Barns ohälsa ökar generellt sett i samhället till följd av bland annat en allt mer stillasittande vardag ofta i kombination med mer ohälsosam kost. Förskolan är en instans där grunden för barns livslånga lärande ska läggas, så också barnens tidiga utbildning inom hälsa. Dock lämnas hälsa och arbetet med den, fri för tolkning i förskolans styrdokument vilket gör att det är upp till varje enskild förskollärare att tolka vad hälsa är och hur hälsa ska undervisas.  Syftet med studien är att undersöka förskollärares syn på hälsa och på vilket sätt den synen kan påverka hur förskollärare utformar undervisningen i förskolan, samt i vilken utsträckning hälsa prioriteras i verksamheten.  Detta görs genom det sociokulturella perspektivet vilket i den här studien innebär synsättet att lärande sker i samspel tillsammans med andra, i den miljön barn befinner sig i och i den kultur förskollärare eller barn kommer ifrån. Datainsamlingsmetod för studien var enkät, och populationen bestod av 68 förskollärare fördelat på 10 förskolor i en mellanstor stad. Med ett bortfall på 75% ligger sjutton enkätsvar till grund för studiens resultat.  Resultatet visar att förskollärarna i studien tolkar begreppet hälsa olika samt att de undervisar och utformar miljö olika utifrån vad de själva har med sig i sin ryggsäck. Detta innebär att studiens slutsats resulterat i att hälsa som begrepp är komplext och mångtydigt och kan betyda olika utifrån vem som tolkar det, samt att tydligare styrdokument kring arbetet med barns hälsa kan vara nödvändiga för att kunna skapa ett mer likvärdigt hälsofrämjande arbete i förskolan.

The ongoing sustainability crisis offer numerous, multifaced societal challenges as a result of the ongoing degradation of socio-ecological systems by human activity causing massive ecological damage and human suffering. Overcoming these difficulties begs for the rapid transition of society towards sustainability. This desire for urgent action has been hindered by the lack of coordinated global leadership focused on addressing these challenges and implementing a transition towards a sustainable future. The sustainability crisis and its manifestations, which include for example climate change, air and water pollution, deforestation and social segregation, are interconnected and volatile issues whose parts influence and impact each other causing the crisis to worsen. The earth system is pushed towards tipping points from beyond which it may become impossible to maintain the human civilization. The failure of leadership to address the wicked nature of these crises means humanity has been left ill-equipped to deal with the complex problems of sustainability.  This thesis considers the role of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in overcoming these issues and operating as a leverage point towards sustainability. It focuses on investigating how the development of sustainability leadership education in Higher Education can contribute to addressing the sustainability crisis. It looks at the role that educators can play in designing learning environments that ensure leaders and leadership capable of addressing wicked problems posed by global unsustainability. The aim of this research is to investigate what educators should consider when designing learning environments that promote the qualities needed for leading in complexity towards sustainability. It does this by examining a number of ESD programs as case studies to investigate the efficacy of those programs at creating sustainability outcomes within their students. It also undertakes a literature review to describe and articulate the unique challenges faced by sustainability leaders from a personal and professional perspective. The study is situated closely to the ongoing ESD discussion regarding competencies-based learning for sustainability and the research aims to provide some contribution to that dialogue. It does this through the investigation of competencies acquisition and the discussion of emerging areas of leadership that may hold beneficial outcomes for the development and practice of sustainability leaders.   The results of the thesis suggest a number of outcomes for consideration by educators and include a number of main findings. Firstly, educational programs can be capable of achieving the acquisition of ‘sustainability’ competencies within their students, but if these competencies are not taught within a larger sustainability contextualization, then students can fail to see the purpose of the competencies ‘for’ sustainability. Secondly, reflective practices, developed as the result of reflective pedagogies, can provide beneficial qualities in students as future sustainability leaders and require distinct pedagogical structures in order to guide reflective practices towards sustainability outcomes. Finally, a number of unique personal and professional challenges to sustainability leadership exist and need to be overcome if the domain of sustainability is to ensure the ongoing resilience and wellbeing of individuals and groups acting as sustainability leaders.   This research suggests a novel contribution to a number of areas within ESD research, including creating knowledge within the competencies discussion regarding emerging areas of study that may influence the future of defined sustainability competencies. It also highlights the need for educators to consider the role of wellbeing and resilience in current and future sustainability leaders.

Digital wellbeing is a response to the current societal challenges of technology overuse and smartphone addiction. There is limited knowledge about designing for digital wellbeing, despite digital wellbeing tools becoming increasingly popular. This study looks beyond features and directs the research towards information architecture. This study examines choice architectures within contemporary digital wellbeing applications to better understand their design and structure. Specifically, it investigates how design influences decision-making processes and self-regulatory systems. Empirical data was gathered from six digital wellbeing applications and analysed abductively by adopting a qualitative content analysis approach. Despite all the applications having a high user rating, they are not designed to facilitate self-regulation. Instead of providing helpful tools to mitigate problematic smartphone use, the applications use strategies that emphasise overriding set time limits. Furthermore, digital wellbeing design principles can be considered ambiguous and lack sufficient understanding of information architecture and psychology. The results led to discussions about the motives behind digital wellbeing, contextual awareness, and how digital wellbeing challenges current views of ethics and design strategies.

No description available.

Motivation is what drives us to reach our goals and desires in life. As of today, we are witnessing a global movement that consists of fitness and social media. Both embodiments tend to fuel each other, paving the way for new forms of motivation to rise and influence us daily. Within this research, these forms of motivation will be analyzed through a quantitative method and shed light upon what motivates us to join the global fitness movement. The main purpose is to find out if people’s motivation comes from within or is being driven by external factors. These two differences, through the chosen theory of Self-Determination are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. They will determine whether people exercise out of inner or outer motivation. By the usage of an online survey, it was shown that most people tend to exercise out of intrinsic motivation. Thus, being beneficial toward their wellbeing and long-term motivation. However, the minority that unfortunately is driven by extrinsic motivation, could potentially harm their motivation and wellbeing. This concludes a mixed combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation but ultimately leans more towards inner motivation.

This qualitative research study investigates the perceptions of children, parents, and staff members at a Boston multi-service nonprofit for Haitian immigrants. It is an exploration of how children cultivate their identity, and how a center for immigrants functions in the current sociopolitical climate. There is an evidentiary lacuna of qualitative explorations on children of immigrants’ perceptions and health. The COVID-19 pandemic makes this issue even more temporally relevant, as new data suggests structural factors make marginalized groups, such as people of color and immigrants, more vulnerable to infection and death. This study will contribute to the body of work on children of immigrants’ health by 1) analyzing the unique child perspective, as opposed to focusing entirely on adults or using quantitative child measures, 2) employing qualitative data to create more robust depictions of lived experiences, 3) and situating data in the particular Haiti/U.S. historical, political relationship. This study’s methodology includes ethnographic participant observation during regular visits to a nonprofit organization for immigrants (Fanmi Nou) over the course of several months, semi-structured video interviews with children, parents, and staff members of this organization, and content analysis of documents produced by Fanmi Nou. Through different waves of migration to the United States, children of Haitian immigrants have lived bicultural lives. In the last four years, however, biculturalism and transnationality have come under growing assault. As a reactionary response to overt hostility, parents, staff members at Fanmi Nou, and children themselves, actively promote a Haitian identity in children. Living under an administration characterized by its hostility to immigrants, Haitian American children pick and choose which aspects of American life to welcome and which to reject. Through a multi-service nonprofit organization, these children and their families selectively engage with the U.S. political, educational, and social systems. I argue that these children and this organization strategically support the healthy development of self under these new restrictions.

Recent research suggests that democratising the workplace is an effective way of improving productivity and wellbeing. But few studies have focussed on how to democratise the workplace. This study aims to explore how organisations can democratise the workplace via employee reward strategy, and how this impacts productivity and wellbeing. I hypothesised that a ‘high road strategy’ to employee reward – maximising value rather than minimising cost – would be the most effective way of improving workplace productivity and wellbeing. I also hypothesised that reward strategies in the Nordic countries, which tend to resemble a high road strategy, would be more effective than reward strategies in the UK. I used quantitative analyses on the European Company Survey 2019 data set, exploring different components of a high road reward strategy as predictors of productivity and wellbeing. My results suggested that a high road strategy to employee reward does improve workplace productivity and wellbeing. The strategy consists of maximising employee representative influence (via frequent meetings with management) and reward system comprehensiveness (via emphasis on pay based on company performance); it does not require broad collective bargaining coverage. Nordic reward strategies were more effective than UK strategies: perhaps due to Nordic two-tier bargaining systems facilitating employee representative influence and an emphasis on pay based on company performance. Future research should explore other ways of maximising employee representative influence, as well as other components of a high road reward strategy.

No description available.

The Labrador Innu lived for millennia in the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula as nomadic hunters. Commencing in the 1950s, successive policies imposed on the Innu by federal and provincial governments brought significant disruptions to their traditional way of life. Today, the Labrador Innu are settled in the communities of Sheshatshiu and Natuashish in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They have maintained their language and culture, anchored in their understanding of territory and their relationship with their ancestral land, and have increasingly asserted their self-determination, including in research. The Innu articulated a Healing Strategy in 2014 after extensive community consultations. The Strategy states that a contemporary return to culture would provide healing to individuals and communities. Healing is important due to the social suffering experienced through sudden forced settlement and schooling in a non-Innu system. These abrupt changes altered the social fabric that had sustained Innu society for millennia. As part of the Strategy, the Innu decided to undertake a study to articulate their concept of wellbeing (minuinniuin) and their process of healing. Wellbeing and healing are intrinsic concepts for Innu; however, these concepts need to be uncovered for health and service providers, and policy makers. Having lived in Labrador and worked for the Innu, I was invited to be part of this community-initiated research. The Grand Chief of the Innu Nation directed that the research involve Innu researchers and utilize Innu ways-of-knowing and knowledge as fully as possible. Innu knowledge, like all Indigenous knowledges, is specific to the place where Innu live and to their experiences. Indigenous concepts of health and wellbeing, connections to land, and cultural identity are wholistically connected and culture-specific. The main objective of this dissertation is to articulate the Labrador Innu understanding of wellbeing and their distinctive process of healing. This qualitative study involves interviews and focus groups with 39 participants older than 16 years of age. This is a dissertation by articles. It consists of a general introduction to Indigenous health inequities, a literature review, a description of the methods, and the results as three separate manuscripts. It concludes with a summary of findings and implications. The first manuscript focuses on the process of developing an Innu framework for health research involving a partnership between Innu and non-Innu researchers. An Innu community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework for health research is proposed where Innu knowledge is foundational to the study. The framework is based on the metaphor of Innu and non-Innu canoeing together in one canoe. Within the space that joins all researchers, Indigenous knowledges are uncovered. This CBPR framework is used in the following two manuscripts. The second manuscript describes the contemporary process of healing of the Labrador Innu. Healing practices have been developed to deal with the historical and contemporary effects of colonialism and Innu people consider them effective. Healing is grounded in self-determination, culture, and non-reliance on bio-medicine. Five stages of healing are described: being “under the blanket”; finding spiritual strength; extending hands out; finding strength and power; and helping others. The findings highlighted the enablement of healing through spiritualities, support from Elders, return to culture, and resistance to negative stereotypes. The third manuscript aims to understand Innu views of wellbeing, and the influence of the land on health and wellbeing. Findings highlight that the experience of being on the land with family and community, learning cultural knowledge, and enacting Innu identity play a major role in enhancing wellbeing. For the Innu, the land sustains wellbeing by emplacing knowledge systems and cultural identity. The work presented in this dissertation contributes to the literature on Labrador Innu population health by highlighting that access to and experience of land build up health and wellbeing by providing and facilitating togetherness, fostering a relationship to all living beings, and enacting culture and a positive Innu identity. The findings add new knowledge to Indigenous health studies literature, particularly Innu health studies – holding promise for reducing health inequities. Implications for research, practice, and policy are also addressed.

INTRODUKTION: Människor har länge varit intresserade av naturen och dess påverkan på mänskligheten. Ur ett historiskt perspektiv har naturen och omgivningens relevans spelat en viktig roll inom sjukvårdsyrket. Genom Florence Nightingales synsätt och metodiska arbete fastställdes sambandet mellan vårdmiljön och patienternas hälsa. Samtida forskning och den teoretiska referensramen Attention Restoration Theory (ART) visar både på fysiologiska och psykologiska fördelar när människor vistas i naturområden i jämförelse med stadsmiljöer. Med denna bakgrund är det ytterst viktigt för sjuksköterskor och andra hälsovårdspersonal att vara medvetna om utevistelsens betydelse för personer som bor på vård- och omsorgsboenden. SYFTE: Syftet var att beskriva betydelsen av utevistelse för personer som bor på vård- och omsorgsboenden. METOD: Studiens design är en beskrivande litteraturöversikt vars resultat baserades på 12 vetenskapliga artiklar. RESULTAT: I allmänhet förknippades utevistelse med positiva fördelar enligt de boende. De värderade utevistelse högt och att vistas utomhus genererade känslor av glädje, harmoni, frihet och välbefinnande. När de inte hade möjlighet till utevistelse kunde de uppleva känslor av besvikelse och minskat välbefinnande. De främsta motiveringarna till utevistelse var att få frisk luft, solljus, njuta av grönskan och uppleva samhörighet med andra människor. De boendes orientering till tid och rum blev bättre när de kunde se förändringar i naturens olika årstider under hela året. Resultatet visar att en strukturerad och väl genomtänkt trädgård med riklig grönska förbättrade de boendes humör samt stärkte deras känsla av frihet, oavsett begränsningar i den fysiska förmågan. Trädgårdarna var inte alltid utformade och anpassade till de boendes behov. För många hinder till utevistelse kunde leda till att de boende valde att stanna inomhus, trots att de egentligen ville och behövde besöka trädgården. SLUTSATS: Om sjuksköterskor och annan hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal inkluderade en tillfredsställande utomhusmiljö och regelbundna utevistelser i omvårdnadsperspektivet, bidrog det med förbättrad livskvalitet och återhämtning samt stärkte de boendes känsla av harmoni. Det fanns dock ett behov av mer frekventa utevistelser och mer fri tillgänglighet till trädgården för de boende. Författarna vill därmed bidra med inspiration till vidare forskning att utöka evidensen om vilken betydelse utevistelse har för personer som bor på vård- och omsorgsboenden. / INTRODUCTION: Humans have long been interested in nature and its impact on humanity. From a historical perspective, the nature and the relevance of the environment has played an important role within the healthcare profession. Through Florence Nightingales approach and methodological work, the link between the nursing environment and the patients’ health was established. Contemporary research and the Attention Restoration Theory (ART) shows both physiological and psychological benefits when humans integrate with natural areas compared to urban environments. With this background, it is utmost important for nurses and other healthcare professionals to be conscious of the value of nature and its meaning for people who live in residential facilities. AIM: The aim of this literature study was to describe the value of outdoors visits and its meaning/importance for people who live in residential facilities. METHOD: The design of this study is a descriptive literature review and includes 12 scientific articles in the results. RESULTS: In general, the value of outdoor visits was associated with positive benefits. The residents valued outdoor visits highly and that outdoor stays generated feelings of joy, harmony, freedom and wellbeing. In contrast, when they did not have the opportunity to visit the garden, they experienced feelings of disappointment and reduced wellbeing. The main reasons for outdoor visits were to get fresh air, sunlight, enjoy the vegetation and experience togetherness. The orientation to time and space became better when the residents could see changes in nature's different seasons throughout the year. It was shown that a structured and well thought out garden with abundant vegetation improved the resident’s mood as well as strengthened their sense of freedom, regardless of any restrictions on their physical ability. Unfortunately, the gardens were not always designed and adapted to the needs of the residents. Too many barriers regarding outdoor visits could cause that the residents may choose to stay indoors although they wished to and needed to visit the garden. CONCLUSION: If nurses and other healthcare professionals includes a satisfying outdoor environment and outdoor visits on a regular basis in the perspective of caring, it contributes resident’s quality of life, recovery and stimulates their sense of harmony. However, there is a need for more frequently outdoor visits and more freely accessibility to the garden for the residents. Therefore, the authors of the present literature study hope to inspire future research to increase the evidence of natures impact on and value for people living in resident facilities.