Study objective-To explore individual and social factors that could predict health care utilisation and medication among people with chronic pain in an unselected population. Design-A mailed survey with questions about pain and mental symptoms, disability, self care action, visits to health care providers, and medication. Setting-General populations in two Swedish primary health care (PHC) districts. Medical care was given in a state health system. Participants-A random sample (from the population register) of 15% of the population aged 25-74 (n = 1806). Main results-Among people reporting chronic pain 45.7% (compared with 29.8 of non-chronic pain persons, p<0.05) consulted a physician and 7.2% (compared with 1.2%, p<0.05) a physiotherapist during three months. Primary health care was the most frequent care provider. High pain intensity, aging, depression, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level had the greatest impact on physician consultations. Alternative care, used by 5.9%, was associated with high pain intensity and self care. Use of self care was influenced by high pain intensity, regular physical activity, and ethnicity. Alternative care and self care did not imply lower use of conventional health care. Women reporting chronic pain consumed more analgesics and sedatives than corresponding men. Besides female gender, high pain intensity, insomnia, physician consultation, social network, and self care action helped to explain medication with analgesics. Use of herbal remedies and ointments correlated to self care action, visit to an alternative therapist, high pain intensity, and socioeconomic level. Chronic pain (duration more than three months) is a common problem among people in diVerent societies. Conclusions-The
The aim of this study was to assess whether a school‐based program with expanded physical education lessons was effective in increasing children's physical capacity and in preventing excessive weight gain in children. The study performed in 2000–2003 comprised 132 children, 73 boys and 59 girls at baseline 6–9 years and in follow‐up 9–12 years, attending two different schools with a similar size, appearance and structure in a rural area. The norm school (N‐school) followed the stipulated curricular time, one to two physical education lessons a week, while the intervention school (I‐school) increased it to four lessons. More positive changes in physical index (the sum of the age‐standardized results in 11 physical tests) were found among children in the I‐school than in the N‐school. The number of children who increased body mass index (BMI) increased in both schools, but a lower increase in BMI could be seen in the I‐school. Expanded physical education lessons could increase physical status among both overweight and normal‐weight children, in particular aerobic fitness. The weekly dose of physical activity must be higher than 40 min a day and must start earlier in children's life to be more effective in combating BMI increase.
Our health description was characterized by complexity, but the instrument is a short salutogenic health indicator scale. The shortness increases the usability. The instrument seems to be able to offset the current problem of there being a lack of salutogenic health measurement instruments. The results indicate that further testing is justified.
The relation between reported chronic pain and clinical findings was studied by comparing survey data six months before and eighteen months after a clinical examination. Studied individuals (n = 165) were randomly selected from subsamples of an initial survey (n = 1806) to a general population. Among individuals reporting chronic pain 85% were assessed to have chronic pain at the examination. Diagnoses were found in 22% of examined pain individuals. Myofascial pain syndrome and myalgia were the most common findings. Compared with located neck-shoulder pain, widespread pain had a greater impact on the individual, a worse prognosis regarding pain duration and working capacity, and revealed a raised serum urate level of unclear significance. Although no specific cause of pain is found in individuals with widespread pain it is important to identify and treat this group due to the great effects on functional capacity and the worse prognosis.
PurposeIn workplace health promotion, enhancing resources are less explored than risk factors. The aim of this paper is to explore the usability of the sense of coherence (SOC) theory to identify considerable and positively perceived work‐related factors and processes.Design/methodology/approachThe study had a salutogenic approach to workplace health promotion. A total of 13 focus group interviews were conducted with hospital employees in Sweden. A deductive analysis was made with the SOC theory as a framework.FindingsWork‐related specific enhancing resources (SER) were identified and analysed into the three components of SOC: comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. SER's implication in daily performance is explained by employee expressions. Through increased understanding and awareness, SER could contribute to savoring positive experiences, and enhance SOC among employees. Antonovsky's concept Generalized Resistance Resources is suggested to be enlarged based on the expressed significance of concrete daily positive work occurrences to increase one's SOC.Research limitations/implicationsNot all hospital professions were represented in the study. Further studies are required to involve physicians, paramedics, managers, as well as other settings, to compare and complement with additional experiences of workplace resources.Practical implicationsThe study presents an opportunity to explore, understand, and foster workplace resources through assistance from the SOC theory. The SER presented in this study may serve as initial examples in workplace discussions about work‐related resources contributing to a sense of coherence.Originality/valueThis study contributes to public health research and workplace health promotion with a salutogenic focus on how to explore enhancing work‐related resources with the assistance of the practical SOC theory.
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