Norwegian version

Ageing, health and welfare

The group’s research focus are on factors that can facilitate healthy aging. Our prioritized areas are health interventions that includes physical activity, exercise, optimal nutrition and health technology, implementation and quality of health care services.

The research group Aging, Health and Welfare (AHW) focuses on challenges and consequences for health and quality of life for older people. Our aim is healthy aging.

Special focus is on factors that can contribute to healthy aging and help older people live active and meaningful lives for as long as possible, regardless of ethnicity and socio-economic status. 

We emphasize cooperation with the field of practice and collaborate with various patient and user organizations and health personnel, both in the municipal health service and in the specialist health service.

The AHW’s prioritized research areas are community health research, health interventions and implementation, and health services and innovation.

This research group belongs to the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Head of research group

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  • Members

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  • More about the research group

    Our research areas include

    • physical function
    • nutritional status
    • quality of life
    • user participation
    • health literacy
    • ethnicity
    • health services
    • health technology

    Aging,health and welfare (AHW) is an interdisciplinary research group consisting of researchers from physiotherapy, nursing, clinical nutrition and psychology.

    A primary goal is to contribute to healthy aging. We collaborate with the health personnel, users, politicians and education at bachelor's, master's and doctoral level.

    The research group has extensive research collaboration both in Norway and internationally.

    The research group's focus is on factors that can facilitate healthy aging. This is an important goal because we live longer in Norway and rest of the world.

    Already in 2030 there will be more older adults over the age of 65 than younger people under the age of 20.

    Extensive research the last decades shows that it is possible to maintain a good health, function and quality of life even into old age.

    Our aim is to translate this knowledge into society and the health services. The research group AVH wants to contribute with implementation research that can make the health service more sustainable.

    Important keywords are prevention, early intervention, rehabilitation and increased use of health technology.

    In this way, we believe that the population can maintain a good physical and mental health for as long as possible, regardless of age, ethnicity, socio-economic status and level of physical and cognitive functioning.

  • Cooperation

    • Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
    • Karolinska Institutet, Sweeden
    • Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
  • Projects

    • FALLPREVENT: Implementation of evidence-based, fall-prevention programmes in the health care services: Quality, competency and effectiveness
    • The TracStroke study – Transitional care for patients with stroke – the discharge summary’s influence on continuity of follow-up. The project is part of the Bridge-Building Initiative at OsloMet. PhD student Liss Marita Solbakken. Supervisors: Therese Brovold, Birgitta Langhammer and Antje Sundset.
    • Coordination and continuity in municipal services for the elderly with multiple diseases ("Koordinering og kontinuitet i kommunale tjenester til den eldre multisyke"). The project is part of the Bridge-Building Initiative at OsloMet. PhD student Karoline Stray. Supervisors: Asta Bye, Jonas Debesay and Torunn Wibe.
    • Stepping stones for successful evaluation of mobile app efficacy for risk reduction of type 2 diabetes. PhD student Gyri Skoglund. Supervisors: Birgitta B. Nilsson, Pernille Lunde, Kari-Annette Bruusgaard and Asta Bye.
    • Effect of mobile health technology (mHealth), exercise adherence and optimal nutrition post rehabilitation among people with Parkinson’s Disease (mHEXANUT). PhD student Sigrid Ryeng Alnes. Supervisors: Therese Brovold, Asta Bye and Ellisiv Lærum-Onsager.
    • Lifestyle through the life course, age at menopause, and health outcomes later in life. Julie Røgler Langås. Supervisors: Elisabeth Bjelland, Solveig Hofvind and Anne Eskild.
    • AQUAHIGH - High-intensity aquatic exercise for rheumatoid arthritis patients – a randomized controlled study ("Høyintensiv bassengtrening for revmatikere – en randomisert kontrollert studie"). PhD student Heidi Bunæs-Næss. Supervisors: Krisit E. Heiberg and Birgitta B. Nilsson.
    • Better before – Better after: Prehabilitation program for older patients awaiting total hip replacement – a randomized controlled study. PhD student Odd-Einar Svinøy. Supervisor: Gunvor Hilde.
    • Effects of an interprofessional education programme on patient participation among older people in intermediate care services: A quasi experimental study. Postdoc Linda A. Kvæl.
    • Long-Term Follow-up of cardiac patients with a smartphone-application: An implementation study. Postdoc Pernille Lund.