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Aging and health – Welmer's research group

We study health in older adults, with special focus on physical function, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and injurious falls.

Research focus

We study health in older adults, with special focus on physical function, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and injurious falls. Our research combines clinical studies (interventions, qualitative studies, and implementation research) with large population-based studies.

Our goals are to increase knowledge regarding:

  • Determinants and consequences of disability, physical inactivity, and injurious falls in older adults  
  • The effect of physical exercise interventions on functioning and health in old age
  • Implementation of evidence-based methods in clinical practice

Read more about our research projects under the "Projects" tab. 

Collaborations

We have ongoing collaboration with researchers at the following universities:

  • University of Ferrara, Italy. 
  • Radboudumc, the Netherlands
  • Erasmus MC Rotterdam, the Netherlands
  • University College London, UK
  • Lund University, Sweden
  • Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden
  • Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research, Spain
  • Maynooth University, Ireland

News and activities

Photo: Privat.

Division of Physiotherapy awarded best poster at NKG2024

Anna-Karin Welmer Photo: Ulf Sirborn

Does cleaning count as exercise?

Photo: Pixabay.

Fear of falling increases risk of injurious falls

Nathalie Frisendahl, PhD student, Division of Physiotherapy, NVS. Photo: Privat.

New thesis about predicting injurious falls in older adults

Publications

Selected publications

  • Article: EUROPEAN GERIATRIC MEDICINE. 2024;15(3):699-708
    Sandlund C; Sandberg L; Lindblom S; Frisendahl N; Bostroem A-M; Welmer A-K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION. 2023;24(12):1984-1989.e2
    Welmer A-K; Frisendahl N; Beridze G; Trevisan C; Calderon-Larranaga A
  • Article: JOURNAL OF CACHEXIA, SARCOPENIA AND MUSCLE. 2022;13(1):254-263
    Trevisan C; Vetrano DL; Calvani R; Picca A; Welmer A-K
  • Article: AGING CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH. 2022;34(1):235-247
    Saadeh M; Calderon-Larranaga A; Vetrano DL; von Rosen P; Fratiglioni L; Welmer A-K
  • Article: THE JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY. SERIES A, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES. 2021;76(10):1789-1795
    Chen S; Calderon-Larranaga A; Saadeh M; Dohrn I-M; Welmer A-K
  • Article: THE JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY. SERIES A, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES. 2021;76(9):1699-1706
    Trevisan C; Ripamonti E; Grande G; Triolo F; Ek S; Maggi S; Sergi G; Fratiglioni L; Welmer A-K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION. 2020;21(12):1900-1905.e1
    Frisendahl N; Ek S; Rosendahl E; Bostrom A-M; Fagerstrom C; Elmstahl S; Welmer A-K
  • Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2020;17(1):68
    Dohrn I-M; Papenberg G; Winkler E; Welmer A-K
  • Article: EUROPEAN REVIEW OF AGING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2020;17(1):8
    Dohrn I-M; Gardiner PA; Winkler E; Welmer A-K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION. 2019;20(9):1163-1168.e3
    Ek S; Rizzuto D; Calderon-Larranaga A; Franzen E; Xu W; Welmer A-K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY. 2019;67(9):1851-1858
    Trevisan C; Rizzuto D; Maggi S; Sergi G; Wang H-X; Fratiglioni L; Welmer A-K
  • Article: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY. 2019;67(2):246-253
    Ek S; Rizzuto D; Fratiglioni L; Calderon-Larranaga A; Johnell K; Sjoberg L; Xu W; Welmer A-K

Funding

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
  • Swedish Research Council
  • Swedish Research Council
  • The Center for Innovative Medicine
  • Preventing functional decline in acutely hospitalized older patients – effect of a simple exercise program versus individualized multicomponent training (PREV FUNC study)
    Konung Gustaf Vs och Drottning Victorias Frimurarestiftelse
  • Preventing functional decline in acutely hospitalized older patients – effect of a simple exercise program versus individualized multicomponent training (PREV FUNC study)
    ALF Medicine
  • Injurious falls in older adults: identifying people at different levels of risk—from epidemiology to implementation research
    Doctoral School in Health Care Sciences (FiV), Karolinska Insitutet

Staff and contact

Group leader

All members of the group

Visiting address

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Alfred Nobels allé 23, B3, Huddinge, SE-141 83, Sweden

Postal address

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy 23100, Huddinge, SE-141 83, Sweden

Projects

Preventing functional decline in acutely hospitalized older patients (PREV_FUNC) study 

The research project focuses on participants aged 75 years or older, recruited from geriatric ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ wards across three hospitals in Stockholm. 

  • A three-armed randomized controlled trial investigates the effect of two multicomponent exercise programs on physical function
  • Exploring the experiences of patients and healthcare professionals regarding the 
    interventions using qualitative studies

Publication:


Welmer AK, Sandberg L, Sandlund C, Björck C, Hagströmer M, Hamilton J, Helgstrand G, Lindgren C, Nordstrand L, Sandstedt P, Kivipelto M, Boström AM
BMJ Open 2023 Aug;13(8):e070885

Harmful sitting in old age—using epidemiological and qualitative approaches to tailor future interventions

  • Quantifying the associations between various movement behaviors (e.g. step count and sitting time) and several critical outcomes, including mortality risk, health changes, and incident injurious falls 
  • Exploring older adults’ perceptions regarding the factors that influence sitting 
    time and engagement in physical activity

Identifying older adults at risk for falls: from observation to implementation

This research project investigates risk factors for injurious falls in older adults.

  • Testing a falls screening tool for older adults in primary care and memory clinics
  • Falls prediction based on risk factors and exploring implementation prerequisites 
    for a screening tool

Student engagement in doctoral education

  • Studies on active pedagogical methods and student engagement in doctoral courses
  • Describing experiences of teachers and students

Doctoral theses

Nathalie Frisendahl, 2023:

Stina Ek, 2019:

 

Keywords:
Accidental Falls Aging Exercise Geriatrics Physical Functional Performance Show all
AW
Content reviewer:
Anna-Karin Welmer
Kathrin Dellblad
19-11-2024