Marit Sørensen

• Wilhelmsen, Terese; Lannem, Anne M.; Sørensen, Marit; Augutis, Marika & Gustafsson, Henrik (2024). Experiences of Participants with Spinal Cord Injury at an Active Rehabilitation Camp. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. ISSN 2411-5142. 9(1). doi: 10.3390/jfmk9010007.
• Bunn, Christopher; Palmer, Victoria; Chng, Nai Rui; Andersen, Eivind; Gray, Cindy M. & Hunt, Kate [Vis alle 23 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). How European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a lifestyle change program for men delivered in football clubs, achieved its effect: a mixed methods process evaluation embedded in a randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health. ISSN 1471-2458. 23. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15419-y. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Background: A randomised trial of European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a 12-week healthy lifestyle program delivered in 15 professional football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, successfully increased physical activity and improved diet but did not reduce sedentary time. To guide future implementation, this paper investigates how those effects were achieved. We ask: 1) how was EuroFIT implemented? 2) what were the processes through which outcomes were achieved? Methods: We analysed qualitative data implementation notes, observations of 29 of 180 weekly EuroFIT deliveries, semi-structured interviews with 16 coaches and 15 club representatives, and 30 focus group discussions with participants (15 post-program and 15 after 12 months). We descriptively analysed quantitative data on recruitment, attendance at sessions and logs of use of the technologies and survey data on the views of participants at baseline, post program and after 12 months. We used a triangulation protocol to investigate agreement between data from difference sources, organised around meeting 15 objectives within the two research questions. Results: We successfully recruited clubs, coaches and men to EuroFIT though the draw of the football club seemed stronger in the UK and Portugal. Advertising that emphasized getting fitter, club-based deliveries, and not ‘standing out’ worked and attendance and fidelity were good, so that coaches in all countries were able to deliver EuroFIT flexibly as intended. Coaches in all 15 clubs facilitated the use of behaviour change techniques and interaction between men, which together enhanced motivation. Participants found it harder to change sedentary time than physical activity and diet. Fitting changes into daily routines, planning for setbacks and recognising the personal benefit of behaviour change were important to maintain changes. Bespoke technologies were valued, but technological hitches frustrated participants. Conclusion: EuroFIT was delivered as planned by trained club coaches working flexibly in all countries. It worked as expected to attract men and support initiation and maintenance of changes in physical activity and diet but the use of bespoke, unstable, technologies was frustrating. Future deliveries should eliminate the focus on sedentary time and should use only proven technologies to support self-monitoring and social interaction.

• van Nassau, Femke; Huis, Anita; van de Glind, Irene; Andersen, Eivind; Bunn, Christopher & Gray, Cindy M. [Vis alle 19 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Factors influencing the implementation of the EuroFIT lifestyle change program in professional football clubs in Europe: a qualitative study in four European countries. Translational Behavioral Medicine. ISSN 1869-6716. 13(4), s. 212–225. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibac100. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This paper investigated facilitators and barriers to implementing the European Football Fans in Training program (EuroFIT) in professional sports clubs in England, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. We analyzed qualitative data collected at clubs that delivered EuroFIT, based on semi-structured interviews with coordinating staff (n = 15), coaches (n = 16), and focus group interviews with participants (n = 108), as well as data from clubs that considered delivering EuroFIT in the future, based on interviews with staff (n = 7) and stakeholders (n = 8). Facilitators for implementation related to the content and structure of the program, its evidence-base, and the context for delivery in the football stadia. Financial and human resources were both facilitators and barriers. Further barriers were mostly practical, relating to human resources and infrastructure. Major differences between countries related to experience and commitment to running community projects, and differences in infrastructure, financing, and human resources. Professional football clubs’ ability to support health promotion efforts depended on their ethos and the financial and human resources available to them. Overall, the EuroFIT program was well received by clubs, coaches, participants, and stakeholders, which was reflected by the many facilitators supporting sustained implementation. For sustainable implementation, it is crucial that clubs and their stakeholders engage fully with the EuroFIT program and understand that for an adequate program delivery their views (ethos) and ways of working influence the implementation and thereby the effectiveness of EuroFIT. An important prerequisite for future roll out of EuroFIT would be a strong EuroFIT delivery partner organization to ensure financial and human resources while overseeing and guiding the quality of delivery in clubs.

• Andersen, Eivind; van der Ploeg, Hidde P.; van Mechelen, Willem; Gray, Cindy M.; Mutrie, Nanette & van Nassau, Femke [Vis alle 18 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Contributions of changes in physical activity, sedentary time, diet and body weight to changes in cardiometabolic risk. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. ISSN 1479-5868. 18(1). doi: 10.1186/s12966-021-01237-1. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Sørensen, Marit; Bentzen, Marte & Farholm, Anders (2021). Motivational physical activity intervention for psychiatric inpatients: A two phased single-cases experimental study. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity. ISSN 1803-3857. 14(2). doi: 10.5507/euj.2021.008. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Physical inactivity has been identified among leading risk factors for global mortality as well as an independent risk factor for several somatic diseases. There is consistent evidence that individuals with mental illness engage in little physical activity. Therefore, this study investigated associations between a motivational physical activity intervention in treatment for psychiatric inpatients and change in; 1) physical activity level measured by accelerometer, 2) motivation for physical activity, and 3) affect and perceived functional health status. The design was a longitudinal, two-phased multiple single-cases experiment. Seven individuals completed a baseline period and an eight-week physical activity program. The participants had high autonomous motivation and mostly positive, but mixed profiles of development. Four participants showed favourable development profiles for physical activity, one no change, and two reduced physical activity. For positive and negative affect, five had a favourable development, one no change, and one unfavourable. For health status, six had a favourable development, one no change. The intervention was feasible as part of treatment. The physical activity results reflected different physical activity histories. This highlights the importance of individualising physical activity programs in psychiatric treatment, and the use of person centered research methods that can reveal such differences.

• Røynesdal, Øystein; van Nassau, Femke; Chng, Nai Rui; Pereira, Hugo; Andersen, Eivind & Bunn, Christopher [Vis alle 13 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Exploring the provision and motives behind the adoption of health-promotion programmes in professional football clubs across four European countries. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 16(11). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259458. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This study mapped existing health-promotion provisions targeting adults in professional football clubs across England, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal, and explored motives behind the clubs’ adoption of the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) programme. We surveyed top-tier football clubs in the four countries and interviewed representatives from football clubs and the clubs’ charitable foundation who delivered EuroFIT. The findings showed large between-country differences, with football clubs in England reporting far greater healthy lifestyle provision than other countries. Relatively few health-promotion programmes targeted adults, particularly in the Netherlands, Portugal, and Norway. Club representatives reported that the motives for adopting the EuroFIT programme often involved adhering to both the social objectives of the football club or club’s foundation and business-related objectives. They viewed the scientific evidence and evaluation underpinning EuroFIT as helpful in demonstrating the value and potential future impact of both the programme and the clubs’ wider corporate social responsibility provision.

• Sørensen, Marit; Roberts, Glyn & Farholm, Anders (2021). Motivational climate in the home: Implications for physical activity, psychosocial outcomes and family relations. International Journal of Sport Psychology. ISSN 0047-0767. 52(1), s. 71–89. doi: 10.7352/IJSP.2021.52.071. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The impact of motivational climate created by coaches/teachers on children is well documented. There is little knowledge about the motivational climate in the home. This study investigated the perceived motivational climate in the home and achievement goals, physical activity involvement, and psychosocial outcomes such as empathy, family relationships, school grades, general mastery and psychological problems for 15-16 year old adolescents. Methods: Data were collected by questionnaires in a cross-sectional design. Participants were 1940 boys and 1871 girls. Gender differences necessitated separate analyses, but for both genders, mastery climate was indirectly, positively related to physical activity, mastery, empathy, family relations, and school grades via task orientation. The home climate had a direct relationship with the achievement orientation of the children and the orientation of the child had gender specific relationships to physical activity, family relationships and general mastery. Conclusion: A home mastery climate is associated with more adaptive outcomes.

• Bentzen, Marte; Farholm, Anders; Ivarsson, Andreas & Sørensen, Marit (2021). Longitudinal relations between needs satisfaction and physical activity among psychiatric patients with dual diagnoses. Advances in mental health. ISSN 1838-7357. 20(3), s. 218–231. doi: 10.1080/18387357.2021.1949360. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Objectives: Studies including people with severe mental illness (SMI) have reported beneficial effects from physical activity (PA) on psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and global functioning. However, it is important to be regularly physically active to obtain these effects. Using the motivational lens of self-determination theory, the aim of the current study was to explore the dynamic interplay between satisfaction of psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) in PA and the patients’ weekly PA level. Methods: The study had a longitudinal design, following 10 in-patients with dual diagnoses (SMI and addiction) over 12 weeks at a psychiatric ward offering physical activity as part of treatment. Data were collected 14 times with a questionnaire measuring psychological need satisfaction, while an accelerometer was used to objectively count steps to reflect participants average PA-level each week. To analyse the week-to-week relationships between the basic psychological needs and PA-level, the Bayesian dynamic p-technique analysis was used to explore both cross-sectional-, autoregressive- as well as cross-lagged effects between the constructs. Results: The results indicated credible and strong positive autoregressive effects for all three psychological needs as well as for PA-level, and positive credible cross-sectional associations between all three psychological needs and PA-level. However, the cross-lagged effects were small and not credible for all three psychological needs in relation to PA-level. Conclusions: In total, these results support the established positive relation between basic psychological need satisfaction and PA-level yet failed in finding any predictive effects between need satisfaction and PA-level.

• Sørensen, Marit; Bentzen, Marte & Farholm, Anders (2020). Lessons Learned From a Physical Activity Intervention in Psychiatric Treatment: Patient, Staff, and Leader Perspectives. Frontiers in Psychiatry. ISSN 1664-0640. 11. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00087. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Objective: To explore how the implementation of a motivational physical activity (PA) intervention for inpatients with severe mental illness was experienced by patients, staff, and leaders at a psychiatric institution. Method: After the intervention individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients (n = 6) and staff (n = 6), and a focus group interview was conducted with the leaders (n = 4). Results: All had a positive view on PA as part of psychiatric treatment, thinking it would benefit the patients' health. There were some differences among the groups as to the importance of PA relative to traditional treatments. Positive outcomes were reported from all three groups, but with different foci. The patients and the staff underscored the importance of PA professionals in order to achieve high quality activities, whereas the leaders, due to restraints in resources, could not prioritize to hire PA professionals. Conclusion: PA was considered a positive part of treatment. Ideas about what it takes to obtain the potential physical, mental, and social benefits of PA differed between patients, the staff involved, and the leaders. Having staff with PA as a primary responsibility and with sufficient competence as PA instructors seems to be important.

• Piira, Anu Mirjam; Lannem, Anne M.; Gjesdal, Knut; Knutsen, Raymond; Jørgensen, Lone & Glott, Thomas [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Quality of life and psychological outcomes of body-weight supported locomotor training in spinal cord injured persons with long-standing incomplete lesions. . Spinal Cord. ISSN 1362-4393. s. 1–10. doi: 10.1038/s41393-019-0401-2.
• Wilhelmsen, Terese; Sørensen, Marit; Seippel, Ørnulf & Block, ME (2019). Parental satisfaction with inclusion in physical education. International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2019.1597930. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Knowledge is scarce on parental satisfaction with the inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education (PE). This study explored how parents’ satisfaction with inclusion in PE was associated with parental and child interpersonal and intrapersonal characteristics. Seventy-two parents of children with disabilities participated in the survey-based study. The results of the ordinary least square regression (OLS) and quantile regression (QR) indicated that the parents’ satisfaction with social inclusion in PE was associated with their attitudes towards inclusion in PE, perceived PE-related information sharing, and the type of disability and degree of physical inclusion. Parents’ satisfaction with pedagogical inclusion of children in PE was associated with their attitudes towards inclusion in PE, PE-related information sharing, and the children’s degrees of disability and physical inclusion. Furthermore, the QR estimates indicated that the explanatory strength of parental attitudes towards inclusion in PE varied with the degree of parental satisfaction with social and pedagogical inclusion of their children in PE. Practical and methodological implications of the findings are discussed.

• Piira, Anu Mirjam; Lannem, Anne M.; Sørensen, Marit; Glott, Thomas; Knutsen, Raymond & Jørgensen, Lone [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Robot-assisted locomotor training did not improve walking function in patients with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. ISSN 1650-1977. 51(5), s. 385–389. doi: 10.2340/16501977-2547. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Objective: To assess the effects of robot-assisted locomotor training in patients with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. Design: Randomized single-blind controlled clinical trial. Setting: The intervention site was an outpatient clinic, and pre- and post-evaluations were performed in a rehabilitation hospital. Patients: A total of 24 subjects with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades C or D, >?2 years post-injury. Interventions: Subjects were randomized to 60 days of robot-assisted locomotor training, or to usual care. Methods: Walking function, lower extremity muscle strength and balance were assessed single-blinded pre- and post-intervention. Results: After a 9-year recruitment period, only 24 of the planned 30 subjects had been enrolled (mean time since injury 17 (standard deviation (SD) 20) years for all subjects). Walking function, lower extremity muscle strength and balance improved modestly in both groups, with no statistically significant group difference in walking function or muscle strength, whereas postural control declined significantly in the intervention group, compared with controls (p?=?0.03). Conclusion: Late-onset robot-assisted locomotor training did not re-establish independent walking function. A modest, but non-significant, effect was seen on muscle strength and balance. However, significant between-group differences were found only in postural control in the control group.

• Wyke, Sally; Bunn, Christopher; Andersen, Eivind; Silva, Marlene N.; van Nassau, Femke & McSkimming, Paula [Vis alle 34 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). The effect of a programme to improve men's sedentary time and physical activity: The european fans in training (EuroFIT) randomised controlled trial. PLoS Medicine. ISSN 1549-1277. 16(3). doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002736. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Reducing sitting time as well as increasing physical activity in inactive people is beneficial for their health. This paper investigates the effectiveness of the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) programme to improve physical activity and sedentary time in male football fans, delivered through the professional football setting. Methods and findings A total of 1,113 men aged 30–65 with self-reported body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2 took part in a randomised controlled trial in 15 professional football clubs in England, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. Recruitment was between September 19, 2015, and February 2, 2016. Participants consented to study procedures and provided usable activity monitor baseline data. They were randomised, stratified by club, to either the EuroFIT intervention or a 12-month waiting list comparison group. Follow-up measurement was post-programme and 12 months after baseline. EuroFIT is a 12-week, group-based programme delivered by coaches in football club stadia in 12 weekly 90-minute sessions. Weekly sessions aimed to improve physical activity, sedentary time, and diet and maintain changes long term. A pocket-worn device (SitFIT) allowed self-monitoring of sedentary time and daily steps, and a game-based app (MatchFIT) encouraged between-session social support. Primary outcome (objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity) measurements were obtained for 83% and 85% of intervention and comparison participants. Intention-to-treat analyses showed a baseline-adjusted mean difference in sedentary time at 12 months of −1.6 minutes/day (97.5% confidence interval [CI], −14.3–11.0; p = 0.77) and in step counts of 678 steps/day (97.5% CI, 309–1.048; p < 0.001) in favor of the intervention. There were significant improvements in diet, weight, well-being, self-esteem, vitality, and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health in favor of the intervention group, but not in quality of life. There was a 0.95 probability of EuroFIT being cost-effective compared with the comparison group if society is willing to pay £1.50 per extra step/day, a maximum probability of 0.61 if society is willing to pay £1,800 per minute less sedentary time/day, and 0.13 probability if society is willing to pay £30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). It was not possible to blind participants to group allocation. Men attracted to the programme already had quite high levels of physical activity at baseline (8,372 steps/day), which may have limited room for improvement. Although participants came from across the socioeconomic spectrum, a majority were well educated and in paid work. There was an increase in recent injuries and in upper and lower joint pain scores post-programme. In addition, although the five-level EuroQoL questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) is now the preferred measure for cost-effectiveness analyses across Europe, baseline scores were high (0.93), suggesting a ceiling effect for QALYs. Conclusion Participation in EuroFIT led to improvements in physical activity, diet, body weight, and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health, but not in sedentary time at 12 months. Within-trial analysis suggests it is not cost-effective in the short term for QALYs due to a ceiling effect in quality of life. Nevertheless, decision-makers may consider the incremental cost for increase in steps worth the investment.

• Piira, Anu Mirjam; Lannem, Anne M.; Sørensen, Marit; Glott, Thomas; Knutsen, Raymond & Jørgensen, Lone [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Manually assisted body-weight supported locomotor training does not re-establish walking in non-walking subjects with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. ISSN 1650-1977. 51(2), s. 113–119. doi: 10.2340/16501977-2508. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Objective: To assess the effects of manually assisted body-weight supported locomotor training in subjects with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Subjects: Twenty subjects with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades C or D and > 2 years post-injury. Methods: Random allocation to 60 days of body-weight supported locomotor training, or usual care, which might include over-ground walking. Walking function, lower extremity muscle strength and balance were blindly evaluated pre-/post-intervention. Results: A small, non-significant improvement in walking function was observed (0.1 m/s (95% confidence interval (95% CI) –0.2, 0.4)), but subjects without baseline gait function, did not re-establish walking. The effect on lower extremity muscle strength was 2.7 points (95% CI –1.4, 6.8). No difference was observed in balance measures. Conclusion: Subjects with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury without baseline walking function were unable to re-establish gait with manually assisted body-weight supported locomotor training. A modest, non-significant, improvement was found in strength and walking speed. However, due to study recruitment problems, an effect size that was smaller than anticipated, and large functional heterogeneity among study subjects, the effect of late-onset body-weight supported locomotor training is not clear. Future studies should include larger numbers of subjects with less functional loss and greater functional homogeneity. Intensive training should probably start earlier post-injury.

• Wilhelmsen, Terese; Sørensen, Marit & Seippel, Ørnulf (2019). Motivational Pathways to Social and Pedagogical Inclusion in Physical Education. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. ISSN 0736-5829. 36(1), s. 19–41. doi: 10.1123/apaq.2018-0019. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This article is focused on how combinations of motivational attributes and motivational climates support social and pedagogical inclusion in physical education among children with disabilities. Theoretically, the authors integrate tenets from achievement-goal theory and self-determination theory. To capture the motivational complexity underlying children’s experiences of inclusion in physical education, they use a 2-step fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis. The analyses of contextual conditions yielded 2 sufficient inclusion-supportive climates, namely a physically inclusive and mastery-oriented climate or a physical inclusive, autonomy-supportive, and low performance-oriented climate. The configurations of motivational attributes in the inclusion-supportive climates indicated 4 sufficient pathways to social and pedagogical inclusion. The path with the largest coverage of children was in the physically inclusive and mastery-oriented climate and represented children who were task and ego oriented and low on amotivation and experienced satisfaction of the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2018). Physical education-related home–school collaboration: The experiences of parents of children with disabilities. European Physical Education Review. ISSN 1356-336X. doi: 10.1177/1356336X18777263. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, we describe the physical education (PE)-related home–school collaboration as experienced by parents of children with disabilities. We further explore which conditions parents experienced as either promoting or inhibiting the collaborative relationship and how they became involved in school activities to secure quality education in PE. The data consisted of 25 semi-structured interviews with parents of children with disabilities. Inductive thematic analysis generated five themes: (1) lack of PE-related information; (2) contradictory expectations; (3) competence and continuous systematic communication; (4) involvement in school-based activity; and (5) navigating the system. PE was often absent in the formal collaboration between home and school. The conditions emphasised as inhibiting collaboration were lack of information, contradictory expectations, conflict over resources and short-sighted planning. The promoting conditions were continuous systematic communication, trust in the competencies of the school personnel, and joint problem solving and collaboration among professionals. The study illuminates the ways in which parents informally involved themselves in their children’s education and their use of various strategies to promote participation and quality in PE.

• Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Sørensen, Marit (2018). ‘I would not be satisfied if I had not given it a try’: the expectations and experiences of students in a high school skiing program. European Journal for Sport and Society (EJSS). ISSN 1613-8171. 15(2), s. 118–133. doi: 10.1080/16138171.2018.1457283. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article presents results from a panel study among students who attended a high school program dedicated to the development of athletes in various skiing disciplines. Using the conceptual framework of Bourdieu, the study examined the students’ social backgrounds, their expectations of succeeding in the field of skiing as well as in the field of education (secondary school), and the extent to which their expectations were fulfilled. Integral to the latter, were the students’ negotiation of uncertainty and realities related to fulfilment of expectations. The investigation was conducted at the first and the third year at school, employing quantitative and qualitative methods. In general, the students came from families with well-educated parents having a distinct sport habitus. During the school period, the students’ expectations as to both skiing achievements and good school grades were reduced. Many had experienced challenges. About one-fifth of the sample had quit during the three years and almost one-third had considered quitting at one point. The qualitative interviews revealed how the students managed to adjust and re-evaluate their ambitions, particularly with respect to skiing.

• van de Glind, Irene; Bunn, Christopher; Gray, Cindy M.; Hunt, K.; Andersen, Eivind & Jelsma, J [Vis alle 19 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2017). The intervention process in the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) trial: a mixed method protocol for evaluation. Trials. ISSN 1745-6215. 18(356), s. 1–14. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-2095-0.
• Farholm, Anders; Sørensen, Marit; Halvari, Hallgeir & Hynnekleiv, Torfinn (2017). Associations between physical activity and motivation, competence, functioning, and apathy in inhabitants with mental illness from a rural municipality: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. ISSN 1471-244X. 17:359, s. 1–11. doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1528-3. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Background: There is increasing evidence for physical activity (PA) having a positive impact on physical and mental health as well as illness symptoms in individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). However, individuals with SMI experience several barriers that makes it difficult to take advantage of the benefits associated with PA. One barrier consistently reported to impede PA is motivational issues. Thus, the main aim of the present study was to examine associations between PA and motivation for PA, perceived competence for PA, functioning, apathy, and demographic variables among individuals with SMI. This was conducted within a larger study aiming at including all inhabitants with SMI in one particular small, rural municipality. Method: A total of 106 participants were recruited to the study. Questionnaire-based interviews conducted by two mental health nurses assessed self-reported PA, motivation and competence for PA, functioning, and apathy. Additionally, 71 participants accepted to wear an accelerometer-equipped wristwatch yielding an objective assessment of PA. Results: The participants engaged in little PA. However, they did not lack motivation, as over 90% stated that they would like to be more active, and participants across PA level displayed high scores of a motivation reflecting that they valued the benefits of PA. Results showed that higher self-reported PA level was associated with higher levels of integrated regulated motivation and perceived competence for PA while it was unrelated to functioning and apathy. In the subpopulation with objectively measured PA, integrated regulated motivation for PA remained significantly associated with PA level, whereas poor scores on functioning lowered the odds ratio for higher PA level. Conclusion: The results show that PA specific motivation is associated with PA even when controlling for functioning and apathy. This highlight the importance of facilitating context specific motivation (i.e., motivation for PA) and that health care practitioners should emphasise helping people with SMI develop more intrinsic forms of motivation.

• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2017). Inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education: A systematic review of literature from 2009 to 2015. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. ISSN 0736-5829. 34(3), s. 311–337. doi: 10.1123/apaq.2016-0017. Vis sammendrag

  This systematic review examines research published from 2009 to 2015 on inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education according to the PRISMA guidelines. We have used a stakeholder approach as a framework for organizing and discussing the results. The searches yielded 535 studies, of which 112 were included. The systematic review outlines which stakeholder perspectives received the most attention, the main themes and findings, the methodological trends that governed the research contribution, and the country of data collection. The main findings indicated that perspectives of pre- and in-service teachers and studies of attitudes still dominate the research contributions. The strengths and limitations of the research conducted to date highlight that several other perspectives need to be discussed. Especially important is seeking information from children with disabilities themselves. Other barriers and facilitators perceived by those actively involved in the inclusion process need to be sought.

• Farholm, Anders; Sørensen, Marit & Halvari, Hallgeir (2017). Motivational factors associated with physical activity and quality of life in people with severe mental illness. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. ISSN 0283-9318. 31(4), s. 914–921. doi: 10.1111/scs.12413. Vis sammendrag

  There has been increasing interest for investigating the role of motivation in physical activity among people with severe mental illness (SMI). Autonomous motivation has been suggested to have a potentially important role in adoption and maintenance of physical activity. However, the knowledge about factors that facilitate autonomous motivation among people with SMI is scarce. Aim The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with motivation for physical activity as well as the relationships between motivation, physical activity and health-related quality of life in individuals with SMI that were currently physically active. Methods A cross-sectional design was used, and 88 participants were recruited from a public health network promoting physical activity for people with SMI. They answered a questionnaire package consisting of scales measuring psychological need support – psychological need satisfaction – and motivation for physical activity, physical activity and health-related quality of life. Results The majority of participants reported to be in regular physical activity. Associations between variables were tested according to the self-determination theory process model. Structural equation modelling yielded good fit of the process model to the data. Specifically, a need-supportive environment was positively associated with psychological need satisfaction, while psychological need satisfaction was positively associated with autonomous motivation and mental health-related quality of life, and negatively associated with controlled motivation and amotivation. Physical activity was positively associated with autonomous motivation and physical health-related quality of life, and negatively associated with amotivation. Conclusion This study indicates that individuals with SMI can be regularly physically active when provided with suitable opportunities. Furthermore, the present results suggest that it is vital for health-care practitioners to emphasise creating a need-supportive environment when organising physical activity because such an environment is associated with both increased autonomous motivation for physical activity and mental health-related quality of life.

• van Nassau, Femke; van der Ploeg, Hidde P.; Abrahamsen, Frank Eirik; Andersen, Eivind; Anderson, Annie S. & Bosmans, Judith E. [Vis alle 39 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2016). Study protocol of European Fans in Training (EuroFIT): a four-country randomised controlled trial of a lifestyle program for men delivered in elite football clubs. BMC Public Health. ISSN 1471-2458. 16:598, s. 1–15. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3255-y. Vis sammendrag

  Background: Lifestyle interventions targeting physical activity, sedentary time and dietary behaviours have the potential to initiate and support behavioural change and result in public health gain. Although men have often been reluctant to engage in such lifestyle programs, many are at high risk of several chronic conditions. We have developed an evidence and theory-based, gender sensitised, health and lifestyle program (European Fans in Training (EuroFIT)), which is designed to attract men through the loyalty they feel to the football club they support. This paper describes the study protocol to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the EuroFIT program in supporting men to improve their level of physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour over 12 months. Methods: The EuroFIT study is a pragmatic, two-arm, randomised controlled trial conducted in 15 football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the UK (England). One-thousand men, aged 30 to 65 years, with a self-reported Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2 will be recruited and individually randomised. The primary outcomes are objectively-assessed changes in total physical activity (steps per day) and total sedentary time (minutes per day) at 12 months after baseline assessment. Secondary outcomes are weight, BMI, waist circumference, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cardio-metabolic blood biomarkers, food intake, self-reported physical activity and sedentary time, wellbeing, self-esteem, vitality and quality of life. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed and a process evaluation conducted. The EuroFIT program will be delivered over 12 weekly, 90-minute sessions that combine classroom discussion with graded physical activity in the setting of the football club. Classroom sessions provide participants with a toolbox of behaviour change techniques to initiate and sustain long-term lifestyle changes. The coaches will receive two days of training to enable them to create a positive social environment that supports men in engaging in sustained behaviour change. Discussion: The EuroFIT trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the EuroFIT program delivered by football clubs to their male fans, and will offer insight into factors associated with success in making sustained changes to physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and secondary outcomes, such as diet.

• Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Sørensen, Marit (2016). Skigymnaselever : forventninger, erfaringer og utbytte. I Seippel, Ørnulf Nicolay; Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Strandbu, Åse (Red.), Ungdom og idrett. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 978-82-02-44967-4. s. 315–334.
• Farholm, Anders & Sørensen, Marit (2016). Motivation for physical activity and exercise in severe mental illness: A systematic review of intervention studies. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. ISSN 1445-8330. 25(3), s. 194–205. doi: 10.1111/inm.12214. Vis sammendrag

  There has been increasing interest for research on motivation for physical activity (PA) and exercise among individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). The aim of this systematic review is to summarize findings from all intervention studies on PA or exercise that either include empirical data on motivational constructs or apply motivational techniques/theories in their intervention. Systematic searches of seven databases were conducted from database inception to February 2015. Studies were eligible if they: (i) included participants with SMI, (ii) had PA as part of the intervention, and (iii) reported empirical data onmotivational constructs related to PA or incorporated motivational techniques/theory in their intervention. Of the 79 studies that met the inclusion criteria only one had motivation for PA as its main outcome. Nine additional interventions reported empirical data on motivational constructs. Altogether these studies yielded mixed results with respect to change in motivational constructs. Only one of those examined the association between motivation and PA, but found none. Sixty-four studies reported using motivational techniques/theory in their intervention. Motivational interviewing and goal-setting were the most popular techniques. Due to the exploratory nature of most of these studies, findings from intervention studies do not so far give very clear directions for motivational work with the patients. There is an urgent need for a more systematic theory based approach when developing strategies that target to increase engagement in PA among people with SMI.

• Farholm, Anders & Sørensen, Marit (2016). Motivation for physical activity and exercise in severe mental illness: A systematic review of cross-sectional studies. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. ISSN 1445-8330. 25(2), s. 116–126. doi: 10.1111/inm.12217. Vis sammendrag

  Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are less physically active than the general population. One important barrier contributing to this inactivity is lack of motivation. The aim of this paper is to systematically review all cross-sectional literature on motivation for physical activity among people with SMI and to use the results as basis for guidance on how mental health nurses can facilitate motivation for physical activity. Systematic searches of seven databases were conducted fromdatabase inception to February 2015. Studies were eligible if they included participants with SMI and reported data on motivation for physical activity. In total, 21 articles were included and over half them were published in 2011 or later. The present results indicate preliminary evidence of how the motivational processes do not differ between individuals with SMI and the general population, and that they are independent of diagnosis, medication, age, gender, and body mass index. Results from the current systematic review can give some tentative guidance on how to facilitate motivation for physical activity within mental health-care. However, there is still a great need for developing and examining practical strategies that can enhance adoption and adherence of physical activity among people with SMI.

• Sørensen, Marit; Maro, Cyprian N. & Roberts, Glyn (2016). Gender differences in HIV related psychological variables in a Tanzanian intervention using sport. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. ISSN 1612-197X. 14(2), s. 135–151. doi: 10.1080/1612197X.2015.1121511. Vis sammendrag

  Despite the encouraging reduction in new HIV infections in most parts of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 72% of all new infections worldwide in 2011 [UNAIDS (2012). World AIDS day report. Geneva: Author]. Young women are more likely to be infected than young men. However, the possibilities for doing research on development of strategies and interventions for HIV prevention are not well supported in most Sub-Saharan universities. It is therefore important that we in the developed world support our colleagues in finding ways to develop research environments: In this case, on preventive strategies for HIV in the local culture in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Sport is gaining recognition as an effective means to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and reduce vulnerability. We used an HIV/AIDS education intervention through soccer, using peer coaches, to investigate the efficacy of the intervention and in particular to examine gender differences in changes in HIV-related psychological variables of at-risk youth subgroups participating in the intervention. Participants were at-risk children within a community sport programme. Children attending local schools, and a group of street children from the same communities acted as control groups. The intervention lasted eight weeks. The intervention was successful in that both boys and girls improved their scores on the behavioural intention variables. However, gender differences at pre-test were maintained post-test in that girls continued to score lower than boys. The sport intervention was successful, but girls scored reliably lower on most of the variables under study, especially the variables involving the use of a condom.

• Morres, Ioannis; Stathi, Afroditi; Martinsen, Egil Wilhelm & Sørensen, Marit (2014). Physical exercise and major depressive disorder in adult patients. I Papaioannou, Athanasios & Hackfort, Dieter (Red.), Routledge companion to sport and exercise psychology : global perspectives and fundamental concepts. Routledge. ISSN 978-1-84872-128-9. s. 822–833. doi: 10.4324/9781315880198.ch51.
• Sæbu, Martin; Sørensen, Marit & Halvari, Hallgeir (2013). Motivation for physical activity in young adults with physical disabilities during a rehabilitation stay: a longitudinal test of self-determination theory. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. ISSN 0021-9029. 43(3), s. 612–625. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2013.01042.x. Vis sammendrag

  We tested a self-determination theory (SDT) process model during a 3 week physical activity rehabilitation stay among young adults with a physical disability (N = 44, Mage = 24.7, SD = 5.1). As hypothesized, perceived autonomy support positively predicted needs satisfaction at the end of the stay (r = .38, p < .01). Further, needs satisfaction was positively linked to changes in autonomous motivation for physical activity (r = .47, p < .01). Both changes in autonomous motivation and self-efficacy were associated with physical activity increases over the stay (r = .57, p < .01 and r = .47, p < .01, respectively). Bootstrapping results supported the SDT process model, indicating a support for a development toward more self-determined motivation in rehabilitation.

• Sørensen, Marit (2012). A short history of physical activity in Norwegian psychiatry. I Ségard, Milena Adámková & Hátlová, Bela (Red.), Psychomotor therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia. J.E. Purkyne University. ISSN 978-80-7414-558-2. s. 61–67.
• Roberts, Glyn; Maro, Cyprian N. & Sørensen, Marit (2012). Using sport to promote HIV/AIDS education among at-risk youths in Sub-Saharan Africa. I Schinke, Robert & Hanrahan, Stephanie J. (Red.), Sport for development, peace, and social justice. Fitness Information Technology. ISSN 978-1-935412-34-2. s. 149–162.
• Sæbu, Martin & Sørensen, Marit (2011). Factors associated with physical activity among young adults with a disability. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. ISSN 0905-7188. 21(5), s. 730–738. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01097.x. Vis sammendrag

  The purpose of this study was to examine: (1) total physical activity and (2) the relative importance of functioning and disability, environmental and personal factors for total physical activity among young adults with a disability. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health developed by the World Health Organization was used as a structural framework for a cross-sectional survey, based on a questionnaire. The population studied was 327 young adults (age 18–30) with a disability who were members of interest organizations for persons with disabilities. Using an adapted version of the self-administered short form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the sample reported some differences in physical activity related to the type and the onset of disability. Linear regression analyses revealed that personal factors demonstrated more power in explaining the variance in physical activity than both the environmental factors and factors related to functioning and disability. As for the able-bodied, intrinsic motivation and identity as an active person were the factors most strongly associated with physical activity behavior. This should have important consequences for how professionals try to motivate people with disabilities for physical activity, and how they plan and implement rehabilitation.

• Haugstvedt, Karen Therese Sulheim; Hallberg, Ulrika; Graff-Iversen, Sidsel; Sørensen, Marit & Haugli, Liv (2011). Increased self-awareness in the process of returning to work. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. ISSN 0283-9318. 25(4), s. 762–770. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2011.00891.x. Vis sammendrag

  Background: A group of employees on sick leave, living in the Oslo area, Norway, was offered participation in a counselling programme, based on Gestalt theory, mindfulness and phenomenological understanding of the body. Aims: To explore the participants’ processes of change related to their increased ability to work. Method design: This qualitative study is based on modified grounded theory. Method: A total of 12 female employees, all who had increased work ability 1 year after the programme, participated in open focus-group interviews at the end of the programme. Findings: The participants’ experiences from processes of change are described through the following categories: becoming more aware of one’s own thoughts, emotions and bodily reactions; taking oneself seriously and accepting oneself; being secure enough to face being challenged; realizing new possibilities and choices and trying out new ways of acting. The participants further described what had been helpful in these processes. Experience of a secure setting and open-minded listening seemed important for getting the courage to open up to all reactions. Then, they could explore new ways of thinking, communicating and behaving. Discussing existential issues such as their core values was important. This, together with being allowed to take their own emotions seriously and being challenged by the counsellors, had encouraged the processes of change. Conclusions: The women described how experiences of increased awareness contributed to reconstruction of their self-understanding and opened up for new possibilities. This seemed to have provided them with new ways of communicating and acting, which enhanced participation in work. The context of the learning programme, the existential issues and counselling challenges appeared as essential in these processes of change. The findings give insights into aspects that may be important when designing rehabilitation programmes.

• Sørensen, Marit & Kahrs, Nina (2011). En idrett for alle? : erfaring med integrering av personer med funksjonsnedsettelser i norsk idrett. I Hanstad, Dag Vidar; Breivik, Gunnar; Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Skaset, Hans B. (Red.), Norsk Idrett - Indre spenning og ytre press. Akilles forlag. ISSN 978-82-7286-228-1. s. 337–354.
• Lannem, Anne Marie; Sørensen, Marit; Lidal, Ingeborg Beate & Hjeltnes, Nils (2010). Perceptions of exercise mastery in persons with complete and incomplete spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. ISSN 1362-4393. 48(5), s. 388–392. doi: 10.1038/sc.2009.136. Vis sammendrag

  Study design: Cross-sectional study.

• Maro, Cyprian; Roberts, Glyn C. & Sørensen, Marit (2009). HIV/AIDS education in Tanzania : the experience of at-risk children in poorer communities. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies. ISSN 1745-0128. 4(1), s. 23–36. Vis sammendrag

  This study has investigated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge, attitudes and sexual at-risk behaviours of youths from disadvantaged communities of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Participants were 800 youths aged 12-15 years within three youth subgroups in these poorer communities: those children attending school; children who were not attending school but who were still residing within their communities; and children who were street children (more than 50% of them being orphans). Participants responded to questionnaires. In general, all youths showed low levels of HIV knowledge, experience with condom use and intention to use condoms. They exhibited moderate perceived behaviour control in using condom and positive subjective norms about the use of condoms, the value of sexual abstinence and having an exclusive sexual partner. Contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences between those in-school and those out-of-school with regard to HIV knowledge, intended condom use, subjective norms about condom use and abstinence. Indeed, the in-school children were more at risk for HIV infection, in that they reported the lowest condom experience and perceived behavioural control in condom use. There were systematic gender differences, in that girls scored lower than boys on all variables. The policy of basing HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) education within the schools of Tanzania has not been as effective as desired. To be effective in ?kicking AIDS out of Africa?, we need to re-evaluate the educational strategies being used.

• Maro, Cyprian; Roberts, Glyn C. & Sørensen, Marit (2009). Using sport to promote HIV/AIDS education for at-risk youths: an intervention using peer coaches in football. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. ISSN 0905-7188. 19(1), s. 129–141. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2007.00744.x. Vis sammendrag

  The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an ongoing AIDS education intervention program (EMIMA) using peers in a sport context. A secondary purpose was to determine whether a mastery-based motivational strategy would enhance the effectiveness of the peer coaches. A quasi field experimental study was employed in which at-risk children in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania (N=764) were recruited (average age=13.6 years) and were randomly grouped into two treatment groups and two control groups. The treatment groups were peer coaches conducting the AIDS education to the children within sport, one with mastery coaching strategies and one without. The two control groups were in-school children, who received traditional AIDS education, and out-of-school children, who received no education at all. The intervention lasted for 8 weeks. The results indicated that the intervention using peers in sport was more effective in transmitting HIV prevention knowledge, cognitions and perceived behaviors than the control groups. The mastery-based motivational strategies were effective in influencing some of the variables. Contrary to expectation, the school-based HIV education was no more effective than the informal education obtained by the out-of-school children. The use of peer coaches within the EMIMA program was reliably the most effective means for HIV/AIDS education for these at-risk children.

• Lannem, Anne Marie; Sørensen, Marit; Frøslie, KF & Hjeltnes, Nils (2009). Incomplete spinal cord injury, exercise and life satisfaction. Spinal Cord. ISSN 1362-4393. 47(4), s. 295–300. doi: 10.1038/sc.2008.117. Vis sammendrag

  Conclusion: Participants in this study with incomplete SCI who exercised regularly experienced a significantly higher life satisfaction and perceived exercise fitness, but lower perceived exercise mastery than their inactive peers. Perceived exercise fitness was the psychological variable that contributed meaningfully to life satisfaction in this study.

• Sørensen, Marit & Gill, D.L. (2008). Perceived barriers to physical activity across Norwegian adult age groups, gender and stages of change. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. ISSN 0905-7188. 18(5), s. 651–663. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2007.00686.x. Vis sammendrag

  This study investigated differences in the type of and number of perceived barriers to engagement in physical activity experienced by adult women and men in the same geographical area, the relationship between the experienced barriers and stages of change in relation to exercise behavior, and identified barriers related to reported engagement in leisure-time physical activity. Data were obtained from a population study by the National Institute of Public Health in two counties during 2000-2001. The sample consisted of 2709 females and 2212 men in the age groups 75, 60, 45, 40 and 30 years. Questionnaires measured barriers to engagement in physical activity, engagement in physical activity and readiness for engaging in physical activity (stages of change). Multivariate analyses of variance demonstrated significant age and gender differences in the perceptions of barriers at the various stages of change. The logistic regressions [estimated odds ratios (OR)] demonstrated that low scores for affective/cognitive and practical barriers were significantly associated with higher OR for engagement in physical activity for women, and low-priority barriers and lower age were associated with higher OR for being physically active for men. The information from this study should be valuable for designing and tailoring both motivational strategies and interventions to fit targeted groups.

• Graff-Iversen, Sidsel; Selmer, Randi Marie; Sørensen, Marit & Skurtveit, Svetlana (2007). Occupational physical activity, overweight, and mortality: A follow-up study of 47,405 Norwegian women and men. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. ISSN 0270-1367. 78(3), s. 151–161.
• Sørensen, Marit & Kahrs, Nina (2006). Integration of disability sport in the Norwegian sport organizations: Lessons learned. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. ISSN 0736-5829. 23(2), s. 184–202. Vis sammendrag

  The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports' commitment to integrate disability sport in the sport organizations for the able-bodied was evaluated based upon a description of an ideal, inclusive sports organization. Data were collected primarily through interviews and questionnaires. The results indicate that the integration process proceeded more slowly than originally intended. There were still unresolved matters on the structural/organizational level, and the sports federations' officials were uncertain about the extent of their responsibility and the role of the new sports organization for persons with a disability. More relevant competence was needed in the organization. All organizations reported improved attitudes toward individuals with a disability and indicated that integration was a demanding enterprise.

• Sørensen, Marit (2006). Motivation for physical activity of psychiatric patients when physical activity was offered as part of treatment. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. ISSN 0905-7188. 16(6), s. 391–398. Vis sammendrag

  This study examined motivation variables; self-determination and self- schema, in relation to physical activity among psychiatric patients with experience of physical activity as part of their treatment. Participants were patients (N=109) from 15 psychiatric hospitals or day-care institutions. Data were collected by questionnaires. A positive relationship between physical activity level, positive experience of the activity and more intrinsic self- determination and exercise self-schema was expected. Intrinsically regulated motives were positively and significantly related to physical activity level and the experience of decrease in symptoms during physical activity. Extrinsically regulated motives were negatively correlated with physical activity level. Intrinsically regulated motives gave an odds ratio of 20.0 for being physically active rather than inactive. Holding an exercise self-schema gave an odds ratio of 6.1 for being physically active. The majority of the sample (57.4%) reported that physical activity decreased their illness symptoms, but a few (11.9%) reported negative effects. The findings demonstrated that psychiatric patients do not differ from the normal population in relation to motivational mechanisms, even if they may experience more barriers to physical activities due to their illness. Therefore, in trying to motivate psychiatric patients, it is important to make physical activity as self- determined as possible by focusing on the positive experiences of the activity itself, as well as helping to develop an exercise self-schema.

Se alle arbeider i Cristin

• Bentzen, Marte; Farholm, Anders; Ivarsson, Andreas & Sørensen, Marit (2018). Longitudinal Relations between Needs Satisfaction and Physical Activity among Patients with Dual Diagnosis of Severe Mental Illness and Addiction .
• Bunn, Christopher; van de Glind, Irene; Røynesdal, Øystein; Silva, Marlene N.; Pereira, Hugo & van Nassau, Femke [Vis alle 11 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2018). A mixed methods process evaluation of the EuroFIT intervention.
• Bentzen, Marte; Farholm, Anders & Sørensen, Marit (2017). Lessons learned from a physical activity intervention study in psychiatric treatment: Perspectives from patients, staff, and leaders. .
• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2016). Barn og foreldre perspektiv på inkludering i kroppsøvingsfaget.
• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2016). Parental involvement in inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education.
• Bentzen, Marte; Sørensen, Marit & Lemyre, Nicolas (2016). From "I love" to "I must" – The lived experiences of a professional equestrian coach about being in a severe burnout process .
• Sørensen, Marit; Bentzen, Marte; Loukova, Tereza; Hátlová, Bela & Wedlichova, Iva (2016). Physical Activity as Part of Psychiatric Treatment: A Czech –Norwegian Research Cooperation .
• Sørensen, Marit; Bentzen, Marte; Farholm, Anders & Loukova, Tereza (2016). Physical Activity as Part of Psychiatric Treatment: Construction of a motivational intervention.
• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2015). Children and parents perspectives on inclusive physical education: problematizing self-determination and shared responsibility .
• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2015). Inkludering av barn og ungdom med nedsatt funksjonsevne I kroppsøvingsfaget: Foresattes perspektiver på hjem-skole samarbeid .
• Sørensen, Marit (2015). Inkludering av barn og ungdom med nedsatt funksjonsevne i kroppsøvingsfaget: Foresattes perspektiv på hjem-skole samarbeid.
• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2014). Inclusive physical education in Norway: A preliminary analysis.
• Wilhelmsen, Terese & Sørensen, Marit (2013). Et inkluderende kroppsøvingsfag?
• Roberts, Glyn; Maro, Cyprian N. & Sørensen, Marit (2012). Combating HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: Introducing mastery motivational strategies into a community based life-skills intervention through sport. International Journal of Psychology (IJP). ISSN 0020-7594. 47, s. 737–737.
• Sørensen, Marit (2010). What makes a top Para-Equestrian? Results of a survey of riders’ motivation. Scientific And Educational Journal of Therapeutic Riding. ISSN 1174-6238.
• Sørensen, Marit & Kahrs, Nina (2008). A report on inclusion of disability sport in the Norwegian sport confederation, Olympic and Paralympic committee. Vis sammendrag

  In 1996 the Norwegian Sports Confederation started a process to integrate disability sport in the ordinary sport federations. The status for the sports federations (N=56) was examined during the spring 2008. A majority of the sport federations actively coped with their responsibility for disability sport, but to various degrees. Disability sport was better anchored in the organisation than before, but special engagement was still needed. Wheelchair and other locomotor disabilities still had the best activity offer. Recruitment in particular, but also economy, and handling the more severe disabilities are considered to be the greatest challenges for the future. There are positive expectations as to the situation for disability sport in the federations.

• Lannem, Anne Marie & Sørensen, Marit (2008). Physical exercise as a stress coping resource for people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
• Sørensen, Marit & Lannem, Anne Marie (2008). Psychological aspects of physical activity of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
• Sørensen, Marit (2008). Kjønnsroller hindrer fysisk aktivitet.
• Lannem, Anne Marie & Sørensen, Marit (2007). Spinal cord injury, health and well-being; association between self-report and objective measures.
• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet.
• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Helsefremmende arbeid.
• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Physical Activity and Mental Health.
• Sørensen, Marit (2007). The benefits of physical activity - and why we do not do it!
• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Barn og fysisk aktivitet: Psykososial helse og motivasjon. Vis sammendrag

  Etter en kort gjennomgang av betydningen fav fysisk aktivitet for barns psykososiale helse, ble ulike teorier om motivasjon presentert og praktiske konsekvenser av disse trukket fram.

• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Barn og fysisk aktivitet: Psykososial helse og motivasjon. Vis sammendrag

  Etter en kort gjennomgang av betydningen fav fysisk aktivitet for barns psykososiale helse, ble ulike teorier om motivasjon presentert og praktiske konsekvenser av disse trukket fram.

• Sørensen, Marit & Torp, Nils Fredrik (2007). Friluftsliv for sinnets helse. Vis sammendrag

  Erfaringer med friluftsliv, motiver og opplevelser fra en person med en psykisk lidelse ble presentert og sammenholdt med dokumentasjon i forksningslitteraturen

• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Er det bare for helsa sin skyld vi driver friluftsliv? Vis sammendrag

  Foredraget gikk kort gjennom ulike typer forskning om friluftsliv og helse/psykisk helse. Dokumentasjon på sammenhengen mellom fysisk aktivitetsdimensjonen og psykisk helse og kunnskap om opplevelsesdimensjonen i friluftslivet ble kort presentert, før forskningsresultater fra inter nasjonale studier på psykiske effekter av friluftsliv ble gjennomgått.

• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Motivasjon for bevegelse. Vis sammendrag

  Foredrag om fysisk aktivitet og psykisk helse, samt teorier om motivasjonsprosessen overført til daglig praksis.

• Sørensen, Marit & Sisjord, Mari Kristin (2007). En undersøkelse om Skigymnas. Vis sammendrag

  Resultater fra en undersøkelse av et kull "skigymnasiaster" som startet i 2003 ble presentert. Data viser at forventningene til å gjøre idrettskarriere er motiv for å starte på skigymnas hos over 90 % av ungdommene, mens forhholdsvis få opplever å få oppfylt en slik forventning. Elevene scoret høyere på opplevelse av det motivasjonelle klima som prestasjonsorientert mot slutten av perioden på Skigymnas. Data viste klare sammenhenger mellom utbrenthet , opplevelse av motivasjonelt klima som prestasjonsorientert og ensidig idrettsidentitet.

• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Psychological aspects of physical activity of individuals with a physical disability, 46th ISCOS annual scientific meeting & 10th NOSCOS congress, Program and abstracts. The International and the Nordic Spinal Cord Societies. Vis sammendrag

  After an initial review of research comparing psychological characteristics of atheletes with and without a disability, the potential of physical activity to empower individuals with a disability will be examined. Three studies, one qualitative and two quantitative, demonstrated that a mastery oriented motivational climate and athletic identity explained significant portions of the variation in empowerment through the sport context. However, also type of disability, competitive level, gender and perceived choice as to organisational integration contributed.

• Roberts, Glyn C.; Sørensen, Marit; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Miller, Blake W.; Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Fasting, Kari (2007). Motivational outcomes in sport: The relationship of achievement goals on peer relationships, empowerment, affect, loneliness, and bullying! Abstractsof the 12th European Congress of Sport Psychology. European Federation of Sport Psychology. Vis sammendrag

  The most interesting aspect of the recent work in motivation with achievement goal theory has been the attention paid to important outcome variables, for example peer relationships, cheating, overtraining and burn-out. The present study investigates the effect of the motivational climate on important facets of peer interaction in the sport context. The quality of peer relationships is an understudied facet of the competitive sport experience of youths, even though we have evidence that interaction with peers is important for young people's psychological well being, and that peer relationships contribute to the quality of the sport experience. We studied 1514 male and female participants of youth club sports in the Oslo area of Norway. We used questionnaires to measure the perception of the motivational climate, and measures of the quality of peer relationships: peer conflict, friendship, peer acceptance, loneliness, perception of bullying, affect and whether participants felt empowered by the sport experience. We used canonical correlations to determine the relationship of the motivational climate to these outcome variables. Two meaningful functions emerged. The performance climate was meaningfully related to peer conflict, to negative affect, to loneliness, and to the perception of being bullied. The mastery climate was meaningfully related to positive friendship and social acceptance, to positive affect, and to being empowered. The evidence is suggestive that the motivational climate created by the coach affects the quality of peer relationships in sport. The findings demonstrate the importance of the coach being mastery oriented in terms of their coaching style to facilitate peer interaction in sport.

• Sisjord, Mari Kristin; Roberts, Glyn C.; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Sørensen, Marit; Fasting, Kari & Miller, Blake W. (2007). Trivsel, vennskap og mobbing i idretten.
• Sørensen, Marit & Roberts, Glyn C. (2007). Motivational climate and social relationships of children: The effect of parental motivational climate on social relationships and sport involvement of boys and girls, 12th European Congress of Spåort psychology: CD of abstracts. University of Thessaly, Greek Society of Sport Psychology, The Europea. Vis sammendrag

  The effect of the motivational climate created by parents on the life of children is an understudied topic. The present study investigated the impact of parental motivational climate on peer and family relationships and sport involvement for boys and girls. The study was part of a health investigation made by The National Institute of Public Health. Participants were 2964 girls and boys 15 years of age in two counties in Norway (69.7% of the total population). Data for this study were collected by questionnaires. Canonical correlations demonstrated that for boys, two meaningful functions emerged. The first was a mastery and performance home climate, positively associated with their own ego and task orientation, the number of hours engaged in sport/exercise, and their liking for sports. The second function was a performance climate, positively associated with ego orientation, and negatively associated with empathy to others. For girls, two meaningful functions emerged. The first was a mastery and performance home environment, positively associated with ego and task orientations, with positive family relationships, empathy, the number of hours engaged in sport and liking sports. The performance climate was positively associated with ego orientation, and negatively associated with family relationships and empathy. Two conclusions may be drawn: First, the criteria of success and failure that parents impart in the home has an effect on the social relationships of their children, and their likelihood to engage in sport/exercise. The more mastery oriented the perceived climate is in the home, the more positive are social relationships, and the more likely children will engage in sport. Second, these relationships are stronger for girls than boys.

• Sørensen, Marit; Roberts, Glyn C.; Fasting, Kari; Miller, Blake W.; Ommundsen, Yngvar & Sisjord, Mari Kristin (2007). What contributes to empowerment for boys and girls within the sport context? Congress abstracts. University of Thessaly, Greek Society of Sport Psychology, European So. Vis sammendrag

  Empowerment is the process by which individuals develop skills and abilities to gain control over their lives and to take action to improve their life situation. In an empowerment perspective the concern is to facilitate and free resources to develop self-corrective capacities (Rappaport,1987). Organized youth sport may be one context in which young people¿s empowerment may be fuelled. The relationship between the perception of autonomy support by the coach, achievement goal orientations, perceived ability in sport, friend companionship, perceived peer acceptance, and affect early in the season and the perception of empowerment through the sport context late in the season were measured by questionnaires. Participants in the study were 1294 male (n=787) and female (n=507) members of youth sport clubs in the Oslo area of Norway . Regression analyses revealed that for the girls , positive affect and autonomy support from the coach were the strongest predictors of empowerment, but also perceived ability, task orientation and peer acceptance contributed to explain 24% of the variation in empowerment. For the boys autonomy support was the strongest predictor. Perceived autonomy support from the coach together with task orientation, peer acceptance, ego orientation and perceived ability explained 28% of the variance in empowerment among boys. The findings demonstrate different relationships between the contextual influences and psychological outcomes among boys and girls, nevertheless revealing that autonomy support seems important in order to stimulate a sense of empowerment for both genders .

• Sørensen, Marit (2007). Sport Psychology for the Disabled Individual. Vis sammendrag

  The aim of the presentation is to highlight psychological issues about disability that are useful to know when working with sport and exercise. It is important to keep in mind that individuals with a disability are primarily individuals, and as a group a very heterogeneous on. The diversity is due to personality variables, but also type of disability and age of onset of the disability. In a functional sense, disability refers to a lasting disturbance or disharmony between an individual¿s resources and his\ her environment. However, disability is also a social construction that in general refers to an unwanted differentness (Goffman, 1963; Sherrill, 1990), a fact that may have several psychological consequences as to attitudes in the environment and identity development. Disability sport refers to all types of sport where individuals with a disability participate in organised sport, whether it is in an integrated or disability specific setting. The difference between disability seen in a medical, a social minority and an individual difference perspective will be examined, as well as similarities and differences between athletes with and without disabilities. Factors of importance for empowerment of individuals with a disability in the sport context will be discussed.

• Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Sørensen, Marit (2007). Skigymnas - et godt valg? : delrapport fra en undersøkelse av skigymnas i Norge. i sporet. s. 38–39.
• Ommundsen, Yngvar; Roberts, Glyn C.; Miller, Blake W.; Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Sørensen, Marit (2007). Motivational climate, peer relations, motivation and dropout from sport: A prospective analysis, Book of Abstracts from the 12th European Congress of Sport Psychology. European Federation of Sport Psychology. Vis sammendrag

  Previous research on young peoples? sport participation has shown that their perception of the motivational climate surrounding their sport involvement has important implications for the quality of their sport experiences and psychological responses. Sport has meaning to participants because it provides opportunities for interpersonal interaction and the development of social bonds with significant others, and quality of peer relations may play an important role for young peoples? affect, motivation and persistence in sport. The psychological context is salient to the opportunity for and development of constructive peer interactions. Indeed, previous research has revealed a mastery climate to be positively related to quality of friendship and social acceptance among peers, whereas a performance climate that overemphasizes social comparison by the coach has been shown to generate conflict and lack of social acceptance among peers in sport. The purpose of the current paper is to extend previous research by prospectively examining the role of differential motivational climates on young peoples? peer relations, motivation and dropout from organized sport. The sample comprises a sub-sample within a larger ongoing longitudinal research project focusing on psychosocial outcomes of young peoples organized sports participation. Included in the current sub-sample is 698 young people (girls N= 253) and boys (445) involved in various organized sports in the Oslo area who provided follow-up data through coaches on dropout (N=111) versus still participating (N=587). The participants responded to a questionnaire early in the season, providing data on motivational climate, and late in the season providing data on peer relations, motivational regulation and intention to drop out or persist in sport. Data on dropout was collected through coaches in the following season. To illustrate one consistent pattern of results; canonical correlation analysis (Wilk?s lambda = .90,F (14,1344) = 5.36, P<.001) revealed that a predominantly performance oriented climate early in the season was associated in a linear fashion with reduced peer acceptance, friend companionship and intrinsic motivation as well with as enhanced conflict with peers, amotivation and intention to drop out at the end of the season. Moreover, a predominantly performance oriented climate as perceived early in the season predicted enhanced dropout from sport at follow up. Results suggest that a motivational climate in which young sport people perceive the coach as mainly valuing social comparison and emphasizing superiority may lead to a reduction in the quality of peer relations, reduced intrinsically regulated sport motivation, and may lead to enhanced likelihood to drop out from sport.

• Sørensen, Marit & Kahrs, Nina (2006). Evaluating the integration process in Norwegian Sport. Vis sammendrag

  Summing up the process and results from evaluations of the Integration process in the Norwegian COnfederation of Sports in 199, 2003, and a more restricted evaluation report from 2005.

• Maro, Cyprian; Roberts, Glyn C. & Sørensen, Marit (2006). Intervention Study : peer Coaches in Football.
• Maro, Cyprian; Roberts, Glyn C. & Sørensen, Marit (2006). Using Sport to promote AIDS education for at risk youth. A "Kicking AIDS Out" intervention using peer coaches in football.
• Roberts, Glyn C.; Maro, Cyprian & Sørensen, Marit (2006). The effect of task involvement on AIDS education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Vis sammendrag

  An invited symposium presentation in the symposium entitled: The role of sport psychology in improving the quality of life in individuals and communities. We discussed the effect a mastery climate had on the education of at risk youths in Tanzania. In essence, a mastery climate enhanced the effectiveness of AIDS education through the medium of sport.

• Maro, Cyprian; Roberts, Glyn C. & Sørensen, Marit (2006). An intervention to promote AIDS education: The use of peer coaches in football. Vis sammendrag

  A presentation in the invited symposium titled: The role of sport psychology in improving the quality of life in individuals and communities. The presentation discussed the research project in Tanzania where football was being used to attract at risk children to an AIDS education project. The research illustrated that sport can be an important contributor to AIDS education.

• Sørensen, Marit (2006). Aspects of identity in relation to disability sport. Vis sammendrag

  Identity formation is a process that has been described from a developmental aspect (Eriksson, 1963) as well as a stage aspect (Marcia, 1996 ). Social comparison is an important element in this process. Sport is a context where comparison of skills and achievements are central elements. Individuals with a disability are prone to be considered inferior, and studies have demonstrated that labels describing disability result in less favourable attitudes toward those with a disability (Tripp & Rizzo, 2006). Stereotyping happens frequently. Such phenomena may have important effects on the identity formation and self-perceptions of individuals with disability. Individuals with a disability have described how participation in sport has empowered them through establishing an identity as an athlete and thereby helped them in accepting their disability and reach a synthesis in their identity (Skurdal, 1994, Pensgård & Sørensen, 1999). Empowerment is defined as ?the process by which individuals develop skills and abilities to gain control over their lives and to take action to improve their life situation? (Gutierrez, 1990). In a framework for research on empowerment in disability sport (Pensgaard & Sorensen, 2000), it is suggested that identity is a mediator of individual empowerment. In this presentation the role of athletic identity will be explored in relation to empowerment. Qualitative study: An expert panel consisting of five athletes (four men and one woman, all white) with considerable experience from top-level sport, other competitive sport and recreational exercise took part in this study. Positive and negative contributions of the sport context to the identity formation were identified. The benefits of integration in sport seemed to vary with the stage in the identity formation process, the degree and severity of the disability, as well as type of motivation for sports participation. Study of athletes in clubs: A sample of 396 athletes in Norwegian sports clubs that had experience with individuals with a disability was investigated. In the sample, 53,3% had a disability and 44,4% were without disability, 38,6% were females and 59,8% males. Mean age was 39.06 years. Measures . In a questionnaire we measured general empowerment (a general belief that people can influence their surroundings), empowerment self esteem (the individual perception of being able to take charge of one?s own life) (Rogers et al.,1997). Sports ? based empowerment (how much one believe that sport contribute to empowerment) was measured by a scale developed by Sørensen & Pensgaard (1999). Athletic identity was measured by the Athletic identity scale developed by Brewer, van Raalte and Linder (1993). Results. The male athletes with a disability scored demonstrated the highest empowerment, scores, but there were significant differences among the various types of disability. Females scored lower on athletic identity, but there were no gender differences on the empowerment measures. A multivariate ANOVA analysis demonstrated that in a model with the empowerment measures and athletic identity, competitive level, disability and sex, 8% of the variance in general empowerment, 18% of the variance in empowerment self-esteem and 28% of the variance in sports-empowerment was explained. Athletic identity had a significant effect on empowerment self esteem (df=1, F= 13,819, p>.001) and sports empowerment

• Sørensen, Marit (2006). Barn og idrett: Forhold som er viktige for å beholde motivasjon. Vis sammendrag

  Etter en gjennomgang av dagens situasjon for barn m.h.t. fysisk aktivitet , idrettsdeltakelse og helse, ble ulike teorier om motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet skissert. Deretter ble praktiske konsekvenser av disse presentert.

• Sørensen, Marit & Moe, Toril (2006). Fysisk aktivitet i psykiatrien. Noen resultater fra en undersøkelse med utgangspunkt i Gaustadløpene 2003. Vis sammendrag

  Formålet var å undersøke det fysiske aktivitetsnivået hos pasienter som har tilbud om fysisk aktivitet som del av sin behandling, å undersøke hva slags fysisk aktivitet denne gruppa driver med og hvilke erfaringer de hadde med fysisk aktivitet. Høy grad av selv-bestemmelse ( indre motivasjon) i forhold til fysisk aktivitet ga høye odds for å være aktiv, og var assosiert med reduksjon av symptomer ved utøvelse av aktivitet. Nesten 60% hadde et selv skjema som fysisk aktiv. Dette ga økte odds for å være fysisk aktiv og var assosiert med reduksjon av symptomer. Selv om denne gruppa hadde erfaring med fysisk aktivitet, hadde opptil 40% ikke et slikt selv-skjema, noe som viser at det fremdeles er mye som bør gjøres for å øke motivasjon gjennom å utvikle både indre motivasjon og selv-skjema som fysisk aktiv.

• Sørensen, Marit (2006). Psychological Empowerment through the Sport Context, 26th International Congress of Applied Psychology. International Association of Applied Psychology. Vis sammendrag

  Sport has been criticized for being overly focused on performance enhancement and being indifferent to both the role of sports as a cultural practice, as well as the physical and psycho-social consequences for the athletes. An alternative perspective is to view sport in the context of empowerment. Disability sport was originally guided by a rehabilitative philosophy where the aim was to empower individuals with a disability through sport participation. The aim of the presentation is to examine aspects of the psychological empowerment in sport for individuals with and without a disability. In-depth interviews of 5 experienced athletes served as a pilot study. Data were collected by questionnaires from 248 athletes from sport clubs with experience with disabled athletes (151 with a disability, 96 without). The findings revealed that athletes with a disability reported less general empowerment than athletes without a disability, but there were no differences in sports-related empowerment. The data will be further examined and discussed in relation to mediators and moderators of empowerment.

• Sentumbwe, Nayinda; Sørensen, Marit & Kahrs, Nina (2006). Sport and empowerment: Experiences from blind sports activities in Uganda, 26th International Congress of Applied Psychology. International Association for Applied Psychology. Vis sammendrag

  Sport has been increasingly recognized as a means to improving the lives and health of individuals and communities. Sport and physical activity is used as a means to promote health and education in community building projects in several parts of the world. The United Nations designated 2005 to be the International year for sport and physical education with the purpose of using physical activity as a means to promote their ?thousand-year goals?. The year of sport and physical education was introduced in order to raise awareness about the value of sport to ?effectively convey messages and influence behavior as well as improving the quality of people?s lives and promote peace? (www.un.org/sport). Within this type of work sport psychology can play an important role, and this symposium will present examples of how sport psychology can contribute by: a) generating knowledge about how to engage people in healthy activities in their community, b) help creating motivating environments for at- risk youths and children, 3) create successful models for dissemination of education and knowledge about healthy behavior through sport participation.The purpose of this program was to use sports to empower individuals with visual impairments by enhancing the orientation and mobility capacities as well as their social profiles through physical activity and sport. In order to achieve this, sport and adapted physical activity was included in the educational programmes for the visually impaired of the Uganda Mobility and Rehabilitation Project (MBR). Results from a pilot project will be presented.

• Sørensen, Marit (2006). The potential of sport psychology to contribute to the development of individuals and societies, 26th International Congress of Applied Psychology, CD. International Association of Applied Psychology. Vis sammendrag

  Sport psychology is a rapidly expanding field in Europe, and continues to build upon the tradition of ancient Greek philosophy in studying the relationship between the body and the mind. Sport psychology is concerned with the study of psychological and mental factors that influence and are influenced by participation in physical activity in general, in sport, exercise and physical education. Sport psychology is also concerned with the application of such knowledge to various settings. Sport psychology draws upon knowledge from psychology, movement science, and sport, exercise and physical education practice. Contrary to common belief, sport psychology is not solely concerned with elite sport and performance enhancement. The high visibility of elite sports often leads to this impression. However, the greatest potential of sport psychology to contribute to the development of individuals and societies lies in the developmental perspective: i. e. the enhancement of personal development and optimizing well- being in physical activity, exercise and sport through the life span. This address will demonstrate how sport psychology is used to focus on well-being, the attainment and maintenance of a physically active life- style, psychological skill development for daily living, the enhancement of positive self perceptions, creation of positive social environments and increased motivation, satisfaction and enjoyment in various settings.

• Sørensen, Marit (2006). Hvorfor være fysisk aktiv? ?. 16(3), s. 11–15. Vis sammendrag

  Fysisk inaktivitet har blitt registrert som en helserisiko. Videre viser mange undersøkelser en positiv sammenheng mellom fysisk aktivitet og god genrell helse. Fysisk aktivitet regnes også for å bidra positivt til forebygging og behandling av flere sykdommer. Artikkelen ser nærmere på hva fysisk aktivitet kan bidra med i forhold til vår psyke og livskvalitet. Dette gjøres fra både et medisinsk perspektiv og et helsefremmende perspektiv.

• Sisjord, Mari Kristin & Sørensen, Marit (2006). Resultater etter 3 år ved skigymnaset.
• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet. Vis sammendrag

  Forelesningen tok utgangspunkt i forsvarets mål om at soldatenes fysiske form skal være bedre ved dimisjon enn ved start av førstegangstjenesten og at treningsvanene skal videreføres etter tjenesten samt foreliggende undersøkelser om utviklingen av fysisk form og aktivitet blant norske soldater og befolkningen forøvring. Videre ble det presentert ideer om hva man innen rammene av heimevernstjenesten kunne lære fra idrett- og helspsykologi med sikte på å øke motivasjonene for fysisk aktivitet.

• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Adapted physical activity - psychological aspects. Vis sammendrag

  In a functional sense, disability refers to a lasting disturbance or disharmony between an individual?s resources and his\ her environment. People with disabilities are a very heterogeneous group the diversity is due to both type of disability, age of onset of the disability and personality variables. Disability is also a social construction that in general refers to an unwanted differentness (Goffman, 1963; Sherrill, 1990), even if many individuals with a disability do not feel negative about their own condition. Disability sport refers to all types of sport where individuals with a disability participate in organised sport, whether it is in an integrated or disability specific setting. Knowledge based on research in the psychological dimensions of athletes with disabilities has been said to be ? in an exploratory stage of inquiry?(Sherrill, 1990, p.357). Through this lecture we hope to demonstrate that although there are some specific aspects about different disabilities that are useful to know and be aware of when we work with sport and exercise, we must not loose sight of the fact that individuals with a disability are primarily individuals. Objectives: The students should gain understanding for and knowledge about individuals with a disability in the sport context, with a focus on psychological aspects.

• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Motivere for fysisk trening. Vis sammendrag

  Med utgangspunkt i 2 konkrete scenarier ble følgende tema belyst: Hva vet vi om motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet? Forskjellige modeller for hvordan motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet kan påvirkes. Videre ble det gitt praktiske eksempler på motiveringsarbeid innen helsearbeid.

• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Tankens og viljens kraft. Vis sammendrag

  Tema for foredraget var hvordan beholde motivasjon for jobben - hva skal til for å gjennomføre noe man vil - bli sitt eget kraftverk? Etter en gjennomgang av hva motivasjon er, ble kunnskapsgrunnlag for hvordan motivasjon kan påvirkes, trenes og opprettholdes presentert sammen med praktiske eksempler på motiveringsarbeid ut fra ulike modeller i idrettspsykologien.

• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Hvordan motivere til bruk av fysisk trening i psykisk helsearbeid? Vis sammendrag

  Utgangspunkt ble tatt i fem situasjonsbeskrivelser som alle demonstrerte manglende prioritering av arbeidet med fysisk aktivitet for personer med psykiske lidelser. Hvorfor er det slik? Historien preger kulturen. Før knyttet man fysisk aktivitet til fysisk arbeid, gårdsbruk osv, det var mange med psykiske lidelser som jobbet på gårdene rundt om i landet. På 50- tallet kom nye medikamenter som åpnet for samtaleterapi. Kroppen ble glemt. Dokumentasjon for at fysisk aktivitet hjelper på psykiske lidelser ble presentert. Et viktig aspekt er at fysisk aktivitet kan hjelpe med å styrke ressurser hos den enkelte, som helsefremmende tiltak. I et slikt perspektiv kan fysisk aktivitet også brukes som mental trening og styrking av mentale og sosiale ferdigheter. For å få til økt aktivitet trengs det samarbeid og motivering på både samfunnsplan, institusjonsplan og individuelt plan og eksempler på dette ble gitt. Idrettens rolle ligger først og fremst i inkludering og tilrettelegging for fysisk aktivitet. Lage gode eksempler og profilere de godt, og gi støtte og oppfølging til lagene samt utfordre kommunen og tilby samarbeid.

• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Helhetlig utvikling av barns helse - betydningen av fysisk aktivtet. Vis sammendrag

  Etter en gjennomgang av nyere data om barns psykososiale helse og fysiske aktivitet i dagens samfunn, ble studier som viser sammenhenger mellom fysisk aktivitet/inaktivtet og psykososiale problemer presentert. Videre ble dokumentasjon for helsefremmende aspekter ved fysisk aktivitet for barn gjennomgått. I siste del av foredraget ble det sett på kunnskapsgrunnlaget for å stimulere barns motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet, og foreldres og helsevesenets rolle ble diskutert.

• Sørensen, Marit (2005). Er kontakt mellom folk og hester sunt - for folk og hester? Vis sammendrag

  Flere studier har pekt mot positive helsegevinster av kontakt med dyr for mennesker, de fleste dreier seg om mindre dyr som hund og katt. Det har vært relativt mindre oppmerksomhet omkring hest. Dette foredraget vil derfor se på følgende: Framkommer det forskjeller i noen helseindikatorer i en befolkningsundersøkelse ut fra ulik grad av kontakt med hest i fritida?Hva viser studier av psykososiale aspekter ved aktivitet med hest? Hva vet vi om hestens helse når den arbeider som terapeut? Data for å besvare det førtste spørmålet var hentet fra en helseundersøkelse gjennomført av Nasjonalt Folkehelseinstitutt i samarbeid med kommunene i Hedmark og Oppland. De som hadde kontakt med hest i fritiden hadde for kvinner og menn signifikant lavere blodtrykk og for kvinner mindre fysiske sykdommer. Menn hadde imidlertid noe mer muskel/skjelett merter. For psykiske helseindikatorer var det ingen signifikante forskjeller for menn, mens kvinner rapporterte mer positive følelser og mindre bruk av medisiner for psykiske plager jo mer kontakt med hest. De som hadde kontakt med hest var mer fysisk aktive. Nyere studier av psykososiale effekter av rideterapi for barn har demonstrert signifikant redukasjon i sinne og mindre antisosial atferd . Studier av hestens helse tyder på at for de fleste hester er ridning med fysisk - og psykisk funksjonshemmede barn ikke var mer stressende enn ridning med barn uten funksjonshemning, men risiko- barn kan se ut til å være en mulig kilde til stress hos noen hester.

• Maro, Cyprian; Roberts, Glyn C. & Sørensen, Marit (2005). USING SPORT TO PROMOTE AIDS EDUCATION FOR AT RISK YOUTHS: AN INTERVENTION USING PEER COACHES IN FOOTBALL.

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