A curiosity about comparing different cultures and how we work in various countries led David Conde-Caballero to take the opportunity to travel to the University of Gävle to deepen his research. Four months in Gävle have taught him about the differences between our countries, insights he hopes will benefit his work in Spain.
At the University of Extremadura in Spain, David Conde-Caballero is part of a research group focusing on society, culture, and health. He has now spent four months at the University of Gävle through a combination of collaborations within EU GREEN and with funds from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Government of Spain.
It’s also in collaboration with the project Loneliness, Nutrition and Quality of Life: Interdisciplinary Approaches from Sociocultural Perspectives on Aging.
– I find it interesting to compare how we approach different issues in my home country with how you work in the Nordic countries. There are major differences, and it feels important to understand how we can meet the challenges that exist, he says.
He wants to understand people’s relationship with food
More specifically, he is examining two separate themes: loneliness and its impact on health and eating disorders among residents in care homes. The purpose is to compare how the care home systems in Spain and Sweden function.
– I want to understand people’s relationship with food and what aspects are connected to eating. Cultural differences between countries are one factor. Eating disorders are often associated with young women, but statistics show that they also exist among older people, David explains.
He has been working with the information obtained from various focus groups and is currently analysing his material. The information has not only been collected in Sweden and Spain, but it has also involved other colleagues from the EU GREEN partner Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Ireland.
– Staff in care homes often assume that eating problems are linked to dementia or other underlying illnesses among older people. But older people can also have eating disorders – just in a different way. There is a significant knowledge gap in this area.
“It’s fascinating to study the contrasts”
During his time in Gävle, he has also visited care homes to study how things work here. He is particularly interested in “the Nordic model”, which he describes further:
– In Sweden, there is an idea that care homes should resemble a home as much as possible for the residents. In Spain, it is the opposite – it is much more like a hospital. In Sweden, residents have kitchens, they can cook, and the interiors are more homely. That would be completely impossible in Spain. Here, you also have a different type of technology – for example, staff can open doors using an app. We have different populations and different economies, and it is fascinating to study the contrasts.
The second research area concerns loneliness.
– I am studying how loneliness can impact health, particularly how loneliness can influence behaviours, such as eating habits. It also involves defining what loneliness means. We often say that a person is lonely if they live alone. But a person does not necessarily feel lonely just because they live on their own.
Will return to Gävle
David is now finishing his work at the University of Gävle. On Thursday, he is hosting several colleagues from Extremadura for a workshop with us. He is currently working on four academic articles and hopes for continued collaboration with the University of Gävle. The EU GREEN alliance will fund two seed projects involving the University of Extremadura and University of Gävle, along with others. David is certain that he will return to Gävle.
– This is just the beginning. Everyone has been so helpful here. EU GREEN gives us the opportunity to increase mobility for both students and staff. We get the chance to show each other how we work. Now I need to return home to Spain before winter arrives even more and it gets colder here, he says with a laugh.
