Steinar Westin
Background and activities
Professor Steinar Westin, MD PhD
Steinar Westin (b 1944) is a professor of social medicine at the Department of Public Health and General Practice, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), in Trondheim. Since 1999 also a part time general practitioner at a health centre in town, Mathesongården legesenter.
Background
A former district physician practising in an island community on the west coast of Norway (Askøy), he has published on issues related to problem solving and decision making in general practice, screening in general practice, as well as implementation and evaluation of postgraduate education for general practitioners – in that respect being one of the founders of what has become "the Norwegian group based model" for vocational training in general practice, in effect since 1986. His most extensive research deals with health aspects of unemployment, sick leaves and disability pensioning, and increasingly on issues related to social inequalities in health and social determinants of health. The author/co-editor of several books, a textbook of social medicine, 2004, on social epidemiology 2009, and "What is medical knowledge" 2012.
Membership
Formerly a chairman of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association (1996-2004), member of editorial boards of several journals, e.g. the European Journal of General Practice, and formerly (1995-2002) a member of the Editorial Board of British Medical Journal. He served as a WHO advisor on primary health care in Macedonia 2003-4, and has taken part i primary care development projects in North Portugal (Vila Real), Turkey and Peoples Republic of China. From 2005 to 2014 chairman of the Norwegian government's expert group to advice on how to reduce social inequalities in health, and from 2007 to 2011 chairman of the Norwegian Research Council's program for research on sick leaves and early exclusion from working life. Elected member of The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and letters (1991). Recieved the Nidaros prize 2009 for contributions to bridging academic and clinical general practice.
Frequent writer and participant in public debates on issues related to health and health care, in periods "radio doctor" for NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, and since 1999 columnist in the regional newspaper Adresseavisen.
Publications
Overview in Cristin
Lancet Editor's comment [pdf]
Editorial The Lancet
Editorial BMJ
Scientific, academic and artistic work
A selection of recent journal publications, artistic productions, books, including book and report excerpts. See all publications in the database
Journal publications
- (2020) Surgery for herniated lumbar disc in private vs public hospitals: A pragmatic comparative effectiveness study. Acta Neurochirurgica. vol. 162 (3).
- (2018) Decennial trends and inequalities in healthy life expectancy: The HUNT Study, Norway. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. vol. 46 (1).
- (2018) Ble dagens helsetjeneste formet av beslutninger på 1970-tallet?. Michael Quarterly. vol. 15.
- (2018) Styrket samfunnsmedisinsk samarbeid - en nasjonal dugnad. Michael Quarterly. vol. 15 (4).
- (2017) En turnusblemme som ble til flere: Kliniske manifestasjoner av orf og mulige følgetilstander. Utposten. vol. nr 3 2017.
- (2016) Karl Evangs pris - skifte navn?. Michael. vol. 13 (3).
- (2016) Kontroll med svineriet. Norsk Veterinærtidsskrift. vol. 128 (8).
- (2016) Samfunnsmedisinsk forskning. Michael. vol. 13 (2).
- (2016) Trenger vi lærebøker i samfunnsmedisin?. Michael. vol. 13 (3).
- (2015) Epidemiology and health policy: How to avoid becoming prisoner of the proximate. Norsk Epidemiologi. vol. 25 (1-2).
- (2015) Konkurranse - elefanten i rommet?. Adresseavisen. vol. Signert-spalten (20.05.2015).
- (2015) Råkjør mot engelsk allmennpraksis. Utposten.
- (2014) Velferdsstaten under press - ser vi de langsomme forandringene?. Michael Quarterly. vol. 11 (4).
- (2013) High school dropout and long-term sickness and disability in young adulthood: a prospective propensity score stratified cohort study (the Young-HUNT study). BMC Public Health. vol. 13.
- (2013) Adolescent Health and High School Dropout: A Prospective Cohort Study of 9000 Norwegian Adolescents (The Young-HUNT). PLOS ONE. vol. 8 (9).
- (2013) Social and spatial patterns of obesity diffusion over three decades in a Norwegian county population: the HUNT Study. BMC Public Health. vol. 13 (1).
- (2013) Medical benefits in young Norwegians and their parents, and the contribution of family health and socioeconomic status. The HUNT Study, Norway. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. vol. 41 (5).
- (2013) Socio-economic inequalities in Norwegian health care utilization over 3 decades: the HUNT Study. European Journal of Public Health. vol. 23 (6).
- (2012) School dropout: a major public health challenge: a 10-year prospective study on medical and non-medical social insurance benefits in young adulthood, the Young-HUNT 1 Study (Norway). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. vol. 66 (11).
- (2012) Adolescent health is associated with high school dropout, independent of parental socioeconomic status: a prospective population study, The Young-HUNT 1 study (Norway). European Journal of Public Health. vol. 22.