This study aimed to explore how teachers at certified sports-oriented upper secondary schools (CSUSS) in Sweden experienced how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their everyday practice and well-being. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 teachers (mean age: 44 years) from three CSUSS in southern Sweden. The interviews were analysed using abductive qualitativecontent analysis. The analysis resulted in one overreaching theme, ‘Making sense of changes in everyday practice and dealing with a changing world’, illuminating how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted teachers. The teachers described the first lockdown as an initial shock that brought about changes in their workload and daily routines. The second lockdown was generally easier to handle, but they spent more time on planning and preparations, and had a greater focus on conveying theoretical knowledge and physicaltraining. Throughout the pandemic, they experienced a lack of social interactions; nonetheless, supportive colleagues and schools provided some relief. The teachers also experienced uncertainty regarding constantly changing restrictions; they learned, however, the importance of being flexible and creative in coping with these changes. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted their everyday practice and well-being. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on daily life. Research has shown that high school student-athletes were especially vulnerable to the pandemic and its associated restrictions. Teachers at sports high schools were likewise affected by the pandemic. Studies of student-athletes’ and teachers’ experiences of the pandemic are found separately but not in combinations. Based on the reconceptualized uncertainty in illness theory (RUIT), this paper explored how student-athletes and teachers at certified sports-oriented high schools in Sweden experienced uncertainty concerning the pandemic and how it impacted their everyday life experiences, personal development, and well-being. A re-analysis based on an abductive qualitative content analysis of student-athletes, and teachers in two published studies was investigated. The analysis resulted in four categories: ‘Social life in uncertain times,’ ‘Uncertainty affects health and well-being,’ ‘Rapid changes, uncertainty, and adaptation,’ and ‘Learning for an uncertain future’. Throughout the student-athletes and teachers’ stories, the pandemic had a negative impact on their well-being, but they also stressed that they had learned several things for the future, as discussed using the RUIT as a lens. The combined experiences of these interrelated groups provide unique knowledge about their everyday life experience, personal development, and well-being and suggest that future research would benefit from studying different support structures for dealing with future global adversities. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Background: To support and strengthen parenting skills, it is mandatory for municipalities in Sweden to offer parental education programmes to all parents. One such programme is the Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-P), in which parents participate in eight weekly group sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. COS-P helps parents recognise and respond to their child’s emotional needs for attachment. The programme focuses on enhancing parents’ understanding of their child’s behaviour, enabling them to address emotional needs effectively and foster security to benefit the child’s overall development. Objective: This study aimed to explore parents’ experiences of participating in COS-P parental education programme from a health-promotive perspective. Design: Qualitative design using an inductive approach. Setting: The COS-P programme was conducted in a medium-sized town in Sweden. Method: Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis of the data resulted in one latent theme: from uncertainty and chaos to consciously empowering qualities; and five categories with it – parents’ understanding of the child needs developed; parents learned to handle conflicts and set boundaries; parents’ ability to reflect increased; parents’ inner security and calmness was strengthened; and parents’ stress was reduced. Conclusion: The findings show that the COS-P is a relevant programme for municipal authorities to offer parents as the result point at the programme’s ability to empower parenting and strengthen the attachment between parent and child. The programme contributed to increased self-efficacy, well-being and confidence in parenting and could therefore be seen as a useful health promotion intervention. © The Author(s) 2025.

Globally, educational systems were thoroughly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Upper-secondary students were faced with school closures and distance education. For student-athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic, besides academic stress, also contributed to sports-related stress. In this paper, we explore upper-secondary school student athletes’ experiences of schoolwork and sport during two phases of the pandemic. A qualitative research design was used, and 53 student-athletes participated in focus group interviews. Three themes appeared: Struggling to cope with the new life situation, Reevaluating and longing for social life, and Speeding up the transition to adulthood. The themes were elucidated from temporal perspectives. The students experienced challenges in handling school, sports, and social life, but they also experienced opportunities for personal development. Student-athletes are a common responsibility between schools and sports, and, based on the results, schools and sports in collaboration need to increase readiness for action when major societal challenges, such as pandemics, occur. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a complication of childbirth that may impair the overall health of women. We hypothesized that women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (sPOP) would rate their health lower than women without sPOP 1 year after childbirth.

METHODS: The Swedish National Pregnancy Register, and the Pregnancy Survey were merged and searched for women with data on self-rated health and POP 1 year after childbirth. The women (n = 43,082), who answered these validated questions in the Pregnancy Survey between December 2022 and October 2024 comprised our study population, of which 40,392 were included in the final analysis. Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model to estimate the associations between self-rated health and sPOP 1 year after childbirth.

RESULTS: In total, 5704 (13.2%) participants reported sPOP; 1617 (28.3%) women with sPOP and 6669 (17.8%) women without sPOP rated their health as poor. sPOP was associated with poor self-rated health 1 year after childbirth (OR 1.557, 95% CI 1.453-1.669). Additionally, the following covariates: low education, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and poor self-rated health before pregnancy were also associated with poor self-rated health 1 year after childbirth.

CONCLUSIONS: Women with sPOP had higher odds of reporting poor self-rated health 1 year after childbirth compared to women without sPOP. In Sweden, sPOP represents a public health concern affecting women in their prime years and may lead to poorer health outcomes throughout the rest of their lives. © The Author(s) 2025.

HYPOTHESIS / AIMS OF STUDY This unique study explores, from the men’s perspective, what it means to live with a partner affected by symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse after vaginal birth.

STUDY DESIGN, MATERIALS AND METHODS A qualitative, exploratory design was used to analyze interviews with 13 men whose women experienced symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (sPOP) after vaginal birth. The data presented in this abstract stem from an original dataset based on the interviews obtained using purposive sampling, recruiting men via their women on social media. The mean age of men was 38 (30–47) years. All men were present during childbirth. The mean age of women was 34 (29–40) years.The time from symptoms onset to interview ranged from one to eight years, with an average of four years. Eight out of the 13 women were diagnosed with both sPOP and levator injuries. Written consent was obtained from both partners.

RESULTS The findings revealed that men were impacted by women’s sPOP, facing unexpected challenges that restricted many aspects of their lives and affected both present dynamics and prospects. Instead of sharing duties with women, men often had to take on caregiving roles for newborns and mothers, managing household tasks while providing nurturing care and emotional support. These added demands led to feelings of stress, insufficiency, and powerlessness, resulting in domestic conflicts and strained relationships. Furthermore, women’s sPOP forced couples to give up previously shared activities, such as running and dancing, which harmed their relationship dynamics. When partners continued activities alone, guilt diminished their enjoyment, leading some to withdraw, which, in turn, worsened their physical condition and caused weight gain. Reduced exercise fostered lasting habits that persisted over time. Another profound negative consequence of sPOP was the impact on intimate life. In some cases, a ‘virtually non-existent sex life’ led to a sense of drifting apart, creating emotional distance, contributing to reduced well-being, and even pushing couples to the brink of separation. In addition, future family planning was challenged. Some couples avoided more children, while others required a C-section guarantee, and one chose to have an abortion due to fear of further pelvic floor injuries.

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS The results mirror the findings from a study on women’s experiences on sPOP, which impacted sexual health, restricted activities, and impaired parenting, compromising psychological health and affecting relationship harmony (1). A key finding of the current study is that sPOP and levator injuries have long-lasting consequences not only for women’s health but also for their men’s well-being and, ultimately, for the well-being of the entire family, altering life plans and influencing future reproductive decisions. The result highlights the need to develop and implement preventive prenatal and intrapartum practices to avoid pelvic floor injuries and to provide information on health risks associated with vaginal birth. However, obstetricians and midwives reported difficulties communicating material risks despite legal requirements (2). Work must be done to align maternity care practices with statutory requirements and ensure women’s right to information on risks and preventive measures for injury, as stipulated in the Patient Act in Sweden (3).

CONCLUDING MESSAGE Women’s sPOP negatively impacted their men’s well-being, affecting family dynamics and shaping life plans and reproductive choices. There is a need for individualized prenatal risk assessment for sPOP and the implementation of preventive strategies. Equally important is informing women and, if appropriate, their spouses about the potential risk of sPOP and levator injuries after vaginal birth to ensure informed choices. When birth trauma occurs, providing adequate support and management is essential.

© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Continence Society. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of incurable visual impairment and impacts daily life. There are benefits of physical activity for people who are affected with AMD; however, living with AMD is associated with lower levels of physical activity and social isolation. The aim of this study was to explore how older people with AMD in Sweden experienced participation in a 6-month empowerment-based physical activity intervention and how it influenced their physical abilities. Methods: The participants were nine individuals with AMD aged 70–87 years. The intervention comprised physical and social activities in a group twice a week and individual health coaching on three occasions. The study was based on an exploratory qualitative case study design. Results: The findings showed two themes: created meaningfulness in life and creative and playful ways to develop body movements. The findings also showed improved muscle strength after the intervention. Conclusions: The findings showed that participants had increased social connectedness, improved physical self-efficacy and physical ability, as well as improved muscle strength. The empowerment process of the intervention was appreciated by the participants and challenged them to participate in physical activity offered by the municipality for older individuals. © 2024 by the authors.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on educational and sporting systems worldwide, with, for example, school closures, transitions to remote teaching, and limited opportunities for practicing sports. Consequently, this study aimed to explore how student-athletes and teachers at certified sports-oriented high schools in Sweden experienced uncertainty in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the pandemic impacted their everyday life experiences and well-being. This study is based on a secondary analysis of two former studies that explored the experiences of teachers and student-athletes at certified sport-oriented upper secondary schools in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. In study one, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 teachers (mean age: 44 years). In study two, 53 student-athletes (mean age: 18 years) participated in focus group interviews. The amplified secondary analysis was based on qualitative content analysis and allowed for posing new research questions to the existing data and examining common and divergent themes across the two datasets. The analysis resulted in four themes: ‘Social life in uncertain times’, ‘Uncertainty affects health and well-being’, ‘Rapid changes, uncertainty, and adaption’, and ‘Lessons learned for the probabilistic future’ that illuminate the student-athletes and teachers experiences. The student-athletes and teacher experiences shared some similarities (e.g., decreased social contacts and loneliness, uncertainty in relation to constantly changing restrictions). Importantly, however, their experiences also differed in several ways; for example, the teachers coped better with the second lockdown, while the second lockdown was more difficult to handle for the student-athletes. In conclusion, the study highlights the multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student-athletes and teachers’ social lives, study and work situations, opportunities for practicing or teaching sports, and well-being. The results emphasize the need for support, flexibility, and preparedness for future uncertainties, such as new pandemics, for student-athletes and teachers.

Previous research has shown that feeling engaged in schoolwork is crucial for pupils to achieve, but engagement and motivation decline with age in many countries. To address these issues, we consider it is important that how we conceive learning include opportunities for learning outside the classroom. This study aimed to explore pupils’ experiences of being taught science subjects using outdoor learning, including the learning they achieved. The research was conducted using an ethnographic research design, a useful method for research in this type of environment where a greater understanding of teaching and learning processes is sought, enabling researchers to explore events more deeply. The study took place during one school year and was conducted for pupils in grade 6 in a school on Sweden’s west coast. This study provides unique insights into how these teacher efforts to offer outdoor learning opportunities have improved pupils’ willingness to participate. Likewise, how the pupils have developed knowledge of and used scientific concepts and skills in different contexts became visible when the pupils were allowed to try, explore, be creative, and observe in real life contexts in various places. In addition, the pupils have been given opportunities to ask, discuss and reflect on questions about various phenomena and processes in nature and humans. From the pupils’ point of view, this has contributed to their easier understanding of the content of the science subjects. These results significantly improve science literacy for science subjects in a school context (Holbrook & Rannikmae, 2009). © The Author(s) 2024.