Bilde av Wider, Barbara
Photo: Ingrid Leithe
Bilde av Wider, Barbara
The National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine barbara.wider@uit.no +4777623118 You can find me here

Barbara Wider


Senior Adviser - International Projects

Job description

Barbara Wider is Senior Advisor on International Projects at NAFKAM, the Norwegian National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She has over 20 years experience in Health Service Research and Complementary/Integrative Medicine.

Her current work focuses on NAFKAM's assignment as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional and Integrative Medicine as well as several research and information/communication projects related to complementary and integrative medicine. She is Senior Editor and Scientific Coordinator of the CAM Cancer project, an international collaboration originally funded by the EU which produces evidence-based information on CAM for cancer.


  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Trine Stub, Jorunn V. Nilsen, Johanna Hök Nordberg, Ann Ragnhild Broderstad, Barbara Wider Vellinga et al.:
    Exploring dietary changes and supplement use among cancer patients in Norway: prevalence, motivations, disclosure, information, and perceived risks and benefits: a cross sectional study
    BMC Nutrition 2024 ARKIV / DOI
  • Lin Ang, Eunhye Song, Miek C. Jong, Terje Alræk, Barbara Wider Vellinga, Tae-Young Choi et al.:
    Mapping of systematic reviews on traditional medicine across health conditions: A protocol for a systematic map
    BMJ Open 2023 ARKIV / DOI
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Jorunn Valle Nilsen, Trine Stub, Johanna H. Nordberg, Barbara Wider, Dana Catalina Mora et al.:
    Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the context of cancer; prevalence, reasons for use, disclosure, information received, risks and benefits reported by people with cancer in Norway
    BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 2022 FULLTEKST / ARKIV / DOI
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Barbara Wider, Jorunn Valle Nilsen, Mona Bjelland, Dana Catalina Mora, Johanna H. Nordberg et al.:
    Prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer (treatment) and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway
    BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 05. December 2022 ARKIV / DOI
  • Barbara Wider, Matthias Rostock, Alyson Huntley, Gerd van Ackeren, Markus Horneber :
    Mistletoe extracts for cancer treatment
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022 DOI
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, van der Werf Esther T., Trine Stub, Frauke Musial, Barbara Wider, Miek C. Jong et al.:
    Strategies for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 related Symptoms. A Population Based Cross-sectional Study in Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands
    Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2021 ARKIV / DOI
  • Barbara Wider, Max H. Pittler, Edzard Ernst :
    Feverfew for preventing migraine
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015 DOI
  • Barbara Wider :
    What cancer care providers need to know about CAM: The CAM-Cancer project
    Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies (FACT) 2013 DOI
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Barbara Wider Vellinga, Jorunn Valle Nilsen, Mona Bjelland, Dana Mora C, Johanna Hök et al.:
    Prevalence of late and long-term effects of cancer (treatment) and use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway
    2023
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Jorunn Valle Nilsen, Trine Stub, Johanna H. Nordberg, Barbara Wider, Dana Catalina Mora et al.:
    Komplementær behandling ved kreft og årsaker til bruk
    nafkam.no 2022 FULLTEKST
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Jorunn Valle Nilsen, Johanna H. Nordberg, Barbara Wider, Dana Catalina Mora, Kiwumulo Nakandi et al.:
    Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the context of cancer; prevalence, reasons for use, disclosure, information received, risks and benefits reported by people with cancer in Norway
    2022
  • Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen, Jorunn Valle Nilsen, Trine Stub, Johanna H. Nordberg, Barbara Wider, Dana Catalina Mora et al.:
    Alternativ behandling ved kreft; nytte, risiko og årsak til bruk
    Naturterapeuten. Tidsskrift for naturmedisin 2022
  • Ola Lillenes, Barbara Wider :
    In or outside the box? Integrative healthcare in the Netherlands
    26. October 2021 FULLTEKST
  • Barbara Wider, Ola Lillenes :
    Attending the first WHOCC regional meeting in Europe
    30. November 2021 FULLTEKST

  • The 50 latest publications is shown on this page. See all publications in Cristin here →

    Publications outside Cristin

     

     Books

    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Oxford Handbook on Complementary Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Complementary Therapies in Pain Management. Edinburgh: Mosby, 2007.
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2nd edn. Edinburgh: Mosby, 2006.

    Book chapters

    • Wider B, Pittler MH. Complementary and alternative medicine in palliative care. In: Watson M et al (ed). Oxford Handbook of Palliative Care. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
    • Wider B, Pittler MH. Dietary supplements for body weight reduction. In: Jacobs B, Gundling K (eds). Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians, 2009.
    • Wider B, Pittler MH. Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of insomnia in the elderly. In: Pandi-Perumal SR et al. Principles and Practice of Geriatric Sleep Medicine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
    • Pittler MH, Wider B. Complementary therapies in cancer pain. In: Raphael J (ed). Cancer Pain. British Pain Society, Association of Palliative Medicine, Royal College of General Practitioners, 2009.
    • Wider B, Boddy K. What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine? In: Ernst E (ed). Healing, Hype or Harm? Exeter: Societas Imprint Academic, 2008.

    Journal articles

    • Agbabiaka TB, Wider B, Watson LK, Goodman C. Concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products in older adults: a systematic review. Drugs Aging 2017; 34: 891-905.
    • Agbabiaka T, Wider B, Watson LK, Goodman C. Concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products in older adults: a systematic review protocol. Syst Rev 2016; 5: 65.
    • Wider B, Pittler MH, Ernst E. Feverfew for preventing migraine. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 4: CD002286.
    • Onakpoya I, Hunt K, Wider B, Ernst E. Pyruvate supplementation for weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2014; 54: 17-23.
    • Wider B, Pittler MH, Thompson-Coon J, Ernst E. Artichoke leaf extract for treating hypercholesterolaemia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013; 3: CD003335.
    • Wider B. What cancer care providers need to know about complementary and alternative medicine: the CAM-Cancer project. Focus Altern Complement Ther 2013; 18: 95-100.
    • Zhang J, Wider B, Shang H, Li X, Ernst E. Quality of herbal medicines: challenges and solutions. Complement Ther Med 2012; 20: 100-6.
    • Onakpoya I, Hung SK, Perry R, Wider B, Ernst E. The use of Garcinia extract (hydroxycitric acid) as a weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. J Obes 2011; 2011: 509038.
    • Onakpoya IJ, Wider B, Pittler MH, Ernst E. Food supplements for body weight reduction: a systematic review of systematic reviews. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011; 19: 239-44.
    • Raphael J, Hester J, Ahmedzai S, Barrie J, Farqhuar-Smith P, Williams J, Urch C, Bennett MI, Robb K, Simpson B, Pittler M, Wider B, et al. Cancer pain: part 2: physical, interventional and complementary therapies; management in the community; acute, treatment-related and complex cancer pain: a perspective from the British Pain Society endorsed by the UK Association of Palliative Medicine and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Pain Med 2010; 11: 872-96.
    • Hunt KJ, Coelho HF, Wider B, Perry R, Hung SK, Terry R, Ernst E. Complementary and alternative medicine use in England: results from a national survey. Int J Clin Pract 2010; 64: 1496-502.
    • Wider B, Boddy K. Conducting systematic reviews of complementary and alternative medicine: common pitfalls. Eval Health Prof 2009; 32: 417-30.
    • Agbabiaka T, Pittler MH, Wider B, Ernst E. A systematic review of adverse events from saw palmetto. Drug Safety 2009; 32: 637-47.
    • Wider B. [Alternative diagnostic methods.] MMW Fortschr Med 2009; 151: 31-2.
    • Wider B, Pittler MH. Complementary and alternative medicine for sleep disturbances in the elderly. Focus Altern Complement Ther 2008; 13: 249-53.
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Mind-body therapies: are the trial data getting stronger? Altern Ther Health Med 2007; 13: 62-4.
    • Canter P, Wider B, Ernst E. The antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and selenium in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Rheumatology 2007; 46: 1223-33.
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Acupuncture: its evidence-base is changing. Am J Chin Med 2007;35:21-5.
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Complementary/alternative medicine for supportive cancer care: development of the evidence-base. Support Care Cancer 2007; 15: 565-8.
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Complementary therapies for back pain: is the evidence getting stronger? Clin Rheumatol 2007; 26: 736-8
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. Homeopathy: Is the evidence-base changing? Perfusion 2006; 19: 380-2. 
    • Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. [Complementary for rheumatoid arthritis]. Orthopädische Praxis 2006; 42: 689-91.
    • Savović J, Wider B, Ernst E. Effects of Ginkgo biloba on blood coagulation parameters: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine 2005; 2:  167-76.


    Research interests

    • Safety and efficacy of complementary medicine
    • Integrative oncology
    • Mistletoe in cancer care (Cochrane systematic review)
    • Health literacy in complementary and integrative medicine
    • Health information and communication
    • Evidence-based medicine