Greater interest is being shown in participatory approaches, especially in research on interventions that concern children and young people’s health and well-being. Although participatory approaches have user involvement in common, they differ in terms of the explicit guidance on how to actually involve and engage children and young people in health research. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically map recent research involving children and young people in the development of interventions targeting issues of health and well-being. An interpretative scoping literature review based on: a scientific literature search in (health and social science) databases, reference lists, a manual search in key journals and contact with existing networks was conducted. A total of 4458 references were identified through the literature search, of which 41 studies published between 2000 and 2017 were included in the review. The target population was children and young people under 25 years old. Level of participation was categorized according to Shier’s Pathways to Participation Model. The review showed that participatory approaches were most often used in the development of interventions in school settings and in community and healthcare settings and on issues concerning support in lifestyle or in managing illness or disease. The level of participation varied from children and young people taking part just as active informants, through stages of greater participation both in quantitative and qualitative terms, to children and young people becoming an active agent involved as a co-researcher where the research process was shaped by views of a higher level of mutuality. Most of the studies were categorised at a medium level and only three studies were judged to involve the children and young people at the highest level. This scoping review showed that work remains in enabling children and young people to influence the development of interventions targeting health and well-being. In relation to level of sustainability in the interventions, it is relevant that goals, strategies and processes are formulated by those who can gain from the interventions. Participatory approaches aiming for a higher level of participation where children and young people work together with the researchers in partnerships are thus warranted.

Purpose Previous reviews about employment for people with intellectual disability (ID) have left questions about employment sustainability unanswered. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to identify and analyse research regarding employment sustainability for people with ID. The research questions were: What research about employment sustainability for people with ID has been published internationally between 2010 and 2020? In the identified studies, how is employment sustainability defined and measured and what are the main findings regarding employment sustainability? Methods A systematic review was conducted using eight databases from various disciplines including medical, health, and social sciences. After a selection process, 10 articles remained, and a framework matrix was created to analyse them. An employment sustainability definition was used as an analytical tool. Results Ten articles were identified as being about employment sustainability for people with ID. Five of them used qualitative designs and five used quantitative designs. Only four out of ten contained a definition of employment sustainability, and there was an inconsistency in measurement methods. The reported findings in the studied articles were categorised into three types: proportions of long-term employed individuals within the studied population, facilitators and barriers to long-term employment. Conclusions There is only a limited amount of research about employment sustainability for people with ID. Nevertheless, a few facilitators and barriers could be identified. There is no consensus about how to define or measure employment sustainability, making comparisons difficult.

Background: Swedish employment rates are disproportionately low among people with intellectual disability and research on employment sustainability in this group is scarce. This study investigated employment sustainability among people with intellectual disability, with a focus on identifying facilitators.Method: Fifteen persons with intellectual disability who were gainfully employed and had been so for at least 1 year during the last 3 years, and 10 representatives from their employers, were interviewed.Results: Five facilitators were identified: (1) having tried various types of work, (2) liking to be at work, (3) balance concerning expectations and adaptations, (4) mutual engagement and flexibility, and (5) wage subsidies.Conclusion: Employment sustainability needs to be understood at individual as well as environmental and societal levels. In addition, both duration and progress should be considered regarding employment sustainability in this population.

Division of domestic work by gender has been discussed as part of the explanation why women present a higher sickness absence rate than men. This study aimed to examine the association between gender equality in domestic work and sickness absence. Data from 2,609 co-habiting women and men (aged 19–64) collected in a general population in Sweden were used. Associations between different measures of gender equality in domestic work and numbers of sick-leave days were analyzed with logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, children, and paid work. Results show that women reported lower levels of gender equality than men did. Satisfaction with division of domestic work was in the final model associated with lower odds ratio (OR) for sickness absence in men irrespective of number of days. Work-family conflicts were associated with higher ORs for sickness absence in men, 1–7 sick-leave days (OR 1.51 (CI 1.04–2.18)), and in women, 8–30 days (OR 1.51 (1.00–2.33)). More knowledge on the meaning of gender equality in domestic work in relation to sickness absence for women and men are important for future prevention activities.

In Sweden, day programs called Daily Activity are provided for people with intellectual disability with the objective of increasing meaningful activities and opportunities for employment. The aim of the study was to examine people with intellectual disability’s experiences of Daily Activity, as well as transitions between Daily Activity and other occupations (employment, education, and no occupation). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 individuals with intellectual disability and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results illustrate the importance of autonomy, relationships, taking pride in tasks, flexibility, and stability in Daily Activity. Transitions highlight barriers in employment, low interest in education, and periods of not having an occupation. The participants’ overall experiences of Daily Activity and transitions between occupations resulted in two typologies—The Content Group and The In-between Group. The findings are discussed using self-determination theory and emphasize the interaction between individuals and societal systems to support people in Daily Activity.

Perspectives on health and well-being in social sciences