
Birgitta Wiitavaara
Docent, PhD Nursing Science, Registred Nurse
About the researcher
Birgitta Wiitavaara is a member of the research group at the Forte Centre "The body at work - from problem to potential" and is mainly active in the program "Diagnosis and rehabilitation". Birgitta Wiitavaara is interested in research on the measurement of disorders, as well as various qualitative studies in the field of occupational health. Other areas include rehabilitation, risk and health factors in working life, safety culture and risk-taking, and risks and opportunities related to flexible work.
I mainly teach qualitative research methods at master's and doctoral level, but also teach and supervise in areas related to my research field, i.e. rehabilitation, evaluation, outcome measures, health, health experience, musculoskeletal disorders.
Programs, academic degrees
- 2016 Higher education pedagogy – didactic perspectives on learning in higher education
- 2013 Research supervision, Uppsala University
- 2009 Examination and Evaluation, Umeå University
- 2007 Doctorate in Nursing Science, Umeå University
- 2001 Master's degree in Nursing Science, Umeå University
- 1997 Secondary school diploma, specialisation care, Uppsala University
- 1996 Quantitative method B 5 p (sociology), Dalarna University
- 1996 Group dynamics A 5 p, Dalarna University
- 1996 Sociology/social psychology A 10 p, Dalarna University
- 1996 Pedagogy A 8 p, Dalarna University
- 1995 Nursing Science C 41–50 p, Falun University College of Health Scienc
- 1995 Nursing Science B 21–40 p, Falun University College of Health Scienc
- 1994 Research Methodology 1–20 p, Falun University College of Health Scienc
- 1994 Documentation of nursing 5 p, Falun University College of Health Scienc
- 1988 Completion in general health care 20 p, Falun University College of Health Scienc
- 1983 Nursing degree, Munksjöskolan Jönköping
Graduate Courses
- 2006 Body, Health and Disease as Cultural Expressions, 5 p Umeå University
- 2005 Gender course for teachers and researchers at medical faculty, 5 p Umeå University
- 2003 Phenomenological-hermeneutics as a research method, 5 p, Umeå University
- 2003 Being sick – The meaning of illness, 5 p, Umeå University
- 2002 Introductory course to doctoral studies, 10 p, Umeå University
- 2002The interview as a tool for data collection – techniques and strategies, 5 p, Umeå University
- 2001 Qualitative methodology, (Grounded Theory) 10 p, Umeå University
Positions held
- Senior Lecturer, Center for Stress Injury Research, HiG 090601–ff
- Project worker, Center for Stress Injury Research, HiG 080701–090531
- Visiting Lecturer, Center for Exposure Injury Research, HiG 071101–080630
- Research Assistant, Center for Load Injury Research, HiG 070801–071031
- PhD student, Department of Nursing, Umeå University 030101–070331
- Research Assistant, Umeå University, 100 % 020701–021231
- Research Nurse, Umeå University 50% 010501–020630
- Healthcare developer, Ambulance/emergency clinic Mora, 970815–020630
- Nurse, (Acute Care, District Nursing, Ophthalmology, Surgery, Orthopedics, Medicine) 830620–980615
Current research
- "Content and quality of questionnaires used to measure physical function among people with musculoskeletal disorders"
A series of knowledge reviews of questionnaires used to measure physical function among people with musculoskeletal disorders. Analysis is included of the content of the questionnaires and the quality testing carried out. - "Can internationally recommended outcome measures for clinical pain studies capture health aspects that are prominent among people with neck-shoulder disorders?" Project with long-term aim to evaluate and further develop internationally recommended outcome measures in clinical pain research for use in the evaluation of non-specific long-term musculoskeletal disorders.
- "Working remotely - opportunities and consequences for university teachers" A doctoral project where the overall purpose of the thesis work is to investigate how remote work is practiced by, and affects university teachers. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate first-line managers' experiences of leading a group of staff who work remotely to varying degrees.
Rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders
I defended my thesis in 2007 on the health experiences of people with musculoskeletal disorders. The thesis describes the experiences of those affected, from the overall experience of the balance between health and ill health, through the course of the disease in neck-shoulder problems, down to the symptom level and a comparison with certain questionnaires. If you want to read more, you can find my thesis: "Balancing intrusive illness - the experiences of people with musculoskeletal problems" After my PhD, I have worked with research and teaching at advanced and postgraduate level in the field of occupational health science. The latest projects I have conducted research in have a focus ranging from qualitative studies of safety culture and risk taking to psychometric testing of questionnaires.
Current Projects
DisA – Working remotely - opportunities and consequences for university teachers.
A doctoral project where I am the main supervisor for doctoral student Linda Widar. The overall purpose of the thesis work is to investigate how distance work is practiced by, and affects university teachers. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate first-line managers' experiences of leading a staff group that works remotely to varying degrees.
MätFunk – Measurement of physical function
A series of literature reviews of forms measuring physical function in musculoskeletal disorders, with ICF classification [13] of the content of the forms and mapping of the psychometric testing done on the forms, using the COSMIN checklist [18]. Substudies I+II are published in 2018–19, substudy III is ongoing.
CUA – Health economic evaluation
Health economic evaluation of four treatments for neck-shoulder pain included in an RCT study, with regard to improvements in the health profile of study participants related to direct and indirect costs at individual and societal level.
PrioSAM Test
Psychometric testing of three forms for measuring systematic work environment management.
Collaboration
DisA - Working remotely - opportunities and consequences for university teachers Collaboration partners:
Linda Widar, PhD student, Avd. för arbetshälsovetenskap och psykologi, Akademin för hälsa och arbetsliv, Högskolan i Gävle
Marina Heiden, Docent, Avd. för arbetshälsovetenskap och psykologi, Akademin för hälsa och arbetsliv, Högskolan i Gävle
Eva Boman, FD, Avd. för arbetshälsovetenskap och psykologi, Akademin för hälsa och arbetsliv, Högskolan i Gävle
MätFunk - Measurement of physical function; a series of literature reviews on questionnaire content and psychometric testing
Collaborators:
Hans Högberg, FD, Dept. of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gävle/Region Gävleborg
Jan Florin, Docent, Department of Nursing, University of Dalarna
Marina Heiden, Docent, Dept. för arbetshälsovetenskap och psykologi, Akademin för hälsa och arbetsliv, Högskolan i Gävle
Health economic evaluation of four forms of treatment for neck-shoulder pain
Collaboration partners:
Annika Nilsson Docent, Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gävle
Dag Rissén, FD, CFUG Region Gävleborg/Uppsala University.
PrioSAM-Test - Psychometric testing of three forms for measuring systematic work environment management
Collaboration partners:
Hasse Nordlöf, FD, Research Secretary, University of Gävle
Ragnar Westerling, Professor, Department of Public Health and Care Sciences, Uppsala University
Hans Högberg, FD, Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gävle/Region Gävleborg
Can internationally recommended outcome measures for clinical pain studies capture health aspects that are prominent among women with neck-shoulder pain?
Collaborators:
Annika Nilsson, Associate Professor, Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gävle
Dag Rissén, FD, CFUG Region Gävleborg/Uppsala University
Lay perspectives on health
Partners:
Christine Brulin, Professor, Inst. För omvårdnad, Umeå University
Carita Bengs, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Umeå University
Sidan uppdaterades 2025-01-23