This thesis explores the relationships between self-esteem and socio-economic factors and characteristics of maternity group home program participation. Self-esteem is used sometimes as the independent variable and sometimes as the dependent variable in this study. A sample of 268 women was used representing the data available in an administrative database on women admitted to the Villa Rosa program for the period from May 1998 to February 2009, after removing cases with too much of the self-esteem measure missing. Methods of analysis included; paired samples t-tests, independent samples t-tests, analysis of variance, repeated measures analysis of variance, standard multiple regression, sequential multiple regression, and multinomial logistic regression. Attempts were made to control for the influence of the several factors. The main findings of the research included: 1) Ethnicity was not found to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. 2) Self-esteem of residents was found to be significantly healthier at discharge from the program than at intake to the program. 3) Self-esteem was not found to be significantly different between women who participated in a post-natal semi-independent living component of the program and those who did not when controlling for control variables. When the control variable of length of time in the program was removed self-esteem was found to be significantly healthier for women who participated in the post-natal semi-independent living component of the program than those who did not. 4) A significant difference was not found between the discharge self-esteem of women who reported as living with a disability at intake, and women who did not. 5) Self-esteem at discharge was found to be healthier with an increased number of days spent at Villa Rosa. 6) Less healthy intake self-esteem was associated with plans not to breastfeed. 7) More supportive attitudes of social support network as measured at intake were shown to be linked to healthier self-esteem at discharge. 8) Experiences of abuse were not shown to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. Both support received from the significant findings, and a lack of support from insignificant findings, were found for several self-esteem theories.

This thesis explores the relationships between self-esteem and socio-economic factors and characteristics of maternity group home program participation. Self-esteem is used sometimes as the independent variable and sometimes as the dependent variable in this study. A sample of 268 women was used representing the data available in an administrative database on women admitted to the Villa Rosa program for the period from May 1998 to February 2009, after removing cases with too much of the self-esteem measure missing. Methods of analysis included; paired samples t-tests, independent samples t-tests, analysis of variance, repeated measures analysis of variance, standard multiple regression, sequential multiple regression, and multinomial logistic regression. Attempts were made to control for the influence of the several factors. The main findings of the research included: 1) Ethnicity was not found to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. 2) Self-esteem of residents was found to be significantly healthier at discharge from the program than at intake to the program. 3) Self-esteem was not found to be significantly different between women who participated in a post-natal semi-independent living component of the program and those who did not when controlling for control variables. When the control variable of length of time in the program was removed self-esteem was found to be significantly healthier for women who participated in the post-natal semi-independent living component of the program than those who did not. 4) A significant difference was not found between the discharge self-esteem of women who reported as living with a disability at intake, and women who did not. 5) Self-esteem at discharge was found to be healthier with an increased number of days spent at Villa Rosa. 6) Less healthy intake self-esteem was associated with plans not to breastfeed. 7) More supportive attitudes of social support network as measured at intake were shown to be linked to healthier self-esteem at discharge. 8) Experiences of abuse were not shown to be significantly related to discharge self-esteem. Both support received from the significant findings, and a lack of support from insignificant findings, were found for several self-esteem theories.

This qualitative study explores how staff at a group home for young adults with intellectual disabilities describe their work and the opportunities and obstacles they experience during everyday work with the residents. The data in the study consists of four semi-structured interviews with staff at a newly established group home. From the perspective of implementation research and a selection of key factors, staff stories are analyzed and a discussion of the prerequisites for implementing a new way of working is discussed. The results of the study show that the staff are committed and express that they want to strengthen the living conditions of the residents, but also that staff practice is multifaceted and that staff respond to the needs of the residents in different ways. Introducing a new way of working does not directly mean that the work will change or improve, but based on comparing staff's stories to key factors in implementation research, it is reasonable to assume that there are good opportunities for the implementation of a new way of working to be succesful. / I denna kvalitativa studie undersöks hur personal, på en gruppbostad där det bor unga vuxna med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning, beskriver sitt arbete och vilka möjligheter och hinder de möter i det vardagliga arbetet tillsammans med det boende. Studiens empiri består av fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med personal från på en nyetablerad gruppbostad som ska införa ett nytt arbetssätt. Utifrån ett implementeringsperspektiv och ett antal framgångsfaktorer har personalens berättelser analyserats och en diskussion över förutsättningar att implementera ett nytt arbetssätt har förts. Studiens resultat visar att personalen är engagerade och uttrycker att de vill bistå och stärka de boende, men också att arbetet är mångfacetterat och att personalen har olika sätt att bemöta de boendes behov. Att införa ett nytt arbetssätt innebär inte direkt att arbetet kommer att förändras eller förbättras, men utifrån personalens berättelser som jämförts med framgångsfaktorer inom implementeringsteori kan det tolkas finnas goda förutsättningar att implementeringen av det nya arbetssättet kan bli framgångsrik. / Active support – ett arbetssätt för inflytande och ökad delaktighet för personer med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning på gruppboende

The objective of this study was to explore which practices and factors at a Tanzanian non-governmental family home, that has promoted former female residents’ health empowerment and health literacy. Semi-structured interviews were completed with five former female residents. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis forming four main themes: 1) The family home values 2) promoting independence 3) cultural identity 4) health literacy. The findings suggest that the family homes approach of resembling family-like environments and relationships alongside maintaining the cultural and societal norms and customs, promotes health literacy and health empowerment amongst the female residents. It is suggested that future research focuses on identifying and confirming specific organisational practices and factors, that promote health literacy and empowers health and wellbeing to ensure health for all and to ensure that no one is left behind.