Norwegian Family Research Articles

Parent–Child Mealtime Conversations Stimulated with Decorated Tableware

AbstractThis explorative qualitative study investigated how families engage in mealtime conversations supported with decorated plates that were specially designed to promote family conversations. Our aim was to examine the main thematic and discursive patterns that naturally occurred in these conversations. Six Norwegian families of pre-school children aged 3–6 years were provided with five decorated plates and asked to audio-record their conversations during a meal. Transcripts of the audio-recordings were analysed with manifest content-related analysis, followed by an abductive analysis and a mapping of the main discourse types and interactional patterns. We demonstrate that the conversations displayed great thematic heterogeneity and represented a continuum of extended and non-extended talk, ranging from basic labelling and vocabulary recall to narration, explanation and argumentation. Variable engagement levels among the participants were also noted. We argue that decorated tableware can serve as a valuable tool for studying linguistic input and the nature of adult–child conversations during mealtimes at home and beyond.

Abstract 5050: Germline variants in CDKN2A wild-type melanoma prone families

Abstract The presence of germline pathogenic variants in CDKN2A is a well-established underlying cause of familial malignant melanoma. While pathogenic variants in several other genes have also been linked to melanoma development, many familial cases remain unexplained. We analyzed for pathogenic germline variants in a panel of 360 cancer related genes in a set of 56 Norwegian melanoma prone families. The index cases and families were selected based on familial history of melanoma and/or multiple primary melanomas in the same individual, along with previous negative tests for pathogenic CDKN2A variants. We found 6 out of 56 index individuals to carry germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. These variants were found in BRCA2, MRE11, ATM, MSH2, CHEK2 and AR. In addition, one family member with a melanoma diagnosis (not index case) carried a pathogenic variant in MAP3K6. In genes typically linked to xeroderma pigmentosum, we found a high fraction of variants previously considered benign and/or as variants of uncertain significance. In particular the XPCL48F variant was found in 8 out of 56 indexes, thus, the allele fraction (0.07) was significantly higher than in comparable healthy populations (p-values from 0.007 to 0.014). Similarly, we found presumed benign or uncertain variants in MC1R to be significantly enriched or numerically higher in index cases versus comparable healthy populations (p-values from 0.009 to 0.1). The common MC1RArg151Cys variant was highly enriched in our cohort (p=0.001).In conclusion, we found that several melanoma prone families harbored pathogenic variants in genes not usually linked to melanoma. Citation Format: Stian Knappskog, Gjertrud T. Iversen, Marie Loeng, Amalie L. Holth, Per E. Lonning, Jurgen Geisler. Germline variants in CDKN2A wild-type melanoma prone families [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5050.

The Study of Modern Theater: Literary - Psychological - Social Through Little Eyolf Play- Henrik Ibsen

Little Eyolf is a play that simulates an objective reality in a very narrow episode, which makes it a more classic psychological play than others. This dialogue extends into three acts and takes into its aspects a model of a simple Norwegian family through which the reality lived in other families, and their way of life is transmitted, because Ibsen is the great modern realistic theater, this author deliberately catches up with the exact details through which he can point out the scale of the realism of the work, the consistency of the characters and the exact realistic details all in order to create a realistic work reflecting the social nature in which this child lives and suffers from these many social overlaps. Little Eyolf plays the reason for existence and departure; Ibsen conveys prosperity and tragedy in one house at close Times. He draws a plan for the future family dramatically and realistically that abstracts from those temporary passions and moves everyone to reality in its clear form, making the place of reality higher than imagination and emotions. That Eyolf is the result of a set of causes, the most important of which was his parents' neglect of his own psychological and social needs, and this is what caused the end that Eyolf and the whole family faced. In the end, little Eyolf is a psychological treatment and social simulation of the lived reality, which leads to a set of results at the end of the play represented by tragedy and social-family torment.

The flexibility of family co-ordinators in complex family interventions: building relations over time with families living in sustained poverty

ABSTRACT Complex family interventions represent innovative yet contested policy approaches to child poverty and their follow-up with families with complex needs laid down in several national policies. Across welfare state regime contexts, the role of the family co-ordinator is central to these approaches. This role and the work of co-ordinators in interaction with families, family members, and other services deserve further exploration to increase knowledge of the contribution of such interventions. In this article, we explore the role of the family co-ordinator in the Norwegian family intervention programme, New Patterns – Safe Upbringing. The research builds upon fieldwork conducted over several intervals (2019–2021). Family co-ordinators were followed in their everyday work practices, and they were interviewed over several rounds. In our analysis, we look at how the family co-ordinator role and relations with families evolve over time as knowledge increases and the family situation changes. Our research findings demonstrate the importance of flexibility and temporality in complex family interventions, including their role for instigating trust in the relationships between family co-ordinators and families, their role as cultural and system interpreters, and as such providing means for successful targeted support.

A 39 kb structural variant causing Lynch Syndrome detected by optical genome mapping and nanopore sequencing

Lynch Syndrome (LS) is a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by pathogenic germline variants in one of the four mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. It is characterized by a significantly increased risk of multiple cancer types, particularly colorectal and endometrial cancer, with autosomal dominant inheritance. Access to precise and sensitive methods for genetic testing is important, as early detection and prevention of cancer is possible when the variant is known. We present here two unrelated Norwegian families with family histories strongly suggestive of LS, where immunohistochemical and microsatellite instability analyses indicated presence of a pathogenic variant in MSH2, but targeted exon sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were negative. Using Bionano optical genome mapping, we detected a 39 kb insertion in the MSH2 gene. Precise mapping of the insertion breakpoints and inserted sequence was performed by low-coverage whole-genome sequencing with an Oxford Nanopore MinION. The same variant was present in both families, and later found in other families from the same region of Norway, indicative of a founder event. To our knowledge, this is the first diagnosis of LS caused by a structural variant using these technologies. We suggest that structural variant detection be performed when LS is suspected but not confirmed with first-tier standard genetic testing.

Parent–child shared reading of scratch-and-sniff books: the communicative affordance of olfaction

ABSTRACT This study extends the research on shared book reading (SBR) by specifically examining the role of smell in parent–child SBR sessions observed at home. Drawing on qualitative methods, we analysed the verbal engagement of ten Norwegian families and their three to five-year-olds reading an olfactory book (the scratch-and-sniff book Peter Follows His Nose). We followed socio-semiotic theorisations (Kress and Van Leeuwen 2002), to critically evaluate the role of olfaction as a communicative resource in SBR. We outline the principal ways in which smell fulfils three linguistic metafunctions during adult–child SBR with olfactory storybooks: the interpersonal function of signalling individual interests, the textual function of creating a dialogic space and the ideational function of revealing divergent interpretations. We propose that olfaction can be seen as a semiotic mode in SBR, which similarly to colour, has distinct grammar and systematic communication properties, with unique multimodal qualities.

A lean additive frailty model: With an application to clustering of melanoma in Norwegian families.

Additive frailty models are used to model correlated survival data. However, the complexity of the models increases with cluster size to the extent that practical usage becomes increasingly challenging. We present a modification of the additive genetic gamma frailty (AGGF) model, the lean AGGF (L-AGGF) model, which alleviates some of these challenges by using a leaner additive decomposition of the frailty. The performances of the models were compared and evaluated in a simulation study. The L-AGGF model was used to analyze population-wide data on clustering of melanoma in 2391125 two-generational Norwegian families, 1960-2015. Using this model, we could analyze the complete data set, while the original model limited the analysis to a restricted data set (with cluster sizes ). We found a substantial clustering of melanoma in Norwegian families and large heterogeneity in melanoma risk across the population, where 52% of the frailty was attributed to the 10% of the population at highest unobserved risk. Due to the improved scalability, the L-AGGF model enables a wider range of analyses of population-wide data compared to the AGGF model. Moreover, the methods outlined here make it possible to perform these analyses in a computationally efficient manner.

Norwegian polyamorous families and their experiences of kindergarten: a narrative inquiry

ABSTRACT This article reports on a narrative inquiry (NI) of two Norwegian polyamorous families regarding their encounters with their children’s kindergartens. NI as a theory and method is employed, along with discourse theory, to understand the experiences of these polyfamilies in Norway. Norway has declared its institutions to be discrimination-free but that does not allow for the formalization of polyamory as a legitimate relationship. The analysis focuses on restorying three experiences of the polyamorous families: becoming polyfamilies, disclosing their relationship to the children, and encounters with the kindergartens. The discussion highlights the dichotomy between the families’ experiences when hiding and being open about their family arrangement; and the silent hegemony of monogamy underpinning a ray of policy documents framing kindergarten policy and practice (of collaborations with families).

A study on Children perceptions of social exclusion and the structural drivers of discrimination in Norwegian elementary schools

This article explores children's understanding of social exclusion within their school contexts through a critical race theoretical lens and how social exclusion and repression occur in a country whose policy is typically linked with equality and diversity. Our research was conducted in two primary schools in a big city in middle Norway, where urban segregation creates significant differences in school composition. This qualitative study research was made up of fifteen focus group interviews with 46 children from the age of 9 to 12 in two cases of two public schools, one urban and one suburban school. In terms of school demography, the Urban school was in the central part of the city, where local Norwegian origin families have been part of the same neighbourhood for years. The suburban school is located in a high-poverty area and highly segregated along racial, ethnic, and cultural aspects. As previous studies stated, there are structural inequalities in Norwegian schools, still there is a gap on the description of its consequences. This study pay attention to the voice of children and describe school discrimination, isolation, and unsupported processes in both schools. This innovative study shows that children in both school contexts need additional recognition. In addition, we add that educational policies need to be revised by including aims for collaboration, coordination and capacitation of children and families in their school communities and outside the structural limits. Further, we add that local schools should be part of global communities.

Economic composition and income volatility of Norwegian low-income families – a mixed method study of its implications

Economic composition and income volatility of Norwegian low-income families – a mixed method study of its implications

Everything but the Marriage Certificate: Unmarried Partners in Norwegian Immigration Regulation

Abstract Pandemic border closures separated previously transnational couples, including unmarried partners, revealing under-researched forms of transnational family life. From this point of departure, we reexamine Norwegian family immigration regulation for unmarried partners from the 1980s onwards. Societal norms around coupledom have shifted toward Giddens’s “pure relationship.” Yet, immigration regulations have focused on “problematic marriages,” such as forced marriages or marriages of convenience. While unmarried partners have a right to family reunification after two years’ cohabitation, this requires prior permission to live in the same country. We investigate three sites of contestation where appeals are made to intimacy norms: The Liberal party’s “love visa” proposal, sponsors’ statements in case files, and protests from same-sex couples. Even in “cohabitation land,” these appeals ultimately come up against immigration control. This investigation contributes to the literatures on the transformation of intimacy and family migration; in particular, immigration regulation for unmarried same- and opposite-sex partners.

Children's participation in post‐divorce decision‐making: The role of conflict and attachment

AbstractIncreased child participation in decision‐making about custody and visitation when parents separate is an explicit political goal. This study delineates central family processes associated with child participation in post‐divorce decision‐making, both in mediation and in the home. Children recruited to the Dynamics of Family Conflict Study at Norwegian family counselling centres (7–15 years, n = 554) completed surveys about interparental conflict, attachment security and whether they had been invited to participate in mediation and share their views at home. Results showed a strong correlation between the two decision‐making arenas as children who were invited to participate in mediation were also more likely to have been asked about their views at home, and vice versa. Mixed‐effects logistic regression analyses indicated that attachment security to mothers predicted that children were invited to participate in mediation. Older children were more likely to have been invited to participate both at home and in mediation. More child‐related interparental conflicts predicted that children did not know if they had been consulted at home. The study points to the need for developing better practices for including younger children.

Clinical characteristics and proteome modifications in two Charcot-Marie-Tooth families with the AARS1 Arg326Trp mutation

BackgroundAminoacyl tRNA-synthetases are ubiquitously-expressed enzymes that attach amino acids to their cognate tRNA molecules. Mutations in several genes encoding aminoacyl tRNA-synthetases, have been associated with peripheral neuropathy, i.e. AARS1, GARS1, HARS1, YARS1 and WARS1. The pathogenic mechanism underlying AARS1-related neuropathy is not known.MethodsFrom 2012 onward, all probands presenting at Telemark Hospital (Skien, Norway) with peripheral neuropathy were screened for variants in AARS1 using an “in-house” next-generation sequencing panel. DNA from patient’s family members was examined by Sanger sequencing. Blood from affected family members and healthy controls were used for quantification of AARS1 mRNA and alanine. Proteomic analyses were conducted in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from four affected family members and five healthy controls.ResultsSeventeen individuals in two Norwegian families affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) were characterized in this study. The heterozygous NM_001605.2:c.976C > T p.(Arg326Trp) AARS1 mutation was identified in ten affected family members. All living carriers had a mild to severe length-dependent sensorimotor neuropathy. Three deceased obligate carriers aged 74–98 were reported to be unaffected, but were not examined in the clinic. Proteomic studies in PBMC from four affected individuals suggest an effect on the immune system mediated by components of a systemic response to chronic injury and inflammation. Furthermore, altered expression of proteins linked to mitochondrial function/dysfunction was observed. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange using identifier PXD023842.ConclusionThis study describes clinical and neurophysiological features linked to the p.(Arg326Trp) variant of AARS1 in CMT-affected members of two Norwegian families. Proteomic analyses based on of PBMC from four CMT-affected individuals suggest that involvement of inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction might contribute to AARS1 variant-associated peripheral neuropathy.

High Conflicts as Wicked Problems from the Perspective of Family Counsellor and Child Welfare Services in Norway

This article explores professionals’ understanding and experiences of parental high conflicts in Norwegian family counsellor and child welfare services. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, examining four focus group interviews with a total of 24 professionals. We used tame and wicked problems as a theoretical frame of reference in order to discuss how high conflict cases can be understood. The analysis shows that the complexity and experiences of high conflicts challenge professionals in their assessments and development of solutions. Our conclusion is that the nature of the complexity, unpredictability, and instability of high conflicts fits within the framework of wicked problems.

Stable, longitudinal relations between early paternal supportive parenting and preschool‐age children's self‐regulation

AbstractThe present study assessed longitudinal relations between paternal supportive parenting in infancy (12 months) and toddlerhood (36 months) and children's observed self‐regulation skills at preschool age (48 months) in a large sample of Norwegian families (N = 771; 48% girls, 52% boys, 28% experienced some socioeconomic risk). After accounting for child sex, socioeconomic risk (6 and 12 months), and observed maternal supportive parenting (24 moths), structural equation modeling revealed that observed paternal supportive parenting with children at 36, but not 12, months was independently associated with a latent factor representing children's observed self‐regulation skills at 48 months. Further, a significant indirect pathway emerged such that paternal supportive parenting at 12 months was associated with children's self‐regulation skills at 48 months, via paternal supportive parenting at 36 months. Results are discussed with implications for supporting paternal caregiving during infancy to promote children's emerging self‐regulation skills.

Family counselors’ professional assessments when children are at risk due to enduring parental conflicts

The aim of this article is to explore Norwegian family counselors´ professional assessments when children are at potential risk due to enduring parental disputes. These disputes present complex clinical challenges and are often considered being in a gray area of whether the situation is a family matter or if there is a need for the assessment of child welfare services. The analysis builds on a survey and focus group interviews. Findings from this study show that family counselors are concerned for children involved in interparental conflicts, but this concern does not necessarily manifest in their reporting to the child welfare services. Rather, our findings show that the family counselors prefer to utilize their own services and that of other stakeholders in such situations. Enduring conflicts present significant challenges relating to the assessments and decisions of what is the most adequate help for the unique child and family. The article points toward professional thresholds for intervention and risk of child maladjustment as a challenging aspect of practice in high-conflict cases.

Towards realizing the sustainability potential within digital food provisioning platforms: The case of meal box schemes and online grocery shopping in Norway

Digital technologies for food provisioning are often proposed as solutions to developing a more sustainable food system. Consumers can now use their mobile phones and computers to buy food online from websites, apps, and social media. Many of these services are marketed as sustainable by reducing transport emissions, direct sales of local products, organic alternatives, and reduced food waste through better meal planning, portioning and so-called food saving. There is a tendency to assume that the services are used in the way designers and producers intend. However, we know very little about how consumers use them and how they integrate with daily life. This study explores the use and integration of online food provisioning services from a social practice perspective, allowing for the identification of how they affect food handling practices such as planning, acquisition, storage, cooking, and disposal, and how different forms of use condition the sustainability potential of the services. Moreover, we draw on the concept of scripting and de-scripting to grasp the differences between the intended and actual use of the services. To do so, we draw on ethnographic interviews with 20 Norwegian families who use meal box schemes and online grocery shopping. The analysis shows that box schemes have a higher sustainability potential than online grocery shopping but is far more demanding to integrate with existing food handling practices. Online grocery shopping is to a larger extent mirroring in-store shopping, in this way reproducing existing food handling practices. In conclusion, we suggest a stronger focus on co-design with consumers to move closer to realizing the sustainability potential inherent within digital food provisioning platforms. This can be done by focussing on values that are important to consumers such as convenience and efficiency, acknowledging the interrelatedness of food handling practices, and improve existing scripts and interfaces of the services.

A new gene for dyslexia (DYX3) is located on chromosome 2

Dyslexia is usually defined as persistent difficulty in reading and spelling in the absence of any neurologic or other causes, in an individual with normal intelligence and adequate schooling. Difficulties in spelling and decoding may persist through adult life. The prevalence may be as high as 5-10%, but these figures probably include many types of learning disorders. Currently, there is no single test which permits a clear diagnosis of dyslexia. Over the last 15 years, possible localizations of genes for dyslexia have been reported on chromosome 15(DYX1), 6p21.3-23(DYX2), and 1p. We have investigated a large Norwegian family in which dyslexia is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. A genome-wide search for linkage was initiated in 36 of the 80 family members and a region in 2p15-p16 was identified which cosegregated with dyslexia. Maximum lod scores of 3.54, 2.92 and 4.32 for three different diagnostic models were obtained. These results were confirmed by a non-parametric multipoint GENEHUNTER analysis in which the most likely placement of the gene was in a 4 cM interval between markers D2S2352 and D2S1337. Haplotype analysis showed that reading disability in this large kindred was due to another cause (most likely ADHD) in 2 children,. This is the first genome search that has been carried out in dyslexia. Isolation of DYX3 will give a new and exciting insight into the processes involved in reading and spelling.

The role of family factors in the association between early adulthood BMI and risk of cardiovascular disease. An intergenerational study of BMI in early adulthood and cardiovascular mortality in parents, aunts and uncles.

BackgroundHigh body mass index (BMI) in childhood and adolescence is related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Causality is not established because common genetic or early life socioeconomic factors (family factors) may explain this relationship. We aimed to study the role of family factors in the association between BMI and CVD by investigating if early adulthood BMI in conscripts and CVD mortality in their parents/aunts/uncles are related.MethodsData from the Armed Forces Personnel Database (including height and weight among conscripts) were linked with data from the Norwegian Population Registry, generational data from the Norwegian Family Based Life Course Study, the National Educational Registry and the Cause of Death Registry using unique personal identification numbers. The study sample (N=369 464) was Norwegian males born 1967-1993, who could be linked to both parents and at least one maternal and one paternal aunt or uncle. Subsamples were identified as conscripts whose parents/aunts/uncles had data on cardiovascular risk factors available from Norwegian health surveys. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of CVD mortality in the parental generation according to BMI categories of conscripts.ResultsParents of conscripts with obesity or overweight had a higher hazard of CVD death (fathers HR obese: 1.99 (1.79,2.21), overweight: 1.33 (1.24,1.42) mothers HR obese: 1.65 (1.32,2.07), overweight: 1.23 (1.07,1.42)) than parents of normal- or underweight conscripts. Aunts and uncles of conscripts with obesity and overweight had an elevated hazard of CVD death, but less so than parents. Adjustment for CVD risk factors attenuated the results in parents, aunts and uncles.ConclusionsFamily factors may impact the relationship between early adulthood overweight and CVD in parents. These can be genes with impact on BMI over generations and genes with a pleiotropic effect on both obesity and CVD, as well as shared environment over generations.

Gut-associated cGMP mediates colitis and dysbiosis in a mouse model of an activating mutation in GUCY2C.

Activating mutations in receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C), the target of gastrointestinal peptide hormones guanylin and uroguanylin, and bacterial heat-stable enterotoxins cause early-onset diarrhea and chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). GC-C regulates ion and fluid secretion in the gut via cGMP production and activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase II. We characterize a novel mouse model harboring an activating mutation in Gucy2c equivalent to that seen in an affected Norwegian family. Mutant mice demonstrated elevated intestinal cGMP levels and enhanced fecal water and sodium content. Basal and linaclotide-mediated small intestinal transit was higher in mutant mice, and they were more susceptible to DSS-induced colitis. Fecal microbiome and gene expression analyses of colonic tissue revealed dysbiosis, up-regulation of IFN-stimulated genes, and misregulation of genes associated with human IBD and animal models of colitis. This novel mouse model thus provides molecular insights into the multiple roles of intestinal epithelial cell cGMP, which culminate in dysbiosis and the induction of inflammation in the gut.