Level In Denmark Research Articles

Generational (dis)agreements – family support, national law and older immigrants in extended households

ABSTRACTAs detailed knowledge on multigenerational migrant families is sparse, this paper draws on quantitative and qualitative data to investigate intergenerational co-residence for older Turkish immigrants in Denmark. Registry data show that 23 per cent of Turkish immigrants in the 65–74 years age group live in intergenerational households – a level halfway between levels in Denmark and Turkey. These extended households are predominantly of the ‘culturally ideal’ type – formed by sons, sons’ wives and often the couple's children. One in five extended households, however, includes unwed sons and hence do not provide access to the labour power of daughters-in-law. Many factors seem to contribute to the observed pattern, including variable meanings of intergenerational co-habitation, high levels of poverty and limited housing options for extended families. Interviews with older Turkish immigrants point to another contributing factor, namely men's difficulties finding wives willing to live with parents-in-law. The sons’ hardships in this regard can be tied to a Danish immigration regime that bars marriage migrants from entering into extended households. While Turkish women raised in Denmark do not face such legal restrictions, such young women may reject marriage proposals entailing in-law co-habitation. The study thus adds new nuances to our understanding of how the dynamics of age, gender and immigration experience may shape the ways in which older immigrants live in Europe today.

Who Wants Demanding Active Labour Market Policies? Public Attitudes towards Policies that put Pressure on the Unemployed

AbstractThe literature addressing attitudes about social policy and the welfare state has been telling us for decades that welfare interventions are supported by those individuals who benefit from a specific measure. The diffusion of ‘demanding’ active labour market policies (ALMPs), however, challenges this relationship. Using a novel dataset, I analyse which individual- and country-level factors explain public support for demanding ALMPs in five Western European countries. The results show that labour market risk and ideological orientation influence public attitudes towards these ALMPs. Thereby, unemployed individuals sympathising with the political right are more strongly opposed to demanding measures than employed individuals with the same political preferences. Moreover, aggregate support is found to be correlated with the country's ALMP legacy, varying from high levels in Germany and the UK to low levels in Denmark and France. The findings suggest that most ALMPs are in fact implemented despite the opposition of their beneficiaries.

Adaption of Knowledge and Participation of Stakeholders in Three Public Health Interventions at Local Government Level in Denmark

Background:When implementing public health interventions in practice, it is recommended to use research evidence and to include relevant stakeholders. This should ensure effective interventions but it can be challenging. This study investigates the use of knowledge and inclusion of stakeholders in three different public health interventions at the local government level in Denmark and discusses strategies for future improvements in the use of research evidence. Method:Based on a previous assessment of all public health interventions in Varde Municipality using the European Community Health Promotion Indicator Development Model (EUHPID model), three different types of interventions (one Health Promotion, one Health Protection, and one Disease Prevention) were chosen for a case study analysis. The data consisted of document reviews and interviews. Data were analysed by content analysis using a framework for Evidence Based Practice as a guiding tool. Discussion of strategies for future improvements was based on experiences from previous studies. Results:In the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention interventions, knowledge of community characteristics and knowledge based on practitioners’ expertise were the most applied types of knowledge. In the Health Protection intervention, evidence from research was also used. Various stakeholders were included in all interventions. Barriers for the use of research evidence were lack of access to reported research, lack of time and competences to identify, adapt and apply the most relevant research evidence. The perceived facilitators for using evidence from research were access to summaries of research results or guidelines based on research and collaboration with researchers. Conclusion:Very limited knowledge on how to improve the use of research evidence in such interventions exists, however it seems like an active collaboration between research and practice is a promising strategy. There is a need for more research on this topic taking the role of various stakeholders into account.

Supporting Structures for Education for Sustainable Development and School-based Health Promotion

The article aims to explore the following question: ‘How is education for sustainable development and health education in schools approached and contextualized at a municipal level, and what contradictions and tensions might local structures imply for sustainable health promoting school development?’ Based on interviews with key agents at the municipal level in Denmark and drawing on a knowledge exchange network, the article identifies and discusses the following three themes across education for sustainable development and health education: (i) autonomy, engagement and ownership; (ii) open frameworks and invitations to ‘run with the ball’; and (iii) ad hoc professional development. A main conclusion in the article is that local approaches are largely based on plurality and voluntarism, and are formed around enthusiasts. There is a risk that this framework becomes so flexible that it ‘falls apart’ in the balance between rigidity and flexibility.

Crime prevalence and frequency among Danish outlaw bikers

In the very limited quantitative research on outlaw bikers, basic questions about crime prevalence and frequency have not been sufficiently addressed. The current study contributes to fill this void. Data are derived from two sources: the Danish National Police, who maintain a file on individuals active in outlaw motorcycle clubs, and Statistics Denmark, which provides registry data on their criminal histories. Five samples ranging from 457 to 1017 outlaw bikers are analysed descriptively. Results vary depending on the sample. The average age of criminal onset among criminally active outlaw bikers is approximately 18. These individuals are generally first registered in the National Police file on outlaw bikers between the ages of 27 and 32. A significant proportion of these individuals are involved in crime both before and after their affiliations with outlaw motorcycle clubs and are responsible for a disproportionate amount of all cleared crime in Denmark. The findings suggest that a broad and high-intensity police approach to the prevention of outlaw biker crime in Denmark is appropriate. On the other hand, they also imply that reductions in outlaw biker crime might not matter much for the overall crime level in Denmark.

Neck Training @ home with Intelligent Headset

Context: Non-specific neck and shoulder pain (NSS) is an increasingly common disorder in Denmark and has statistically been experienced by half of the adult population within the last six months [1, 2]. The estimated societal and personal costs related to NSS amount to at least 13 billion DKR yearly. The reason for the NSS disorder reaching epidemic levels in Denmark and worldwide is primarily the introduction of computers, tablets and smartphones in peoples’ private and professional lives and the resulting work habits and physical postures imposed by such devices [3]. Curing NSS often requires several visits to physiotherapists or chiropractic clinics and in most cases the patients receive treatment as well as instructions in rehabilitative exercises that can be performed at home. Purpose: With this M.Sc. project we propose a tele-medical training assistant that will instruct and monitor the patient in doing these home exercises in the correct manner. The training assistant consists of the motion-sensor-equipped 3D audio headset, Intelligent Headset, developed by GN [4]. This headset is connected with a smartphone and controlled by the training assistant app developed. Using this headset, we can monitor the head movements of the patient very closely as well as give immediate auditory instructions and feedback. Methods: We first validate the precision of the headset motion sensors and the resulting ability to detect certain patterns of movement using the high-precision 3D motion capture system, Vicon, as a reference. We then develop and implement an application which is able to recognize and give feedback on three common and scientifically approved types of neck rehabilitation exercises. We do this through a user-centred process involving both healthy users and users with neck problems, while receiving continuous feedback from domain experts, such as chiropractors and physiotherapists.

Geographical variation in use of intensive care: a nationwide study.

To examine whether there is geographical variation in the use of intensive care resources in Denmark concerning both intensive care unit (ICU) admission and use of specific interventions. Substantial variation in use of intensive care has been reported between countries and within the US, however, data on geographical variation in use within more homogenous tax-supported health care systems are sparse. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study based on linkage of national medical registries including all Danish residents between 2008 and 2012 using population statistics from Statistics Denmark. Data on ICU admissions and interventions, including mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, acute renal replacement therapy, and treatment with inotropes/vasopressors, were obtained from the Danish Intensive Care Database. Data on patients' residence at the time of admission were obtained from the Danish National Registry of Patients. The overall age- and gender standardized number of ICU patients per 1000 person-years for the 5-year period was 4.3 patients (95 % CI, 4.2; 4.3) ranging from 3.7 (95 % CI, 3.6; 3.7) to 5.1 patients per 1000 person-years (95 % CI, 5.0; 5.2) in the five regions of Denmark and from 2.8 (95 % CI, 2.8; 3.0) to 23.1 patients per 1000 person-years (95 % CI, 13.0; 33.1) in the 98 municipalities. The age-, gender-, and comorbidity standardized proportion of use of interventions among ICU patients also differed across regions and municipalities. There was only minimal geographical variation in the use of intensive care admissions and interventions at the regional level in Denmark, but more pronounced variation at the municipality level.

Does drinking water influence hospital-admitted sialolithiasis on an epidemiological level in Denmark?

ObjectivesSialolithiasis, or salivary stones, is not a rare disease of the major salivary glands. However, the aetiology and incidence remain largely unknown. Since sialoliths are comprised mainly of calcium phosphate...

Using English as a medium of instruction at university level in Denmark: the lecturer's perspective

More than 25% of the master's degrees in Denmark are taught using English as a medium of instruction (EMI), but not all university lecturers feel they have the appropriate academic English proficiency to meet the standard required. Based on interviews conducted at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), this article sheds light on the challenges faced by a selection of these lecturers. The interviews formed part of the project Students' Perceptions of the English of Academics, which examines the use of EMI at CBS. Audio recordings were made of 33 lecturers. Questionnaires were distributed to almost 1800 students on a range of issues, including the lecturer's English proficiency. The lecturers themselves also completed a questionnaire. Subsequently, 17 of them were interviewed, five of whom belonged to the group with the weakest skills. Inspired by a categorisation used by Marschan-Piekkari, Welch, and Welch for their recommendations for managing English as a corporate language, the literature review in the present paper discusses university language management under the headings of staff selection, training and development, international assignments and performance appraisal. The insights gained from the interviews address issues such as attitudes to EMI policy, experience with EMI teaching, student evaluations and support.

Legitimacy building in weak institutional settings: climate change adaptation at local level in Denmark and Norway

Local strategies for adaptation to climate change in Denmark and Norway are discussed. In both countries, the national impetus for local adaptation is weak; it is largely left to local actors to take the initiative. The dynamics of the different approaches to climate-change adaptation at the local level are illuminated. Using decision-making and learning theory, we present an analytical framework to examine four cases, two in Norway and two in Denmark, which represent two different responses, i.e. anticipatory actions and obligatory actions. We find that, by bringing in knowledge and resources and engaging in persuasive communication across sectors, the presence of institutional entrepreneurs in the adaptation process plays a key role in building legitimacy for anticipatory action in the municipal organisation.

Childhood exposure to DEHP, DBP and BBP under existing chemical management systems: A comparative study of sources of childhood exposure in Korea and in Denmark

In this paper, the cumulative risks of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), and Benzyl-butyl phthalate (BBP) to 2-year-old children in two countries: one European (Denmark) and one Asian (South Korea) were compared. Denmark does not produce phthalates as a raw material, while Korea produces more than 0.4milliontons of the three above-mentioned phthalates each year. First, a comparative review of the existing phthalate regulations in the two countries was performed. Next, the level of childhood phthalate exposure from environmental and food sources was estimated using an exposure scenario approach. Then, the scenario based exposure level was compared with back-calculated exposure levels based on biomonitored urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations. The result verifies the existence of varying territorial human background exposure levels and the gap between exposure estimations based on exposure modeling and biomonitoring data. Cumulative childhood risk levels in Denmark were lower than in Korea. For both countries, risk levels from back calculation were higher than those from scenario estimation. The median cumulative risk levels from scenario estimation and back calculation respectively were 0.24 and up to 0.5 in Denmark while 0.52 and up to 0.95 in Korea. Food and indoor dust were the main exposure sources for all three phthalates. In order to protect human health from cumulative risks of these phthalates, the exposure scenarios in existing regulations such as the EU REACH need to be strengthened. Moreover, based on the contributions from different exposure sources, national specific risk management tools need to be developed and strengthened, applying a systemic approach to promote sustainable material flows.

Negotiating a healthy body in old age: preventive home visits and biopolitics

The study discussed in this article sheds light on how a specific publichealth policy, the preventive home visit (PHV) aimed at senior citizens, is implemented at the local level in Denmark. Empirically the article calls attention to what is actually going on in a preventive practice, based on participant observations, interviews and ten years#&8217; worth of visitation records. Theoretically, the article applies a Foucauldian biopolitical approach that understands the visits as an implementation of the active ageing scheme, as the notion of prevention is practised as a continuous process, which is utilised to train people#&8217;s gazes and sensitivity, and teach them to recognise ‘activity’ as closely linked to future well-being and longevity. An important finding is that the intervention is not normalising in a deterministic way but rather negotiable. Even though the home visitors represent a health regimen where activity is interpreted as bodily exercise, they try to avoid the tendency to prescribe for older people. Rather than prevention in the strict sense, it seems to be a health promotion strategy that encourages older people to articulate their needs. The meeting between the health visitor and the older person is characterised by conversations and negotiations about health, autonomy and bodily experiences.

Assessing public health intervention practices in a Danish municipality: Applying criteria based on the European Community Health Promotion Indicator Development (EUHPID) model

To develop a set of assessment criteria and assess public health interventions at municipal level in Denmark using the European Community Health Promotion Indicator Development (EUHPID) model to support more effective planning and funding allocation in public health. Based on knowledge synthesis, a set of assessment criteria were developed to classify interventions into the four types of public health provided by the EUHPID model: health promotion, health protection, disease prevention, and health care. Information was then collected on all current public health interventions in Varde Municipality within a 3-month period in spring 2009. Finally, the interventions were categorised using the developed assessment criteria. The knowledge synthesis process resulted in the development of a set of assessment criteria and the 154 reported public health interventions were divided into relevant types using these criteria. 57% of the interventions were based on a salutogenic health promotion approach, 33% on a pathogenic disease prevention approach, 10% on the pathogenic health protection approach, and 0% on the pathogenic health care approach. The assessment criteria based on the EUHPID model can be useful and have wider global significance for planning public health interventions, allocating appropriate funding to support public health interventions, and thereby encouraging and supporting more effective intersectoral working practices.

1729 – Standardised treatment for anxiety disorders: an evaluation of implementation and treatment outcomes

Standardised and timely restricted care for anxiety disorders has replaced former treatment in the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark. Currently, there is no documentation regarding the impact of treatment standardisation on patient outcome and on service delivery. The aim is to investigate i) the effect of standardised treatment on patient outcome, and ii) the implementation outcomes of standardised treatment programs for anxiety disorders in clinical practice. The study is conducted as a quasi-experimental prospective pre-post study in a naturalistic setting in which patients are referred randomly to the two mental health centres. Patients included in the study are aged above18 years and referred to standardised treatment for anxiety disorders (F40-41). The Conceptual Model of Implementation Research [1] distinguishes between outcomes at three different levels: implementation, service and client (patient), and argues that client outcomes depend on outcomes of the previous levels. This study includes outcomes at all levels. The clinical outcome data include the Symptom Check List-90R, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Global Assessment of Functioning and WHO Wellbeing Index. The first patient was included in October 2012. The study design will be described in details and preliminary results presented. From January 2013 standardised and timely restricted care for anxiety disorders are introduced at a national level in Denmark, which further increase the relevance of the present study.

Velfærdsstatens politiske anarkist – eksempler på fremskridtspartiets politiske sprogstrategi 1973–1980

This article shows how the right wing populist politician Mogens Glistrup changed ‘the order of discourse’ in the Danish political debate about the welfare state in the 1970s. He did this in three ways. Firstly, by making use of a highly ironic, sarcastic and anecdotical rhetoric against the public sector and the high tax levels in Denmark. Secondly, Glistrup re-launched a series of discourses such as ‘skrankepave’ and ‘papirnusser’ which directly framed a negative sentiment regarding the public sector. Thirdly, Glistrup’s style was based on the use of profane words and slang in his speeches in parliament. This article shows how the other political parties on the one hand attacked Glistrup’s and fellow party members use of what in their eyes seemed obscene and inappropriate words and on the other hand how Glistrup at the same time was successful in disseminating some of these phrases to the parties that criticized him.

High exposure rates of anticoagulant rodenticides in carnivorous birds and mammals in Danish landscapes

We analyzed anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in birds of prey, owls and small mustelids to assess exposure rates and levels in Denmark. ARs were detected in 84-97% of individuals in all species. High AR prevalences and concentrations were recorded in all seasons in both birds and mammals. Prevalence of ARs was considerably higher than reported elsewhere with similar exposure scenarios. Further research on the potential effects of these high AR exposure levels on population levels of non-target species is warranted.

Acceptance and expectance: Cultural norms for alcohol use in Denmark

Alcohol consumption levels in Denmark are high with the risk of increased morbidity and mortality in the population. It is suggested that people's views of “normal” use of alcohol must be the platform for formulating effective alcohol education and prevention strategies. However, little is known about the cultural norms for alcohol use. The aim of this article is to examine the perceptions of cultural norms for alcohol use in Denmark among different age groups and the similarities and differences between the groups, including examining how people construct and negotiate the cultural norms for drinking. Five focus group interviews were conducted with one group per the following age groups: 16–20; 21–34; 35–44; 45–64; and 65–82. These groups consisted of both men and women with five to six participants in each group (a total of 27). Thematic analysis was performed with the aim of developing themes that reflected the cultural norms for alcohol use. The unifying theme of this research was Danish people's acceptance and expectance of social drinking. Alcohol is widely accepted and associated with mutual expectations to drink, leading to identification of cultural influences and facilitation to drink. The social drinking context plays an important role in people's perceptions of the normality of drinking. This includes the selection of particular beverages, and regularly leads to consumption above the recommended levels for low risk to health. This calls for public health attention that promotes low risk drinking in the social context and aims to prevent and reduce serious alcohol-related harm and health problems across the population.

On the relationship between energy consumption, CO2 emissions and economic growth in Europe

Abstract This study examines the causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption, and economic growth by using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointegration for nineteen European countries. The bounds F -test for cointegration test yields evidence of a long-run relationship between carbon emissions per capita, energy consumption per capita, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the square of per capita real GDP only for Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland. The cumulative sum and cumulative sum of squares tests also show that the estimated parameters are stable for the sample period. We found a positive long-run elasticity estimate of emissions with respect to energy consumption at 1% significant level in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy and Portugal. Positive long-run elasticity estimates of carbon emissions with respect to real GDP and the negative long-run elasticity estimates of carbon emissions with respect to the square of per capita real GDP at 1% significance level in Denmark and 5% significant level in Italy are also found. These results support that the validity of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in Denmark and Italy. This study also explores causal relationship between the variables by using error-correction based Granger causality models.

An anthropological analysis of European Union (EU) health governance as biopolitics: The case of the EU tissues and cells directive

Healthcare in Europe is increasingly influenced by European Union (EU) regulation enacted to harmonise heterogeneous practices through common safety standards. In many instances directives on safety issues evade public debate because they are seen as merely 'technical matters'. In this paper I analyse the implications at a national level in Denmark of one such piece of legislation: the EU Tissues and Cells Directive. The analysis is based on participant observation, interviews and document analysis conducted in the period from May 2007 to June 2009. I follow translations of the Directive from the level of the EU text into national legislation and further into everyday practices. From a biopolitical perspective, I explore the implications of this so-called technical directive that appear necessary for policymakers and yet remain strangely detached from the everyday experiences of people for whom and on whom it is supposed to work. The Directive has serious implications for the allocation of funds, for patients and for healthcare professionals. These implications need to be discussed. Even more basically, the analysis points to a need for discussing what makes so-called technical directives necessary. This article is intended to facilitate this type of debate.

Justice or Welfare? Nordic Women's Shelters and Children's Rights Organizations on Children Exposed to Violence

Efforts to promote the protection of, and support to, abused women have opened up new understandings concerning children who see, hear, or in other ways are exposed to men's violence against women and its consequences. On the basis of a redefinition of children exposed to violence into children subjected to violence, some important policy changes have recently been made in the Nordic countries as regards children's status as crime victims. To enable a better understanding of the context of such changes in policy, this article explores the extent to which Nordic women's shelter/crisis centre organizations and children's rights organizations draw upon a justice discourse in relation to the issue of children exposed to violence. The analysis is based upon a study of 10 organizations working at a national level in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.