Epidemiology and Public Health Intervention Research (EPHIR)

Research areas

Research projects encompass descriptive, analytical as well as experimental studies in both community and institutional settings, with particular focus on social, behavioral and lifestyle factors of importance for human health during the whole life span. Also, studies rest on a variety of data sources, involving ad-hoc surveys, population-based registers, as well as biologic samples, particularly molecular genetics.

Collaborators

There are ongoing national collaborations within KI and external with Occupational health, Uppsala, Center for Social research on Alcohol and Drugs and Centre for Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University, and many other academic institutions. An important partner is the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Health of Stockholm County Health Care District (CES), where several of the group researchers have part-time commitments.

Internationally the group holds collaborations with Helsinki University, Oxford Brookes and Sheffield University (UK) and Avogadro University (IT).
The group is among the promoters of the European Society of Prevention Research (EUSPR) and of the SPAN (Science for Prevention Academic Network), funded by the Erasmus Lifelong Learning Program.

Education

The group are actively involved in education at all levels and includes the responsible for the undergraduate education (GUA) at the Department of Global Public Health and the director of studies for the Public Health Epidemiology track in Public Health.

Financing

Currently the group has grants from Vårdal, FAS/Forte, HjärtLungfonden, Länsförsäkringar, FORMAS, Folkhälsoinstitutet, European Commission and VR.

Research projects

• FitForLife - mentor led physical exercise as a part of treatment for psychosis and to increase evidence for the effects of physical exercise on overall function and metabolic risk factors.
• KUPOL - The KUPOL Study on mental health in adolescence.
• PART - Study on risk and protective factors for mental health.
• REGASSA - a randomized controlled trial of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, physical activity and treatment as usual in mild to moderate depression.

Doctoral theses

• Exercise as treatment for depression (2016), Björg Helgadottir
• Tobacco use and dependence: does it originate in utero? (2014), Mina Rydell
• Social Environment and Genetics as Determinants of Depression Occurrence and Its Chronicity: A Longitudinal Survey (2013), Carlos Andrés Fandiño-Losada
• Triggers of Sick Leave: Epidemiological Studies of Work-Related Factors (2011), Hanna Hultin

Scientific publications

Path analysis of the chronicity of depression using the comprehensive developmental model framework.
Fandiño-Losada A, Bangdiwala SI, Lavebratt C, Forsell Y
Nord J Psychiatry 2016 Jul;70(5):380-91

The validity of the symptom checklist depression and anxiety subscales: A general population study in Sweden.
Lundin A, Hallgren M, Forsell Y
J Affect Disord 2015 Sep;183():247-52

Anti-Social Behaviors Associated with Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use among Male Adolescents.
Hallgren M, Pope HG, Kanayama G, Hudson JI, Lundin A, Källmén H
Eur Addict Res 2015 ;21(6):321-6

Physical exercise and internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy in the treatment of depression: randomised controlled trial.
Hallgren M, Kraepelien M, Öjehagen A, Lindefors N, Zeebari Z, Kaldo V, et al
Br J Psychiatry 2015 Sep;207(3):227-34

Evaluation of a brief counseling for tobacco cessation in dental clinics among Swedish smokers and snus users. A cluster randomized controlled trial (the FRITT study).
Virtanen SE, Zeebari Z, Rohyo I, Galanti MR
Prev Med 2015 Jan;70():26-32

Increased screening of alcohol habits among patients with depression is needed.
Hallgren M, Åhlin J, Forsell Y, Öjehagen A
Scand J Public Health 2014 Nov;42(7):658-9

Social factors in childhood and risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents--a longitudinal study in Stockholm, Sweden.
Wirback T, Möller J, Larsson JO, Galanti MR, Engström K
Int J Equity Health 2014 Nov;13():96

Medication and fall injury in the elderly population; do individual demographics, health status and lifestyle matter?
Helgadóttir B, Laflamme L, Monárrez-Espino J, Möller J
BMC Geriatr 2014 Aug;14():92

Systematic review of the effect of pictorial warnings on cigarette packages in smoking behavior.
Monárrez-Espino J, Liu B, Greiner F, Bremberg S, Galanti R
Am J Public Health 2014 Oct;104(10):e11-30

School policies for preventing smoking among young people.
Coppo A, Galanti MR, Giordano L, Buscemi D, Bremberg S, Faggiano F
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014 Oct;(10):CD009990

The use of alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) in detecting alcohol use disorder and risk drinking in the general population: validation of AUDIT using schedules for clinical assessment in neuropsychiatry.
Lundin A, Hallgren M, Balliu N, Forsell Y
Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 2015 Jan;39(1):158-65

An evaluation of long-term changes in alcohol use and alcohol problems among clients of the Swedish National Alcohol Helpline.
Heinemans N, Toftgård M, Damström-Thakker K, Galanti M
Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2014 Jun;9():22

Impact of expectations on the effects of exercise on psychological distress.
Helgadóttir B, Ekblom, Forsell Y
Am J Health Behav 2014 Sep;38(5):650-6

Use of a water pipe is not an alternative to other tobacco or substance use among adolescents: results from a national survey in Sweden.
Galanti M, Al-Adhami M
Nicotine Tob. Res. 2015 Jan;17(1):74-80

The risk of fall injury in relation to commonly prescribed medications among older people--a Swedish case-control study.
Kuschel BM, Laflamme L, Möller J
Eur J Public Health 2015 Jun;25(3):527-32

Youth alcohol polarization effects in regional but not national data.
Hallgren M
Addiction 2014 Aug;109(8):1384-5

The psychometric properties of the AUDIT: a survey from a random sample of elderly Swedish adults.
Källmén H, Wennberg P, Ramstedt M, Hallgren M
BMC Public Health 2014 Jul;14():672

Yoga as an adjunct treatment for alcohol dependence: a pilot study.
Hallgren M, Romberg K, Bakshi AS, Andréasson S
Complement Ther Med 2014 Jun;22(3):441-5

CYP2D6-inhibiting drugs and the increased risk of fall-related injuries due to newly initiated opioid treatment--a Swedish, register-based case-crossover study.
Möller J, Laflamme L, Söderberg Löfdal K
Basic Clin. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 2015 Feb;116(2):134-9

[Use of immunological adsorption in heterogeneous immunoenzyme analysis in determining antibodies to the protective determinants of Bacillus anthracis].
Abalakin VA
Zh. Mikrobiol. Epidemiol. Immunobiol. 1987 Nov;(11):90-4

"Unplugged," a European school-based program for substance use prevention among adolescents: overview of results from the EU-Dap trial.
Vigna-Taglianti FD, Galanti MR, Burkhart G, Caria MP, Vadrucci S, Faggiano F, et al
New Dir Youth Dev 2014 ;2014(141):67-82, 11-2

Number of medications and road traffic crashes in senior Swedish drivers: a population-based matched case-control study.
Monárrez-Espino J, Laflamme L, Elling B, Möller J
Inj. Prev. 2014 Apr;20(2):81-7

An association between initiation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and suicide - a nationwide register-based case-crossover study.
Björkenstam C, Möller J, Ringbäck G, Salmi P, Hallqvist J, Ljung R
PLoS ONE 2013 ;8(9):e73973

Group members

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