Is fighting against COVID-19 enough?

Tools of empirical epidemiology have been and are indispensable to focus political power on blocking the spreading of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by stopping transmission. The present paper is a comment on E. Gibney's article 'Whose coronavirus strategy worked best?' ( 2020;581:15-6).

Understanding how prevocational training on care farms can lead to functioning, motivation and well-being.

Purpose: Prevocational training aims to improve basic vocational and social skills, supporting return to work for people who have been out of work for a long time. Care farms provide prevocational training; the aim of the study was to use the self-determination theory to gain an understanding of how these programmes can lead to healthy functioning and motivation for clients.

Method: A total of 194 participants in prevocational training on care farms answered questions about demographic information, their perception of being a colleague, the social community on the farm, experiencing nature and animals and need satisfaction.

Differences in sickness absence between self-employed and employed doctors: a cross-sectional study on national sample of Norwegian doctors in 2010.

Background: Doctors have a low prevalence of sickness absence. Employment status is a determinant in the multifactorial background of sickness absence. The effect of doctors' employment status on sickness absence is unexplored.

A prospective study of the association between the readiness for return to work scale and future work participation in Norway.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between the Norwegian version of the Readiness for return to work (RTW) scale and future work participation among persons in inpatient occupational rehabilitation.

Methods: A prospective cohort with one year follow up. The participants (n = 179) were persons with reduced work ability who participated in a one-week inpatient rehabilitation program.

Social Factors of Sickness Absences and the Significance of the Nature-culture Interplay in Coping.

Conflict Of Interest: none declared.

Aims: The aim of this study was to focus on and to discuss how social factors influence sickness absence. There were two aims of this study: a) To explore and reveal the absentees experiences and perceptions of sickness absence in daily life b) To explore and reveal the absentees own perceptions and experiences of coping while being on sickness absence.

Psychometric properties of the readiness for return to work scale in inpatient occupational rehabilitation in Norway.

Aim: To investigate internal consistency and construct validity of the Readiness for return to work (RTW) scale in a sample participating in a Norwegian inpatient occupational rehabilitation program.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on baseline measures from a prospective cohort study evaluating a 5 days inpatient occupational rehabilitation program. The participants in the program were 18-67 years, on sickness absence or at risk of sickness absence (N = 193).

How music may promote healthy behaviour.

Introduction: Using music to promote healthy behaviour may enhance coping mechanisms in spite of illness.

Aims: 1) To explore the role and significance of music and musicking in the life of men and women with long-term illnesses in or through different life phases, situations, events, issues and contexts. 2) To increase knowledge on how participants, through exposure to and exchange of new musical materials and practices, may learn to use music as a ''technology of self '' in relation to health promotion and rehabilitation.

Legal aspects of prevention in Norway.

Prevention in Norway and in Europe more generally, is a multidisciplinary collaboration between many professions, organized largely in municipalities, villages, and counties. This paper addresses three questions: What relevant legislation on prevention currently exists? What are the perspectives of ongoing activities and their intentions? What are the strategic issues? Since 1984, Norway's primary health care system has been based on the Local Authority Health Care Act. In 1995, the Communicable Disease Control Act replaced the chapter on communicable diseases in the old Public Health Act of 1860.

Long-term effects of community-based injury prevention on the island of Vaerøy in Norway: a 20-year follow up.

Aim: A multifactorial injury prevention programme started in 1981 and ran for about 10 years in an island community in Norway with a population of about 1,000. A study was undertaken to evaluate effects of the programme over a period of 20 years.

Methods: Injuries were recorded by the one medical doctor on the island for several years during the period 1970-2001.

Nature-culture-health activities as a method of rehabilitation: an evaluation of participants' health, quality of life and function.

The dramatic increase in sickness absence and disability pensions in recent years are negative side-effects of our welfare society. Among others, people certified as long-term sick are offered participation in a programme of health-promoting activities (salutogenesis) in Asker, Norway. The aim of this study was to evaluate health, quality of life and function among participants included in a programme of community-based nature-culture-health activities.