The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that encourage midlife women to make exercise and dietary changes, the prevalence of those changes, the process by which women make them, the factors that support or impede them, and how we can enhance women’s capacity to make health behaviour changes in midlife. Since the literature highlighted the importance of self-efficacy in changing health behaviour, and of health-related quality of life as a widely recognized measure of women’s mental and physical wellbeing, the study sought to understand the relationship between exercise and dietary self-efficacy, health behaviour change and health-related quality of life (SF-36), by testing a modified version of Bandura’s 1977 and 2002/2004b models of self-efficacy. The methodology involved postal surveys as well as semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the women who completed the survey. Surveys were sent to 866 women aged 51-66 years from rural and urban locations in Queensland, Australia. Five hundred and sixty-four (69%) were completed and returned. Survey data was analysed using descriptive and bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interviews. The results confirmed that midlife is a significant time for women to make positive health behaviour changes. Almost 40% of women made a change to their exercise and around 60% made a dietary change since turning 40. The main exercise change was doing more walking and the most common dietary change was reducing fat intake. Self-efficacy was shown to be a key influence on whether women made positive changes to their health in midlife. In the relationship between health behaviour change and health-related quality of life, making a positive change to exercise was significantly related to physical but not mental health, and making a dietary change was not related to either physical or mental health. Body mass index was shown to be an important influence on both self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (particularly physical health). Interviews were conducted with 29 of the participants. Interview data reinforced that the main motivations to make a positive health behaviour change among midlife women were being overweight, having an injury or being diagnosed with an illness or health condition. Witnessing the hardship experienced by others with a degenerative disease could also prompt a positive behaviour change. Successful changes mainly involved modifying existing practices and repeating new behaviours until they became part of the daily routine. The main facilitators of health behaviour change were having positive role models, having more time due to retirement, and having support from significant others (such as husbands), health professionals and organizations such as Weight Watchers. The main obstacles to making changes were work, care giving, illness and injury. Bandura’s (1977, 2000/2004b) model was partially supported, but the cross-sectional nature of the study may have been a limitation in demonstrating all aspects of the self-efficacy process. In summary, women are willing to make positive health behaviour changes in midlife, but they need education and support to have those changes be effective. It is anticipated that this research will lead to a greater understanding of the significance of midlife as a time for making healthy lifestyle changes that have the potential to improve women’s health and quality of life in later years.

Orientador: Alexandre Janotta Drigo / Resumo: A proporção da população mundial com 60 anos ou mais está aumentando rapidamente. No entanto, vidas mais longas não significam necessariamente vidas mais saudáveis. Assim, faz-se necessário um maior conhecimento sobre como promover saúde. De que forma a Educação Física (EF) pode contribuir e responder a essa situação? Está bem estabelecido na literatura como o exercício previne doenças crônicas. No entanto, falta conhecimento sobre como a EF pode contribuir para a promoção da saúde. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo foi delineado para abordar o tópico de como os profissionais de EF poderiam ajudar idosos a desenvolver sua saúde e vivenciar positivamente o envelhecimento. O objetivo foi investigar as práticas adotadas por profissionais de EF para oferecer práticas corporais para idosos em situações de desvantagem em programas de promoção da saúde e entender os processos de desenvolvimento de saúde que os idosos experimentaram e perceberam como relacionados à sua participação nas práticas corporais. O estudo se fundamentou na salutogênese, uma teoria para a promoção da saúde proposta pelo sociólogo Aaron Antonovsky. Juntamente com essa perspectiva teórica, a investigação se baseou nas noções de práticas corporais e pedagogia. O estudo foi conduzido por meio da abordagem qualitativa e do método da teoria fundamentada nos dados. A amostragem teórica norteou a inclusão de quatro programas de promoção da saúde, localizados nas regiões sudeste e sul do Brasil. Participaram seis prof... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: It is well known that the world population aged 60 or older is rapidly growing. However, longer lives do not mean necessarily healthier lives. Thus, further knowledge about how to promote health has been required. How physical education can contribute and respond to this situation? It is well established in the literature how exercise prevents chronic diseases. Nevertheless, knowledge about the ways physical education might contribute to health promotion is lacking. In this context, the present study was designed to address the topic of how Health-Physical Education (HPE) professionals might help older adults to develop their health and experience ageing positively. The aim was to investigate the practices adopted by HPE professionals to deliver bodily practices for disadvantaged older adults in healthpromoting programmes, and to understand what health development processes the older adults experienced and perceived as related to their participation in bodily practices. The study was informed by salutogenesis, a theory for health promotion proposed by the sociologist Aaron Antonovsky. Alongside this theoretical perspective, the investigation drew on the notions of bodily practices and pedagogy. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach and a grounded theory research design. Theoretical sampling guided the inclusion of four health-promoting programmes, located in the southeast and south regions of Brazil. Participants were six HPE professionals, three health centres´... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The thesis deals with the topic of Activation and education programmes for seniors in the region of Karlovy Vary. The topic is divided here into two parts. The first, theoretical part deals with the old age as a biopsychosocial problem, i.e. it evaluates the demography of old age, the concept of healthy ageing, it deals with medical and social geriatric diagnostics and, above all, with individual activation programmes, their creation and principles, importance and practical application. The work especially includes education programmes, it describes their particularities and use, as well as their teaching at colleges in the region of Karlovy Vary. The second, research part consists of the determining of hypotheses, the aim of the work, and the methodology of the research. I have chosen the quantitative method of research by which three questionnaires were assessed: for respondents living in old people´s homes, for respondents living at home and for professional workers dealing with activation and education programmes in old people´s homes. Further a comparative analysis of the questionnaire for respondents living in old people´s homes as well as those living at home was carried out. The subject of this analysis are the questions of the same aim and their statistic compiling. All the data are compiled with the help of charts, tables and statistic programme SPSS. The most important is the testing of the hypothesis concerning the knowledgeability of respondents about activation and education programmes and related participation in such programmes, and further hypotheses inquiring whether professional workers (course lectors) have enough information on the entire spectrum of these programmes. The discussion is directed at the evaluation of the research targets, practical implementation of knowledge into practice, and especially at additional new facts, which I revealed during the research itself and during the statistic compiling of data. It is possible to say that the respondents must have information on the importance of activation and education programmes, on their taking place and the conditions of participation. Alike the professional staff holding or lecturing them should be professionally trained in courses. Thus the programmes will reach the desirable quality and their importance for the society will be significantly higher.

Syftet med denna studie var att med hjälp av arbetsterapeuter som arbetar inom hemtjänst undersöka hur tekniska hjälpmedel för personer i Sverige som är 75 år eller äldre kan bidra till ett hälsosamt åldrande. Studien har en kvalitativ och induktiv ansats med teori- och begreppsanknytningar som hälsosamt åldrande, livskvalitet och gerotranscendens. Datan samlades in via enskilda semi-strukturerade intervjuer med sex arbetsterapeuter från olika kommuner i region Skåne. Datan analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys.  Resultaten visade att arbetsterapeuterna upplever att tekniska hjälpmedel kan bidra till ett hälsosamt åldrande. Arbetsterapeuterna anser att det skapar en större grad av självständighet och bättre livskvalitet genom att bland annat underlätta vardagliga aktiviteter och skapar mer frihet att klara sig själv. Studien visar att gruppen 75 år eller äldre oftast använder tekniska hjälpmedel av enklare slag för att i huvudsak underlätta fysiska funktionsnedsättningar. Slutsatsen är att tekniska hjälpmedel kan bidra till ett hälsosamt åldrande och livskvalitet enligt arbetsterapeuterna vilket även tidigare forskning visar. Detta innebär att det är möjligt för äldre att uppleva processen i gerotranscendens där man är tillfreds såväl med sin nuvarande situation som sitt gångna liv. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of technical aids for people in Sweden aged 75 years or older and how it could affect healthy ageing using the help of occupational therapists. The study has a qualitative and inductive approach with theory and conceptual notions such as healthy ageing, quality of life and gerotranscendence. The data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews with six occupational therapists from different municipalities in the region of Skåne. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that occupational therapists perceive that technical aids can contribute to healthy ageing. Occupational therapists believe that it creates a greater degree of independence and a better quality of life by, for example, facilitating everyday activities and creating more freedom to manage themselves. The study shows that the target group of 75 years or older often uses technical aids of simpler types to primarily facilitate physical impairments. The conclusion is that technical aids can contribute to a healthy ageing and quality of life according to occupational therapists and as previous research shows. This means that it is possible for the elderly to experience the process of gerotranscendence where you are satisfied with your current situation as well as your past life. / <p>Betyg i Ladok, 2018-06-05.</p>

Genom en användarcentrerad produktutvecklingsprocess har ett framtidskoncept förtrygghetslarm utvecklats. Det framtagna trygghetslarmet ämnar stärka användarenssjälvständighet genom ett preventivt, istället för enbart reaktivt arbete.Det preventiva arbetet inleds genom att larmet introduceras i ett tidigare skede för att med hjälpav sensorer och Artificiell Intelligens förebygga åldersrelaterade sjukdomar. Genom tidigimplementering finns larmet också till hands redan innan olyckan inträffat.Syftet med projektet var att med ett tjänstedesign-perspektiv undersöka vad som skapar trygghetför användaren samt hur det stödjs i en produkt och tjänst. Under arbetet trädde en komplexbehovsbild fram som skiftade, inte bara mellan användare, utan även för den enskildeanvändaren över tid. Därför skapades ett modulbaserat produkt-tjänstesystem som innefattar treproduktvarianter som tillsammans tillgodoser de allra flesta användarnas behov.Ett tjänstebaserat trygghetslarm med möjlighet till uppgraderingar, byten och reparationerinnebär i längden en högre konkurrenskraft och en mer hållbar modell där användarens ochvårdbolagens behov bättre tillgodoses. En tjänst som bygger på en applikationsbaseradplattform kan anpassas för användaren och tillgängliggöra relevant information för att minskadet utanförskap som många användare upplever.Genom en iterativ process av interaktioner, insikter och konceptgenerering bidrogtjänstedesignperspektivet med en behovsbaserad analys. Produkt-tjänstesystemets utformningär baserat på insikter som erhölls under kontextuella intervjuer. Intervjuerna involverade olikaaktörer såsom vårdgivare, teknikbolag och forskare men främst dagens och den kommandegenerationens användare. Syftet var att skapa ett brett underlag som bidrar till en holistisk bildav användarens behov.Vid interaktioner framkom att larmet måste vara mobilt och kunna ange position. Mobilitetbidrar till ett tryggt aktivt liv utanför hemmet. Att hålla sig fysiskt och socialt aktiv menar WorldHealth Organisation, WHO, är grunden för ett självständigt och hälsosamt åldrande som är enförutsättning för att kunna möta utmaningarna med en åldrande befolkning.För att attrahera användare måste associationerna kring trygghetslarmet förskjutas frånhjälplöshet till självständighet, aktivitet och välbefinnande. Genom att tidigt introducera larmetsom ett hälsofrämjande verktyg kan det arbeta preventivt. Med hjälp av AI, rörelse- ochpulssensor kan exempelvis förmaksflimmer upptäckas och behandlas innan det leder till stroke.I kombination med inbyggd fallsensor kan larm skickas automatiskt vid behov. Integreradtelefoni skapar trygghet genom förbättrad kommunikation.Kombinationen av modulär produktutveckling, produkt-tjänstesystem och cirkulär ekonomierbjuder ett mer hållbart produktsystem som leder till starkare konkurrenskraft, bättreindividanpassning och längre hållbarhet. Det vore önskvärt om aktörer inom trygghetslarmuppdaterade sina affärsmodeller för att erbjuda nya ägarmodeller. Vårdbolag skulle ges störremöjlighet att erbjuda den senaste tekniken och skulle inte dras med föråldrad teknik på grundav tidigare gjorda investeringar, vilket skulle innebära en säkrare och tryggare vård. / Through a user-centered product development process, a future concept for medical alertsystems has been developed. The developed medical alert system aims to strengthen the user'sindependence through preventive, rather than reactive work.The preventive work is initiated by the early implementation of the alarm to prevent agerelateddiseases using sensors and Artificial Intelligence. By early implementation, the alarmis also available even before the accident occur.The purpose of the project was to investigate what creates safety for the user and how it issupported in a product and service with a service design perspective. During the work, acomplex image of the users needs emerged that changed, not only between users, but also forthe individual user over time. Therefore, a modular product service system was created thatincludes three product variants that together meet the needs of most users.A service-based medical alert system with the possibility of upgrades, replacements and repairsmeans long-term competitiveness and a more sustainable model that better meet the needs ofthe user and healthcare companies. A service based on an application-based platform can becustomized to the user and make relevant information available to reduce the exclusion thatmany users experience.Through an iterative process of interactions, insights and concept generation, the service designperspective contributed with a needs-based analysis. The design of the product service systemis based on insights obtained during contextual interviews. The interviews involved differentactors such as healthcare providers, technology companies and researchers, but mainly oftoday's and next-generation users. The purpose was to create a broad basis that contributes to aholistic view of the user´s need.Through interactions it was found that the alarm must be mobile and be able to share its position.Mobility contributes to a safe active life outside the home. Keeping physically and sociallyactive is according to the World Health Organization, WHO, the foundation for independentand healthy aging and is a prerequisite for meeting the challenges of an aging population.To attract users, the association to the medical alert system must be shifted from helplessnessto independence, activity and well-being. By introducing the alarm early as a health-promotingtool, it can work preventively. For example, by means of AI, motion and pulse sensors, atrialfibrillation can be detected and treated before it leads to stroke. In combination with the builtinfall sensor, alarms can be sent automatically when needed. Integrated telephony createssecurity through much improved communication.The combination of modular product development, product service systems and circulareconomy offers a more sustainable product system, that leads to greater competitiveness, betterindividualization and longer durability. It would be desirable for actors within medical alertsystems to update their business models to offer new ownership models. The healthcarecompanies would have a greater opportunity to offer the latest technology and would not bebound to outdated technology due to previously made investments, which would mean a saferand more secure elderly care.

Although the female menopause has been extensively characterized as a well-defined symptomatic state of oestrogen deficiency, which responds relatively well to oestrogen replacement therapy, the symptomatic state of androgen deficiency in men is poorly defined and uncertainty exists whether it responds to testosterone replacement. It has been proposed that hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT)-axis function (responsible for the production of androgens) and regulation could be viewed as a ‘barometer’ of health status in older men and that potential alterations in HPT-axis function and regulation reflect subclinical and clinical deficits in function and health, which may result in an aged phenotype of human health and disease in older men. The HPT-axis constitutes a well-defined, tractable, clinically-relevant, biological system, which may permit insight into the mechanisms underlying the expression of ageing-related phenotypes of human health and disease. By using a different lens – such as the genetic background; the compensatory responses within the HPT-axis; the syndromes of androgen deficiency; the ethnic background of an individual or the life course trajectory of function and health from conception into older age – to magnify potential dysregulation in the HPT-axis will it be possible to visualize and understand the phenotypic expression of human male ageing as a gradient of functional and health outcomes. This will allow for a better understanding of the physiological mechanics underlying symptomatic expression of dysregulation in the HPT-axis.