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  • 1. Agardh, Anette
    et al.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Muriisa, Robert
    Östergren, Per-Olof
    Social capital and sexual behavior among Ugandan university students2010In: Global health action, ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 3Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In general, social capital was associated with less risky sexual behavior in our sample. However, gender and role of religion modified the effect so that we can not assume that risky sexual behavior is automatically reduced by increasing social capital in a highly religious society. The findings indicate the importance of understanding the interplay between social capital, religious influence, and gender issues in HIV/AIDS preventive strategies in Uganda.

  • 2.
    Bile, Khalif
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Freij, Lennart
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Gustafsson, Lars L.
    Sahlen, Klas-Göran
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Wall, Stig
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Warsame Yusuf, Marian
    Who published what on Somali health issues?2022In: Somali Health Action Journal, E-ISSN 2004-1985, Vol. 2, no 1Article in journal (Other academic)
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  • 3.
    Blomstedt, Yulia
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Population Studies (CPS).
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Population Studies (CPS).
    What about healthy participants?: the improvement and deterioration of self-reported health at a 10-year follow-up of the Västerbotten Intervention Programme2011In: Global Health Action, ISSN 1654-9716, E-ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 4, p. 5435-Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    AIM: The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) addresses cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the middle-aged population of Västerbotten County, Sweden. Self-reported health (SRH) is one of the risk factors for both conditions. The aim of this study was to analyse the development patterns of SRH among the VIP participants.

    METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 1990 to 2007 were used to analyse the prevalence of poor SRH among 101,396 VIP participants aged 40-60 years. Panel data were used to study the change in SRH among 25,695 persons aged 30-60 years, who participated in the VIP twice within a 10-year interval.

    RESULTS: Prevalence of poor SRH fluctuated between 1990 and 2007 in Västerbotten County. There was a temporary decline around 2000, with SRH continuously improving thereafter. The majority of panel participants remained in good SRH; over half of those with poor or fair SRH at baseline reported better SRH at follow-up. SRH declined in 19% of the panel participants, mostly among those who had good SRH at the baseline. The decline was common among both women and men, in all educational, age and marital status groups.

    CONCLUSIONS: The SRH improvement among those with poor and fair SRH at baseline suggests that VIP has been successful in addressing its target population. However, the deterioration of SRH among 21% of the individuals with good SRH at baseline is of concern. From a public health perspective, it is important for health interventions to address not only the risk group but also those with a healthy profile to prevent the negative development among the seemingly healthy participants.

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    What about healthy participants?: the improvement and deterioration of self-reported health at a 10-year follow-up of the Västerbotten Intervention Programme
  • 4.
    Brännström, Inger
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology.
    Johansson, Martin
    Wall, Stig
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Co-operation, participation and conflicts faced in public health: lessons learned from a long-term prevention programme in Sweden1994In: Health Education Research, ISSN 0268-1153, E-ISSN 1465-3648, Vol. 9, no 3, p. 317-329Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A comprehensive community-based programme for prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes was established in 1985 in a small municipality in northern Sweden. A cross-sectional survey to the general public was performed and semi-structured open-ended interviews were taken of actors at different levels. Notes from official records were also included in the study. The aim was to describe and discuss some factors that promote or constrain community participation in health programmes. The results generally confirmed that the right of definition concerning the health programme mainly remained with the health professionals. Community participation was mainly defined by the actors based on the medical and health planning approach and, thereby, as a means to transform health policy plans into reality by transmitting health knowledge and increasing consciousness among the citizens of the need for changing lifestyles. However, participation as a means of identifying problems and demonstrating power relationships and as elements in promoting local democracy was hardly represented among the actors at all. Overall, the CVD health programme was characterized by consensus between the actors. Despite this, debates and arguments about interpretations, social interests, personal conflicts and ideological constraints were observed. However, a majority of the public wanted the CVD preventive programme to continue.

  • 5. Canivet, Catarina
    et al.
    Bodin, Theo
    Emmelin, Maria
    Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University.
    Toivanen, Susanna
    Moghaddassi, Mahnaz
    Östergren, Per-Olof
    Precarious employment is a risk factor for poor mental health in young individuals in Sweden: a cohort study with multiple follow-ups2016In: BMC Public Health, E-ISSN 1471-2458, Vol. 16, article id 687Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: The globalisation of the economy and the labour markets has resulted in a growing proportion of individuals who find themselves in a precarious labour market situation, especially among the young. This pertains also to the Nordic countries, despite their characterisation as well developed welfare states with active labour market policies. This should be viewed against the background of a number of studies, which have shown that several aspects of precarious employment are detrimental to mental health. However, longitudinal studies from the Nordic region that examine the impact of precarious labour market conditions on mental health in young individuals are currently lacking. The present study aims to examine this impact in a general cohort of Swedish young people.

    METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent out in 1999/2000 to a stratified random sample of the Scania population, Sweden; the response rate was 58 %. All of those who responded at baseline were invited to follow-ups after 5 and 10 years. Employment precariousness was determined based on detailed questions about present employment, previous unemployment, and self-rated risk of future unemployment. Mental health was assessed by GHQ-12. For this study individuals in the age range of 18-34 years at baseline, who were active in the labour market (employed or seeking job) and had submitted complete data from 1999/2000, 2005, and 2010 on employment precariousness and mental health status, were selected (N = 1135).

    RESULTS: Forty-two percent of the participants had a precarious employment situation at baseline. Labour market trajectories that included precarious employment in 1999/2000 or 2005 predicted poor mental health in 2010: the incidence ratio ratio was 1.4 (95 % CI: 1.1-2.0) when excluding all individuals with mental health problems at baseline and adjusting for age, gender, social support, social capital, and economic difficulties in childhood. The population attributable fraction regarding poor mental health in the studied age group was 18 %.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study supported the hypothesis that precarious employment should be regarded as an important social determinant for subsequent development of mental health problems in previously mentally healthy young people.

  • 6.
    Christianson, Monica
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
    Johansson, Eva
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
    Westman, Göran
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
    "One-night stands" - risky trips between lust and trust: qualitative interviews with Chlamydia trachomatis infected youth in north Sweden2003In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, ISSN 1403-4948, E-ISSN 1651-1905, Vol. 31, no 1, p. 44-50Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 7.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Lund University.
    Hällgren Graneheim, Ulla
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing. University West.
    Sahlén, Klas-Göran
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Winkvist, Anna
    Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy.
    Qualitative methodology for international public health2019 (ed. 3)Book (Other academic)
  • 8.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Winkvist, Anna
    Qualitative methodology for international public health2007Book (Other academic)
  • 9. Dalmar, Abdirisak Ahmed
    et al.
    Hussein, Abdullahi Sheik
    Walhad, Said Ahmed
    Ibrahim, Abdirashid Omer
    Abdi, Abshir Ali
    Ali, Mohamed Khalid
    Ereg, Derie Ismail
    Egal, Khadra Ali
    Shirwa, Abdulkadir Mohamed
    Aden, Mohamed Hussain
    Yusuf, Marian Warsame
    Abdi, Yakoub Aden
    Freij, Lennart
    Johansson, Annika
    Mohamud, Khalif Bile
    Abdulkadir, Yusuf
    Emmelin, Maria
    Eriksen, Jaran
    Erlandsson, Kerstin
    Gustafsson, Lars L.
    Ivarsson, Anneli
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Klingberg-Allvin, Marie
    Kinsman, John
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Källestål, Carina
    Målqvist, Mats
    Osman, Fatumo
    Persson, Lars-Åke
    Sahlén, Klas-Göran
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Wall, Stig
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Rebuilding research capacity in fragile states: the case of a Somali-Swedish global health initiative2017In: Global Health Action, ISSN 1654-9716, E-ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 10, no 1, article id 1348693Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents an initiative to revive the previous Somali-Swedish Research Cooperation, which started in 1981 and was cut short by the civil war in Somalia. A programme focusing on research capacity building in the health sector is currently underway through the work of an alliance of three partner groups: six new Somali universities, five Swedish universities, and Somali diaspora professionals. Somali ownership is key to the sustainability of the programme, as is close collaboration with Somali health ministries. The programme aims to develop a model for working collaboratively across regions and cultural barriers within fragile states, with the goal of creating hope and energy. It is based on the conviction that health research has a key role in rebuilding national health services and trusted institutions.

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  • 10.
    Deyessa Kabeta, Negussie
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry.
    Berhane, Y
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Ellsberg, MC
    Kullgren, Gunnar
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry.
    Högberg, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
    Joint effect of maternal depression and intimate partner violence on increased risk of child death in rural Ethiopia2010In: Archives of Disease in Childhood, ISSN 0003-9888, E-ISSN 1468-2044, Vol. 95, no 10, p. 771-775Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    An awareness of the devastating consequences on child survival in low income setting of violence against women and depression is needed among public health workers as well as clinicians, for both community and clinical interventions.

  • 11.
    Deyessa Kabeta, Negussie
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology.
    Berhane, Yemane
    Alem, Atalay
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry.
    Ellsberg, Mary
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Högberg, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology.
    Kullgren, Gunnar
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry.
    Intimate partner violence and depression among women in rural Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study2009In: Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, E-ISSN 1745-0179, Vol. 5, no 1, p. 8-Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Studies from high-income countries have shown intimate partner violence to be associated with depression among women. The present paper examines whether this finding can be confirmed in a very different cultural setting in rural Ethiopia.

    METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in Ethiopia among 1994 currently married women. Using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), cases of depressive episode were identified according to the ICD-10 diagnosis. Using a standardized questionnaire, women who experienced violence by an intimate partner were identified. A multivariate analysis was conducted between the explanatory variables and depressive status of the women, after adjusting for possible confounders.

    RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence of depressive episode among the women was 4.8% (95% CI, 3.9% and 5.8%), while the lifetime prevalence of physical intimate partner violence was 49.5%. Physical violence (OR=2.56, 95% CI, 1.61, 4.06), childhood sexual abuse (OR=2.00, 95% CI, 1.13, 3.56), mild emotional violence (OR=3.19, 95% CI, 1.98, 5.14), severe emotional violence (OR= 3.90, 95% CI, 2.20, 6.93) and high spousal control of women (OR=3.30, 95% CI, 1.58, 6.90) by their partners were independently associated with depressive episode, even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors.

    CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of intimate partner violence, a factor often obscured within general life event categories, requires attention as an independent factor for depression, and thus to find new possibilities of prevention and treatment in terms of public health strategies, interventions and service provision.

  • 12.
    Deyessa Kabeta, Negussie
    et al.
    School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia .
    Berhane, Yemane
    Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Ethiopia .
    Ellsberg, Mary
    International Center for Research on Women, Washington DC, United States .
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Kullgren, Gunnar
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry.
    Högberg, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Violence against women in relation to literacy and area of residence2010In: Global Health Action, ISSN 1654-9716, E-ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 3, no 2070Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    OBJECTIVE: This study explores violence against women in a low-income setting in relation to residency and literacy. SETTING: The study was conducted within the Butajira Rural Health Programme (a Health and Demographic Surveillance Site), which includes rural and semi-urban settings in south-central Ethiopia. DESIGN: This is a community-based cross-sectional study and is part of the WHO Women's Health and Life Events multi-country study. It included 1,994 randomly selected married women. METHODS: A standardised WHO questionnaire was used to measure physical violence, residency, literacy of the woman and her spouse, and attitudes of women about gender roles and violence. Analyses present prevalence with 95% confidence intervals and odds ratios derived from bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: In urban and rural areas of the study area, the women were of varying ages, had varying levels of literacy and had spouses with varying levels of literacy. Women in the overall study area had beliefs and norms favouring violence against women, and women living in rural communities and illiterate women were more likely to accept such attitudes. In general, violence against women was more prevalent in rural communities. In particular, violence against rural literate women and rural women who married a literate spouse was more prevalent. Literate rural women who were married to an illiterate spouse had the highest odds (Adj. OR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.7-6.9) of experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner. CONCLUSION: Semi-urban lifestyle and literacy promote changes in attitudes and norms against intimate partner violence; however, within the rural lifestyle, literate women married to illiterate husbands were exposed to the highest risks of violence.

  • 13.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Self-rated health in public health evaluation2004Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    There is still a debate concerning the evidence base for community interventions. The randomised clinical trial design (RCT) is increasingly challenged as a gold standard for their evaluation. This thesis takes the Norsjö health programme in Västerbotten as the starting point for a discussion about the ethical platform of community interventions and for exploring the role of self-rated health. The specific objectives are: 1) to better understand barriers to community participation and to assess the role of ethical premises among decision-makers, 2) to explore how health related norms and attitudes interact with self-rated health and the risk factor outcome of an intervention and 3) to analyse the gender and socio-cultural interplay of self-rated health with biomedical risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

    The participation and views of different actors in the planning and implementation phases of the intervention were studied by contrasting information between official documents, interviews with decision makers and professionals and questionnaires to community members. The role of basic values in setting priorities and choosing intervention strategies utilised a questionnaire design with hypothetical scenarios sent to a representative sample of Swedish health care politicians. Qualitative research interviews were used to explore health related norms and attitudes. Health examination measurements and questionnaire data formed the basis for analysis of the development of self-rated health and risk factor load during a 10-year follow-up of the intervention. Access to a stroke registry enabled a case-referent approach for studying the interaction between bio-medical risk factors, socio-demographic factors and self-rated health. Data from the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) could be utilised for a cross-country comparison with a “sister project” in Otsego, U.S.A.

    The results point to both strengths and limitations of the efforts made to involve people in the intervention. The problem definition mainly remained with the professionals and participation as a goal in itself, strengthening local democracy was felt to be an exaggerated ambition. However, there was an overall agreement about the seriousness of the health problem, the need to intervene and about the implementation mode. Self-rated health and reported behavioural change were important indicators of participation and young men with bad health seemed to have been least involved. Among Swedish health care politicians there was an overall agreement to allocate resources for prevention directed towards communities when there are serious health problems. The majority preferred an intervention strategy that involved primary health care. The risk of harm by creating some degree of anxiety or stigma was for many considered an acceptable drawback of a successful intervention. The follow-up study revealed a positive risk factor reduction accompanied by a positive development of self-rated health, especially for men. Additional support for an intervention effect was given through a comparison with a reference area. The interaction pattern between risk reduction and self-rated health was more polarised for men than for women, with a corresponding pattern for the lower compared to the higher educated. These results could be linked to a transition in the health related norm system and to “ideal types” representing attitudinal sets towards the intervention. The case-referent analysis suggested an interaction effect between self-rated health and bio-medical risk factor load in predicting stroke that was greater for men than for women. The cross-country comparison revealed a stronger influence of education in the U.S.A. The lower educated, with a high risk load, had a greater risk of self-rated poor health than their Swedish counterparts.

    The thesis suggests that self-rated health is an unexplored indicator, potentially important for understanding the complexity of community interventions. Self-rated health may predict disease development as well as modify the impact of established risk factors.

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  • 14.
    Emmelin, Maria
    et al.
    Lunds universitet.
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Kan socialt kapital byggas in i våra bostadsområden och därmed förbättra invånarnas upplevda och mentala hälsa?: Ett diskussionsunderlag framtaget för Kommissionen för ett socialt hållbart Malmö2012Report (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
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  • 15.
    Emmelin, Maria
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Lindholm, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Stenlund, Hans
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Pol-ethical considerations in public health.: The views of Swedish health care politicians1999In: European Journal of Public Health, ISSN 1101-1262, E-ISSN 1464-360X, Vol. 9, no 2, p. 124-130Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Public health policy is often concerned with the conflicting values emanating from the individually formulated ethics for curative care and more collectively oriented ethics. In this study we have focused on the pol-ethical considerations involved in Swedish health care politicians' assessment of public health measures. Methods: We described a hypothetical situation in a questionnaire, where a community has a 50% excess mortality for disease X, compared to the national average. Scientific disagreements were identified and discussed. The respondents gave their preference for a specific intervention strategy and considered, on a graded scale, 17 different value statements related to ethical principles and intervention strategies. Results: Only one out of 451 politicians preferred the alternative ‘no intervention’. The majority preferred an intervention including active involvement of primary health care. There was overall strong support for equity and beneficence. A factor analysis gave a model for the association between ethical values, political affiliation and choice of intervention strategies. The relative weights of autonomy and equity were strongly related to political affiliation. Conclusions: Among Swedish health care politicians there is consensus about the value of performing interventions in public health when the problem is large, even if there is some uncertainty about the consequences. Their overall strong support for equity and beneficence implies that these principles are crucial when formulating policies for interventions. Politicians need to state their ethical standpoint explicitly so that we as citizens can judge their decisions and actions based on our own political ideology and support for basic ethical principles.

  • 16.
    Emmelin, Maria
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Nafziger, Anne N
    Clinical Pharmacology Research Center and Department of Adult and Pediatric Medicine, Bassett Healthcare,.
    Stenlund, Hans
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Wall, Stig
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Cardiovascular risk factor burden has a stronger association with self-rated poor health in adults in the US than in Sweden, especially for the lower educated.2006In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, ISSN 1403-4948, E-ISSN 1651-1905, Vol. 34, no 2, p. 140-149Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: There is an ongoing debate about the importance of biomedical and sociodemographic risk factors in the prediction of self-rated health. Objectives: To compare the association of sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors and self-rated health in Sweden and the US. Design: Data from two population-based cross-sectional health surveys, one in Sweden and one in the US. Subjects: The surveys included questionnaire and measured data from 5,461 adults in Sweden and 7,643 in the US. Participants were between 35 and 65 years of age. Results: The odds ratios for poor self-rated health for the included cardiovascular risk factors were greater in the US. Low education was significantly more prevalent among those with self-rated poor health in the US, but not in Sweden. Using Swedes with high education as reference group (OR51), adults in the US with low education and 2+ risk factors had a greater than threefold risk (OR56.3) of self-rated poor health compared with Swedish low-educated adults with the same risk factor burden (OR51.9). The better-educated US adults with 2+ risk factors were significantly more likely to report poor health (OR53.4) compared with their Swedish counterparts (OR52.4). Conclusions: The interaction between risk factors, education, and self-rated health suggests a frightening picture, especially for the US. Public health interventions for reducing cardiovascular risk factors need to include both population and individual measures. Taking people’s overall evaluation of their health into account when assessing total health risk is important.

  • 17.
    Emmelin, Maria
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Stegmayr, Birgitta
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Medicine.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Stenlund, Hans
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Wall, Stig
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Self-rated ill-health strengthens the effect of biomedical risk factors in predicting stroke especially for men: An incident case referent study2003In: Journal of Hypertension, ISSN 0263-6352, E-ISSN 1473-5598, Vol. 21, no 5, p. 887-896Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    OBJECTIVES: To examine how self-rated ill-health interacts with biomedical stroke risk factors in predicting stroke and to explore differences between men and women and educational groups. DESIGN: An incident case-referent study where the study subjects had participated in a prior health survey. SETTING: Nested within the Västerbotten Intervention Program (VIP) and the Northern Sweden MONICA cohorts. SUBJECTS: The 473 stroke cases had two referents per case, matched for age, sex and residence, from the same study cohorts. RESULTS: Self-rated ill-health independently increased the risk of stroke, specifically for men. The interaction effect between self-rated health and biomedical risk factor load was greater for men than for women. The attributable proportion due to interaction between having a risk factor load of 2+ and self-rated ill-health was 42% for men and 15% for women. Better-educated individuals with self-rated ill-health and two or more of the biomedical risk factors had a higher risk of stroke than the less educated. Calculations of the respective contribution to the stroke cases of self-rated health, hypertension and smoking showed that self-rated ill-health had a role in 20% of the cases and could alone explain more than one-third of the cases among those who rated their health as bad, more so for men than for women. CONCLUSIONS: The results underscore the importance of including both a gender and a social perspective in discussing the role of self-rated health as a predictor of disease outcome. Physicians must be more gender sensitive when discussing their patient's own evaluation of health in relation to biomedical risk factors.

  • 18.
    Emmelin, Maria
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Population Studies (CPS).
    Stenlund, Hans
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Wall, Stig
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    To be seen, confirmed and involved - a ten year follow-up of perceived health and cardiovascular risk factors in a Swedish community intervention programme2007In: BMC Public Health, E-ISSN 1471-2458, Vol. 7, p. 190-Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Public health interventions are directed towards social systems and it is difficult to foresee all consequences. While targeted outcomes may be positively influenced, interventions may at worst be counterproductive. To include self-reported health in an evaluation is one way of addressing possible side-effects. This study is based on a 10 year follow-up of a cardiovascular community intervention programme in northern Sweden. METHODS: Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to address the interaction between changes in self-rated health and risk factor load. Qualitative interviews contributed to an analysis of how the outcome was influenced by health related norms and attitudes. RESULTS: Most people maintained a low risk factor load and a positive perception of health. However, more people improved than deteriorated their situation regarding both perceived health and risk factor load. "Ideal types" of attitude sets towards the programme, generated from the interviews, helped to interpret an observed polarisation for men and the lower educated. CONCLUSION: Our observation of a socially and gender differentiated intervention effect suggests a need to test new intervention strategies. Future community interventions may benefit from targeting more directly those who in combination with high risk factor load perceive their health as bad and to make all participants feel seen, confirmed and involved.

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    To be seen, confirmed and involved - a ten year follow-up of perceived health and cardiovascular risk factors in a Swedish community intervention programme
  • 19.
    Eriksson, Malin
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Collective actors as driving forces for mobilizing social capital in a local community: what can be learned for health promotion?2010In: Social capital and rural development / [ed] H Westlund & K Kobayashi, ? , 2010Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 20.
    Eriksson, Malin
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Lund university.
    Collective actors as driving forces for mobilizing social capital in a local community: what can be learned for health promotion?2013In: Social capital and rural development in the knowledge society / [ed] Hans Westlund and Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013, p. 273-298Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 21.
    Eriksson, Malin
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Umeå University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Understanding the role of social capital for health promotion beyond Putnam: a qualitative case study from northern Sweden2009In: Social theory and health, ISSN 1477-8211, Vol. 7, no 4, p. 318-338Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Social capital is believed to improve the capacity of communities to work together for solving collective health problems. The present study was conducted in a community in northern Sweden where citizens through collective actions managed to build an association-driven health center. The aims were to describe the community's existing social capital in order to explore how Putnam's theories could contribute to an understanding of the observed high civic engagement and to discuss how other theoretical perspectives might add to an understanding of the role of social capital for health promotion. A qualitative case study was performed and the analysis followed a grounded theory approach. In accordance with Putnam, inherited social capital and high participation in existing associations were found to be important for uniting people. Beyond these, other aspects such as effective information channels, strong leaders and high social control were also significant and better understood by adding Coleman's and Bourdieu's views of social capital. If social capital is to be used for the purposes of health promotion the risk of increased social inequality as an unintended consequence needs to be considered. An awareness of how specific contextual conditions affect the building and mobilizing of social capital is also crucial.

  • 22.
    Eriksson, Malin
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Dahlgren, Lars
    Janlert, Urban
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Social capital, gender and educational level: impact on self-rated health2010In: The Open Public Health Journal, ISSN 1874-9445, Vol. 3, p. 1-12Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Objectives: Social capital has been recognized as one important social determinant for health, but we still have limited knowledge about how it can be used to explain inequality in health. This study investigated the links between individual social capital and self-rated health by gender and educational level, and analyzed if access to social capital might explain the observed disparities in self-rated health between men and women and different educational groups. Study design: A cross-sectional survey in Northern Sweden. Methods: A social capital questionnaire was constructed and mailed to 15 000 randomly selected individuals. Different forms of structural and cognitive social capital were measured. Self-rated health was used as the outcome measure. Crude and adjusted OR and 95% CI were calculated for good selfrated health and access to each form of social capital. Multivariate regression was used to analyze how sociodemographic factors and access to social capital might influence differences in self-rated health by gender and educational level. Results: Access to almost each form of social capital significantly increased the odds for good self-rated health for all groups. A higher education significantly increased the odds for access to each form of social capital, and being a man significantly increased the odds for having access to some forms of social capital. The health advantage for higher educated and men partly decreased when controlling for access to social capital. Conclusions: Access to social capital can partly explain the observed health inequality between men and women and different educational groups. Strengthening social capital might be one way of tackling health inequality. It is important to consider the structural conditions that create unequal opportunities for different groups to access social capital.

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  • 23.
    Eriksson, Malin
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Ng, Nawi
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    The importance of gender and conceptualization for understanding the association between collective social capital and health: a multilevel analysis from northern Sweden2011In: Social Science and Medicine, ISSN 0277-9536, E-ISSN 1873-5347, Vol. 73, no 2, p. 264-273Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Growing research on social capital and health has fuelled the debate on whether there is a place effect on health. A central question is whether health inequality between places is due to differences in the composition of people living in these places (compositional effect) or differences in the local social and physical environments (contextual effects). Despite extensive use of multilevel approaches that allows controlling for whether the effects of collective social capital are confounded by access to social capital at the individual level, the picture remains unclear. Recent studies indicate that contextual effects on health may vary for different population subgroups and measuring "average" contextual effects on health for a whole population might therefore be inappropriate. In this study from northern Sweden, we investigated the associations between collective social capital and self-rated health for men and women separately, to understand if health effects of collective social capital are gendered. Two measures of collective social capital were used: one conventional measure (aggregated measures of trust, participation and voting) and one specific place-related (neighbourhood) measure. The results show a positive association between collective social capital and self-rated health for women but not for men. Regardless of the measure used, women who live in very high social capital neighbourhoods are more likely to rate their health as good-fair, compared to women who live in very low social capital neighbourhoods. The health effects of collective social capital might thus be gendered in favour for women. However, a more equal involvement of men and women in the domestic sphere would potentially benefit men in this matter. When controlling for socioeconomic, sociodemographic and social capital attributes at the individual level, the relationship between women's health and collective social capital remained statistically significant when using the neighbourhood-related measure but not when using the conventional measure. Our results support the view that a neighbourhood-related measure provides a clearer picture of the health effects of collective social capital, at least for women.

  • 24. Everett-Murphy, Katherine
    et al.
    Paijmans, Jeske
    Steyn, Krisela
    Matthews, Catherine
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Peterson, Zaino
    Scolders, carers or friends: South African midwives' contrasting styles of communication when discussing smoking cessation with pregnant women2011In: Midwifery, ISSN 0266-6138, E-ISSN 1532-3099, Vol. 27, no 4, p. 517-524Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    OBJECTIVE: to investigate how midwives are currently communicating with women about smoking during pregnancy with a view to involving them in a smoking cessation intervention in antenatal clinics.

    DESIGN: a qualitative study using individual, in-depth interviews for data collection.

    SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 24 nurses providing antenatal care to pregnant smokers attending public sector clinics in five major cities in South Africa.

    FINDINGS: three archetypes of midwives, characterised by different styles of communication and approaches to smoking cessation, emerged from the analysis of the interview data. These were described as the 'Angry Scolders', the 'Benign Carers' and the 'Enthusiastic Friends'. The first type conformed to the traditional, authoritarian style of communication, where the midwife assumed a dominant, expert role. When women failed to comply with their advice, these midwives typically became angry and confrontational. The second type of midwife used a paternalistic communication style and emphasised the role of education in changing behaviour. However, these midwives had little confidence that they could influence women to quit. The third type embraced a patient-centred approach, consciously encouraging more interaction with their patients and attempting to understand change from their point of view. These midwives were optimistic of women's capacity to change and more satisfied with their current health education efforts than the first two types. The Benign Carers and Enthusiastic Friends were more open to participation in the potential intervention than the Angry Scolders.

    KEY CONCLUSIONS: the prevailing traditional, authoritarian style of communication is inappropriate for smoking cessation education and counselling as it provokes resistance and avoidance on the part of pregnant smokers. The paternalistic approach appears to be largely ineffectual, whereas the patient-centred approach elicits the most positive response from pregnant women and enhances the possibility of a trusting and cooperative relationship with the midwife. Midwives using this style are more open to fulfilling their role in smoking cessation.

    IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: smoking cessation interventions need to attend to not only what midwives say to pregnant women about smoking, but also how they communicate about the issue. The use of a patient-centred approach, such as brief motivational interviewing, is recommended as a means of improving counselling outcomes among pregnant smokers.

  • 25.
    Frumence, Gasto
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Kwesigabo, Gideon
    Killewo, Japhet
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Nyström, Lennarth
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Social capital and HIV infection in Bukoba urban district, Kagera region, TanzaniaManuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
  • 26.
    Frumence, Gasto
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Kwesigabo, Gideon
    Killewo, Japhet
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Nyström, Lennarth
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Social capital and HIV risk related behaviors in Kagera region, TanzaniaManuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
  • 27.
    Frumence, Gasto
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Nyström, Lennarth
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Killewo, Japhet
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Exploring the role of cognitive and structural social capital in the declining trends of HIV/AIDS in the Kagera region of Tanzania: A grounded theory study2011In: African Journal of AIDS Research, ISSN 1608-5906, E-ISSN 1727-9445, Vol. 10, no 1, p. 1-13Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The article presents a synthesis of data from three village case studies focusing on how structural and cognitivesocial capital may have influenced the progression of the HIV epidemic in the Kagera region of Tanzania. Groundedtheory was used to develop a theoretical model describing the possible links between structural and cognitivesocial capital and the impact on sexual health behaviours. Focus group discussions and key informant interviewswere carried out to represent the range of experiences of existing social capital. Both structural and cognitive socialcapital were active avenues for community members to come together, empower each other, and develop norms,values, trust and reciprocal relations. This empowerment created an enabling environment in which members couldadopt protective behaviours against HIV infection. On the one hand, we observed that involvement in formal andinformal organisations resulted in a reduction of numbers of sexual partners, led people to demand abstinencefrom sexual relations until marriage, caused fewer opportunities for casual sex, and gave individuals the agency todemand the use of condoms. On the other hand, strict membership rules and regulations excluded some members,particularly excessive alcohol drinkers and debtors, from becoming members of the social groups, which increasedtheir vulnerability in terms of exposure to HIV. Social gatherings (especially those organised during the night) werealso found to increase youths’ risk of HIV infection through instances of unsafe sex. We conclude that even thoughsocial capital may at times have negative effects on individuals’ HIV-prevention efforts, this study provides initialevidence that social capital is largely protective through empowering vulnerable groups such as women and thepoor to protect against HIV infection and by promoting protective sexual behaviours.

  • 28. Frumence, Gasto
    et al.
    Killewo, Japhet
    Kwesigabo, Gideon
    Nyström, Lennarth
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Social capital and the decline in HIV transmission: a case study in three villages in the Kagera region of Tanzania2010In: SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, ISSN 1729-0376, E-ISSN 1813-4424, Vol. 7, no 3, p. 9-20Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    We present data from an exploratory case study characterising the social capital in three case villages situated in areas of varying HIV prevalence in the Kagera region of Tanzania. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews revealed a range of experiences by community members, leaders of organisations and social groups. We found that the formation of social groups during the early 1990s was partly a result of poverty and the many deaths caused by AIDS. They built on a tradition to support those in need and provided social and economic support to members by providing loans. Their strict rules of conduct helped to create new norms, values and trust, important for HIV prevention. Members of different networks ultimately became role models for healthy protective behaviour. Formal organisations also worked together with social groups to facilitate networking and to provide avenues for exchange of information. We conclude that social capital contributed in changing HIV related risk behaviour that supported a decline of HIV infection in the high prevalence zone and maintained a low prevalence in the other zones.

  • 29.
    Hayati, Elli N
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Högberg, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Hakimi, Mohammad
    Ellsberg, Mary C
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Behind the silence of harmony: risk factors for physical and sexual violence among women in rural Indonesia.2011In: BMC Women's Health, E-ISSN 1472-6874, Vol. 11, p. 52-Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world. Few studies have identified the risk factors of Indonesian women for domestic violence. Such research will be useful for the development of prevention programs aiming at reducing domestic violence. Our study examines associations between physical and sexual violence among rural Javanese Indonesian women and sociodemographic factors, husband's psychosocial and behavioral characteristics and attitudes toward violence and gender roles.

    METHODS: A cohort of pregnant women within the Demographic Surveillance Site (DSS) in Purworejo district, Central Java, Indonesia, was enrolled in a longitudinal study between 1996 and 1998. In the following year (1999), a cross-sectional domestic violence household survey was conducted with 765 consenting women from that cohort. Female field workers, trained using the WHO Multi-Country study instrument on domestic violence, conducted interviews. Crude and adjusted odds ratios at 95% CI were applied for analysis.

    RESULTS: Lifetime exposure to sexual and physical violence was 22% and 11%. Sexual violence was associated with husbands' demographic characteristics (less than 35 years and educated less than 9 years) and women's economic independence. Exposure to physical violence among a small group of women (2-6%) was strongly associated with husbands' personal characteristics; being unfaithful, using alcohol, fighting with other men and having witnessed domestic violence as a child. The attitudes and norms expressed by the women confirm that unequal gender relationships are more common among women living in the highlands and being married to poorly educated men. Slightly more than half of the women (59%) considered it justifiable to refuse coercive sex. This attitude was also more common among financially independent women (71%), who also had a higher risk of exposure to sexual violence.

    CONCLUSIONS: Women who did not support the right of women to refuse sex were more likely to experience physical violence, while those who justified hitting for some reasons were more likely to experience sexual violence. Our study suggests that Javanese women live in a high degree of gender-based subordination within marriage relationships, maintained and reinforced through physical and sexual violence. Our findings indicate that women's risk of physical and sexual violence is related to traditional gender norms.

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  • 30.
    Hayati, Elli Nur
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Ahmad Dahlan Univ, Fac Psychol, Semaki 55166, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Rifka Annisa Womens Crisis Ctr, Komplek Jatimulyo Indah 55241, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Lund Univ, Dept Clin Sci Social Med & Global Hlth, Lund, Sweden.
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    We no longer live in the old days: a qualitative study on men's views on masculinity and violence within marriage in rural Java, Indonesia2014In: BMC Women's Health, E-ISSN 1472-6874, Vol. 14, no 58Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Previous studies on domestic violence in Indonesia have focused primarily on women's experiences and little research has been undertaken to understand men's views on domestic violence or their involvement in the prevention of domestic violence. This study aimed to explore men's views on masculinity and the use of violence within marriage, in order to gain knowledge on how to involve men in prevention of domestic violence in rural Indonesia. Methods: Focus group discussions with six groups of local male community leaders in Purworejo were conducted. The discussions were transcribed and coded for the construction of a positional map on different masculinities and their relation to the level of acceptance of domestic violence. Results: Social and cultural changes have played a crucial role in transforming the relationship between men and women in Indonesian society. Three different positions of masculinity with certain beliefs on the gender order and acceptance of violence within marriage were identified: the traditionalist, the pragmatist, and the egalitarian. The traditionalist had the highest acceptance of violence as a tool to uphold the superior position of men within marriage, while the pragmatist viewed violence as undesirable but sometimes needed in order to correct the wife's behavior. The egalitarian did not see any reason for violence because they believed that men and women are equal and complementary to each other. Conclusions: Adaptation to social and cultural changes combined with lack of exposures to contextual and progressive religious teachings has led to the formation of three different positions of masculinity among the population in this study. Each position has certain beliefs regarding the gender order and the use of violence within marriage. Religion is an extremely important aspect that must be included in every type of intervention with this population.

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  • 31.
    Hayati, Elli Nur
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Eriksson, Malin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Hakimi, Mohammad
    Högberg, Ulf
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    "Elastic band strategy": women's lived experience of coping with domestic violence in rural Indonesia2013In: Global Health Action, ISSN 1654-9716, E-ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 6, p. 1-12Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Experiencing domestic violence is considered a chronic and stressful life event. A theoretical framework of coping strategies can be used to understand how women deal with domestic violence. Traditional values strongly influenced by religious teachings that interpret men as the leaders of women play an important role in the lives of Javanese women, where women are obliged to obey their husbands. Little is known about how sociocultural and psychosocial contexts influence the ways in which women cope with domestic violence.

    Objective: Our study aimed to deepen our understanding of how rural Javanese women cope with domestic violence. Our objective was to explore how the sociocultural context influences coping dynamics of women survivors of domestic violence in rural Purworejo.

    Design: A phenomenological approach was used to transform lived experiences into textual expressions of the coping dynamics of women survivors of domestic violence.

    Results: Experiencing chronic violence ruined the women's personal lives because of the associated physical, mental, psychosocial, and financial impairments. These chronic stressors led women to access external and internal resources to form coping strategies. Both external and internal factors prompted conflicting impulses to seek support, that is, to escape versus remain in the relationship. This strong tension led to a coping strategy that implied a long-term process of moving between actively opposing the violence and surrendering or tolerating the situation, resembling an elastic band that stretches in and out.

    Conclusions: Women survivors in Purworejo face a lack of institutional support and tend to have traditional beliefs that hamper their potential to stop the abuse. Although the women in this study were educated and economically independent, they still had difficulty mobilizing internal and external support to end the abuse, partly due to internalized gender norms.

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  • 32.
    Johansson, Helene
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Ersboda Health Care Centre, Umeå, Sweden.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    “If we only got a chance.” Barriers to and possibilities for a more health-promoting health service2010In: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, E-ISSN 1178-2390, Vol. 3, p. 1-9Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Aim: With the overall objective to develop future strategies for a more health-promoting health service in Sweden, the aim of this paper was to describe how health personnel view barriers and possibilities for having a health-promoting role in practice.

    Materials and methods: Seven focus group discussions were carried out with a total of 34 informants from both hospital and primary health care settings in Sweden. The informants represented seven professional groups; counselors, occupational therapists, assistant nurses, midwives, nurses, physicians, and physiotherapists. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

    Results: The analysis resulted in one major theme "If we only got a chance". The theme captures the health professionals' positive view about, and their willingness to, develop a health-promoting and/or preventive role, while at the same time feeling limited by existing values, structures, and resources. The four categories, "organizational commitment to a paradigm shift", "recognition of staff as health-promoting instruments", "a balance between resources and tasks", and "freedom of action" capture what is needed for implementing and increasing health promotion and preventive efforts in the health services.

    Conclusions: The study indicates that an organizational setting that support health promotion is still to be developed. There is a need for a more explicit leadership with a clear direction towards the goal of "a more health-promoting health service" and with enough resources for achieving this goal.

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  • 33.
    Johansson, Helene
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Weinehall, Lars
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    "It depends on what you mean": a qualitative study of Swedish health professionals' views on health and health promotion2009In: BMC Health Services Research, E-ISSN 1472-6963, Vol. 9, no 191Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    BACKGROUND: The role of health services must be re-oriented towards health promotion to more effectively contribute to population health. One of the objectives of the Swedish public health policy is that health promotion and disease prevention should be an integral part of the health care system and an important component of all care and treatment. However, the uncertainty about what the concepts of health and health promotion mean poses a challenge for implementation. Depending on how these concepts are interpreted, the attitudes of health professionals toward health promoting practices will differ. Thus, a more in-depth understanding of health professionals' views can be a starting point for a discussion about the values and attitudes that influence the current health care system and about the barriers and possibilities for future development of a health promoting health service.

    METHODS: Seven focus group discussions (n = 34) were carried out with health professionals, from different health care settings, to understand how they communicate about health and health promotion. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

    RESULTS: The analysis of health professional's general understanding of the concept of health resulted in the category; a multi-facetted concept, whilst the category; a subjective assessment describes what health means to themselves. A third category; health is about life, the whole life. describes their understanding of health as an outcome of a multiplicity of contextually dependent determinants. The health professional's multiple ways of associating health promotion to disease prevention suggest a concept that is diffuse, elusive and difficult to apply in practice. Despite a shared view of health, the health professionals described their health promotion role very differently depending partly on how the concept of health promotion was interpreted. The analysis resulted in the development of three ideal types, labelled the demarcater, the integrater and the promoter describing different strategies for handling a health promotion role in practice.

    CONCLUSION: The study suggests that different interpretations of what constitutes health promotion can lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and pose barriers to further development of a health promoting practice.

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    "It depends on what you mean": a qualitative study of Swedish health professionals' views on health and health promotion
  • 34. Karim, K M Rabiul
    et al.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
    Lindberg, Line
    Wamala, Sarah
    Gender and Women Development Initiatives in Bangladesh: A Study of Rural Mother Center2016In: Journal of Health & Social Policy, ISSN 0897-7186, E-ISSN 1937-190X, Vol. 31, no 5, p. 369-386Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Women-focused development initiatives have become a controversial issue connected with women's health and welfare. Previous studies indicated that development initiatives might increase women's workload, family conflict, and marital violence. This study explored the gendered characteristics of a development initiative Rural Mother Center in Bangladesh. Data incorporated policy document and interviews of social workers working with the mother centers in two northwest subdistricts. The qualitative content analysis of data emerged a general theme of expanding women's responsibility while maintaining male privilege explaining gendered design and practice of the development initiative. The theme was supported by two gendered categories related to the design: (a) essentializing women's participation; (b) maintaining traditional gender, and four categories related to the practice; (c) inadequate gender knowledge and skills; (d) reinforcing traditional gender; (e) using women for improving office performance; and (f) upholding male privilege. The study suggests that though women-focused development initiatives need to be embraced with gender-redistributive policies, the social workers should be trained for attaining gender-transformative motivation and competencies.

  • 35. Karim, KM Rabiul
    et al.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Resurreccion, Bernadette P
    Wamala, Sarah
    Water development projects and marital violence: experiences from rural Bangladesh2012In: Health Care for Women International, ISSN 0739-9332, E-ISSN 1096-4665, Vol. 33, no 3, p. 200-216Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In this study, we explored the implications of a groundwater development project on women's workload and their experience of marital violence in a Bangladesh village. We believe that the project facilitated irrigation water but also that it resulted in seasonal domestic water shortages. Men used deep motorized pumps for irrigation, and women used shallow handpumps for domestic purposes. Many handpumps dried out, so women had to walk to distant wells. This increased their workload and challenged their possibilities of fulfilling household obligations, thereby increasing the risk of normative marital male violence against women as a punishment for their failure.

  • 36.
    Kasenga, Fyson
    et al.
    Malamulo SDA Hospital, Makwasa, Malawi.
    Byass, Peter
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Hurtig, Anna-Karin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    The implications of policy changes on the uptake of a PMTCT programme in rural Malawi: first three years of experience2009In: Global Health Action, ISSN 1654-9716, E-ISSN 1654-9880, Vol. 2Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Objective: To study how the demand for antenatal care (ANC), HIV testing and hospital delivery was influenced by policy changes among pregnant women in rural Malawi.

    Design: Retrospective analysis of monthly reports.

    Setting: Malamulo SDA hospital in Thyolo district, Makwasa, Malawi.

    Methods: Three hospital-based registers were analysed from 2005 to 2007. These were general ANC, delivery and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) registers. Observations were documented regarding the introduction of specific policies and when changes were effected. Descriptive analytical methods were used.

    Results: The ANC programme reached 4,528 pregnant mothers during the study period. HIV testing among the ANC attendees increased from 52.6 to 98.8% after the introduction of routine (opt-out) HIV testing and 15.6% of them tested positive. After the introduction of free maternity services, ANC attendance increased by 42% and the ratio of hospital deliveries to ANC attendees increased from 0.50:1 to 0.66:1. Of the HIV-tested ANC attendees, 52.6% who tested positive delivered in the hospital and got nevirapine at the time of delivery.

    Conclusions: Increasing maternity service availability and uptake can increase the coverage of PMTCT programmes. Barriers such as economic constraints that prevent women in poor communities from accessing services can be removed by making maternity services free. However, it is likely, particularly in resource-poor settings, that significant increases in PMTCT coverage among those at risk can only be achieved by substantially increasing uptake of general ANC and delivery services.

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    The implications of policy changes on the uptake of a PMTCT programme in rural Malawi: first three years of experience
  • 37.
    Kasenga, Fyson
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Hurtig, Anna-Karin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Community perceptions of a PMTCT programme in Malawi2009In: African journal of midwifery and women's health, Vol. 2, no 1, p. 28-42Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 38.
    Kasenga, Fyson
    et al.
    Malamulo Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Makwasa, Malawi.
    Hurtig, Anna-Karin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health.
    HIV-positive women's experiences of a PMTCT programme in rural Malawi2010In: Midwifery, ISSN 0266-6138, E-ISSN 1532-3099, Vol. 26, no 1, p. 27-37Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    OBJECTIVE: to explore women's experiences of a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme in rural Malawi. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: an exploratory, qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 24 purposively selected women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The women were in three groups of eight: (1) those who delivered at the hospital and took nevirapine (NVP) before birth and whose babies received NVP within 72 hours of birth; (2) those who birthed at home and took NVP before birth but their babies never received NVP; and (3) those who birthed at home and did not take NVP and whose babies did not receive NVP. Data were analysed using content analysis. FINDINGS: four themes emerged: (1) 'a wish to confirm and protect' refers to women's decisions to take the HIV test, (2) 'a revelation for action' is an illustration of how the testing may be part of an empowering process, (3) 'a dilemma between silence and openness' points to the dilemma that women are facing in their decision to share or not to share their HIV status with spouse, family, friends and community, and (4) 'a desire challenged by circumstances, chance and tradition' refers to the circumstances and actions which prevent these women from actually delivering at the hospital to protect their babies from HIV infection. CONCLUSIONS: the PMTCT programme influences women's lives profoundly, and the importance of quality counselling and strengthening male involvement is stressed as the programme is implemented by an increasing number of service providers.

  • 39. Kasenga, Fyson
    et al.
    Hurtig, Anna-Karin
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences.
    Home deliveries: implications for adherence to nevirapine in a PMTCT programme in rural Malawi2007In: AIDS Care, ISSN 0954-0121, E-ISSN 1360-0451, Vol. 19, no 5, p. 646-652Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 40.
    Khatami, Alireza
    et al.
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health. Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
    Emmelin, Maria
    Talaee, Rezvan
    Mohammadi, Akram Miramin
    Aghazadeh, Nessa
    Firooz, Alireza
    Stenberg, Berndt
    Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Dermatology and Venerology. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Medicine.
    Lived experiences of patients suffering from acute Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis: A qualitative content analysis study from Iran2018In: Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases, ISSN 2322-1984, Vol. 12, no 2, p. 180-195Article in journal (Refereed)