Publications by authors named "Carin Lennartsson"

Introduction: Loneliness and social isolation are public health concerns. This study aimed to examine levels and trends in loneliness and social isolation among older adults (77+ years) in Sweden, assess subgroup variations, and determine associations between loneliness and social isolation.

Methods: The 1992, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2021 waves of the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) were analysed through ordered logistic and linear regressions.

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Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between frailty and avoidable hospitalization risk, and the moderating role of sociodemographic, clinical, and care-related factors.

Design: Longitudinal population-based cohort study.

Setting And Participants: A total of 3168 community-dwelling individuals, aged ≥60 years, from the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K).

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Aims: To investigate 20-year trends in social participation among the oldest old (77+ years) in Sweden and assess the extent to which changes in educational attainment and functional abilities explain these trends.

Methods: Seven waves of the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) spanning 2002-2021 were used with a repeated cross-sectional design. To analyse the association between time and social participation we employed the Karlson-Holm-Breen method of decomposition.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A total of 73 publications were analyzed, highlighting various interventions primarily at the micro- and meso-level, with varying degrees of success in improving health and service utilization outcomes.
  • * Expert discussions revealed key challenges, including inadequate evaluation methods and the need for more macro-level interventions, leading to recommendations for better collaboration between care organizations and researchers to enhance care effectiveness.
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Spousal bereavement is associated with health declines and increased mortality risk, but its specific impact on physical and cognitive capabilities is less studied. A historical cohort study design was applied including married Tromsø study participants (N=5739) aged 50-70 years with baseline self-reported overall health and health-related factors and measured capability (grip strength, finger tapping, digit symbol coding, and short-term recall) at follow-up. Participants had data from Tromsø4 (1994-1995) and Tromsø5 (2001), or Tromsø6 (2007-2008) and Tromsø7 (2015-2016).

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Intergenerational family care provided to older parents by adult children is growing and differs based on gender and socioeconomic status. Few studies consider these elements in relation to both the parent and their adult child, and little is known about the number of care tasks received even though those providing intensive levels of care are at risk of experiencing adverse consequences in their lives. This study uses data from the nationally representative 2011 Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) and includes child-specific information from parents aged 76 years and above.

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Unlabelled: Many countries, including Sweden, are implementing policies aimed at delaying retirement and encouraging older workers to remain on the labour market for longer. During recent decades, there have been several major reforms to the pension and social security systems in Sweden. Moreover, the nature of occupations has shifted towards more non-manual and sedentary activities, older women are today almost as active in the labour market as men in Sweden, and physical functioning has improved over time.

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Purpose Of The Research: Social exclusion threatens quality of life in older age. However, there is a lack of research on social exclusion from life-course and gender perspectives. We investigated early- and midlife risk factors for old-age social exclusion among women and men.

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Unlabelled: Several factors associated with loneliness are also considered indicators of social exclusion. While loneliness has been proposed as an outcome of social exclusion, there is limited empirical evidence of a link. This study examines the associations between social exclusion indicators and loneliness in older adults (60+ years) in four Nordic countries.

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Due to an increasing heterogeneity in retirement transitions, the measurement of retirement age constitutes a major challenge for researchers and policymakers. In order to better understand the concept of retirement age, we compare a series of measures for retirement age assessed on the basis of survey and register data. We use data from Sweden, where flexible retirement schemes are implemented and register data are available.

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Objectives: Individuals who feel lonely and those who are socially isolated have higher mortality risks than those who are not lonely or socially isolated. However, the importance of loneliness and social isolation for survival is rarely analysed in the same study or with consideration of gender differences. The aim was to examine the separate, mutually adjusted, and combined effects of loneliness and social isolation with mortality in older women and men.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates changes in social exclusion among older adults in Sweden over three decades (1992, 2002, 2011) and examines whether these changes differ by gender.
  • - Data from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old revealed reductions in material resources and services-related exclusion, but women experienced higher exclusion levels compared to men in these areas.
  • - Despite some improvements, significant social exclusion issues remain for older adults, highlighting the need for a robust welfare and social security system to support their inclusion.
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Background: Today's older people drink more alcohol than earlier cohorts of older people. Social integration has been identified as an important factor for older people's drinking, but the association is complex. This study investigates both high and low levels of social integration and their associations with longitudinal patterns of alcohol consumption among older women and men.

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Objective: To examine the relationship between social factors and planned and unplanned hospital admissions among older people.

Data Sources/study Setting: 2011 data from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) and data from the Swedish National Patient Register until December 31, 2012.

Study Design: The study had a prospective design.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on understanding how socio-economic status at various life stages affects health and health disparities in late-middle age and later life.
  • Utilizing a Swedish sample from the LNU and SWEOLD surveys, it explores the long-term impacts of social class from childhood to late midlife on health outcomes at ages 60 and 80.
  • Results show that while poor social class at origin doesn't directly impact later health, it contributes to health issues through complex indirect pathways, indicating that addressing socio-economic disadvantages could help reduce health inequalities in older adults.
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To live with feelings of loneliness has negative implications for quality of life, health and survival. This study aimed to examine changes in loneliness among older people, both with regard to prevalence rates, and socio-demographic, social and health-related correlates of loneliness. This study had a repeated cross-sectional design and was based on the nationally representative Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD).

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In this study, we aimed to identify which of certain demographic and socio-economic groups in the oldest part of the population that have an increased probability of experiencing simultaneous disadvantages in different life domains - here termed coexisting disadvantages. To do so, we compared analyses of coexisting disadvantages, measured as two or more simultaneous disadvantages, with analyses of single disadvantages and specific combinations of disadvantages. Indicators of physical health problems, ADL limitations, psychological health problems, limited financial resources, and limited social resources were included.

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Objectives: The understanding of social phenomena is enhanced if individuals can be studied over longer periods. Regarding loneliness in old age, there is a general lack of longitudinal research. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is an association between loneliness in old age and social engagement 20 years earlier, as stated by life course theory and the convoy model.

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Background: Alcohol consumption in very old age is increasing; yet, little is known about the personal and health-related characteristics associated with different levels of alcohol consumption and the association between alcohol consumption and survival among the oldest old.

Methods: Nationally representative data from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD, ages 76-101; n=863) collected in 2010/2011 were used. Mortality was analyzed until 2014.

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Aims: Non-response to population surveys is a common problem in epidemiological and public health research. Systematic non-response threatens the validity of results. Researchers rarely evaluate the magnitude of systematic non-response because of limited access to population data.

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Objectives: Longitudinal research on loneliness in old age has rarely considered loneliness separately for men and women, despite gender differences in life experiences. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which older women and men (70+) report feelings of loneliness with a focus on: (a) changes in reported loneliness as people age, and (b) which factors predict loneliness.

Method: Data from the 2004 and 2011 waves of SWEOLD, a longitudinal national survey, was used (n = 587).

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As the number and proportion of very old people in the population increase, there is a need for improved knowledge about their health and living conditions. The SWEOLD interview surveys are based on random samples of the population aged 77+years. The low non-response rates, the inclusion of institutionalized persons and the use of proxy informants for people unable to be interviewed directly ensure a representative portrayal of this age group in Sweden.

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Objectives: to examine the association between 34-year trajectories of social activity, from middle age to old age and late-life disability.

Methods: data from the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and the Swedish Panel Study of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) were used. LNU data from 1968, 1981, 1991 and 2000 were merged with SWEOLD data from 1992, 2002 and 2004 to create a longitudinal data set with five observation periods.

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Surveys of the oldest old population are associated with several design issues. Place of residence and possible physical or cognitive impairments make it difficult to maintain a representative study population. Based on a Swedish nationally representative survey among individuals 77+, the present study analyze the potential bias of not using proxy interviews and excluding the institutionalized part of the population in surveys of the oldest old.

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