The time of year when isolation falls from the sky

Reflection:

It starts getting cold around October here in Norway. Usually November through March is cold, dark, and there is often a lot of ice and snow on the road. For a lot of people this is a time to have fun with skiing, down-hill skiing and snowboarding, but for others it means getting cut off from a lot of important things in life. Skiing is a big part of the Norwegian cultural identity, and it is often said that most Norwegians love skiing and go skiing all the time. This gives an impression of a society thriving in snow and cold weather. However, it is of interest to me to reflect upon the truth of this, and whether or not the majority of the population, and especially old and/or disabled people, would not rather perceive the change of seasons as an impairment to their freedom of movement and social stimulation.

Growing up here, but not really being Norwegian, I see a tendency in this country to be very proud of Norwegian heritage, nature, welfare state and culture as a whole. I wonder sometimes how far this goes in terms of being a contributing factor to downplaying those difficulties which arise from living in this kind of sociocultural and geographic setting. The challenges of a long, cold and dark winter are seldom discussed openly, and especially not in relation to people struggling with movement or who require the use of a mobility device. Roads are often icy and inaccessible, the days become so short that sunlight often is a rare sight, and outdoor social life dies down to a minimum for those who are not savvy on skies or in good physical condition otherwise. This should make us think about how the winter months affect all of us, but maybe especially those who have difficulties with joining in on physical activity in the first place

Research literature:

While a lot of research points to less exposure to daylight having a negative impact on mental health (Molin, Mellerup, Bolwig, Scheike & Dam,1996, p.151) and seasonal affective disorder is studied more frequently in the northern hemisphere, less attention has been given to the impact of winter conditions on people requiring a mobility device. A study done in 2012 by Randi Hjorthol from the Institute of Transport Economics, shows that winter conditions are mentioned by the majority of elderly people as a barrier to overcome when trying to complete activities of daily life. The results of this study, which draws its data from focus groups of participants from five municipalities and also from the Norwegian National Travel Survey of 2005, indicates lower activity levels in older people due to the risks and impairments connected to winter conditions (Hjorthol, 2013, p.176). Frequently there is a lot of ice or snow covering the pavement, which makes it difficult to move comfortably and also increases the risk of fractures or other injuries. Specifically, hip fractures in the elderly population seem to become more frequent in the colder season, according to the HUNT study (Grønskag, Forsmo, Romnudstad, Langhammer & Schei, 2009, p.1294). Elderly people often prefer walking in the middle of the street rather than on the icy pavements, despite the risk of getting hit by a car. Problems with public transport have also been reported. Frequently, busses stop at quite a distance from the pavement due to a lot of snow, making the distance between bus and pavement very hard to overcome. Also, slippery bus floors and no available seats during rush hour make it rather unlikely that many elderly people will use public transport when it is snowing. (Hjorthol, 2013, p. 188 – 189)

Hjorthol reports a decrease in visits to the supermarket for elderly people at this time of year, as well as time spent socialising outside the home. A Canadian research paper detailing how physically disabled youth experience winter concluded with the same findings that ring true for elderly people: they encounter physical barriers and social spatial exclusion, health and safety concerns, and psychosocial issues like worry, isolation and dependence (Lindsay & Yantzi, 2014, p. 2195).

The saying “Norwegians are born with skies on their legs” might be a reflection of this nation´s love of skiing, but it surely does not speak for everyone. People who are less steady on their legs or scared of driving on icy roads suffer from both isolation and stress when the cold season comes around. The reduction in sunlight also contributes to lower energy levels, and winter depression does not help. I believe that for a lot of people, but especially physically disabled and elderly people, this is a real problem. I also believe that people in Norway tend to concentrate on the positives of the welfare state, often leaving little room for conversations about the more difficult aspects of living in a country like Norway.

References :

Grønskag, A-B., Forsmo, S., Romundstad, P., Langhammer, A. & Schei, B. (2009) Incidence and seasonal variation in hip fracture incidence among elderly women in Norway. The HUNT Study, Bone 46 (2010) 1294–1298

Hjorthol, R. (2013) Winter weather – an obstacle to older people’s activities? Journal of Transport Geography 28 (2013) 186–191

Molin, J., Mellerup, E., Bolwig, T., Scheike, T. & Dam, H. (1996) The influence of climate on development of winter depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 37 (1996) 151 – 155

Sally Lindsay & Nicole Yantzi (2014) Weather, disability, vulnerability, and resilience: exploring how youth with physical disabilities experience winter, Disability and Rehabilitation, 36:26, 2195-2204, DOI: 10.3109/09638288.2014.892158