Back to search

BEDREHELSE-Bedre helse og livskvalitet

Promoting health in Healthy living centres - does it work, how does it work and why?

Alternative title: null

Awarded: NOK 8.0 mill.

Project Manager:

Project Number:

228454

Application Type:

Project Period:

2014 - 2018

The inclusion of participants in the controlled trial among adults is finished with 118 participants included, where 77% are women. The vast majority of the participants in the study want help with physical activity and improved diets and body weight. It is also evident that this population rates their self-rated health lower than the general population. This supports the importance of the broad focus in this study, encompassing mental health, body acceptance and motivational factors. Preliminary results from the RCT concerning physical activity (with objective measures) show that included participants are physically active at inclusion and no effects can be revealed on group level. The least active in the intervention improve their activity as compared with corresponding participants in the control group. Members of the research group have presented lectures, workshops and papers topics related to overweight focus and other alternative health promoting focus in media and medical journals (1, 2). We have also published popular scientific papers about physical activity (3, 4). One of us published a book chapter on ethical issues linked to responsibility in life style matters (5). We participate in national and international conferences and are also presented on the net with several url-addresses: http://www.uib.no/prosjekt/frisk https://www.fylkesmannen.no/Aust-Agder/Helse-omsorg-og-sosialtjenester/Folkehelse/Hva-gjor-vi-med-overvekt-hos-barn-pa-Agder/ https://www.kristiansand.kommune.no/friskus http://www.l-a.no/nyheter/Roper-varsko-om-barne-fedme-507822.html http://www.bt.no/100Sport/sprek/Da-Beate-53-kom-til-legen_-ble-ikke-medisiner-losningen-690029_1.snd http://aktivitetsalliansen.no/tag/thomas-mildestvedt/ https://www.gjengangeren.no/hopp http://www.bt.no/100Sport/sprek/Ny-forskning-Endre-livsstil-Slik-lykkes-du-pa-lang-sikt-236027b.html http://tidsskriftet.no/2017/06/fra-andre-tidsskrifter/veiledning-kan-endre-atferd Publications: 1. Samdal GB, Meland E. [Is it obesity or weight focus that is harmful?]. Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke. 2014;134(23-24):2247-8. 2. Samdal GB, Meland E. [Health at every size]. Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening: 2018; in press 3. Berntsen S, Bere E, Torstveit MK. Mindre sitting - bedre helse? Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke. 2015;135(15):1344-5. 4. Berntsen S, Bere E, Torstveit MK. Fysisk aktiv uten å trene? Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke. 2015;135(14):1238-9. 5. Abildsnes E. Ansvar for egen helse [Responsibility for own Health]. I: Mesel T, Leer-Salvesen P. Moralske borgere. Portal Akademisk, Kristiansand, 2016: 172-90. 6. Samdal GB, Eide GE, Barth T, Williams G, Meland E. Effective behavior change techniques for physical activity and healthy eating in overweight and obese adults; systematic review and meta-regression analyses. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2017, doi 10.1186/s12966-017-0494-y 7. Meland E. Mestringstro, selvbestemmelse og respekt i helsetjeneste og samfunn. Rehab Info; desember 2016: 6-8 8. Stea TH, Haugen T, Berntsen S, Guttormsen V, Øverby NC, Haraldstad K, Meland E, Abildsnes E. Using Intervention Mapping protocol to develop a family-based intervention for improving lifestyle habits among overweight and obese children: study protocol for a quasi-experimental trial. BMC Public Health 2016, DOI: 101186/s12889-016-3766-6 9. Engström A, Abildsnes E, Mildestvedt T. "It's not like a fat camp" - A focus group study of adolescents' experiences on group-based obesity treatment. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being. 2016;11:32744. 10. Abildsnes E, Meland E, Mildestvedt T, Stea TH, Berntsen S, Samdal GB. The Norwegian Healthy Life Study: protocol for a pragmatic RCT with longitudinal follow-up on physical activity and diet for adults. BMC public health. 2017;17(1):18. 11. Abildsnes E, Meland E, Samdal GB, Stea TH, Mildestvedt T. Stakeholders? expectations of Healthy Life Centers: A focus group study. Scand J of Publ Health, 1-9; DOI: 10.1177/1403494816655946. PMID: 27340189

We intend to explore the processes of establishing and conducting healthy living activities and measure outcome on process, health behaviour and health. The HLCs offer programs of physical activity, diet, smoking- and snuff cessation, obesity treatment am ong adults and children, alcohol problems and mastering of depression for adults and adolescents. We will use Intervention Mapping as a processing tool to facilitate research activity that takes into account that the activities in the HLCs should be based on best practice, grounded in a local community´s needs and resources, and be sustainable over time. The programs will specifically target the underlying causes of chronic disease. We will map the distribution of lifestyle habits among individuals and fa milies. We will also explore how lifestyle habits relate to known determinants of social health inequality, such as adverse previous experiences, participation in working life and low income. We intend to explore effects of the interventions delivered in HLCs by short time (6 months) controlled trial methodology with waiting list control group, and also explore long term effects by longitudinal observational study design and follow up during 2 years or more. Data from the study will also be communicated w ith the HLCs to be used in continuous planning and improvement of interventions. HLCs base their clinical interventions on motivational interviewing (MI) approach, a directive and client centered method aiming at promoting autonomy and self-determination. The research group´s theoretical framework include Self-determination theory (SDT). This theory is strongly linked to the clinical practice of MI. The SDT research community has developed concepts, questionnaires and research methods that are feasible fo r studying human behavior and motivation. We also intend to study if socioeconomic differences are of importance for entering or dropping out of HLC interventions, and the ability to sustain lifestyle changes.

Publications from Cristin

No publications found

No publications found

No publications found

No publications found

Funding scheme:

BEDREHELSE-Bedre helse og livskvalitet