Johanna Falck

Assistant Professor Health and Care Sciences
Department of Nursing , School of Health and Welfare
Presentation Publications

Research

Johanna Falck is a Ph.D. in Health and Care Sciences and assistant professor at the School of Health and Welfare.

Johanna's research concerns lipedema, a chronic disease characterized by painful enlargement of subcutaneous fat. Lipoedema almost exclusively affects women during hormonal influence and has a negative impact on health and quality of life. Research on lipedema is sparse, and the affected women pay low attention to healthcare. Johannas thesis, the first on lipedema in Sweden, contribute with a more profound knowledge of lipedema by studying health, quality of life, social life, and healthcare experiences among the affected women.

Johanna Falck’s research has its starting point that lipedema is not only a medical condition, but also something that affects women’s lives in a broader context.

Her research focuses on three main areas:

Expåeriences of living with lipedema during reproductive milestones.
Puberty, pregnancy, and menopause are three periods in which the body changes significantly. This area explores how women with lipedema experience these transitions, how symptoms are affected, and how they manage their health challenges in everyday life.

How lipedema affects health and quality of life in daily life.
This area examines the broader impact of the condition: not only pain and physical limitations, but also mental health, social life, self-esteem, and intimate relationships. The aim is to understand what it is like to live with the condition on a day-to-day basis.

How women with lipedema experience healthcare and the path to diagnosis.
This area explores encounters with healthcare—from the first symptoms to diagnosis and possible treatment. The focus is on addressing long diagnostic delays, misunderstandings, and lack of knowledge within healthcare, as well as gaining more insight into how women seek support themselves, for example through patient groups and networks when healthcare is insufficient.

Biography 

Johanna is a reg. specialist nurse and midwife and has a for many years combined her clinical work with leadership in the development and improvements of health care. 

Publications

Article

T.Raphael-Grimm, K.Huus, E.Odzakovic, et al., “International Learning Initiative Part 1: A Protocol for Developing a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Module on Racism in Healthcare,” Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences40, no. 2 (2026): e70265, https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.70265.

Odzakovic, E., Raphael-Grimm, T., Falck, J., Hamed, S., Lindblom, J., Huus, K., & Björk, M. (2025). International Learning Initiative Part 2: Enhancing Antiracism Awareness Among Nursing Students in Sweden and the USA. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 39(3), e70067. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.70067

Falck, J., Nygårdh, A., Rolander, B., Jonasson, L-L., Mårtensson, J. (2025). Dealing with lipoedema: women’s experiences of healthcare, self-care, and treatments—a mixed-methods study. BMC Women's Health 25,171 More information

Falck, J., Mårtensson, J., Jonasson, L.-L., Dudek, J. and Nygårdh, A. (2025), Experiences of Sexual Health and Intimate Relationships in Women With Lipedema: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Advanced Nursing. More information

Falck, J., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L-L., Mårtensson, J. (2022). Women with lipoedema: a national survey on their health, health-related quality of life and sense of coherence. BMC Women´s Health, 22:457. More information

Hammarlund, K., Falck, J., Lind, J., Thorstensson, S. (2015). Meeting and supporting students who have parents with mental ill-health. British Journal of School Nursing, 10(4), 182–187. More information


Petersson, C., Falck, J., Lundquist, M., Fredholm Ståhl, y. (2022). Measuring school children´s experiences of the school health services in Sweden: a pilot study. British Journal och Child Health, 3(3), 67-74. More information

Conference paper

Falck, J., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. Experiences of healthcare and treatments in women with lipedema. 24th Nordic Congress of General Practice. Jönköping 2026. Poster presentation. 

Falck, J., Herbst, K., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L. L., & Mårtensson, J. Health-related stigma, perceived social support, and their role in quality of life among women with lipedema. Boston Lymphatic Symposium, Harvard Medical School 19-20 February 2026, Boston, USA. Oral presentation.

Falck, J., Mårtensson, J., Jonasson, L., Dudek, J., Nygårdh, A. (2025). Sexual health and intimate relationships - experiences in women with lipedema. Lipedema World Congress 2025, 5-8 November 2025, Rome, Italy. 

Falck, J., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2023). Experiences of healthcare and treatments in women with lipedema - results from a Swedish national survey. FDRS 2023 Conference, 14-16 April 2023, Atlanta, USA. 

Falck, J., Nygårdh, A., Rolander, B., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2023). Healthcare experiences, health-related stigma, and social support among Swedish women with lipoedema – results from a national survey. Lipedema World Congress, 5-7 October 2023, Potsdam, Germany. More information

Article

Raphael‐Grimm, T., Huus, K., Odzakovic, E., Hamed, S., Lindblom, J., Falck, J., Björk, M. (2026). International Learning Initiative Part 1: A Protocol for Developing a Collaborative Online International Learning ( COIL ) Module on Racism in Healthcare Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 40(2). More information
Odzakovic, E., Raphael-Grimm, T., Falck, J., Hamed, S., Lindblom, J., Huus, K., Björk, M. (2025). International Learning Initiative Part 2: Enhancing Antiracism Awareness Among Nursing Students in Sweden and the USA Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 39(3). More information
Falck, J., Nygårdh, A., Rolander, B., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2025). Dealing with lipoedema: women's experiences of healthcare, self-care, and treatments-a mixed-methods study BMC Women's Health, 25(1). More information
Falck, J., Herbst, K., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2025). Health-related stigma, perceived social support, and their role in quality of life among women with lipedema Health Care for Women International, 46(11), 1278-1296. More information
Falck, J., Mårtensson, J., Jonasson, L., Dudek, J., Nygårdh, A. (2025). Experiences of Sexual Health and Intimate Relationships in Women With Lipedema: A Qualitative Study Journal of Advanced Nursing, 81(12), 8829-8838. More information
Falck, J., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2022). Women with lipoedema: a national survey on their health, health-related quality of life, and sense of coherence BMC Women's Health, 22(1). More information

Doctoral thesis

Falck, J. (2025). Women with lipedema: an exploration of health, quality of life, social life, and healthcare experiences (Doctoral thesis, Jönköping: Jönköping University, School of Health and Welfare). More information

Conference paper

Falck, J., Herbst, K., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2026). Health-Related Stigma, Perceived Social Support, and Their Role in Quality of Life Among Women with Lipedema. Boston Lymphatic Symposium, February 19-20, 2026, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. More information
Falck, J., Mårtensson, J., Jonasson, L., Dudek, J., Nygårdh, A. (2025). Sexual health and intimate relationships - experiences in women with lipedema. Lipedema World Congress 2025, 5-8 November 2025, Rome, Italy. More information
Falck, J., Nygårdh, A., Rolander, B., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2023). Healthcare experiences, health-related stigma, and social support among Swedish women with lipoedema – results from a national survey. Lipedema World Congress, 5-7 October 2023, Potsdam, Germany. More information
Falck, J., Rolander, B., Nygårdh, A., Jonasson, L., Mårtensson, J. (2023). Experiences of healthcare and treatments in women with lipedema - results from a Swedish national survey. FDRS 2023 Conference, 14-16 April 2023, Atlanta, USA. More information