In recent years, the study of body image shifted from focusing on the negative aspects to a more extensive view of body image. The present study seeks to validate a measure of positive body image, the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2; Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015a) in Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden. Participants (N = 1012) were adolescents and young adults aged from 12 to 19. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the one-dimensional factor structure of the scale. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the scale was invariant across sex and country. Further results showed that BAS-2 was positively correlated with self-esteem, psychological well-being, and intuitive eating. It was negatively correlated with BMI among boys and girls in Portugal but not in Denmark and Sweden. Additionally, boys had higher body appreciation than girls. Results indicated that the BAS-2 has good psychometric properties in the three languages.

I denna bok presenteras olika tvärkulturella perspektiv som hjälper studenter och andra intresserade att nå kunskap om hur kulturell bakgrund, både den egna och andras, kan spela roll vid inhämtande av data. Författarna delar med sig av sina välgrundade erfarenheter som forskare inom vården. De visar hur man kan planera och genomföra undersökningar med informanter från minoritetsgrupper som annars har svårt att göra sig hörda genom att ta hjälp av nyckelpersoner och tolkar. De visar också hur man kan genomföra studier utomlands. Men det är inte bara en fråga om praktiska lösningar, utan författarna ger även redskap för den (själv)kritiska reflektion som krävs för tillförlitlig tvärkulturell forskning.

Boken riktar sig till studenter, forskare och yrkesverksamma som intresserar sig för hur vården kan utvecklas och förbättras för alla, oavsett bakgrund.

Objective: to describe the experiences of immigrant parents of an ultrasound examination in the second trimester of pregnancy, highlighting information, communication, thoughts, feelings and well-being. Methods: An exploratory, qualitative study using in-depth interviews with parents separately. Content analysis was used. A total of nine Farsi-speaking couples, in all 18 persons, who now live in Sweden, were interviewed. Results: Four main categories emerged from the parents’ descriptions: experiencing professionals who were informative and communicative, experiencing the first encounter with their unborn child, experiencing a well-planned routine and experiencing a humanistic encounter within the healthcare organisation. Conclusion: Parents saw the ultrasound examination as a means of: getting visual confirmation of their pregnancy, reassurance about the health and well-being of their foetus and making connection with their baby; and receiving confirmation of their baby’s gender. The parents were impressed by the quality of their communication with the care-givers, which influenced their judgement of the whole procedure, including the technical quality of the care.

This study reviewed the literature concerning the involvement by European men in pregnancy and childbirth and examined how this is related to health outcomes; for the men themselves, their partners, and their children. The study also reflects on the literature in relation to other existing research on men, masculinities, and fatherhood. The literature review support the idea that the father’s involvement during pregnancy and delivery can positively influence health outcomes for the man, his partner, and their children. However, little help is offered to the majority of men regarding parenting. It is therefore crucial for the maternal and child healthcare services to develop new ways of reaching out to men. In order to develop new knowledge earlier research needs to be complemented with a multidisciplinary approach where the existing research material, on social science regarding men, masculinities, and fatherhood is also taken into consideration.