Objective: This study aimed to undertake a rigorous psychometric evaluation of the nine-scale Norwegian version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) based on data from a sample of people with psoriasis. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 825 adults with psoriasis who previously participated in the Norwegian Climate Heliotherapy programme. To investigate the factorial validity of the Norwegian HLQ, confirmatory factor analyses were carried out using Stata. Results: A highly restricted model fit with no cross-loadings or correlated residuals was acceptable for three of the nine scales (‘Feeling understood and supported by health-care providers’, ‘Appraisal of health information’ and ‘Ability to find good health information’). After minor model adjustments of the other scales, one-factor models were acceptable. All scales showed acceptable internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.71 to 0.87. Except for three items, all items had high to acceptable factor loadings. Conclusions: This study of the Norwegian HLQ replicates the original factor structure of the Australian HLQ, indicating the questionnaire has cogent and independent scales with good reliability. Researchers, programme implementers and policymakers could use the Norwegian version of the HLQ with confidence to generate reliable information on health literacy for different purposes.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light on developments in Norwegian companies’ active-ageing policies, and hence offer insight into what characterises those Norwegian companies offering measures to retain their older workers. Design/methodology/approach – The research questions are investigated using data from two surveys carried out among a representative sample of Norwegian companies in 2005 and 2010. The two data sets are analysed both separately and jointly, being merged to obtain a pooled cross-section data set. Both multivariate logistic and linear regression are applied. Findings – The proportion of companies offering retention measures, as well as the extensiveness of their retention efforts (the number of different measures offered), has increased considerably from 2005 to 2010. What characterises these companies however is surprisingly similar in 2005 and 2010. The retention efforts of Norwegian companies seem to be part of a holistic approach to active ageing. Offering a number of different retention measures is more common among companies having initiated “measures to facilitate lifelong learning” and “measures to prevent health problems or reduced work capacity”. The financial incentives embedded in the contractual early retirement scheme seem also to have a significant impact on retention efforts. Originality/value – The employers’ perspective has received little attention in previous research and the authors are the first to report on developments in Norwegian companies’ retention efforts over time. Knowledge about what characterises employers offering such measures will be important for future efforts to increase employments rates among older workers, which is an aim for most European countries.

Although active ageing policy and practice vary between countries, we believe that knowledge about the effects of Norwegian companies' initiatives to delay early retirement is of interest

ObjectivesLevels, trends or changes in socioeconomic mortality differentials are typically described in terms of means, for example, life expectancies, but studies have suggested that there also are systematic social disparities in the dispersion around those means, in other words there are inequalities in lifespan variation. This study investigates changes in income inequalities in mean and distributional measures of mortality in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden over two decades.DesignNationwide register-based study.SettingThe Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish populations aged 30 years or over in 1997 and 2017.Main outcome measuresIncome-specific changes in life expectancy, lifespan variation and the contribution of ‘early’ and ‘late’ deaths to increasing life expectancy.ResultsIncreases in life expectancy has taken place in all four countries, but there are systematic differences across income groups. In general, the largest gains in life expectancy were observed in Denmark, and the smallest increase among low-income women in Sweden and Norway. Overall, life expectancy increased and lifespan variation decreased with increasing income level. These differences grew larger over time. In all countries, a marked postponement of early deaths led to a compression of mortality in the top three income quartiles for both genders. This did not occur for the lowest income quartile.ConclusionIncreasing life expectancy is typically accompanied by postponement of early deaths and reduction of lifespan inequality in the higher-income groups. However, Nordic welfare societies are challenged by the fact that postponing premature deaths among people in the lowest-income groups is not taking place.

Introduction: Phased retirement involves reducing working time in the final years before retirement. The aim of phased retirement is to extend working careers and retain older workers who would otherwise opt for full early retirement. This article investigates the effect of offering phased retirement on early-retirement behaviour in Norway.