Districts In Oslo Research Articles

Inclusive, needs-based research for addressing Health Literacy in Parents with immigrant backgrounds

Abstract Research indicates that parental health literacy is associated with child health outcomes. A 2021 study by the Norwegian Public Health Department found that certain immigrant groups struggle with health literacy due to language barriers, cultural differences in understanding of health and illness, and unfamiliarity with the Norwegian health system and services. To reduce differences in health literacy and better support parents with immigrant backgrounds to make health promoting choices for their children, and navigate the Norwegian health and social systems effectively, we need knowledge about their resources, challenges, and needs. This knowledge makes it possible to design strategies to promote parental health literacy and make health services more responsive to the needs of the population. Optimising health literacy amongst parents with immigrant backgrounds (OPAL) is a research collaboration between Oslo Metropolitan University and the Bjerke City District, one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse districts in Oslo. Applying the Optimising Health Literacy and Access (Ophelia) process, parents health professionals, and researchers work systematically together to develop knowledge of parents’ health literacy, identify priority areas for research, design and implement effective solutions in primary health care. In this presentation, we will describe how OPAL is rooted in the strategic priorities of the city district, how the project applies methods for needs identification and involves users and stakeholders at all stages. We will share experiences from planning and conducting inclusive data collection, preliminary results and describe how results will be used in development of targeted health literacy actions.

Dopuszczenie na rynek produktów leczniczych w wyroku Trybunału EFTA w sprawie E-16/14 Pharmaq AS przeciwko Intervet International BV

The publication is a commentary on an important judgment of the EFTA Court of April 9, 2015 regarding the scope of marketing authorization for vaccines or medicinal products. The first part presents the most important information and circumstances regarding the case. Later, you can find the questions that the Oslo District Court referred to the EFTA Court in Luxembourg. The following parts contain a detailed analysis of the EFTA Court's judgment and the author's commentary. I am convinced that by reading this article, every person interested in pharmaceutical law or veterinary law will be able to expand their knowledge. The publication may also prompt reflection on what beneficial solutions Polish law could derive from Scandinavian law.

Locally interpretable tree boosting: An application to house price prediction

We introduce Locally Interpretable Tree Boosting (LitBoost), a tree boosting model tailored to applications where the data comes from several heterogeneous yet known groups with a limited number of observations per group. LitBoost constraints the complexity of a Gradient Boosted Trees model in a way that allows us to express the final model as a set of local Generalized Additive Models, yielding significant interpretability benefits while still maintaining some of the predictive power of a Gradient Boosted Trees model. We use house price prediction as a motivating example and demonstrate the performance of LitBoost on a data set of N=14382 observations from 15 different city districts in Oslo (Norway). We also test the robustness of LitBoost in an extensive simulation study on a synthetic data set.

Sociodemographic predictors of and main reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in eastern Oslo: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundVaccines are an essential public health strategy to curb viral infection spreading that hinge on vaccine uptake which may be threatened by vaccine hesitant individuals. This study aims to identify sociodemographic predictors of vaccine hesitancy, main reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and how these reasons are explained by sociodemographic characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional study (N = 5 442) was carried out in June 2021. A web-based survey was conducted among six eastern districts in Oslo with high infection pressure. Sociodemographic variables included gender, age, country of birth, education, and household income. Binary logistic regression models were used to explore predictors of both vaccine hesitancy and specific reasons for hesitancy.ResultsVaccine hesitancy was low overall (5.8%). Findings indicate that participants with younger ages, lower education, and lower household income, and those born outside of Norway were prone to vaccine hesitancy. Over half of the vaccine hesitant sample cited barriers relating to confidence in the vaccines. Women and participants born in Norway were more likely hesitant due to fear of side effects and there being little experience with the vaccines. Otherwise, complacency barriers such as not feeling that they belonged to a risk group (46.1%), not needing the vaccines (39.1%), and wanting the body to develop natural immunity (29.3%) were frequently selected by participants.ConclusionDifferent determinants of vaccine hesitancy among population groups demonstrate the need for clear public health communication about the risks, benefits, and importance of vaccines. Future studies with a larger sample should verify current findings and further explore the role of convenience barriers in health literacy and language. Health authorities should take these results into account and develop different public health strategies targeted at vulnerable population groups during the current and future pandemics to increase vaccine uptake and reach sufficient immunization.

Children's Participation in Free School Meals: A Qualitative Study among Pupils, Parents, and Teachers.

School meals can have a key function in promoting children’s health. However, simply providing a free school meal is not a guarantee that pupils will eat the food. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes in Oslo. The study has a qualitative research design, inspired by grounded theory. Data were collected through interviews with pupils, teachers, and parents, and participant observations in two schools participating in a pilot project funded by Oslo Municipality. Line-by-line coding, memo writing, and a constant comparative technique were used to analyze the data. One primary school and one lower-secondary school in different districts in Oslo that were implementing two different free school meal models took part in the study. In total, 39 pupils (5th–10th grade), 15 parents, and 12 school employees were included. Four main factors related to pupils’ participation in free school meals emerged from the analysis: the popularity of the food served, the attraction to the nearby shopping center, social aspects, and predictability. To promote pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes, schools need to solve the challenges of balancing between healthy food and popular but often unhealthy food. To implement school meals further, children and parents’ involvement, regularity of the meals provision, a good flow of information, and the creation of a friendly eating environment are recommended.

A Web-Based Communication Platform to Improve Home Care Services in Norway (DigiHelse): Pilot Study.

BackgroundHome care service in Norway is struggling to meet the increasing demand for health care under restricted budget constraints, although one-fourth of municipal budgets are dedicated to health services. The integration of Web-based technology in at-home care is expected to enhance communication and patient involvement, increase efficiency and reduce cost. DigiHelse is a Web-based platform designed to reinforce home care service in Norway and is currently undergoing a development process to meet the predefined needs of the country’s municipalities. Some of the main features of the platform are digital messages between residents and the home care service, highlighting information on planned and completed visits, the opportunity to cancel visits, and notifications for completed visits.ObjectiveThis study aimed to test the usability and economic feasibility of adopting DigiHelse in four districts in Oslo by applying registry and behavioral data collected throughout a one-year pilot study. Early health technology assessment was used to estimate the potential future value of DigiHelse, including the predictive value of behavior data.MethodsOutcome measures identified by stakeholder insights and scenario drafting in the project’s concept phase were used to assess potential socioeconomic benefits. Aggregated data were collected to assess changes in health consumption at baseline, and then 15 and 52 weeks after DigiHelse was implemented. The present value calculation was updated with data from four intervention groups and one control group. A quasi-experimental difference-in-difference design was applied to estimate the causal effect. Descriptive behavioral data from the digital platform was applied to assess the usability of the platform.ResultsOver the total study period (52 weeks), rates increased for all outcome estimates: the number of visits (rate ratio=1.04; P=.10), unnecessary trips (rate ratio=1.37; P=.26), and phone calls (rate ratio=1.24; P=.08). A significant gap was found between the estimated value of DigiHelse in the concept phase and after the one-year pilot. In the present pilot assessment, costs are expected to exceed potential savings by €67 million (US $75 million) over ten years, as compared to the corresponding concept estimates of a potential gain of €172.6 million (US $193.6 million). Interestingly, behavioral data from the digital platform revealed that only 3.55% (121/3405) of recipients actively used the platform after one year.ConclusionsBehavioral data provides a valuable source for assessing usability. In this pilot study, the low adoption rate may, at least in part, explain the inability of DigiHelse to perform as expected. This study points to an early assessment of behavioral data as an opportunity to identify inefficiencies and direct digital development. For DigiHelse, insight into why the recipients in Oslo have not made greater use of the Web-based platform seems to be the next step in ensuring the right improvement measures for the home care service.

The association between birthweight and grandparental type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in a multiethnic population.

Intergenerational links of chronic disease have been suggested, as birthweight (BW) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in both parents and grandparents. However, most studies investigating these relationships have used relatively homogenous, white, majority populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between BW and CVD and T2D in a multiethnic population, that is, where the parents and grandparents often developed in a different environment from that where the child was born. Participants were women from a population-based cohort study of pregnant women (STORK Groruddalen), attending Child Health Clinics for antenatal care in three administrative city districts in Oslo, Norway, 2008-2010. Information about socioeconomic and lifestyle factors were collected among mothers and fathers. Parents reported history of CVD or T2D among grandparents. In logistic regressions, higher BW z-scores were associated with lower odds of T2D among maternal (OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.53, 0.97) and paternal (0.68 (0.49, 0.94) grandmothers after adjustments for parental and grandmothers' characteristics. BW was not associated with CVD, but the association in maternal grandfathers was borderline significant. Our results indicate intergenerational transmission of chronic diseases like T2D in a multiethnic population.

Look to Norway: Serving new families and infants in a multiethnic population.

ABSTRACTDespite recognition that immigrant women face significant health challenges, addressing the healthcare needs of immigrants is a source of debate in the United States. Lack of adequate healthcare for immigrants is recognized as a social justice issue, and other countries have incorporated immigrants into their healthcare services. Oslo, the fastest growing capital in Europe, is rapidly shifting to a heterogeneous society prompting organizational action and change. The New Families Program serves first‐time mothers and their infants in an Oslo district serving 53% minorities from 142 countries. Anchored in salutogenic theory, the program aims to support the parent–child relationship, children's development and social adaptation, and to prevent stress‐related outcomes. Formative research has informed the successful program development and implementation within the existing maternal and child healthcare service. Implications for addressing maternal and child health needs of an immigrant population are presented.

Cycling and walking for transport and their associations with diabetes and risk factors for cardiovascular disease

IntroductionActive travel is recommended and promoted to increase physical activity and reduce the risk of several non-communicable diseases. The health effects of active travel in populations of low socioeconomic status (SES) are unclear. This study was performed to investigate the associations of cycling and walking for travel with diabetes and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a multi-ethnic, low-SES population. MethodsCross-sectional data from 2445 adults (age, 48.0 ± 9.8 years; 43.6% men) in two multi-ethnic, low-SES districts in Oslo, Norway, were collected. The data included objective measurements (blood pressure, weight, height, blood parameters), questionnaire data (physical activity, diabetes, use of medication, working status, education, smoking), sex, age, and country of origin. Associations were analyzed by multiple logistic regression models. ResultsCycling and walking for travel were performed by 26.5% and 80.1% of adults, respectively. Self-reported diabetes (OR, 0.47; 95% CI 0.23–0.94) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of <1.3 mmol/L (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.62–0.95) and obesity (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55–0.92) were inversely associated with cycling after adjustment for SES, smoking, leisure-time physical activity, walking for travel, age, and sex. Systolic blood pressure of >140 mmHg (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.57–0.97) was inversely associated with walking for travel. ConclusionIn the current multi-ethnic low SES population, those engaged in active travel and cycling for travel in particular had lower odds of diabetes and lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease compared to those not engaged in active travel.

Humanitarians in court: how duty of care travelled from human resources to legal liability

This article explores the process of legalization as a shift in the way humanitarian actors are held accountable. The analysis is developed at the interface of legal sociology, legal anthropology and at the margins of an anthropology of the Norwegian welfare state. Through an account of the groundbreaking Steven Patrick Dennis v. the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) case litigated in Oslo District Court in 2015, I show how the evolving juridification of humanitarian organizations’ duty of care for their staff is transforming both the content and the framing of the relationship between employers (NGOs) and employees (NGO workers), and perceptions of the moral duties and humanitarian worker subject positions that underpin this relationship. Over the last decade, the NRC has gone through a period of exceptional growth and has evolved to become one of the humanitarian sectors most well-known and respected actors. Despite this prominence, there is no critical academic engagement with the organization’s work or its institutional culture. The article aims to bridge that knowledge gap.

Preschool and school performance of children from immigrant families

We study whether free preschool affects the subsequent school performance of children from immigrant families. Our difference-in-differences approach takes advantage of a policy intervention implemented in two districts in Oslo, leaving other similar districts unaffected. The grade point average of girls increases more in the intervention districts than in the comparison districts, resulting in effect estimates of about a tenth of the standard deviation. We find no consistent effects for boys.

Adolescents from affluent city districts drink more alcohol than others.

To estimate the level of alcohol consumption and problems among adolescents in city districts in Oslo, Norway with different socio-economic composition; to test whether differences in alcohol consumption are related to district differences in socio-demographic characteristics; and to analyse whether such associations remain significant after controlling for individual-level variables. Cross-sectional survey using multi-level linear regression analyses with individual responses at the lowest level and city-district data at the highest level. Oslo, Norway. A total of 6635 secondary school students, in 62 schools, living in 15 different city districts. Frequency of alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication; alcohol problems; and individual characteristics such as immigrant status, religious involvement and parental norms with regard to alcohol. Socio-economic indicators in city districts, such as education, income and unemployment, were combined into a district-level socio-economic index (DLSI). DLSI scores were related positively to alcohol use (r = 0.31, P < 0.01) and alcohol intoxication (r = 0.25, P < 0.01) but negatively to alcohol problems among alcohol users (r = -0.18, P < 0.01). DLSI scores remained significant for alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication, after controlling for individual-level variables (P < 0.01), but this was not the case for alcohol problems. Adolescents in affluent areas of Oslo, Norway report the highest levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication of all areas; neighbourhood characteristics such as education, income and unemployment levels seem to play a role in such drinking behaviour. Alcohol users in poorer districts reported more alcohol problems than those in other districts; however, here neighbourhood effects do not seem to play a role.

The Anders Behring Breivik Trial: Performing Justice, Defending Democracy

By Prof. Dr. Beatrice de Graaf, Liesbeth van der Heide, Sabine Wanmaker & Daan Weggemans On 24 August 2012, the judges of the Oslo District Court passed their final verdict in the case of Anders Behring Breivik, declaring Breivik criminally sane and legally responsible for the killing of 77 people during the bombing of government […]

Characteristics of senior centre users – and the impact of a group programme on social support and late-life depression

Background: Senior centres are described as arenas for prevention. However, few studies have addressed this subject. The main aims of the present study were to evaluate the impact of a senior centre programme on depression and social support, to gain knowledge about the socio-demographic, psychosocial and health characteristics of users of the senior centres in relation to non-users, and to investigate the associations between psychological distress and social support and somatic and socio-demographic factors.Methods: Data were obtained from the Norwegian Population Register for two municipal districts in Oslo. A random sample was drawn limited to 4,000 of the total number of residents over 65 years living at home. Self-report questionnaires were sent by post. The response rate was 64% and n=2,387. Psychological distress was assessed using Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10) and social support with Oslo-3 Social Support Scale. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was an outcome measure in addition to scales of health and life satisfaction. In total 415 persons fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the RCT and 92 completed the study.Findings: High age and specific health problems were associated with increased use of the senior centre. Single women used the senior centres more than married women whereas single men used the senior centres less than married men. Lack of social support and somatic health problems increased psychological distress. Physical impairments and hearing in particular was associated with low levels of social support which again was associated with psychological distress. There were no significant effects on depression of the group programme. However, based on data from one year follow-up, the programme may have a delayed effect due to a general age-dependent increase in depression. This means that the intervention does not make any significant difference to persons with an already manifest depression, but likely prevents worsening for those with milder symptoms. Social support and quality of life were moderately improved.Conclusion: The findings document a public health problem since the prevalence of physical impairments is high and loneliness is quite common and might lead to increased psychological distress. A further evaluation of these programmes is necessary to capture the effectiveness of the specific parts of the programme’s content.

Improving hospital bed utilisation through simulation and optimisation: With application to a 40% increase in patient volume in a Norwegian general hospital

PurposeThis paper analyses the problem of allocating beds among hospital wards in order to minimise crowding. MethodWe present a generic discrete event simulation model of patient flow through the wards of a hospital. In the generic model, each ward can have separate probability distributions for arrival times and length of stay, which may be time dependent. Output of the model is a matrix, with statistics on the utilisation of different hypothetical numbers of beds for each ward. This matrix is fed into an allocation algorithm, which distributes the available beds among the wards in an optimal way. We define bed utilisation either in terms of how often it is in use (prevalence), or in terms of how often a newly arriving patient is placed in it (incidence). For these classes of utilisation measures we develop efficient allocation algorithms, which we prove to be optimal. ApplicationThe model was applied to Akershus University Hospital in Norway. In 2011, some of the wards of this hospital experienced a high occupancy rate, while others had a lower utilisation. Our model was applied in order to reallocate the hospital beds among the wards. For each ward, acute arrivals were modelled with Poisson-distributions with time-varying intensity, while elective arrivals were programmed to arrive in specific numbers at specific times. The arrival rates were based on empirical data for 2010, scaled up by an expected increase of 40% due to a restructuring of the hospital districts in Oslo and the greater metropolitan area in 2011. Length of stay was modelled as beta-distributions, using a combination of subject matter experts’ evaluations and empirical data from 2010. The model has been verified and validated. ResultsIntuitively, both prevalence (average number of crowding beds in use) and incidence (number of patients placed in crowding beds) might seem like relevant optimisation criteria. However, our experiments show that prevalence optimisation gives more sensible solutions than incidence optimisation, as the latter tends to sacrifice entire wards where length of stay is long and patient turnover is slow. Prevalence optimisation was therefore used. The main results show that when the bed distribution is optimised, the share of crowding patient nights is reduced from 6.5% to 4.2%. ConclusionThis model provides a powerful tool for optimising hospital bed utilisation, and the application showed an important reduction in crowding bed usage. The generic model is flexible, as the level of detail in the modelling of arrivals and length of stay can vary according to the data available and accuracy required.

Socio-demographic, psychosocial and health characteristics of Norwegian senior centre users: A cross-sectional study

The senior centre is the only welfare service in Norwegian elder care serving both fit and less functional pensioners over 65 years. The aim of the study was to determine the socio-demographic, psychosocial and health characteristics of users of the senior centres in relation to non-users in order to find out who can benefit from the senior centre service. Data was collected from the Population Register for all persons living at home over 65 years in two municipal districts in Oslo. A random sample was drawn limited to 4,000 of the total number of residents over 65 years, 2,000 from each district. Questionnaires were sent by post. The response rate was 64% (n = 2,387). Psychological ailments were assessed using Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 and social support with Oslo-3 Social Support Scale. The percentage of users was 44 among the survey respondents. Age was the most significant variable explaining use of the senior centre; increased age led to greater use. Single women used the senior centre more than married women while single men used it less than married men. Other predictors for women included osteoporosis, memory impairment and participation/interest from others. Memory impairment was a predictor for men. High age and specific health problems led to increased use. Living alone predicted greater use among women but less use among men. The association with age could not be explained through socio-demographic, psychosocial or health variables.

Social capital and health – a multilevel analysis of 25 administrative districts in Oslo

Background: Studies of place and health have recently gained increased interest among social researchers. This interest has brought society back to the study of health inequalities and drawn attention to the health effects of contextual psychosocial phenomena. Social cohesion, generalised trust, social networks and social participation are seen as being such phenomena in the social environment that affect health. Methods: This study investigates the association between social capital and self reported health in Oslo. I have used data from the Oslo Health Study 2000 (HUBRO), which includes 11,807 respondents residing in 25 administrative districts. For the multilevel analysis, contextual social capital was measured by aggregating the individual variables generalised trust and participation in voluntary organisations. In addition to the individual variables, the association between social capital and health was controlled for median income, economic inequality and educational level in the administrative districts. Results: In the models that only include the individual variables, both contextual trust and organisational participation had significant effects on self reported health. The associations between place, social capital, and health was attenuated and partly rendered insignificant by the other contextual variables. Conclusions: This study concludes that social capital is not associated with health when other contextual variables are taken into account, and suggests that previous findings may be mediated by median income and the educational level in the areas under study. However, strong conclusions cannot be drawn from this study due to low statistical power and the low response rate. None the less, the study supports the hypothesis that place matters for health

The Lower Palaeozoic apparent polar wander path for Baltica: palaeomagnetic data from Silurian limestones of Gotland, Sweden

SUMMARY Well-dated and undeformed Silurian (Lower Wenlock) limestones from Gotland, southern Sweden, yield two stable remanence components following detailed thermal and alternating-field demagnetization studies. (1) A low blocking-temperature/coercivity magnetization, termed L, delineated below 250dC/10mT, is oriented parallel to the present Earth's field (Dec. 001, Inc. +67, n= 4 sites, a95= 16d). (2) A higher blocking-temperature/coercivity magnetization, termed H, unblocked between 250-400dC/10-35mT, has a NNE declination and shallow negative inclination (Dec. 025, Inc. -19, n= 5 sites, a95= 5d). This H component direction compares favourably with a previous result from Gotland based upon blanket cleaning. Given a lack of evidence for subsequent geological heating (Conodont Alteration Index = 1-1.5), or pervasive palaeomagnetic overprinting, the H palaeopole is regarded as reliable and primary/early diagenetic in origin (19dS, 352dE, dp/dm 3/5). The only other well-constrained Mid-Silurian pole from Baltica, that from the Ringerike Sandstone of the Oslo district, is in excellent agreement with the Gotland data. These combined poles resolve previous problems regarding the shape and time-calibration of Silurian apparent polar wander relative to Baltica.

Copyright, Print and Authorship in the Culture Industry

Copyright, Print and Authorship in the Culture Industry

Trace fossil associations related to facies of an upper Ordovician low wave energy shoreface and shelf, Oslo‐Asker district, Norway

Three trace fossil associations have been identified from facies interpreted as low wave energy upper, middle and lower shoreface deposits, transitional shoreface/shelf deposits and open epicontinental shelf deposits. These were developed in pre-regressive, regressive and transgressive phases associated with eustatic sea level changes caused by the upper Ordovician glaciation. The three associations are the Skolithos-Diplocraterion association, the Diplichnites-Phycodes association and the Thalassinoides association. The Skolithos-Diplocraterion association inhabited upper, middle and lower shoreface environments, the Diplichnites-Phycodes association a lowermost shoreface environment and the Thalassinoides association inhabited offshore epicontinental shelf environmcnts. The Skolithos-Diplocraferion and Diplichnites-Phycodes associations bear strong affinities with previously described Skolithos ichnofacies assemblages (indicating shoreline environments) and the Cruziana ichnofacies forms (indicating shallow water environments down to wave base) respectively. The Thalassinoides assemblage, however, closely compares with assemblages described from Mesozoic epicontinental shelf sequences. Trace fossil diversity achieves a maximum in the lowermost shoreface environment and reduces in deeper water and shallower water environments. This accords with diversity patterns identified in analogous Jurassic epicontinental palaeonvironments. The stratigraphic distribution of some trace fossil association boundaries accords with those of contemporary body fossil associations. However, several body fossil associations are included within the volume of distribution of a single trace fossil assemblage. □Trace fossil association, shoreface and shelf, Oslo district, upper Ordovician.