral health. Assessments made by nursing staff using the ROAG-J demonstrate that this tool can be used in daily nursing care, where different, important oral conditions may be encountered. However, knowledge about oral health conditions and the ROAG-J instrument is important to ensure high validity. The ROAG-J enables nursing staff to detect problems in the mouth and to guide decisions related to oral health intervention

Association of sense of coherence and periodontal disease severity, in two cross-sectional studies

Objectives: To investigate the association between the individuals’ level of sense of coherence (SOC) and periodontal disease severity. Methods: The study populations originated from two stratified cross-sectional random samples of residents in a medium-sized Swedish city in 2003 and 2013, respectively. The final samples constituted 491 individuals in 2003 and 538 individuals in 2013. The samples were classified into three groups according to the severity of periodontitis (no/minor, moderate and severe). The 13-item Swedish version of Antonovsky’s “Orientation to life” questionnaire, measuring the individual’s SOC, was filled out. Descriptive statistics were performed as well as multinomial logistic regression analysis. Dependent variable was the severity of periodontal disease and independent variables, age in years, presently smoking and education at university level. Results: In the multinomial regression analysis, smoking, age, and total SOC score were significantly associated with severe periodontitis at both examinations. The strongest predictor of severe periodontal disease was smoking. The total SOC score did not differ between the examinations, but there was a statistically significant difference in two of the SOC dimensions, manageability (lower), and comprehensibility (higher), over time. Conclusions: Individuals with severe periodontitis had significantly lower SOC compared to subjects periodontally having no/minor periodontal disease. Smoking was the strongest overall predictor of having severe periodontitis.

Workplace health in dental care – a salutogenic approach

Objective The purpose was to explore self-reported psychosocial health and work environments among different dental occupations and workplaces from a salutogenic perspective. A further purpose was to analyse possible associations between three salutogenic measurements: The Sense of Coherence questionnaire (SOC), the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS) and the Work Experience Measurement Scale (WEMS). Methods Employees in the Public Dental Service in a Swedish county council (n = 486) were invited to respond to a self-reported web survey including demographics, work-related factors, the SOC, the SHIS and the WEMS. Results This study showed positive associations between employee characteristics and self-reported overall psychosocial health as well as experienced work environment. Autonomy was reported more among men than women (P &lt; 0.000) and to a higher degree by dentists and dental hygienists than dental nurses (P &lt; 0.000). Meaningfulness, happiness, job satisfaction, autonomy and positive to reorganization were reported by personnels aged less than 40 years (P ≤ 0.047). Clinical coordinators reported significant better health (SOC, SHIS) and experienced more autonomy, better management and more positive to reorganization than other dental professions. Dental hygienists and nurses experienced less time pressure than dentists (P ≤ 0.007). Better health and positive work experiences were also seen in smaller clinics (P ≤ 0.29). Conclusion Dental professionals reported a high degree of overall psychosocial health as well as a positive work experience. Some variations could be seen between employee characteristics such as gender, years in dental care, professionals, managing position and workplace size. Identify resources and processes at each workplace are important and should be included in the employee's/employers dialogue

Oral health matters for the nutritional status of older persons : a population-based study

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the association between oral health and nutritional status in the context of daily care for older people. BACKGROUND: Oral problems often increase with age and affect a person's ability to chew and swallow. They might also influence the ability to maintain a satisfactory nutritional status. Oral health awareness is therefore of great importance in nursing care for older people. METHODS: Data from the Swedish quality register, Senior Alert, were used, including structured assessments of both oral and nutritional status using the Revised Oral Assessment Guide - Jonkoping (ROAG-J) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). In total, 1156 persons (mean age: 82.8+/-7.9) had both oral and nutritional assessments registered by the nursing staff in daily care. RESULTS: Approximately 29% of participants had moderate oral health problems. Another 12% had severe problems. Over 60 percent of the persons were considered at risk of malnutrition or were malnourished. There was a weak correlation between poor nutritional status and poor oral health, and approximately one-third of the persons who were at risk or malnourished had simultaneous oral problems. A multivariate logistic regression revealed that when problems involving voice and swallowing were present, there was also a greater possibility of being assessed as at risk of malnourishment or being malnourished. CONCLUSION: There is a relationship between oral health problems and nutritional status, indicating the importance of evaluating oral health status in older persons with nutritional problems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved