Under-reporting of conflicts of interest among trialists: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Schroll, Jeppe; Gøtzsche, Peter C; Lundh, Andreas

2015-01-01

Objectives To determine the prevalence of conflicts of interest (COIs) among Danish physicians who are authors of clinical drug trial reports and determine the extent of undisclosed COIs in trial publications. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The 100 most recent drug trial reports with at least one Danish non-industry employed physician author published in a journal adhering to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) manuscript guidelines. For each article, two observers independently extracted trial characteristics and the authors' COIs. Disclosed COIs were compared to what was registered on the Danish Health and Medicines Authority's public disclosure list. Participants Trial authors who are Danish physicians. Main outcome measures Number of disclosed and undisclosed COIs. Results One observer screened 928 articles and two observers assessed 120 articles for eligibility. The 100 included trials were published from February 2011 to May 2013 and included 318 Danish non-industry employed authors. Eighty-six of the 318 authors (27%) reported one or more COIs in the journal article. We found undisclosed COIs for 40 of 318 authors (13%) related to the trial sponsor or manufacturer of trial drugs. Seventy-nine of 318 authors (25%) had undisclosed COIs related to competing companies manufacturing drugs for the same indication and 136 (43%) had undisclosed COIs with any drug manufacturer. Conclusions Almost half of all authors had undisclosed COIs in clinical trials reported in journals adhering to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’ manuscript guidelines. Self-declared COIs cannot be trusted, but public registries may assist editors in ensuring that more COIs are being reported. PMID:25389230

Improving Completion Rates in Adult Education through Social Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahlgren, Bjarne; Mariager-Anderson, Kristina

2017-01-01

Dropout is a serious problem within education. This article reports on an intervention project, titled "New Roles for the Teacher--Increased Completion Rates Through Social Responsibility," which sought to reduce nonattendance and drop-out rates in the Danish adult educational system by improving teachers' competences. This goal was…

Variable prospective financing in the Danish hospital sector and the development of a Danish case-mix system.

PubMed

Ankjaer-Jensen, Anni; Rosling, Pernille; Bilde, Lone

2006-08-01

This article aims to describe and assess the Danish case-mix system, the cost accounting applied in setting national tariffs and the introduction of variable, prospective payment in the Danish hospital sector. The tariffs are calculated as a national average from hospital data gathered in a national cost database. However, uncertainty, mainly resulting from the definition of cost centres at the individual hospital, implies that the cost weights may not fully reflect the hospital treatment cost. As variable prospective payment of hospitals currently only applies to 20% of a hospital's budget, the incentives and the effects on productivity, quality and equality are still limited.

A Lexical Comparison of Signs from Icelandic and Danish Sign Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldersson, Russell R.; McEntee-Atalianis, Lisa J.

2008-01-01

This article reports on a comparison of lexical items in the vocabulary of Icelandic and Danish sign languages prompted by anecdotal reports of similarity and historical records detailing close contact between the two communities. Drawing on previous studies, including Bickford (2005), McKee and Kennedy (1998, 2000a, 2000b) and Parkhurst and…

Turkish and Kurdish Speaking Teachers in the Danish Folkeskole: The Ambiguous Concept of Equality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moldenhawer, Bolette

1999-01-01

Studied the functions of Turkish- and Kurdish-speaking teachers in the Danish "folkeskole" and their positions relative to other teachers in the system. Despite their Danish teaching qualifications, most still attend to the integration of Turkish- and Kurdish-speaking minority students and occupy a subordinate position to majority…

Biomedical informatics as support to individual healthcare in hereditary colon cancer: the Danish HNPCC system.

PubMed

Bernstein, Inge T; Lindorff-Larsen, Karen; Timshel, Susanne; Brandt, Carsten A; Dinesen, Birger; Fenger, Mogens; Gerdes, Anne-Marie; Iversen, Lene H; Madsen, Mogens R; Okkels, Henrik; Sunde, Lone; Rahr, Hans B; Wikman, Friedrick P; Rossing, Niels

2011-05-01

The Danish HNPCC register is a publically financed national database. The register gathers epidemiological and genomic data in HNPCC families to improve prognosis by screening and identifying family members at risk. Diagnostic data are generated throughout the country and collected over several decades. Until recently, paper-based reports were sent to the register and typed into the database. In the EC cofunded-INFOBIOMED network of excellence, the register was a model for electronic exchange of epidemiological and genomic data between diagnosing/treating departments and the central database. The aim of digitization was to optimize the organization of screening by facilitating combination of genotype-phenotype information, and to generate IT-tools sufficiently usable and generic to be implemented in other countries and for other oncogenetic diseases. The focus was on integration of heterogeneous data, elaboration, and dissemination of classification systems and development of communication standards. At the conclusion of the EU project in 2007 the system was implemented in 12 pilot departments. In the surgical departments this resulted in a 192% increase of reports to the database. Several gaps were identified: lack of standards for data to be exchanged, lack of local databases suitable for direct communication, reporting being time-consuming and dependent on interest and feedback. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Danish Organic Action Plan 2020: assessment method and baseline status of organic procurement in public kitchens.

PubMed

Sørensen, Nina N; Lassen, Anne D; Løje, Hanne; Tetens, Inge

2015-09-01

With political support from the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020, organic public procurement in Denmark is expected to increase. In order to evaluate changes in organic food procurement in Danish public kitchens, reliable methods are needed. The present study aimed to compare organic food procurement measurements by two methods and to collect and discuss baseline organic food procurement measurements from public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Comparison study measuring organic food procurement by applying two different methods, one based on the use of procurement invoices (the Organic Cuisine Label method) and the other on self-reported procurement (the Dogme method). Baseline organic food procurement status was based on organic food procurement measurements and background information from public kitchens. Public kitchens participating in the six organic food conversion projects funded by the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020 during 2012 and 2013. Twenty-six public kitchens (comparison study) and 345 public kitchens (baseline organic food procurement status). A high significant correlation coefficient was found between the two organic food procurement measurement methods (r=0·83, P<0·001) with measurements relevant for the baseline status. Mean baseline organic food procurement was found to be 24 % when including measurements from both methods. The results indicate that organic food procurement measurements by both methods were valid for the baseline status report of the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Baseline results in Danish public kitchens suggest there is room for more organic as well as sustainable public procurement in Denmark.

Comparison of the organic waste management systems in the Danish-German border region using life cycle assessment (LCA).

PubMed

Jensen, Morten Bang; Møller, Jacob; Scheutz, Charlotte

2016-03-01

This study assessed the management of the organic household waste in the Danish-German border region and points out major differences between the systems and their potential effects on the environment using life cycle assessment (LCA). The treatment of organic waste from households in the Danish-German border region is very different on each side of the border; the Danish region only uses incineration for the treatment of organic household waste while the German region includes combined biogas production and composting, mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) and incineration. Data on all parts of the organic waste treatment was collected including waste composition data and data from treatment facilities and their respective energy systems. Based on that the organic waste management systems in the border region were modelled using the EASETECH waste management LCA-model. The main output is a life cycle assessment showing large differences in the environmental performance of the two different regions with the Danish region performing better in 10 out of 14 impact categories. Furthermore, the importance of the substituted district heating systems was investigated showing an impact up to 34% of the entire system for one impact category and showing large difference between each heating system substituted, e.g. in "Global Warming" the impact was from -16 to -1.1 milli person equivalent/tonne treated waste from substitution of centralised hard coal and decentralised natural gas, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spotlight on VET Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2012

2012-01-01

This paper presents data on the vocational education and training (VET) in Denmark. VET plays a key role in the Danish strategy for lifelong learning and meeting the challenges of globalisation and technological change. The Danish education and training system comprises a mainstream system providing qualifications at all levels, from compulsory…

Are Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Related to Mental Health Service Use? A Prospective Study of Danish Soldiers Deployed to Afghanistan.

PubMed

Madsen, Trine; Andersen, Søren Bo; Karstoft, Karen-Inge

2016-10-01

Investigating the use of mental health services by combat veterans can help illuminate utilization and unmet needs of this population. The aims of this study were to estimate the use of mental health services and to examine how such use is associated with self-reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in soldiers before and after deployment to Afghanistan. Prospectively, 703 Danish soldiers who deployed from January 2009 to August 2009 were followed up with 6 assessments from predeployment to 2.5 years postdeployment in 2012. At assessments, the soldiers responded to a comprehensive questionnaire including a measure of PTSD symptoms (the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version). These self-reported data were combined with individual-level records of receiving psychotherapy from the Military Psychological Division at the Danish Defense and psychiatric treatment from the Danish registers. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms increased over time, and almost 10% of the sample reported high levels of PTSD symptoms 2.5 years postdeployment. Overall, 37% of the soldiers utilized mental health services; 6% utilized psychiatric services, and 12.4% redeemed a prescription for psychiatric medicine. Approximately one-third received psychotherapy at the Military Psychological Division. In those reporting high PTSD symptomatology, 83% utilized 1 or more types of mental health service. At predeployment and homecoming, high PTSD symptomatology was significantly (P < .01) associated with attending psychotherapy, but not with psychiatric treatment or redemption of psychiatric medicine. With time, more soldiers report high PTSD symptoms. Among Danish soldiers with high symptomatology, the utilization of mental health services was high. Most frequently, soldiers with high PTSD symptomatology received psychotherapy at the Military Psychological Division and less frequently received psychiatric treatment. © Copyright 2016 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Implementation of health impact assessment in Danish municipal context.

PubMed

Kraemer, Stella Rebecca Johnsdatter; Nikolajsen, Louise Theilgaard; Gulis, Gabriel

2014-12-01

Implementation of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Danish municipalities has been analyzed using the Roger's Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Municipalities were chosen from among those who presented their health policies on websites according to the status of inclusion of HIA into health policy. Qualitative interviews were conducted in 6 municipalities (3 with HIA inducted in their health policy and 3 without it) gathering information on knowledge and attitudes to HIA, barriers to its implementation, social system and communication channels used or expected to be used for implementation of HIA. No significant differences were found among analyzed municipalities by status of HIA inclusion into health policy. Among barriers; a lack of tools with general validity, a lack of intersectoral working culture, balance between centralized versus participatory way of working and organizational structure of a municipality, and a lack of capacities were enlisted as most relevant. The last one is a crucial factor of an internal social system of a municipality. With regards to communication channels, reporting and presentation skills of implementers and doers are of key importance. Systematic and sustainable capacity building is needed to achieve high level implementation of HIA in Danish municipalities. Development of validated tools, most importantly screening tools with focus on priorities of national public health policy would enhance implementation on municipal level.

Report on the Selection Procedure Based on Readers' Responses to the Original Nine Tales in Turkey. Fairytale: An Interdisciplinary Turco-Danish Study of the Collective v. the Individual Nature of the Response to Literature. Report No. 9. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doltas, Dilek, Ed.; And Others

Prepared as part of the Turko-Danish Fairytale Project conducted to uncover universal, cross-cultural features in readers' response to literature, this paper reports on a pilot study to determine which three out of nine preselected fairy tales would elicit the most faceted response from a population of Turkish readers. After explaining the…

Comparison of Danish dichotomous and BI-RADS classifications of mammographic density.

PubMed

Hodge, Rebecca; Hellmann, Sophie Sell; von Euler-Chelpin, My; Vejborg, Ilse; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic

2014-06-01

In the Copenhagen mammography screening program from 1991 to 2001, mammographic density was classified either as fatty or mixed/dense. This dichotomous mammographic density classification system is unique internationally, and has not been validated before. To compare the Danish dichotomous mammographic density classification system from 1991 to 2001 with the density BI-RADS classifications, in an attempt to validate the Danish classification system. The study sample consisted of 120 mammograms taken in Copenhagen in 1991-2001, which tested false positive, and which were in 2012 re-assessed and classified according to the BI-RADS classification system. We calculated inter-rater agreement between the Danish dichotomous mammographic classification as fatty or mixed/dense and the four-level BI-RADS classification by the linear weighted Kappa statistic. Of the 120 women, 32 (26.7%) were classified as having fatty and 88 (73.3%) as mixed/dense mammographic density, according to Danish dichotomous classification. According to BI-RADS density classification, 12 (10.0%) women were classified as having predominantly fatty (BI-RADS code 1), 46 (38.3%) as having scattered fibroglandular (BI-RADS code 2), 57 (47.5%) as having heterogeneously dense (BI-RADS 3), and five (4.2%) as having extremely dense (BI-RADS code 4) mammographic density. The inter-rater variability assessed by weighted kappa statistic showed a substantial agreement (0.75). The dichotomous mammographic density classification system utilized in early years of Copenhagen's mammographic screening program (1991-2001) agreed well with the BI-RADS density classification system.

Organization and financing of the Danish health care system.

PubMed

Christiansen, Terkel

2002-02-01

The present paper aims at giving a short overview of the organization and financing of the Danish health care system as of 1997-1998 when the SWOT panel evaluated the system. The overview follows the triangular model of a health care system. The Danish system is characterized by being decentralized and single-funded. The hospital sector is public, and hospitals are financed and run by the counties (with only a very small private hospital sector alongside). General practitioners are private entrepreneurs but work under contract for the counties. Hospitals are financed by global budgets, while general practitioners are paid by a mixed remuneration system of capitation fees and fee-for-service. During the past 20 years, the government has repeatedly imposed budget ceilings on the counties which has limited growth in the health care sector.

The Danish health care system: it ain't broke... so don't fix it.

PubMed

Mooney, Gavin

2002-02-01

The organisation and financing of the Danish health care system was evaluated within a framework of analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (a SWOT analysis) by a panel of five members with a background in health economics. The evaluation was based on reading an extensive amount of selected documents and literature on the Danish health care system, and a 1 week-visit to health care authorities, providers and key persons. This paper includes the main findings by one of the panel members. The international competition 'wave' passed by Denmark, and the Danish might rightly say 'thank goodness'. Funding is very largely public and there is a single dominant authority, i.e. the county, which makes planning easier. Low levels of patient payments and the smaller size of the private sector reflect Danish 'solidarity' and promote equity. Planning is good. Exceptions to this are the over-concern with hospital waiting lists and the flirting with DRG based funding. Greater investment in planning approaches would make the system yet better. The GP blended remuneration system with capitation and fee for service is a major strength. The fact that the system has such potential for technical and allocative efficiency and also equity but is not fully exploited suggests the need for more investment in health services research. While there is scope for improving the health care system in Denmark, the rest of the world has as much to learn from the Danes as the Danes have from the rest of the world.

eHealth in Denmark: a case study.

PubMed

Kierkegaard, Patrick

2013-12-01

Denmark is widely regarded as a leading country in terms of eHealth integration and healthcare delivery services. The push for eHealth adoption over that past 20 years in the Danish health sector has led to the deployment of multiple eHealth technologies. However, in reality the Danish healthcare suffers from eHealth system fragmentation which has led to eHealth's inability to reach full potential in delivering quality healthcare service. This paper will presents a case study of the current state of eHealth in the Danish healthcare system and discuss the current challenges the country is facing today.

JPRS Report, West Europe, Reference Aid, Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations of Denmark

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-25

Security Companies, Inc. DFO Dansk Fryse 0konomi A/S Danish Frozen Economy, Inc. DGA Dansk Galvaniserings Anstalt A/S Danish Galvanizing Equipment...use YMCA] KGA K^benhavns Galvaniserings Anstalt A/S KGH Den Kongelige Gr^landske Handel Copenhagen Galvanizing Company,Inc. Royal Greenland

The Three Tales Chosen, the Establishment of the Texts and the Charting of Deviations, with a Collation of the "Original Tales," the Check Translations, and the Danish and Turkish Texts. Fairytale: An Interdisciplinary Turco-Danish Study of the Collective v. the Individual Nature of the Response to Literature. Report No. 11. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dollerup, Cay; And Others

Part of the interdisciplinary Turko-Danish Fairytale Project, this paper provides information about the three fairy tales chosen for study: "The Snake, the Fox, and the Man,""The Gold Apple," and "Per Smed's Whip." Various sections of the paper contain descriptions of the following: (1) the selection procedures, (2)…

Independent School Success Challenging the Danish Public School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ringsmose, Charlotte

2013-01-01

Denmark has had a long history of placing a high priority on education and public schooling. It is a declared goal of the Danish welfare system to provide comprehensive schooling, where children from different socioeconomic backgrounds can go to school together and have the same opportunities through education. It is also a declared goal for…

Cultural Bases of Risk Behavior: Danish Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnett, Jeffrey; Balle-Jensen, Lene

1993-01-01

Risk behavior was investigated among 1,053 Danish adolescents aged 12-20. Behaviors included those related to driving, sex, and marijuana and other drug use. Found driving a car while intoxicated was rare even among oldest adolescents, though the majority reported riding a bicycle while intoxicated. Participation in risk behavior was analyzed in…

The Relevance and Consequences of PISA Science in a Danish Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolin, Jens; Krogh, Lars Brian

2010-01-01

This article reports a case study that described and analyzed the changes in the Danish school culture induced and encouraged by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. The educational policy and reforms that were temporally connected with the publication of the PISA 2000 results are outlined and the related…

A Study of the School to Work Transition for Learning Disabled Students and the Learning Disabled Adult in Society in the Netherlands and Denmark. Final Report, April 14, 1984 to May 26, 1984.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerber, Paul Jay

The report summarizes findings of 6 weeks spent in the Netherlands and Denmark to study services provided to learning disabled (LD) young adults and adults. The school to work transition for LD students is examined along with the LD adult in society, and comparisons are made between Dutch and Danish approaches. The Dutch system, highly structured…

Pedagogical Transformations of "Religion" into "Culture" in Danish State Mass Schooling from the 1900s to the 1930s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchardt, Mette

2013-01-01

Particularly after the Danish political system changed to parliamentarism in 1901, a growing interest in, and expanded meaning of, culture as a pedagogical category developed in relation to state schooling, on the road to a comprehensive school system for "the whole population". This article elaborates on the role played by theological…

Scaring the Students Away? Institutional Selection through Assessment Practices in the Danish Vocational and Educational Training System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grønborg, Lisbeth

2013-01-01

This paper sheds light on how competence assessment takes place in the Danish Vocational and Educational Training System. It discusses how intentions formulated by the government have unintentional effects when implemented in practice. The qualitative methods used in this study consist of participant observations from my field study of dropouts in…

Generalised joint hypermobility and knee joint hypermobility: prevalence, knee joint symptoms and health-related quality of life in a Danish adult population.

PubMed

Junge, Tina; Henriksen, Peter; Hansen, Sebrina; Østengaard, Lasse; Golightly, Yvonne M; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit

2017-10-27

Several biomechanical factors, such as knee joint hypermobility (KJH), are suggested to play a role in the etiology of knee joint symptoms and knee osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, the prevalence or consequences of KJH solely or included in the classification of generalized joint hypermobility (GJHk) is unknown for a general population. Therefore, the objectives were to report the prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH, as well as the association of these conditions to knee joint symptoms, severity and duration of symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a Danish adult population. This study is a cross-sectional population-based survey of 2056 Danish adults. Respondents received online questionnaires of GJHk and KJH, knee joint symptoms, the severity and duration of these, as well as HRQoL. Total response rate was 49% (n = 1006). The prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH was 13% and 23%, mostly representing women. More than half of the respondents with GJHk and KJH had knee joint symptoms. The odds for reporting knee joint symptoms, severity of knee joint symptoms and duration of knee joint symptoms were twice as high for respondents with GJHk and KJH. Respondents with GJHk and KJH reported lower HRQoL. GJHk and KJH were frequently reported in the Danish adult population, mostly in women. Respondents with GJHk and KJH were two times more likely to report knee joint-related symptoms such as pain, reduced performance of usual activity and lower HRQoL. The impact of these conditions on HRQoL is comparable with knee osteoarthritis. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Information Literacy, Learning, and the Public Library: A Study of Danish High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Bo Gerner; Borlund, Pia

2011-01-01

The paper reports on a study of 12 Danish high school students' perceptions of public libraries' role in learning, user education, information literacy, and librarians' information competencies. The study is undertaken by use of literature review and interviews with a purposive select sample of public library users in Denmark. The study…

Evaluation of the Danish Leave Schemes. Summary of a Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersen, Dines; Appeldorn, Alice; Weise, Hanne

An evaluation examined how the Danish leave schemes, an offer to employed and unemployed persons who qualify for unemployment benefits, were functioning and to what extent the objectives have been achieved. It was found that 60 percent of those taking leave had previously been unemployed; women accounted for two-thirds of those joining the scheme;…

Safeguarding slaves: smallpox, vaccination, and governmental health policies among the enslaved population in the Danish West Indies, 1803-1848.

PubMed

Jensen, Niklas Thode

2009-01-01

During the first half of the nineteenth century, a unique system of vaccination against smallpox was developed in the island of St. Croix in the Danish West Indies. The primary intention was to protect the population of enslaved workers, which was of fundamental importance to the economy of the colony. However, because the Danish abolition of the slave trade in 1803 had stopped the imports of new enslaved workers from Africa, the population was also decreasing. The vaccination system's success was due to a high degree of governmental control of the enslaved population that was virtually unseen anywhere else in the Caribbean.

Applying a Danish Version of the Learning Transfer System Inventory and Testing It for Different Types of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soerensen, Peter; Stegeager, Nikolaj; Bates, Reid

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to answer two research questions. First, will an exploratory factor analysis of a Danish version of the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) result in a factor structure which is consistent with the original American LTSI factor structure? Second, does the mean score in the factor analysis vary in a statistically…

Mortality in a cohort of Danish firefighters; 1970-2014.

PubMed

Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig; Pedersen, Julie Elbæk; Bonde, Jens Peter; Ebbehøj, Niels Erik; Hansen, Johnni

2018-05-28

Occupational exposure of firefighters involves a complex range of potential health threats from toxic chemicals, shift work, extreme heat, physical and emotional strain. The aim of this study is to examine overall and disease-specific mortality among Danish firefighters. Through systematic collection of personnel and membership records from employers and trade unions, past and present male Danish firefighters were identified (n = 11,775). Using the unique Danish personal identification number, information on additional employment, vital status and cause of death was linked to each member of the cohort from the Supplementary Pension Fund Register, the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish Register of Causes of Death. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for specific causes of death using rates for two reference groups, a random sample of the male working population (n = 262,168) and the military (n = 396,739), respectively. Overall mortality was significantly reduced among the firefighters compared to both the sample of the working population and the military (SMR 0.74, 95% CI 0.69-0.78 and SMR 0.88, 95% CI 0.83-0.93). Further, the SMRs for endocrine diseases, mental disorders, non-traffic related accidents and other external causes were significantly lower against both reference groups. Death from stomach cancer was significantly increased among the full time firefighters, while part time/volunteer workers shared a significant increase in prostate cancer death compared to both references. Despite potential exposure to several occupational hazards, male Danish firefighters have a lower mortality than both the Danish working population in general and Danish military employees.

Genital warts in men: a large population-based cross-sectional survey of Danish men.

PubMed

Munk, Christian; Nielsen, Ann; Liaw, Kai-Li; Kjaer, Susanne Krüger

2012-12-01

To estimate the occurrence of and risk factors associated with genital warts in Danish men We conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study among almost 23 000 men aged 18-45 years, randomly sampled from the general population of Denmark. Data was collected on self-reported clinically diagnosed genital warts, and various lifestyle habits. Ever having had clinically diagnosed genital warts was reported by 7.9% of the men. The median age at first occurrence was 22 years. Genital warts within the previous 12 months were reported by 0.92% of the men, with a peak of 1.83% among men aged 21-24 years. The likelihood of reporting genital warts was strongly correlated with the lifetime number of sex partners (OR 8.0; 95% CI 6.0 to 10.8 for ≥15 partners vs 1-2 partners). Other factors associated with an increased risk for genital warts included ever having smoked and having had other sexually transmitted infections. Almost 8% of Danish men aged 18-45 years reported having had a diagnosis of genital warts. The results provide baseline information for developing and monitoring prevention strategies against genital warts, such as vaccination against human papillomavirus types 6 and 11.

Identifying organisational principles and management practices important to the quality of health care services for chronic conditions.

PubMed

Frølich, Anne

2012-02-01

The quality of health care services offered to people suffering from chronic diseases often fails to meet standards in Denmark or internationally. The population consisting of people with chronic diseases is large and accounts for about 70% of total health care expenses. Given that resources are limited, it is necessary to identify efficient methods to improve the quality of care. Comparing health care systems is a well-known method for identifying new knowledge regarding, for instance, organisational methods and principles. Kaiser Permanente (KP), an integrated health care delivery system in the U.S., is recognized as providing high-quality chronic care; to some extent, this is due to KP's implementation of the chronic care model (CCM). This model recommends a range of evidence-based management practices that support the implementation of evidence-based medicine. However, it is not clear which management practices in the CCM are most efficient and in what combinations. In addition, financial incentives and public reporting of performance are often considered effective at improving the quality of health care services, but this has not yet been definitively proved. The aim of this dissertation is to describe the effect of determinants, such as organisational structures and management practices including two selected incentives, on the quality of care in chronic diseases. The dissertation is based on four studies with the following purposes: 1) macro- or healthcare system-level identification of organisational structures and principles that affect the quality of health care services, based on a comparison of KP and the Danish health care system; 2) meso- or organisation-level identification of management practices with positive effects on screening rates for hemoglobin A1c and lipid profile in diabetes; 3) evaluation of the effect of the CCM on quality of health care services and continuity of care in a Danish setting; 4) micro- or practice-level evaluation of the effect of financial incentives and public performance reporting on the behaviour of professionals and quality of care. Using secondary data, KP and the Danish health care system were compared in terms of six central dimensions: population, health care professionals, health care organisations, utilization patterns, quality measurements, and costs. Differences existed between the two systems on all dimensions, complicating the interpretation of findings. For instance, observed differences might be due to similar tendencies in the two health care systems that were observed at different times, rather than true structural differences. The expenses in the two health care systems were corrected for differences in the populations served and the purchasing power of currencies. However, no validated methods existed to correct for observed differences in case-mixes of chronic conditions. Data from a population of about half a million patients with diabetes in a large U.S. integrated health care delivery system affiliated with 41 medical centers employing 15 different CCM management practices was the basis for identifying effective management practices. Through the use of statistical modelling, the management practice of provider alerts was identified as most effective for promoting screening for hemoglobin A1c and lipid profile. The CCM was used as a framework for implementing four rehabilitation programs. The model promoted continuity of care and quality of health care services. New management practices were developed in the study, and known practices were further developed. However, the observational nature of the study limited the generalisability of the findings. In a structured literature survey focusing on the effect of financial incentives and public performance reporting on the quality of health care services, few studies documenting an effect were identified. The results varied, and important program aspects or contextual variables were often omitted. A model describing the effects of the two incentives on the conduct of health care professionals and their interaction with the organisations in which they serve was developed. On the macro-level, organisational differences between KP and the Danish health care system related to the primary care sectors, utilization patterns, and the quality of health care services, supporting a hypothesis that KP's focus on primary care is a beneficial form of organisation. On the meso-level, use of the CCM improved quality of health care services, but the effect is complicated and context dependent. The CCM was found to be useful in the Danish health care system, and the model was also further developed in a Danish setting. On the micro-level, quality was improved by financial incentives and disclosure in a complex interplay with other central factors in the work environment of health care professionals.

Training in the Food and Beverages Sector in Denmark. Report for the FORCE Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holst, Ole

A study of the food sector in Denmark was limited to the slaughterhouse, dairy, beverages sectors. The food sector was the most important single industry in the Danish economy. It was the largest manufacturing sector, generated one-third of total manufacturing, and comprised approximately 8 percent of the total Danish gross domestic product. It…

Caregiving and early infant crying in a danish community.

PubMed

Alvarez, Marissa

2004-04-01

Maternal caregiving and fussing/crying in Danish infants at 3, 6, and 12 weeks were examined using self-report scales and 24-hour behavior diaries. Mothers reported practices commonly associated with responsive caregiving: frequent feeding, prompt response to infant cries, and considerable time holding the infant. Fuss/cry durations peaked in the first 2 months, were highest in evenings, and decreased approximately 50% by 12 weeks. Fussing was the majority behavior, and 9.2% of the infants fussed and cried more than 3 hours per day. In contrast with other Western studies, 24-hour fuss/cry durations were lower, and fussing accounted for up to 80% of total distress. Danish caregiving practices may partially explain the lower durations of infant distress and the lower ratio of cry to fuss. However, some infants fuss/cry a great deal despite sensitive care, which may reflect individual differences in infant maturation of behavior regulation.

[Interpretation in the Danish health-care system].

PubMed

Lund Hansen, Marianne Taulo; Nielsen, Signe Smith

2013-03-04

Communication between health professional and patient is central for treatment and patient safety in the health-care system. This systematic review examines the last ten years of specialist literature concerning interpretation in the Danish health-care system. Structural search in two databases, screening of references and recommended literature from two scientists led to identification of seven relevant articles. The review showed that professional interpreters were not used consistently when needed. Family members were also used as interpreters. These results were supported by international investigations.

Hospitalizations among employees in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry.

PubMed

Hannerz, Harald; Tüchsen, Finn; Kristensen, Tage S

2002-09-01

The aim of the present study was to provide a broad picture of the morbidity among employees in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry. Cohorts of all 20-59-year-old employees in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry in the years 1981, 1986, 1991 and 1994 were formed to calculate age-standardized hospitalization ratios (SHR) and time trends (1981-1997) for many different diagnoses. Both for women and men, significantly higher SHRs were found for infectious and parasitic diseases, neoplasms, diseases in the nervous system and sense organs, diseases of the circulatory system, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the digestive system and diseases of the musculoskeletal system among employees in hotels and restaurants than in the digestive system and diseases of the musculoskeletal system among employees in hotels and restaurants than in the working population at large. Furthermore, among women a significantly elevated risk was found for injuries in the lower extremities, injuries in the upper extremities and head injuries, and among men a high risk was found for head injuries and a low risk for ruptures in ligaments and muscles. The trend assessments did not detect any significant changes in SHRs over time. Employment in the Danish hotel and restaurant industry is associated with an elevated hospitalization risk due to many diseases, which may be related to occupation and lifestyle. In line with the official policy of reducing inequality in health, focus should be placed on the health problems in this group.

Pastoral Techniques in the Modern Danish Educational System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Klaus; Dalgaard, Susanne; Madsen, Sarah

2011-01-01

In recent years, therapeutic techniques have played an increasingly significant role in Danish educational thinking. One way in which this therapeutic thinking discloses itself is in the ever-growing use of educational-therapeutic games as part of the educational practice. Inspired by Foucault, we argue that educational-therapeutic games can be…

Translation and validation of the Danish version of the brief family assessment measure III in a sample of acutely admitted elderly medical patients.

PubMed

Shamali, Mahdi; Konradsen, Hanne; Lauridsen, Jørgen T; Østergaard, Birte

2017-11-13

Family functioning plays a pivotal role in the adaptation to illness of both individuals and families, especially among elderly patients. The Brief Family Assessment Measure Third Edition (Brief FAM-III) is among the most frequently used self-report instruments that measures family functioning. However, no Danish translation or measure of its psychometric properties in a Danish population is available. The purpose of this study was to translate the Brief FAM-III into Danish and then evaluate its psychometric properties in elderly patients. The Brief FAM-III was translated into Danish using the forward-backward translation procedure and examined its psychometric properties in 60 elderly patients (aged over 65) consecutively admitted to an acute medical ward. Internal consistency reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity of the Brief FAM-III. Evaluation of the Danish version of the Brief FAM-III confirmed the three-factor structure (General Scale, Self-Rating Scale and Dyadic Relationships Scale) identified in the original instrument. However, goodness-of-fit indicators showed a relatively poor model fit. Cronbach's alpha for the total scales of Brief FAM-III was 0.94 suggesting good internal consistency. The Danish version of the Brief FAM-III demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability to assess family functioning among acutely admitted elderly Danish patients. We suggest that it may also be useful for monitoring family functioning over time or determining the effects of therapeutic interventions in elderly medical patients; however, further testing is recommended. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Quantification of methane emissions from 15 Danish landfills using the mobile tracer dispersion method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mønster, Jacob; Samuelsson, Jerker, E-mail: jerker.samuelsson@fluxsense.se; Kjeldsen, Peter

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Quantification of whole landfill site methane emission at 15 landfills. • Multiple on-site source identification and quantification. • Quantified methane emission from shredder waste and composting. • Large difference between measured and reported methane emissions. - Abstract: Whole-site methane emissions from 15 Danish landfills were assessed using a mobile tracer dispersion method with either Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), using nitrous oxide as a tracer gas, or cavity ring-down spectrometry (CRDS), using acetylene as a tracer gas. The landfills were chosen to represent the different stages of the lifetime of a landfill, including open, active, and closed coveredmore » landfills, as well as those with and without gas extraction for utilisation or flaring. Measurements also included landfills with biocover for oxidizing any fugitive methane. Methane emission rates ranged from 2.6 to 60.8 kg h{sup −1}, corresponding to 0.7–13.2 g m{sup −2} d{sup −1}, with the largest emission rates per area coming from landfills with malfunctioning gas extraction systems installed, and the smallest emission rates from landfills closed decades ago and landfills with an engineered biocover installed. Landfills with gas collection and recovery systems had a recovery efficiency of 41–81%. Landfills where shredder waste was deposited showed significant methane emissions, with the largest emission from newly deposited shredder waste. The average methane emission from the landfills was 154 tons y{sup −1}. This average was obtained from a few measurement campaigns conducted at each of the 15 landfills and extrapolating to annual emissions requires more measurements. Assuming that these landfills are representative of the average Danish landfill, the total emission from Danish landfills were calculated at 20,600 tons y{sup −1}, which is significantly lower than the 33,300 tons y{sup −1} estimated for the national greenhouse gas inventory for 2011.« less

Danish dementia mice suggest that loss of function and not the amyloid cascade causes synaptic plasticity and memory deficits

PubMed Central

Tamayev, Robert; Matsuda, Shuji; Fà, Mauro; Arancio, Ottavio; D’Adamio, Luciano

2010-01-01

According to the prevailing “amyloid cascade hypothesis,” genetic dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease and familial Danish dementia (FDD) are caused by amyloid deposits that trigger tauopathy, neurodegeneration, and behavioral/cognitive alterations. To efficiently reproduce amyloid lesions, murine models of human dementias invariably use transgenic expression systems. However, recent FDD transgenic models showed that Danish amyloidosis does not cause memory defects, suggesting that other mechanisms cause Danish dementia. We studied an animal knock-in model of FDD (FDDKI/+) genetically congruous with human cases. FDDKI/+ mice present reduced Bri2 levels, impaired synaptic plasticity and severe hippocampal memory deficits. These animals show no cerebral lesions that are reputed characteristics of human dementia, such as tangles or amyloid plaques. Bri2+/− mice exhibit synaptic and memory deficits similar to FDDKI/+ mice, and memory loss of FDDKI/+ mice is prevented by expression of WT BRI2, indicating that Danish dementia is caused by loss of BRI2 function. Together, the data suggest that clinical dementia in Danish patients occurs via a loss of function mechanism and not as a result of amyloidosis and tauopathy. PMID:21098268

Danish dementia mice suggest that loss of function and not the amyloid cascade causes synaptic plasticity and memory deficits.

PubMed

Tamayev, Robert; Matsuda, Shuji; Fà, Mauro; Arancio, Ottavio; D'Adamio, Luciano

2010-11-30

According to the prevailing "amyloid cascade hypothesis," genetic dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and familial Danish dementia (FDD) are caused by amyloid deposits that trigger tauopathy, neurodegeneration, and behavioral/cognitive alterations. To efficiently reproduce amyloid lesions, murine models of human dementias invariably use transgenic expression systems. However, recent FDD transgenic models showed that Danish amyloidosis does not cause memory defects, suggesting that other mechanisms cause Danish dementia. We studied an animal knock-in model of FDD (FDD(KI/+)) genetically congruous with human cases. FDD(KI/+) mice present reduced Bri2 levels, impaired synaptic plasticity and severe hippocampal memory deficits. These animals show no cerebral lesions that are reputed characteristics of human dementia, such as tangles or amyloid plaques. Bri2(+/-) mice exhibit synaptic and memory deficits similar to FDD(KI/+) mice, and memory loss of FDD(KI/+) mice is prevented by expression of WT BRI2, indicating that Danish dementia is caused by loss of BRI2 function. Together, the data suggest that clinical dementia in Danish patients occurs via a loss of function mechanism and not as a result of amyloidosis and tauopathy.

Symptoms of Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Difficulties in the Danish Population of Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes – Results of a National Survey

PubMed Central

Kristensen, Lene J.; Birkebaek, Niels H.; Mose, Anne H.; Hohwü, Lena; Thastum, Mikael

2014-01-01

Objective To assess the prevalence of psychological difficulties in Danish children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes using both child/adolescent and caregiver reports, and to investigate associations between these symptoms and metabolic control, adherence, and quality of life. Research Design and Method: A total of 786 children and adolescents (8–17 years) recruited through the Danish Registry of Childhood Diabetes completed subscales of the Beck's Youth Inventories (BYI-Y), while 910 caregivers completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The participants also completed questionnaires assessing adherence and quality of life. BYI-Y and SDQ responses were compared with results from normative samples. Results Children with diabetes generally reported a lower level of symptoms of depression and anxiety, while older adolescents in most cases were comparable to the normative samples. However, the numbers of patients with elevated scores were similar to normative groups, especially regarding the proportion of participants with ‘Extremely elevated’ scores. Caregivers of children and adolescents with diabetes generally reported the prevalence of elevated scores on the SDQ to exceed the prevalence observed in the norm sample – particularly with regard to older boys. Both BYI-Y and SDQ responses were significantly correlated with HbA1c, adherence, and quality of life. Conclusions This study finds Danish children and adolescents with diabetes to report lower or comparable levels of emotional difficulties compared to norms, while caregiver reports are less positive. The results therefore support the value of a multi-informant approach to the assessment of symptoms of psychological difficulty in girls and boys with diabetes. PMID:24842772

Clinical indications for antibiotic use in Danish general practice: results from a nationwide electronic prescription database.

PubMed

Aabenhus, Rune; Hansen, Malene Plejdrup; Siersma, Volkert; Bjerrum, Lars

2017-06-01

To assess the availability and applicability of clinical indications from electronic prescriptions on antibiotic use in Danish general practice. Retrospective cohort register-based study including the Danish National Prescription Register. Population-based study of routine electronic antibiotic prescriptions from Danish general practice. All 975,626 patients who redeemed an antibiotic prescription at outpatient pharmacies during the 1-year study period (July 2012 to June 2013). Number of prescriptions per clinical indication. Number of antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants by age and gender. Logistic regression analysis estimated the association between patient and provider factors and missing clinical indications on antibiotic prescriptions. A total of 2.381.083 systemic antibiotic prescriptions were issued by Danish general practitioners in the study period. We identified three main clinical entities: urinary tract infections (n = 506.634), respiratory tract infections (n = 456.354) and unspecified infections (n = 416.354). Women were more exposed to antibiotics than men. Antibiotic use was high in children under 5 years and even higher in elderly people. In 32% of the issued prescriptions, the clinical indication was missing. This was mainly associated with antibiotic types. We found that a prescription for a urinary tract agent without a specific clinical indication was uncommon. Clinical indications from electronic prescriptions are accessible and available to provide an overview of drug use, in casu antibiotic prescriptions, in Danish general practice. These clinical indications may be further explored in detail to assess rational drug use and congruence with guidelines, but validation and optimisation of the system is preferable.

The Danish health system through an American lens.

PubMed

Davis, Karen

2002-02-01

The organization and financing of the Danish health care system was evaluated within the framework of a SWOT analysis (analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) by a panel of five members with a background in health economics. The evaluation was based on reading an extensive amount of selected documents and literature on the Danish health care system and a 1-week visit to health care authorities, providers and key persons. The present paper includes the main findings by one of the panel members. Primary care is much more accessible in Denmark than the USA. A mixed capitation-fee-for-service method of paying generalist physicians in Denmark ensures that everyone has a primary care physician and generalist physicians are responsive to providing services quickly, typically same-day appointments. An organized off-hours service ensures accessible care 24 h a day, 7 days a week. Denmark has the highest public satisfaction with health care, reflecting the value placed on accessibility of primary care. Inpatient hospital care consumes a disproportionate share of Danish health expenditures. Global hospital budgets provide little incentive for hospital or surgical productivity. Long waits for hospitalization, especially surgical procedures and cancellation of scheduled surgery, are a source of patient dissatisfaction. Women's health, patient health risk counseling and coordination of preventive and primary care are major weaknesses of the Danish health system. Patients have a choice of primary care physician within a given geographic area and may go to a hospital of their choice. However, patient surveys and feedback are underdeveloped and very little effort has been made to make services responsive to patients' preferences. While innovations in electronic prescribing are noteworthy, further development of health information technology is needed.

International online support to process optimisation and operation decisions.

PubMed

Onnerth, T B; Eriksson, J

2002-01-01

The information level at all technical facilities has developed from almost nothing 30-40 years ago to advanced IT--Information Technology--systems based on both chemical and mechanical on-line sensors for process and equipment. Still the basic part of information is to get the right data at the right time for the decision to be made. Today a large amount of operational data is available at almost any European wastewater treatment plant, from laboratory and SCADA. The difficult part is to determine which data to keep, which to use in calculations and how and where to make data available. With the STARcontrol system it is possible to separate only process relevant data to use for on-line control and reporting at engineering level, to optimise operation. Furthermore, the use of IT makes it possible to communicate internationally, with full access to the whole amount of data on the single plant. In this way, expert supervision can be both very local in local language e.g. Polish and at the same time very professional with Danish experts advising on Danish processes in Poland or Sweden where some of the 12 STARcontrol systems are running.

Validation of the Novaco Anger Scale-Provocation Inventory (Danish) With Nonclinical, Clinical, and Offender Samples.

PubMed

Moeller, Stine Bjerrum; Novaco, Raymond W; Heinola-Nielsen, Vivian; Hougaard, Helle

2016-10-01

Anger has high prevalence in clinical and forensic settings, and it is associated with aggressive behavior and ward atmosphere on psychiatric units. Dysregulated anger is a clinical problem in Danish mental health care systems, but no anger assessment instruments have been validated in Danish. Because the Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory (NAS-PI) has been extensively validated with different clinical populations and lends itself to clinical case formulation, it was selected for translation and evaluation in the present multistudy project. Psychometric properties of the NAS-PI were investigated with samples of 477 nonclinical, 250 clinical, 167 male prisoner, and 64 male forensic participants. Anger prevalence and its relationship with other anger measures, anxiety/depression, and aggression were examined. NAS-PI was found to have high reliability, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity, and its scores discriminated the samples. High scores in the offender group demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining self-report assessments of anger with this population. Retrospective and prospective validity of the NAS were tested with the forensic patient sample regarding physically aggressive behavior in hospital. Regression analyses showed that higher scores on NAS increase the risk of having acted aggressively in the past and of acting aggressively in the future. © The Author(s) 2015.

The effectiveness of the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020 to increase the level of organic public procurement in Danish public kitchens.

PubMed

Sørensen, Nina N; Tetens, Inge; Løje, Hanne; Lassen, Anne D

2016-12-01

To measure the effect of organic food conversion projects on the percentage of organic food used in Danish public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. The current longitudinal study was based on measurements of organic food percentages in Danish public kitchens before and after kitchen employees participated in conversion projects. Public kitchens participating in the nine organic food conversion projects under the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020, initiated during autumn 2012 and spring 2013 and completed in summer 2015. A total of 622 public kitchens. The average (median) increase in organic food percentage from baseline to follow-up was 24 percentage points (P<0·001) during an overall median follow-up period of 1·5 years. When analysing data according to public kitchen type, the increase remained significant for seven out of eight kitchens. Furthermore, the proportion of public kitchens eligible for the Organic Cuisine Label in either silver (60-90 % organic food procurement) or gold (90-100 % organic food procurement) level doubled from 31 % to 62 %, respectively, during the conversion period. Conversion project curriculum mostly included elements of 'theory', 'menu planning', 'network' and 'Organic Cuisine Label method' to ensure successful implementation. The study reports significant increases in the level of organic food procurement among public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Recommendations for future organic conversion projects include adding key curriculum components to the project's educational content and measuring changes in organic food percentage to increase the chances of successful implementation.

Introspection and Essay Studies Conducted in Turkey. Fairytale: An Interdisciplinary Turco-Danish Study of the Collective v. the Individual Nature of the Response to Literature. Report No. 12. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doltas, Dilek; Sevgen, Cevza

As part of the interdisciplinary Turko-Danish Fairytale Project, both an introspection and an essay study were conducted with Turkish university prep-school students and junior college students to determine their responses to three fairytales: "The Snake, the Fox, and the Man,""The Gold Apple," and "Per Smed's Whip."…

Report on the activities of the Danish Atomic Energy Commission up to 31 March 1957

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1958-01-15

Activities of the Danish Atomic Energy Commission from its establishment in 1955 through March, 1957, are reported. The technical and administrative organization of the Commission are outlined. Contracts were signed for the purchase of two reactors. The site for a reactor research establishment was acquired on the Risoe Peninsula near Roskilde. Land for agricultural experiments was acquired nearby. Buildings and facilities were nearing completion by 1957. Training programs for personnel were held. Areas of international cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy are outlined. A statement of expenditures is included. (C.H.)

Occupational accidents in the Danish merchant fleet and the nationality of seafarers.

PubMed

Adám, Balázs; Rasmussen, Hanna Barbara; Pedersen, Randi Nørgaard Fløe; Jepsen, Jørgen Riis

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to examine occupational accidents reported from non-passenger merchant ships registered in the Danish International Ship Register in 2010-2012, with a focus on analysing nationality differences in the risk of getting injured in an accident. Data about notified occupational accidents were collected from notifications sent to the Danish Maritime Authority and from records of contact with Danish Radio Medical. Events were matched by personal identification and accident data to create a unified database. Stratified cumulative time spent on board by seafarers was used to calculate accident rates. Incidence rates of different nationalities were compared by Poisson regression. Western European seafarers had an overall accident rate of 17.5 per 100000 person-days, which proved to be significantly higher than that of Eastern European, South East Asian and Indian seaman (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.53, 0.51 and 0.74, respectively), although differences decreased over the investigated period. Smaller but in most cases still significant discrepancies were observed for serious injuries. The back injury rate of Western European employees was found especially high, while eye injuries seem to be more frequent among South East Asian workers. The study identified substantial differences between nationalities in the rate of various accidents reported from merchant ships sailing under the Danish flag. The differences may be attributed to various factors such as safety behaviour. Investigation of special injury types and characterisation of effective elements of safety culture can contribute to the improvement of workplace safety in the maritime sector.

Dementia and Traffic Accidents: A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study.

PubMed

Petersen, Jindong Ding; Siersma, Volkert; Nielsen, Connie Thurøe; Vass, Mikkel; Waldorff, Frans Boch

2016-09-27

As a consequence of a rapid growth of an ageing population, more people with dementia are expected on the roads. Little is known about whether these people are at increased risk of road traffic-related accidents. Our study aims to investigate the risk of road traffic-related accidents for people aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of dementia in Denmark. We will conduct a nationwide population-based cohort study consisting of Danish people aged 65 or older living in Denmark as of January 1, 2008. The cohort is followed for 7 years (2008-2014). Individual's personal data are available in Danish registers and can be linked using a unique personal identification number. A person is identified with dementia if the person meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) a diagnosis of the disease in the Danish National Patient Register or in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, and/or (2) at least one dementia diagnosis-related drug prescription registration in the Danish National Prescription Registry. Police-, hospital-, and emergency room-reported road traffic-related accidents occurred within the study follow-up are defined as the study outcome. Cox proportional hazard regression models are used for the main analysis. Our study protocol has 3 phases including data collection, data analysis, and reporting. The first phase of register-based data collection of 853,228 individual's personal information was completed in August, 2016. The next phase is data analysis, which is expected to be finished before December 2016, and thereafter writing publications based on the findings. The study started in January 2016 and will end in December 2018. This study covers the entire elderly population of Denmark, and thereby will avoid selection bias due to nonparticipation and loss to follow-up. Furthermore, this ensures that the study results are reliable and generalizable. However, underreporting of traffic-related accidents may occur, which will limit estimation of absolute risks.

Dementia and Traffic Accidents: A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Siersma, Volkert; Nielsen, Connie Thurøe; Vass, Mikkel; Waldorff, Frans Boch

2016-01-01

Background As a consequence of a rapid growth of an ageing population, more people with dementia are expected on the roads. Little is known about whether these people are at increased risk of road traffic-related accidents. Objective Our study aims to investigate the risk of road traffic-related accidents for people aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of dementia in Denmark. Methods We will conduct a nationwide population-based cohort study consisting of Danish people aged 65 or older living in Denmark as of January 1, 2008. The cohort is followed for 7 years (2008-2014). Individual’s personal data are available in Danish registers and can be linked using a unique personal identification number. A person is identified with dementia if the person meets at least one of the following criteria: (1) a diagnosis of the disease in the Danish National Patient Register or in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, and/or (2) at least one dementia diagnosis-related drug prescription registration in the Danish National Prescription Registry. Police-, hospital-, and emergency room-reported road traffic-related accidents occurred within the study follow-up are defined as the study outcome. Cox proportional hazard regression models are used for the main analysis. Results Our study protocol has 3 phases including data collection, data analysis, and reporting. The first phase of register-based data collection of 853,228 individual’s personal information was completed in August, 2016. The next phase is data analysis, which is expected to be finished before December 2016, and thereafter writing publications based on the findings. The study started in January 2016 and will end in December 2018. Discussion This study covers the entire elderly population of Denmark, and thereby will avoid selection bias due to nonparticipation and loss to follow-up. Furthermore, this ensures that the study results are reliable and generalizable. However, underreporting of traffic-related accidents may occur, which will limit estimation of absolute risks. PMID:27678553

Europeanisation and Policy Change in the Danish Vocational Education and Training System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cort, Pia

2010-01-01

This article aims to analyse the interrelationship between the Copenhagen Process, EU vocational education and training policy, and Danish initial vocational education and training policies in order to shed light on the role of EU policies in policy and institutional change. The article points to the complexity of policy-making and the…

Clinical indications for antibiotic use in Danish general practice: results from a nationwide electronic prescription database

PubMed Central

Aabenhus, Rune; Hansen, Malene Plejdrup; Siersma, Volkert; Bjerrum, Lars

2017-01-01

Objective To assess the availability and applicability of clinical indications from electronic prescriptions on antibiotic use in Danish general practice. Design Retrospective cohort register-based study including the Danish National Prescription Register. Setting Population-based study of routine electronic antibiotic prescriptions from Danish general practice. Subjects All 975,626 patients who redeemed an antibiotic prescription at outpatient pharmacies during the 1-year study period (July 2012 to June 2013). Main outcome measures Number of prescriptions per clinical indication. Number of antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants by age and gender. Logistic regression analysis estimated the association between patient and provider factors and missing clinical indications on antibiotic prescriptions. Results A total of 2.381.083 systemic antibiotic prescriptions were issued by Danish general practitioners in the study period. We identified three main clinical entities: urinary tract infections (n = 506.634), respiratory tract infections (n = 456.354) and unspecified infections (n = 416.354). Women were more exposed to antibiotics than men. Antibiotic use was high in children under 5 years and even higher in elderly people. In 32% of the issued prescriptions, the clinical indication was missing. This was mainly associated with antibiotic types. We found that a prescription for a urinary tract agent without a specific clinical indication was uncommon. Conclusion Clinical indications from electronic prescriptions are accessible and available to provide an overview of drug use, in casu antibiotic prescriptions, in Danish general practice. These clinical indications may be further explored in detail to assess rational drug use and congruence with guidelines, but validation and optimisation of the system is preferable. PMID:28585886

A Systematic Review of Cross-cultural Adaptation of the Oswestry Disability Index.

PubMed

Yao, Min; Wang, Qiong; Li, Zun; Yang, Long; Huang, Pin-Xian; Sun, Yue-Li; Wang, Jing; Wang, Yong-Jun; Cui, Xue-Jun

2016-12-15

Systematic review of cross-cultural adaptation of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the translation procedures for and measurement properties of cross-cultural adaptations of the ODI. The ODI is the most commonly used questionnaire to determine the outcome of low back pain, and has been translated into many other languages, such as Danish, Greek, and Korean, and adapted for use in different countries. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and EMBASE were searched from the time they were established to January 2015. Studies related to cross-cultural adaptation of the ODI in a specific language/culture were included. Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Self-Report Measures and Quality Criteria for Psychometric Properties of Health Status Questionnaire were used for assessment. This study included 27 versions of ODI adaptations in 24 different languages/cultures. Only the Danish-Danish adaptation employed all six of the cross-cultural adaptation processes. Expert committee review (three of 27), back translation (eight of 27), and pretesting (nine of 27) were conducted in very few studies. The Polish-Polish (two) adaptation reported all (nine of nine) the measurement properties, whereas the Traditional Chinese-Taiwan and Hungarian-Hungarian adaptations reported six of them. Content validity (16/27), construct validity (17/27), and reliability (22/27) were determined in a relatively high number of studies, whereas agreement (three of 27), responsiveness (12/27), floor and ceiling effects (six of 27), and interpretability (one of 27) were only determined in some studies. We recommend the Traditional Chinese-Taiwan, Simplified Chinese-Mandarin Chinese, Danish-Danish, German-Swiss, Hungarian-Hungarian, Italian-Italian, and Polish-Polish (two) versions for application, but Traditional Chinese-Hong Kong, French-Swiss, Japanese-Japanese (two), Polish-Polish (two), Tamil-Indian, and Thai-Thai versions may need more research. Furthermore, supplementary tests for the adaptations are necessary, especially for assessing agreement, responsiveness, and interpretability. 1.

Increased mortality in a Danish cohort of young people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus followed for 24 years.

PubMed

Sandahl, K; Nielsen, L B; Svensson, J; Johannesen, J; Pociot, F; Mortensen, H B; Hougaard, P; Broe, R; Rasmussen, M L; Grauslund, J; Peto, T; Olsen, B S

2017-03-01

To determine the mortality rate in a Danish cohort of children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus compared with the general population. In 1987 and 1989 we included 884 children and 1020 adolescents aged 20 years and under, corresponding to 75% of all Danish children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, in two nationwide studies in Denmark. Those who had participated in both investigations (n = 720) were followed until 1 January 2014, using the Danish Civil Registration System on death certificates and emigration. We derived the expected number of deaths in the cohort, using population data values from Statistics Denmark to calculate the standardized mortality ratio. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model. During the 24 years of follow-up, 49 (6.8%) patients died, resulting in a standardized mortality ratio of 4.8 (95% confidence interval 3.5, 6.2) compared with the age-standardized general population. A 1% increase in baseline HbA 1c (1989), available in 718 of 720 patients, was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.38; 95% confidence interval 1.2, 1.6; P < 0.0001). Type 1 diabetes with multiple complications was the most common reported cause of death (36.7%). We found an increased mortality rate in this cohort of children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes compared with the general population. The only predictor for increased risk of death up to 24 years after inclusion was the HbA 1c level in 1989. This emphasizes the importance of achieving optimal metabolic control in young people with Type 1 diabetes. © 2016 Diabetes UK.

The Fairytale Project in a Context of Modern Criticism. Fairytale: An Interdisciplinary Turco-Danish Study of the Collective v. the Individual Nature of the Response to Literature. Report No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevgen, Cevza

To put the interdisciplinary Turko-Danish Fairytale Project, which is concerned with the dynamics of reader response to literature, into a theoretical framework, this paper first describes how modern aesthetics take an interdisciplinary approach and investigate--by cross cultural approaches and in human behavior terms--the phenomenon of art and…

A qualitative exploration of key informant perspectives regarding the nature and impact of contemporary legislation on professional development: a grounded theory study of chiropractic in Denmark.

PubMed

Myburgh, Corrie

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to construct a substantive framework of the manner in which the Danish government interacts with the Danish chiropractic profession and influences professional practice. An exploratory, qualitative study was performed using a substantive grounded theory (GT) approach. Unstructured, face-to-face, individual interviews were conducted during the years 2012 and 2013 and thematically analyzed. Six people were interviewed for this study including a gatekeeper and witness to legislative history, a previous chiropractic political representative and witness to legislative history, a previous Department of Health negotiator and previous administrator of chiropractic affairs and witness to legislative history, a current administrator of chiropractic affairs, an active chiropractic political representative and witness to legislative history, and a chief negotiator for Danish Regional Health Care Services. Open and axial coding yielded 2 themes centering on licensing chiropractors in Denmark and the resultant developmental issues encountered. Through further selective coding, the GT core construct, "chiropractic practice in the Danish heath care system" emerged. The GT highlights the tension between the strategic political importance of legislation and the restrictive nature of the overly specific act currently regulating chiropractic practice. Moreover, the GT also revealed the perceived negative effect that the National Board of Health may exert on clinical practice due to its conservative interpretation of the act. The Danish government is perceived to act as a countervailing power related to chiropractic practice. The derived substantive GT suggests that the Danish government's dualistic action relative to the Danish chiropractic community may inhibit the spontaneous evolution of contemporary Danish chiropractic practice. Although historically narrow legislation may limit chiropractic practice, conservative interpretations by the Danish National Board of Health may also play an important role. Copyright © 2014 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Triple-reassortant influenza A virus with H3 of human seasonal origin, NA of swine origin, and internal A(H1N1) pandemic 2009 genes is established in Danish pigs.

PubMed

Krog, Jesper Schak; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane; Larsen, Michael Albin; Larsen, Lars Erik

2017-05-01

This report describes a triple-reassortant influenza A virus with a HA that resembles H3 of human seasonal influenza from 2004 to 2005, N2 from influenza A virus already established in swine, and the internal gene cassette from A(H1N1)pdm09 has spread in Danish pig herds. The virus has been detected in several Danish pig herds during the last 2-3 years and may possess a challenge for human as well as animal health. © 2017 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Olsen, Sjurdur F; Houshmand-Oeregaard, Azedeh; Granström, Charlotta; Langhoff-Roos, Jens; Damm, Peter; Bech, Bodil H; Vaag, Allan A; Zhang, Cuilin

2017-05-01

The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) contains comprehensive information on diet, lifestyle, constitutional and other major characteristics of women during pregnancy. It provides a unique source for studies on health consequences of gestational diabetes mellitus. Our aim was to identify and validate the gestational diabetes mellitus cases in the cohort. We extracted clinical information from hospital records for 1609 pregnancies included in the Danish National Birth Cohort with a diagnosis of diabetes during or before pregnancy registered in the Danish National Patient Register and/or from a Danish National Birth Cohort interview during pregnancy. We further validated the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in 2126 randomly selected pregnancies from the entire Danish National Birth Cohort. From the individual hospital records, an expert panel evaluated gestational diabetes mellitus status based on results from oral glucose tolerance tests, fasting blood glucose and Hb1c values, as well as diagnoses made by local obstetricians. The audit categorized 783 pregnancies as gestational diabetes mellitus, corresponding to 0.89% of the 87 792 pregnancies for which a pregnancy interview for self-reported diabetes in pregnancy was available. From the randomly selected group the combined information from register and interviews could correctly identify 96% (95% CI 80-99.9%) of all cases in the entire Danish National Birth Cohort population. Positive predictive value, however, was only 59% (56-61%). The combined use of data from register and interview provided a high sensitivity for gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis. The low positive predictive value, however, suggests that systematic validation by hospital record review is essential not to underestimate the health consequences of gestational diabetes mellitus in future studies. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Pre-Vaccination Care-Seeking in Females Reporting Severe Adverse Reactions to HPV Vaccine. A Registry Based Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Mølbak, Kåre; Hansen, Niels Dalum; Valentiner-Branth, Palle

2016-01-01

Since 2013 the number of suspected adverse reactions to the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine reported to the Danish Medicines Agency (DMA) has increased. Due to the resulting public concerns about vaccine safety, the coverage of HPV vaccinations in the childhood vaccination programme has declined. The aim of the present study was to determine health care-seeking prior to the first HPV vaccination among females who suspected adverse reactions to HPV vaccine. In this registry-based case-control study, we included as cases vaccinated females with reports to the DMA of suspected severe adverse reactions. We selected controls without reports of adverse reactions from the Danish vaccination registry and matched by year of vaccination, age of vaccination, and municipality, and obtained from the Danish National Patient Registry and The National Health Insurance Service Register the history of health care usage two years prior to the first vaccine. We analysed the data by logistic regression while adjusting for the matching variables. The study included 316 cases who received first HPV vaccine between 2006 and 2014. Age range of cases was 11 to 52 years, with a peak at 12 years, corresponding to the recommended age at vaccination, and another peak at 19 to 28 years, corresponding to a catch-up programme targeting young women. Compared with 163,910 controls, cases had increased care-seeking in the two years before receiving the first HPV vaccine. A multivariable model showed higher use of telephone/email consultations (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.2-3.2), physiotherapy (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.6-2.8) and psychologist/psychiatrist (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.3-2.7). Cases were more likely to have a diagnosis in the ICD-10 chapters of diseases of the digestive system (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.4), of the musculoskeletal system (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.2), symptoms or signs not classified elsewhere (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.5) as well as injuries (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.9). Before receiving the first HPV vaccination, females who suspected adverse reactions has symptoms and a health care-seeking pattern that is different from the matched population. Pre-vaccination morbidity should be taken into account in the evaluation of vaccine safety signals.

Studies in the Major Modern Languages (English, German, French) at University Level in Denmark by 1980/81.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dollerup, Cay

This is a descriptive outline of the language situation in the Danish education system. The introductory material discusses the reason for foreign language study. A major reason is that Denmark is a small country with a difficult native language for speakers of other languages to learn. Therefore, the Danish population is exposed to foreign…

Night shift work and incidence of diabetes in the Danish Nurse Cohort.

PubMed

Hansen, Anne B; Stayner, Leslie; Hansen, Johnni; Andersen, Zorana J

2016-04-01

Night shift work has been associated with poor sleep, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, which are recognised risk factor for diabetes. However, only a few studies have examined the effect of shift work on diabetes risk. Here, we study the association between shift work and incidence of diabetes in Danish nurses. We used the Danish Nurse Cohort with 28,731 participating female nurses recruited in 1993 (19,898) or 1999 (8833), when self-reported baseline information on diabetes prevalence, lifestyle and working time were collected, and followed them in the Danish Diabetes Register for incidence of diabetes until 2013. Nurses reported whether they worked night, evening, rotating or day shifts. We analysed the association between working time and diabetes incidence using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for diabetes risk factors, separately with and without adjustment for body mass index (BMI) which might be an intermediate variable. Of 19,873 nurses who worked and were diabetes-free at recruitment, 837 (4.4%) developed diabetes during 15 years of follow-up. The majority of nurses (62.4%) worked day shifts, 21.8% rotating shift, 10.1% evening and 5.5% night shifts. Compared with nurses who worked day shifts, we found statistically significantly increased risk of diabetes in nurses who worked night (1.58; 1.25 to 1.99) or evening shifts (1.29; 1.04 to 1.59) in the fully adjusted models including BMI. Danish nurses working night and evening shifts have increased risk for diabetes, with the highest risk associated with current night shift work. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

A human health risk assessment for macrolide-resistant Campylobacter associated with the use of macrolides in Danish pig production.

PubMed

Alban, Lis; Nielsen, Elisabeth Okholm; Dahl, Jan

2008-02-01

In 2006, macrolides were withdrawn from the list of antibiotics recommended for veterinary treatment of diarrhoea in Danish pigs. The motive was to lower the antibiotic consumption in general and to mitigate the risk related to human infection with macrolide-resistant (Mres) Campylobacter. We subsequently conducted a risk assessment following international guidelines to address the risk for human health associated with usage of macrolides in Danish pigs. Data originated from surveillance programs, published papers, reports and statistics. Furthermore, an exposure model was built in @Risk. Mres Campylobacter is the hazard of interest. Data from different EU countries show that beef contains a very low prevalence (typically 0.1-1.1%) of Campylobacter; moreover, Mres is uncommon in Campylobacter isolates from cattle (between 0% and 6%). Beef was therefore left out of further analysis. For pork at retail, a high variation in the prevalence of Campylobacter has been reported within EU; but generally the prevalence is <10%, and the isolates are often Mres. EU data indicate that poultry meat harbor a high prevalence of Campylobacter (more more than 10%) with Mres at prevalence ranging from 0% to 8%. According to the exposure model - that included origin of meat as well as consumption patterns - most human cases of Mres campylobacteriosis (157 out of 186) was ascribed to imported meat. Only seven cases could be explained by veterinary usage of macrolides in Danish pigs. In general, human cases of campylobacteriosis are self-limiting, and it is questionable whether there is any excess risk related to infection with Mres Campylobacter compared to sensitive Campylobacter. In conclusion, the risk associated with veterinary use of macrolides in Danish pigs for the human health of Danes seemed to be low.

Experiences with global trigger tool reviews in five Danish hospitals: an implementation study

PubMed Central

von Plessen, Christian; Kodal, Anne Marie; Anhøj, Jacob

2012-01-01

Objectives To describe experiences with the implementation of global trigger tool (GTT) reviews in five Danish hospitals and to suggest ways to improve the performance of GTT review teams. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting The measurement and monitoring of harms are crucial to campaigns to improve the safety of patients. Increasingly, teams use the GTT to review patient records and measure harms in English and non-English-speaking countries. Meanwhile, it is not clear as to how the method performs in such diverse settings. Participants Review teams from five Danish pilot hospitals of the national Danish Safer Hospital Programme. Primary and secondary outcome measures We collected harm rates, background and anecdotal information and reported patient safety incidents (PSIs) from five pilot hospitals currently participating in the Danish Safer Hospital Programme. Experienced reviewers categorised harms by type. We plotted harm rates as run-charts and applied rules for the detection of patterns of non-random variation. Results The hospitals differed in size but had similar patient populations and activity. PSIs varied between 3 and 12 per 1000 patient-days. The average harm rate for all hospitals was 60 per 1000 patient-days ranging from 34 to 84. The percentage of harmed patients was 25 and ranged from 18 to 33. Overall, 96% of harms were temporary. Infections, pressure ulcers procedure-related and gastrointestinal problems were common. Teams reported differences in training and review procedures such as the role of the secondary reviewer. Conclusions We found substantial variation in harm rates. Differences in training, review procedures and documentation in patient records probably contributed to these variations. Training reviewers as teams, specifying the roles of the different reviewers, training records and a database for findings of reviews may improve the application of the GTT. PMID:23065451

Wellbeing at work among kitchen workers during organic food conversion in Danish public kitchens: a longitudinal survey.

PubMed

Sørensen, Nina N; Løje, Hanne; Tetens, Inge; Wu, Jason H Y; Neal, Bruce; Lassen, Anne D

2016-04-01

In 2011, the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries launched the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020 intending to double the organic agricultural area in Denmark. This study aims to measure experienced physical and psychological wellbeing at work along with beliefs and attitudes among kitchen workers before and after participating in educational training programmes in organic food conversion. This longitudinal study applied an online self-administered questionnaire among kitchen workers before and after the implementation of an organic food conversion programme with 1-year follow-up. The study targeted all staff members in the participating public kitchens taking part in the organic food conversion process funded by the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Of the 448 eligible kitchen workers, 235 completed the questionnaire at baseline (52%) and 149 at follow-up (63% of those surveyed at baseline). No substantive differences between baseline and follow-up measurements of organic food conversion were detected on physical or psychological wellbeing at work. Kitchen workers reported a significant improvement in the perceived food quality, motivation to work and application of nutritional guidelines. Reported organic food percentages for the kitchens also increased significantly (P< 0.001) and a shift from using ready-made food products to producing more food from base was indicated. Within 1 year, a significant increase in motivation to work among kitchen staff was observed with no substantive changes in physical or psychological wellbeing at work identified. The results support the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020 and initiatives of similar kind. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

The Danish oral health care service for children: an international appraisal.

PubMed

Davies, G N; Downer, M C; Holloway, P J

1983-09-01

The Danish children's oral health care service has been so successful in achieving its objectives that it will need to change and adapt in order to survive. It is suggested that the service should gradually become community-based rather than child-based. This process can be commenced by introducing treatment for the elderly, the handicapped and the indigent, converting the school clinics to municipal oral health units. Although it is important that private practice is maintained, private dentists should be encouraged to work in the system part-time, leading teams of supporting auxiliary personnel trained within an integrated system. Eventually, the facilities could form the basis of primary health care centres. The lessons to be learnt from the Danish experience have a wider application to other countries. In developing countries it is obvious that they should first place limited dental resources into public health prevention and only invest in expensive treatment clinics as funds become more available. Manpower planning should ensure that personnel are not overtrained for the needs of the community. In developed countries, increasingly more resources will need to be channelled into adult dental care, and dental education must lead the profession into this new era. Difficult though these changes will be, the stable relationships that have developed between the various arms of the service under the guidance of the Danish Dental Association, will ensure that the profession will survive and flourish for the benefit of the Danish people.

Self-reported onset of puberty and subsequent semen quality and reproductive hormones in healthy young men.

PubMed

Jensen, Tina Kold; Finne, Katrine Folmann; Skakkebæk, Niels E; Andersson, Anna-Maria; Olesen, Inge Ahlmann; Joensen, Ulla Nordström; Bang, Anne Kirstine; Nordkap, Loa; Priskorn, Lærke; Krause, Marianna; Jørgensen, Niels; Juul, Anders

2016-08-01

Is there an association between pubertal onset and subsequent reproductive health in young men? Self-reported later onset of puberty was associated with reduced semen quality and altered serum levels of reproductive hormones among 1068 healthy, young Danish men. The long-term effects of variations in the onset of male puberty on subsequent reproduction remain largely unstudied. In a cross-sectional study, young healthy Danish men were approached when they attended a compulsory medical examination to determine their fitness for military service from 2008 to 2012. A total of 1068 healthy, young Danish men (mean age 19 years) participated. They were asked to assess whether onset of penile and testicular growth, development of pubic hair and voice break occurred earlier, at the same time as or later than their peers. Their semen quality (semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count and percentages of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa) and serum concentrations of sex hormones (LH, FSH, total testosterone, SHBG, inhibin B) and testicular size were determined. The response rate was 29%. Of the 1068 men who then participated, 652 answered the questions about penile growth and pubic hair development and were therefore included in the analysis. Self-reported later onset of puberty was associated with a 25% reduction in sperm concentration (95% CI -41%; -4%), a 40% reduction in total sperm count (-55%; -21%), a 1.6% age point reduction in morphological normal spermatozoa (-2.9; -0.3) and a 1.6 ml reduction in testicular size (-2.4 and -0.8 ml), after adjustment for confounders. Self-reported later onset of puberty was also associated with a 9% (3%; 15%) reduction in free testosterone and a 16% (2%; 31%) increase in FSH, after adjustment for confounders. Our study was cross-sectional and reverse causality cannot be ruled out. In addition, we cannot rule out the possibility that the men with late puberty onset had not yet fully matured although most were in Tanner stage 5. Approximately 15% of young Danish men have self-reported later onset of puberty than their peers. We found poorer testicular function in young men with a history of later pubertal development, suggesting that timing of pubertal onset may be a fundamental marker of male reproductive health. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that these men had not fully matured at the time of examination and therefore their semen quality may yet improve, which makes follow-up important. This work was supported by the Danish Council for Strategic Research, Program Commission on Health, Food and Welfare (project number 2101-08-0058), Rigshospitalet (grants 961506336 and R42-A1326), European Union, DEER (grant agreement no 212844), the Danish Ministry of Health and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and Kirsten and Freddy Johansens Foundation (grant 95-103-72087). There are no competing interests. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gender stereotyping in television advertisements: a study of French and Danish television.

PubMed

Furnham, A; Babitzkow, M; Uguccioni, S

2000-02-01

Two similar, but not identical, content analyses of the portrayals of men and women in French and Danish television advertisements are reported. By partially replicating and extending past investigations conducted in America, Australia, Britain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, and New Zealand, it was predicted that there would be more gender stereotyping in French television advertisements and less gender stereotyping in Danish television advertisements. In the first study, 165 French television advertisements were analyzed by following established coding categories (A. Furnham & E. Skae, 1997; L. Z. McArthur & B. G. Resko, 1975). Contrary to prediction, the results showed that traditional gender role portrayal on French television was no different from that found in other countries. Separate statistical analyses were carried out for visually versus aurally classified central figures, yet this yielded relatively few significant differences. In the second study, a sample of 151 Danish advertisements was analyzed; results showed that Danish television was generally less gender stereotypic than French television in its portrayal of women. Exactly half (5) of the coding categories showed significant differences. Finally, an international statistical comparison between these two studies and similar research in Australia, Britain, and Italy was carried out. The methodological implications of these results are discussed as well as the theoretical issues arising from other studies of this sort.

Cooking in prison--from crook to cook.

PubMed

Kjaer Minke, Linda

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the principle and practice of self-catering system in a Danish prison. Self-catering is a reflection of the Danish correctional principle of normalisation between prison and community life. Unlike some other jurisdiction, issues of control in meal preparation are subordinate to prisoners' right to choose and prepare their own food. Findings are derived from 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork in a Danish maximum security prison for men, including in-depth interviews with 68 prisoners. Overall findings showed that thinking about meals and their preparation is time consuming for prisoners who tend to be positive about the system making connections with their ability to exercise responsibility for making healthily choices. The research concludes that prisoners' possibility for developing cooking competences during incarceration could support prisoners change in social identity from crook to cook. Food is a fundamental need and the ability to choose what to eat and to prepare one's own food should be a right for all people, including prisoners. This research shows that Danish prisoners are very pleased about the system of self-catering. Most prisoners are concerned about preparing their own meals according to their taste and cultural diversity. If the prison offers the opportunity to train as a chef during imprisonment it could support the prisoner's change in social identity from crook to cook on the outside.

[Measles are eliminated in Denmark].

PubMed

Lauridsen, Julie Aaberg; Krause, Tyra Grove; Andersen, Peter Henrik

2018-03-19

Measles vaccination has led to a significant fall in the number of measles cases and measles-related deaths worldwide. However, many countries still struggle to eliminate the disease. To obtain elimination, a minimum of 95% vaccination coverage for both of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines is necessary as well as an efficient surveillance system and timely public health response. Presenting data on reported cases and vaccination coverage in the latest 20 years, this article describes how measles are eliminated in Denmark and recommends, how the Danish measles surveillance system can be further improved to maintain the status.

Male reproductive system parameters in a two-generation reproduction study of ammonium perfluorooctanoate in rats and human relevance.

PubMed

York, Raymond G; Kennedy, Gerald L; Olsen, Geary W; Butenhoff, John L

2010-04-30

Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (ammonium PFOA) is an industrial surfactant that has been used primarily as a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers. The environmental and metabolic stability of PFOA together with its presence in human blood and long elimination half-life have led to extensive toxicological studies in laboratory animals. Two recent publications based on observations from the Danish general population have reported: (1) a negative association between serum concentrations of PFOA in young adult males and their sperm counts and (2) a positive association among women with time to pregnancy. A two-generation reproduction study in rats was previously published (2004) in which no effects on functional reproduction were observed at doses up to 30mg ammonium PFOA/kg body weight. The article contained the simple statement: "In males, fertility was normal as were all sperm parameters". In order to place the recent human epidemiological data in perspective, herein we provide the detailed male reproductive parameters from that study, including sperm quality and testicular histopathology. Sperm parameters in rats from the two-generation study in all ammonium PFOA treatment groups were unaffected by treatment with ammonium PFOA. These observations reflected the normal fertility observations in these males. No evidence of altered testicular and sperm structure and function was observed in ammonium PFOA-treated rats whose mean group serum PFOA concentrations ranged up to approximately 50,000ng/mL. Given that median serum PFOA in the Danish cohorts was approximately 5ng/mL, it seems unlikely that concentrations observed in the general population, including those recently reported in Danish general population, could be associated causally with a real decrement in sperm number and quality.

From the preserves of the educated elite to virtually everywhere: A content analysis of Danish science news in 1999 and 2012.

PubMed

Vestergård, Gunver Lystbæk; Nielsen, Kristian H

2017-02-01

In an attempt to qualify changes to science news reporting due to the impact of the Internet, we studied all science news articles published in Danish national newspapers in a November week in 1999 and 2012, respectively. We find the same amount of science coverage, about 4% of the total news production, in both years, although the tabloids produce more science news in 2012. Online science news also received high priority. Journalists in 2012 more often than in 1999 make reference to scientific journals and cite a wider range of journals. Science news in 2012 is more international and politically oriented than in 1999. Based on these findings, we suggest that science news, due partly to the emergence of online resources, is becoming more diverse and available to a wider audience. Science news is no longer for the elite but has spread to virtually everywhere in the national news system.

Public health research in Denmark in the years 1995--2005.

PubMed

Gulis, G; Eriksen, M L; Aro, A R

2010-02-01

The objective of this study was to find out the number of publications (in Danish) and research projects (including grey literature) either carried out or ongoing within the field of public health in Denmark, using the same criteria as the SPHERE project, but looking at Danish research databases. The Danish research database served as the main resource for the study supported by national research reports. There is an increasing trend in the number of public health research projects and publications. Compared with public health research projects published in English there are differences in some categories. Overall, public health research in Denmark seems to contribute around 4.8%-6.5% of the total amount of health research. Public health research has a relatively low share of overall health research in Denmark.

Danish Passives and Subject Positions as a Mood System--A Content Analysis; and Paradigmatic Structure, Word Order and Grammaticalization. ROLIG-Papir 54.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heltoft, Lars; Jakobsen, Lisbeth Falster

Two papers on linguistic theory are presented. The first examines the relationship between two subsystems of Danish grammar: (1) the morphology and meaning of the two passives (a morphological passive and a periphrastic passive); and (2) the word order rules and meanings attached to indefinite subjects, irrespective of voice. It is claimed that…

Effects of Familial Risk Factors and Place of Birth on the Risk of Autism: A Nationwide Register-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lauritsen, Marlene Briciet; Pedersen, Carsten Bocker; Mortensen, Preben Bo

2005-01-01

Background: The etiology of autism is unknown. A strong genetic component has been detected but non-genetic factors may also be involved in the etiology. Methods: We used data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register and the Danish Civil Registration System to study some risk factors of autism, including place of birth, parental place of…

Is There Something Rotten in the State of Denmark? The Paradoxical Policies of Inclusive Education--Lessons from Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engsig, Thomas T.; Johnstone, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

By 2015, 96% of the entire student body in the Danish public school system must receive his or her education within the regular classrooms, and referrals to segregated special education must be reduced radically. This is the consequence of the so-called "Inclusion Law" passed in the Danish parliament in April 2012. The law contains a…

Evaluation of the high resolution DEHM/UBM model system over Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Ulas; Christensen, Jesper H.; Ellermann, Thomas; Ketzel, Matthias; Geels, Camilla; Hansen, Kaj M.; Plejdrup, Marlene S.; Brandt, Jørgen

2015-04-01

The air pollutant levels over Denmark are simulated using the high resolution DEHM/UBM model system for the years 2006 to 2014. The system employs a hemispheric chemistry-transport model, the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM; Brandt et al., 2012) that runs on a 150 km x 150 km resolution over the Northern Hemisphere, with nesting capability for higher resolutions over Europe, Northern Europe and Denmark on 50 km x 50 km, 16.7 km x 16.7 km and 5.6 km x 5.6 km resolutions, respectively, coupled to the Urban Background Model (UBM; Berkowicz, 2000; Brandt et al., 2001) that covers the whole of Denmark with a 1 km x 1 km spatial resolution. Over Denmark, the system uses the SPREAD emission model (Plejdrup and Gyldenkærne, 2011) that distributes the Danish emissions for all pollutants and all sectors in the national emission database on a 1 km x 1 km resolution grid covering Denmark and its national sea territory. The study will describe the model system and we will evaluate the performance of the model system in simulating hourly and daily ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations against surface measurements from eight monitoring stations. Finally we investigate the spatial variation of air pollutants over Denmark on different time scales. References Berkowicz, R., 2000. A Simple Model for Urban Background Pollution. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 65, 1/2, 259-267. Brandt, J., J. H. Christensen, L. M. Frohn, F. Palmgren, R. Berkowicz and Z. Zlatev, 2001: "Operational air pollution forecasts from European to local scale". Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 35, Sup. No. 1, pp. S91-S98, 2001 Brandt et al., 2012. An integrated model study for Europe and North America using the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model with focus on intercontinental transport. Atmospheric Environment, 53, 156-176. Plejdrup, M.S., Gyldenkærne, S., 2011. Spatial distribution of pollutants to air - the SPREAD model. NERI Technical Report No. 823.

Cancer incidence among Danish Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists.

PubMed

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Hansen, Helle Ploug; Hoff, Andreas; Ross, Lone; Johansen, Christoffer

2012-12-01

American Seventh-day Adventists have been reported to have lower cancer mortality and incidence than the general population. Adventists do not consume tobacco, alcohol or pork, and many adhere to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian lifestyle. Baptists discourage excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. In this study, we investigated whether the incidence of cancer in a large cohort of Danish Adventists and Baptists was different compared to the general Danish population. We followed 11,580 Danish Adventists and Baptists in the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry, which contains information on cases of cancer for 1943-2008. Cancer incidence in the cohort was compared with that in the general Danish population as standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and within-cohort comparisons were made with a Cox model. Lower cancer incidences were observed for both Seventh-day Adventist men (SIR, 66; 95% CI, 60-72) and women (85; 80-91). The same result was observed for Baptists although not as low. The differences were most pronounced for smoking-related cancers such as those of the buccal cavity and lung (SIR, 20; 13-30 for Seventh-day Adventist men and 33; 22-49 for Seventh-day Adventist women). The incidences of other lifestyle-related cancers, such as of stomach, rectum, liver and cervix, were also decreased. In general, the SIRs were lower for men than for women, and Adventists had lower hazard rates than Baptists. Our findings point to the benefits of compliance with public health recommendations and indicate that lifestyle changes in the population might change the cancer risks of individuals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-reported musculoskeletal pain predicts long-term increase in general health care use: a population-based cohort study with 20-year follow-up.

PubMed

Hartvigsen, Jan; Davidsen, Michael; Søgaard, Karen; Roos, Ewa M; Hestbaek, Lise

2014-11-01

Musculoskeletal pain and disability is a modern epidemic and a major reason for seeking health care. The aim of this study is to determine absolute and relative rates of care seeking over 20 years for adults reporting musculoskeletal complaints. Interview data on musculoskeletal pain reported during the past two weeks from the Danish National Cohort Study were merged with data from the Danish National Health Insurance Registry and the National Patient Registry containing information on consultations in the Danish primary and secondary care sector. Absolute and relative rates for all seeking of care with general practitioners, physiotherapists, chiropractors, outpatient hospital contacts and hospital admissions are reported for persons reporting no musculoskeletal pain and for persons reporting pain in the neck, shoulder, wrist/hands, mid back, low back, hips, knees and ankles/feet. Regardless of site, persons experiencing a musculoskeletal complaint had a statistically increased risk of consulting a general practitioner when compared with persons reporting no musculoskeletal complaint. For physiotherapists and chiropractors, only persons complaining of neck pain and back pain had an increased risk of seeking care. Regardless of pain site, except for shoulder pain, persons reporting musculoskeletal pain had a statistically significant increased risk of outpatient hospital consultations and hospital admissions. Few differences were found between pain sites in relation to any of the outcomes. Self-report of musculoskeletal pain reported within the past two weeks predicts a statistically significant long-term increase in general use of health care services in both the primary and the secondary health care sector. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Summary of the SWOT panel's evaluation of the organisation and financing of the Danish health care system.

PubMed

Christiansen, Terkel

2002-02-01

The organisation and financing of the Danish health care system was evaluated within a framework of a SWOT analysis (analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) by a panel of five members with a background in health economics. This paper systematically summarises the panel's assessments, within the framework of the triangular model of health care. The members of the panel are in agreement on a number of aspects, while their views on other aspects differ. In general they find many strength in the way the system is organised and financed more so in the primary sector than in the hospital sector.

Pregnancy outcomes among female hairdressers who participated in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Zhu, Jin Liang; Vestergaard, Mogens; Hjollund, Niels Henrik; Olsen, Jørn

2006-02-01

The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) was used to examine pregnancy outcomes among female hairdressers and neurodevelopment in their offspring. A population-based cohort study was conducted of 550 hairdressers and 3216 shop assistants (reference group) by using data from the Danish National Birth Cohort between 1997 and 2003. Information on job characteristics was reported by the women in the first interview (around 17 weeks of gestation). Pregnancy outcomes were obtained by linkage to the national registers. Developmental milestones were reported by the mother at the fourth interview, when the child was approximately 19 months old. Cox regression was applied to analyze fetal loss and congenital malformation. Logistic regression was used to analyze other pregnancy outcomes and developmental milestones. We found no significant differences in fetal loss, multiple births, gender ratio, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, congenital malformations, or achievement of developmental milestones among the children of hairdressers and shop assistants. The results do not indicate that children of hairdressers in Denmark currently have a high risk of fetal impairment or delayed psychomotor development.

No-fault compensation for treatment injuries in Danish public hospitals 2006-12.

PubMed

Tilma, Jens; Nørgaard, Mette; Mikkelsen, Kim Lyngby; Johnsen, Søren Paaske

2016-02-01

We aimed to determine the incidence rate and time trend of approved treatment injuries in Danish public hospitals from 2006 to 2012 and also to identify independent predictors of severe treatment injuries among patient and system factors and characterize the injuries. We performed a nationwide, historical observational study on data from the Danish Patient Compensation Association, which receives all compensation claims from Danish health care. All approved closed claims of treatment injuries occurring in public hospitals 2006-12 were included. Health care activity information was obtained through Statistics Denmark. Incidence rates were determined as treatment injuries per year by population and by public hospital contacts. By using a multivariable logistic regression model, we calculated mutually adjusted odds ratios to assess the association between potential predictors and severe injuries among approved claims. We identified 10,959 approved treatment injury claims in 2006-12. The total payout was USD 339 million. The mean incidence rate medians were 27.9 injuries/100,000 inhabitants/year and 0.21 injuries/1000 public hospital contacts/year. These did not increase overtime. Severe injuries and preventable cases comprised 11.0 and 41.0%, respectively. Predictors of severe injury included age 0 and above 40 years, male gender and higher level of comorbidity. The incidence rate of approved closed claims at Danish public hospitals appears stable. A high proportion of injuries are preventable and both patient- and system-related factors may predict severe injuries. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Descriptions of verbal communication errors between staff. An analysis of 84 root cause analysis-reports from Danish hospitals.

PubMed

Rabøl, Louise Isager; Andersen, Mette Lehmann; Østergaard, Doris; Bjørn, Brian; Lilja, Beth; Mogensen, Torben

2011-03-01

Poor teamwork and communication between healthcare staff are correlated to patient safety incidents. However, the organisational factors responsible for these issues are unexplored. Root cause analyses (RCA) use human factors thinking to analyse the systems behind severe patient safety incidents. The objective of this study is to review RCA reports (RCAR) for characteristics of verbal communication errors between hospital staff in an organisational perspective. Two independent raters analysed 84 RCARs, conducted in six Danish hospitals between 2004 and 2006, for descriptions and characteristics of verbal communication errors such as handover errors and error during teamwork. Raters found description of verbal communication errors in 44 reports (52%). These included handover errors (35 (86%)), communication errors between different staff groups (19 (43%)), misunderstandings (13 (30%)), communication errors between junior and senior staff members (11 (25%)), hesitance in speaking up (10 (23%)) and communication errors during teamwork (8 (18%)). The kappa values were 0.44-0.78. Unproceduralized communication and information exchange via telephone, related to transfer between units and consults from other specialties, were particularly vulnerable processes. With the risk of bias in mind, it is concluded that more than half of the RCARs described erroneous verbal communication between staff members as root causes of or contributing factors of severe patient safety incidents. The RCARs rich descriptions of the incidents revealed the organisational factors and needs related to these errors.

Fatal occupational accidents in Danish fishing vessels 1989-2005.

PubMed

Laursen, Lise H; Hansen, Henrik L; Jensen, Olaf C

2008-06-01

The purpose of the study was to study the circumstances and incidence rates of fatal accidents in inspection obligated and non-inspection obligated Danish fishing vessels to identify areas for prevention. Information about the fatalities came from maritime authority reports, including vessel disaster reports, post mortem reports, maritime inquiries and police reports. The person- and vessel years at risk came from the Danish Directorate of Fisheries. During the period 1989-2005, 114 fatalities occurred. Sixty-one of the fatalities occurred in 36 vessel disasters mainly caused by foundering/capsizing due to stability changes in rough weather and collisions; 39 fatal occupational accidents mainly occurred on the larger inspection obligated trawlers during fishing. In the remaining 14 other fatal accidents, the main causal factors were difficult embarking/disembarking conditions by darkness in foreign ports and alcohol intoxication. In the period 1995-2005, the overall incidence rate was 10 per 10,000 fishermen per year with no down-going trend during that period. The fatal accident rates are still too high, despite the efforts to reduce the risk. Increased focus on regular and repeated safety training for all fishermen and improved safety measures are needed, especially in the underscored areas of sea disasters concerning small vessels and occupational accidents on big vessels. Better registration of time at risk for fishermen is needed to validate the effect of the safety measures.

Assessment of exposure to EMF in a Danish case-control study of childhood cancer.

PubMed

Jensen, J K; Olsen, J H; Folkersen, E

1994-01-01

In Denmark it is permitted to draw overhead lines across residential areas. In connection with a Danish case-control study we developed a method for estimating the historical values of magnetic fields at residences. The study included 1,707 cases with childhood cancer and 4,788 matched population controls. A total of 16,082 different addresses had been occupied by the families from the time of conception until the date of diagnosis. The values of the extreme, maximum, middle and minimum 50 Hz magnetic field strengths originating from a 50-400 kV high-voltage installation were estimated for each of the dwellings included in a potential exposure area. 30 children were exposed to an average level of magnetic fields of 0.1 microT or more. The evaluated Danish method of exposure assessment was compared with the method for residential wiring codes developed by Wertheimer and Leeper /1/. We concluded that the US wiring codes are inappropriate for use in connection with the Danish electricity transmission system.

Temporal changes in occupational sitting time in the Danish workforce and associations with all-cause mortality: results from the Danish work environment cohort study.

PubMed

van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Møller, Simone Visbjerg; Hannerz, Harald; van der Beek, Allard J; Holtermann, Andreas

2015-06-02

Prolonged sitting has been negatively associated with a range of non-communicably diseases. However, the role of occupational sitting is less clear, and little is known on the changes of occupational sitting in a working population over time. The present study aimed to determine 1) temporal changes in occupational sitting time between 1990 and 2010 in the Danish workforce; 2) the association and possible dose-response relationship between occupational sitting time and all-cause mortality. This study analysed data from the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study (DWECS), which is a cohort study of the Danish working population conducted in five yearly intervals between 1990 and 2010. Occupational sitting time is self-reported in the DWECS. To determine the association with all-cause mortality, the DWECS was linked to the Danish Register of Causes of Death via the Central Person Register. Between 1990 and 2010 the proportion of the Danish workforce who sat for at least three quarters of their work time gradually increased from 33.1 to 39.1%. All-cause mortality analyses were performed with 149,773 person-years of observation and an average follow-up of 12.61 years, during which 533 deaths were registered. None of the presented analyses found a statistically significant association between occupational sitting time and all-cause mortality. The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.79; 1.18) when ≥24 hr/wk occupational sitting time was compared to <24 hr/wk for the 1990-2005 waves. Occupational sitting time increased by 18% in the Danish workforce, which seemed to be limited to people with high socio-economic status. If this increase is accompanied by increases in total sitting time, this development has serious public health implications, given the detrimental associations between total sitting time and mortality. The current study was inconclusive on the specific role that occupational sitting might play in the increased all-cause mortality risk associated with the total volume of sitting.

Danish translation, cultural adaption and initial psychometric evaluation of the patient feedback form.

PubMed

Tolstrup, Lærke K; Pappot, Helle; Zangger, Graziella; Bastholt, Lars; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Dieperink, Karin B

2018-04-27

No suitable Danish questionnaire exists to evaluate patient satisfaction with various patient reported outcome measures. Thus, the aim of this research project was to conduct a study on the translation and cultural adaption of an American patient reported experience measures questionnaire, "Patient Feedback Form", among Danish patients, and to examine selected psychometric properties within reliability. In the first phase of the study, the Patient Feedback Form was forward and backward translated following the methodology of existing guidelines. Subsequently, cognitive interviewing was performed with seven cancer patients and seven healthy persons (19-86 years old/6 men and 8 women) to ensure that questions were easy to understand and made sense to Danish interviewees. In the second phase, phone interviews were carried out with 95 prostate cancer patients after they had responded to the same Patient Feedback Form. Missing data was imputed using the Expectation-Maximization technique. To examine the structure of the questionnaire, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to investigate internal consistency. There were only minor disagreements in the translation process, and the reconciliation went smoothly (phase 1). With regard to one item, however, it was difficult to reach a consensus. Through the qualitative validation process, the right solution was found. The results from the psychometric testing (phase 2) showed that four factors had an Eigen value > 1, but only one factor was extracted as the Scree plot had a clear "elbow", showing a one factor structure that explained 46.1% of the variance. The internal consistency was high as Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. The translated, culturally adapted, and validated version of the Patient Feedback Form seems to be suitable for measuring satisfaction with patient reported outcome measures in a Danish setting. While the results should be treated with caution due to the small sample size, psychometric testing indicates that the questionnaire is a valid instrument. However, additional psychometric testing such as hypotheses testing, responsiveness, and test-retest on a larger and more diverse sample size is required to further verify the validity of the instrument.

An Early Danish Computer Game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jørgensen, Anker Helms

This paper reports on the development of Nimbi, which is an early computer game implemented at the Danish Computer Company Regnecentralen in 1962-63. Nimbi is a variant of the ancient game Nim. The paper traces the primary origins of the development of Nimbi. These include a mathematical analysis from 1901 of Nim that “killed the game” as the outcome could be predicted quite easily; the desire of the Danish inventor Piet Hein to make a game that eluded such analyses; and the desire of Piet Hein to have computers play games against humans. The development of Nimbi was successful in spite of considerable technical obstacles. However, it seems that the game was not used for publicizing the capabilities of computers - at least not widely - as was the case with earlier Nim implementations, such as the British Nim-playing computer Nimrod in 1951.

The psychosocial work environment among physicians employed at Danish oncology departments in 2009. A nationwide cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Andreassen, Christian Nicolaj; Eriksen, Jesper Grau

2013-01-01

Working as a physician at an oncology department has some distinctive characteristics that may lead to a stressful work environment. The present study was conducted to provide a nationwide description of the work conditions of all oncologists in Denmark. By comparing the results of the present study with those of a similar study carried out in 2006, the aim was furthermore to elucidate changes in the psychosocial work environment over time. From May to September 2009, 330 physicians employed at six oncology centres and seven community based oncology departments were invited to participate in a survey based on the short version of the COPSOQ II questionnaire. The results were compared with data from a representative section of Danish employees and with data from the 2006 survey. Two hundred and twenty of the 330 invited physicians returned the questionnaire (response rate 67%). Concerning the aspects quantitative demands, work pace, emotional demands, influence, burnout and stress, the oncologists reported worse work conditions than the average Danish employee. However, with regard to possibilities for development, meaning of work and commitment to workplace, the oncologists reported better work conditions. Between 2006 and 2009, substantial improvement was seen concerning several of the assessed work environment aspects within the group of young physicians at the oncology centres. Though substantial improvement of the work conditions has been achieved between 2006 and 2009, certain aspects of the psychosocial work environment at Danish oncology departments still require attention.

Instrument translation and initial psychometric evaluation of the Danish Body Image Quality of Life Inventory.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Trine Bernholdt; Berg, Selina Kikkenborg; Dixon, Jane; Moons, Philip; Konradsen, Hanne

2016-12-01

Negative body perception has been reported in a number of patient populations. No instrument in Danish for measuring body image-related concerns has been available. Without such an instrument, understanding of the phenomenon in Danish-speaking populations is limited. The purpose of the study was thus to translate and validate a Danish version of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI), in order to obtain a valid instrument applicable for healthcare research. The study consisted of two phases: (i) instrument adaptation, including forward and back translation, expert committee comparisons and cognitive interviewing, and (ii) empirical testing of the Danish version (BIQLI-DA) with subsequent psychometric evaluation. Hypothesised correlations to other measures, including body mass index (BMI), Medical Outcome Short Form-8 (SF-8), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder-7 and Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R ® ) were tested. In addition, exploratory factor structure analysis (EFA) and internal consistency on item and scale level were performed. The adapted instrument was found to be semantically sound, yet concerns about face validity did arise through cognitive interviews. Danish college students (n = 189, 65 men, M age = 21.1 years) participated in the piloting of the BIQLI-DA. Convergent construct validity was demonstrated through associations to related constructs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a potential subscale structure. Finally, results showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). Support for the validity of the BIQLI-DA might have been strengthened by repeating cognitive interviews after layout alterations, by piloting the instrument on a larger sample. This study demonstrated tentative support for the validity of the Danish Body Image Quality of Life (BIQLI-DA) and found the measure to be reliable in terms of internal consistency. Further exploration of response processes and construct validity is needed. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

[Difficulties in the IT solutions of the Danish health-care system].

PubMed

Kildebro, Niels; Fergo, Charlotte; Rosenberg, Jacob

2014-12-08

The IT solutions of the Danish health-care system have been under criticism. Especially the time spent on login. We examined if the daily recommended pelvic floor muscle training could be achieved during login. Login time was measured on five laptops used in daily care in a hospital. Time to conduct pelvic floor training was measured in six volunteers. Median login time/day was 77 minutes and four seconds, and median time to complete exercises was 35 minutes and 14 seconds. The hypothesis was verified, and further studies to optimize time spent on login are recommended. not relevant. not relevant.

Strategy or No Strategy: Explaining the Absence of a Danish National Security Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-13

the very people who are trying to protect and advance Danish interests. These experiences have led me to explore and try to understand the absence...France (Jackson and Soerensen 2007). 4These effects are thoroughly described in complexity theory as in systems thinking . 8...literature fails to examine how alliance policies interact with strategic thinking , or how small states can apply strategy as a leverage to maximize

Against all odds? Understanding the emergence of accreditation of the Danish hospitals.

PubMed

Triantafillou, Peter

2014-01-01

Despite intense critique from various parts of the medical professions, Danish hospitals have been subjected to a mandatory accreditation system known as the Danish Quality Model (Den Danske Kvalitetsmodel, DDKM) since 2009. The notion of government assemblage is employed to understand how and why, in the face of these obstacles, DDKM was ultimately implemented. It is argued that DDKM is the result of the emergence of hospital quality management assemblage in 1980s and 1990s made up by new methods of categorizing disease treatments, computerization of such treatments, concerns over cost-effectiveness, complaint registration, the availability of international hospital quality assessment systems, the mobilization of organized medical interest groups, and a tradition of consultative policymaking procedures. This assemblage was crucial for identifying quality as a problem in need of administrative intervention and for shaping the political struggle over how best to assure the quality of hospital services. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer in first-degree relatives and risk of testicular cancer in Denmark

PubMed Central

Nordsborg, Rikke Baastrup; Meliker, Jaymie R.; Wohlfahrt, Jan; Melbye, Mads; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

2011-01-01

Familial aggregation of testicular cancer has been reported consistently, but it is less clear if there is any association between risk of testicular cancer and other cancers in the family. We conducted a population based case-control study to examine the relationship between risk of testicular cancer and 22 different cancers in first-degree relatives. We included 3297 cases of testicular cancer notified to the Danish Cancer Registry between 1991 and 2003. 6594 matched controls were selected from the Danish Civil Registration System, which also provided the identity of 40,104 first-degree relatives of case and controls. Familial cancer was identified by linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry, and we used conditional logistic regression to analyse whether cancer among first-degree relatives was associated with higher risk of testicular cancer. Rate ratio (RR) for testicular cancer was 4.63 (95% CI: 2.41–8.87) when a father, 8.30(95% CI: 3.81–18.10) when a brother and 5.23 (95% CI: 1.35–20.26) when a son had testicular cancer compared with no familial testicular cancer. Results were similar when analyses were stratified by histologic subtypes of testicular cancer. Familial Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and oesophageal cancer were associated with testicular cancer; however these may be chance findings. The familial aggregation of testicular and possibly other cancers may be explained by shared genes and/or shared environmental factors, but the mutual importance of each of these is difficult to determine. PMID:21207375

Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis: A Danish population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Nielsen, Nete M; Westergaard, Tine; Frisch, Morten; Rostgaard, Klaus; Wohlfahrt, Jan; Koch-Henriksen, Nils; Melbye, Mads; Hjalgrim, Henrik

2006-07-01

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) and multiple sclerosis (MS) contribute considerably to the burden of autoimmune diseases in young adults. Although HLA patterns of T1D and MS are considered mutually exclusive, individual and familial co-occurrence of the 2 diseases has been reported. To assess the co-occurrence of T1D and MS by estimating the risk for MS in patients with T1D and the risk for T1D in first-degree relatives of patients with MS. Two population-based disease registers, the Danish Hospital Discharge Register and the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Register were used to identify patients with T1D, defined as patients in whom diabetes was diagnosed before age 20 years (N = 6078), and patients with MS (N = 11 862). First-degree relatives (N = 14,771) of patients with MS were identified from family information in the Danish Civil Registration System. Patients with T1D and first-degree relatives of patients with MS were followed up for occurrence of MS and T1D, respectively, and the relative risks were expressed as standardized incidence ratios, that is, ratios of observed to expected numbers of outcomes based on national age, sex, and period-specific MS and T1D incidence rates. Patients with T1D were at more than 3-fold increased risk for development of MS (relative risk, 3.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.80-5.88; n = 11). First-degree relatives of patients with MS were at 63% increased risk (relative risk, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.12; n = 56) for development of T1D. However, adjusting for familial relationship to patients with T1D reduced the excess risk to 44% (relative risk, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.88; n = 56). The present nationwide cohort study demonstrates an intraindividual and, to a lesser degree, an intrafamilial co-occurrence of MS and T1D.

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in Danish Twins.

PubMed

Andersen, Michael Asger; Bjerrum, Ole Weis; Ranjan, Ajenthen; Skov, Vibe; Kruse, Torben A; Thomassen, Mads; Skytthe, Axel; Hasselbalch, Hans Carl; Christensen, Kaare

2018-01-01

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by clonal hyperproliferation of immature and mature cells of the myeloid lineage. Genetic differences have been proposed to play a role in the development of MPNs. Monozygotic twin pairs with MPNs have been reported in a few case reports, but the MPN concordance pattern in twins remains unknown. All twin pairs born in the period 1900-2010 were identified in the nationwide Danish Twin Registry. Only pairs with both twins alive on January 1, 1977, and those born thereafter were included to allow identification in the Danish National Patient Registry. A total of 158 twin pairs were registered with an MPN diagnosis: 36 monozygotic, 104 dizygotic, and 18 pairs with unknown zygosity. MPNs were diagnosed in both twins in 4 pairs. The probandwise concordance rates for monozygotic twin pairs were higher than for dizygotic twin pairs (15 vs. 0%; p = 0.016). An estimated concordance rate of 15% (95% CI 0.059-0.31) is modest, but given the rarity of MPNs this finding is clinically relevant and provides further support for the role of genetic predisposition in the development of MPNs. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Evaluation of an open-rota system in a Danish psychiatric hospital: a mechanism for improving job satisfaction and work-life balance.

PubMed

Pryce, Joanna; Albertsen, Karen; Nielsen, Karina

2006-05-01

To evaluate the impact of an open-rota scheduling system on the health, work-life balance and job satisfaction of nurses working in a psychiatric ward in Denmark. The effects of shift rotation and scheduling are well known; however, little is known about the wider benefits of open-rota systems. Method A structured questionnaire was distributed to control and intervention groups preintervention and postintervention (20 months). Nurses within the intervention group trialed an open-rota system in which nurses designed their own work-rest schedules. Nurses in the intervention group reported that they were more satisfied with their work hours, less likely to swap their shift when working within the open-rota system and reported significant increases in work-life balance, job satisfaction, social support and community spirit when compared with nurses in the control groups. The ownership and choice over work-rest schedules has benefits for nurses, and potentially the hospital.

The Danish Inguinal Hernia database.

PubMed

Friis-Andersen, Hans; Bisgaard, Thue

2016-01-01

To monitor and improve nation-wide surgical outcome after groin hernia repair based on scientific evidence-based surgical strategies for the national and international surgical community. Patients ≥18 years operated for groin hernia. Type and size of hernia, primary or recurrent, type of surgical repair procedure, mesh and mesh fixation methods. According to the Danish National Health Act, surgeons are obliged to register all hernia repairs immediately after surgery (3 minute registration time). All institutions have continuous access to their own data stratified on individual surgeons. Registrations are based on a closed, protected Internet system requiring personal codes also identifying the operating institution. A national steering committee consisting of 13 voluntary and dedicated surgeons, 11 of whom are unpaid, handles the medical management of the database. The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database comprises intraoperative data from >130,000 repairs (May 2015). A total of 49 peer-reviewed national and international publications have been published from the database (June 2015). The Danish Inguinal Hernia Database is fully active monitoring surgical quality and contributes to the national and international surgical society to improve outcome after groin hernia repair.

Family functioning and perceived support from nurses during cancer treatment among Danish and Australian patients and their families.

PubMed

Dieperink, Karin B; Coyne, Elisabeth; Creedy, Debra K; Østergaard, Birte

2018-01-01

This study aimed to compare family functioning and perceptions of support from nurses among Danish and Australian adult oncology patients and family members. Family can have a strong influence on the health of individuals, providing support during a health crisis such as cancer. However, family functioning and supportive care from nurses may vary across cultures and settings. A descriptive, cross-sectional comparative design with patients and family members from Denmark and Australia. Participants were asked to fill in translated versions of the Iceland-Expressive Family Functioning Questionnaire (ICE-EFFQ) and Iceland-Expressive Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ). In total, 232 participants were recruited. The Danish cohort consisted of 56 patients and 54 family members. The Australian cohort consisted of 83 patients and 39 family members. Mean age was 59 years. No significant differences were found between Danish and Australian families. However, compared to patients, family members reported significantly lower overall family functioning, expressive emotions and communication, as well as less emotional support from nurses. Family functioning was comparable between Denmark and Australia. Family members reported less emotional support than patients. Nurses need to consider the patient and the family as a unit with complex needs that require monitoring and attention during oncology treatment. Families supporting a member with cancer have significant and often unmet needs. Assessment, information-sharing and health education need to include the family. Supportive care information may be shared between Denmark and Australia and inspires the development of common guidelines for optimal family nursing practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chronic Neurodegenerative Illnesses and Epilepsy in Danish Adventists and Baptists: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

PubMed

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Gimsing, Louise NØrreslet; Bautz, Andrea; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Johansen, Christoffer

2017-01-01

Limited knowledge of the influence of lifestyle risk factors and religious living on chronic neurological diseases exists. Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) do not consume tobacco, alcohol, or pork, and many adhere to lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, and Baptists discourage excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. We investigated whether the incidence of four common chronic neurological illnesses: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy in a large cohort of Danish Adventists and Baptists was different compared to the general Danish population. Three of the illnesses are neurodegenerative, whereas epilepsy can occur at any age. We compared hospital admission rates for some major neurological diseases among members of the Danish Religious Societies Health Study comprising 6,532 SDA and 3,720 Baptists with the general Danish population. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) stratified by sex, age, and calendar time were calculated. SIR of dementia or Alzheimer's disease was significantly decreased for members of both communities (SDA, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-#x2013;0.90 and Baptists, 0.59; 0.47-#x2013;0.73). The SIRs of Parkinson's disease and epilepsy were not significantly different compared to the general population. We observe reduced incidence for dementia or Alzheimer's disease in a large cohort of members of two religious communities characterized by lifestyle recommendations. More studies are needed to disentangle the interaction between such lifestyle and other components of the religious belief system.

Bovine renal lipofuscinosis: prevalence, genetics and impact on milk production and weight at slaughter in Danish cattle.

PubMed

Agerholm, Jørgen S; Christensen, Knud; Nielsen, Søren Saxmose; Flagstad, Pia

2009-02-12

Bovine renal lipofuscinosis (BRL) is an incidental finding in cattle at slaughter. Condemnation of the kidneys as unfit for human consumption was until recently considered the only implication of BRL. Recent studies have indicated a negative influence on the health of affected animals. The present study investigated the prevalence, genetics and effect of BRL on milk yield and weight at slaughter. BRL status of slaughter cattle was recorded at four abattoirs during a 2-year-period. Data regarding breed, age, genetic descent, milk yield and weight at slaughter were extracted from the Danish Cattle Database. The prevalence of BRL was estimated stratified by breed and age-group. Furthermore, total milk yield, milk yield in last full lactation and weight at slaughter were compared for BRL-affected and non-affected Danish Holsteins and Danish Red cattle. 433,759 bovines were slaughtered and 787 of these had BRL. BRL was mainly diagnosed in Danish Red, Danish Holstein and crossbreds. The age of BRL affected animals varied from 11 months to 13 years, but BRL was rarely diagnosed in cattle less than 2 years of age.The total lifelong energy corrected milk (ECM) yields were 3,136 and 4,083 kg higher for BRL affected Danish Red and Danish Holsteins, respectively. However, the median life span of affected animals was 4.9 months longer, and age-corrected total milk yield was 1,284 kg lower for BRL affected Danish Red cows. These cows produced 318 kg ECM less in their last full lactation. Weight at slaughter was not affected by BRL status.The cases occurred in patterns consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance and several family clusters of BRL were found. Analysis of segregation ratios demonstrated the expected ratio for Danish Red cattle, but not for Danish Holsteins. The study confirmed that BRL is a common finding in Danish Holsteins and Danish Red cattle at slaughter. The disorder is associated with increased total milk yield due to a longer production life. However, a reduced milk yield was detected in the end of the production life in Danish Red. The study supports that BRL is inherited autosomal recessively in the Danish Red breed and Danish Holsteins, but with incomplete penetrance of the genotype in Danish Holsteins.

[Sandfly virus meningitis in a Danish traveller returning from Tuscany].

PubMed

Nissen, Nanna Bang; Jespersen, Sanne; Vinner, Lasse; Fomsgaard, Anders; Laursen, Alex

2011-10-03

We report the first case of Sandfly virus meningitis in a Danish traveller returning from Tuscany. A 52 year-old man was admitted with headache, fever and photophobia. Spinal fluid showed evidence of aseptic meningitis. Indirect immuno-fluorescence assays showed presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG antibodies reactive against Toscana virus, and Phlebovirus RNA was detected in blood by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The patient recovered spontaneously. Since Sandfly virus is a very common cause of meningitis in the Mediterranean countries, it is important to be aware of this disease in travellers returning from these areas.

Interorganisational Integration: Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators within the Danish Healthcare System

PubMed Central

Godtfredsen, Nina Skavlan; Frølich, Anne

2016-01-01

Introduction: Despite many initiatives to improve coordination of patient pathways and intersectoral cooperation, Danish health care is still fragmented, lacking intra- and interorganisational integration. This study explores barriers to and facilitators of interorganisational integration as perceived by healthcare professionals caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within the Danish healthcare system. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted in January through July 2014 with 21 informants from general practice, local healthcare centres and a pulmonary department at a university hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark. Results and discussion: Our results can be grouped into five influencing areas for interorganisational integration: communication/information transfer, committed leadership, patient engagement, the role and competencies of the general practitioner and organisational culture. Proposed solutions to barriers in each area hold the potential to improve care integration as experienced by individuals responsible for supporting and facilitating it. Barriers and facilitators to integrating care relate to clinical, professional, functional and normative integration. Especially, clinical, functional and normative integration seems fundamental to developing integrated care in practice from the perspective of healthcare professionals. PMID:27616948

The Government Assistance Center: A Vehicle for Transitioning to the Host Government

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

trained radio operators to operate on a 24-hour schedule. The communica- tions facility also creates and issues cards with Center radio frequencies...Successful but not Sufficient,” DIIS Report 2005: 6 (Copenhagen: Danish Institute for International Studies Report, 2005), 11. 10. Barbara

The relationship between macroeconomic and industry-specific business cycle indicators and work-related injuries among Danish construction workers.

PubMed

Nielsen, Kent Jacob; Lander, F; Lauritsen, J M

2015-04-01

The current study examines and compares the relationship between both macroeconomic and industry-specific business cycle indicators, and work-related injuries among construction workers in Denmark using emergency department (ED) injury data and also officially reported injuries to the Danish Working Environment Authority (WEA). The correlations between ED and WEA injury data from the catchment area of Odense University Hospital during the period 1984-2010 were tested separately for variability and trend with two general macroeconomic indicators (gross domestic product and the Danish unemployment rate) and two construction industry-specific indicators (gross value added and the number of employees). The results show that injury rates increase during economic booms and decrease during recessions. However, the regression coefficients were generally weak for both the ED (range 0.14-0.20) and WEA injuries (range 0.13-0.36). Furthermore, although there is some variability in the strength of the relationship of the different business cycle indicators, the relationships are generally not stronger for the WEA injuries than for the ED injuries, except for general unemployment. Similarly, no substantial differences in strength of relation between industry-specific and macroeconomic indicators were identified. The study shows that there was no difference in the relationship between business cycle indicators, and WEA and ED injury data. This indicates that changes in reporting behaviour do not seem to play a major role in the relation between the business cycle and workplace injuries in a Danish context. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Sharing reference data and including cows in the reference population improve genomic predictions in Danish Jersey.

PubMed

Su, G; Ma, P; Nielsen, U S; Aamand, G P; Wiggans, G; Guldbrandtsen, B; Lund, M S

2016-06-01

Small reference populations limit the accuracy of genomic prediction in numerically small breeds, such like Danish Jersey. The objective of this study was to investigate two approaches to improve genomic prediction by increasing size of reference population in Danish Jersey. The first approach was to include North American Jersey bulls in Danish Jersey reference population. The second was to genotype cows and use them as reference animals. The validation of genomic prediction was carried out on bulls and cows, respectively. In validation on bulls, about 300 Danish bulls (depending on traits) born in 2005 and later were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1050 Danish bulls, (2) about 1050 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls. In validation on cows, about 3000 Danish cows from 87 young half-sib families were used as validation data, and the reference populations were: (1) about 1250 Danish bulls, (2) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 1150 US bulls, (3) about 1250 Danish bulls and about 4800 cows, (4) about 1250 Danish bulls, 1150 US bulls and 4800 Danish cows. Genomic best linear unbiased prediction model was used to predict breeding values. De-regressed proofs were used as response variables. In the validation on bulls for eight traits, the joint DK-US bull reference population led to higher reliability of genomic prediction than the DK bull reference population for six traits, but not for fertility and longevity. Averaged over the eight traits, the gain was 3 percentage points. In the validation on cows for six traits (fertility and longevity were not available), the gain from inclusion of US bull in reference population was 6.6 percentage points in average over the six traits, and the gain from inclusion of cows was 8.2 percentage points. However, the gains from cows and US bulls were not accumulative. The total gain of including both US bulls and Danish cows was 10.5 percentage points. The results indicate that sharing reference data and including cows in reference population are efficient approaches to increase reliability of genomic prediction. Therefore, genomic selection is promising for numerically small population.

Work assignments, delegation of tasks and job satisfaction among Danish dental hygienists.

PubMed

Hach, M; Aaberg, K B; Lempert, S M; Danielsen, B

2017-08-01

Recent legislation in Denmark has made it possible for dentists to delegate their tasks to dental hygienists. Previous studies have shown that Danish dental hygienists primarily were performing assignments within their own work field. These assignments include prophylaxis or instructing patients in oral health care. However, studies have also shown that Danish dental hygienists performed dental nurse assignments such as chair-side assistance, unit cleaning and disinfection of instruments. The objectives of this study were to investigate (i) the range of work assignments performed by Danish dental hygienists, (ii) the types of dentist tasks performed by Danish dental hygienists and (iii) job satisfaction among Danish dental hygienists. Dental hygienists graduating in 2004-2007 were invited to participate in this study. Participants answered an email-distributed questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding job satisfaction, assignments performed, postgraduate course attendance, receiving assistance from a dental nurse and which work assignments Danish dental hygienists wish to perform in the future. The results of this study showed that 90% of Danish dental hygienists were satisfied with their job and 52% were performing dentists' tasks. Among dentists' tasks performed by Danish dental hygienists, invasive caries therapy was the most frequently performed task. The type of assignments performed by Danish dental hygienists today appears to be changing compared to previous studies. From initially performing prophylaxis and chair-side assistance for the dentist, Danish dental hygienists today are performing a wider range of tasks which includes dentists' tasks. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ignorance is not bliss: The effect of systematic information on immigrants' knowledge of and satisfaction with the Danish healthcare system.

PubMed

Jervelund, Signe Smith; Maltesen, Thomas; Wimmelmann, Camilla Lawaetz; Petersen, Jørgen Holm; Krasnik, Allan

2017-03-01

Suboptimal healthcare utilisation and lower satisfaction with the patient-doctor encounter among immigrants has been documented. Immigrants' lack of familiarity with the healthcare system has been proposed as an explanation for this. This study investigated whether a systematic delivery of information affected immigrants' knowledge of and satisfaction with the Danish healthcare system. A prospective, randomised intervention study of 1158 adult immigrants attending two language schools in Copenhagen was conducted. Two intervention groups received written information or a 12-hour course on the Danish healthcare system, while a control group received nothing. Survey data included self-assessed knowledge, true/false questions on access and questions relating to satisfaction with the healthcare system. Data were linked to socioeconomic registry data. Logistic regression analyses were performed. The course improved knowledge of who to contact in the event of an accident (odds ratio (OR) = 2.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.56-4.59) but not in the event of illness. Further, it positively affected correct answers for nine out of 11 questions on the healthcare system (varying from OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.08-3.24 to OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.58-6.11). Written information positively affected correct answers for three out of 11 questions, but negatively affected one out of 11 compared with the control group. Neither intervention affected immigrants' satisfaction with the healthcare system. Knowledge of the healthcare system is necessary for optimal healthcare-seeking behaviour. The results may form the basis of national and international changes in immigrant reception and optimise immigrants' contact with the healthcare system.

Trends in leisure time physical activity, smoking, body mass index and alcohol consumption in Danish adults with and without diabetes: a repeat cross-sectional national survey covering the years 2000 to 2010.

PubMed

Molsted, Stig; Johnsen, Nina Føns; Snorgaard, Ole

2014-08-01

In recent decades there has been an increased focus on non-pharmacological treatment of diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate trends in leisure time physical activity (PA), smoking, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol consumption reported in 2000, 2005 and 2010 by Danish subjects with diabetes. Data comprised level of leisure time PA (inactive; moderate active; medium active; high active); smoking; BMI; and alcohol consumption, provided by The Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys. Participants older than 45 years with or without diabetes were included from cross-sectional analyses from 2000, 2005 and 2010. In participants with diabetes, leisure time PA levels increased from 2000 to 2010: The percentage of those that were physically active increased from 53.5% to 78.2% (p<0.001; women) and from 67.8% to 79.1% (p=0.01; men). The prevalence of daily smokers was reduced from 27.2% to 16.4%, p=0.015, in women with diabetes. In men with diabetes, BMI increased from 27.2 ± 4.0 to 28.6 ± 5.1 kgm(-2), p=0.003, and men who exceeded the maximum recommendation for alcohol consumption increased from 9.4% to 19.0%, p=0.007. The leisure time PA level was reduced in participants with diabetes compared to participants without diabetes throughout the study. The percentage of physically active Danish participants older than 45 years with diabetes increased from 2000 to 2010, and the most beneficial trends in life style were observed among the women. These trends may have serious implications for cardiovascular risk in Danish patients with diabetes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Localized Scleroderma, Systemic Sclerosis and Cardiovascular Risk: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study.

PubMed

Hesselvig, Jeanette Halskou; Kofoed, Kristian; Wu, Jashin J; Dreyer, Lene; Gislason, Gunnar; Ahlehoff, Ole

2018-03-13

Recent findings indicate that patients with systemic sclerosis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. To determine whether patients with systemic sclerosis or localized scleroderma are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a cohort study of the entire Danish population aged ≥ 18 and ≤ 100 years was conducted, followed from 1997 to 2011 by individual-level linkage of nationwide registries. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for a composite cardiovascular disease endpoint. A total of 697 patients with localized scleroderma and 1,962 patients with systemic sclerosis were identified and compared with 5,428,380 people in the reference population. In systemic sclerosis, the adjusted HR was 2.22 (95% confidence interval 1.99-2.48). No association was seen between patients with localized scleroderma and cardiovascular disease. In conclusion, systemic sclerosis is a significant cardiovascular disease risk factor, while patients with localized scleroderma are not at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Stress and Distress in Migration: Problems and Resources of Turkish Women in Denmark.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirdal, Gretty M.

1984-01-01

Seventy-two Turkish female immigrants reported problems created by the difficulty of adjusting to Danish culture and society, unemployment and overwork, isolation from other Turks, and sex role changes. Many interviewees reported stress-related illnesses, but overall the Turkish women were strong, resourceful, and determined to solve their…

Studies of the Future Aged. An International Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friis, Henning; Sheppard, Harold L., Ed.

These six papers report on future-oriented studies of the situation of the elderly. "Changing Elderly in a Changing Society: Danish Elderly in the Next Century" (Henning Friis) reports on research dealing with preferences of the future elderly for their life when they grow older. "Aging Effectively: Meeting the Challenge of an Aging…

EMS-physicians' self reported airway management training and expertise; a descriptive study from the Central Region of Denmark

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Prehospital advanced airway management, including prehospital endotracheal intubation is challenging and recent papers have addressed the need for proper training, skill maintenance and quality control for emergency medical service personnel. The aim of this study was to provide data regarding airway management-training and expertise from the regional physician-staffed emergency medical service (EMS). Methods The EMS in this part of The Central Region of Denmark is a two tiered system. The second tier comprises physician staffed Mobile Emergency Care Units. The medical directors of the programs supplied system data. A questionnaire addressing airway management experience, training and knowledge was sent to the EMS-physicians. Results There are no specific guidelines, standard operating procedures or standardised program for obtaining and maintaining skills regarding prehospital advanced airway management in the schemes covered by this study. 53/67 physicians responded; 98,1% were specialists in anesthesiology, with an average of 17,6 years of experience in anesthesiology, and 7,2 years experience as EMS-physicians. 84,9% reported having attended life support course(s), 64,2% an advanced airway management course. 24,5% fulfilled the curriculum suggested for Danish EMS physicians. 47,2% had encountered a difficult or impossible PHETI, most commonly in a patient in cardiac arrest or a trauma patient. Only 20,8% of the physicians were completely familiar with what back-up devices were available for airway management. Conclusions In this, the first Danish study of prehospital advanced airway management, we found a high degree of experience, education and training among the EMS-physicians, but their equipment awareness was limited. Check-outs, guidelines, standard operating procedures and other quality control measures may be needed. PMID:21303510

The colostomy impact score: development and validation of a patient reported outcome measure for rectal cancer patients with a permanent colostomy. A population-based study.

PubMed

Thyø, A; Emmertsen, K J; Pinkney, T D; Christensen, P; Laurberg, S

2017-01-01

The aim was to develop and validate a simple scoring system evaluating the impact of colostomy dysfunction on quality of life (QOL) in patients with a permanent stoma after rectal cancer treatment. In this population-based study, 610 patients with a permanent colostomy after previous rectal cancer treatment during the period 2001-2007 completed two questionnaires: (i) the basic stoma questionnaire consisting of 22 items about stoma function with one anchor question addressing the overall stoma impact on QOL and (ii) the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ) C30. Answers from half of the cohort were used to develop the score and subsequently validated on the remaining half. Logistic regression analyses identified and selected items for the score and multivariate analysis established the score value allocated to each item. The colostomy impact score includes seven items with a total range from 0 to 38 points. A score of ≥ 10 indicates major colostomy impact (Major CI). The score has a sensitivity of 85.7% for detecting patients with significant stoma impact on QOL. Using the EORTC QLQ scales, patients with Major CI experienced significant impairment in their QOL compared to the Minor CI group. This new scoring system appears valid for the assessment of the impact on QOL from having a permanent colostomy in a Danish rectal cancer population. It requires validation in non-Danish populations prior to its acceptance as a valuable patient-reported outcome measure for patients internationally. Colorectal Disease © 2016 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Developing and Evaluating a Multimodal Course Format: Danish for Knowledge Workers--Labour Market-Related Danish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederiksen, Karen-Margrete; Laursen, Katja Årosin

2015-01-01

This paper presents our reflections on developing the Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course "Danish for knowledge workers--labour market-related Danish." As defined by Laursen and Frederiksen (2015), knowledge workers are "highly educated people who typically work at universities, at other institutions of higher…

Association between hypoglycaemia and impaired hypoglycaemia awareness and mortality in people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Sejling, A-S; Schouwenberg, B; Faerch, L H; Thorsteinsson, B; de Galan, B E; Pedersen-Bjergaard, U

2016-01-01

To examine whether severe hypoglycaemia and impaired hypoglycaemic awareness, a principal predictor of severe hypoglycaemia, are associated with all-cause mortality or cardiovascular mortality in Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Mortality was recorded in two cohorts, one in Denmark (n = 269, follow-up 12 years) and one in the Netherlands (n = 482, follow-up 6.5 years). In both cohorts, awareness class was characterized and numbers of episodes of severe hypoglycaemia either during lifetime (Danish cohort) or during the preceding year (Dutch cohort) were recorded. In addition, episodes of severe hypoglycaemia were prospectively recorded every month for 1 year in the Danish cohort. Follow-up data regarding mortality were obtained through medical reports and registries (Danish cohort). All-cause mortality was 14% (n = 39) in the Danish and 4% (n = 20) in the Dutch cohort. In either cohort, neither presence of episodes with severe hypoglycaemia nor impaired hypoglycaemia awareness were associated with increased mortality in age-truncated Cox proportional hazard regression models. Variables associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in both cohorts were evidence of macrovascular disease and reduced kidney function. Severe hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia unawareness are not associated with increased risk of all-cause or cardiovascular mortality in people with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. © 2015 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2015 Diabetes UK.

The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry: establishment, completeness and validity.

PubMed

Hansen, Steinbjørn; Nielsen, Jan; Laursen, René J; Rasmussen, Birthe Krogh; Nørgård, Bente Mertz; Gradel, Kim Oren; Guldberg, Rikke

2016-08-30

The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) is a nationwide clinical cancer database that has prospectively registered data on patients with gliomas since January 2009. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the DNOR and further to evaluate the database completeness of patient registration and validity of data. The completeness of the number of patients registered in the database was evaluated in the study period from January 2009 through December 2014 by comparing cases reported to the DNOR with the Danish National Patient Registry and the Danish Pathology Registry. The data validity of important clinical variables was evaluated by a random sample of 100 patients from the DNOR using the medical records as reference. A total of 2241 patients were registered in the DNOR by December 2014 with an overall patient completeness of 92 %, which increased during the study period (from 78 % in 2009 to 96 % in 2014). Medical records were available for all patients in the validity analyses. Most variables showed a high agreement proportion (56-100 %), with a fair to good chance-corrected agreement (k = 0.43-1.0). The completeness of patient registration was very high (92 %) and the validity of the most important patient data was good. The DNOR is a newly established national database, which is a reliable source for future scientific studies and clinical quality assessments among patients with gliomas.

Pharmaceutical information systems and possible implementations of informed consent -- developing an heuristic.

PubMed

Ploug, Thomas; Holm, Søren

2012-11-16

Denmark has implemented a comprehensive, nationwide pharmaceutical information system, and this system has been evaluated by the Danish Council of Ethics. The system can be seen as an exemplar of a comprehensive health information system for clinical use. The paper analyses 1) how informed consent can be implemented in the system and how different implementations create different impacts on autonomy and control of information, and 2) arguments directed towards justifying not seeking informed consent in this context. Based on the analysis a heuristic is provided which enables a ranking and estimation of the impact on autonomy and control of information of different options for consent to entry of data into the system and use of data from the system.The danger of routinisation of consent is identified.The Danish pharmaceutical information system raises issues in relation to autonomy and control of information, issues that will also occur in relation to other similar comprehensive health information systems. Some of these issues are well understood and their impact can be judged using the heuristic which is provided. More research is, however needed in relation to routinisation of consent.

The development and use of a new methodology to reconstruct courses of admission and ambulatory care based on the Danish National Patient Registry.

PubMed

Gubbels, Sophie; Nielsen, Kenn Schultz; Sandegaard, Jakob; Mølbak, Kåre; Nielsen, Jens

2016-11-01

The Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR) contains clinical and administrative data on all patients treated in Danish hospitals. The data model used for reporting is based on standardized coding of contacts rather than courses of admissions and ambulatory care. To reconstruct a coherent picture of courses of admission and ambulatory care, we designed an algorithm with 28 rules that manages transfers between departments, between hospitals and inconsistencies in the data, e.g., missing time stamps, overlaps and gaps. We used data from patients admitted between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2014. After application of the DNPR algorithm, we estimated an average of 1,149,616 courses of admission per year or 205 hospitalizations per 1000 inhabitants per year. The median length of stay decreased from 1.58days in 2010 to 1.29days in 2014. The number of transfers between departments within a hospital increased from 111,576 to 176,134 while the number of transfers between hospitals decreased from 68,522 to 61,203. We standardized a 28-rule algorithm to relate registrations in the DNPR to each other in a coherent way. With the algorithm, we estimated 1.15 million courses of admissions per year, which probably reflects a more accurate estimate than the estimates that have been published previously. Courses of admission became shorter between 2010 and 2014 and outpatient contacts longer. These figures are compatible with a cost-conscious secondary healthcare system undertaking specialized treatment within a hospital and limiting referral to advanced services at other hospitals. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Validating the Danish adaptation of the World Health Organization's International Classification for Patient Safety classification of patient safety incident types

PubMed Central

Mikkelsen, Kim Lyngby; Thommesen, Jacob; Andersen, Henning Boje

2013-01-01

Objectives Validation of a Danish patient safety incident classification adapted from the World Health Organizaton's International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS-WHO). Design Thirty-three hospital safety management experts classified 58 safety incident cases selected to represent all types and subtypes of the Danish adaptation of the ICPS (ICPS-DK). Outcome Measures Two measures of inter-rater agreement: kappa and intra-class correlation (ICC). Results An average number of incident types used per case per rater was 2.5. The mean ICC was 0.521 (range: 0.199–0.809) and the mean kappa was 0.513 (range: 0.193–0.804). Kappa and ICC showed high correlation (r = 0.99). An inverse correlation was found between the prevalence of type and inter-rater reliability. Results are discussed according to four factors known to determine the inter-rater agreement: skill and motivation of raters; clarity of case descriptions; clarity of the operational definitions of the types and the instructions guiding the coding process; adequacy of the underlying classification scheme. Conclusions The incident types of the ICPS-DK are adequate, exhaustive and well suited for classifying and structuring incident reports. With a mean kappa a little above 0.5 the inter-rater agreement of the classification system is considered ‘fair’ to ‘good’. The wide variation in the inter-rater reliability and low reliability and poor discrimination among the highly prevalent incident types suggest that for these types, precisely defined incident sub-types may be preferred. This evaluation of the reliability and usability of WHO's ICPS should be useful for healthcare administrations that consider or are in the process of adapting the ICPS. PMID:23287641

Occupational Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a Danish Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Würtz, Else Toft; Schlünssen, Vivi; Malling, Tine Halsen; Hansen, Jens Georg; Omland, Øyvind

2015-08-01

The aim was to explore the impact of occupation on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a cross-sectional population-based study among subjects aged 45 to 84 years. In a stratified sampling 89 general practitioners practices (GPP) in Denmark recruited 3106 males and 1636 females through the Danish Civil Registration System. COPD was defined by spirometry by the 2.5(th)-centile Lower Limit of Normal of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. Information about smoking, occupational exposure and the respective occupations were obtained from questionnaires. Occupations followed the Danish adaptation of The International Standard Classification of Occupations, revision 1988 (DISCO-88). Exposure to vapour, gas, dust (organic and inorganic), and fume (VGDF) in each occupation (yes/no) was evaluated by two independent specialist in occupational medicine. Exposures were divided in no, low, medium, and high exposure as 0, < 5, 5-14, and ≥ 15 years in the job, respectively. Data was analysed by a mixed random effect logistic regression model. The age-standardised COPD study prevalence was 5.0%. Of 372 DISCO-88 codes 72 were identified with relevant exposure to VGDF. 46% of the participants reported at least one occupation with VGDF exposure. Adjusted for smoking, age, sex, and GPP a dose-dependent association of COPD was found among workers in jobs with high organic dust exposure, with OR 1.56 (95% CI 1.09-2.24). Restricted to agriculture the OR was 1.59 (95% CI: 1.08-2.33). No association was observed for workers in jobs with inorganic dust, fume/gas, or vapour exposures. In summary, occupational organic dust exposure was associated to the prevalence of COPD.

Daily Report, Supplement, East Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-28

science, technological strategic research, and humanistic , regional, innovative research for the needs of the Federal Assembly and federal...histories (Swedish, Danish, Nor- wegian...), but through certain " existential " characteris- tics. For example, how time was determined, what the family

Semantic Categorization of Placement Verbs in L1 and L2 Danish and Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadierno, Teresa; Ibarretxe-Antuñano, Iraide; Hijazo-Gascón, Alberto

2016-01-01

This study investigates semantic categorization of the meaning of placement verbs by Danish and Spanish native speakers and two groups of intermediate second language (L2) learners (Danish learners of L2 Spanish and Spanish learners of L2 Danish). Participants described 31 video clips picturing different types of placement events. Cluster analyses…

International or national publication of case reports.

PubMed

Lundh, Andreas; Christensen, Mikkel; Jørgensen, Anders W

2011-02-01

Case reports are often regarded as second-class research, but are an important part of medical science as they often present first evidence of new discoveries. We here describe the type of case reports published in a Danish general medical journal. We included all case reports published in Ugeskrift for Laeger in 2009. For each report, two authors extracted information on study characteristics and classified the relevance and the role of the report. We included 139 case reports written in Danish. Thirty-nine (28%) were of general relevance and 100 (72%) of speciality relevance. The median number of authors was three (range: 1-7). The first author was a non-specialist physician in 119 (86%) of the reports and the last author a specialist in 103 (78%). A total of 124 (89%) reports had an educational role, six (4%) dealt with new diseases, two (1%) with new side effects, three (2%) with new mechanisms and four (3%) were curiosities. A total of 59 (42%) reports were surgical, 64 (46%) non-surgical and 16 (12%) paraclinical. We found that most case reports published in Ugeskrift for Laeger were of speciality relevance and had an educational perspective. The journal may consider focusing on cases of more general educational relevance and should also consider whether the current form and language suit the aim and role of the various types of case reports.

Need for better analgesic treatment after tonsillectomy in ear, nose and throat practices.

PubMed

Kamarauskas, Audrius; Dahl, Mads Ronald; Hlidarsdottir, Tinna; Mainz, Jan; Ovesen, Therese

2013-05-01

The objective of this study was to investigate patient-reported outcomes on quality (PRO) of outpatient tonsillectomy in Danish ear, nose and throat practices in terms of indicators, standards and prognostic factors. Patients filled in a post-operative questionnaire three weeks after tonsillectomy. The questions were focused on the preoperative information about the procedure. Unscheduled contacts to Danish health care after the tonsillectomy and number of days absent from work/school were reported. A pain score was indicated daily during the first 14 post-operative days. A total of 89% of the 614 enrolled patients returned the questionnaire. 30% were dissatisfied with the information they had been afforded about post-operative complications and risks and 23% had unscheduled contacts to Danish health care. The daily pain score and absence from work/school were significantly higher among adults (> 15 years) than among children. The pain score correlated significantly with absence from work/school, unscheduled contacts and short observation time. PRO was significantly influenced by the length of the observation time before discharge, and a higher pain score was associated with a lower satisfaction with preoperative information about complications/risks. Most patients/parents are satisfied with outpatient tonsillectomy. However, the post-operative pain control needs revision, the preoperative information should be intensified and the observation of the patients before discharge should be extended. not relevant. not relevant.

Cross-sectional survey on the use and impact of the Danish national antibiotic use guidelines for companion animal practice.

PubMed

Jessen, Lisbeth Rem; Sørensen, Tina Møller; Lilja, Zenia Littau; Kristensen, Maja; Hald, Tine; Damborg, Peter

2017-12-11

The Danish antibiotic use guidelines for companion animal practice were published by the Danish Veterinary Association in 2012. Since then, national surveillance data indicate a 10% reduction in the total use of antibiotics for companion animals, particularly a marked reduction in the use of third generation cephalosporins. The aim of the study was to assess if and how the guidelines have impacted diagnostic and antibiotic prescription habits of the users, and to identify user perceived barriers to implementation. An online questionnaire was sent to all 882 members of the Danish Small Animal Veterinary Association in October 2015. The survey was completed by 151 veterinarians. Respondents most frequently consulted the recommendations on skin and urinary tract infections (UTI), and users generally reported a high degree of adherence to the recommendations. Sixty-five per cent indicated that the guidelines had influenced their habits in one or more of the areas being investigated, i.e. perioperative use of antibiotics, use of first line antibiotics for the treatment of pyoderma or UTI, and/or use of microbiological diagnostics. Perioperative use of antibiotics for clean surgeries was uncommon, irrespective of whether respondents had consulted the relevant recommendations or not. On the contrary, significant differences in the prescribing habits between guideline users and non-users were observed for pyoderma and UTI, suggesting an impact of the guidelines towards more prudent antimicrobial use. The diagnostic habits were examined in a subgroup of 63 guideline users. Of those, 19 and 39% reported frequent use of culture and susceptibility (C&S) testing prior to treating pyoderma and UTI respectively, whereas 68-84% reported C&S testing in the event of poor response to treatment or recurrence of infections. The main barriers for implementation of therapeutic recommendations were confidence in old prescribing practices and unavailability of recommended drugs. The main barriers for C&S testing were good experience with empiric treatment, and the owners' financial situation. The findings suggest a positive influence of the national antibiotic guidelines on prescription patterns among companion animal practitioners in Denmark. Sustained campaign activity is encouraged and should include promotion of bacteriological testing.

Evaluation of temporal surveillance system sensitivity and freedom from bovine viral diarrhea in Danish dairy herds using scenario tree modelling.

PubMed

Foddai, Alessandro; Stockmarr, Anders; Boklund, Anette

2016-06-21

The temporal sensitivity of the surveillance system (TemSSe) for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) in Danish dairy herds was evaluated. Currently, the Danish antibody blocking ELISA is used to test quarterly bulk tank milk (BTM). To optimize the surveillance system as an early warning system, we considered the possibility of using the SVANOVIR ELISA, as this test has been shown to detect BVD-positive herds earlier than the blocking ELISA in BTM tests. Information from data (2010) and outputs from two published stochastic models were fed into a stochastic scenario tree to estimate the TemSSe. For that purpose we considered: the risk of BVD introduction into the dairy population, the ELISA used and the high risk period (HRP) from BVD introduction to testing (at 90 or 365 days). The effect of introducing one persistently infected (PI) calf or one transiently infected (TI) milking cow into 1 (or 8) dairy herd(s) was investigated. Additionally we estimated the confidence in low (PLow) herd prevalence (<8/4109 infected herds) and the confidence in complete freedom (PFree) from BVD (< 1/4109). The TemSSe, the PLow, and the PFree were higher, when tests were performed 365 days after BVD introduction, than after 90 days. Estimates were usually higher for the SVANOVIR than for the blocking ELISA, and when a PI rather than a TI was introduced into the herd(s). For instance, with the current system, the median TemSSe was 64.5 %, 90 days after a PI calf was introduced into eight dairy herds. The related median PLow was 72.5 %. When a PI calf was introduced into one herd the median TemSSe was 12.1 %, while the related PFree was 51.6 %. With the SVANOVIR ELISA these estimates were 99.0 %; 98.9 %, 43.7 % and 62.4 %, respectively. The replacement of the blocking ELISA with the SVANOVIR could increase the TemSSe, the PLow and PFree remarkably. Those results could be used to optimize the Danish BVD surveillance system. Furthermore, the approach proposed in this study, for including the effect of the HRP within the scenario tree methodology, could be applied to optimize early warning surveillance systems of different animal diseases.

Clustering of obesity and dental caries with lifestyle factors among Danish adolescents.

PubMed

Cinar, Ayse Basak; Christensen, Lisa Boge; Hede, Borge

2011-01-01

To assess any clustering between obesity, dental health, and lifestyle factors (dietary patterns, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption) among adolescents. A cluster sample of 15-year-old Danish adolescents (DA) from eight municipalities was selected. Self-reported questionnaires for adolescents and their mothers to assess body-mass index (BMI), socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, and clinical examinations to examine adolescents' dental status (DMFT) were used. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and factor analysis were applied. The mean DMFT was 2.03 and mean BMI was 21.30 among DA.Of the whole sample, 62% experienced caries (DMFT > 0) and 16% were classified as obese. No association appeared between obesity and DMFT (p > 0.05). Most adolescents were likely to have breakfast every day (76%), but their daily consumption of fruit was lower (38%). More than half of adolescents reported having physical exercise (66%) and no alcohol consumption (57%). Smokers were more likely to consume alcohol (80%) but less likely to exercise (44%) than nonsmokers (alcohol consumption, 55%; exercise, 68%), (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis revealed that DMFT and obesity were interrelated in DA. In line with earlier studies, obesity and dental caries share common lifestyle factors among adolescents, regardless of nationality and different health-care systems. Thus, it seems that dental health is a global health concern. There is a need for collaboration between dental and general health-care providers to manage both obesity and dental caries in adolescents by using a holistic approach.

Implementing a nationwide criteria-based emergency medical dispatch system: A register-based follow-up study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A criteria-based nationwide Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) system was recently implemented in Denmark. We described the system and studied its ability to triage patients according to the severity of their condition by analysing hospital admission and case-fatality risks. Methods This was a register-based follow-up study of all 1-1-2 calls in a 6-month period that were triaged according to the Danish Index – the new criteria-based dispatch protocol. Danish Index data were linked with hospital and vital status data from national registries. Confidence intervals (95%) for proportions with binomial data were computed using exact methods. To test for trend the Wald test was used. Results Information on level of emergency according to the Danish Index rating was available for 67,135 patients who received ambulance service. Emergency level A (urgent cases) accounted for 51.4% (n = 34,489) of patients, emergency level B for 46.3% (n = 31,116), emergency level C for 2.1% (n = 1,391) and emergency level D for 0.2% (n = 139). For emergency level A, the median time from call receipt to ambulance dispatch was 2 min 1 s, and the median time to arrival was 6 min 11 s. Data concerning admission and case fatality was available for 55,270 patients. The hospital admission risk for emergency level A patients was 64.4% (95% CI = 63.8-64.9). There was a significant trend (p < 0.001) towards lower admission risks for patients with lower levels of emergency. The case fatality risk for emergency level A patients on the same day as the 1-1-2 call was 4.4% (95% CI = 4.1-4.6). The relative case-fatality risk among emergency level A patients compared to emergency level B–D patients was 14.3 (95% CI: 11.5-18.0). Conclusion The majority of patients were assessed as Danish Index emergency level A or B. Case fatality and hospital admission risks were substantially higher for emergency level A patients than for emergency level B–D patients. Thus, the newly implemented Danish criteria-based dispatch system seems to triage patients with high risk of admission and death to the highest level of emergency. Further studies are needed to determine the degree of over- and undertriage and prognostic factors. PMID:23835246

Burden and characteristics of influenza A and B in Danish intensive care units during the 2009/10 and 2010/11 influenza seasons.

PubMed

Gubbels, S; Krause, T G; Bragstad, K; Perner, A; Mølbak, K; Glismann, S

2013-04-01

Influenza surveillance in Danish intensive care units (ICUs) was performed during the 2009/10 and 2010/11 influenza seasons to monitor the burden on ICUs. All 44 Danish ICUs reported aggregate data for incidence and point prevalence, and case-based demographical and clinical parameters. Additional data on microbiological testing, vaccination and death were obtained from national registers. Ninety-six patients with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 were recorded in 2009/10; 106 with influenza A and 42 with influenza B in 2010/11. The mean age of influenza A patients was higher in 2010/11 than in 2009/10, 53 vs. 44 years (P = 0·004). No differences in other demographic and clinical parameters were detected between influenza A and B patients. In conclusion, the number of patients with severe influenza was higher in Denmark during the 2010/11 than the 2009/10 season with a shift towards older age groups in influenza A patients. Influenza B caused severe illness and needs consideration in clinical and public health policy.

Becoming a client of the Danish social service system increases stress in parents of disabled infants.

PubMed

Graungaard, Anette Hauskov; Skov, Liselotte; Andersen, John Sahl

2011-06-01

Parents of a young child with severe disabilities are facing a large range of new challenges; furthermore, most of these families have extended social needs regarding information, financial support, day care facilities, disability aids, etc. Many parents with disabled children have been found to be dissatisfied with social services. This study explores parents' experiences with Danish social services during their transition to a new daily life after the birth of a severely disabled child. Repeated qualitative interviews were performed individually with 16 parents of a severely disabled young child during the first two years after the diagnosis of the child's disabilities. Data were analysed using grounded theory. We found that the encounter with the social services increased stress in the families. Parental expectations were not met, especially regarding information; parents felt clientized, and obtaining social support was very resource consuming. Parents' needs regarding practical support and empathic case-working were not met and they spent much time and effort due to lacking continuity between sectors. Parents have specific needs when becoming clients in the social service system whose organisation of social services needs improvement. Health care professionals are advised to identify problems and support cooperation between the parents and the social service system, as well as to report the health-related consequences of prolonged and inefficient case-working for the child and its parents. was received from Socialministeriet, Landsforeningen LEV, Ronald McDonalds Børnefond, Susie og Peter Robinsohns fond, Rosalie Petersens fond, PLU-fonden, Ville Heises fond, Sygesikringens forskningsfond, Helsefonden, Elsass fonden. not relevant.

Potential for a Danish power system using wind energy generators, solar cells and storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blegaa, S.; Christiansen, G.

1981-10-01

Performance characteristics of a combined solar/wind power system equipped with storage and an unspecified back-up power source are studied on the basis of meteorological data in Denmark from 1959-1972. A model for annual production and storage from wind/solar installations is presented, assuming 12% efficiency for the solar cells and various power coefficients of the windmills, in addition to long and short-term storage. Noting that no correlation between wind and solar energy availability was found, and a constant ratio of 60% wind/40% solar was determined to be the optimum mix for large scale power production without taking into consideration the variations among years. It is concluded that 80-90% of the total Danish electrical load can be covered by solar/wind systems, and 100% may be possible with the addition of pumped hydroelectric storage.

Review of four publications on the Danish cohort study on mobile phone subscribers and risk of brain tumors.

PubMed

Söderqvist, Fredrik; Carlberg, Michael; Hardell, Lennart

2012-01-01

Since the International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emanating from mobile and cordless phones, as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B), two additional reports relevant to the topic have been published. Both articles were new updates of a Danish cohort on mobile phone subscribers and concern the possible association between assumed use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumors. The aim of the present review is to reexamine all four publications on this cohort. In brief, publications were scrutinized, and in particular, if the authors made explicit claims to have either proved or disproved their hypothesis, such claims were reviewed in light of applied methods and study design, and in principle, the stronger the claims, the more careful our review. The nationwide Danish cohort study on mobile phone subscribers and risk of brain tumors, including at best 420,095 persons (58% of the initial cohort), is the only one of its kind. In comparison with previous investigations, i.e., case-control studies, its strength lies in the possibility to eliminate non-response, selection, and recall bias. Although at least non-response and recall bias can be excluded, the study has serious limitations related to exposure assessment. In fact, these limitations cloud the findings of the four reports to such an extent that render them uninformative at best. At worst, they may be used in a seemingly solid argument against an increased risk--as reassuring results from a large nationwide cohort study, which rules out not only non-response and recall bias but also an increased risk as indicated by tight confidence intervals. Although two of the most comprehensive case-control studies on the matter both have methodological limitations that need to be carefully considered, type I errors are not the only threats to the validity of studies on this topic--the Danish cohort study is a textbook example of that.

Comparative Analysis of U.S. and Danish Army Leader Development Strategies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-08

Individualism (vs. Collectivism). (74) Is the society’s emphasis on the group ( collectivist ) or on the individual ( individualist ). Low characteristics...and tools to draw lessons learned for the Danish Armed Forces and the Danish Army in particular. Subsequently, the thesis applies a cultural ... cultural applicability test to assess whether the identified lessons learned from the U.S. Army Leader Development Strategy are applicable in a Danish

NATO’s partnerships: initiatives, institutions, and ideas

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-26

Studies ( DIIS ) Report, no. 2014:01 (February 2014): 35-46. Aybet, Gülnur, and Rebecca R. Moore, ed. NATO in Search of a Vision. Washington, DC...September 2, 2015. Flockhart, Trine. “Changing Partnerships in a Changing World”. Danish Institute for International Studies ( DIIS ) Report, no...Studies ( DIIS ) Report, no. 2011:02 (2011): 91-98. Lute, Douglas. “The Wales Summit: Strengthening NATO Partnerships”. November 20, 2014. Accessed August

The Danish version of the questionnaire on pain communication: preliminary validation in cancer patients.

PubMed

Jacobsen, R; Møldrup, C; Christrup, L; Sjøgren, P; Hansen, O B

2009-07-01

The modified version of the patients' Perceived Involvement in Care Scale (M-PICS) is a tool designed to assess cancer patients' perceptions of patient-health care provider pain communication process. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the shortened Danish version of the M-PICS (SDM-PICS). The validated English version of the M-PICS was translated into Danish following the repeated back-translation procedure. Cancer patients were recruited for the study from specialized pain management facilities. Thirty-three patients responded to the SDM-PICS, Danish Barriers Questionnaire II, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Brief Pain Inventory Pain Severity Scale. A factor analysis of the SDM-PICS resulted in two factors: Factor one, patient information, consisted of four items assessing the extent to which the patient shared information with his/her health care provider, and Factor two, health care provider information, consisted of four items measuring the degree to which a health care provider was perceived as the one who shares information. Two separate items addressed the perceived level of information exchange between the patient and the health care provider. The SDM-PICS total had an internal consistency of 0.88. The SDM-PICS scores were positively related to pain relief and inversely related to the measures of cognitive pain management barriers, anxiety, and reported pain levels. The SDM-PICS seems to be a reliable and valid measure of perceived patient-health care provider communication in the context of cancer pain.

Genetic analysis of predicted fatty acid profiles of milk from Danish Holstein and Danish Jersey cattle populations.

PubMed

Hein, L; Sørensen, L P; Kargo, M; Buitenhuis, A J

2018-03-01

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic variability of the detailed fatty acid (FA) profiles of Danish Holstein (DH) and Danish Jersey (DJ) cattle populations. We estimated genetic parameters for 11 FA or groups of FA in milk samples from the Danish milk control system between May 2015 and October 2016. Concentrations of different FA and FA groups in milk samples were measured by mid-infrared spectroscopy. Data used for parameter estimation were from 132,732 first-parity DH cows and 21,966 first-parity DJ cows. We found the highest heritabilities for test day measurements in both populations for short-chain FA (DH = 0.16; DJ = 0.16) and C16:0 (DH = 0.14; DJ = 0.16). In DH, the highest heritabilities were also found for saturated FA and monounsaturated FA (both populations: 0.15). Genetic correlations between the fatty acid traits showed large differences between DH and DJ for especially short-chain FA with the other FA traits measured. Furthermore, genetic correlations of total fat with monounsaturated FA, polyunsaturated FA, short-chain FA, and C16:0 differed markedly between DH and DJ populations. In conclusion, we found genetic variation in the mid-infrared spectroscopy-predicted FA and FA groups of the DH and DJ cattle populations. This finding opens the possibility of using genetic selection to change the FA profiles of dairy cattle. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Are Danish doctors comfortable teaching in English?

PubMed

Nilas, L; Løkkegaard, E C; Laursen, J B; Kling, J; Cortes, D

2016-08-27

From 2012-2015, the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of Pediatrics at the University of Copenhagen conducted a project, "Internationalization at Home ", offering clinical teaching in English. The project allowed international students to work with Danish speaking students in a clinical setting. Using semi-quantitative questionnaires to 89 clinicians about use of English and need for training, this paper considers if Danish clinical doctors are prepared to teach in English. The majority self-assessed their English proficiency between seven and eight on a 10 unit visual analogue scale, with 10 equivalent to working in Danish, while 15 % rated five or less. However, one-fourth found teaching and writing in English to be twice as difficult than in Danish, and 12 % rated all teaching tasks in English at four or less compared to Danish. The self-assessed need for additional English skills was perceived low. Teaching in English was rated as 30 % more difficult than in Danish, and a significant subgroup of doctors had difficulties in all forms of communication in English, resulting in challenges when introducing international students in non-native English speaking medical departments.

Healthcare System Information at Language Schools for Newly Arrived Immigrants: A Pertinent Setting in Times of Austerity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tynell, Lena Lyngholt; Wimmelmann, Camilla Lawaetz; Jervelund, Signe Smith

2017-01-01

Objective: In most European countries, immigrants do not systematically learn about the host countries' healthcare system when arriving. This study investigated how newly arrived immigrants perceived the information they received about the Danish healthcare system. Methods: Immigrants attending a language school in Copenhagen in 2012 received…

Pharmaceutical information systems and possible implementations of informed consent - developing an heuristic

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Denmark has implemented a comprehensive, nationwide pharmaceutical information system, and this system has been evaluated by the Danish Council of Ethics. The system can be seen as an exemplar of a comprehensive health information system for clinical use. Analysis The paper analyses 1) how informed consent can be implemented in the system and how different implementations create different impacts on autonomy and control of information, and 2) arguments directed towards justifying not seeking informed consent in this context. Results and Conclusion Based on the analysis a heuristic is provided which enables a ranking and estimation of the impact on autonomy and control of information of different options for consent to entry of data into the system and use of data from the system. The danger of routinisation of consent is identified. The Danish pharmaceutical information system raises issues in relation to autonomy and control of information, issues that will also occur in relation to other similar comprehensive health information systems. Some of these issues are well understood and their impact can be judged using the heuristic which is provided. More research is, however needed in relation to routinisation of consent. PMID:23157854

The Danish Folk High Schools. Bulletin, 1914, No. 22. Whole Number 595

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foght, H. W.

1914-01-01

This bulletin contains the third section of Harold W. Foght's report on the rural schools of Denmark. This section of the report pertains almost wholly to the folk high schools, which have by common consent been the most important factor in the transformation in the rural life of Denmark and in the phenomenal economic and social development of…

[Goodbye to half of tomorrow's physicians].

PubMed

Burcharth, Jakob; Burgdorf, Stefan; Rosenberg, Jacob

2009-12-14

Danish citizenship can only be obtained by passing a citizenship test. The test was introduced in December 2005 which made it more difficult to obtain Danish citizenship, and revised in 2008 which made the process even harder. We present a study which tests how many Danish and Swedish medical students enrolled at the University of Copenhagen would be able to obtain a Danish citizenship. The test comprised 40 questions regarding Danish democracy, history and politics. The questions were taken from the Ministry of Refugee and Immigration's pool of questions. Medical students at the University of Copenhagen were invited to participate in the study. Participation was voluntary. The tests were revised blinded and anonymously. The results were analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U-test. We enrolled 202 medical students (139 women and 63 men). Among these participants, 168 were Danish and 34 Swedish medical students studying in Copenhagen. A total of 49% of the students passed the test. 58% of the Danish students and 6% of the Swedish students passed the test (p < 0.001). The Danish students had a median of eight errors (range: 1-18) and Swedish students had a median of 15 errors (range: 5-25) (p < 0.001). We suggest an export agreement with countries like Poland and India comprising the 51% students who failed the citizenship test as part of a package solution, where Denmark in return receives competent physicians of said nationalities. We also suggest that the contents of the test for citizenship be revised to achieve a better assessment of the applicant's ability to integrate in the Danish society.

Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group--DBCG: History, organization, and status of scientific achievements at 30-year anniversary.

PubMed

Blichert-Toft, Mogens; Christiansen, Peer; Mouridsen, Henning T

2008-01-01

DBCG (Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group) constitutes a multidisciplinary organization established in 1975 by the Danish Surgical Society. The purpose involves first and foremost a nation-wide standardization of breast cancer treatment based on novel therapeutic principles, collaboration between experts handling diagnostic work-up, surgery, radiotherapy, medical oncology, and basic research, and, further, complete registration of relevant clinical data in a national data base attached to DBCG. Data are processed by the Secretariat personnel composed of statisticians, data managers, and data secretaries making current analyses of outcome results feasible. DBCG is run by the Executive Committee consisting of expert members appointed by their respective society. From 1978 the DBCG project gained widely accession from participating units, and since then nearly all newly diagnosed breast cancer incident cases are reported and registered in the national data base. Today, the data base includes approximately 80 000 incidents of primary breast cancer. Annually, the Secretariat receives roughly 1.5 million parameters to be entered into the data base. Over time DBCG has generated seven treatment programmes including in situ lesions and primary invasive breast cancer. Probands are subdivided into risk groups based on a given risk pattern and allocated to various treatment programmes accordingly. The scientific initiatives are conducted in the form of register- and cohort analysis or randomized trials in national or international protocolized settings. Yearly, about 4 000 new incident cases of primary invasive breast cancer and about 200 in situ lesions enter the national programmes. Further, about 600 women with hereditary disposition of breast cancer are registered and evaluated on a risk scale. The main achievements resulted in a reduction of relative risk of death amounting up to 20% and increased 5-year overall survival ascending from 60% to roughly 80%. This article is partly based on a Danish paper to be published in the Centenary Jubilee book of the Danish Surgical Society, 2008.

Ethnic differences in leptin and adiponectin levels between Greenlandic Inuit and Danish children.

PubMed

Munch-Andersen, Thor; Sorensen, Kaspar; Aachmann-Andersen, Niels-Jacob; Aksglaede, Lise; Juul, Anders; Helge, Jørn W

2013-01-01

In a recent study, we found that Greenlandic Inuit children had a more adverse metabolic profile than Danish children. Aerobic fitness and adiposity could only partly account for the differences. Therefore, we set out to evaluate and compare plasma leptin and adiponectin levels in Danish and Inuit children. In total, 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children (5.7-17.1 years) had examinations of anthropometrics, body fat content, pubertal staging, fasting blood and aerobic fitness. Plasma leptin was higher in Danish boys [3,774 (4,741-3,005)] [pg/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI)] compared to both northern [2,076 (2,525-1,706)] (p < 0.001) and southern (2,515 (3,137-2,016)) (p < 0.001) living Inuit boys and higher in Danish girls [6,988 (8,353-5,847)] compared to southern living Inuit girls [4,910 (6,370-3,785)] (p = 0.021) and tended to be higher compared to northern living Inuit girls [5,131 (6,444-4,085)] (p = 0.052). Plasma adiponectin was higher for both Danish boys [22,359 (2,573-19,428)] [ng/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI)] and girls [26,609 (28,994-24,420)] compared to southern living Inuit boys [15,306 (18,406-12,728)] and girls [18,864 (22,640-15,717)] (both p < 0.001), respectively. All differences remained after adjustment for body fat percentage (BF%), aerobic fitness, age and puberty. The leptin/adiponectin ratio was higher in Danish boys and tended to be higher in Danish girls compared to northern living Inuit boys and girls, respectively. These differences were eliminated after adjustment for BF%, aerobic fitness, age and puberty. In contrast to our hypothesis, plasma leptin was higher in Danish children despite a more healthy metabolic profile compared to Inuit children. As expected, plasma adiponectin was lowest in Inuit children with the most adverse metabolic profile.

Differences in hospital attendance for anaphylaxis between immigrants and non-immigrants: a cohort study.

PubMed

Norredam, M; Sheikh, A; Dynnes Svendsen, K; Holm Petersen, J; Garvey, L H; Kristiansen, M

2016-07-01

The impact of migration on the risk of anaphylaxis remains unknown. We hypothesized that non-Western immigrants have a lower incidence of anaphylaxis compared to Danish-born. We investigated variations in hospital attendance for anaphylaxis between immigrants and Danish-born including time- and age- trends. A register-based, historical prospective cohort design. Refugees or family reunified immigrants (n = 127 250) who, between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 2010, obtained residency permits in Denmark were included and matched in a 1 : 6 ratio on age and sex with Danish-born individuals (n = 740 600). Personal identification numbers were cross-linked to the Danish National Patient Registry identifying all first-time hospital attendances for anaphylaxis from January 1, 1994 and December 31, 2010. Incidence rate ratios were estimated, stratified for sex and region of birth, adjusting for age using a Cox regression model including the influence of duration of residence and age when residence was obtained. In total 1053 hospital attendances for anaphylaxis were identified: 89 among non-Western immigrants, 9 among Western immigrants and 955 among Danish-born patients. Both male (RR = 0.65; 95%CI: 0.46;0.90) and female (RR = 0.64; 95%CI: 0.48;0.85) non-Western immigrants had a significantly lower risk ratio of hospital attendance for anaphylaxis compared to Danish-born. Compared to Danish-born, non-Western immigrants living in Denmark during the entire follow-up period also showed a decreased risk (RR = 0.65; 95%CI: 0.34;1.25). Compared to Danish-born, non-Western immigrants who obtained residence permission as children had a decreased risk of hospital attendance for anaphylaxis (RR = 0.48; 95%CI: 0.25;0.91). This Danish register-based study using nationwide data revealed fewer hospital attendances for anaphylaxis among non-Western immigrants compared to Danish-born; however this protection was lost over time. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Danish-Swedish windpower company founded in Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmstrom, M.

1982-04-01

The Swedish General Electric Co. (ASEA) has founded a windpower company in cooperation with the Danish state and a Danish company. They expect to build 250 windpower plants through 1984. If a Swedish market opens a similar partner company is planned in Sweden.

Cancer incidence in men with Klinefelter syndrome.

PubMed Central

Hasle, H.; Mellemgaard, A.; Nielsen, J.; Hansen, J.

1995-01-01

Many case reports have suggested an association between Klinefelter syndrome (KS) and cancer, but studies of the cancer incidence in larger groups of men with KS are lacking. A cohort of 696 men with KS was established from the Danish Cytogenetic Register. Information on the cancer incidence in the cohort was obtained from the Danish Cancer Registry and compared with the expected number calculated from the age, period and site specific cancer rates for Danish men. A total of 39 neoplasms were diagnosed (relative risk = 1.1). Four mediastinal tumours were observed (relative risk = 67); all four were malignant germ cell tumours. No cases of breast cancer or testis cancer were observed. One case of prostate cancer occurred within a previously irradiated field. No excess of leukaemia or lymphoma was found. An increased risk of cancer occurred in the age group 15-30 years (relative risk = 2.7). All six tumours in this group were germ cell tumours or sarcomas. The overall cancer incidence is not increased and no routine cancer screening seems to be justified. A considerably elevated risk of mediastinal germ cell tumours occurs in the period from early adolescence until the age of 30. PMID:7841064

Veterinarian's dilemma: a study of how Danish small animal practitioners handle financially limited clients.

PubMed

Kondrup, S V; Anhøj, K P; Rødsgaard-Rosenbeck, C; Lund, T B; Nissen, M H; Sandøe, P

2016-12-10

This study examined the extent to which Danish veterinary practices encounter financially limited clients and how different factors relating to the animal, the client and the veterinarian affect decisions to provide treatment for these clients. 300 small animal practices were invited to participate in an online survey. 195 participated, giving a response rate of 65 per cent. The results show that Danish small animal veterinary practices encounter clients with limited finances regularly: 33.8 per cent of them 3-4 times, 24.6 per cent 5-10 times and 19.5 per cent 1-2 times a month. Only around 9 per cent reported having a written practice policy on handling financially limited clients. Factors affecting decisions to treat include the severity and type of the animal's condition, the medical care needed and the client's expressed emotions. The propensity to treat is significantly higher in female veterinarians and in situations involving unborn animals. The overall conclusion is that small animal veterinary practices often provide treatment to clients who are not able to pay-far beyond what is legally required. This can be considered a major economic and psychological challenge for the practising veterinarians. British Veterinary Association.

Neurophysiological localisation of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow: Validation of diagnostic criteria developed by a taskforce of the Danish Society of clinical neurophysiology.

PubMed

Pugdahl, K; Beniczky, S; Wanscher, B; Johnsen, B; Qerama, E; Ballegaard, M; Benedek, K; Juhl, A; Ööpik, M; Selmar, P; Sønderborg, J; Terney, D; Fuglsang-Frederiksen, A

2017-11-01

This study validates consensus criteria for localisation of ulnar neuropathy at elbow (UNE) developed by a taskforce of the Danish Society of Clinical Neurophysiology and compares them to the existing criteria from the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). The Danish criteria are based on combinations of conduction slowing in the segments of the elbow and forearm expressed in Z-scores, and difference between the segments in m/s. Examining fibres to several muscles and sensory fibres can increase the certainty of the localisation. Diagnostic accuracy for UNE was evaluated on 181 neurophysiological studies of the ulnar nerve from 171 peer-reviewed patients from a mixed patient-group. The diagnostic reference standard was the consensus diagnosis based on all available clinical, laboratory, and electrodiagnostic information reached by a group of experienced Danish neurophysiologists. The Danish criteria had high specificity (98.4%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (95.2%) and fair sensitivity (76.9%). Compared to the AANEM criteria, the Danish criteria had higher specificity (p<0.001) and lower sensitivity (p=0.02). The Danish consensus criteria for UNE are very specific and have high PPV. The Danish criteria for UNE are reliable and well suited for use in different centres as they are based on Z-scores. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association analysis for feet and legs disorders with whole-genome sequence variants in 3 dairy cattle breeds.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaoping; Guldbrandtsen, Bernt; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Sahana, Goutam

2016-09-01

Identification of genetic variants associated with feet and legs disorders (FLD) will aid in the genetic improvement of these traits by providing knowledge on genes that influence trait variations. In Denmark, FLD in cattle has been recorded since the 1990s. In this report, we used deregressed breeding values as response variables for a genome-wide association study. Bulls (5,334 Danish Holstein, 4,237 Nordic Red Dairy Cattle, and 1,180 Danish Jersey) with deregressed estimated breeding values were genotyped with the Illumina Bovine 54k single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array. Genotypes were imputed to whole-genome sequence variants, and then 22,751,039 SNP on 29 autosomes were used for an association analysis. A modified linear mixed-model approach (efficient mixed-model association eXpedited, EMMAX) and a linear mixed model were used for association analysis. We identified 5 (3,854 SNP), 3 (13,642 SNP), and 0 quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions associated with the FLD index in Danish Holstein, Nordic Red Dairy Cattle, and Danish Jersey populations, respectively. We did not identify any QTL that were common among the 3 breeds. In a meta-analysis of the 3 breeds, 4 QTL regions were significant, but no additional QTL region was identified compared with within-breed analyses. Comparison between top SNP locations within these QTL regions and known genes suggested that RASGRP1, LCORL, MOS, and MITF may be candidate genes for FLD in dairy cattle. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Livestock drivers' knowledge about dairy cow fitness for transport - A Danish questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Herskin, M S; Hels, A; Anneberg, I; Thomsen, P T

2017-08-01

Dairy cows are transported by road to slaughter after their productive life. Cull cows are vulnerable to transport stress, and can only be transported when fit for the intended journey. However, the decision, as to whether a cow is fit is rather subjective and relies on the farmer and the livestock driver. Using a questionnaire survey, we aimed to describe knowledge about, and experiences with, dairy cow fitness for transport among Danish livestock drivers. During nine days of data collection at the three largest Danish cattle slaughterhouses, 66 drivers (55% of the national population of cattle drivers) answered a questionnaire (response rate: 97%). They were Danish males (mean age: 49years), of which 94% stated that they knew the rules regarding fitness for transport. More than half of the respondents said that physical conditions (light, space) before loading animals allowed proper assessment of fitness for transport, and 85% answered that time constraints were not a challenge for this. Thirty-five percent reported to be in doubt regarding fitness for transport of specific cows at least frequently, and given two specific questions on legislation concerning fitness for transport, only 52% of the respondents answered both correctly. The results add new knowledge about livestock drivers' approach to animal welfare. As drivers are held partly responsible for fitness for transport of animals sent to slaughter, and descriptions of fit/unfit are rather vague, livestock drivers seem to need additional education, training, assessment tools or feedback in order to optimize the welfare of animals to be transported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The association between organic school food policy and school food environment: results from an observational study in Danish schools.

PubMed

He, Chen; Mikkelsen, Bent E

2014-03-01

School food in many countries has become the object of change and innovation processes, not only in relation to policies for healthier eating but also in relation to policies for more sustainable food consumption and procurement. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible influence that organic food sourcing policies in Danish school meal systems may have on the development of healthier school food environments. The study was a cross-sectional analysis undertaken among 179 school food coordinators (SFCs) through a web-based questionnaire (WBQ) in a sample of Danish public primary schools. The 'organic' schools were compared to 'non-organic' schools. The questionnaire explored the attitudes, intentions/policies and actions in relation to organic and healthy foods served in the schools. Data indicates that 20 'organic' schools were associated with the indicators of healthier school environments, including adopting a Food and Nutrition Policy (FNP) in the school (p = .032), recommending children to eat healthily (p = .004). The study suggests that organic food policies in schools may have potential to support a healthier school food environment.

Regionalization Lessons from Denmark.

PubMed

Vrangbaek, Karsten

2016-01-01

Denmark is a small Northern European country with an extensive welfare state and a strong commitment to maintaining a universal healthcare system. Like the other countries in the Nordic region, Denmark has a long tradition of democratically governed local and regional governments with extensive responsibilities in organizing welfare state services. The Danish healthcare system has demonstrated an ability to increase productivity, while at the same time maintaining a high level of patient satisfaction. Ongoing reforms have contributed to these results, as well as a firm commitment to innovation and coordination. Regions and municipalities in Denmark are governed by directly elected democratic councils. The Danish case is thus an example of democratic decentralization, but within a framework of national coordination and fiscal control. In spite of the difference in size and historical traditions there are also many similarities between Canada and Denmark, particularly in terms of health and social policy goals and aspirations, and in terms of the commitment to a comprehensive, universal healthcare system. These similarities provide interesting opportunities for comparison.

The Financing of Vocational Education and Training in Denmark. Financing Portrait. CEDEFOP Panorama.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Martin Eggert

The financing of vocational education and training (VET) in Denmark was evaluated through consultations with various bodies, including the following: Denmark's Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Education, Danish Employer's Confederation, Confederation of Danish Industry, Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, Association of County Councils, and…

Is Danish Difficult to Acquire? Evidence from Nordic Past-Tense Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleses, Dorthe; Basboll, Hans; Vach, Werner

2011-01-01

Cross-linguistic findings have shown that Danish children's early receptive vocabulary development is slower relative to children learning other languages. In this study, we examined whether Danish children's acquisition of inflectional past-tense morphology is delayed relative to Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish children. Our comparison of data…

Acceptable noise level (ANL) with Danish and non-semantic speech materials in adult hearing-aid users.

PubMed

Olsen, Steen Østergaard; Lantz, Johannes; Nielsen, Lars Holme; Brännström, K Jonas

2012-09-01

The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is used for quantification of the amount of background noise subjects accept when listening to speech. This study investigates Danish hearing-aid users' ANL performance using Danish and non-semantic speech signals, the repeatability of ANL, and the association between ANL and outcome of the international outcome inventory for hearing aids (IOI-HA). ANL was measured in three conditions in both ears at two test sessions. Subjects completed the IOI-HA and the ANL questionnaire. Sixty-three Danish hearing-aid users; fifty-seven subjects were full time users and 6 were part time/non users of hearing aids according to the ANL questionnaire. ANLs were similar to results with American English speech material. The coefficient of repeatability (CR) was 6.5-8.8 dB. IOI-HA scores were not associated to ANL. Danish and non-semantic ANL versions yield results similar to the American English version. The magnitude of the CR indicates that ANL with Danish and non-semantic speech materials is not suitable for prediction of individual patterns of future hearing-aid use or evaluation of individual benefit from hearing-aid features. The ANL with Danish and non-semantic speech materials is not related to IOI-HA outcome.

Neurotoxicity and LSD treatment: a follow-up study of 151 patients in Denmark.

PubMed

Larsen, Jens Knud

2016-06-01

LSD was introduced in psychiatry in the 1950s. Between 1960 and 1973, nearly 400 patients were treated with LSD in Denmark. By 1964, one homicide, two suicides and four suicide attempts had been reported. In 1986 the Danish LSD Damages Law was passed after complaints by only one patient. According to the Law, all 154 applicants received financial compensation for LSD-inflicted harm. The Danish State Archives has preserved the case material of 151 of the 154 applicants. Most of the patients suffered from severe side effects of the LSD treatment many years afterwards. In particular, two-thirds of the patients had flashbacks. With the recent interest in LSD therapy, we should consider the neurotoxic potential of LSD. © The Author(s) 2016.

Evidence-based Danish guidelines for the treatment of Malassezia-related skin diseases.

PubMed

Hald, Marianne; Arendrup, Maiken C; Svejgaard, Else L; Lindskov, Rune; Foged, Erik K; Saunte, Ditte Marie L

2015-01-01

Internationally approved guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Malassezia-related skin diseases are lacking. Therefore, a panel of experts consisting of dermatologists and a microbiologist under the auspices of the Danish Society of Dermatology undertook a data review and compiled guidelines for the diagnostic procedures and management of pityriasis versicolor, seborrhoeic dermatitis and Malassezia folliculitis. Main recommendations in most cases of pityriasis versicolor and seborrhoeic dermatitis include topical treatment which has been shown to be sufficient. As first choice, treatment should be based on topical antifungal medication. A short course of topical corticosteroid or topical calcineurin inhibitors has an anti-inflammatory effect in seborrhoeic dermatitis. Systemic antifungal therapy may be indicated for widespread lesions or lesions refractory to topical treatment. Maintenance therapy is often necessary to prevent relapses. In the treatment of Malassezia folliculitis systemic antifungal treatment is probably more effective than topical treatment but a combination may be favourable.

Danish guidelines on management of otitis media in preschool children.

PubMed

Heidemann, C H; Lous, J; Berg, J; Christensen, J J; Håkonsen, S J; Jakobsen, M; Johansen, C J; Nielsen, L H; Hansen, M P; Poulsen, A; Schousboe, L P; Skrubbeltrang, C; Vind, A B; Homøe, P

2016-08-01

Otitis media is one of the most common diseases in small children. This underlines the importance of optimizing diagnostics and treatment of the condition. Recent literature points toward a stricter approach to diagnosing acute otitis media (AOM). Moreover, ventilating tube treatment for recurrent AOM (RAOM) and chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) has become the most frequently performed surgical procedure in pre-school children. Therefore, the Danish Health and Medicines Authority and the Danish Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery deemed it necessary to update the Danish guidelines regarding the diagnostic criteria for acute otitis media and surgical treatment of RAOM and COME. The GRADE system (The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) was used in order to comply with current standards of evidence assessment in formulation of recommendations. An extensive literature search was conducted between July and December 2014. The quality of the existing literature was assessed using AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation), AMSTAR (assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews), QUADAS-2 (Quality of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies), Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized trials and ACROBAT-NRSI (A Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-Randomized Studies). The working group consisted of otolaryngologists, general practitioners, pediatricians, microbiologists and epidemiologists. Recommendations for AOM diagnosis, surgical management for RAOM and COME, including the role of adenoidectomy and treatment of ventilating tube otorrhea, are proposed in the guideline. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determinants for employer-paid health insurance coverage: a population-based study of the Danish labour force.

PubMed

Christensen, Ann; Søgaard, Rikke

2013-08-01

In 2002, the Danish tax law was changed, giving employees a tax exemption on supplemental, employer-paid health insurance. This might have conflicted with one of the key foundations of the healthcare system, namely equal access for equal needs. The aim of this study was to investigate determinants for employer-paid health insurance coverage. Because the policy change affected only people who were part of the labour force and because the public sector at that time had no tradition of providing fringe benefits, the analysis was restricted to the private labour force. The analysis was based on data from a range of Danish person-level and company-level registers (explanatory variables). These data were combined with information on insurance status obtained from the trade organisation for insurance (dependent variable). A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of having employer-paid health insurance coverage. The individuals who were most likely to be insured were those employed in foreign companies as mid-level managers within the field of building and construction. Other important variables were the number of persons employed in a company, gender, ethnicity, region of residence, years of education, and annual income. Both company and individual characteristics were found to be important and significant predictors for employer-paid health insurance coverage. The Danish tax exemption on private health insurance in the years 2002-12 thus seems to have led to inequality in employer-paid health insurance coverage.

Conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring program

PubMed Central

Thomsen, Marianne; Knudsen, Lisbeth E; Vorkamp, Katrin; Frederiksen, Marie; Bach, Hanne; Bonefeld-Jorgensen, Eva Cecilie; Rastogi, Suresch; Fauser, Patrik; Krongaard, Teddy; Sorensen, Peter Borgen

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring (HBM) program. The EU and national science-policy interface, that is fundamental for a realization of the national and European environment and human health strategies, is discussed, including the need for a structured and integrated environmental and human health surveillance program at national level. In Denmark, the initiative to implement such activities has been taken. The proposed framework of the Danish monitoring program constitutes four scientific expert groups, i.e. i. Prioritization of the strategy for the monitoring program, ii. Collection of human samples, iii. Analysis and data management and iv. Dissemination of results produced within the program. This paper presents the overall framework for data requirements and information flow in the integrated environment and health surveillance program. The added value of an HBM program, and in this respect the objectives of national and European HBM programs supporting environmental health integrated policy-decisions and human health targeted policies, are discussed. In Denmark environmental monitoring has been prioritized by extensive surveillance systems of pollution in oceans, lakes and soil as well as ground and drinking water. Human biomonitoring has only taken place in research programs and few incidences of e.g. lead contamination. However an arctic program for HBM has been in force for decades and from the preparations of the EU-pilot project on HBM increasing political interest in a Danish program has developed. PMID:18541069

Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumours: update of Danish cohort study.

PubMed

Frei, Patrizia; Poulsen, Aslak H; Johansen, Christoffer; Olsen, Jørgen H; Steding-Jessen, Marianne; Schüz, Joachim

2011-10-19

To investigate the risk of tumours in the central nervous system among Danish mobile phone subscribers. Nationwide cohort study. Denmark. All Danes aged ≥ 30 and born in Denmark after 1925, subdivided into subscribers and non-subscribers of mobile phones before 1995. Risk of tumours of the central nervous system, identified from the complete Danish Cancer Register. Sex specific incidence rate ratios estimated with log linear Poisson regression models adjusted for age, calendar period, education, and disposable income. 358,403 subscription holders accrued 3.8 million person years. In the follow-up period 1990-2007, there were 10,729 cases of tumours of the central nervous system. The risk of such tumours was close to unity for both men and women. When restricted to individuals with the longest mobile phone use--that is, ≥ 13 years of subscription--the incidence rate ratio was 1.03 (95% confidence interval 0.83 to 1.27) in men and 0.91 (0.41 to 2.04) in women. Among those with subscriptions of ≥ 10 years, ratios were 1.04 (0.85 to 1.26) in men and 1.04 (0.56 to 1.95) in women for glioma and 0.90 (0.57 to 1.42) in men and 0.93 (0.46 to 1.87) in women for meningioma. There was no indication of dose-response relation either by years since first subscription for a mobile phone or by anatomical location of the tumour--that is, in regions of the brain closest to where the handset is usually held to the head. In this update of a large nationwide cohort study of mobile phone use, there were no increased risks of tumours of the central nervous system, providing little evidence for a causal association.

Ethnic differences in leptin and adiponectin levels between Greenlandic Inuit and Danish children

PubMed Central

Munch-Andersen, Thor; Sorensen, Kaspar; Aachmann-Andersen, Niels-Jacob; Aksglaede, Lise; Juul, Anders; Helge, Jørn W.

2013-01-01

Objective In a recent study, we found that Greenlandic Inuit children had a more adverse metabolic profile than Danish children. Aerobic fitness and adiposity could only partly account for the differences. Therefore, we set out to evaluate and compare plasma leptin and adiponectin levels in Danish and Inuit children. Methods In total, 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children (5.7–17.1 years) had examinations of anthropometrics, body fat content, pubertal staging, fasting blood and aerobic fitness. Results Plasma leptin was higher in Danish boys [3,774 (4,741–3,005)] [pg/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI)] compared to both northern [2,076 (2,525–1,706)] (p<0.001) and southern (2,515 (3,137–2,016)) (p<0.001) living Inuit boys and higher in Danish girls [6,988 (8,353–5,847)] compared to southern living Inuit girls [4,910 (6,370–3,785)] (p=0.021) and tended to be higher compared to northern living Inuit girls [5,131 (6,444–4,085)] (p=0.052). Plasma adiponectin was higher for both Danish boys [22,359 (2,573–19,428)] [ng/mL unadjusted geometric mean (95% CI)] and girls [26,609 (28,994–24,420)] compared to southern living Inuit boys [15,306 (18,406–12,728)] and girls [18,864 (22,640–15,717)] (both p<0.001), respectively. All differences remained after adjustment for body fat percentage (BF%), aerobic fitness, age and puberty. The leptin/adiponectin ratio was higher in Danish boys and tended to be higher in Danish girls compared to northern living Inuit boys and girls, respectively. These differences were eliminated after adjustment for BF%, aerobic fitness, age and puberty. Conclusions In contrast to our hypothesis, plasma leptin was higher in Danish children despite a more healthy metabolic profile compared to Inuit children. As expected, plasma adiponectin was lowest in Inuit children with the most adverse metabolic profile. PMID:23940841

Career Practitioners' Conceptions of Competency for Social Media in Career Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettunen, Jaana; Sampson, James P., Jr.; Vuorinen, Raimo

2015-01-01

This article reports findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career practitioners' understanding of competency for social media in career services. Sixteen Danish and Finnish practitioners with experience using social media in career services were interviewed in focus groups. Competency for social media in career services was conceived…

Science Anxiety, Science Attitudes, and Constructivism: A Binational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Fred B.; Kastrup, Helge; Udo, Maria; Hislop, Nelda; Shefner, Rachel; Mallow, Jeffry

2013-01-01

Students' attitudes and anxieties about science were measured by responses to two self-report questionnaires. The cohorts were Danish and American students at the upper secondary- and university-levels. Relationships between and among science attitudes, science anxiety, gender, and nationality were examined. Particular attention was paid to…

A Large-Scale Cross-Linguistic Investigation of the Acquisition of Passive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armon-Lotem, Sharon; Haman, Ewa; de López, Kristine Jensen; Smoczynska, Magdalena; Yatsushiro, Kazuko; Szczerbinski, Marcin; van Hout, Angeliek; Dabašinskiene, Ineta; Gavarró, Anna; Hobbs, Erin; Kamandulyte-Merfeldiene, Laura; Katsos, Napoleon; Kunnari, Sari; Nitsiou, Chrisa; Olsen, Lone Sundahl; Parramon, Xavier; Sauerland, Uli; Torn-Leesik, Reeli; van der Lely, Heather

2016-01-01

This cross-linguistic study evaluates children's understanding of passives in 11 typologically different languages: Catalan, Cypriot Greek, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Lithuanian, and Polish. The study intends to determine whether the reported gaps between the comprehension of active and passive and between short and…

Use of complementary and alternative medicine at Norwegian and Danish hospitals

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Several studies have found that a high proportion of the population in western countries use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). However, little is known about whether CAM is offered in hospitals. The aim of this study was to describe to what extent CAM is offered in Norwegian and Danish hospitals and investigate possible changes in Norway since 2001. Methods A one-page questionnaire was sent to all included hospitals in both countries. The questionnaire was sent to the person responsible for the clinical activity, typically the medical director. 99 hospitals in the authority (85%) in Norway and 126 in Denmark (97%) responded. Given contact persons were interviewed. Results CAM is presently offered in about 50% of Norwegian hospitals and one-third of Danish hospitals. In Norway CAM was offered in 50 hospitals, 40 of which involved acupuncture. 19 hospitals gave other alternative therapies like biofeedback, hypnosis, cupping, ear-acupuncture, herbal medicine, art therapy, homeopathy, reflexology, thought field therapy, gestalt therapy, aromatherapy, tai chi, acupressure, yoga, pilates and other. 9 hospitals offered more than one therapy form. In Denmark 38 hospitals offered acupuncture and one Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Light Therapy. The most commonly reported reason for offering CAM was scientific evidence in Denmark. In Norway it was the interest of a hospital employee, except for acupuncture where the introduction is more often initiated by the leadership and is more based on scientific evidence of effect. All persons (except one) responsible for the alternative treatment had a medical or allied health professional background and their education/training in CAM treatment varied substantially. Conclusions The extent of CAM being offered has increased substantially in Norway during the first decade of the 21st century. This might indicate a shift in attitude regarding CAM within the conventional health care system. PMID:21244655

Generalised joint hypermobility and shoulder joint hypermobility, - risk of upper body musculoskeletal symptoms and reduced quality of life in the general population.

PubMed

Juul-Kristensen, Birgit; Østengaard, Lasse; Hansen, Sebrina; Boyle, Eleanor; Junge, Tina; Hestbaek, Lise

2017-05-30

Generalised Joint Hypermobility (GJH) is a hereditary condition with an ability to exceed the joints beyond the normal range. The prevalence of GJH in the adult population and its impact on upper body musculoskeletal health and quality of life has mostly been studied in selected populations. The aims of this study were therefore, firstly to study the prevalence of GJH and GJH including shoulder hypermobility (GJHS), in the general Danish adult population; secondly to test the associations between GJH or GJHS and upper body musculoskeletal symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The study was cross-sectional where 2072 participants, aged 25-65, randomly extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System), were invited to answer a questionnaire battery (Five-Part Questionnaire for classification of GJH, Standardised Nordic Questionnaire for musculoskeletal symptoms, EuroQoL-5D for HRQoL). Totally 1006 (49%) participants responded. The prevalence of GJH and GJHS were 30% (n = 300) and 5% (n = 51), respectively. Compared with Non GJH (NGJH), participants with GJH and GJHS had Odds Ratio (OR) of 1.5-3.5 for upper body musculoskeletal symptoms within the last 12 months (mostly shoulders and hands/wrists). GJH and GJHS also had OR 1.6-4.4 for being prevented from usual activities, mostly due to shoulder and neck symptoms. Furthermore, GJH and GJHS had OR 2.2-3.1 for upper body musculoskeletal symptoms lasting for more than 90 days (neck, shoulders, hand/wrists), and 1.5-3.5 for reduced HRQoL (all dimensions, but anxiety/depression) compared with NGJH. Generally, most OR for GJHS were about twice as high as for those having GJH alone. GJH and GJHS are frequently self-reported musculoskeletal conditions in the Danish adult population. Compared with NGJH, GJH and especially GJHS, present with higher OR for upper body musculoskeletal symptoms, more severe symptoms and decreased HRQoL.

The History We Need: Strategies of Citizen Formation in the Danish History Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jørgensen, Simon Laumann

2015-01-01

Teaching history in schools can be a significant policy instrument for shaping the identities of future citizens. The Danish curriculum for teaching history of 2009 aims at strengthening a sense of "Danishness" which calls for theoretical analysis. Focusing on this particular case, the paper develops a political theoretical frame for…

Sharing reference data and including cows in the reference population improve genomic predictions in Danish Jersey

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Small reference populations limit the accuracy of genomic prediction in numerically small breeds, such as the Danish Jersey. The objective of this study was to investigate two approaches to improve genomic prediction by increasing the size of the reference population for Danish Jerseys. The first ap...

The Danish Bereavement Response in 2015--Historic Development and Evaluation of Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lytje, Martin

2018-01-01

In the 1980s, Norwegian researchers pioneered efforts towards developing school support for bereaved children. Eighteen years later, a Danish approach was created based on these foundations. This article explores the Danish school bereavement response plans (b-plans) and investigates their ability to support both teachers and bereaved children.…

The International Space of the Danish Testing Community in the Interwar Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ydesen, Christian

2012-01-01

The focus of this article is to draw attention to the presence and importance of travelling ideas, knowledge, and practices in Danish history of educational testing. The article introduces and employs a spatial methodological approach in relation to the connections between the international testing community and the emerging Danish practice of…

Bayley-III: Cultural differences and language scale validity in a Danish sample.

PubMed

Krogh, Marianne T; Vaever, Mette S

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate cultural differences between Danish and American children at 2 and 3 years as measured with the developmental test Bayley-III, and to investigate the Bayley-III Language Scale validity. The Danish children (N = 43) were tested with the Bayley-III and their parents completed an additional language questionnaire (the MacArthur-Bates CDI). Results showed that scores from the Danish children did not differ significantly from the American norms on the Cognitive or Motor Scale, but the Danish sample scored significantly higher on the Language Scale. A comparison of the Bayley-III Language subtests with the CDI showed that the two measures correlated significantly, but the percentile score from the CDI was significantly higher than the percentile score from the Bayley-III Language subtests. This could be because the two instruments measure slightly different areas of language development, or because the Bayley-III overestimates language development in Danish children. However, due to the limitations of the current study, further research is needed to clarify this issue. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Work environment as predictor of long-term sickness absence: linkage of self-reported DWECS data with the DREAM register.

PubMed

Burr, Hermann; Pedersen, Jacob; Hansen, Jørgen Vinsløv

2011-07-01

The present overview discusses ten papers dealing with four research topics using self-reported work environment in the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study (DWECS) linked with register data on long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalisation (DREAM). Research relied on self-reported data among 3000-5000 employees linked with registered LTSA data. Analyses were performed with Cox regression models. Risk groups: Kindergarten teachers and daycare workers were at high risk for LTSA. Mainly physical exposures but also psychosocial factors were risk factors for LTSA. Attributable fractions: A quarter of LTSA spells could be attributed to the physical work environment. Most of the association between social class and LTSA was explained by physical work environment and smoking. Mechanisms: Depressive symptoms, severe pain in hands, and low back and pain intensity were risk factors for LTSA. Only in work sites with traditional leadership did health problems predict LTSA. The linking of DWECS with DREAM has made it possible to estimate the importance of work environment factors for LTSA. Future research should deal with possible risk factors such as health problems and organisational factors.

Nickel allergy in a Danish population 25 years after the first nickel regulation.

PubMed

Ahlström, Malin G; Menné, Torkil; Thyssen, Jacob P; Johansen, Jeanne D

2017-06-01

Nickel in metallic items has been regulated in Denmark since 1990; however, 10% of young Danish women are still sensitized to nickel. There is a need for continuous surveillance of the effect of regulation. To identify current self-reported metallic exposures leading to dermatitis in nickel-allergic patients, and the minimum contact time needed for dermatitis to occur. A questionnaire was sent to all patients who reacted positively to nickel sulfate 5% pet. within the last 5 years at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Gentofte Hospital. The response rate was 63.2%. Earrings were the foremost cause of dermatitis after the EU Nickel Directive had been implemented, followed by other jewellery, buttons on clothing, belt buckles, and wrist watches. Dermatitis reactions within 10 min of contact were reported by 21.4% of patients, and dermatitis reactions within 30 min of contact were reported by 30.7% of patients. Nickel exposures that led to the implementation of a nickel regulation seem to persist. The durations of contact with metallic items to fall under the current REACH regulation of nickel correspond well with the results of this study. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Observation of conductance doubling in an Andreev quantum point contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kjaergaard, M.; Nichele, F.; Suominen, H.; Nowak, M.; Wimmer, M.; Akhmerov, A.; Folk, J.; Flensberg, K.; Shabani, J.; Palmstrom, C.; Marcus, C.

One route to study the non-Abelian nature of excitations in topological superconductors is to realise gateable two dimensional (2D) semiconducting systems, with spin-orbit coupling in proximity to an s-wave superconductor. Previous work on coupling 2D electron gases (2DEG) with superconductors has been hindered by a non-ideal interface and unstable gateability. We report measurements on a gateable 2DEG coupled to superconductors through a pristine interface, and use aluminum grown in situ epitaxially on an InGaAs/InAs electron gas. We demonstrate quantization in units of 4e2 / h in a quantum point contact (QPC) in such hybrid systems. Operating the QPC as a tunnel probe, we observe a hard superconducting gap, overcoming the soft-gap problem in 2D superconductor/semiconductor systems. Our work paves way for a new and highly scalable system in which to pursue topological quantum information processing. Research supported by Microsoft Project Q and the Danish National Research Foundation.

Intake and sources of gluten in 20- to 75-year-old Danish adults: a national dietary survey.

PubMed

Hoppe, Camilla; Gøbel, Rikke; Kristensen, Mette; Lind, Mads Vendelbo; Matthiessen, Jeppe; Christensen, Tue; Trolle, Ellen; Fagt, Sisse; Madsen, Mia Linda; Husby, Steffen

2017-02-01

Celiac disease, an immunological response triggered by gluten, affects ~1 % of the Western population. Information concerning gluten intake in the general population is scarce. We determined intake of gluten from wheat, barley, rye and oat in the Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity 2005-2008. The study population comprised a random cross-sectional sample of 1494 adults 20-75 years, selected from the Danish Civil Registration System. Protein content in wheat, rye, barley and oat was determined from the National Danish Food Composition Table and multiplied with the amount of cereal used in recipes. Amount of gluten was calculated as amount of cereal protein ×0.80 for wheat and oat, ×0.65 for rye and ×0.50 for barley. Dietary intake was recorded daily during seven consecutive days in pre-coded food diaries with open-answer possibilities. Mean total gluten intake was 10.4 ± 4.4 g/day (10th-90th percentiles; 5.4-16.2 g/day), in men 12.0 ± 4.6 g/day and 9.0 ± 3.4 g/day in women. It was higher among men than among women in all age groups (20-75 years; P < 0.0001); however, this difference was eliminated when adjusting for energy intake. Intake of different gluten sources tended to be higher in men than in women with the exception of gluten from barley. Total gluten intake decreased with increasing age (P < 0.0001) as did gluten intake from wheat (P < 0.0001), whereas intake of gluten from rye (P < 0.0001) and barley (P = 0.001) increased with increasing age, also when adjusted for energy intake or body weight. This study presents representative population-based data on gluten intake in Danish adults. Total gluten intake decreased with increasing age.

Use of risk-adjusted CUSUM charts to monitor 30-day mortality in Danish hospitals.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Thomas Bøjer; Ulrichsen, Sinna Pilgaard; Nørgaard, Mette

2018-01-01

Monitoring hospital outcomes and clinical processes as a measure of clinical performance is an integral part of modern health care. The risk-adjusted cumulative sum (CUSUM) chart is a frequently used sequential analysis technique that can be implemented to monitor a wide range of different types of outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe how risk-adjusted CUSUM charts based on population-based nationwide medical registers were used to monitor 30-day mortality in Danish hospitals and to give an example on how alarms of increased hospital mortality from the charts can guide further in-depth analyses. We used routinely collected administrative data from the Danish National Patient Registry and the Danish Civil Registration System to create risk-adjusted CUSUM charts. We monitored 30-day mortality after hospital admission with one of 77 selected diagnoses in 24 hospital units in Denmark in 2015. The charts were set to detect a 50% increase in 30-day mortality, and control limits were determined by simulations. Among 1,085,576 hospital admissions, 441,352 admissions had one of the 77 selected diagnoses as their primary diagnosis and were included in the risk-adjusted CUSUM charts. The charts yielded a total of eight alarms of increased mortality. The median of the hospitals' estimated average time to detect a 50% increase in 30-day mortality was 50 days (interquartile interval, 43;54). In the selected example of an alarm, descriptive analyses indicated performance problems with 30-day mortality following hip fracture surgery and diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The presented implementation of risk-adjusted CUSUM charts can detect significant increases in 30-day mortality within 2 months, on average, in most Danish hospitals. Together with descriptive analyses, it was possible to use an alarm from a risk-adjusted CUSUM chart to identify potential performance problems.

Should travellers to rabies-endemic countries be pre-exposure vaccinated? An assessment of post-exposure prophylaxis and pre-exposure prophylaxis given to Danes travelling to rabies-endemic countries 2000-12.

PubMed

Christiansen, Annette H; Rodriguez, Anna B; Nielsen, Jens; Cowan, Susan A

2016-04-01

Since 2000, a steady increase of vaccines used for both rabies Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and rabies Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) given to Danish travellers was observed. This study aims to evaluate whether the increase of PEP and PrEP was due to increased travelling, increased awareness of the need for PrEP, or more animal bites per travel, leading to more PEP being administered, in order to assess the need for changing the recommendations. We also described in which countries Danish travelers most frequently reported possible exposure to rabies, and evaluated the timeliness of rabies PEP, including rabies immunoglobulin (RIG). We included all Danes reported to the National Database for Rabies Treatment as having started rabies PEP either abroad or after returning to Denmark, between 2000 and 2012. Data on the yearly number of Danish travelers from 2004 to 2012 to Thailand were collected to calculate the incidence of animal bites at this destination. We also included data on rabies vaccines sold for PrEP or for booster vaccination in Denmark. PEP after possible exposure to rabies abroad increased yearly by 8.8 %. Likewise vaccines sold for PrEP increased by 8.2% annually. The number of Danish travelers to Thailand increased by 7.3% per year, resulting in a stable incidence of animal bites per 100,000 travelers. Seventy-five % started PEP in the country of exposure, while only 10 % received RIG. The yearly increase in PEP and PrEP are parallel to the yearly increase in number of travelers, and can thus be explained by the increased rate of traveling, and not by a rise in awareness of rabies risk or more bites per traveler.Even short term travelers should be given the option of including PrEP in their travel immunisation program, as PEP and especially RIG is not always available in rabies-endemic countries. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cross-Cultural Translation, Adaptation and Reliability of the Danish M. D. Andeson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.

PubMed

Hajdú, Sara Fredslund; Plaschke, Christina Caroline; Johansen, Christoffer; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Wessel, Irene

2017-08-01

The objectives were to translate and culturally adapt the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) into Danish and subsequently test the reliability of the Danish version. The MDADI was translated into Danish and cross culturally adapted through cognitive interviews. The final version was test-retest evaluated in a group of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who responded to the questionnaire twice with a mean of eight days apart. Interclass correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, floor and ceiling effects, standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were investigated. Fourteen patients were interviewed on the comprehensibility of the Danish MDADI, and all found the questionnaire meaningful, easy to understand, non-offensive and to include relevant aspects of dysphagia related to HNC. Sixty-four patients were included in the test-retest study. Especially, one item in the emotional scale (E7) appeared to be often misinterpreted, and ceiling effects were found in all four subdomains (global, emotional, functional and physical). The four subdomains and the composite score showed acceptable test-retest reliability and internal consistency in a Danish population of HNC patients. The Danish MDADI is reliable in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reproducibility and can be used in assessing the health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients with dysphagia.

Adverse events following immunisation with bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination: baseline data to inform monitoring in Australia following introduction of new unregistered BCG vaccine.

PubMed

Hendry, Alexandra J; Dey, Aditi; Beard, Frank H; Khandaker, Gulam; Hill, Richard; Macartney, Kristine K

2016-12-24

In recent years there has been a global shortage of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and, from September 2012, unregistered vaccines have needed to be used in Australia (a Danish product initially until the end of 2015, and a Polish product used in some jurisdictions from early 2016). We examined rates and types of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) with BCG vaccine reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration between 2009 and 2014 in children aged less than 7 years. Reporting rates of AEFI with BCG vaccine increased from 87 per 100,000 doses (registered Sanofi Pasteur product) in 2009 to 201 per 100,000 doses (unregistered Danish Statens Serum Institute product) in 2014, with Victoria having the highest rate each year. Substantial variation between jurisdictions exists, suggesting differential reporting of BCG vaccine doses administered and/or BCG vaccine-related AEFI. The most commonly reported reactions were abscess (31%), injection site reaction (27%) and lymphadenopathy/lymphadenitis (17%). This study provides baseline data on BCG vaccine safety to inform surveillance. Given the current use of unregistered vaccines in the context of vaccine supply issues, improved recording of both administered BCG vaccine doses and the reporting of BCG vaccine-related AEFI are required to facilitate close monitoring of vaccine safety.

Mergers between Governmental Research Institutes and Universities in the Danish HE Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aagaard, Kaare; Hansen, Hanne Foss; Rasmussen, Jørgen Gulddahl

2016-01-01

This article presents an analysis of the mergers in the Danish Higher Education (HE)-sector with a particular emphasis on the 2007 mergers involving universities and Government Research Institutes (GRIs). Furthermore, it follows the post-merger processes up to 2014/2015 at two Danish universities and examines the consequences of the changes seen…

Specific technological communication skills and functional health literacy have no influence on self-reported benefits from enrollment in the TeleCare North trial.

PubMed

Lilholt, Pernille Heyckendorff; Hæsum, Lisa Korsbakke Emtekær; Ehlers, Lars Holger; Hejlesen, Ole K

2016-07-01

The Danish TeleCare North trial has developed a telehealth system, Telekit, which is used for self-management by patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Self-management is the engagement in one's own illness and health by monitoring and managing one's symptoms and signs of illness. The study examines the association between COPD patients' use of Telekit and their functional health literacy and the association between their use of Telekit and their specific technological communication skills. A consecutive sample of participants (n=60) from the TeleCare North trial were recruited. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant to collect demographic data. Functional health literacy was measured with the Danish TOFHLA test. Participants completed a non-standardised questionnaire about their health status, their use of the Telekit system, and their specific technological communication skills. Binary logistic regressions were performed to examine how functional health literacy and specific technological communication skills influenced the use of Telekit by giving users an enhanced sense of freedom, security, control, and a greater awareness of COPD symptoms. Participants (27 women, 33 men) had a mean age of 70 (SD: 8.37) years. Functional health literacy levels were classified as inadequate in 14 (23%) participants, as marginal in 12 (20%), and as adequate in 34 (57%). Participants self-reported a feeling of increased security (72%), greater freedom (27%), more control (62%), and greater awareness of symptoms (50%) when using Telekit. The use of Telekit was not significantly associated with levels of functional health literacy or with the number of specific technological communication skills (p>0.05) based on the binary logistic regressions. The enhanced sense of security, freedom, control, and the greater awareness of COPD symptoms achieved by using Telekit were unassociated both with the patients' score of functional health literacy and with their specific technological communication skills. On the basis of our results it seems that the specific technological communication skills and functional health literacy are not a prerequisite for the use of the Telekit system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sibship structure and risk of infectious mononucleosis: a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Rostgaard, Klaus; Nielsen, Trine Rasmussen; Wohlfahrt, Jan; Ullum, Henrik; Pedersen, Ole; Erikstrup, Christian; Nielsen, Lars Peter; Hjalgrim, Henrik

2014-10-01

Present understanding of increased risk of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related infectious mononucleosis among children of low birth order or small sibships is mainly based on old and indirect evidence. Societal changes and methodological limitations of previous studies call for new data. We used data from the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish National Hospital Discharge Register to study incidence rates of inpatient hospitalizations for infectious mononucleosis before the age of 20 years in a cohort of 2,543,225 Danes born between 1971 and 2008, taking individual sibship structure into account. A total of 12,872 cases of infectious mononucleosis were observed during 35.3 million person-years of follow-up. Statistical modelling showed that increasing sibship size was associated with a reduced risk of infectious mononucleosis and that younger siblings conferred more protection from infectious mononucleosis than older siblings. In addition to this general association with younger and older siblings, children aged less than 4 years transiently increased their siblings’ infectious mononucleosis risk. Our results were confirmed in an independent sample of blood donors followed up retrospectively for self-reported infectious mononucleosis. Younger siblings, and to a lesser degree older siblings, seem to be important in the transmission of EBV within families. Apparently the dogma of low birth order in a sibship as being at the highest risk of infectious mononucleosis is no longer valid.

Residential exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and risk of childhood leukaemia, CNS tumour and lymphoma in Denmark.

PubMed

Pedersen, Camilla; Johansen, Christoffer; Schüz, Joachim; Olsen, Jørgen H; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

2015-11-03

We previously reported that children exposed to elevated extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) had a five to six times higher risk of leukaemia, central nervous system (CNS) tumour and malignant lymphoma. Here we extend the study from 1968 to 1986 through 2003. We included 3277 children with leukaemia, CNS tumour or malignant lymphoma during 1968-2003 recorded in the Danish Cancer Registry and 9129 controls randomly selected from the Danish childhood population. ELF-MF from 50 to 400 kV facilities were calculated at the residences. For recently diagnosed cases (1987-2003), the relative risk (RR) was 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32-2.42), while for the total period (1968-2003) it was 1.63 (95% CI: 0.77-3.46) for leukaemia, CNS tumour and malignant lymphoma combined for exposures ⩾0.4 μT compared with <0.1 μT. These results were based on five cases (recent period) and 11 cases (total period) in the highest exposure group. We did not confirm the previous finding of a five- to six-fold higher risk for leukaemia, CNS tumour and malignant lymphoma when including data from the more recent time period. For the total time period, the results for childhood leukaemia were in line with large pooled analyses showing RRs between 1.5 and 2.

Incidence and mortality of herpes simplex encephalitis in Denmark: A nationwide registry-based cohort study.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Laura Krogh; Dalgaard, Lars Skov; Østergaard, Lars Jørgen; Nørgaard, Mette; Mogensen, Trine Hyrup

2017-01-01

We aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) in a nationwide cohort. From the Danish National Patient Registry, we identified all adults hospitalised with a first-time diagnosis of HSE in Denmark during 2004-2014. The HSE diagnoses were verified using medical records and microbiological data. Patients were followed for mortality through the Danish Civil Registry System. We estimated age-standardised incidence rates of HSE and 30-day, 60-day, and 1-year cumulative mortality. Furthermore, we assessed whether calendar year, age, gender, level of comorbidity, virus type, and department type was associated with HSE mortality. We identified a total of 230 cases of HSE. Median age was 60.7 years (interquartile range: 49.3-71.6). The overall incidence rate was 4.64 cases per million population per year (95% confidence interval: 4.06-5.28). The cumulative mortality within 30 days, 60 days, and 1 year of the HSE admission was 8.3%, 11.3%, and 18.6%, respectively. Advanced age and presence of comorbidity were associated with increased 60-day and 1-year mortality. This nationwide study of verified HSE found a higher incidence than reported in previous nationwide studies. Presence of comorbidity was identified as a novel adverse prognostic factor. Mortality rates following HSE remain high. Copyright © 2016 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in overweight and obesity in Danish children and adolescents: 2000-2008--exploring changes according to parental education.

PubMed

Matthiessen, Jeppe; Stockmarr, Anders; Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Fagt, Sisse; Zhang, Hao; Groth, Margit Velsing

2014-06-01

To examine the hypotheses that an overall levelling off in the prevalence of overweight and obesity during the period 2000-2008 has occurred, and that increasing social inequality in overweight and obesity exists in a nationally representative sample of Danish children and adolescents. The population comprised a random sample of 1849 children aged 4-14 years who participated in the Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity in 2000-2002, 2003-2004 and 2005-2008. Parental education was chosen as an indicator of children's socioeconomic status. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from parent-reported weight and height. Subjects were classified as overweight and obese according to the International Obesity Task Force age- and gender-specific BMI cut-off values. Crude prevalence estimates and logistic regression models were used to analyse trends in overweight and obesity as the main outcome measures. An increase was found in the crude prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in boys (12.8-21.7%, p = 0.0006), but not in girls (17.6-15.9%, p = 0.56), between 2000-2002 and 2005-2008. The prevalence of overweight increased significantly in boys of parents with low educational level only. A strong inverse social gradient in overweight and obesity was documented for boys and girls during the whole survey period. The present study showed an increase in the prevalence of overweight in Danish boys, but not in girls. This increase was due to increasing social inequality in overweight among boys. Public health initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing overweight and obesity should consider gender difference and especially target boys with parents of low educational level. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Evaluating an ensemble classification approach for crop diversity verification in Danish greening subsidy control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chellasamy, Menaka; Ferré, Ty Paul Andrew; Greve, Mogens Humlekrog

2016-07-01

Beginning in 2015, Danish farmers are obliged to meet specific crop diversification rules based on total land area and number of crops cultivated to be eligible for new greening subsidies. Hence, there is a need for the Danish government to extend their subsidy control system to verify farmers' declarations to warrant greening payments under the new crop diversification rules. Remote Sensing (RS) technology has been used since 1992 to control farmers' subsidies in Denmark. However, a proper RS-based approach is yet to be finalised to validate new crop diversity requirements designed for assessing compliance under the recent subsidy scheme (2014-2020); This study uses an ensemble classification approach (proposed by the authors in previous studies) for validating the crop diversity requirements of the new rules. The approach uses a neural network ensemble classification system with bi-temporal (spring and early summer) WorldView-2 imagery (WV2) and includes the following steps: (1) automatic computation of pixel-based prediction probabilities using multiple neural networks; (2) quantification of the classification uncertainty using Endorsement Theory (ET); (3) discrimination of crop pixels and validation of the crop diversification rules at farm level; and (4) identification of farmers who are violating the requirements for greening subsidies. The prediction probabilities are computed by a neural network ensemble supplied with training samples selected automatically using farmers declared parcels (field vectors containing crop information and the field boundary of each crop). Crop discrimination is performed by considering a set of conclusions derived from individual neural networks based on ET. Verification of the diversification rules is performed by incorporating pixel-based classification uncertainty or confidence intervals with the class labels at the farmer level. The proposed approach was tested with WV2 imagery acquired in 2011 for a study area in Vennebjerg, Denmark, containing 132 farmers, 1258 fields, and 18 crops. The classification results obtained show an overall accuracy of 90.2%. The RS-based results suggest that 36 farmers did not follow the crop diversification rules that would qualify for the greening subsidies. When compared to the farmers' reported crop mixes, irrespective of the rule, the RS results indicate that false crop declarations were made by 8 farmers, covering 15 fields. If the farmers' reports had been submitted for the new greening subsidies, 3 farmers would have made a false claim; while remaining 5 farmers obey the rules of required crop proportion even though they have submitted the false crop code due to their small holding size. The RS results would have supported 96 farmers for greening subsidy claims, with no instances of suggesting a greening subsidy for a holding that the farmer did not report as meeting the required conditions. These results suggest that the proposed RS based method shows great promise for validating the new greening subsidies in Denmark.

Introduction to the Danish Vocational Education and Training System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Education, Copenhagen (Denmark).

Vocational education and training is a concept that covers a sandwich-type course in which school-based education alternates with firm-based training. Broader courses in Denmark include simultaneous work at companies and school training. The advantage to this system is that students do not waste time training for an occupation that they may not…

Handicapped Students in the Danish Educational System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Education, Copenhagen (Denmark).

The educational policy of Denmark and the educational system which has evolved from this policy are described. The policy states that everyone has a right to the same access to education and training, regardless of sex, social origins, geographic origins, and physical or mental handicap; and all public education is free of charge from the age of 5…

Community integration after deployment to Afghanistan: a longitudinal investigation of Danish soldiers.

PubMed

Karstoft, Karen-Inge; Armour, Cherie; Andersen, Søren B; Bertelsen, Mette; Madsen, Trine

2015-04-01

In the years following military deployment, soldiers may experience problems integrating into the community. However, little is known about the nature and prevalence of these problems and if they relate to posttraumatic symptomatology. In a prospective, longitudinal study of Danish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 (N = 743), we assessed community reintegration difficulties 2.5 years after home coming (study sample: N = 454). Furthermore, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed before, during, and after deployment. Trajectories of PTSD symptoms from a previously published latent growth mixture modeling analysis were used to address whether community reintegration difficulties differ as a result of course and level of PTSD symptoms. Between 3.6 and 18.0% reported to have some, a lot, or extreme difficulties in reintegration domains such as interpersonal functioning, productivity, community involvement, and self-care. Mean level of reintegration difficulties differed significantly across six PTSD symptom trajectories (range 6.35-36.00); with more symptomatic trajectories experiencing greater community reintegration difficulties. Reintegration difficulties after deployment are present in less than 20% of Danish soldiers who return from Afghanistan. Difficulties are greater in individuals who follow symptomatic PTSD trajectories in the first years following deployment than in those who follow a low-stable trajectory with no or few symptoms.

Postcolonial partnerships: deep sea research, media coverage and (inter)national narratives on the Galathea Deep Sea Expedition from 1950 to 1952.

PubMed

Nielsen, Kristian Hvidtfelt

2010-03-01

The Danish Galathea Deep Sea Expedition between 1950 and 1952 combined scientific and official objectives with the production of national and international narratives distributed through the daily press and other media. Dispatched by the Danish government on a newly acquired naval ship, the expedition undertook groundbreaking deep sea research while also devoting efforts to showing the flag, public communication of science, and international cooperation. The expedition was conceived after the war as a way in which to rehabilitate Denmark's reputation internationally and to rebuild national pride. To this end, the expedition included an onboard press section reporting the expedition to the Danish public and to an international audience. The press section mediated the favourable, post-war and postcolonial image of Denmark as an internationalist, scientific, modernizing and civilizing nation for which the expedition planners and many others were hoping. The expedition, therefore, was highly relevant to, indeed fed on, the emerging internationalist agenda in Denmark's foreign policy. Bringing out these aspects of the historical context of the expedition, this paper adds important perspectives to our knowledge about the expedition in particular and, more generally, about scientific exploration in the immediate post-war and postcolonial period.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and exposure to diesel exhaust in a Danish cohort.

PubMed

Dickerson, Aisha S; Hansen, Johnni; Gredal, Ole; Weisskopf, Marc G

2018-03-24

Previous studies have suggested an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron diseases for those in occupations commonly exposed to diesel exhaust (DE). In this study, we investigated the association between occupational exposures to DE and odds of ALS. ALS cases were identified from the Danish National Patient Registry 1982 to 2013 and individually matched to 100 controls per case based on birth year and sex. Using occupational history since 1964 from the Danish Pension Fund, Cumulative DE exposures were estimated using a job exposure matrix. Associations were evaluated using conditional logistic regression analyses and stratified by sex. DE exposure at 10-year lag periods was positively associated with ALS in men ever exposed (aOR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.38). For men with > 50% probability of DE exposure, we observed a positive association with ALS and the highest quartile exposures during the 5-year lag period (aOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.78) and 10-year lag period (aOR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.79). Our study suggests an association between consistently higher exposures to DE and ALS in men but not in women. These findings support those of previously reported associations between ALS and commonly DE exposed occupations.

Danish translation and linguistic validation of the BODY-Q: a description of the process.

PubMed

Poulsen, Lotte; Rose, Michael; Klassen, Anne; Roessler, Kirsten K; Sørensen, Jens Ahm

2017-01-01

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments are increasingly being included in research and clinical practice to assess the patient point of view. Bariatric and body contouring surgery has the potential to improve or restore a patient's body image and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). A new PRO instrument, called the BODY-Q, has recently been developed specifically for this patient group. The aim of the current study was to translate and perform a linguistic validation of the BODY-Q for use in Danish bariatric and body contouring patients. The translation was performed in accordance with the International Society For Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Main steps taken included forward and backward translations, an expert panel meeting, and cognitive patient interviews. All translators aimed to conduct a conceptual translation rather than a literal translation and used a simple and clear formulation to create a translation understandable for all patients. The linguistic translation process led to a conceptually equivalent Danish version of the BODY-Q. The comparison between the back translation of the first Danish version and the original English version of the BODY-Q identified 18 items or instructions requiring re-translation. The expert panel helped to identify and resolve inadequate expressions and concepts of the translation. The panel identified 31 items or instructions that needed to be changed, while the cognitive interviews led to seven major revisions. The impact of weight loss methods such as bariatric surgery and body contouring surgery on patients' HR-QOL would benefit from input from the patient perspective. A thorough translation and linguistic validation must be considered an essential step when implementing a PRO instrument to another language and/or culture. A combination of the ISPOR and WHO guidelines contributed to a straightforward and thorough translation methodology well suited for a Danish translation of the BODY-Q. The described method of translation and linguistic validation can be recommended for future translations of PRO instruments in the field of plastic surgery. Level of Evidence: Not ratable.

A quality control system for digital elevation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudsen, Thomas; Kokkendorf, Simon; Flatman, Andrew; Nielsen, Thorbjørn; Rosenkranz, Brigitte; Keller, Kristian

2015-04-01

In connection with the introduction of a new version of the Danish national coverage Digital Elevation Model (DK-DEM), the Danish Geodata Agency has developed a comprehensive quality control (QC) and metadata production (MP) system for LiDAR point cloud data. The architecture of the system reflects its origin in a national mapping organization where raw data deliveries are typically outsourced to external suppliers. It also reflects a design decision of aiming at, whenever conceivable, doing full spatial coverage tests, rather than scattered sample checks. Hence, the QC procedure is split in two phases: A reception phase and an acceptance phase. The primary aim of the reception phase is to do a quick assessment of things that can typically go wrong, and which are relatively simple to check: Data coverage, data density, strip adjustment. If a data delivery passes the reception phase, the QC continues with the acceptance phase, which checks five different aspects of the point cloud data: Vertical accuracy Vertical precision Horizontal accuracy Horizontal precision Point classification correctness The vertical descriptors are comparatively simple to measure: The vertical accuracy is checked by direct comparison with previously surveyed patches. The vertical precision is derived from the observed variance on well defined flat surface patches. These patches are automatically derived from the road centerlines registered in FOT, the official Danish map data base. The horizontal descriptors are less straightforward to measure, since potential reference material for direct comparison is typically expected to be less accurate than the LiDAR data. The solution selected is to compare photogrammetrically derived roof centerlines from FOT with LiDAR derived roof centerlines. These are constructed by taking the 3D Hough transform of a point cloud patch defined by the photogrammetrical roof polygon. The LiDAR derived roof centerline is then the intersection line of the two primary planes of the transformed data. Since the photogrammetrical and the LiDAR derived roof centerline sets are independently derived, a low RMS difference indicates that both data sets are of very high accuracy. The horizontal precision is derived by doing a similar comparison between LiDAR derived roof centerlines in the overlap zone of neighbouring flight strips. Contrary to the vertical and horizontal descriptors, the point classification correctness is neither geometric, nor well defined. In this case we must resolve by introducing a human in the loop and presenting data in a form that is as useful as possible to this human. Hence, the QC system produces maps of suspicious patterns such as Vegetation below buildings Points classified as buildings where no building is registered in the map data base Building polygons from the map data base without any building points Buildings on roads All elements of the QC process is carried out in smaller tiles (typically 1 km × 1 km) and hence trivially parallelizable. Results from the parallel executing processes are collected in a geospatial data base system (PostGIS) and the progress can be analyzed and visualized in a desktop GIS while the processes run. Implementation wise, the system is based on open source components, primarily from the OSGeo stack (GDAL, PostGIS, QGIS, NumPy, SciPy, etc.). The system specific code is also being open sourced. This open source distribution philosophy supports the parallel execution paradigm, since all available hardware can be utilized without any licensing problems. As yet, the system has only been used for QC of the first part of a new Danish elevation model. The experience has, however, been very positive. Especially notable is the utility of doing full spatial coverage tests (rather than scattered sample checks). This means that error detection and error reports are exactly as spatial as the point cloud data they concern. This makes it very easy for both data receiver and data provider, to discuss and reason about the nature and causes of irregularities.

Annoying Danish Relatives: Comprehension and Production of Relative Clauses by Danish Children with and without SLI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen De Lopez, Kristine; Olsen, Lone Sundahl; Chondrogianni, Vasiliki

2014-01-01

This study examines the comprehension and production of subject and object relative clauses (SRCs, ORCs) by children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and their typically developing (TD) peers. The purpose is to investigate whether relative clauses are problematic for Danish children with SLI and to compare errors with those produced by TD…

APP heterozygosity averts memory deficit in knockin mice expressing the Danish dementia BRI2 mutant.

PubMed

Tamayev, Robert; Matsuda, Shuji; Giliberto, Luca; Arancio, Ottavio; D'Adamio, Luciano

2011-05-17

An autosomal dominant mutation in the BRI2/ITM2B gene causes familial Danish dementia (FDD). Analysis of FDD(KI) mice, a mouse model of FDD genetically congruous to the human disease since they carry one mutant and one wild-type Bri2/Itm2b allele, has shown that the Danish mutation causes loss of Bri2 protein, synaptic plasticity and memory impairments. BRI2 is a physiological interactor of Aβ-precursor protein (APP), a gene associated with Alzheimer disease, which inhibits processing of APP. Here, we show that APP/Bri2 complexes are reduced in synaptic membranes of FDD(KI) mice. Consequently, APP metabolites derived from processing of APP by β-, α- and γ-secretases are increased in Danish dementia mice. APP haplodeficiency prevents memory and synaptic dysfunctions, consistent with a role for APP metabolites in the pathogenesis of memory and synaptic deficits. This genetic suppression provides compelling evidence that APP and BRI2 functionally interact, and that the neurological effects of the Danish form of BRI2 only occur when sufficient levels of APP are supplied by two alleles. This evidence establishes a pathogenic sameness between familial Danish and Alzheimer's dementias.

APP heterozygosity averts memory deficit in knockin mice expressing the Danish dementia BRI2 mutant

PubMed Central

Tamayev, Robert; Matsuda, Shuji; Giliberto, Luca; Arancio, Ottavio; D'Adamio, Luciano

2011-01-01

An autosomal dominant mutation in the BRI2/ITM2B gene causes familial Danish dementia (FDD). Analysis of FDDKI mice, a mouse model of FDD genetically congruous to the human disease since they carry one mutant and one wild-type Bri2/Itm2b allele, has shown that the Danish mutation causes loss of Bri2 protein, synaptic plasticity and memory impairments. BRI2 is a physiological interactor of Aβ-precursor protein (APP), a gene associated with Alzheimer disease, which inhibits processing of APP. Here, we show that APP/Bri2 complexes are reduced in synaptic membranes of FDDKI mice. Consequently, APP metabolites derived from processing of APP by β-, α- and γ-secretases are increased in Danish dementia mice. APP haplodeficiency prevents memory and synaptic dysfunctions, consistent with a role for APP metabolites in the pathogenesis of memory and synaptic deficits. This genetic suppression provides compelling evidence that APP and BRI2 functionally interact, and that the neurological effects of the Danish form of BRI2 only occur when sufficient levels of APP are supplied by two alleles. This evidence establishes a pathogenic sameness between familial Danish and Alzheimer's dementias. PMID:21587206

University Governance in Denmark: From Democracy to Accountability?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carney, Stephen

2006-01-01

This article reports the findings of a Danish research council-funded project aimed at exploring a comprehensive package of management reforms in higher education instituted in Denmark since 2003. The reforms attempt to change not only the way institutions are governed but the very notion of democracy and engagement in higher education. In short,…

Conceptions of Student Talent in the Context of Talent Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Annette; Rasmussen, Palle

2015-01-01

This paper reports from a case study of a "talent class", a special development programme for talented pupils, established in a Danish municipality. It analyses student backgrounds and motives for joining this talent class programme, which is seen in relation to ordinary schooling in Denmark. Drawing on Bourdieu, the paper links social…

Networked eLlearning and Collaborative Knowledge Building: Design and Facilitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorensen, Elsebeth Korsgaard

2005-01-01

This paper addresses the core goals for educators to stimulate participation across diversity (including life trajectories and culture) and motivate learners to engage in negotiation of meaning and knowledge building dialogue in the processes of networked learning. The paper reports on a Danish masters online course on networked learning for…

School Memories Situating School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanggaard, Lene; Nielsen, Klaus

2013-01-01

This paper reports the results of an interview study of 18 current and former pupils in the Danish "Folkeskole" (primary and secondary public school) from 1930 up to the present. The aim of the study is to provide a forum for usually unheard voices on the subject of everyday life in school. The study pays special attention to relational…

Stressing Academia? Stress-as-Offence-to-Self at Danish Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opstrup, Niels; Pihl-Thingvad, Signe

2016-01-01

Academic work has traditionally been seen as relatively stress free. However, a growing number of studies have reported increases in occupational stress experienced by university researchers. In order to explain stress among this group, we build on a new perspective in occupational stress research: the so-called stress-as-offence-to-self…

Multiple myeloma among Danish women: employment history and workplace exposures.

PubMed

Pottern, L M; Heineman, E F; Olsen, J H; Raffn, E; Blair, A

1992-09-01

To investigate the role of employment history and workplace exposures as risk factors for multiple myeloma among women, a population-based case-control study using the Danish Cancer Registry data linkage system was conducted. All cases of myeloma diagnosed in Danish women between 1970 and 1984 (1,010 cases) and 4,040 age-matched women alive at the time of case-diagnosis were identified. Industrial histories from 1964 forward were obtained from the nationwide Pension Fund for 363 cases and 1,517 controls, and the most recent occupation on the tax record was available for 607 cases and 2,596 controls. Using industry/occupational-code combinations for the cases and controls who had industry employment, Danish industrial hygienists assessed the likelihood of exposure to 47 workplace substances. An increased myeloma risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-1.5) was seen for women not in the Pension Fund, but who had an occupational title coded as 'Mrs/homemaker.' Nonsignificantly elevated risks of 1.3 or greater were observed for employment in: production of agricultural products; orchards/nurseries; spinning/weaving; other textile and plastics manufacturing; hotel, entertainment, and social services industries. Elevated, but nonsignificant risks were observed for possible and probable exposure to exhaust fumes, formaldehyde, wood dust, animals or animal products, and pesticides. The strongest association with myeloma was employment in the agricultural industry (OR = 1.5, CI = 0.8-2.8), however, the number of women who worked on family farms was unknown and could not be included in this risk estimate.

Description of OPRA: A Danish database designed for the analyses of risk factors associated with 30-day hospital readmission of people aged 65+ years.

PubMed

Pedersen, Mona K; Nielsen, Gunnar L; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Rasmussen, Ole S; Lundbye-Christensen, Søren

2017-08-01

To describe the construction of the Older Person at Risk Assessment (OPRA) database, the ability to link this database with existing data sources obtained from Danish nationwide population-based registries and to discuss its research potential for the analyses of risk factors associated with 30-day hospital readmission. We reviewed Danish nationwide registries to obtain information on demographic and social determinants as well as information on health and health care use in a population of hospitalised older people. The sample included all people aged 65+ years discharged from Danish public hospitals in the period from 1 January 2007 to 30 September 2010. We used personal identifiers to link and integrate the data from all events of interest with the outcome measures in the OPRA database. The database contained records of the patients, admissions and variables of interest. The cohort included 1,267,752 admissions for 479,854 unique people. The rate of 30-day all-cause acute readmission was 18.9% ( n=239,077) and the overall 30-day mortality was 5.0% ( n=63,116). The OPRA database provides the possibility of linking data on health and life events in a population of people moving into retirement and ageing. Construction of the database makes it possible to outline individual life and health trajectories over time, transcending organisational boundaries within health care systems. The OPRA database is multi-component and multi-disciplinary in orientation and has been prepared to be used in a wide range of subgroup analyses, including different outcome measures and statistical methods.

Assessment of heterogeneity between European Populations: a Baltic and Danish replication case-control study of SNPs from a recent European ulcerative colitis genome wide association study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Differences in the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease between different European countries and ethnicities have previously been reported. In the present study, we wanted to assess the role of 11 newly identified UC risk variants, derived from a recent European UC genome wide association study (GWAS) (Franke et al., 2010), for 1) association with UC in the Nordic countries, 2) for population heterogeneity between the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe, and, 3) eventually, to drive some of the previous findings towards overall genome-wide significance. Methods Eleven SNPs were replicated in a Danish sample consisting of 560 UC patients and 796 controls and nine missing SNPs of the German GWAS study were successfully genotyped in the Baltic sample comprising 441 UC cases and 1156 controls. The independent replication data was then jointly analysed with the original data and systematic comparisons of the findings between ethnicities were made. Pearson's χ2, Breslow-Day (BD) and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) tests were used for association analyses and heterogeneity testing. Results The rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP was not associated with UC in the Danish panel. The rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP was significantly associated with UC in the combined Baltic, Danish and Norwegian UC study sample driven by the Norwegian panel (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.79-0.98, P = 0.02). No association was found between rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7) and UC (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.95-1.52, P = 0.10) or between UC and all other remaining SNPs. We had 94% chance of detecting an association for rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7) in the combined replication sample, whereas the power were 55% or lower for the remaining SNPs. Statistically significant PBD was found for OR heterogeneity between the combined Baltic, Danish, and Norwegian panel versus the combined German, British, Belgian, and Greek panel (rs7520292 (P = 0.001), rs12518307 (P = 0.007), and rs2395609 (TCP11) (P = 0.01), respectively). No SNP reached genome-wide significance in the combined analyses of all the panels. Conclusions This replication study supports an important role for the studied rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP, but not for rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7), in UC etiology in the Danish, Baltic, and Norwegian populations. Significant genetic heterogeneity was suggested for rs7520292, rs12518307, and rs2395609 (TCP11) in UC etiology between the Nordic and the other European populations. PMID:21995314

Assessment of heterogeneity between European Populations: a Baltic and Danish replication case-control study of SNPs from a recent European ulcerative colitis genome wide association study.

PubMed

Andersen, Vibeke; Ernst, Anja; Sventoraityte, Jurgita; Kupcinskas, Limas; Jacobsen, Bent A; Krarup, Henrik B; Vogel, Ulla; Jonaitis, Laimas; Denapiene, Goda; Kiudelis, Gediminas; Balschun, Tobias; Franke, Andre

2011-10-13

Differences in the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease between different European countries and ethnicities have previously been reported. In the present study, we wanted to assess the role of 11 newly identified UC risk variants, derived from a recent European UC genome wide association study (GWAS) (Franke et al., 2010), for 1) association with UC in the Nordic countries, 2) for population heterogeneity between the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe, and, 3) eventually, to drive some of the previous findings towards overall genome-wide significance. Eleven SNPs were replicated in a Danish sample consisting of 560 UC patients and 796 controls and nine missing SNPs of the German GWAS study were successfully genotyped in the Baltic sample comprising 441 UC cases and 1156 controls. The independent replication data was then jointly analysed with the original data and systematic comparisons of the findings between ethnicities were made. Pearson's χ2, Breslow-Day (BD) and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) tests were used for association analyses and heterogeneity testing. The rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP was not associated with UC in the Danish panel. The rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP was significantly associated with UC in the combined Baltic, Danish and Norwegian UC study sample driven by the Norwegian panel (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.79-0.98, P = 0.02). No association was found between rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7) and UC (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.95-1.52, P = 0.10) or between UC and all other remaining SNPs. We had 94% chance of detecting an association for rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7) in the combined replication sample, whereas the power were 55% or lower for the remaining SNPs.Statistically significant PBD was found for OR heterogeneity between the combined Baltic, Danish, and Norwegian panel versus the combined German, British, Belgian, and Greek panel (rs7520292 (P = 0.001), rs12518307 (P = 0.007), and rs2395609 (TCP11) (P = 0.01), respectively).No SNP reached genome-wide significance in the combined analyses of all the panels. This replication study supports an important role for the studied rs5771069 (IL17REL) SNP, but not for rs7809799 (SMURF1/KPNA7), in UC etiology in the Danish, Baltic, and Norwegian populations. Significant genetic heterogeneity was suggested for rs7520292, rs12518307, and rs2395609 (TCP11) in UC etiology between the Nordic and the other European populations.

Corporate cost of occupational accidents: an activity-based analysis.

PubMed

Rikhardsson, Pall M; Impgaard, Martin

2004-03-01

The systematic accident cost analysis (SACA) project was carried out during 2001 by The Aarhus School of Business and PricewaterhouseCoopers Denmark with financial support from The Danish National Working Environment Authority. Its focused on developing and testing a method for evaluating occupational costs of companies for use by occupational health and safety professionals. The method was tested in nine Danish companies within three different industry sectors and the costs of 27 selected occupational accidents in these companies were calculated. One of the main conclusions is that the SACA method could be used in all of the companies without revisions. The evaluation of accident cost showed that 2/3 of the costs of occupational accidents are visible in the Danish corporate accounting systems reviewed while 1/3 is hidden from management view. The highest cost of occupational accidents for a company with 3.600 employees was estimated to approximately US$ 682.000. The paper includes an introduction regarding accident cost analysis in companies, a presentation of the SACA project methodology and the SACA method itself, a short overview of some of the results of the SACA project and a conclusion. Further information about the project is available at http://www.asb.dk/saca.

Coffee consumption during pregnancy and the risk of hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Linnet, Karen Markussen; Wisborg, Kirsten; Secher, Niels Jørgen; Thomsen, Per Hove; Obel, Carsten; Dalsgaard, Søren; Henriksen, Tine Brink

2009-01-01

Based on hypotheses from experimental studies, we studied the association between intrauterine exposure to coffee and the risk of clinically verified hyperkinetic disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A cohort study with prospectively collected data from the Aarhus Birth Cohort, Denmark. We included 24 068 singletons delivered between 1990 and 1998. Linkage was performed with three Danish longitudinal registers: The Danish Psychiatric Central Register, The Integrated Database for Labour Market Research and The Danish Civil Registration System. We identified 88 children with hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD. Information about coffee consumption during pregnancy was obtained at 16 weeks of gestation from self-administrated questionnaires. Potential confounding factors were evaluated using Cox regression analyses. We found that intrauterine exposure to 10 or more cups of coffee per day was associated with a threefold increased risk of hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD. After adjustments for a number of confounding factors, the risk decreased and became statistically insignificant (RR 2.3, 95% CI 0.9-5.9). Prenatal exposure to high levels of coffee did not significantly increase the risk of clinically verified hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD in childhood.

Consumer clusters in Denmark based on coarse vegetable intake frequency, explained by hedonics, socio-demographic, health and food lifestyle factors. A cross-sectional national survey.

PubMed

Beck, Tove K; Jensen, Sidsel; Simmelsgaard, Sonni Hansen; Kjeldsen, Chris; Kidmose, Ulla

2015-08-01

Vegetable intake seems to play a protective role against major lifestyle diseases. Despite this, the Danish population usually eats far less than the recommended daily intake. The present study focused on the intake of 17 coarse vegetables and the potential barriers limiting their intake. The present study drew upon a large Danish survey (n = 1079) to study the intake of coarse vegetables among Danish consumers. Four population clusters were identified based on their intake of 17 different coarse vegetables, and profiled according to hedonics, socio-demographic, health, and food lifestyle factors. The four clusters were characterized by a very low intake frequency of coarse vegetables ('low frequency'), a low intake frequency of coarse vegetables; but high intake frequency of carrots ('carrot eaters'), a moderate coarse vegetable intake frequency and high intake frequency of beetroot ('beetroot eaters'), and a high intake frequency of all coarse vegetables ('high frequency'). There was a relationship between reported liking and reported intake frequency for all tested vegetables. Preference for foods with a sweet, salty or bitter taste, in general, was also identified to be decisive for the reported vegetable intake, as these differed across the clusters. Each cluster had distinct socio-demographic, health and food lifestyle profiles. 'Low frequency' was characterized by uninvolved consumers with lack of interest in food, 'carrot eaters' vegetable intake was driven by health aspects, 'beetroot eaters' were characterized as traditional food consumers, and 'high frequency' were individuals with a strong food engagement and high vegetable liking. 'Low frequency' identified more barriers than other consumer clusters and specifically regarded low availability of pre-cut/prepared coarse vegetables on the market as a barrier. Across all clusters a low culinary knowledge was identified as the main barrier. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Success of a Planned Bereavement Response--A Survey on Teacher Use of Bereavement Response Plans When Supporting Grieving Children in Danish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lytje, Martin

2017-01-01

This article investigates the strengths and weaknesses of the Danish Bereavement response plans. These are used by teachers to support grieving students and have been implemented in 96% of all Danish schools. The study is based on an Internet survey conducted with 967 teachers. Issues investigated are: "generalisation of grief",…

Nutrient pressures and ecological responses to nutrient loading reductions in Danish streams, lakes and coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kronvang, Brian; Jeppesen, Erik; Conley, Daniel J.; Søndergaard, Martin; Larsen, Søren E.; Ovesen, Niels B.; Carstensen, Jacob

2005-03-01

The Danish National Aquatic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (NOVA) was launched in 1988 following the adoption of the first Danish Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment in 1987 with the aim to reduce by 50% the nitrogen (N) loading and by 80% the phosphorus (P) loading to the aquatic environment. The 14 years of experience gathered from NOVA have shown that discharges of total N (TN) and P (TP) from point sources to the Danish Aquatic Environment have been reduced by 69% (N) and 82% (P) during the period 1989 2002. Consequently, the P concentration has decreased markedly in most Danish lakes and estuaries. Considerable changes in agricultural practice have resulted in a reduction of the net N-surplus from 136 to 88 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (41%) and the net P-surplus from 19 to 11 kg P ha-1 yr-1 (42%) during the period 1985 2002. Despite these efforts Danish agriculture is today the major source of both N (>80%) and P (>50%) in Danish streams, lakes and coastal waters. A non-parametric statistical trend analysis of TN concentrations in streams draining dominantly agricultural catchments has shown a significant (p<0.05) downward trend in 48 streams with the downward trend being stronger in loamy compared to sandy catchments, and more pronounced with increasing dominance of agricultural exploitation in the catchments. In contrast, a statistical trend analysis of TP concentrations in streams draining agricultural catchments did not reveal any significant trends. The large reduction in nutrient loading from point and non-point sources has in general improved the ecological conditions of Danish lakes in the form of increased summer Secchi depth, decreased chlorophyll a and reduced phytoplankton biomass. Major changes have also occurred in the fish communities in lakes, with positive cascading effects on water quality. In Danish estuaries and coastal waters only a few significant improvements in the ecological quality have been observed, although it is expected that the observed reduced nutrient concentrations are likely to improve the ecological quality of estuaries and coastal waters in Denmark in the long term.

Assessment of the probability of introducing Mycobacterium tuberculosis into Danish cattle herds.

PubMed

Foddai, Alessandro; Nielsen, Liza Rosenbaum; Krogh, Kaspar; Alban, Lis

2015-11-01

Tuberculosis is a zoonosis caused by Mycobacterium spp. International trade in cattle is regulated with respect to Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) but not Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), despite that cattle can become infected with both species. In this study we estimated the annual probability (PIntro) of introducing M. tuberculosis into the Danish cattle population, by the import of cattle and/or by immigrants working in Danish cattle herds. Data from 2013 with date, number, and origin of imported live cattle were obtained from the Danish cattle database. Information on immigrants working in Danish cattle herds was obtained through a questionnaire sent to Danish cattle farmers. The gained inputs were fed into three stochastic scenario trees to assess the PIntro for the current and alternative test-and-manage strategies, such as testing of imported animals and/or testing immigrant workers with the tuberculin skin test. We considered the population of Danish farmers and practitioners free of tuberculosis, because in Denmark, the incidence of the disease in humans is low and primarily related to immigrants and socially disadvantaged people. The median annual probability of introducing M. tuberculosis into the Danish cattle population due to imported live cattle was 0.008% (90% P.I.: 0.0007%; 0.03%), while the probability due to immigrant workers was 4.1% (90% P.I.: 0.8%; 12.1%). The median combined probability (PIntro) due to imported cattle plus workers was 4.1% (90% P.I.: 0.8%; 12.6%). Hence, on average at least one introduction each 24 (90% P.I.: 8; 125) years could be expected. Imported live cattle appeared to play a marginal role on the overall annual PIntro, because they represented only approximately 0.2% of the median annual probability. By testing immigrant workers the overall annual PIntro could be reduced to 0.2% (90% P.I.: 0.04%; 0.7%). Thus, testing of immigrant workers could be considered as a risk mitigation strategy to markedly reduce the likelihood of introducing M. tuberculosis into the Danish cattle population, if the risk is considered unacceptable by the veterinary public health authorities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compliance/non-compliance with biosecurity rules specified in the Danish Quality Assurance system (KIK) and Campylobacter-positive broiler flocks 2012 and 2013.

PubMed

Sandberg, M; Dahl, J; Lindegaard, L L; Pedersen, J R

2017-01-01

One source for Campylobacter jejuni infections in humans could be consumption of broiler meat. Transmission of Campylobacter into broiler houses/flocks occurs via many routes. A number of biosecurity rules is specified in the Quality Assurance System in Danish Chicken Production (KIK) - for which the broiler producers annually are audited for compliance with, by bureau Veritas. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigated the association between Compliance/non-compliance with biosecurity rules and Campylobacter-positive flocks - on KIK data from 2012 and 2013. Month and before after audit period were also included in the models. KIK rules important to comply with were: no vegetation around houses, closed systems for feed storage and distribution, and division between clean and unclean zones within broiler houses. A Campylobacter-reducing effect was observed of audit visits (in itself), indicating that there is more focus on compliance with KIK at the time of an audit visit, and that adequate daily biosecurity behavior is important. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Heuristic evaluation and thinking aloud test of a digitized questionnaire for diabetes outpatient clinics.

PubMed

Schaarup, Clara; Hejlesen, Ole K

2014-01-01

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by hyperglycaemia. The number of patients with diabetes is expected to exceed 592 million in 2035. The growing number of diabetics is a great burden for the Danish healthcare system. The Danish government desires a modern and efficient healthcare system with a high patient security and a coherent continuity of care. To achieve these outcomes medical record-keeping, paper questionnaires and notes must be digitized. The current system enforces that the diabetics fill out questionnaires in paper form after which the healthcare personnel enter the same information in the electronic health record. In this study, an online questionnaire was designed and the usability was evaluated using the following parameters: learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction. The parameters were evaluated by using the discount usability engineering method. 5 double specialists and 6 patients diagnosed with diabetes provided the data of the study. The results indicated that simple and obvious figures were preferred in the online questionnaire, as well as error preventing in the form of validation fields. This study inspire to further development in the digitizing process.

Evaluation of Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children: comparing reported fruit, juice and vegetable intakes with plasma carotenoid concentration and school lunch observations.

PubMed

Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Bysted, Anette; Trolle, Ellen; Christensen, Tue; Knuthsen, Pia; Damsgaard, Camilla T; Andersen, Lene F; Brockhoff, Per; Tetens, Inge

2013-07-14

Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC) was developed to estimate dietary intake in a school meal intervention study among 8- to 11-year-old Danish children. The present study validates self-reported fruit, juice and vegetable (FJV) intakes in 8- to 11-year-old children by comparing intake with plasma carotenoid concentration, and by comparing the reported FJV intake to actually eaten FJV, as observed by a photographic method. A total of eighty-one children, assisted by parents, reported their diet for seven consecutive days. For the same five schooldays as they reported their diet, the children's school lunch was photographed and weighed before and after eating. In the week after the diet reporting, fasting blood samples were taken. Self-reported intake of FJV and estimated intake of carotenoids were compared with plasma carotenoid concentration. Accuracy of self-reported food and FJV consumption at school lunch was measured in terms of matches, intrusion, omission and faults, when compared with images and weights of lunch intake. Self-reported intake of FJV was significantly correlated with the total carotenoid concentration (0·58) (P< 0·01). Fruit and juice consumption showed higher correlations than vegetables with plasma carotenoid concentration (0·38 and 0·42 v. 0·33) (P< 0·01). A total of 82 % of the participants fell into the same or adjacent quartiles when cross-classified by FJV intake and carotenoids biomarkers. WebDASC attained 82 % reporting matches overall and a higher percentage match for reporting fruits compared with beverages. The present study indicated that WebDASC can be used to rank 8- to 11-year-old Danish children according to their intake of FJV overall and at school meals.

The Danish health care system from a British perspective.

PubMed

Hurst, Jeremy

2002-02-01

The organisation and financing of the Danish health care system was evaluated within a framework of a SWOT analysis (analysis of strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) by a panel of five members with a background in health economics. The evaluation was based on reading an extensive amount of selected documents and literature on the Danish health care system, and a one-week visit to health care authorities, providers and key persons. The present paper includes the main findings by one of the panel members. The dominance of tax financing helps to achieve control over the level of health care expenditure, as well as securing equity in financing the services. The reliance on local government for financing and running health care has both advantages and disadvantages, and the split between county and municipal responsibility leads to problems of co-ordination. The remuneration of general practitioners by a mix of capitation payment and fee for services has the advantage of capping expenditure whilst leaving the GPs with an incentive to compete for patients by providing them with good services. The GP service is remarkably economical. The hospital sector displays much strength, but there seem to be problems with respect to: (i) perceived lack of resources and waiting lists; (ii) impersonal care, lack of continuity of care and failures in communication between patients and staff; (iii) management problems and sometimes demotivated staff. The relationship between patients and providers is facilitated by free access to GPs and absence of any charges for hospital treatment. The biggest threat is continuation of avoidable illness caused by poor health habits in the population. The biggest opportunity is to strengthen public health measures to tackle these poor health habits.

Strength and Conditioning Training by the Danish National Handball Team Before an Olympic Tournament.

PubMed

Kvorning, Thue; Hansen, Mikkel R B; Jensen, Kurt

2017-07-01

Kvorning, T, Hansen, MRB, and Jensen, K. Strength and conditioning training by the Danish national handball team before an Olympic tournament. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1759-1765, 2017-The physical demands imposed on national team handball teams during the Olympics imply significant physical preparation to improve performance and reduce incidence of injuries. The purpose of this case report was to describe and analyze the strength and conditioning (S&C) training performed by the Danish national handball team before the Beijing Olympic Games. Eight weeks of S&C was divided into 5 weeks emphasizing muscle hypertrophy and long-interval running followed by 3 weeks emphasizing strength, power, and short-interval running. Body mass increased by 1.6% (p < 0.05), whereas body fat decreased by 1.0% (p < 0.05). No differences were seen in countermovement jump or jump-and-reach height (p > 0.05). Agility performance was evaluated by a T-test and improved by 2.5% (p < 0.05). Changes by 6% and 22% were seen in 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press and 1RM back squat, respectively. However, only the 1RM bench press increased significantly (p < 0.05). Running performance was tested by the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test, level 2, and improved by 25% (p < 0.05). In conclusion, during 8 weeks of S&C training before the Beijing Olympics, body composition changed toward more muscle mass, better upper-body strength, better interval running, and agility performance, whereas no changes were seen in jumping or lower-body muscle strength. This case report may be used as a handy script for handball teams preparing for competition. Detailed and periodized S&C training programs for 8 weeks are provided and can be used by teams ranging from moderately to highly trained.

Autoimmune diseases in a Danish cohort of 4,866 carriers of constitutional structural chromosomal rearrangements.

PubMed

Bache, Iben; Nielsen, Nete M; Rostgaard, Klaus; Tommerup, Niels; Frisch, Morten

2007-07-01

Constitutional structural chromosomal rearrangements (CSCRs) have facilitated the identification of genes associated with early-onset monogenic disorders and, more recently, genes associated with common and late-onset disorders. In an attempt to find genetic clues to their etiologies, we studied the risk of autoimmune diseases in a Danish cohort of CSCR carriers. We followed up 4,866 CSCR carriers over 71,230 person-years (1980 through 2004) for autoimmune diseases recorded in the Danish Hospital Discharge Register. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) served as measures of the relative risk. To identify possible candidate loci for autoimmune diseases, the reported chromosomal breakpoints and deletions in CSCR carriers who developed autoimmune diseases were compared with previously suggested loci for these diseases. The overall risk of any autoimmune disease among CSCR carriers was inconspicuous (SIR 1.2 [95% CI 0.95-1.5]; n = 74 cases observed versus 61.3 expected), but carriers of rearrangements involving chromosomes 2, 19, and 21 were at significantly increased risk. For the specific autoimmune diseases studied, cohort members were at significantly increased risk of Dupuytren's contracture, pernicious anemia, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Sixteen carriers who developed an autoimmune disease had a chromosomal breakpoint or deletion coinciding with a previously suggested locus, including deletions 18p11, 18q22, and 22q11 associated with JRA. CSCR carriers do not have a generalized predisposition to autoimmune diseases. However, we confirmed a number of reported susceptibility loci for JRA, and we suggest new susceptibility loci on chromosomes 5 and 11 for Dupuytren's contracture, and 19p13 as a possible shared susceptibility locus for a range of autoimmune diseases.

Predictors of preconceptional folic acid or multivitamin supplement use: a cross-sectional study of Danish pregnancy planners

PubMed Central

Cueto, Heidi T; Riis, Anders H; Hatch, Elizabeth E; Wise, Lauren A; Rothman, Kenneth J; Mikkelsen, Ellen M

2012-01-01

Purpose Compliance with the Danish preconceptional folic acid (FA) recommendation – a daily supplement of 400 μg – is reported to be poor. Uncertainty remains, however, about the prevalence of compliers and health-related predictors of compliance in the preconceptional period. Methods We used self-reported baseline data from 5383 women, aged 18–40 years, enrolled in an Internet-based prospective cohort study of Danish pregnancy planners during 2007–2011. We estimated the prevalence proportions of FA or multivitamin (MV) use in relation to selected sociodemographic, lifestyle, reproductive, and medical characteristics. Multivariate binomial regression was used to obtain prevalence proportion differences with 95% confidence intervals for each level of study predictors, adjusted for all other predictors. Results Overall, 7.7% of women used FA supplements, 20.4% used MV supplements, 34.0% used both, 1.5% used other single vitamins or minerals, and 36.4% did not use any dietary supplements. The prevalence of FA or MV supplement use was higher among older women, women with higher education and income, and women with healthy lifestyle factors such as being a nonsmoker, nondrinker, physically active, maintaining a normal body mass index and having regular pap smears. Greater intercourse frequency and a history of spontaneous abortion were also positively associated with FA or MV supplement use. We found no clear association between use of FA or MV supplements and a diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, or chlamydia. Conclusion A large proportion of pregnancy planners do not use FA or MV supplements. Pregnancy planners with generally risky lifestyle behaviors are less likely to comply with the FA recommendation. PMID:23071405

Relative validity of a semi-quantitative, web-based FFQ used in the 'Snart Forældre' cohort - a Danish study of diet and fertility.

PubMed

Knudsen, Vibeke K; Hatch, Elizabeth E; Cueto, Heidi; Tucker, Katherine L; Wise, Lauren; Christensen, Tue; Mikkelsen, Ellen M

2016-04-01

To assess the relative validity of a semi-quantitative, web-based FFQ completed by female pregnancy planners in the Danish 'Snart Forældre' study. We validated a web-based FFQ based on the FFQ used in the Danish National Birth Cohort against a 4 d food diary (FD) and assessed the relative validity of intakes of foods and nutrients. We compared means and medians of intakes, and calculated Pearson correlation coefficients and de-attenuated coefficients to assess agreement between the two methods. We also calculated the proportion correctly classified based on the same or adjacent quintile of intake and the proportion of grossly misclassified (extreme quintiles). Participants (n 128) in the 'Snart Forældre' study who had completed the web-based FFQ were invited to participate in the validation study. Participants in the 'Snart Forældre' study, in total ninety-seven women aged 20-42 years. Reported intakes of dairy products, vegetables and potatoes were higher in the FFQ compared with the FD, whereas reported intakes of fruit, meat, sugar and beverages were lower in the FFQ than in the FD. Overall the de-attenuated correlation coefficients were acceptable, ranging from 0·33 for energy to 0·93 for vitamin D. The majority of the women were classified in the same or adjacent quintile and few women were misclassified (extreme quintiles). The web-based FFQ performs well for ranking women of reproductive age according to high or low intake of foods and nutrients and, thus, provides a solid basis for investigating associations between diet and fertility.

Patient reported outcome in posttraumatic pituitary deficiency: results from The Danish National Study on posttraumatic hypopituitarism.

PubMed

Klose, Marianne; Stochholm, Kirstine; Janukonyté, Jurgita; Christensen, Louise Lehman; Cohen, Arieh S; Wagner, Aase; Laurberg, Peter; Christiansen, Jens Sandahl; Andersen, Marianne; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla

2015-06-01

Posttraumatic pituitary hormone deficiency is often suggested. The impact of these predominantly mild and often irreproducible deficiencies on outcome is less clear. The aim of the present study was to describe patient reported outcome in a national a priori unselected cohort of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in relation to deficiencies identified upon pituitary assessment. We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study. Participants were Danish patients with a head trauma diagnosis recorded in the Danish Board of Health diagnostic code registry; 439 patients (and 124 healthy controls) underwent assessment of anterior pituitary function 2.5 years (median) after TBI. Questionnaires on health-related quality of life (QoL) (SF36, EuroQoL-5D, QoL assessment of GH deficiency in adults) and fatigue (MFI-20) were completed in parallel to pituitary assessment. Patients with TBI had significant detriments in QoL. Impairment (mainly physical scales) related to pituitary deficiency, although only partially confirmed after adjustment for demographic differences. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism related to several QoL scores. Increasing impairments were observed with declining total testosterone concentrations (men), but not free testosterone concentrations or any other hormone concentrations. Total testosterone was not independently related to impaired QoL and fatigue, after adjustment for demographics, and treatment with antidiabetics, opioids, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants. Only a very limited relationship between pituitary hormone deficiencies and QoL/fatigue was demonstrated. Due to the dominating influence of concurrent comorbidities, pituitary deficiencies were not independently related to QoL/fatigue. Causality is still to be shown, and whether substitution therapy could be of additional relevance in selected patients needs to be proven. © 2015 European Society of Endocrinology.

LUCAS(™)2 in Danish Search and Rescue Helicopters.

PubMed

Winther, Kasper; Bleeg, René Christian

2016-01-01

Prehospital resuscitation is often challenging. Giving uninterrupted and effective compressions is relatively impossible during transportation. In 2012, The Royal Danish Air Force received a donation of 8 mechanical chest compression devices (LUCAS(™)2; Physio-Control/Jolife AB, Lund, Sweden) to be used onboard the Danish search and rescue (SAR) helicopters. The scope of this investigation was to establish whether or not mechanical chest compression devices should be considered a necessity onboard the Danish SAR helicopters. Data were compiled from SAR medical journals. From the data collected, observations were made as to when LUCAS(™)2 was used and what diagnosis the SAR physician made. One thousand ninety missions were registered in the 24-month research period, and LUCAS(™)2 was used in 25 missions. Cardiac emergencies amounted for 25% of the missions. The Danish SAR helicopters retrieved 33 drowned/hypothermic patients during the research period, and the LUCAS(™)2 was used in 11 of the patients requiring resuscitation. The LUCAS(™)2 was frequently used during other emergencies like sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiac emergencies were the predominant type of mission. LUCAS(™)2 is now considered mandatory on Danish SAR helicopters. Copyright © 2016 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Musculoskeletal pain in patients with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Molsted, S; Tribler, J; Snorgaard, O

2012-05-01

The aims were to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in patients with type 2 diabetes and demonstrate possible associated factors. Nine hundred fifty-one patients completed a validated questionnaire used in The Danish Health and Morbidity Survey and results were compared to data for 2923 matched subjects from the Danish population. Musculoskeletal pain was self-reported Pain in the shoulder and neck; Low-back pain; and Pain in the arm, hand, knee and/or hip. Compared to the age, gender and region matched controls patients reported musculoskeletal pain 1.7-2.1 times as frequent (p<0.001). Pain was more frequently reported in women (p<0.001). Low-back pain and Pain in the arm, hand, knee and/or hip was associated with body mass index (p<0.005). Low-back pain was associated with a sedentary life style, impaired quality of life and reduced physical function (p<0.05). The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was seriously increased in patients with type 2 diabetes. It was associated with body mass index, reduced quality of life, low physical function and the ability to be physical active. Focus on musculoskeletal pain in clinical practice is therefore of major importance in lifestyle interventions in type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Different effects of BCG strains - A natural experiment evaluating the impact of the Danish and the Russian BCG strains on morbidity and scar formation in Guinea-Bissau.

PubMed

Frankel, H; Byberg, S; Bjerregaard-Andersen, M; Martins, C L; Aaby, P; Benn, C S; Fisker, A B

2016-08-31

Different Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine strains may have different non-specific effects. We assessed the effect of two BCG strains (Danish and Russian) on childhood morbidity and BCG scarification in Guinea-Bissau. During 2011-2013, infants in the Bandim Health Project's urban study area received the Danish or Russian BCG in a natural experiment. Health center consultations were registered at point of care and scar status and size at age 4½ months. We assessed the effect of strain on consultation rates between vaccination and age 45days in Cox proportional hazards models. Scar prevalence and size were compared using binomial regression and ranksum tests. Among 1206 children, 18% received Danish BCG (n=215) and 82% Russian BCG (n=991). The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for consultations was 0.94 (95% CI 0.60-1.46) for Danish BCG compared with Russian BCG. Girls vaccinated with Danish BCG tended to have lower consultation rates compared with girls vaccinated with Russian BCG (aHR 0.56 (0.25-1.24)), whereas the effect was opposite for boys (aHR 1.24 (0.74-2.11)), p=0.09. Children vaccinated with Danish BCG were more likely to develop a scar (97%) than children vaccinated with Russian BCG (87%), the relative risk (RR) being 1.11 (1.06-1.16). The effect was stronger in girls, and BCG scar size was larger among infants vaccinated with the Danish strain. BCG strain influences scar prevalence and scar size, and may have sex differential effects on morbidity. BCG strains are currently used interchangeably, but BCG scarring has been linked to subsequent survival. Hence, more research into the health effects of different BCG strains is warranted. Small adjustments of BCG production could potentially lower childhood morbidity and mortality at low cost. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ground truth and detection threshold from WWII naval clean-up in Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Tine B.; Dahl-Jensen, Trine; Voss, Peter

2013-04-01

The sea bed below the Danish territorial waters is still littered with unexploded mines and other ammunition from World War II. The mines were air dropped by the RAF and the positions of the mines are unknown. As the mines still pose a potential threat to fishery and other marine activities, the Admiral Danish Fleet under the Danish Navy searches for the mines and destroy them by detonation, where they are found. The largest mines destroyed in this manner in 2012 are equivalent to 800 kg TNT each. The Seismological Service at the National Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland is notified by the navy when ammunition in excess of 100 kg TNT is detonated. The notifications include information about position, detonation time and the estimated amount of explosives. The larger explosions are clearly registered not only on the Danish seismographs, but also on seismographs in the neighbouring countries. This includes the large seismograph arrays in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Until recently the information from the Danish navy was only utilized to rid the Danish earthquake catalogue of explosions. But the high quality information provided by the navy enables us to use these ground truth events to assess the quality of our earthquake catalogue. The mines are scattered though out the Danish territorial waters, thus we can use the explosions to test the accuracy of the determined epicentres in all parts of the country. E.g. a detonation of 135 kg in Begstrup Vig in the central part of Denmark was located using Danish, Norwegian and Swedish stations with an accuracy of less than 2 km from ground truth. A systematic study of the explosions will sharpen our understanding of the seismicity in Denmark, and result in a more detailed understanding of the detection threshold. Furthermore the study will shed light on the sensitivity of the network to various seismograph outages.

Differences in uptake of immunisations and health examinations among refugee children compared to Danish-born children: a cohort study.

PubMed

Moller, Sanne Pagh; Hjern, Anders; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo; Norredam, Marie

2016-04-01

Refugee children and their families constitute a vulnerable group regarding health and access to care. In a register-based cohort design, we examined differences in uptake of immunisations and child health examinations between refugee children and Danish-born children, including predictors of uptake among refugee children. Refugee children (n = 16,701) who, between January 1993 and December 2010, obtained residency permits in Denmark were included and matched in a 1:6 ratio on age and sex with Danish-born children (n = 100,206). Personal identification numbers were cross-linked to the National Danish Health Service Register, identifying all contacts for immunisation and child health examinations. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) of uptake. Refugee children had a lower uptake of all immunisations compared to Danish-born children. The lowest uptake was found for immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (HR = 0.50; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.48-0.51). Participation in child health examinations was also lower among refugee children with the lowest at the last child health examination at age 5 (HR = 0.48; 95 % CI 0.47-0.50). Adjusting the analysis for parental income increased the HRs by 10-20 %. This Danish register-based study using nationwide data revealed a lower uptake of routine immunisations and child health examinations among refugee children compared to Danish-born children. •Uptake of immunisation and child health examination is associated with low household income, unemployment and low educational status among the parents. •Uptake may be even lower among refugee families as they constitute a vulnerable group regarding access to healthcare. What is New: •Refugee children had lower uptake of immunisations and child health examinations compared to Danish-born children. •Several predictors of uptake were identified including region of origin and duration of residence.

Paid Work and Unpaid Work: Diary Information Versus Questionnaire Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonke, Jens

2005-01-01

Time-use information is preferably obtained from diaries, as this method is considered more reliable than information from questionnaires. Data from the Danish Time Use Survey 2001 thus indicate differences in the level of unpaid work, whereas only minor differences appear for paid work. That is: people reporting many hours of paid work tend to…

Population and Family Planning Education, Report of a Seminar (Holte, Denmark, July 3-28, 1972).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1972

In July 1972, DANIDA and the Danish Family Planning Association provided delegations from selected countries the opportunity to devise teaching programs on population and family planning topics for 9-to 11-year-olds. Participants from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines attended the meeting with Danish…

Developing Guidance Material To Uncover a Mathematics Profile of Adult Participants on a Crane Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindenskov, Lena

This paper reports on a pilot study in the Danish "Profile in Mathematics" project implemented by the Directorate General for Employment, Placement and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Education. The pilot study develops and tests specific guidance materials to guide participants and teachers through a course for crane workers…

The Children's Rights Convention in Denmark: A Status Report on Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgensen, Per Schultz; Leth, Ingrid; Montgomery, Edith

2011-01-01

Research Findings: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by Denmark in 1991 but never incorporated into Danish legislation; instead the State party has chosen a stepwise implementation in legal and social praxis. However, this process mirrors a remarkable reluctance to approve the Convention as a legitimate part of…

A Danish family with dominant deafness-onychodystrophy syndrome.

PubMed

Vind-Kezunovic, Dina; Torring, Pernille M

2013-01-01

The rare hereditary disorder "dominant deafness and onychodystrophy (DDOD) syndrome" (OMIM 124480) has been described in a few case reports. No putative DDOD gene or locus has been mapped and the cause of the disorder remains unknown. We present here three male family members in three generations with sensori-neural deafness, onychodystrophy and brachydactyly inherited via autosomal dominant transmission. The family members presented with absent fingernails on the first and fifth digits. As to the feet, there were absent nails on second to fifth toes in two family members, whereas the third family member only had absent nails on the fifth toe. The proband had late dentition and his father a history of late dentition, but otherwise the teeth appeared normal. Comparative genomic hybridization array analysis (Agilent 400k oligoarray) of the proband did not detect any copy number variation. This Danish family fits within the spectrum of dominant deafness and onychodystrophy syndrome and further characterises this rare disorder.

Repeated isolation of Salmonella enterica Goverdhan, a very rare serovar, from Danish poultry surveillance samples.

PubMed

Pedersen, Karl; Sørensen, Gitte; Szabo, Istvan; Hächler, Herbert; Le Hello, Simon

2014-12-05

We report here the appearance of a very rare serovar of Salmonella, S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Goverdhan, in routine Salmonella surveillance samples from Danish poultry production. S. Goverdhan was found on nine occasions: in one broiler breeder farm in October 2010, four broiler farms and one broiler breeder farm in June-September 2012, two broiler breeder flocks simultaneously in June 2013, and one layer flock in July 2013. The five isolates from 2012 and the three isolates from 2013 had identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles, whereas the profile of the isolate from 2010 deviated in a single band. It is the first time this serovar has been described in samples from poultry. The origin of the bacterium is still unknown, but it is suggested that it may have been a pseudo-outbreak caused by contaminated sampling material. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring User Experience of a Telehealth System for the Danish TeleCare North Trial.

PubMed

Lilholt, Pernille Heyckendorff; Hæsum, Lisa Korsbakke Emtekær; Hejlesen, Ole Kristian

2015-01-01

The aim was to explore user experiences of using a telehealth system (Telekit) designed for the Danish TeleCare North trial. Telekit is designed for patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in order to manage the disease and support patient empowerment. This article sums up COPD-participants' user experiences in terms of increased sense of freedom, of security, of control, and greater awareness of COPD symptoms. A consecutive sample of sixty participants (27 women, 33 men) were recruited from the TeleCare North trial. At home the participants completed a non-standardised questionnaire while a researcher was present. The questionnaire identified their health status, their use of specific technologies, and their user experiences with the telehealth system. Results from the questionnaire indicate that the majority of participants (88%) considered the Telekit system as easy to use. 43 (72%) participants felt increased sense of security, and 37 (62%) participants felt increased sense of control by using the system. 30 (50%) participants felt greater awareness of their COPD symptoms, but only 16 (27%) participants felt increased freedom. The study has provided a general picture of COPD participants' user experiences which is important to emphasise as it has a bearing on whether a given implementation will be successful or not.

Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumours: update of Danish cohort study

PubMed Central

Poulsen, Aslak H; Johansen, Christoffer; Olsen, Jørgen H; Steding-Jessen, Marianne; Schüz, Joachim

2011-01-01

Objective To investigate the risk of tumours in the central nervous system among Danish mobile phone subscribers. Design Nationwide cohort study. Setting Denmark. Participants All Danes aged ≥30 and born in Denmark after 1925, subdivided into subscribers and non-subscribers of mobile phones before 1995. Main outcome measures Risk of tumours of the central nervous system, identified from the complete Danish Cancer Register. Sex specific incidence rate ratios estimated with log linear Poisson regression models adjusted for age, calendar period, education, and disposable income. Results 358 403 subscription holders accrued 3.8 million person years. In the follow-up period 1990-2007, there were 10 729 cases of tumours of the central nervous system. The risk of such tumours was close to unity for both men and women. When restricted to individuals with the longest mobile phone use—that is, ≥13 years of subscription—the incidence rate ratio was 1.03 (95% confidence interval 0.83 to 1.27) in men and 0.91 (0.41 to 2.04) in women. Among those with subscriptions of ≥10 years, ratios were 1.04 (0.85 to 1.26) in men and 1.04 (0.56 to 1.95) in women for glioma and 0.90 (0.57 to 1.42) in men and 0.93 (0.46 to 1.87) in women for meningioma. There was no indication of dose-response relation either by years since first subscription for a mobile phone or by anatomical location of the tumour—that is, in regions of the brain closest to where the handset is usually held to the head. Conclusions In this update of a large nationwide cohort study of mobile phone use, there were no increased risks of tumours of the central nervous system, providing little evidence for a causal association. PMID:22016439

Physical Health, Medication, and Healthcare Utilization among 70-Year-Old People with Schizophrenia: A Nationwide Danish Register Study.

PubMed

Brink, Maria; Green, Anders; Bojesen, Anders Bo; Lamberti, J Steven; Conwell, Yeates; Andersen, Kjeld

2017-05-01

In light of the excess early mortality in schizophrenia, mainly due to physical illnesses, we investigated medical comorbidity, use of medication, and healthcare utilization among individuals with schizophrenia who survived into older ages to uncover potential factors contributing to their longevity. A nationwide register-based case-control study comparing 70-year-olds with and without schizophrenia. Cases were drawn from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. Age- and sex-matched controls were drawn from the general population via the Civil Registration System. All Danish inhabitants who were diagnosed and registered with early onset schizophrenia in 1970-1979 and still alive at age 70 years. Controls alive at age 70 years. Chronic medical comorbidity, medications, and inpatient and outpatient healthcare utilization extracted from Danish healthcare registers. Older adults with schizophrenia did not differ from controls with regard to registered chronic medical illnesses, but were significantly less likely to receive medication for cardiovascular diseases (OR: 0.65; 99.29% CI: 0.50, 0.83) and more likely to be treated with analgesics (OR: 1.46; 99.29% CI: 1.04, 2.05). Overall, hospital admissions and number of days hospitalized were equal to controls, but with significantly fewer general medical outpatient contacts (RR: 0.37; 98.75% CI: 0.24, 0.55). Because the literature suggests that excess mortality continues into old age, it is possible that medical diseases were under-registered and/or under-treated. Focus on adequate medical treatment, in particular for cardiovascular disease, is needed. Future integration of psychiatric and general medical healthcare, especially outpatient care, might further optimize health outcomes for older adults with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Individual and combined effects of maternal anemia and prenatal infection on risk for schizophrenia in offspring.

PubMed

Nielsen, Philip R; Meyer, Urs; Mortensen, Preben B

2016-04-01

Maternal iron deficiency and infection during pregnancy have individually been associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, but possible interactions between the two remain unidentified thus far. Therefore, we determined the individual and combined effects of maternal infection during pregnancy and prepartum anemia on schizophrenia risk in the offspring. We conducted a population-based study with individual record linkage of the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish Hospital Register, and the Central Danish Psychiatric Register. In a cohort of Danish singleton births 1,403,183 born between 1977 and 2002, 6729 developed schizophrenia between 1987 and 2012. Cohort members were considered as having a maternal history of anemia if the mother had received a diagnosis of anemia at any time during the pregnancy. Maternal infection was defined based on infections requiring hospital admission during pregnancy. Maternal anemia and infection were both associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in unadjusted analyses (1.45-fold increase for anemia, 95% CI: 1.14-1.82; 1.32-fold increase for infection, 95% CI: 1.17-1.48). The effect of maternal infection remained significant (1.16-fold increase, 95% CI: 1.03-1.31) after adjustment for possible confounding factors. Combined exposure to anemia and an infection increased the effect size to a 2.49-fold increased schizophrenia risk (95% CI: 1.29-4.27). The interaction analysis, however, failed to provide evidence for multiplicative interactions between the two factors. Our findings indicate that maternal anemia and infection have additive but not interactive effects, and therefore, they may represent two independent risk factors of schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Prevalence of Four Types of Childhood Maltreatment in Denmark

PubMed Central

Christoffersen, Mogens N; Armour, Cherie; Lasgaard, Mathias; Andersen, Tonny E; Elklit, Ask

2013-01-01

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of four types of childhood maltreatment in Denmark while taking into considerations how each of the types of maltreatment vary as a function of gender or child-protection status. Methods: Data were collected from a Danish national study conducted by The Danish National Centre for Social Research in 2008 and 2009. The study used a stratified random probability sample of young people aged 24 years. A sample of 4718 young adults were randomly selected by Statistics Denmark using the total birth cohort of all children born in 1984. The response rate was 63% leaving a total effective sample size of 2980. A structured residential or telephone interview enquired about a range of respondents maltreatment experiences. Results: Maltreatment is experienced by a significant proportion of Danish children. The reported prevalence rates were; physical neglect (3.0%), emotional abuse (5.2%), physical abuse (5.4%) and sexual abuse (3.4%). All trauma types were experienced by a greater percentage of females compared to males with the exception of physical abuse and all trauma types were experienced by a greater percentage of children given child-protection status. Conclusions: Female children and children who are given child protection status are those most at risk for experiencing maltreatment in Denmark. However, variability in prevalence rates of maltreatment across studies is problematic. Methodological variations and variation in abuse definitions may be partly attributable. PMID:24155769

Digital Voting Systems and Communication in Classroom Lectures--An Empirical Study Based around Physics Teaching at Bachelor Level at Two Danish Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathiasen, Helle

2015-01-01

Studies on the use of digital voting systems in large group teaching situations have often focused on the "non-anonymity" and control and testing functions that the technology provides. There has also been some interest in how students might use their votes tactically to gain "credits". By focusing on an empirical study of…

[The Danish Debate on Priority Setting in Medicine--An Update].

PubMed

Pornak, S C; Raspe, H

2015-09-01

In the last years, the Danish debate about priority setting in medicine has gained new strength. This paper shows the main focuses of the current discussion based on a research of Danish primary literature. For the first time since the 1990s the Danish Council of Ethics has been involved with priority setting in medicine in a project running from 2011 to 2013. The Council emphasises the importance of legitimate processes and calls for visible values and criteria. A focus of the debate is how to deal with new expensive drugs. Politicians, physicians, health economists and the Council of Ethics have called for a national institution for priority setting in medicine. They have mainly looked to the Norwegian National Council for Priority Setting in Health Care and the British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for inspiration. The Danish Government considered establishing a national institute for priority setting, but the plans were not put into practice. In the year 2012 a new national project was launched to create clinical guidelines. Danish doctors welcome the guidelines as a good basis for priority setting. Just like in earlier Danish priority setting debates, a coordinating institution is lacking to bundle the discussion and keep it going. The debate seems to have come to an end once again. The fact that it was seriously considered to establish an institute for priority setting is a new development. It can be expected that the discussion will be resumed in the near future, possibly the idea of an institute for priority setting will be readopted. The general conditions for priority setting in health care have improved. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Influence of the recall period on a beverage-specific weekly drinking measure for alcohol intake.

PubMed

Ekholm, O; Strandberg-Larsen, K; Grønbæk, M

2011-04-01

Our knowledge of the association between alcohol intake and alcohol-related health outcomes depends, to a large extent, on the validity and reliability of self-reported alcohol intake. Weekly drinking measures are frequently used in epidemiological surveys, but it has been shown that respondents have problems in correctly reporting intake for a full week. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a beverage-specific question implies better recall and, thereby, eliminates or diminishes the previously reported association between the recall period and the self-reported weekly alcohol intake. The data is derived from the Danish Health Interview Survey 2005, which is based on a region-stratified random sample of 21,832 Danish citizens aged ≥16 years (response rate: 67%). The data were collected via face-to-face interviews. A beverage-specific question on alcohol intake on each day during the last week did not alter the strong association between the recall period and self-reported alcohol intake. However, the overall self-reported alcohol intake increased substantially when using the beverage-specific question instead of asking for the overall alcohol intake on each day. Moreover, the analyses indicated that interviews on Sundays should be avoided if the purpose is to assess alcohol intake for the previous day (Saturdays). It seems problematic to recall alcohol intake even when the recall period is as short as 1 week. Weekly drinking measures should primarily be used when the main aim of the study is to assess the average volume of alcohol intake in a specific population. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved

Reporting the national antimicrobial consumption in Danish pigs: influence of assigned daily dosage values and population measurement.

PubMed

Dupont, Nana; Fertner, Mette; Kristensen, Charlotte Sonne; Toft, Nils; Stege, Helle

2016-05-03

Transparent calculation methods are crucial when investigating trends in antimicrobial consumption over time and between populations. Until 2011, one single standardized method was applied when quantifying the Danish pig antimicrobial consumption with the unit "Animal Daily Dose" (ADD). However, two new methods for assigning values for ADDs have recently emerged, one implemented by DANMAP, responsible for publishing annual reports on antimicrobial consumption, and one by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA), responsible for the Yellow Card initiative. In addition to new ADD assignment methods, Denmark has also experienced a shift in the production pattern, towards a larger export of live pigs. The aims of this paper were to (1) describe previous and current ADD assignment methods used by the major Danish institutions and (2) to illustrate how ADD assignment method and choice of population and population measurement affect the calculated national antimicrobial consumption in pigs (2007-2013). The old VetStat ADD-values were based on SPCs in contrast to the new ADD-values, which were based on active compound, concentration and administration route. The new ADD-values stated by both DANMAP and DVFA were only identical for 48 % of antimicrobial products approved for use in pigs. From 2007 to 2013, the total number of ADDs per year increased by 9 % when using the new DVFA ADD-values, but decreased by 2 and 7 % when using the new DANMAP ADD-values or the old VetStat ADD-values, respectively. Through 2007 to 2013, the production of pigs increased from 26.1 million pigs per year with 18 % exported live to 28.7 million with 34 % exported live. In the same time span, the annual pig antimicrobial consumption increased by 22.2 %, when calculated using the new DVFA ADD-values and pigs slaughtered per year as population measurement (13.0 ADDs/pig/year to 15.9 ADDs/pig/year). However, when based on the old VetStat ADD values and pigs produced per year (including live export), a 10.9 % decrease was seen (10.6 ADDs/pig/year to 9.4 ADDs/pig/year). The findings of this paper clearly highlight that calculated national antimicrobial consumption is highly affected by chosen population measurement and the applied ADD-values.

Urban flood return period assessment through rainfall-flood response modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murla Tuyls, Damian; Thorndahl, Søren

2017-04-01

Intense rainfall can often cause severe floods, especially in urbanized areas, where population density or large impermeable areas are found. In this context, floods can generate a direct impact in a social-environmental-economic viewpoint. Traditionally, in design of Urban Drainage Systems (UDS), correlation between return period (RP) of a given rainfall and RP of its consequent flood has been assumed to be linear (e.g. DS/EN752 (2008)). However, this is not always the case. Complex UDS, where diverse hydraulic infrastructures are often found, increase the heterogeneity of system response, which may cause an alteration of the mentioned correlation. Consequently, reliability on future urban planning, design and resilience against floods may be also affected by this misassumption. In this study, an assessment of surface flood RP across rainfall RP has been carried out at Lystrup, a urbanized catchment area of 440ha and 10.400inhab. located in Jutland (Denmark), which has received the impact of several pluvial flooding in the last recent years. A historical rainfall dataset from the last 35 years from two different rain gauges located at 2 and 10 km from the study area has been provided by the Danish Wastewater Pollution Committee and the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). The most extreme 25 rainfall events have been selected through a two-step multi-criteria procedure, ensuring an adequate variability of rainfall, from extreme high peak storms with a short duration to moderate rainfall with longer duration. In addition, a coupled 1D/2D surface and network UDS model of the catchment area developed in an integrated MIKE URBAN and MIKE Flood model (DHI 2014), considering both permeable and impermeable areas, in combination with a DTM (2x2m res.) has been used to study and assess in detail flood RP. Results show an ambiguous relation between rainfall RP and flood response. Local flood levels, flood area and volume RP estimates should therefore not be neglected in order to guarantee quality of the assessment, especially in design of complex UDS, where features as the main slope, hydraulic capacity, permeability, etc. can play an important role. In addition, a novel approach has been applied to map the response time (Tc) of the flood prone areas of the system under study. Together with the flood area and volume RP estimates this provides valuable knowledge suggesting to consider the different subareas of the UDS for design purposes and to establish a robust database that allows urban areas to be resilient against the severe impact of rainfall. Acknowledgement to ERA-NET Cofund Water Works 2014 (project MUFFIN) for the partial funding of this research; to the Danish Wastewater Pollution Committee and the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) for providing the rainfall dataset; to the Danish Geodata Agency for providing the DTM data and to DHI for providing license to MIKE software packages. The applied model has been made available for this study by Aarhus Water Utility Services. References DHI, 2014. MIKE by DHI software package 2014. Hørsholm, DK. DS/EN 752, 2008. Drain and sewer systems outside buildings.

Drugs with potential chemopreventive properties in relation to epithelial ovarian cancer--a nationwide case-control study.

PubMed

Baandrup, Louise

2015-07-01

Ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis because the disease in the majority of patients is diagnosed at an advanced stage as a result of nonspecific symptoms and lack of efficient screening methods. Because of the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer and the challenge of early detection of the disease, identification of protective factors is important. It has been suggested that some commonly used drugs may have a protective effect against cancer, including ovarian cancer; however, the literature on chemopreventive measures for ovarian cancer is sparse and the results are inconclusive. Most previous studies have substantial methodological constraints, including limited study size and self-reporting of drug use, which introduces potential recall bias and misclassification. This PhD thesis includes a nationwide case-control study to evaluate associations between use of drugs with potential chemopreventive properties and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. The study is nested in the entire Danish female population using data from the following nationwide registries: the Danish Cancer Registry, the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish Prescription Registry, the Danish National Patient Register, and registries in Statistics Denmark on fertility, education, and income. Information from the included registries is linked by use of the unique personal identification number assigned to all Danish citizens. The cases were all women in Denmark with epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed during 2000-2009 (Paper 1) and 2000-2011 (Papers 2 and 3), identified in the Cancer Registry. Age-matched female population controls were randomly selected from the Civil Registration System by risk-set sampling. We required that cases and controls have no history of cancer (except non-melanoma skin cancer) and that controls not previously have undergone bilateral oophorectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy. The total study population comprised 3741 epithelial ovarian cancer cases and 50,576 controls in Paper 1, and 4103 epithelial ovarian cancer cases and 58,706 controls in Papers 2 and 3. We used the Danish Prescription Registry to assess use (≥2 prescriptions on separate dates) of paracetamol, non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), low-dose aspirin, and statins. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for epithelial ovarian cancer associated with use of the study drugs, with adjustment for potential confounding factors selected a priori. We performed detailed analyses according to duration, intensity, and continuity of study drug use, and the analyses were stratified according to specific histologic types of epithelial ovarian cancer. In all studies, non-use (< 2 prescriptions) of the individual study drugs was defined as the reference group. A striking result of the PhD thesis was a strong inverse association between prescription use of paracetamol and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. The risk estimates decreased with increasing duration and intensity of paracetamol use, reaching a more than 50% reduction for the longest duration (>10 years) and the highest doses (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24-0.86). In contrast, we did not observe an inverse association between use of non-aspirin NSAIDs and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. Moreover, this thesis provides further evidence that use of low-dose aspirin is associated with a reduced risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. In particular, long-term (≥5 years) continuous use of low-dose aspirin, defined as overlapping prescription coverage periods, was associated with a large reduction in risk (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.32-0.97). Finally, we found no apparent association between statin use and epithelial ovarian cancer risk, although the analysis by histologic type suggested an inverse association with the risk of mucinous tumors. The results of this PhD thesis add important knowledge to the area of chemoprevention in relation to epithelial ovarian cancer. As for any observational study, we cannot exclude potential con-founding and exposure misclassification; however, methodological limitations appear unlikely to fully explain the observed reductions in epithelial ovarian cancer risk associated with paracetamol and low-dose aspirin use. Additional research, ideally from clinical trials, is needed before our observations may lead to recommendations for chemopreventive measures against ovarian cancer. In case consensus points to a true protective effect of paracetamol or low-dose aspirin, comprehensive risk-benefit evaluations will also have to be performed. We hope that our results will encourage researchers to look more deeply into the potential chemo-preventive effects of the study drugs against epithelial ovarian cancer risk.

Translation, adaptation and validation of the American short form Patient Activation Measure (PAM13) in a Danish version.

PubMed

Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Sokolowski, Ineta; Vedsted, Peter

2009-06-29

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a measure that assesses patient knowledge, skill, and confidence for self-management. This study validates the Danish translation of the 13-item Patient Activation Measure (PAM13) in a Danish population with dysglycaemia. 358 people with screen-detected dysglycaemia participating in a primary care health education study responded to PAM13. The PAM13 was translated into Danish by a standardised forward-backward translation. Data quality was assessed by mean, median, item response, missing values, floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha and average inter-item correlation) and item-rest correlations. Scale properties were assessed by Rasch Rating Scale models. The item response was high with a small number of missing values (0.8-4.2%). Floor effect was small (range 0.6-3.6%), but the ceiling effect was above 15% for all items (range 18.6-62.7%). The alpha-coefficient was 0.89 and the average inter-item correlation 0.38. The Danish version formed a unidimensional, probabilistic Guttman-like scale explaining 43.2% of the variance. We did however, find a different item sequence compared to the original scale. A Danish version of PAM13 with acceptable validity and reliability is now available. Further development should focus on single items, response categories in relation to ceiling effects and further validation of reproducibility and responsiveness.

Intake of macro- and micronutrients in Danish vegans.

PubMed

Kristensen, Nadja B; Madsen, Mia L; Hansen, Tue H; Allin, Kristine H; Hoppe, Camilla; Fagt, Sisse; Lausten, Mia S; Gøbel, Rikke J; Vestergaard, Henrik; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf

2015-10-30

Since information about macro- and micronutrient intake among vegans is limited we aimed to determine and evaluate their dietary and supplementary intake. Seventy 18-61 years old Danish vegans completed a four-day weighed food record from which their daily intake of macro- and micronutrients was assessed and subsequently compared to an age-range-matched group of 1,257 omnivorous individuals from the general Danish population. Moreover, the vegan dietary and supplementary intake was compared to the 2012 Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). Dietary intake differed significantly between vegans and the general Danish population in all measured macro- and micronutrients (p < 0.05), except for energy intake among women and intake of carbohydrates among men. For vegans the intake of macro- and micronutrients (including supplements) did not reach the NNR for protein, vitamin D, iodine and selenium. Among vegan women vitamin A intake also failed to reach the recommendations. With reference to the NNR, the dietary content of added sugar, sodium and fatty acids, including the ratio of PUFA to SFA, was more favorable among vegans. At the macronutrient level, the diet of Danish vegans is in better accordance with the NNR than the diet of the general Danish population. At the micronutrient level, considering both diet and supplements, the vegan diet falls short in certain nutrients, suggesting a need for greater attention toward ensuring recommended daily intake of specific vitamins and minerals.

Prevalence, incidence, and age at diagnosis in Marfan Syndrome.

PubMed

Groth, Kristian A; Hove, Hanne; Kyhl, Kasper; Folkestad, Lars; Gaustadnes, Mette; Vejlstrup, Niels; Stochholm, Kirstine; Østergaard, John R; Andersen, Niels H; Gravholt, Claus H

2015-12-02

Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder with considerable morbidity and mortality. Presently, clinicians use the 2010 revised Ghent nosology, which includes optional genetic sequencing of the FBN1 gene, to diagnose patients. So far, only a few studies based on older diagnostic criteria have reported a wide range of prevalence and incidence. Our aim was to study prevalence, incidence, and age at diagnosis in patients with Marfan syndrome. Using unique Danish patient-registries, we identified all possible Marfan syndrome patients recorded by the Danish healthcare system (1977-2014). Following, we confirmed or rejected the diagnosis according to the 2010 revised Ghent nosology. We identified a total of 1628 persons with possible Marfan syndrome. We confirmed the diagnosis in 412, whereof 46 were deceased, yielding a maximum prevalence of 6.5/100,000 at the end of 2014. The annual median incidence was 0.19/100,000 (range: 0.0-0.7) which increased significantly with an incidence rate ratio of 1.03 (95% CI: 1.02-1.04, p < 0.001). We found a median age at diagnose of 19.0 years (range: 0.0-74). The age at diagnosis increased during the study period, uninfluenced by the changes in diagnostic criteria. We found no gender differences. The increasing prevalence of Marfan syndrome during the study period is possibly due to build-up of a registry. Since early diagnosis is essential in preventing aortic events, diagnosing Marfan syndrome remains a task for both pediatricians and physicians caring for adults.

The Danish Cardiac Rehabilitation Database.

PubMed

Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Rossau, Henriette Knold; Nakano, Anne; Foghmar, Sussie; Eichhorst, Regina; Prescott, Eva; Cerqueira, Charlotte; Soja, Anne Merete Boas; Gislason, Gunnar H; Larsen, Mogens Lytken; Andersen, Ulla Overgaard; Gustafsson, Ida; Thomsen, Kristian K; Boye Hansen, Lene; Hammer, Signe; Viggers, Lone; Christensen, Bo; Kvist, Birgitte; Lindström Egholm, Cecilie; May, Ole

2016-01-01

The Danish Cardiac Rehabilitation Database (DHRD) aims to improve the quality of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) to the benefit of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Hospitalized patients with CHD with stenosis on coronary angiography treated with percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting, or medication alone. Reporting is mandatory for all hospitals in Denmark delivering CR. The database was initially implemented in 2013 and was fully running from August 14, 2015, thus comprising data at a patient level from the latter date onward. Patient-level data are registered by clinicians at the time of entry to CR directly into an online system with simultaneous linkage to other central patient registers. Follow-up data are entered after 6 months. The main variables collected are related to key outcome and performance indicators of CR: referral and adherence, lifestyle, patient-related outcome measures, risk factor control, and medication. Program-level online data are collected every third year. Based on administrative data, approximately 14,000 patients with CHD are hospitalized at 35 hospitals annually, with 75% receiving one or more outpatient rehabilitation services by 2015. The database has not yet been running for a full year, which explains the use of approximations. The DHRD is an online, national quality improvement database on CR, aimed at patients with CHD. Mandatory registration of data at both patient level as well as program level is done on the database. DHRD aims to systematically monitor the quality of CR over time, in order to improve the quality of CR throughout Denmark to benefit patients.

Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Previous validation studies of sick leave measures have focused on self-reports. Register-based sick leave data are considered to be valid; however methodological problems may be associated with such data. A Danish national register on sickness benefit (DREAM) has been widely used in sick leave research. On the basis of sick leave records from 3,554 and 2,311 eldercare workers in 14 different workplaces, the aim of this study was to: 1) validate registered sickness benefit data from DREAM against workplace-registered sick leave spells of at least 15 days; 2) validate self-reported sick leave days during one year against workplace-registered sick leave. Methods Agreement between workplace-registered sick leave and DREAM-registered sickness benefit was reported as sensitivities, specificities and positive predictive values. A receiver-operating characteristic curve and a Bland-Altman plot were used to study the concordance with sick leave duration of the first spell. By means of an analysis of agreement between self-reported and workplace-registered sick leave sensitivity and specificity was calculated. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (95% CI) were used. Results The probability that registered DREAM data on sickness benefit agrees with workplace-registered sick leave of at least 15 days was 96.7% (95% CI: 95.6-97.6). Specificity was close to 100% (95% CI: 98.3-100). The registered DREAM data on sickness benefit overestimated the duration of sick leave spells by an average of 1.4 (SD: 3.9) weeks. Separate analysis on pregnancy-related sick leave revealed a maximum sensitivity of 20% (95% CI: 4.3-48.1). The sensitivity of self-reporting at least one or at least 56 sick leave day/s was 94.5 (95% CI: 93.4 – 95.5) % and 58.5 (95% CI: 51.1 – 65.6) % respectively. The corresponding specificities were 85.3 (95% CI: 81.4 – 88.6) % and 98.9 (95% CI: 98.3 – 99.3) %. Conclusions The DREAM register offered valid measures of sick leave spells of at least 15 days among eldercare employees. Pregnancy-related sick leave should be excluded in studies planning to use DREAM data on sickness benefit. Self-reported sick leave became more imprecise when number of absence days increased, but the sensitivity and specificity were acceptable for lengths not exceeding one week. PMID:22894644

Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality.

PubMed

Stapelfeldt, Christina Malmose; Jensen, Chris; Andersen, Niels Trolle; Fleten, Nils; Nielsen, Claus Vinther

2012-08-15

Previous validation studies of sick leave measures have focused on self-reports. Register-based sick leave data are considered to be valid; however methodological problems may be associated with such data. A Danish national register on sickness benefit (DREAM) has been widely used in sick leave research. On the basis of sick leave records from 3,554 and 2,311 eldercare workers in 14 different workplaces, the aim of this study was to: 1) validate registered sickness benefit data from DREAM against workplace-registered sick leave spells of at least 15 days; 2) validate self-reported sick leave days during one year against workplace-registered sick leave. Agreement between workplace-registered sick leave and DREAM-registered sickness benefit was reported as sensitivities, specificities and positive predictive values. A receiver-operating characteristic curve and a Bland-Altman plot were used to study the concordance with sick leave duration of the first spell. By means of an analysis of agreement between self-reported and workplace-registered sick leave sensitivity and specificity was calculated. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals (95% CI) were used. The probability that registered DREAM data on sickness benefit agrees with workplace-registered sick leave of at least 15 days was 96.7% (95% CI: 95.6-97.6). Specificity was close to 100% (95% CI: 98.3-100). The registered DREAM data on sickness benefit overestimated the duration of sick leave spells by an average of 1.4 (SD: 3.9) weeks. Separate analysis on pregnancy-related sick leave revealed a maximum sensitivity of 20% (95% CI: 4.3-48.1).The sensitivity of self-reporting at least one or at least 56 sick leave day/s was 94.5 (95% CI: 93.4 - 95.5) % and 58.5 (95% CI: 51.1 - 65.6) % respectively. The corresponding specificities were 85.3 (95% CI: 81.4 - 88.6) % and 98.9 (95% CI: 98.3 - 99.3) %. The DREAM register offered valid measures of sick leave spells of at least 15 days among eldercare employees. Pregnancy-related sick leave should be excluded in studies planning to use DREAM data on sickness benefit. Self-reported sick leave became more imprecise when number of absence days increased, but the sensitivity and specificity were acceptable for lengths not exceeding one week.

An adverse drug event manager facilitates spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions.

PubMed

Vinther, Siri; Klarskov, Pia; Borgeskov, Hanne; Darsø, Perle; Christophersen, Anette Kvindebjerg; Borck, Bille; Christensen, Catrine; Hansen, Melissa Voigt; Halladin, Natalie Monica Løvland; Christensen, Mikkel Bring; Harboe, Kirstine Moll; Lund, Marie; Jimenez-Solem, Espen

2017-01-01

Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is used for continuous risk-benefit evaluation of marketed pharmaceutical products and for signal detection. The Adverse Drug Event Manager (ADEM) is a service offered to clinicians employed at hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark. The ADEM assists healthcare professionals in reporting suspected ADRs to the Danish Health Authority. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to quantify and describe ADRs reported via the ADEM in 2014. All ADR reports handled by the ADEM in 2014 were recorded anonymously and analysed descriptively. A total of 484 ADRs were reported through the ADEM in 2014 (the median number of reports per month was 37; range: 17-78). The majority of the reports came from departments of internal medicine (61%), psychiatry (14%) and dermatology, ophthalmology or otorhinolaryngology (11%). The drugs most frequently reported were lisdexamphetamine (n = 40), rivaroxaban (n = 16) and warfarin (n = 15) (vaccines excluded). In 13 out of 484 reports, the ADR was associated with a fatal outcome. The findings of this study indicate that an ADEM promotes and facilitates spontaneous ADR reporting and helps raise awareness about ADRs, including how and why they should be reported. Hopefully, this will assist national and European spontaneous reporting systems in their work to increase patient safety nationally and abroad. none. not relevant. .

The Normative and the Personal Life: Individual Differences in Life Scripts and Life Story Events among U.S.A. and Danish Undergraduates

PubMed Central

Rubin, David C.; Berntsen, Dorthe; Hutson, Michael

2011-01-01

Life scripts are culturally shared expectations about the order and timing of life events in a prototypical life course. American and Danish undergraduates produced life story events and life scripts by listing the seven most important events in their own lives and in the lives of hypothetical people living ordinary lives. They also rated their events on several scales and completed measures of depression, PTSD symptoms, and centrality of a negative event to their lives. The Danish life script replicated earlier work; the American life script showed minor differences from the Danish life script, apparently reflecting genuine differences in shared events as well as less homogeneity in the American sample. Both consisted of mostly positive events that came disproportionately from ages 15 to 30. Valence of life story events correlated with life script valence, depression, PTSD symptoms, and identity. In the Danish undergraduates, measures of life story deviation from the life script correlated with measures of depression and PTSD symptoms. PMID:19105087

Readers' opinion about English original articles in Ugeskrift for Laeger.

PubMed

Nielsen, Jan; Rosberg, Hanne Mohr; Rosenberg, Jacob

2010-11-01

The Danish Medical Association (DMA) performed a survey together with TNS Gallup Denmark among the readers of Ugeskrift for Laeger (Journal of the Danish Medical Association). The main motivation for the questionnaire was to evaluate the acceptability of changing the publication language in original articles from Danish into English. The study was conducted as an on-line questionnaire among the members of the DMA. A systematic sample was drawn from the DMA's member database. The sample comprised a total of 1,970 e-mail addresses. Among these, 1,952 were valid, and 1,952 physicians were invited to participate by e-mail. The response rate (1,046/1,952) was 54%. Among the participants 43% were specialists, 36% were junior doctors and 20% general practitioners. Overall, 45% of the respondents published scientific articles, and particularly specialists and junior doctors did not object to the shift from Danish to English language. Our survey showed that the readers and authors were willing to accept a shift from Danish into English publication language for original research papers.

Maternal Thyroid Dysfunction and Risk of Seizure in the Child: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Laurberg, Peter; Wu, Chun Sen; Olsen, Jørn

2013-01-01

Thyroid hormones are essential for brain development, and maternal thyroid disease may affect child neurocognitive development. Some types of seizures may also depend upon early exposure of the developing central nervous system, and we hypothesized that maternal thyroid dysfunction could increase the risk of seizure in the child. In a Danish population-based study we included 1,699,693 liveborn singletons, and from the Danish National Hospital Register we obtained information on maternal diagnosis of hyper- or hypothyroidism and neonatal seizure, febrile seizure, and epilepsy in the child. Maternal diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction before or after birth of the child was registered in two percent of the singleton births. In adjusted analyses, maternal hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism first time diagnosed after birth of the child were associated with a significant increased risk of epilepsy in the child. Moreover, hypothyroidism diagnosed after birth of the child was associated with a significant increased risk of neonatal and febrile seizures. No significant association was seen for maternal diagnosis prior to birth of the child. We speculate if some degree of maternal thyroid dysfunction was already present during the pregnancy in mothers diagnosed after birth of the child and if this untreated condition may present a neurodevelopmental risk. PMID:23984072

Maternal thyroid dysfunction and risk of seizure in the child: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

PubMed

Andersen, Stine Linding; Laurberg, Peter; Wu, Chun Sen; Olsen, Jørn

2013-01-01

Thyroid hormones are essential for brain development, and maternal thyroid disease may affect child neurocognitive development. Some types of seizures may also depend upon early exposure of the developing central nervous system, and we hypothesized that maternal thyroid dysfunction could increase the risk of seizure in the child. In a Danish population-based study we included 1,699,693 liveborn singletons, and from the Danish National Hospital Register we obtained information on maternal diagnosis of hyper- or hypothyroidism and neonatal seizure, febrile seizure, and epilepsy in the child. Maternal diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction before or after birth of the child was registered in two percent of the singleton births. In adjusted analyses, maternal hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism first time diagnosed after birth of the child were associated with a significant increased risk of epilepsy in the child. Moreover, hypothyroidism diagnosed after birth of the child was associated with a significant increased risk of neonatal and febrile seizures. No significant association was seen for maternal diagnosis prior to birth of the child. We speculate if some degree of maternal thyroid dysfunction was already present during the pregnancy in mothers diagnosed after birth of the child and if this untreated condition may present a neurodevelopmental risk.

Translating Governance Ideas in Danish Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Degn, Lise

2015-01-01

Many of the same ideas seem to crop up repeatedly in the higher education governance reform wave in recent decades, with accountability, flexibility, and strategic capacity being a few of the common concepts. Several studies have shown, however, that national higher education systems receive these inputs very differently, leading to dissimilar…

Newspaper Coverage of Women's Sports during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games: Belgium, Denmark, France, and Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capranica, Laura; Minganti, Carlo; Billat, Veronique; Hanghoj, Signe; Piacentini, Maria Francesca; Cumps, Elke; Meeusen, Romain

2005-01-01

In general, women are well represented among sport participants and sport audiences but not in the media. Data show that women's sport is greatly under-reported and trivialized in newspapers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure press coverage during the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in the largest circulating Belgian, Danish, French,…

West Europe Report, No. 2166.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-30

NEW PUBLICATION Copenhagen BERLINGSKE TIDENDE in Danish 9 Jun 83 p 5 [Article by RB...34alternative professors" regard as indispensable reductions of the workweek which would entail the creation of perhaps 400,000 new jobs per year. Below you...with the advance in productivity. Therefore, we plead for a priority reduction of the workweek according to the labor union demands for a 35- hour

University Students' Retention of Derivative Concepts 14 Months after the Course: Influence of "Met-Befores" and "Met-Afters"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jukic, Ljerka; Dahl, Bettina

2012-01-01

This article reports the concluding part of a larger study on retention of key procedural and conceptual concepts in differential and integral calculus among Croatian and Danish university students in non-mathematics study programmes. The first parts of the study examined the retention of the students' knowledge through a questionnaire testing…

Gaming as an English Language Learning Resource among Young Children in Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Signe Hannibal

2017-01-01

This article presents a study of Danish young English language learners' (YELLs') contact with and use of Extramural English (EE) (N = 107, aged 8 [n = 49] and 10 [n = 58]). They have received little formal English instruction: two lessons per week for one year. Data on EE-habits were collected with a one-week language diary (self-report with…

DISSAnet: Development of an Information Science Research Network in the Republic of South Africa 1998-2000

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wormell, Irene; Bothma, Theo J. D.; Ralebipi, Rocky M. D.

2002-01-01

Based on the concept of the NORDIC academic cooperation model (NorFa), in 1998-2000 Danish and international information scientists initiated a co-operative effort to build an education and research network among LIS institutions in South Africa. The paper reports the successful completion of the project, with 20 MA and Ph.D. students selected…

Escape from the Island: Grammaticality and (Reduced) Acceptability of "Wh"-Island Violations in Danish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Ken Ramshoj; Kizach, Johannes; Nyvad, Anne Mette

2013-01-01

In the syntax literature, it is commonly assumed that a constraint on linguistic competence blocks extraction of "wh-"expressions (e.g. "what" or "which book") from embedded questions, referred to as "wh-"islands. Furthermore, it is assumed that there is an argument/adjunct asymmetry in extraction from "wh-"islands. We report results from two…

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Childhood Autism in Association with Prenatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances: A Nested Case–Control Study in the Danish National Birth Cohort

PubMed Central

Liew, Zeyan; Ritz, Beate; von Ehrenstein, Ondine S.; Bech, Bodil Hammer; Nohr, Ellen Aagaard; Fei, Chunyuan; Bossi, Rossana; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie

2014-01-01

Background: Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent pollutants found to be endocrine disruptive and neurotoxic in animals. Positive correlations between PFASs and neurobehavioral problems in children were reported in cross-sectional data, but findings from prospective studies are limited. Objectives: We investigated whether prenatal exposure to PFASs is associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or childhood autism in children. Methods: Among 83,389 mother–child pairs enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort during 1996–2002, we identified 890 ADHD cases and 301 childhood autism cases from the Danish National Hospital Registry and the Danish Psychiatric Central Registry. From this cohort, we randomly selected 220 cases each of ADHD and autism, and we also randomly selected 550 controls frequency matched by child’s sex. Sixteen PFASs were measured in maternal plasma collected in early or mid-pregnancy. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) using generalized linear models, taking into account sampling weights. Results: Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were detected in all samples; four other PFASs were quantified in ≥ 90% of the samples. We did not find consistent evidence of associations between mother’s PFAS plasma levels and ADHD [per natural log nanograms per milliliter increase: PFOS RR = 0.87 (95% CI: 0.74, 1.02); PFOA RR = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.16)] or autism [per natural log nanograms per milliliter increase: PFOS RR = 0.92 (95% CI: 0.69, 1.22); PFOA RR = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.73, 1.31)]. We found positive as well as negative associations between higher PFAS quartiles and ADHD in models that simultaneously adjusted for all PFASs, but these estimates were imprecise. Conclusions: In this study we found no consistent evidence to suggest that prenatal PFAS exposure increases the risk of ADHD or childhood autism in children. Citation: Liew Z, Ritz B, von Ehrenstein OS, Bech BH, Nohr EA, Fei CY, Bossi R, Henriksen TB, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Olsen J. 2015. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and childhood autism in association with prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances: a nested case–control study in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Environ Health Perspect 123:367–373; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408412 PMID:25616253

Prevalence and risk factors of Coxiella burnetii seropositivity in Danish beef and dairy cattle at slaughter adjusted for test uncertainty.

PubMed

Paul, Suman; Agger, Jens F; Agerholm, Jørgen S; Markussen, Bo

2014-03-01

Antibodies to Coxiella burnetii have been found in the Danish dairy cattle population with high levels of herd and within herd seroprevalences. However, the prevalence of antibodies to C. burnetii in Danish beef cattle remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the prevalence and (2) identify risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity in Danish beef and dairy cattle based on sampling at slaughter. Eight hundred blood samples from slaughtered cattle were collected from six Danish slaughter houses from August to October 2012 following a random sampling procedure. Blood samples were tested by a commercially available C. burnetii antibody ELISA kit. A sample was defined positive if the sample-to-positive ratio was greater than or equal to 40. Animal and herd information were extracted from the Danish Cattle Database. Apparent (AP) and true prevalences (TPs) specific for breed, breed groups, gender and herd type; and breed-specific true prevalences with a random effect of breed was estimated in a Bayesian framework. A Bayesian logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors of C. burnetii seropositivity. Test sensitivity and specificity estimates from a previous study involving Danish dairy cattle were used to generate prior information. The prevalence was significantly higher in dairy breeds (AP=9.11%; TP=9.45%) than in beef breeds (AP=4.32%; TP=3.54%), in females (AP=9.10%; TP=9.40%) than in males (AP=3.62%; TP=2.61%) and in dairy herds (AP=15.10%; TP=16.67%) compared to beef herds (AP=4.54%; TP=3.66%). The Bayesian logistic regression model identified breed group along with age, and number of movements as contributors for C. burnetii seropositivity. The risk of seropositivity increased with age and increasing number of movements between herds. Results indicate that seroprevalence of C. burnetii is lower in cattle sent for slaughter than in Danish dairy cows in production units. A greater proportion of this prevalence is attributed to slaughtered cattle of dairy breeds or cattle raised in dairy herds rather than beef breeds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lifelong guidance: How guidance and counselling support lifelong learning in the contrasting contexts of China and Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhixin

2016-10-01

Due to the effects of globalisation and rapid technological development, traditional linear life course patterns of the past are gradually disappearing, and this affects education and learning systems as well as labour markets. Individuals are forced to develop lifestyles and survival strategies to manage job insecurity and make their skills and interests meet labour market needs. In modern attempts to develop and implement institutional provision for lifelong learning, guidance and counselling play an important role. The current Danish guidance system is well-organised, highly structured and professionalised. By contrast, Chinese guidance is still fragmented and "sectorisational". This paper explores whether elements of the highly structured and professionalised Danish guidance system and practice might be applicable to the Chinese context. The author begins by outlining international and national factors which are affecting citizens' life and career planning. She then presents and discusses the evolution of guidance and the different elements of provision in each of the two countries. Next, She compares the concepts and goals of "lifelong guidance" in Denmark and China, pointing out their similarities and differences and their respective strengths and weaknesses. The paper concludes with some suggestions for the further development of guidance in China.

Deriving estimates of individual variability in genetic potentials of performance traits for 3 dairy breeds, using a model of lifetime nutrient partitioning.

PubMed

Phuong, H N; Martin, O; de Boer, I J M; Ingvartsen, K L; Schmidely, Ph; Friggens, N C

2015-01-01

This study explored the ability of an existing lifetime nutrient partitioning model for simulating individual variability in genetic potentials of dairy cows. Generally, the model assumes a universal trajectory of dynamic partitioning of priority between life functions and genetic scaling parameters are then incorporated to simulate individual difference in performance. Data of 102 cows including 180 lactations of 3 breeds: Danish Red, Danish Holstein, and Jersey, which were completely independent from those used previously for model development, were used. Individual cow performance records through sequential lactations were used to derive genetic scaling parameters for each animal by calibrating the model to achieve best fit, cow by cow. The model was able to fit individual curves of body weight, and milk fat, milk protein, and milk lactose concentrations with a high degree of accuracy. Daily milk yield and dry matter intake were satisfactorily predicted in early and mid lactation, but underpredictions were found in late lactation. Breeds and parities did not significantly affect the prediction accuracy. The means of genetic scaling parameters between Danish Red and Danish Holstein were similar but significantly different from those of Jersey. The extent of correlations between the genetic scaling parameters was consistent with that reported in the literature. In conclusion, this model is of value as a tool to derive estimates of genetic potentials of milk yield, milk composition, body reserve usage, and growth for different genotypes of cow. Moreover, it can be used to separate genetic variability in performance between individual cows from environmental noise. The model enables simulation of the effects of a genetic selection strategy on lifetime efficiency of individual cows, which has a main advantage of including the rearing costs, and thus, can be used to explore the impact of future selection on animal performance and efficiency. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gestational diabetes mellitus and exposure to ambient air pollution and road traffic noise: A cohort study.

PubMed

Pedersen, Marie; Olsen, Sjurdur F; Halldorsson, Thorhallur I; Zhang, Cuilin; Hjortebjerg, Dorrit; Ketzel, Matthias; Grandström, Charlotta; Sørensen, Mette; Damm, Peter; Langhoff-Roos, Jens; Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

2017-11-01

Road traffic is a main source of air pollution and noise. Both exposures have been associated with type 2 diabetes, but associations with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been studied less. We aimed to examine single and joint associations of exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise on GDM in a prospective cohort. We identified GDM cases from self-reports and hospital records, using two different criteria, among 72,745 singleton pregnancies (1997-2002) from the Danish National Birth Cohort. We modeled nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and noise from road traffic (L den ) exposure at all pregnancy addresses. According to the two diagnostic criteria: the Danish clinical guidelines, which was our main outcome, and the WHO standard during recruitment period, a total of 565 and 210 women, respectively, had GDM. For both exposures no risk was evident for the common Danish criterion of GDM. A 10-μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 exposure during first trimester was, however, associated with an increased risk of WHO-GDM (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.49). The corresponding OR associated with a 10-dB higher road traffic noise level was 1.15 (0.94 to 1.18). In mutually adjusted models the OR for NO 2 remained similar 1.22 (0.98, 1.53) whereas that for road traffic noise decreased to 1.03 (0.80, 1.32). Significant associations were also observed for exposure averaged over the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and the full pregnancy. No risk was evident for the common Danish criterion of GDM. NO 2 was associated with higher risk for GDM according to the WHO criterion, which might be due to selection bias. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alcohol drinking patterns and risk of diabetes: a cohort study of 70,551 men and women from the general Danish population.

PubMed

Holst, Charlotte; Becker, Ulrik; Jørgensen, Marit E; Grønbæk, Morten; Tolstrup, Janne S

2017-10-01

Alcohol consumption is inversely associated with diabetes, but little is known about the role of drinking patterns. We examined the association between alcohol drinking patterns and diabetes risk in men and women from the general Danish population. This cohort study was based on data from the Danish Health Examination Survey 2007-2008. Of the 76,484 survey participants, 28,704 men and 41,847 women were eligible for this study. Participants were followed for a median of 4.9 years. Self-reported questionnaires were used to obtain information on alcohol drinking patterns, i.e. frequency of alcohol drinking, frequency of binge drinking, and consumption of wine, beer and spirits, from which we calculated beverage-specific and overall average weekly alcohol intake. Information on incident cases of diabetes was obtained from the Danish National Diabetes Register. Cox proportional hazards model was applied to estimate HRs and 95% CIs. During follow-up, 859 men and 887 women developed diabetes. The lowest risk of diabetes was observed at 14 drinks/week in men (HR 0.57 [95% CI 0.47, 0.70]) and at 9 drinks/week in women (HR 0.42 [95% CI 0.35, 0.51]), relative to no alcohol intake. Compared with current alcohol consumers consuming <1 day/week, consumption of alcohol on 3-4 days weekly was associated with significantly lower risk for diabetes in men (HR 0.73 [95% CI 0.59, 0.94]) and women (HR 0.68 [95% CI 0.53, 0.88]) after adjusting for confounders and average weekly alcohol amount. Our findings suggest that alcohol drinking frequency is associated with risk of diabetes and that consumption of alcohol over 3-4 days per week is associated with the lowest risk of diabetes, even after taking average weekly alcohol consumption into account.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and childhood autism in association with prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances: a nested case-control study in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Liew, Zeyan; Ritz, Beate; von Ehrenstein, Ondine S; Bech, Bodil Hammer; Nohr, Ellen Aagaard; Fei, Chunyuan; Bossi, Rossana; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Eva Cecilie; Olsen, Jørn

2015-04-01

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent pollutants found to be endocrine disruptive and neurotoxic in animals. Positive correlations between PFASs and neurobehavioral problems in children were reported in cross-sectional data, but findings from prospective studies are limited. We investigated whether prenatal exposure to PFASs is associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or childhood autism in children. Among 83,389 mother-child pairs enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort during 1996-2002, we identified 890 ADHD cases and 301 childhood autism cases from the Danish National Hospital Registry and the Danish Psychiatric Central Registry. From this cohort, we randomly selected 220 cases each of ADHD and autism, and we also randomly selected 550 controls frequency matched by child's sex. Sixteen PFASs were measured in maternal plasma collected in early or mid-pregnancy. We calculated risk ratios (RRs) using generalized linear models, taking into account sampling weights. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were detected in all samples; four other PFASs were quantified in ≥ 90% of the samples. We did not find consistent evidence of associations between mother's PFAS plasma levels and ADHD [per natural log nanograms per milliliter increase: PFOS RR = 0.87 (95% CI: 0.74, 1.02); PFOA RR = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.16)] or autism [per natural log nanograms per milliliter increase: PFOS RR = 0.92 (95% CI: 0.69, 1.22); PFOA RR = 0.98 (95% CI: 0.73, 1.31)]. We found positive as well as negative associations between higher PFAS quartiles and ADHD in models that simultaneously adjusted for all PFASs, but these estimates were imprecise. In this study we found no consistent evidence to suggest that prenatal PFAS exposure increases the risk of ADHD or childhood autism in children.

The rise and fall of an opt-out system.

PubMed

Nordfalk, Francisca; Hoeyer, Klaus

2018-04-01

In Denmark, citizens participate in register-based research without the possibility of opting out. However, in 1995 it was made possible for Danish citizens to register an opt-out called 'researcher protection' [ forskerbeskyttelse], which implied that researchers could not contact people to invite them to participate in research projects, such as clinical trials or questionnaries, based on their registrations in national registers. Data already registered could still be used for research. In 2014, this possibility of opt-out was revoked by law. The aims of this paper are to understand how the Danish researcher protection system came about, why it was terminated and what we can we learn from this example. We conducted a descriptive analysis of a copy of the former researcher protection register along with policies and media debate surrounding the rise and revocation of the researcher protection system. Our results show how both the inception and the abolishment of researcher protection appear to be ad hoc and without specified criteria of success. An examination of the recorded entries in the researcher protection registry could have led to changes in its administration as an alternative to its total abolition. In future opt-out systems, there should be focus on monitoring register practices and the purpose and criteria for evaluation must be defined prior to implementation.

Calcium in drinking water: effect on iron stores in Danish blood donors-results from the Danish Blood Donor Study.

PubMed

Rigas, Andreas S; Ejsing, Benedikte H; Sørensen, Erik; Pedersen, Ole B; Hjalgrim, Henrik; Erikstrup, Christian; Ullum, Henrik

2018-06-01

Studies confirm that calcium inhibits iron absorption. Danish tap water comes from groundwater, which contains varying amounts of calcium depending on the subsoil. We investigated the association of calcium in drinking water with iron levels in Danish blood donors. We used data on Danish blood donors including dietary and lifestyle habits, blood donation history, and physiologic characteristics including measures of ferritin levels along with information on area of residence from The Danish Blood Donor Study. Data on calcium levels in groundwater ("water hardness") were obtained through the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. We performed multiple linear and logistic regression analyses to evaluate the effect of water hardness on ferritin levels and risk of having iron deficiency (defined as ferritin levels <15 ng/mL), stratified by sex. There was a significant negative association between water hardness and ferritin levels in both men and women. Risk of iron deficiency was correspondingly increased in both men (odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-2.12) and women (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.03-1.40) with increasing water hardness. In analyses restricted to individuals who received supplemental iron tablets no significant association between groundwater hardness and ferritin levels was observed. As measured by ferritin levels, residential drinking water calcium content is associated with blood donors- iron levels and risk of iron deficiency. However, effect sizes are small. © 2018 AABB.

Characteristics of undiagnosed children with parent-reported ADHD behaviour.

PubMed

Madsen, Kathrine Bang; Ravn, Mette Holmelin; Arnfred, Jon; Olsen, Jørn; Rask, Charlotte Ulrikka; Obel, Carsten

2018-02-01

There is an ongoing public debate on the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in which critics have claimed that the disorder is over-diagnosed, while the potential under-diagnosis of children with ADHD has received little attention. In this study we estimate the number of children with parent-reported ADHD behaviour at age 7 and absence of recorded ADHD diagnosis through adolescence, and investigate whether socio-demographic characteristics of this group differed from the children diagnosed with ADHD during follow-up. Our study was based on data from the Danish National Birth Cohort, where parents of 51,527 children completed questionnaires, including the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). ADHD diagnosis was identified through Danish registers and parent-reported ADHD behaviour by the specific SDQ subscale. Socio-demographic predictors of positive parent-reported SDQ ADHD behaviour and absence of recorded ADHD diagnosis in their children were examined using logistic regression analyses. Children with parent-reported ADHD behaviour and no diagnosis (1.3%) were more likely to be girls (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.45; 2.29), more likely to have mothers with a low socioeconomic status (OR high vs. low 1.49; 95% CI 1.10; 2.02), and to live in certain regions of the country (OR: Capital vs. Southern: 2.04; 95% CI 1.51; 2.73) than children with an ADHD diagnosis. The children showed markedly impairments on all the SDQ subscales. The results demonstrate a considerable number of children with ADHD symptoms who potentially go undetected and underline the influence of socio-demographic factors in the pathway to a diagnosis of ADHD.

Mortality in two recent reports of clinical trials on patients with congestive heart failure compared with mortality in three previous clinical trials.

PubMed

Singer, R B

2000-01-01

Several clinical trials of drug treatment of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) have previously been reported as Mortality Abstracts in the Journal of Insurance Medicine. Results are presented here for two similar clinical trials reported in September 1999 and compared with the previous results. In a recent international multicenter clinical trial, excess mortality in terms of excess death rates (EDRs) was reduced from 195 per 1000 per year in the placebo group to 139 in the group treated with Spironolactone. There was no significant reduction in the Danish multicenter study of Dofetilide to convert the atrial fibrillation (AF) to a normal rhythm in the 25% of the CHF patients who had AF (EDR was 224 in the placebo group and 216 in the Dofetilide group). In both of these studies, there were more patients with severe CHF than in the previous studies and the EDR values were higher. Results from the Danish study by severity according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification show a progressive increase in EDR from 173 in class 2 to 237 in class 3 to 392 in class 4. Excess mortality in symptomatic CHF is far outside the issue limits for individual life insurance, but these results are of potential utility for the underwriting of such cases for structured settlement annuities.

Adverse metabolic risk profiles in Greenlandic Inuit children compared to Danish children.

PubMed

Munch-Andersen, T; Sorensen, K; Andersen, L B; Aachmann-Andersen, N J; Aksglaede, L; Juul, A; Helge, J W

2013-06-01

During recent decades, the prevalence of metabolic morbidity has increased rapidly in adult Greenlandic Inuit. To what extent this is also reflected in the juvenile Inuit population is unknown. The objective was, therefore, in the comparison with Danish children, to evaluate metabolic profiles in Greenlandic Inuit children from the capital in the southern and from the northern most villages 187 Inuit and 132 Danish children were examined with anthropometrics, pubertal staging, fasting blood samples, and a maximal aerobic test. Both Inuit children living in Nuuk and the northern villages had significantly higher glucose, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 levels, and diastolic blood pressure compared with Danish children after adjustment for differences in adiposity and aerobic fitness levels. The Inuit children living in Nuuk had significantly higher BMI, body fat %, HbA1 c, and significantly lower aerobic fitness and ApoA1 levels than northern living Inuit children. Greenlandic Inuit children had adverse metabolic health profile compared to the Danish children, the differences where more pronounced in Inuit children living in Nuuk. The tendencies toward higher prevalence of diabetes and metabolic morbidity in the adult Greenlandic Inuit population may also be present in the Inuit children population. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Educational Methods as Commodities within European Education: A Norwegian-Danish Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottensen, Eli; Lund, Birthe; Grams, Sarah; Aas, Marit; Proitz, Tine Sophie

2013-01-01

A number of studies in the past few decades address how the governing of educational systems are changing as a result of intensified measurement and use of statistics. This article suggests that another consequence may be the construction of solutions, tools, and methods which target the problems constructed through comparable indicators and…

The Didactical Contract Surrounding CAS When Changing Teachers in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jankvist, Uffe Thomas; Misfeldt, Morten; Marcussen, Anders

2016-01-01

The article discusses three empirical examples of Computer Algebra System (CAS) use in a Danish upper secondary school mathematics class that had experienced a recent change of teacher. All examples lead to didactical problems surrounding the situation and unclear expectations between teacher and students, involving loss of students' mathematical…

Agora IX: Alternative Education and Training Processes (Thessaloniki, Greece, June 26-27, 2000). CEDEFOP Panorama Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Thessaloniki (Greece).

This document contains the agenda and papers presented at the Agora IX meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece in June 2000 on alternative education and training processes. The papers are "Integration of Migrant Pupils in the Danish Education System" (Bang); "Support Services for Inclusive Education" (De Vroey); "Single Sex…

Denmark's Master of Public Governance Program: Assessment and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greve, Carsten; Pedersen, Anne Reff

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on Denmark's Master of Public Governance and its assessments and lessons learned. Denmark is seen to have an efficient economy and public sector, a digitalized public service delivery system, and an advanced work-life balance. The Danish government invested substantial resources into developing a Master of Public Governance…

Korean Affairs Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-19

Anniversary 9? Danish Socialist Delegation 9° Malaysian National Day Greetings 9° Talks With Guinea Government 9° 98 99 99 WPK-Finnish Delegation...amendment committee, composed of 45 members from the ruling DJP, the NKDP, the second largest opposition Korean National Party (KNP), and mavericks ...Korea. [Text] [Pyongyang KCNA in English 0521 GMT 30 Aug 86 SK] /6662 MALAYSIAN NATIONAL DAY GREETINGS—Pyongyang August 30 (KCNA)—President Kim Il

Stabilization Operations Through Military Capacity Building-Integration Between Danish Conventional Forces and Special Operations Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Svendsen 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT...operations forces should be fully integrated across doctrine, organization , and technology, and predominantly advise, mentor, and train local forces. With...stability operations. This capstone makes additional recommendations related to doctrine, organization , and technology, as well as education and

Retention of Differential and Integral Calculus: A Case Study of a University Student in Physical Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jukic Matic, Ljerka; Dahl, Bettina

2014-01-01

This paper reports a study on retention of differential and integral calculus concepts of a second-year student of physical chemistry at a Danish university. The focus was on what knowledge the student retained 14 months after the course and on what effect beliefs about mathematics had on the retention. We argue that if a student can quickly…

JPRS Report, West Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-31

Sees Earlier Elections 24 Setback for Privitization Movement, by Egon Balsby 25 Many Economic Problems Unsolved, by Lasse Ellegaard 28 First...Geisler, Inuit Ataqatigiit. Setback For Privitization Movement Copenhagen BERLINGSKE AFTEN in Danish 29 May - 4 Jun 87 pp lr 2 [Article by Egon Balsby...34Yes to Socialism — No to Privitization "! [Text] The two large parties in Greenland politics, Ätassut and Siumut, both suffered defeats in an

Fall of the Public Teacher--Discourse of Intimacy and the Teaching Profession in Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johansen, Martin Blok

2015-01-01

This article reports on a case study conducted in a Danish municipality with 22 teachers as participants, in the context of a project focused on well-being and key educational competencies. The final aim was that of discovering how their ideal of the good teacher was verbalised. What is it that they thematise? How are thematisations created and…

JPRS Report Environmental Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-21

Janeiro O GLOBO 4 NovJ 8 Malaysian Commentary Scores EC Plan To Ban Tropical Hardwood Imports [Kuala Lumpur International 6 Nov] 8 Danish Support...Sought in Defending Malaysian Timber Policies [Kuala Lumpur International 7 NovJ 9 German-Indian Arabian Sea Atmospheric Project Findings Announced...an appeal against Judge Wanderley’s decision, thereby allowing the U.S. submarine to remain in Brazilian waters. Malaysian Commentary Scores EC Plan

Understanding the paleo environment in the Danish North Sea using 2D and 3D seismic analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prins, Lasse K.; Clausen, Ole R.; Andresen, Katrine J.

2017-04-01

This study presents the first detailed and integrated mapping of buried Quaternary valleys, river systems and iceberg scourings from the Danish North Sea region. The mapped features coincide spatially but have very different characteristics and incision levels which allow us to constrain their relative timing and differentiate their environment of formation (subglacial, proglacial and marine). The results of the study bring new critical information regarding the paleoenvironment of the North Sea Basin during the latest Quaternary deglaciation period and our analysis provide a well-tested workflow for utilizing 2D and 3D seismic data in relation to paleogeographical reconstructions. Our analysis is based on interpretation of conventional 3D seismic and high-resolution sparker data from the Southern Danish Central Graben. The project forms part of the portfolio for the 'Danish Hydrocarbon Research and Technology Centre' and aims at building a high-resolution 3D geological-geotechnical model of the shallow subsurface by using geophysical data combined with geological and geotechnical data from shallow borings. One of the objectives is to map potential geohazards for offshore installations such as buried valleys and constrain their geotechnical properties. The central North Sea is known to have been covered by glaciers several times during the Quaternary with climate changing between arctic and boreal. Marine conditions periodically prevailed and large river systems mainly from central Europe dominated during periods of subaerial exposure. Hence, many buried erosional incisions, primarily tunnel valleys but also river systems, can be observed within the upper 200-400 meters of the Quaternary succession throughout the central North Sea region. A high-resolution mapping of the infill of the tunnel valleys and river systems have however not previously been presented. Our analysis shows that within the study area at least four generations of tunnel valley formation and river system incisions can be mapped. The tunnel valleys have a strong NE-SW orientation and are typically characterized by an irregular base. The fluvial river systems which are the youngest, are smaller, typically with an anastomosing appearance. They generally have an NW-SE strike perpendicular to the older tunnel valleys. Clear sedimentary structures can be recognized on the high-resolution 2D seismic data indicating a complex history of cut and fill. In general, the study area displays a very heterogenic sedimentation pattern with varying valley types and significant lateral variations within the same valleys revealing a subtle interplay between incision and infilling. In some areas we furthermore see a distinct control of the river system morphology by deeper salt structures adding to the complexity of controlling factors for the rivers and tunnel valleys in the study area. The results of the study provide valuable information on the evolution of the Quaternary ice-sheets and drainage patterns and hence exemplify the use of seismic data for Quaternary paleo-environmental studies. With the good control on the distribution and infill of buried valleys and river systems, the study furthermore provides the first constrain to a detailed 3D model of different litho-facies based on seismic facies analysis combined with information from shallow borings.

Effect of diuretics on fetal growth: A drug effect or confounding by indication? Pooled Danish and Scottish cohort data

PubMed Central

Olesen, Charlotte; de Vries, Corinne S; Thrane, Nana; MacDonald, Tom M; Larsen, Helle; Sørensen, Henrik Toft

2001-01-01

Aims The diabetogenic effect of diuretics, as well as the indication for prescribing them, may impact on fetal growth. We analysed whether the purchase of prescription drugs for diuretics during pregnancy was associated with measures of fetal growth. Methods During 1991–98 all women who purchased prescription drugs for diuretics during pregnancy were identified in the Northern Jutland Prescription Database (NJDP), Denmark, and in the Medicines Monitoring Unit's Database (MEMO), Scotland. Information on birth weight and gestational age was obtained from the Danish Birth Registry, the Danish Hospital Discharge Registry and the Scottish Tayside Neonatal Database. Information on diabetes, hypertension and prepregnancy weight were obtained by hospital record review in a sample of women in the Danish cohort. Women who did not purchase prescription diuretics during pregnancy were used as a reference group in both cohorts. Results Danish women who purchased prescription loop diuretics during pregnancy gave birth to infants with higher birth weights than women who did not use diuretics; mean difference 104.7 g (95% CI; 2.6, 206.9). However, the high prevalence of diabetes (10.3%) among Danish women who purchased prescription loop diuretics during pregnancy might explain this result. Both the Danish and the Scottish women who purchased prescription diuretics during their pregnancy were at increased risk of preterm delivery (< 37 completed weeks); ORs: 1.8 (CI; 1.2, 2.7)NJDP, 1.9 (CI; 0.9, 4.3)MEMO. The proportion of hypertension among women who purchased prescription thiazides was 15.8%, and the risk of having an infant with a birth weight (BW) < 2500 g was increased; ORs: 2.6 (CI; 1.4, 5.0)NJDP, 2.4 (CI; 0.8, 7.8)MEMO. Conclusions Prescribing diuretics during pregnancy was associated with differences in birth weight and incidence of preterm delivery. Confounding by indication may explain the findings. PMID:11259987

DBCG hypo trial validation of radiotherapy parameters from a national data bank versus manual reporting.

PubMed

Brink, Carsten; Lorenzen, Ebbe L; Krogh, Simon Long; Westberg, Jonas; Berg, Martin; Jensen, Ingelise; Thomsen, Mette Skovhus; Yates, Esben Svitzer; Offersen, Birgitte Vrou

2018-01-01

The current study evaluates the data quality achievable using a national data bank for reporting radiotherapy parameters relative to the classical manual reporting method of selected parameters. The data comparison is based on 1522 Danish patients of the DBCG hypo trial with data stored in the Danish national radiotherapy data bank. In line with standard DBCG trial practice selected parameters were also reported manually to the DBCG database. Categorical variables are compared using contingency tables, and comparison of continuous parameters is presented in scatter plots. For categorical variables 25 differences between the data bank and manual values were located. Of these 23 were related to mistakes in the manual reported value whilst the remaining two were a wrong classification in the data bank. The wrong classification in the data bank was related to lack of dose information, since the two patients had been treated with an electron boost based on a manual calculation, thus data was not exported to the data bank, and this was not detected prior to comparison with the manual data. For a few database fields in the manual data an ambiguity of the parameter definition of the specific field is seen in the data. This was not the case for the data bank, which extract all data consistently. In terms of data quality the data bank is superior to manually reported values. However, there is a need to allocate resources for checking the validity of the available data as well as ensuring that all relevant data is present. The data bank contains more detailed information, and thus facilitates research related to the actual dose distribution in the patients.

Validation of the Danish Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination as a screening test in a memory clinic.

PubMed

Stokholm, Jette; Vogel, Asmus; Johannsen, Peter; Waldemar, Gunhild

2009-01-01

Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) is a cognitive screening test developed to detect dementia. It has been validated in several countries. Validation studies have predominantly included patients with various degrees of dementia and healthy controls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Danish version of ACE as a screening test for early dementia in an outpatient memory clinic. Further, we wanted to investigate the ability of the ACE to discriminate patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) from patients with depression. 78 patients with mild AD (MMSE >or=20), 30 non-demented patients diagnosed with depression (originally referred for evaluation of cognitive symptoms), and 63 healthy volunteers, all between 60 and 85 years of age, were included. All patients were given the ACE as a supplement to the standard diagnostic work-up. The cut-off points for optimal trade-off between sensitivity and specificity for ACE were 85/86 (sensitivity 0.99, specificity 0.94). When these cut-off points were applied to the group of depressive patients, the specificity dropped to 0.64, indicating a great overlap in individual test scores for demented and depressed patients. The optimal cut-off points for ACE found in this Danish study were close to what is reported in most other European studies. The great overlap in ACE scores for demented and depressed patients emphasize that test scores must be interpreted with great caution when used in diagnostic work-up.

Unnecessary work tasks and mental health: a prospective analysis of Danish human service workers.

PubMed

Madsen, Ida E H; Tripathi, Manisha; Borritz, Marianne; Rugulies, Reiner

2014-11-01

According to the "stress-as-offense-to-self" perspective, work tasks that are considered unnecessary or unreasonable - so-called "illegitimate work tasks" - are likely to elicit stress-reactions. Previous studies, mostly cross-sectional, have shown that illegitimate tasks are associated with increased self-reported stress, cortisol, and counterproductive work behavior. In this article, we examine the prospective association between unnecessary work tasks, one type of illegitimate work tasks, and mental health among Danish human service workers. Further, we explore whether this association is modified by sex, age, occupational position, and baseline mental health status. The data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires from 1351 Danish human service workers in three waves of data-collection during 1999-2005. We measured unnecessary work tasks by a single item, and assessed mental health using the 5-item mental health inventory from the Short form 36 questionnaire. We analyzed data using multi-level modeling, adjusting for potential confounding by sex, age, cohabitation, occupational position, and baseline mental health. Unnecessary work tasks were prospectively associated with a decreased level of mental health. This association was stronger for employees with poor baseline mental health and tended to be more pronounced among older employees. Among participants with poor baseline mental health, the association was explained by neither psychological demands nor decision latitude. Our findings suggest that the prevention of unnecessary work tasks may benefit employee mental health, particularly among employees with pre-existing mental health problems.

The Danish Anaesthesia Database.

PubMed

Antonsen, Kristian; Rosenstock, Charlotte Vallentin; Lundstrøm, Lars Hyldborg

2016-01-01

The aim of the Danish Anaesthesia Database (DAD) is the nationwide collection of data on all patients undergoing anesthesia. Collected data are used for quality assurance, quality development, and serve as a basis for research projects. The DAD was founded in 2004 as a part of Danish Clinical Registries (Regionernes Kliniske Kvalitetsudviklings Program [RKKP]). Patients undergoing general anesthesia, regional anesthesia with or without combined general anesthesia as well as patients under sedation are registered. Data are retrieved from public and private anesthesia clinics, single-centers as well as multihospital corporations across Denmark. In 2014 a total of 278,679 unique entries representing a national coverage of ~70% were recorded, data completeness is steadily increasing. Records are aggregated for determining 13 defined quality indicators and eleven defined complications all covering the anesthetic process from the preoperative assessment through anesthesia and surgery until the end of the postoperative recovery period. Registered variables include patients' individual social security number (assigned to all Danes) and both direct patient-related lifestyle factors enabling a quantification of patients' comorbidity as well as variables that are strictly related to the type, duration, and safety of the anesthesia. Data and specific data combinations can be extracted within each department in order to monitor patient treatment. In addition, an annual DAD report is a benchmark for departments nationwide. The DAD is covering the anesthetic process for the majority of patients undergoing anesthesia in Denmark. Data in the DAD are increasingly used for both quality and research projects.

Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Supervision in Danish Psychiatry: Training the Next Generation of Psychiatrists.

PubMed

Schmidt, Lasse M; Foli-Andersen, Nina J

2017-02-01

Psychotherapy training is mandatory for physicians to qualify as psychiatrists in Denmark. Evidence for the effectiveness of psychotherapy has increased, and psychotherapy is increasingly included in international treatment guidelines. The authors investigated how psychiatrists in training in Denmark evaluate the opportunities to practice psychotherapy in their training and the quality of the supervision they receive in psychotherapy training, particularly for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The authors conducted a survey regarding psychotherapy training and CBT supervision among psychiatrists in training at Danish psychiatric specialist training courses. They investigated respondents' interest and experience in psychotherapy and respondents' views on the relevance and feasibility of performing psychotherapy and receiving supervision in their psychiatry training. Eighty-eight percent of the psychiatrists in training found psychotherapy to be a relevant part of their training; however, 77 % found it difficult to find time to practice psychotherapy and 44 % felt that practicing psychotherapy was a strain on their employer. Thirty-six percent and 53 %, respectively, had difficulties securing psychodynamic and CBT supervision. In CBT supervision, more than 60 % reported supervision that appeared to be below the expected CBT supervision standard and often so much below it might not qualify as CBT supervision. There is a need to focus on how to better integrate psychotherapy and supervision in the Danish psychiatric training program. Good CBT supervision may be lacking, and a way to ensure high-quality supervision is required.

26 CFR 521.115 - Credit against United States tax liability for Danish tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER TAX CONVENTIONS DENMARK General Income Tax Taxation of Nonresident Aliens Who... liability for Danish tax. For the purpose of avoidance of double taxation, Article XV provides that, on the...

26 CFR 521.115 - Credit against United States tax liability for Danish tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER TAX CONVENTIONS DENMARK General Income Tax Taxation of Nonresident Aliens Who... liability for Danish tax. For the purpose of avoidance of double taxation, Article XV provides that, on the...

Order of draw practices in venous blood sampling at clinical biochemistry departments in the Danish health care system.

PubMed

Jacobsen, Katja Kemp; Brandt, Ida; Christensen, Anne Vindahl; Rimsø, Bjørk Anine; Krøier, Camilla Julie; Sørensen, Michelle; Smith, Julie; Jensen, Kathrine Overgaard Foss; Larsen, Jeppe Madura

2018-06-01

Deviation in blood collection procedures is a central source of preanalytical variation affecting overall analytical and diagnostic precision. The order of draw of venous sampling is suspected to affect analytical results, in particular for coagulation analysis. Here we compare the procedures in venous blood sampling among clinical biochemistry departments to assess the uniformity of order of blood draw and adherence to international guidelines in the Danish health care system. We collected venous order of draw procedures from 49 clinical biochemistry departments at 22 public hospitals in Denmark. Procedures were compared to the international guidelines fromthe Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and World Health Organization (WHO), and assessed in relation to department ISO 15189:2012 accreditation. We observed seven different order of draw procedures related to citrate, serum, heparin, and EDTA tubes, and the use of discard tubes in relation to coagulation assays. 31 departments (63.3%) were found to adhere to CLSI and WHO guidelines. A majority of departments instructs the use of discard tubes before collection for coagulation assays in citrate tubes (44 departments; 89.8%). The citrate tube was the first sample tube to be drawn for most departments (35 departments; 75.5%); and the preferred order of non-citrate tubes was serum-heparin-EDTA (36 departments; 73.5%). Adherence to the CLSI and WHO guidelines was not associated with department ISO 15189:2012 accreditation (p = .57). Venous order of draw procedures is diverse at Danish clinical biochemistry departments and show moderate adherence to international guidelines. Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Continuous professional development for GPs: experience from Denmark.

PubMed

Kjaer, N K; Steenstrup, A P; Pedersen, L B; Halling, A

2014-07-01

Continuous professional development (CPD) for Danish general practitioners (GPs) is voluntary and based on funded accredited activities. There is an ongoing discussion on how to improve this current system by introducing mandatory elements. To inform this debate, we set out to identify GPs' current use of CPD and to explore the motives behind their choices. A mixed-methods study with a combined qualitative and quantitative approach was used. In 2012, two focus group interviews were conducted, followed up the same year by an online questionnaire sent to 1079 randomly chosen Danish GPs. Focus groups: CPD activities are chosen based on personal needs analysis, and in order to be professionally updated, to meet engaged colleagues and to prevent burnout. GPs also attend CPD to assess their own pre-existing level of competence. CPD activities need to be experienced as being both meaningful and relevant in order to have an impact. Questionnaire: The response rate was 686/1079 (63%). GPs spend on average 10.5 days per year on accredited, voluntary CPD activities. Workplace-related CPD activities and practice-based small group learning played a significant role. The main motivation for choice of CPD activities included academic interest, experience of patient-related problems in their own surgeries and medical topics where the GPs felt insufficiently confident. Danish GPs are frequent users of voluntary accredited CPD. Their CPD choices are motivated by topics strengthening their professional capacity and preventing burnout. There would seem to be no need for a mandatory system. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

["Linguistitis" of medical terminology (II). Language-policy and questions from a perspective of younger physicians].

PubMed

Høy, A

1996-12-02

In a previous article in the Journal of the Danish Medical Association, "Medical Terminology Linguistitis (I)", the author pointed out the importance of involving the users in connection with the definition of a language policy concerning Danish medical terminology and future medical doctors' need for language proficiency. A recent inquiry, involving 11 medical doctors (Ph.D. students), suggests that there is in fact a need for a language policy. Also, the respondents expressed strong antipathy against a full nationalization of the terms which can in some cases be observed in the Danish version of ICD-10. On the basis of this survey, the following questions are discussed in this article: Future medical doctors' need for knowledge of Latin and English, medical doctors' opinions concerning a terminology based on Latin, or Danish, and some important aspects concerning the definition of a language policy in the medical area.

["Linguistitis" of medical terminology (I)].

PubMed

Høy, A

1996-12-02

A 1994/95 survey on language and terminology in emergency wards revealed a number of contradictory tendencies within today's Danish medical terminology. On the one hand, an increasing number of medical terms are nationalized. This tendency is reflected not only in intercollegial language, but also in the Danish version of the ICD-10 where a number of official diagnostic terms are casually translated into Danish or undergo various degrees of nationalization to appear as hybrids. On the other hand, knowledge of English becomes increasingly important: good passive command of the language is a must for medical students, and doctors committed to research need a good active command as well. This situation raises a number of questions: is there a need for setting up criteria for the terminology used in Danish medical literature and encyclopedia in order to avoid confusion, and for defining a language policy for future medical doctors?

Alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy. A cross-sectional study with data from the Copenhagen Pregnancy Cohort.

PubMed

Iversen, Mette Langeland; Sørensen, Nina Olsén; Broberg, Lotte; Damm, Peter; Hedegaard, Morten; Tabor, Ann; Hegaard, Hanne Kristine

2015-12-08

Since 2007 the Danish Health and Medicines Authority has advised total alcohol abstinence from the time of trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy. The prevalence of binge drinking among pregnant Danish women has nevertheless been reported to be up to 48 % during early pregnancy. Since the introduction of the recommendation of total abstinence, no studies have examined pre-pregnancy lifestyle and reproductive risk factors associated with this behaviour in a Danish context. The aims of this study were therefore to describe the prevalence of weekly alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy among women living in the capital of Denmark. Secondly to identify pre-pregnancy lifestyle and reproductive risk factors associated with binge drinking during early pregnancy. Data were collected from September 2012 to August 2013 at the Department of Obstetrics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Self-reported information on each woman's socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, and lifestyle factors including alcohol habits was obtained from an electronic questionnaire filled out as part of the individual medical record. Descriptive analysis was conducted and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the potential associated risk factors (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)). Questionnaires from 3,238 women were included. A majority of 70 %, reported weekly alcohol consumption before pregnancy. The prevalence decreased to 3 % during early pregnancy. The overall proportion of women reporting binge drinking during early pregnancy was 35 % (n = 1,134). The following independent risk factors for binge drinking in early pregnancy were identified: lower degree of planned pregnancy, smoking and alcohol habits before pregnancy ((1 unit/weekly aOR 4.48, CI: 3.14 - 6.40), (2-7 units aOR 10.23, CI: 7.44-14.06), (≥8 units aOR 33.18, CI: 19.53-56.36)). Multiparity and the use of assisted reproductive technology were associated with lower odds of binge drinking in early pregnancy. The prevalence of weekly alcohol consumption decreased considerably during early pregnancy compared with pre-pregnancy levels. Nevertheless one third of the pregnant women engaged in binge drinking. Identification of risk factors for this behaviour renders it possible not only to design prevention strategies, but also to target those most at risk.

Denmark. A Study of the Educational System of Denmark and Guide to the Academic Placement of Students in Educational Institutions in the United States. PIER World Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolston, Valerie A.; Dickey, Karlene N.

This volume offers a full country study of the structure and content of the educational system of Denmark, together with a formal set of placement recommendations for Danish students wishing to study in the United States. Chapter 1 introduces the volume with descriptions of Denmark and its people, government, the government's role in education,…

Surveillance of maritime deaths on board Danish merchant ships, 1986-2009.

PubMed

Borch, Daniel F; Hansen, Henrik L; Burr, Hermann; Jepsen, Jørgen R

2012-01-01

A previous study demonstrated a high death rate among seafarers signed on Danish ships during the years 1986-1993. This study aimed to examine and analyse the subsequent development until 2009. A total of 356 fatalities were identified from data supplied from the Danish Maritime Authority, an insurance company, and other sources. Maritime deaths among seafarers signed on Danish ships comprise deaths from 1) accidents, suicides and homicides; and 2) disease on board. Deaths due to 2) occurring ashore within 30 days after signing off were included. The overall and mode-specific death rates were calculated for three eight-year observation periods. The rates for work-related fatal accidents were compared with the rates for land-based trades. All categories of maritime deaths were significantly reduced from 1986 to 2009 - in particular during the last eight-year period (Accidents 1986-1993: 66.6 per 100,000 person years, 2002-2009: 27.0 per 100,000 person years, diseases 49.5-26.1, suicides 14.4-7.8). In spite of the remarkable improvement since 1986, seafarers remain in 2002-2009 more than six times more likely to die from occupational accidents (including shipwrecks) than do workers ashore. The favourable trend of maritime deaths in the Danish merchant fleet may be due to 1) preventive measures - e.g. interventions relating to vessel safety, work environment, and improved medical care on board - and to 2) technological and organizational changes - e.g. newer and larger vessels in the Danish merchant fleet, changed composition of the workforce, and reduced shore leaves. The persisting excess risk warrants further preventive actions.

Increased AβPP Processing in Familial Danish Dementia Patients

PubMed Central

Matsuda, Shuji; Tamayev, Robert; D’Adamio, Luciano

2013-01-01

An autosomal dominant mutation in the BRI2/ITM2B gene causes Familial Danish Dementia (FDD). We have generated a mouse model of FDD, called FDDKI, genetically congruous to the human disease. These mice carry one mutant and one wild type Bri2/Itm2b allele, like FDD patients. Analysis of FDDKI mice and samples from human patients has shown that the Danish mutation causes loss of Bri2 protein. FDDKI mice show synaptic plasticity and memory impairments. BRI2 is a physiological interactor of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP), a gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease, which inhibits processing of AβPP. AβPP/Bri2 complexes are reduced in synaptic membranes of FDDKI mice. Consequently, AβPP metabolites derived from processing of AβPP by β-, α-, and γ-secretases are increased in Danish dementia mice. AβPP haplodeficiency prevents memory and synaptic dysfunctions, consistent with a role for AβPP-metabolites in the pathogenesis of memory and synaptic deficits. This genetic suppression provides compelling evidence that AβPP and BRI2 functionally interact. Here, we have investigated whether AβPP processing is altered in FDD patients’ brain samples. We find that the levels of several AβPP metabolites, including Aβ, are significantly increased in the brain sample derived from an FDD patient. Our data are consistent with the findings in FDDKI mice, and support the hypothesis that the neurological effects of the Danish form of BRI2 are caused by toxic AβPP metabolites, suggesting that Familial Danish and Alzheimer’s dementias share common pathogenic mechanisms. PMID:21841249

Increased AβPP processing in familial Danish dementia patients.

PubMed

Matsuda, Shuji; Tamayev, Robert; D'Adamio, Luciano

2011-01-01

An autosomal dominant mutation in the BRI2/ITM2B gene causes Familial Danish Dementia (FDD). We have generated a mouse model of FDD, called FDDKI, genetically congruous to the human disease. These mice carry one mutant and one wild type Bri2/Itm2b allele, like FDD patients. Analysis of FDDKI mice and samples from human patients has shown that the Danish mutation causes loss of Bri2 protein. FDDKI mice show synaptic plasticity and memory impairments. BRI2 is a physiological interactor of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP), a gene associated with Alzheimer's disease, which inhibits processing of AβPP. AβPP/Bri2 complexes are reduced in synaptic membranes of FDDKI mice. Consequently, AβPP metabolites derived from processing of AβPP by β-, α-, and γ-secretases are increased in Danish dementia mice. AβPP haplodeficiency prevents memory and synaptic dysfunctions, consistent with a role for AβPP-metabolites in the pathogenesis of memory and synaptic deficits. This genetic suppression provides compelling evidence that AβPP and BRI2 functionally interact. Here, we have investigated whether AβPP processing is altered in FDD patients' brain samples. We find that the levels of several AβPP metabolites, including Aβ, are significantly increased in the brain sample derived from an FDD patient. Our data are consistent with the findings in FDDKI mice, and support the hypothesis that the neurological effects of the Danish form of BRI2 are caused by toxic AβPP metabolites, suggesting that Familial Danish and Alzheimer's dementias share common pathogenic mechanisms.

Employment, disability pension and income for children with parental multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Moberg, Julie Yoon; Laursen, Bjarne; Koch-Henriksen, Nils; Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Brødsgaard, Anne; Soelberg Sørensen, Per; Magyari, Melinda

2017-07-01

Little is known about the consequences of parental multiple sclerosis (MS) on offspring's socioeconomic circumstances. To investigate employment, disability pension and income in offspring of parents with MS compared with matched reference persons in a nationwide register-based cohort study. All Danish-born persons with onset of MS during 1950-1986 were retrieved from the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry. Their offspring were identified using the Civil Registration System. One random offspring from each sibship was matched by sex and year of birth with eight random reference persons. We included 2456 MS offspring and 19,648 reference persons. At age 30, employment was lower among MS offspring than reference children (odds ratio (OR): 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84-0.95; p = 0.0003), and they more often received disability pension (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.15-1.50; p < 0.0001) at ages 30 and 40 but not at age 50. Although the mean income was not significantly lower for the MS offspring cohort, most of them attained an annual personal income below 250,000 DKK (Danish krone), that is, ~33,650 EUR (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84-0.99; p = 0.04). Having had a parent with MS may affect employment and increase the risk of disability pension and low income in adult life.

Selected determinants may account for dropout risks among medical students.

PubMed

Mørcke, Anne Mette; O'Neill, Lotte; Kjeldsen, Inge Trads; Eika, Berit

2012-09-01

The dropout level from the Danish medical schools is high, but we have only little insight into this problem. The purpose of this study was to qualify the ongoing discussions concerning dropout. In this retrospective cohort study, relevant variables were extracted from the established database of Aarhus University for the 639 students initiating medicine studies between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2000. A multivariate pre-admission and post-admission model was examined. Of the 639 medical students, 20% dropped out. Most students dropped out during their first year. The type of admission exam was a strong predictor of dropout in the pre-admission model, whereas previous higher education protected against dropout. Obtaining leave was a very strong predictor of dropout in the post-admission model, whereas high grades protected against dropout. The dropout rate has been decreasing during the past decade. Young people considering studying medicine could be advised to choose natural science subjects in high school, and a number of research questions concerning preparedness for medical school are worth pursuing. Leave or very low grades during the first and second study years might serve as red flags to supervisors. Study research was funded by Aarhus University. Not relevant, register-based research with no biological human material cannot be notified to the Danish Committee System. The Danish Data Protection Agency allows schools to conduct anonymized, non-sensitive, educational analyses without notification.

Statin Prescriptions and Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk: A Danish Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Lars; Tarp, Maja; Cronin-Fenton, Deirdre P.; Garne, Jens Peter; Silliman, Rebecca A.; Sørensen, Henrik Toft; Lash, Timothy L.

2011-01-01

Background Accumulating evidence suggests that statins affect diseases other than cardiovascular disease, including cancer, and that these effects may depend on the lipid solubility of specific statins. Though many studies have reported an association between statin use and breast cancer incidence, the relationship between statin use and breast cancer recurrence has not been well studied. Methods We conducted a nationwide, population-based prospective cohort study of all female residents in Denmark diagnosed with stage I–III invasive breast carcinoma who were reported to the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group registry between 1996 and 2003 (n = 18 769). Women were followed for a median of 6.8 years after diagnosis. Prescriptions for lipophilic and hydrophilic statins were ascertained from the national electronic pharmacy database. Associations between statin prescriptions and breast cancer recurrence were estimated with generalized linear models and Cox proportional hazards regression with adjustment for age and menopausal status at diagnosis; histological grade; estrogen receptor status; receipt of adjuvant therapy; type of primary surgery received; pre-diagnosis hormone replacement therapy; and co-prescriptions of aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or anticoagulants. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Most prescriptions for lipophilic statins in the study population were for simvastatin. Exclusive simvastatin users experienced approximately 10 fewer breast cancer recurrences per 100 women after 10 years of follow-up (adjusted 10-year risk difference = −0.10, 95% confidence interval = −0.11 to −0.08), compared with women who were not prescribed a statin. Exclusive hydrophilic statin users had approximately the same risk of breast cancer recurrence as women not prescribed a statin over follow-up (adjusted 10-year risk difference = 0.05, 95% confidence interval = −0.01 to 0.11). Conclusions Simvastatin, a highly lipophilic statin, was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence among Danish women diagnosed with stage I–III breast carcinoma, whereas no association between hydrophilic statin use and breast cancer recurrence was observed. PMID:21813413

Maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders in childhood: A Danish national birth cohort study.

PubMed

Liew, Zeyan; Ritz, Beate; Virk, Jasveer; Olsen, Jørn

2016-09-01

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is the most commonly used pain and fever medication during pregnancy. Previously, a positive ecological correlation between acetaminophen use and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been reported but evidence from larger studies based on prospective data is lacking. We followed 64,322 children and mothers enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC; 1996-2002) for average 12.7 years to investigate whether acetaminophen use in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of ASD in the offspring. Information on acetaminophen use was collected prospectively from three computer-assisted telephone interviews. We used records from the Danish hospital and psychiatric registries to identify diagnoses of ASD. At the end of follow up, 1,027 (1.6%) children were diagnosed with ASD, 345 (0.5%) with infantile autism. We found that 31% of ASD (26% of infantile autism) have also been diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorders. More than 50% women reported ever using acetaminophen in pregnancy. We used Cox proportional hazards model to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confident interval (CI). Prenatal use of acetaminophen was associated with an increased risk of ASD accompanied by hyperkinetic symptoms (HR = 1.51 95% CI 1.19-1.92), but not with other ASD cases (HR = 1.06 95% CI 0.92-1.24). Longer duration of use (i.e., use for >20 weeks in gestation) increased the risk of ASD or infantile autism with hyperkinetic symptoms almost twofold. Maternal use of acetaminophen in pregnancy was associated with ASD with hyperkinetic symptoms only, suggesting acetaminophen exposure early in fetal life may specifically impact this hyperactive behavioral phenotype. Autism Res 2016, 9: 951-958. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The influence of feed and herd on fatty acid composition in 3 dairy breeds (Danish Holstein, Danish Jersey, and Swedish Red).

PubMed

Poulsen, N A; Gustavsson, F; Glantz, M; Paulsson, M; Larsen, L B; Larsen, M K

2012-11-01

The composition of milk fat from dairy cows is related to both genetic and environmental factors. Here, the effect of feed and herd was examined in 3 Scandinavian breeds, namely Danish Holstein-Friesian (DH), Danish Jersey (DJ), and Swedish Red (SR). In total, milk samples from 1,298 cows kept in indoor housing systems were collected from 61 conventional dairy herds in Denmark and Sweden. The fatty acid (FA) composition of milk was determined by gas chromatography and the content of α-tocopherol by HPLC. Based on the 17 individual FA determined, distinct FA profiles were observed for all breeds using univariate and multivariate statistics. The DJ cows were characterized by higher levels of saturated short-chain FA; in contrast, DH cows had higher content of unsaturated C18 FA, whereas higher levels of primarily C14:0, C14:1, C18:1 cis-9, and C18:3n-3 were evident in SR cows. This variation in milk fat composition across breeds was further reflected in different desaturase indices, which were generally higher in SR cows. In addition, α-tocopherol differed significantly among breeds, with DJ cows having the highest content. Herd-specific feeding plans were collected, and different feed items were separated into 4 broad feed categories, including grass products, maize silage, grain, and concentrate. The pronounced differences in overall feed composition among breeds were, to a large extent, due to regional differences between countries, with SR receiving higher levels of grain and grass silage compared with the Danish breeds. Within breeds, differences in feeding regimens among herds were furthermore higher in SR. Significant correlations between feed category and individual FA were observed in all breeds. Furthermore, variance components were estimated and used to determine the proportion of phenotypic variation that could be explained by herd. The herd effect for individual FA was generally lower for DH compared with the 2 other breeds. In addition, very low herd effects were shown for C14:1 and C16:1 in all breeds, suggesting that the content of these FA is mainly genetically regulated. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of breed and parity on curves of body condition during lactation estimated using a non-linear function.

PubMed

Friggens, N C; Badsberg, J H

2007-05-01

The objectives of this study were to see if the body condition score curve during lactation could be described using a model amenable to biological interpretation, a non-linear function assuming exponential rates of change in body condition with time, and to quantify the effect of breed and parity on curves of body condition during lactation. Three breeds were represented: Danish Holstein (n = 112), Danish Red (n = 97) and Jerseys (n = 8). Cows entered the experiment at the start of first lactation and were studied during consecutive lactations (average number of lactations 2, minimum 1, maximum 3). They remained on the same dietary treatment throughout. Body condition was scored to the nearest half unit on the Danish scale (see Kristensen (1986); derived from the Lowman et al. (1976) system) from 1 to 5 on days: 2, 14, 28, 42, 56, 84, 112, 168, 224 after calving. Additionally, condition score was recorded on the day of drying off the cow, 35, 21, and 7 days before expected calving and finally on the day of calving. All condition scores were made by the trained personal on the research farm, where the same person made 92% of the scores. The temporal patterns in condition score were modelled as consisting of two underlying processes, one related to days from calving, referred to as lactation only, the other to days from (subsequent) conception, referred to as pregnancy. Both processes were assumed to be exponential functions of time. Each process was modelled separately using exponential functions, i.e. one model for lactation only and one for pregnancy, and then a combined model for both lactation only and pregnancy was fitted. The data set contained 467 lactation periods and 378 pregnancy periods. The temporal patterns in condition score of cows kept under stable and sufficient nutritional conditions were successfully described using a two component non-linear function. First lactation cows had shallower curves, they had greater condition scores at the nadir of the curve. Danish Holstein and Jersey were thinner at the end of the mobilisation period having lost more body condition than the Danish Red breed. Although the dairy breeds ended up being thinner there were no significant differences in the rate at which they lost body condition.

The risk-stratified osteoporosis strategy evaluation study (ROSE): a randomized prospective population-based study. Design and baseline characteristics.

PubMed

Rubin, Katrine Hass; Holmberg, Teresa; Rothmann, Mette Juel; Høiberg, Mikkel; Barkmann, Reinhard; Gram, Jeppe; Hermann, Anne Pernille; Bech, Mickael; Rasmussen, Ole; Glüer, Claus C; Brixen, Kim

2015-02-01

The risk-stratified osteoporosis strategy evaluation study (ROSE) is a randomized prospective population-based study investigating the effectiveness of a two-step screening program for osteoporosis in women. This paper reports the study design and baseline characteristics of the study population. 35,000 women aged 65-80 years were selected at random from the population in the Region of Southern Denmark and-before inclusion-randomized to either a screening group or a control group. As first step, a self-administered questionnaire regarding risk factors for osteoporosis based on FRAX(®) was issued to both groups. As second step, subjects in the screening group with a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fractures ≥15% were offered a DXA scan. Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis from the DXA scan were advised to see their GP and discuss pharmaceutical treatment according to Danish National guidelines. The primary outcome is incident clinical fractures as evaluated through annual follow-up using the Danish National Patient Registry. The secondary outcomes are cost-effectiveness, participation rate, and patient preferences. 20,904 (60%) women participated and included in the baseline analyses (10,411 in screening and 10,949 in control group). The mean age was 71 years. As expected by randomization, the screening and control groups had similar baseline characteristics. Screening for osteoporosis is at present not evidence based according to the WHO screening criteria. The ROSE study is expected to provide knowledge of the effectiveness of a screening strategy that may be implemented in health care systems to prevent fractures.

Using open data in near real time disaster analysis and knowledge generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

She, Jun

2017-04-01

This presentation will address the value of using open operational geo data in near real time disaster analysis and knowledge generation. In the past, mechanism analysis of a meteo-hyrological extreme event may take month and years with lots of resources since there exist many kinds of restrictions on the model and observation data, e.g., in availability, accessibility, adequacy in resolution, quality and delivery time etc. In recent years, thanks to the open data and open service programs such as Copernicus, EMODnet (European Marine Observation Data Network) and data sharing activities in ROOSs (Regional Operational Oceanography Systems) and national agencies, the disaster analysis become a much faster and efficient procedure. The study will present such a case study for analyzing a hundred-year storm event in January 2017 which affects Danish and German coasts in western Baltic Sea. The event and its forecasts have caused lots of attention in Danish and German media. However, the explanations on how the storm surge is formed and why the prediction is good or bad in this or that country are still largely absent in the media reports. All the data and plots used in the analysis are from open sources. It is found that with the open data, the spatiotemporal variation and the internal links between weather, sea level and water mass movements can be well understood. New knowledge on key factors for the unusual high waters in the western Baltic is obtained from this analysis. Finally, recommendations for using open operational data in generating open science are given.

Municipalities Collaborating in Public Health: The Danish Smoking Prevention and Cessation Partnership

PubMed Central

Andersen, Pernille Tanggaard; El Ansari, Walid; Rasmussen, Hanna Barbara; Stock, Christiane

2010-01-01

This study explored the Smoking Prevention and Cessation Partnership (SPCP) which builds upon a collaboration between two Danish municipalities targeted at the prevention of tobacco smoking. The aim of the study was to describe the processes of SPCP, to examine the difficulties this collaboration faced, and to assess how these experiences could be used to improve future partnership collaboration. We employed qualitative methodology comprising 12 semi-structured one-to-one interviews with SPCP’s stakeholders and an analysis of the partnership documents and reports. The findings suggested that the main potentials of the partnership were the personal relations between the members and stakeholders with the possibilities of the creation of new connections with other actors. Barriers to successful partnership building were the implementation of the new Local Government Reform as a competing task, and that the two municipalities were heterogenic in respect to organizational issues and working methods. Other impediments included the lack of continuity in leadership, the lack of clarity regarding the form of collaboration and roles, as well as different expectations of the stakeholders. We conclude that four factors remain critical for partnerships. The first is the clarity of the collaborative effort. Second, partnerships need to take into account the structural circumstances and culture/value systems of all stakeholders. Third is the impact of contextual factors on the development of the partnership; and the fourth factor is the bearing of personal/individual factors on the partnership e.g., personal engagement in the project. Early attention to these four factors could contribute to more effective partnership working. PMID:21139870

Genome-Wide Association Study for Susceptibility to and Recoverability From Mastitis in Danish Holstein Cows.

PubMed

Welderufael, B G; Løvendahl, Peter; de Koning, Dirk-Jan; Janss, Lucas L G; Fikse, W F

2018-01-01

Because mastitis is very frequent and unavoidable, adding recovery information into the analysis for genetic evaluation of mastitis is of great interest from economical and animal welfare point of view. Here we have performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and investigate the genetic background not only for susceptibility to - but also for recoverability from mastitis. Somatic cell count records from 993 Danish Holstein cows genotyped for a total of 39378 autosomal SNP markers were used for the association analysis. Single SNP regression analysis was performed using the statistical software package DMU. Substitution effect of each SNP was tested with a t -test and a genome-wide significance level of P -value < 10 -4 was used to declare significant SNP-trait association. A number of significant SNP variants were identified for both traits. Many of the SNP variants associated either with susceptibility to - or recoverability from mastitis were located in or very near to genes that have been reported for their role in the immune system. Genes involved in lymphocyte developments (e.g., MAST3 and STAB2 ) and genes involved in macrophage recruitment and regulation of inflammations ( PDGFD and PTX3 ) were suggested as possible causal genes for susceptibility to - and recoverability from mastitis, respectively. However, this is the first GWAS study for recoverability from mastitis and our results need to be validated. The findings in the current study are, therefore, a starting point for further investigations in identifying causal genetic variants or chromosomal regions for both susceptibility to - and recoverability from mastitis.

Denmark's National Family Guidance Program: A Preventive Mental Health Program for Children and Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Marsden

This document describes Denmark's 10-year (1965-75) program of cost-effective provision of social services to crisis families with children under the Danish 1964 Child and Youth Welfare Act. The program, voluntary and open to all families, provided preventive psychosocial services for children based on a family support system. The background to…

The Role of the Company in Generating Skills. The Learning Effects of Work Organization. Denmark.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristensen, Peer Hull; Petersen, James Hopner

The impact of developments in work organizations on the skilling process in Denmark was studied through a macro analysis of available statistical information about the development of workplace training in Denmark and case studies of three Danish firms. The macro analysis focused on the following: Denmark's vocational training system; the Danish…

Why School Choice Reforms in Denmark Fail: The Blocking Power of the Teacher Union

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiborg, Susanne; Larsen, Kristina R.

2017-01-01

This article investigates why school choice is exercised to a limited degree by parents despite major government initiatives to enhance diversity, competition and choice in the Danish education system. Denmark has had 20 years of centre-right governments, promoting choice reforms perhaps even more vigorously than the other Nordic countries, yet…

The Continued Need for Effective Remedial Reading Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansen, Mogens

Reading disability is described in this paper as a relative state that will appear different across societies and over the years. It is noted that researchers who claim that their objective is to find methods and materials to make remedial reading unnecessary are unrealistic. An overview of the Danish educational system and society during the last…

Influence of Timing of Delayed Hard Palate Closure on Articulation Skills in 3-Year-Old Danish Children with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willadsen, Elisabeth; Boers, Maria; Schöps, Antje; Kisling-Møller, Mia; Nielsen, Joan Bogh; Jørgensen, Line Dahl; Andersen, Mikael; Bolund, Stig; Andersen, Helene Søgaard

2018-01-01

Background: Differing results regarding articulation skills in young children with cleft palate (CP) have been reported and often interpreted as a consequence of different surgical protocols. Aims: To assess the influence of different timing of hard palate closure in a two-stage procedure on articulation skills in 3-year-olds born with unilateral…

Explaining the increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders: the proportion attributable to changes in reporting practices.

PubMed

Hansen, Stefan N; Schendel, Diana E; Parner, Erik T

2015-01-01

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has increased markedly in recent decades, which researchers have suggested could be caused in part by nonetiologic factors such as changes in diagnosis reporting practices. To our knowledge, no study has quantified the degree to which changes in reporting practices might explain this increase. Danish national health registries have undergone a change in diagnostic criteria in 1994 and the inclusion of outpatient contacts to health registries in 1995. To quantify the effect of changes in reporting practices in Denmark on reported ASD prevalence. We used a population-based birth cohort approach that includes information on all individuals with permanent residence in Denmark. We assessed all children born alive from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1991, in Denmark (n=677915). The children were followed up from birth until ASD diagnosis, death, emigration, or the end of follow-up on December 31, 2011, whichever occurred first. The analysis uses a stratified Cox proportional hazards regression model with the changes in reporting practices modeled as time-dependent covariates. The change in diagnostic criteria in 1994 and the inclusion of outpatient diagnoses in 1995. Autism spectrum disorders. For Danish children born during the study period, 33% (95% CI, 0%-70%) of the increase in reported ASD prevalence could be explained by the change in diagnostic criteria alone; 42% (95% CI, 14%-69%), by the inclusion of outpatient contacts alone; and 60% (95% CI, 33%-87%), by the change in diagnostic criteria and the inclusion of outpatient contacts. Changes in reporting practices can account for most (60%) of the increase in the observed prevalence of ASDs in children born from 1980 through 1991 in Denmark. Hence, the study supports the argument that the apparent increase in ASDs in recent years is in large part attributable to changes in reporting practices.

A nationwide Danish survey on the use of green spaces by people with mobility disabilities.

PubMed

Stigsdotter, Ulrika K; Corazon, Sus Sola; Ekholm, Ola

2017-12-01

There is increasing awareness of the importance and health benefits of living near green spaces. Research usually focuses on the general population's use of green spaces and there has been little focus on the use of green spaces by specific groups, such as people with mobility disabilities. This represents a significant knowledge gap with regard to facilitating access to healthy green environments by all population groups. This study aims to provide knowledge of the use of green spaces by people with mobility disabilities. The study was based on data from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey in 2005. The study participants consisted of 11,238 adult Danes, 383 of whom reported mobility disabilities, meaning that they were dependent on assistive devices for walking or moving around. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between mobility disability and use of green spaces. The results show that respondents who reported mobility disabilities visited green spaces less often than respondents without mobility disabilities. The severity of the mobility disability was associated with the frequency of visits. Frequency of visits was also related to the respondents' health-related quality of life status. These results highlight the need for further research into the constraints faced by people with mobility disabilities with regard to visiting green spaces.

Does education confer a culture of healthy behavior? Smoking and drinking patterns in Danish twins.

PubMed

Johnson, Wendy; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Mortensen, Erik L; Skytthe, Axel; Batty, G David; Deary, Ian J

2011-01-01

More education is associated with healthier smoking and drinking behaviors. Most analyses of effects of education focus on mean levels. Few studies have compared variance in health-related behaviors at different levels of education or analyzed how education impacts underlying genetic and environmental sources of health-related behaviors. This study explored these influences. In a 2002 postal questionnaire, 21,522 members of the Danish Twin Registry, born during 1931-1982, reported smoking and drinking habits. The authors used quantitative genetic models to examine how these behaviors' genetic and environmental variances differed with level of education, adjusting for birth-year effects. As expected, more education was associated with less smoking, and average drinking levels were highest among the most educated. At 2 standard deviations above the mean educational level, variance in smoking and drinking was about one-third that among those at 2 standard deviations below, because fewer highly educated people reported high levels of smoking or drinking. Because shared environmental variance was particularly restricted, one explanation is that education created a culture that discouraged smoking and heavy drinking. Correlations between shared environmental influences on education and the health behaviors were substantial among the well-educated for smoking in both sexes and drinking in males, reinforcing this notion.

The Danish Schizophrenia Registry

PubMed Central

Baandrup, Lone; Cerqueira, Charlotte; Haller, Lea; Korshøj, Lene; Voldsgaard, Inge; Nordentoft, Merete

2016-01-01

Aim of database To systematically monitor and improve the quality of treatment and care of patients with schizophrenia in Denmark. In addition, the database is accessible as a resource for research. Study population Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving mental health care in psychiatric hospitals or outpatient clinics. During the first year after the diagnosis, patients are classified as incident patients, and after this period as prevalent patients. Main variables The registry currently contains 21 clinical quality measures in relation to the following domains: diagnostic evaluation, antipsychotic treatment including adverse reactions, cardiovascular risk factors including laboratory values, family intervention, psychoeducation, postdischarge mental health care, assessment of suicide risk in relation to discharge, and assessment of global functioning. Descriptive data The recorded data are available electronically for the reporting clinicians and responsible administrative personnel, and they are updated monthly. The registry publishes the national and regional results of all included quality measures in the annual audit reports. External researchers may obtain access to the data for use in specific research projects by applying to the steering committee. Conclusion The Danish Schizophrenia Registry represents a valuable source of informative data to monitor and improve the quality of care of patients with schizophrenia in Denmark. However, continuous resources and time devoted is necessary to maintain the integrity of the registry and the validity of the data. PMID:27843348

Incidence of work injuries amongst Danish adolescents and their association with work environment factors.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Kurt; Hansen, Claus D; Nielsen, Kent J; Andersen, Johan H

2011-02-01

The objective was to examine the incidence of work accidents that required medical attention among Danish adolescents and to identify possible work environment factors associated with such accidents. We collected information in two questionnaire rounds (2004 and 2007) from a birth cohort comprising all adolescents born in 1989 (n = 3,687) living in Ringkjøbing County, Denmark. The questionnaire contained items on self-reported number of accidents and number of working hours in both rounds and on work environment factors in the second round. Approximately 5% of the adolescents who held a job, experienced a work injury at the age of 17. This equals an incidence of 65 accidents per million working hours. Most adolescents had decent working conditions, although nearly half reported that their work was heavy, monotonous or psychologically demanding. Heavy work, high psychological demands and low social support increased the risk of experiencing work injuries after adjustment for a number of factors. The incidence of work injuries among adolescents appears to be higher than the incidence among their older colleagues. Lack of social support from management significantly raised adolescents' risk of experiencing a work injury. This suggests that more direct supervision may be a good way of preventing accidents in this age group. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Danish Schizophrenia Registry.

PubMed

Baandrup, Lone; Cerqueira, Charlotte; Haller, Lea; Korshøj, Lene; Voldsgaard, Inge; Nordentoft, Merete

2016-01-01

To systematically monitor and improve the quality of treatment and care of patients with schizophrenia in Denmark. In addition, the database is accessible as a resource for research. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving mental health care in psychiatric hospitals or outpatient clinics. During the first year after the diagnosis, patients are classified as incident patients, and after this period as prevalent patients. The registry currently contains 21 clinical quality measures in relation to the following domains: diagnostic evaluation, antipsychotic treatment including adverse reactions, cardiovascular risk factors including laboratory values, family intervention, psychoeducation, postdischarge mental health care, assessment of suicide risk in relation to discharge, and assessment of global functioning. The recorded data are available electronically for the reporting clinicians and responsible administrative personnel, and they are updated monthly. The registry publishes the national and regional results of all included quality measures in the annual audit reports. External researchers may obtain access to the data for use in specific research projects by applying to the steering committee. The Danish Schizophrenia Registry represents a valuable source of informative data to monitor and improve the quality of care of patients with schizophrenia in Denmark. However, continuous resources and time devoted is necessary to maintain the integrity of the registry and the validity of the data.

In-utero exposure to bereavement and offspring IQ: a Danish national cohort study.

PubMed

Virk, Jasveer; Obel, Carsten; Li, Jiong; Olsen, Jørn

2014-01-01

Intelligence is a life-long trait that has strong influences on lifestyle, adult morbidity and life expectancy. Hence, lower cognitive abilities are therefore of public health interest. Our primary aim was to examine if prenatal bereavement measured as exposure to death of a close family member is associated with the intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at 18-years of age of adult Danish males completing a military cognitive screening examination. We extracted records for the Danish military screening test and found kinship links with biological parents, siblings, and maternal grandparents using the Danish Civil Registration System (N = 167,900). The prenatal exposure period was defined as 12 months before conception until birth of the child. We categorized children as exposed in utero to severe stress (bereavement) during prenatal life if their mothers lost an elder child, husband, parent or sibling during the prenatal period; the remaining children were included in the unexposed cohort. Mean score estimates were adjusted for maternal and paternal age at birth, residence, income, maternal education, gestational age at birth and birth weight. When exposure was due to death of a father the offsprings' mean IQ scores were lower among men completing the military recruitment exam compared to their unexposed counterparts, adjusted difference of 6.5 standard IQ points (p-value = 0.01). We did not observe a clinically significant association between exposure to prenatal maternal bereavement caused by death of a sibling, maternal uncle/aunt or maternal grandparent even after stratifying deaths only due to traumatic events. We found maternal bereavement to be adversely associated with IQ in male offspring, which could be related to prenatal stress exposure though more likely is due to changes in family conditions after death of the father. This finding supports other literature on maternal adversity during fetal life and cognitive development in the offspring.

Follow-Up After Cardiac Surgery Should be Extended to at Least 120 Days When Benchmarking Cardiac Surgery Centers.

PubMed

Hansen, Laura S; Sloth, Erik; Hjortdal, Vibeke E; Jakobsen, Carl-Johan

2015-08-01

Short-term (30 days) mortality frequently is used as an outcome measure after cardiac surgery, although it has been proposed that the follow-up period should be extended to 120 days to allow for more accurate benchmarking. The authors aimed to evaluate whether mortality rates 120 days after surgery were comparable to general mortality and to compare causes of death between the cohort and the general population. A multicenter descriptive cohort study using prospectively entered registry data. University hospital. The cohort was obtained from the Western Denmark Heart Registry and matched to the Danish National Hospital Register as well as the Danish Register of Causes of Death. A weighted, age-matched general population consisting of all Danish patients who died within the study period was identified through the central authority on Danish statistics. A total of 11,988 patients (>15 years) who underwent cardiac-surgery at Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense University Hospitals from April 1, 2006 to December 31, 2012 were included. Coronary artery bypass grafting, valve surgery and combinations. Mortality after cardiac surgery matches with mortality in the general population after 140 days. Mortality curves run almost parallel from this point onwards, regardless of The European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) and intervention. The causes of death in the cohort differed statistically significantly from the background population (p<0.0001; one-sample t-test) throughout the first postoperative year. The leading cause of death in the cohort was cardiac (38%); 53% of which was categorized as heart failure. A total of 54% of these patients were assessed preoperatively as having normal or mildly impaired heart function (EuroSCORE). This study supported an extended follow-up period after cardiac surgery when benchmarking cardiac surgery centers. Regardless of preoperative heart function, heart failure was the consistent leading cause of death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time trends in leisure time physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index in Danish adults with and without COPD.

PubMed

Hansen, Henrik; Johnsen, Nina Føns; Molsted, Stig

2016-07-29

Promotion of a healthy lifestyle and non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has received great attention in recent decades. The aim of this study was to investigate trends in leisure time physical activity (PA), smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI) from 2000 to 2010 in Danish individuals with and without COPD. Analyses were based on data provided by The Danish Health and Morbidity's three cross-sectional surveys from 2000, 2005 and 2010. Data compromised level of leisure time PA, smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants aged 25 years or older with and without COPD were included in the analyses. In multiple logistic regression analyses, odds ratio (OR) of being physically active in the leisure time in 2010 compared to 2000 was 1.70 (95 % CI: 1.28-2.26), p < 0.001, and 1.32 (1.22-1.43), p < 0.001, in participants with and without COPD, respectively. Being a non-smoker in 2010 compared to 2000 was associated with an OR of 1.41 (1.07-1.85), p = 0.015, and 1.73 (1.63-1.85), p < 0.001, in participants with and without COPD. The OR of not exceeding national recommended alcohol limits was 0.64 (0.45-0.93), p = 0.020, and 1.19 (1.09-1.29), p < 0.001, in participants with and without COPD. In a multiple linear regression analysis, the time frame from 2000 to 2010 was associated with an increased BMI of 1.18 kg · m(-2) (0.52-1.84), p < 0.001, and 0.74 kg · m(-2) (0.63-0.86), p < 0.001, in participants with and without COPD. The COPD participants with higher levels of education and/or living in a marriage or a relationship were more likely to be physically active, non-smoking and not exceeding the recommended alcohol limits. From the 2000 to 2010, Danish individuals aged 25 years with and without COPD, increased their leisure time PA level and reduced smoking. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with a reduced level of PA, smoking and an increased alcohol intake. Future national health campaigns and treatment strategies need to target this socioeconomic impact. The reported increased PA level and reduced smoking may have important implications in relation to a reduced morbidity and mortality risk in Danish patients with COPD.

Pricing and reimbursement of drugs in Denmark.

PubMed

Møller Pedersen, K

2003-01-01

The Danish health care system is decentralized and tax financed. Reimbursable drugs are financed by the national health insurance, which despite its official name, is a tax-funded system for paying for drugs,practicing physicians outside hospitals, dentists, etc. Most issues related to pricing and reimbursement of drugs are placed centrally, however, with the Danish Medicines Agency, and in contrast to most of the health care system reimbursement is thoroughly grounded in legislation. Pricing in principle is free. In the 1990s a number of agreements between industry and government in practice introduced regulated price competition. Generic substitution at the pharmacy level and the agreements between government and industry have led to a decline in the overall price level for drugs from 1995 and onwards. The still increasing drug expenditures hence must be attributed to increasing volume and the introduction of new drugs. Reimbursement is divided into two: general reimbursement meaning unconditional reimbursement for a given drug or single reimbursement based on an application from the patient's physician on behalf of individual patients. The criteria for granting general reimbursement are relatively clear. Economic evaluations on a voluntary basis can be used to support documentation of a reasonable relationship between price and therapeutic effects. Reimbursement is calculated on the basis of an average European price level.

Nature and Nationhood: Danish Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnack, Karsten

2009-01-01

In this paper, I shall discuss Danish perspectives on nature, showing the interdependence of conceptions of "nature" and "nationhood" in the formations of a particular cultural community. Nature, thus construed, is never innocent of culture and cannot therefore simply be "restored" to some pristine, pre-lapsarian…

26 CFR 521.105 - Scope of convention with respect to determination of “industrial or commercial profits”.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Tax Taxation of Nonresident Aliens Who Are Residents of Denmark and of Danish Corporations § 521.105... standpoint of Federal income taxation, the article has application only to a Danish enterprise and to the...

26 CFR 521.105 - Scope of convention with respect to determination of “industrial or commercial profits”.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Tax Taxation of Nonresident Aliens Who Are Residents of Denmark and of Danish Corporations § 521.105... standpoint of Federal income taxation, the article has application only to a Danish enterprise and to the...

Health promoting outdoor environments--associations between green space, and health, health-related quality of life and stress based on a Danish national representative survey.

PubMed

Stigsdotter, Ulrika K; Ekholm, Ola; Schipperijn, Jasper; Toftager, Mette; Kamper-Jørgensen, Finn; Randrup, Thomas B

2010-06-01

To investigate the associations between green space and health, health-related quality of life and stress, respectively. Data were derived from the 2005 Danish Health Interview Survey and are based on a region-stratified random sample of 21,832 adults. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews followed by a self-administered questionnaire, including the SF-36, which measures eight dimensions of health and the Perceived Stress Scale, which measures self-reported stress. A total of 11,238 respondents completed the interview and returned the questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between distance to green space and self-perceived stress. Danes living more than 1 km away from the nearest green space report poorer health and health-related quality of life, i.e. lower mean scores on all eight SF-36 dimensions of health than respondents living closer. Respondents living more than 1 km away from a green space have 1.42 higher odds of experiencing stress than do respondents living less than 300 m from a green space. Respondents not reporting stress are more likely to visit a green space than are respondents reporting stress. Reasons for visiting green spaces differ significantly depending on whether or not respondents experience stress. Respondents reporting stress are likely to use green spaces to reduce stress. An association between distance to a green space and health and health-related quality of life was found. Further, the results indicate awareness among Danes that green spaces may be of importance in managing stress and that green spaces may play an important role as health-promoting environments.

Differences in stage of disease between migrant women and native Danish women diagnosed with cancer: results from a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Norredam, Marie; Krasnik, Allan; Pipper, Christian; Keiding, Niels

2008-06-01

The aim of the study is to compare differences in cancer stage at diagnosis between migrant women and native Danish women. The stage is used as a clinical indicator of access to healthcare until the point of diagnosis. Refugees and family reunited migrants who received residence permits in Denmark from 1 January 1993 to 31 December 1999 were included and matched 1 : 4 on age and sex with a Danish-born reference population. Our final female population included 24 734 migrants and 123 670 controls. Civil registration numbers of the cohort were linked to the Danish Cancer Registry whereby cases were identified in the period 1.1.1993-31.12.2002. Only women from Eastern Europe and the Middle East were included. This amounted to 269 migrants and 1608 native Danes. Data from the Danish Cancer Registry included diagnosis, time of diagnosis and disease stage at diagnosis. Our initial analyses of migrant subgroups showed that migrant women had decreased odds ratios of being diagnosed at the local stage and increased odds of having unknown stage, although these tendencies were mainly not statistically significant. A subsequent analysis of an overall migrant effect on all cancer sites emphasized these tendencies. This analysis reached borderline significance for local versus nonlocal stage and significance for unknown versus known stage. Our results indicate that migrant women may experience barriers in access to healthcare until cancer diagnosis compared with Danish women. More research is, however, needed to confirm our results and to find out if they indicate general problems concerning migrants' access to healthcare in Denmark.

Adherence to the Danish food-based dietary guidelines and risk of myocardial infarction: a cohort study.

PubMed

Hansen, Camilla Plambeck; Overvad, Kim; Tetens, Inge; Tjønneland, Anne; Parner, Erik Thorlund; Jakobsen, Marianne Uhre; Dahm, Christina Catherine

2018-05-01

A direct way to evaluate food-based dietary guidelines is to assess if adherence is associated with development of non-communicable diseases. Thus, the objective was to develop an index to assess adherence to the 2013 Danish food-based dietary guidelines and to investigate the association between adherence to the index and risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Population-based cohort study with recruitment of participants in 1993-1997. Information on dietary intake was collected at baseline using an FFQ and an index ranging from 0 to 6 points was created to assess adherence to the 2013 Danish food-based dietary guidelines. MI cases were identified by record linkage to the Danish National Patient Register and the Causes of Death Register. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of MI. Greater areas of Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark. Men and women aged 50-64 years (n 55 021) from the Diet, Cancer and Health study. A total of 3046 participants were diagnosed with first-time MI during a median follow-up of 16·9 years. A higher Danish Dietary Guidelines Index score was associated with a lower risk of MI. After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard of MI was 13 % lower among men with a score of 3-<4 (HR=0·87; 95 % CI 0·78, 0·96) compared with men with a score of <3. The corresponding HR among women was 0·76 (95 % CI 0·63, 0·93). Adherence to the 2013 Danish food-based dietary guidelines was inversely associated with risk of MI.

[The Danish debate on priority setting in medicine - characteristics and results].

PubMed

Pornak, S; Meyer, T; Raspe, H

2011-10-01

Priority setting in medicine helps to achieve a fair and transparent distribution of health-care resources. The German discussion about priority setting is still in its infancy and may benefit from other countries' experiences. This paper aims to analyse the Danish priority setting debate in order to stimulate the German discussion. The methods used are a literature analysis and a document analysis as well as expert interviews. The Danish debate about priority setting in medicine began in the 1970s, when a government committee was constituted to evaluate health-care priorities at the national level. In the 1980s a broader debate arose in politics, ethics, medicine and health economy. The discussions reached a climax in the 1990s, when many local activities - always involving the public - were initiated. Some Danish counties tried to implement priority setting in the daily routine of health care. The Council of Ethics was a major player in the debate of the 1990s and published a detailed statement on priority setting in 1996. With the new century the debate about priority setting seemed to have come to an end, but in 2006 the Technology Council and the Danish Regions resumed the discussion. In 2009 the Medical Association called for a broad debate in order to achieve equity among all patients. The long lasting Danish debate on priority setting has entailed only very little practical consequences on health care. The main problems seem to have been the missing effort to bundle the various local initiatives on a national level and the lack of powerful players to put results of the discussion into practice. Nevertheless, today the attitude towards priority setting is predominantly positive and even politicians talk freely about it. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[History of induced abortion in Denmark from 1200 to 1979].

PubMed

Manniche, E

1982-10-01

History of induced abortion in Denmark from 1200 to 1979 is reviewed. The 1st Danish law of 1200 did not touch upon the question of induced abortion. From the beginning of the 13th century to Religious Reformation in 1536, Roman Catholic law influenced every aspect of Danish life including induced abortion. In 1683 in King Christian V's constitution called Dansk Lov induced abortion was discussed. Immoral women who aborted fetuses or killed newborn babies were decapitated. In Copenhagen in the years 1624-1632 and 1638-1663 17 women were executed because of induced abortion or murder of newborn babies. Although Dansk Lov was effective till 1866, Danish kings came to treat female criminals less severely since about 1780-1800. For example, between 1855 and 1866 42 women convicted of murder of newborn babies or abortion were given pardon (12 years of imprisonment instead of life sentence). In 1866, abortion and murder of babies were treated separately in the Danish criminal law. Induced abortion meant up to 8 years of imprisonment and labor. In 1930 life sentence was abolished; induced abortion called for only up to 2 years of imprisonment, while those who assisted for money were punished more severely (up to 8 years in prison). In 1937 the Danes legalized induced abortion for medical, ethical, (e.g. rape case) and eugenic reasons. By 1973 legalized abortion was available, free of charge, to every Danish female resident within 12 weeks of pregnancy. In 1980 abortion rate was about 41% of total births. It is estimated 2/3 of Danish women experience abortion. Lastly, illegitimate births and miscarriages are on the rise due to changes in women's social status and role.

Breastfeeding practices in relation to country of origin among women living in Denmark: a population-based study.

PubMed

Busck-Rasmussen, Marianne; Villadsen, Sarah Fredsted; Norsker, Filippa Nyboe; Mortensen, Laust; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

2014-12-01

The objective of this study was to describe breastfeeding practices and to compare the risk of suboptimal breastfeeding of women living in Denmark according to country of origin, and further to examine how socio-economic position and duration of stay in the country affected this risk. Information on breastfeeding of 42,420 infants born 2002-2009 and living in eighteen selected Danish municipalities was collected from the Danish Health Visitor's Child Health Database. The data was linked with data on maternal socio-demographic information from Danish population-covering registries. Suboptimal breastfeeding was defined as <4 months of full breastfeeding as described by the Danish Health and Medicines Authority. We used logistic regression to model the crude associations between suboptimal breastfeeding and country of origin, and taking maternal age and parity, and a variety of parental socio-economic measures into account. Suboptimal breastfeeding was more frequent among non-Western migrant women than among women of Danish origin. Women who were descendants of Turkish and Pakistani immigrants had a higher risk of suboptimal breastfeeding as compared to the group of women who had migrated from the same countries, suggesting that acculturation did not favor breastfeeding. For all but the group of women who had migrated from Pakistan, adjustment for socio-demographic indicators (age, parity, education, attachment to labour market, and income) eliminated the increased risk of suboptimal breastfeeding. There was no evidence for differences in the breastfeeding support provided at hospital level according to migrant status. Suboptimal breastfeeding was more frequent among women who were non-Nordic migrants and descendants of migrants than among women with Danish origin.

The Danish Youth Cohort: characteristics of participants and non-participants and determinants of attrition.

PubMed

Vinther-Larsen, Mathilde; Riegels, Mette; Rod, Morten Hulvej; Schiøtz, Michaela; Curtis, Tine; Grønbaek, Morten

2010-08-01

The aim of this paper is to describe the design and methods used in the Danish Youth Cohort and to give a description of the study participants with special attention to a comparison between participants and non-participants regarding sociodemographic characteristics. A total of 1,945 schools were invited, out of which 506 participated. The participating 7th grades comprised a total of 12,498 responding adolescents. The response rate for the Danish Youth Cohort established in 2005 was 63%. The sample of 12,498 adolescents represents 18.2% of all pupils (n = 68,764) in the 7th grade (mean age: 13.4 years) in Danish schools in 2005. The cohort was followed up in spring 2006 and spring 2007, where the adolescents were in the 8th (mean age: 14.4 years) and 9th (mean age: 15.3 years) grades, respectively. We found that compared with non-participants the participants were significantly more likely to be girls, to be of Danish ethnicity, and to live in one-family houses. Furthermore, participants more often came from families with two or three children, were more likely to have parents with a high occupational status, parents who were married and parents with a higher total income. Loss to follow-up was only associated with adolescents' higher probability of drinking and use of tobacco, and none of the other factors were associated with attrition. The participants in the Danish Youth Cohort represent a great variety of different groups of socio-demographic factors, although they differ from non-participants as regards a range of socio-demographic factors. This should be taken into account in future analyses.

Individual and environmental risk factors for high blood lead concentrations in Danish indoor shooters.

PubMed

Grandahl, Kasper; Suadicani, Poul; Jacobsen, Peter

2012-08-01

International studies have shown blood lead at levels causing health concern in recreational indoor shooters. We hypothesized that Danish recreational indoor shooters would also have a high level of blood lead, and that this could be explained by shooting characteristics and the physical environment at the shooting range. This was an environmental case study of 58 male and female shooters from two indoor shooting ranges with assumed different ventilation and cleaning conditions. Information was obtained on general conditions including age, gender, tobacco and alcohol use, and shooting conditions: weapon type, number of shots fired, frequency of stays at the shooting range and hygiene habits. A venous blood sample was drawn to determine blood lead concentrations; 14 non-shooters were included as controls. Almost 60% of the shooters, hereof five out of 14 women, had a blood lead concentration above 0.48 micromol/l, a level causing long-term health concern. All controls had blood lead values below 0.17 micromol/l. Independent significant associations with blood lead concentrations above 0.48 micromol/l were found for shooting at a poorly ventilated range, use of heavy calibre weapons, number of shots and frequency of stays at the shooting range. A large proportion of Danish recreational indoor shooters had potentially harmful blood lead concentrations. Ventilation, amounts of shooting, use of heavy calibre weapons and stays at the shooting ranges were independently associated with increased blood lead. The technical check at the two ranges was performed by the Danish Technological Institute and costs were defrayed by the Danish Rifle Association. To pay for the analyses of blood lead, the study was supported by the The Else & Mogens Wedell-Wedellsborg Foundation. The Danish Regional Capital Scientific Ethics Committee approved the study, protocol number H-4-2010-130.

Developments in greenhouse gas emissions and net energy use in Danish agriculture - how to achieve substantial CO(2) reductions?

PubMed

Dalgaard, T; Olesen, J E; Petersen, S O; Petersen, B M; Jørgensen, U; Kristensen, T; Hutchings, N J; Gyldenkærne, S; Hermansen, J E

2011-11-01

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture are a significant contributor to total Danish emissions. Consequently, much effort is currently given to the exploration of potential strategies to reduce agricultural emissions. This paper presents results from a study estimating agricultural GHG emissions in the form of methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide (including carbon sources and sinks, and the impact of energy consumption/bioenergy production) from Danish agriculture in the years 1990-2010. An analysis of possible measures to reduce the GHG emissions indicated that a 50-70% reduction of agricultural emissions by 2050 relative to 1990 is achievable, including mitigation measures in relation to the handling of manure and fertilisers, optimization of animal feeding, cropping practices, and land use changes with more organic farming, afforestation and energy crops. In addition, the bioenergy production may be increased significantly without reducing the food production, whereby Danish agriculture could achieve a positive energy balance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exposure to styrene and chronic health effects: mortality and incidence of solid cancers in the Danish reinforced plastics industry.

PubMed Central

Kolstad, H A; Juel, K; Olsen, J; Lynge, E

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVES--To study the occurrence of non-malignant diseases and solid cancers in workers exposed to styrene in the Danish reinforced plastics industry. METHODS--All 36,610 workers of 386 reinforced plastics companies and 14,293 workers not exposed to styrene from similar industries were followed up from 1970 to 1990. This industry is characterised by simple exposure conditions, exposure to high concentrations of styrene, and a high proportion of small companies, and the exposure assessment was based on experts' classification on a company level. The mortality from non-malignant causes and the incidence of solid cancers were compared with the national rates. Poisson models were used for internal comparisons. RESULTS--A total of 3031 deaths and 1134 newly diagnosed cases of solid cancer were reported in the workers in the reinforced plastics industry. In companies where 50% or more of the workers produced reinforced plastics an increased mortality rate ratio (MRR) for degenerative disorders of the nervous system (multiple sclerosis, parkinsonism, and motor neurone disease; MRR 1.8, 16 cases, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.9-3.8) and an increased incidence rate ratio (IRR) for pancreatic cancer (IRR 2.2, 17 cases, 95% CI 1.1-4.5) was found. For both disease categories increased occurrence was also found among long term workers, workers of the 1960s (the period with the highest exposure to styrene), and workers with a latent period of more than 10 years after the start of employment. No other non-malignant diseases or solid cancers showed these patterns. CONCLUSION--The findings have to be interpreted with caution, due to the company based exposure assessment, but the possible association between exposures in the reinforced plastics industry, mainly styrene, and degenerative disorders of the nervous system and pancreatic cancer, deserves attention. PMID:7795754

Dietary patterns and physical activity in people with schizophrenia and increased waist circumference.

PubMed

Jakobsen, Ane Storch; Speyer, Helene; Nørgaard, Hans Christian Brix; Karlsen, Mette; Hjorthøj, Carsten; Krogh, Jesper; Mors, Ole; Nordentoft, Merete; Toft, Ulla

2018-03-16

People with severe mental disorders die 10-25years earlier than people in the Western background population, mainly due to lifestyle related diseases, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being the most frequent cause of death. Major contributors to this excess morbidity and mortality are unhealthy lifestyle factors including tobacco smoking, unhealthy eating habits and lower levels of physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary habits and levels of physical activity in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and overweight and to compare the results with the current recommendations and with results from the general Danish population. We interviewed a sample of 428 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and increased waist circumference enrolled in the CHANGE trial using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24h recall interview, a Physical Activity Scale (PAS), scale for assessment of positive and negative symptoms (SAPS and SANS, respectively), Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). We compared with information on dietary intake and physical activity in the general Danish population from the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity in 2011-2013 (DANSDA). The CHANGE participants reported a very low energy intake and their distribution of nutrients (i.e. fat, protein and carbohydrates) harmonized with the recommendations from the Danish Health Authorities, and were similar to the latest report on the dietary habits in the Danish general population. However, the intake of saturated fat, sugar and alcohol exceed the recommended amounts and the corresponding intake in the general population. The intake of fiber, vegetables and fruit and fish were insufficient and also less than in the general population. The overall estimated quality of the dietary habits was poor, only 10.7% of the participants had healthy dietary patterns, and the quality was poorer than in the general population. Even with a very liberal definition of the term "homecooked", only 62% of the participants had taken any part in the preparation of their food. The level of physical activity was low and only one fifth of the participants complied with the recommendations of min. 30min daily moderate-to-vigorous activity. Half of the CHANGE participants were smokers, compared to 17% in the general population. Negative symptoms were significantly associated with poorer dietary quality and less physical activity, whereas no such significant associations were found for cognition, positive symptoms or antipsychotic medication. Even when accounting for some error from recall - and social desirability bias, the findings point in the direction that the average energy intake in obese people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders is not exceeding that of the general population, and that overweight may to some degree be a result of physical inactivity and metabolic adverse effects of antipsychotic medication. The physical activity level is low and the rate of tobacco smoking is high, and our results suggest that negative symptoms play a significant role. Future research should focus on bringing about lifestyle changes in this fragile population in order to reduce the excess risk of CVD and mortality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Associations between adherence to the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and cardiometabolic risk factors in a Danish adult population: the DIPI study.

PubMed

Arentoft, Johanne L; Hoppe, Camilla; Andersen, Elisabeth W; Overvad, Kim; Tetens, Inge

2018-03-01

Diet is recognised as one modifiable lifestyle factor for ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We aimed at investigating the associations between adherence to the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) indicated by a Dietary Quality Index (DQI) and selected cardiometabolic risk factors in a cross-sectional study with 219 Danish adult participants (59 %women; age 31-65years) with a minimum of one self-rated risk marker of IHD. Information regarding diet was obtained using web-based dietary assessment software and adherence to the Danish FBDG was expressed by a DQI calculated from 5 food and nutrient indicators (whole grain, fish, fruit and vegetables, energy from saturated fat and from added sugar). Background information, blood samples and anthropometrics were collected and blood pressure was measured. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between DQI and cardiometabolic risk factors. DQI was inversely associated with LDL:HDL ratio and TAG (-0·089 per unit; 95 % CI -0·177, -0·002 and -5 % per unit; 95 % CI -9, 0, respectively) and positively associated with HDL-cholesterol (0·047 mmol/l per unit; 95 % CI 0·007, 0·088). For men, DQI was inversely associated with BMI (-3 %per unit; 95 % CI -5, -1), trunk fat (-1 % per unit; 95 % CI -2, -1), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (-30 % per unit; 95 % CI -41, -16 %), HbA1c (-0·09 % per unit; 95 % CI -0·14, -0·04), insulin (-13 % per unit; 95 % CI -19, -7) and homoeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (-14 % per unit; 95 % CI -21, -7). In women, DQI was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (2·6 mmHg per unit; 95 % CI 0·6, 4·6). In conclusion, higher adherence to the current Danish FBDG was associated with a more beneficial cardiometabolic risk profile in a Danish adult population with a minimum of one self-rated risk factor for IHD.

Parental questionnaire as a screening instrument for motor function at age five.

PubMed

Nordbye-Nielsen, Kirsten; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler

2014-12-01

No standardised method is used to determine motor function in children in general practice in Denmark. Our aim was to evaluate the correlation between a parental questionnaire assessing motor function at the age of five years and the clinical test Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC), and to assess whether one or more questions could be used to screen for motor problems at the age of five years. This study was based on a parental questionnaire containing ten questions. The M-ABC was used as the gold standard. n = 755 children. The Mann-Whitney rank sum test, Pearson's χ(2)-test, logistic regression analyses and sensitivity and specificity were used to assess the correlation between the questionnaire and the M-ABC test. The best screening tool was six questions in combination: sensitivity 39.8%, specificity 87.1%. Asking if a health professional ever expressed concern about the childs motor development had a sensitivity of 17.0% and a specificity of 93.9%. A parental questionnaire used as a screening instrument to identify children with motor problems has a reasonable specificity, but a low sensitivity. The six questions can be used to identify children who do not have motor function difficulties with a relatively high certainty, and it can fairly well identify children with motor function problems. This study was primarily supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Additional support was obtained from The Danish Health and Medicines Authority, the Lundbeck Foundation, Ludvig & Daara Elsass Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, and Aase & Ejnar Danielsens Foundation. The Danish National Research Foundation has established the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre that initiated and created the Danish National Birth Cohort. The cohort is furthermore a result of a major grant from this Foundation. Additional support for the Danish National Birth Cohort is obtained from the Pharmacy Foundation, the Egmont Foundation, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation and the Health Foundation. Approved by the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) Board of Directors, the DNBC Steering Committee, the Regional Ethics Committee, the Danish Data Protection Agency and the CDC Institutional Review Board.

The Danish Adoption Register.

PubMed

Petersen, Liselotte; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

2011-07-01

The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia. The register encompass information on all 14,425 non-familial adoptions of Danish children legally granted in Denmark 1924-1947. It includes name and date of birth of each adoptee and his or her biological and adoptive parents, date of transfer to adoptive parents and date of formal adoption. The linkage to biological and adoptive parents is close to complete, even biological fathers are registered for 91.4% of the adoptees. Adoption registers are a unique source allowing disentangling of genetic and familial environmental influences on traits, risk of diseases, and mortality.

“Double culturedness”: the “capital” of Inuit nurses

PubMed Central

Møller, Helle

2013-01-01

Background The health and educational systems in Greenland and Nunavut are reflections of those in Denmark and Southern Canada, with the language of instruction and practise being Danish and English. This places specific demands on Inuit studying nursing. Objective This paper discusses the experiences of Inuit who are educated in nursing programmes and practise in healthcare systems located in the Arctic but dominated by EuroCanadian and Danish culture and language. Design Research was qualitative and ethnographic. It was conducted through 12 months of fieldwork in 5 Greenlandic and 2 Nunavut communities. Methods Observation, participant observation, interviews, questionnaires and document review were used. The analytical framework involved Bourdieu's concepts of capital and habitus. Results Participants experienced degrees of success and well-being in the educational systems that are afforded to few other Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit. This success appeared to be based on nurses and students possessing, or having acquired, what I call “double culturedness”; this makes them able to communicate in at least 2 languages and cultures, including the ability to understand, negotiate and interact, using at least 2 ways of being in the world and 2 ways of learning and teaching. Conclusion There continues to be a critical need for Inuit nurses with their special knowledge and abilities in the healthcare systems of the Arctic. Inuit nurses’ experiences will help inform the education and healthcare systems and point to areas in need of support and change in order to increase recruitment and retention of nursing students and practitioners. PMID:23986889

Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity. The Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research: social science alcohol and drug research in Denmark.

PubMed

Pedersen, Mads U; Elmeland, Karen; Frank, Vibeke A

2011-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the social science alcohol and drug research undertaken by the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (CRF) and at the same time offer an insight into the development in Danish alcohol and drug research throughout the past 15-20 years. A review of articles, books and reports published by researcher from CRF from the mid-1990s until today and an analysis of the policy-making in the Danish substance use and misuse area. CRF is a result of the discussions surrounding social, health and allocation policy questions since the mid-1980s. Among other things, these discussions led to the formal establishment of the Centre in 1991 under the Aarhus University, the Faculty of Social Science. Since 2001 the Centre has received a permanent basic allocation, which has made it possible to appoint tenured senior researchers; to work under a more long-term research strategy; to function as a milieu for educating PhD students; and to diversify from commissioned research tasks to initiating projects involving more fundamental research. Research at the Centre is today pivoted around four core areas: consumption, policy, prevention and treatment. The emergence, continuation, financing and character of the research taking place at CRF can be linked closely to the specific Danish drug and alcohol discourse and to the division of the responsibility for alcohol and drug research into separate Ministries. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Drug treatment or alleviating the negative consequences of imprisonment? A critical view of prison-based drug treatment in Denmark.

PubMed

Kolind, Torsten; Frank, Vibeke Asmussen; Dahl, Helle

2010-01-01

The availability of prison-based drug treatment has increased markedly throughout Europe over the last 15 years in terms of both volume and programme diversity. However, prison drug treatment faces problems and challenges because of the tension between ideologies of rehabilitation and punishment. This article reports on a study of four cannabis treatment programmes and four psychosocial drug treatment programmes in four Danish prisons during 2007. The data include the transcripts of 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with counsellors and prison employees, prison statistics, and information about Danish laws and regulations. These treatment programmes reflect the 'treatment guarantee' in Danish prisons. However, they are simultaneously embedded in a new policy of zero tolerance and intensified disciplinary sanctions. This ambivalence is reflected in the experiences of treatment counsellors: reluctantly, they feel associated with the prison institution in the eyes of the prisoners; they experience severe opposition from prison officers; and the official goals of the programmes, such as making clients drug free and preparing them for a life without crime, are replaced by more pragmatic aims such as alleviating the pain of imprisonment felt by programme clients. The article concludes that at a time when prison-based drug treatment is growing, it is crucial that we thoroughly research and critically discuss its content and the restrictions facing such treatment programmes. One way of doing this is through research with counsellors involved in delivering drug treatment services. By so doing, the programmes can become more pragmatic and focused, and alternatives to prison-based drug treatment can be seriously considered.

Sex Differences in Task Distribution and Task Exposures among Danish House Painters: An Observational Study Combining Questionnaire Data with Biomechanical Measurements

PubMed Central

Heilskov-Hansen, Thomas; Wulff Svendsen, Susanne; Frølund Thomsen, Jane; Mikkelsen, Sigurd; Hansson, Gert-Åke

2014-01-01

Objectives Sex differences in occupational biomechanical exposures may be part of the explanation why musculoskeletal complaints and disorders tend to be more common among women than among men. We aimed to determine possible sex differences in task distribution and task-specific postures and movements of the upper extremities among Danish house painters, and to establish sex-specific task exposure matrices. Methods To obtain task distributions, we sent out a questionnaire to all members of the Painters' Union in Denmark (N = 9364), of whom 53% responded. Respondents reported their task distributions in a typical week. To obtain task exposures, postures and movements were measured in 25 male and 25 female house painters for one whole working day per person. We used goniometers on the wrists, and inclinometers on the forehead and the upper arms. Participants filled in a logbook allowing task-specific exposures to be identified. Percentiles and % time with non-neutral postures were used to characterise postures. Velocity, range of motion, repetitiveness, and variation were used as measures of movement. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistics and unpaired double-sided t-tests with post-hoc Bonferroni correction were used to evaluate sex differences. Results Statistically significant (p<0.05) sex differences were revealed in task proportions, but the proportions differed by less than 4%. For task exposures, no statistically significant sex differences were found. Conclusions Only minor sex differences were found in task distribution and task exposures regarding postures and movements among Danish house painters. Sex-specific task exposure matrices were established. PMID:25365301

Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991-2014.

PubMed

Johnsen, N F; Toftager, M; Melkevik, O; Holstein, B E; Rasmussen, M

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate social inequality in physical inactivity among adolescents from 1991 to 2014 and to describe any changes in inequality during this period. The analyses were based on data from the Danish part of the HBSC study, which consists of seven comparable cross-sectional studies of nationally representative samples of 11-15-year old adolescents. The available data consisted of weekly time (hours) spent on vigorous physical activity and parental occupation from 30,974 participants. In summary, 8.0% of the adolescents reported to be physically inactive, i.e. spend zero hours of vigorous leisure time physical activity per week. The proportion of physically inactive adolescents was 5.4% in high social class and 7.8% and 10.8%, respectively, in middle and low social class. The absolute social inequality measured as prevalence difference between low and high social class did not change systematically across the observation period from 1991 to 2014. Compared to high social class, OR (95% CI) for physical inactivity was 1.48 (1.32-1.65) in middle social class and 2.18 (1.92-2.47) in lower social class. This relative social inequality was similar in the seven data collection waves (p=0.971). Although the gap in physical inactivity between social classes does not seem to be widening in Danish adolescents, there are still considerable differences in the activity levels between high, middle and low social class adolescents. Consequently, there is a need for a targeted physical activity intervention among adolescents from low (and middle) social class.

Absence of novel human parvovirus (PARV4) in Danish mothers and children.

PubMed

von Linstow, Marie-Louise; Rosenfeldt, Vibeke; Lindberg, Ellinor; Jensen, Lise; Hedman, Lea; Li, Xuemeng; Väisänen, Elina; Hedman, Klaus; Norja, Päivi

2015-04-01

The recently discovered human parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is found most frequently in injection drug users, HIV-positive patients, and in haemophiliacs. Studies from Ghana report the finding of PARV4 in plasma from 2 to 12% of children without acute infection, and in nasal secretions and faecal samples. Studies of PARV4 in children from industrialized countries are few. We aimed to describe the occurrence of PARV4 in a population-based birth cohort of 228 Danish mothers and their healthy children who previously participated in a study of respiratory tract infections in infancy. Children were included over a whole calendar year and were monitored through monthly home visits through the first year of life. Plasma samples for the present study were available from 228 mothers, 176 newborns, and 202 12-months-old children. All samples were analysed for the presence of PARV4 antibodies by enzyme immunoassay, and samples with detectable antibodies were in addition studied by real-time PCR. One (0.4%) of 228 mothers had PARV4 IgG exceeding the cut-off absorbance level and another had borderline IgG reactivity. No mother among these two had an acute infection, as they were IgM and PARV4 DNA negative. All blood samples from newborns and one-year-old children had IgG and IgM reactivity below cut-off. PARV4 is rare in Danish mothers and infants. Further studies are needed, in both rural and urban settings, to investigate the epidemiology and clinical significance of this novel human parvovirus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Helmet-induced headache among Danish military personnel.

PubMed

Rahmani, Zakia; Kochanek, Aneta; Astrup, Jesper Johnsen; Poulsen, Jeppe Nørgaard; Gazerani, Parisa

2017-12-01

External compression headache is defined as a headache caused by an external physical compression applied on the head. It affects about 4% of the general population; however, certain populations (e.g. construction workers and military personnel) with particular needs of headwear or helmet are at higher risk of developing this type of headache. External compression headache is poorly studied in relation to specific populations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and pattern of helmet-induced external compression headache among Danish military personnel of the Northern Jutland region in Denmark. Data acquisition was based on a custom-made questionnaire delivered to volunteers who used helmets in the Danish military service and who agreed to participate in this study. The military of the Northern Jutland region of Denmark facilitated recruitment of the participants. The questionnaires were delivered on paper and the collected (anonymous) answers (total 279) were used for further analysis. About 30% of the study participants reported headache in relation to wearing a military helmet. Headache was defined as a pressing pain predominantly in the front of the head with an average intensity of 4 on a visual analogue scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). It was also found that helmets with different designs influenced both the occurrence of headache and its characteristics. This study is the first to demonstrate the prevalence and pattern of compression headache among military personnel in North Jutland, Denmark. The findings of this study call for further attention to helmet-induced external compression headache and strategies to minimize the burden.

User Fees in General Practice: Willingness to Pay and Potential Substitution Patterns-Results from a Danish GP Patient Survey.

PubMed

Kronborg, Christian; Pedersen, Line Bjørnskov; Fournaise, Anders; Kronborg, Christel Nøhr

2017-10-01

Increases in public expenditures to general practitioner (GP) services and specialist care have spurred debate over whether to implement user fees for healthcare services such as GP consultations in Denmark. The objective of this study was to examine Danish patients' attitudes towards user fees and their willingness to pay (WTP) for a consultation, and to investigate how user charges may impact patients' behaviour. A questionnaire survey was conducted in a GP clinic. A total of 343 individual persons answered the questionnaire. One hundred and seventy (50%) persons were not willing to pay for a consultation. Among patients reporting positive WTP values, the mean WTP was 137 (standard deviation 140) Danish kroner (DKK). Patients who were 65 years old or older were more likely to be willing to pay for a GP consultation than patients under the age of 65 years. Furthermore, patients with a personal annual income of more than 200,000 DKK were more likely to be willing to pay for a consultation than other income groups. With respect to patients with a positive WTP value, their own assessment of the seriousness of the consultation and their self-assessed health influenced the amount they would be willing to pay. Finally, we observed a stated willingness to substitute GP consultations with alternatives that are free of charge. About half of the patients with an appointment for a GP consultation are willing to pay for the consultation. User charges may potentially influence the patients' behaviour. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01784731.

Prolonged mounted patrolling is a risk factor for developing knee pain in Danish military personnel deployed to the Helmand Province.

PubMed

Lundin, Christina Rydahl; Houe, T; Sevelsted, A; Nissen, L

2016-10-01

Non-battle injuries have been the leading cause of medical evacuation in the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This study investigates the hypothesis, that the occurrence of knee problems could be associated with mounted patrolling in armoured vehicles independent of other risk factors. Retrospective questionnaire-based cohort study of Danish soldiers deployed to Afghanistan during 1 February-31 July 2013. 307 soldiers included. Response rate 70%. 33% reported knee pain. Significant association between knee pain and time spent weekly on mounted patrols (OR 1.23, CI 1.07 to 1.41, p=0.003). Controlled for confounders age, body mass index and duration of military employment (OR 1.22, CI 1.06 to 1.41, p=0.006). Adjusted for confounders and all other risk factors (OR 1.25, CI 1.07 to 1.48, p=0.007). The main finding in a subset of the 33% with knee pain: Significant association between more severe knee problems with Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score below 400 and time spent weekly on mounted patrols (OR 1.49, CI 1.17 to 1.56, p=0.002). A major concern regarding knee problems among Danish deployed military personnel is identified. The risk of suffering from knee problems and the severity of symptoms increase with the amount of time spent inside a vehicle on mounted patrols. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Deadlines at work and sleep quality. Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings among Danish knowledge workers.

PubMed

Rugulies, Reiner; Martin, Marie H T; Garde, Anne Helene; Persson, Roger; Albertsen, Karen

2012-03-01

Exposure to deadlines at work is increasing in several countries and may affect health. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between frequency of difficult deadlines at work and sleep quality. Study participants were knowledge workers, drawn from a representative sample of Danish employees who responded to a baseline questionnaire in 2006 (n = 363) and a follow-up questionnaire in 2007 (n = 302). Frequency of difficult deadlines was measured by self-report and categorized into low, intermediate, and high. Sleep quality was measured with a Total Sleep Quality Score and two indexes (Awakening Index and Disturbed Sleep Index) derived from the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Analyses on the association between frequency of deadlines and sleep quality scores were conducted with multiple linear regression models, adjusted for potential confounders. In addition, we used multiple logistic regression models to analyze whether frequency of deadlines at baseline predicted caseness of sleep problems at follow-up among participants free of sleep problems at baseline. Frequent deadlines were cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with poorer sleep quality on all three sleep quality measures. Associations in the longitudinal analyses were greatly attenuated when we adjusted for baseline sleep quality. The logistic regression analyses showed that frequent deadlines at baseline were associated with elevated odds ratios for caseness of sleep problems at follow-up, however, confidence intervals were wide in these analyses. Frequent deadlines at work were associated with poorer sleep quality among Danish knowledge workers. We recommend investigating the relation between deadlines and health endpoints in large-scale epidemiologic studies. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nature Guidance and Guidance in Friluftsliv.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulstrup, Svend

2001-01-01

Although Danish nature guides conduct outdoor biology classes and friluftsliv (open-air life) guides teach enjoyment of nature, cooperation is nonexistent. Danish students and schools are enthusiastic about friluftsliv, but authorities obstruct participation. Mass media depict nature as a challenge course for pleasure instead of a basis for…

Psychoactive substances in seriously injured drivers in Denmark.

PubMed

Wiese Simonsen, K; Steentoft, A; Bernhoft, I M; Hels, T; Rasmussen, B S; Linnet, K

2013-01-10

This study assesses the presence of a number of psychoactive substances, including alcohol, based on blood samples from 840 seriously injured drivers admitted to five selected hospitals located in five different regions of Denmark. The study was a part of the EU 6th framework program DRUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines). Blood samples were screened for 30 illegal and legal psychoactive substances and metabolites as well as ethanol. Danish legal limits were used to evaluate the frequency of drivers violating the Danish legislation while limit of quantification (LOQ) was used for monitoring positive drivers. Tramadol is not included in the Danish legislation therefore the general cut off, as decided in the DRUID project was used. Overall, ethanol (18%) was the most frequently identified compound (alone or in combination with other drugs) exceeding the legal limit, which is 0.53g/l in Denmark. The percentage of seriously injured drivers testing positive for medicinal drugs at levels above the Danish legal limit was 6.8%. Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (6.4%) comprised the majority of this group. One or more illegal drugs (primarily amphetamines and cannabis) were found to be above the Danish legal limit in 4.9% of injured drivers. Young men (median age 31 years) were over-represented among injured drivers who violated Danish law for alcohol and drugs. Diazepam (4.4%), tramadol (3.2%), and clonazepam (3.0%) were the medicinal drugs most frequently detected at levels above LOQ, whereas amphetamines (5.4%) (amphetamine [5.2%] and methamphetamine [1.5%]), tetrahydrocannabinol (3.7%), and cocaine (3.3%), including the metabolite benzoylecgonine, were the most frequently detected illegal drugs. A driver could be positive for more than one substance; therefore, percentages are not mutually exclusive. Poly-drug use was observed in 112 (13%) seriously injured drivers. Tramadol was detected above DRUID cutoffs in 2.1% of seriously injured drivers. This is 3.5 times that observed in a Danish survey of randomly selected drivers. Moreover, illegal and medicinal drug levels above the Danish legal limit were present more than 10 times as frequently as in injured drivers, whereas ethanol was present more than 30 times as frequently than in randomly selected drivers. The results indicate that there is an increased risk in traffic when driving under the influence of psychoactive drugs, especially alcohol in young male drivers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

In God and CAM we trust. Religious faith and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a nationwide cohort of women treated for early breast cancer.

PubMed

Pedersen, Christina Gundgaard; Christensen, Søren; Jensen, Anders Bonde; Zachariae, Robert

2013-09-01

Turning to faith in God or a higher spiritual power is a common way of coping with life-threatening disease such as cancer. Little, however, is known about religious faith among cancer patients in secular societies. The present study aimed at exploring the prevalence of religious faith among Danish breast cancer patients and at identifying whether socio-demographic, pre-cancer health status, clinical, and health behavior characteristics, including their use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), were associated with their degree of faith. Information on faith in God or a higher spiritual power and use of CAM was provided by a nationwide sample of 3,128 recurrence-free Danish women who had received surgery for early-stage breast cancer 15-16 months earlier. Socio-demographic, clinical, and health status variables were obtained from national longitudinal registries, and health behaviors had been assessed at 3-4 months post-surgery. Of the women, 47.3% reported a high degree of faith (unambiguous believers), 35.9% some degree of faith (ambiguous believers), while the remaining 16.8% were non-believers. Unambiguous believers were more likely than ambiguous believers to experience their faith as having a positive impact on their disease and their disease-related quality-of-life. When compared to non-believers, unambiguous believers were also older, had poorer physical function, and were more frequent users of CAM, and more inclined to believe that their use of CAM would have a beneficial influence on their cancer. Disease- and treatment-related variables were unrelated to faith. While overall religious faith appears equally prevalent among Danish and US breast cancer patients, the majority of Danish breast cancer patients experienced ambiguous faith, whereas the majority of US patients have been found to express unambiguous faith. Our results suggest that future studies may benefit from exploring the role of faith for health behaviors, adherence to conventional treatment, and impact upon quality of life.

Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates and Anogenital Distance in Male Infants from a Low-Exposed Danish Cohort (2010–2012)

PubMed Central

Jensen, Tina Kold; Frederiksen, Hanne; Kyhl, Henriette Boye; Lassen, Tina Harmer; Swan, Shanna H.; Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf; Skakkebaek, Niels E.; Main, Katharina M.; Lind, Dorte Vesterholm; Husby, Steffen; Andersson, Anna-Maria

2015-01-01

Background: Phthalates comprise a large class of chemicals used in a variety of consumer products. Several have anti-androgenic properties, and in rodents prenatal exposure has been associated with reduced anogenital distance (AGD)—the distance from the anus to the genitals in male offspring. Few human studies have been conducted, but associations between the anti-androgenic phthalates and male AGD have been reported. Objective: We aimed to study the association between phthalate exposure in late pregnancy in Danish women pregnant in 2010–2012 and AGD in their male infants at 3 months of age (n = 273). Methods: In the Odense child cohort study, urinary concentrations of 12 phthalate metabolites of diethyl, di-n-butyl, diisobutyl, di(2-ethylhexyl), butylbenzyl, and diisononyl phthalate (DEP, DnBP, DiBP, DEHP, BBzP, and DiNP, respectively) were measured among 245 mothers of boys at approximately gestational week 28 (range, 20.4–30.4) and adjusted for osmolality. AGD, penile width, and weight were measured 3 months after the expected date of birth. Associations between prenatal phthalate and AGD and penile width were estimated using multivariable linear regression adjusting for age and weight-for-age standard deviation score. Results: Phthalate levels were lower in this population than in a recent Swedish study in which phthalates were measured in the first trimester. No consistent associations were seen between any prenatal phthalate and AGD or penile width. Most associations were negative for exposures above the first quartile, and for ln-transformed exposures modeled as continuous variables, but there were no consistent dose–response patterns, and associations were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: We found no significant trends towards shorter AGD in boys with higher phthalates exposures in this low exposed Danish population. Citation: Jensen TK, Frederiksen H, Kyhl HB, Lassen TH, Swan SH, Bornehag CG, Skakkebaek NE, Main KM, Lind DV, Husby S, Andersson AM. 2016. Prenatal exposure to phthalates and anogenital distance in male infants from a low-exposed Danish cohort (2010–2012). Environ Health Perspect 124:1107–1113; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509870 PMID:26672060

Adaption and validation of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire for the Danish hospital setting

PubMed Central

Kristensen, Solvejg; Sabroe, Svend; Bartels, Paul; Mainz, Jan; Christensen, Karl Bang

2015-01-01

Purpose Measuring and developing a safe culture in health care is a focus point in creating highly reliable organizations being successful in avoiding patient safety incidents where these could normally be expected. Questionnaires can be used to capture a snapshot of an employee’s perceptions of patient safety culture. A commonly used instrument to measure safety climate is the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ). The purpose of this study was to adapt the SAQ for use in Danish hospitals, assess its construct validity and reliability, and present benchmark data. Materials and methods The SAQ was translated and adapted for the Danish setting (SAQ-DK). The SAQ-DK was distributed to 1,263 staff members from 31 in- and outpatient units (clinical areas) across five somatic and one psychiatric hospitals through meeting administration, hand delivery, and mailing. Construct validity and reliability were tested in a cross-sectional study. Goodness-of-fit indices from confirmatory factor analysis were reported along with inter-item correlations, Cronbach’s alpha (α), and item and subscale scores. Results Participation was 73.2% (N=925) of invited health care workers. Goodness-of-fit indices from the confirmatory factor analysis showed: c2=1496.76, P<0.001, CFI 0.901, RMSEA (90% CI) 0.053 (0.050–0056), Probability RMSEA (p close)=0.057. Inter-scale correlations between the factors showed moderate-to-high correlations. The scale stress recognition had significant negative correlations with each of the other scales. Questionnaire reliability was high, (α=0.89), and scale reliability ranged from α=0.70 to α=0.86 for the six scales. Proportions of participants with a positive attitude to each of the six SAQ scales did not differ between the somatic and psychiatric health care staff. Substantial variability at the unit level in all six scale mean scores was found within the somatic and the psychiatric samples. Conclusion SAQ-DK showed good construct validity and internal consistency reliability. SAQ-DK is potentially a useful tool for evaluating perceptions of patient safety culture in Danish hospitals. PMID:25674015

A hereditary disposition for bovine peripheral nerve sheath tumors in Danish Holstein cattle.

PubMed

Grossi, Anette B; Agerholm, Jørgen S; Christensen, Knud; Jensen, Henrik E; Leifsson, Páll S; Bendixen, Christian; Karlskov-Mortensen, Peter; Fredholm, Merete

2014-12-10

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNSTs) are frequently found in Danish cattle at slaughter. Bovine PNSTs share several gross and histopathological characteristics with the PNSTs in humans with heritable neurofibromatosis syndromes. The aim of the present study was to investigate a possible hereditary disposition to PNSTs in dairy cattle by statistical analysis performed on data from 567 cattle with PNSTs. Furthermore, a preliminary genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on DNA isolated from 28 affected and 28 non-affected Holstein cows to identify loci in the bovine genome involved in the development of PNSTs. PNSTs were significantly more common in the Danish Holstein breed than in other breeds with 0.49% of Danish Holsteins slaughtered during an eight-year-period having PNSTs. PNSTs also occurred significantly more frequently in the offspring of some specific Holstein sires. Examination of three generation pedigrees showed that these sires were genetically related through a widely used US Holstein sire. The PNSTs included in GWAS were histologically classified as neurofibroma-schwannoma (43%), schwannoma (36%) and neurofibroma (21%) and derived from Holstein cows with multiple PNSTs. A single SNP on chromosome 27 reached genome-wide significance. Gross and histological characteristics of bovine PNSTs are comparable to PNSTs in humans (schwannomatosis). Danish Holsteins are genetically disposed to develop PNSTs but the examined materials are insufficient to allow determination of the mode of inheritance.

Positive predictive value of infective endocarditis in the Danish National Patient Registry: a validation study.

PubMed

Østergaard, Lauge; Adelborg, Kasper; Sundbøll, Jens; Pedersen, Lars; Loldrup Fosbøl, Emil; Schmidt, Morten

2018-05-30

The positive predictive value of an infective endocarditis diagnosis is approximately 80% in the Danish National Patient Registry. However, since infective endocarditis is a heterogeneous disease implying long-term intravenous treatment, we hypothesiszed that the positive predictive value varies by length of hospital stay. A total of 100 patients with first-time infective endocarditis in the Danish National Patient Registry were identified from January 2010 - December 2012 at the University hospital of Aarhus and regional hospitals of Herning and Randers. Medical records were reviewed. We calculated the positive predictive value according to admission length, and separately for patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device and a prosthetic heart valve using the Wilson score method. Among the 92 medical records available for review, the majority of the patients had admission length ⩾2 weeks. The positive predictive value increased with length of admission. In patients with admission length <2 weeks the positive predictive value was 65% while it was 90% for admission length ⩾2 weeks. The positive predictive value was 81% for patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device and 87% for patients with a prosthetic valve. The positive predictive value of the infective endocarditis diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Registry is high for patients with admission length ⩾2 weeks. Using this algorithm, the Danish National Patient Registry provides a valid source for identifying infective endocarditis for research.

Enacting Subjectivities in Educational History: Methodological Reflections on the Use of Qualitative Interviews for History Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjerg, Helle; Rasmussen, Lisa Rosen

2008-01-01

Two studies of the formation of pupils' subjectivities within the Danish school and educational system in the period 1945-2005 create the framework for a methodological discussion of how subjectivities in educational history can be studied. Both studies use qualitative interviews as a way of studying subject formations in educational history. This…

Women and Nation-Building

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA), Con- cern, the Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR), German Agro -Action (GAA), the Ghazni Rural...Information System FP facilitating partner GAA German Agro -Action GDI Gender Development Index GEEI Gender Equality in Education Index GEI Global...success, for exam- ple, in sub-Saharan Africa, where institutional reform focused on con- stitutional law, commercial law, and civil law concerning land

JPRS Report, West Europe

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-23

Typical Danish CP candidate: Mogens Vibe, Lejre dis - trict 39 years old, mason, currently union chairman, live-in companion, two children aged 9 and 19...about the way things were going; the position adopted by the Lisnave cell; the article by Antonio Hespanha published in the DIARIO DE LISBOA after...to 59.5 billion kwh (18.4 percent). Assuming that the Caorso plant is not closed and also that the Montalto di Castro plant will be completed

Commercial Transnational and Neighbour Country TV in Europe. Economic Consequences and Consumer Perspectives. Case: Sky Channel and West German TV from a Danish Perspective. Skriftserie E, nr. 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sepstrup, Preben

The commercials on the Sky Channel, the first pan-European satellite television channel, and on the West German Channel 2 (or ZDF) are analyzed in this report. The study summarizes an investigation of the economic consequences of transborder television advertising in Europe and the consequences for consumers if television advertising grows or is…

Polylingual Development among Turkish Speakers in a Danish Primary School--A Critical View on the Fourth Grade Slump

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Møller, Janus Spindler; Jørgensen, J. Normann; Holmen, Anne

2014-01-01

In this paper we report on a longitudinal study of the linguistic development among Turkish-speaking children in Denmark. A series of data were collected from a group of children attending a public school in Køge during the period 1989-1998 and from the same group--now in their 20s--in 2006-2007. The data set has been analyzed from a number of…

Dentoalveolar oral surgery in children and adolescents: organization and surgical treatment in a large, Danish municipal dental service.

PubMed

Grønbæk, Anni Birgitte; Petersen, Flemming; Haubek, Dorte; Poulsen, Sven

2017-11-01

To describe a population-based organization of dentoalveolar surgical service for 0 to 18-year old subjects in a Danish municipal dental service, and analyze the type of dentoalveolar surgical interventions needed. The study was conducted in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark during five consecutive school-years. An internal referral system was established within the municipality where patients could be referred to colleagues with a higher level of competencies and more experiences with paediatric dentoalveolar surgery. The analysis includes a total of 1812 children and a total of 2854 surgical interventions. Almost 80% of the patients, representing more than 80% of the dentoalveolar surgical interventions needed, were referred internally. Denudations were the most frequent treatment type (40.3%) carried out, followed by removal of third molars (18.0%). Furthermore, 22 odontomas and 100 supernumerary teeth were removed. The need of dentoalveolar surgery in children and adolescents is relatively low, but includes a wide range of interventions. An organizational system, where dentists can refer to colleagues who have developed special competencies in this field, results in most of these surgical patients being referred and treated internally.

Epidemiologic and economic evaluation of risk-based meat inspection for bovine cysticercosis in Danish cattle.

PubMed

Calvo-Artavia, F F; Nielsen, L R; Alban, L

2013-03-01

Under the current EU meat inspection regulation, every single carcase from all bovines above 6 weeks of age has to be examined for bovine cysticercosis (BC). This is time-consuming, costly, and is of limited value in countries with low prevalence. The aim of this study was to develop a stochastic simulation model for analysis of tentative risk-based meat inspection systems for BC in Danish cattle with regard to system sensitivity (SSSe), specificity and potential monetary benefits compared to the current system, which has an estimated SSSe of 15%. The relevant risk factors used to construct three alternative scenario trees were identified from previous Danish risk factor studies (1) gender, (2) grazing and (3) access to risky water sources. Thus, females, animals that had been grazing or animals with access to risky water sources were considered high-risk and would be subjected to invasive inspection at meat inspection. All animals in the low-risk groups (i.e. males, non-grazing or no access to risky water sources, respectively) would be subjected to visual inspection only. It was assumed that half of the cattle were slaughtered in abattoirs that would be able to reorganise the work at the slaughterline, allowing them to do with one meat inspector less. All abattoirs would gain on the price of sold uncut beef from the masseter muscles from visually inspected cattle. Under these assumptions, using gender and grazing were preferable due to them having SSSe only slightly lower than the current system, and highest effectiveness ratios, but they had a lower net economic effect (NEE) than the scenario using risky water sources. Using gender to differentiate high and low-risk groups was judged preferable over grazing due to feasibility, because the information is readily available at the slaughter line. The exact total NEE for the cattle sector depends on how many and which of the abattoirs that would be able to reorganise the work at the slaughter line to save money on inspection of the head of carcases. Overall, the SSSe was low in all scenarios leading to undetected BC-positive cattle both in the current meat inspection and under the investigated risk-based meat inspection systems. Therefore, improving the sensitivity of the methods used for inspection of high-risk cattle would be beneficial. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of the population-based Check your health preventive programme conducted in primary care with 4 years follow-up [the CORE trial]: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Støvring, Henrik; Sandbaek, Annelli

2014-08-29

The periodic health check-up has been a fundamental part of routine medical practice for decades, despite a lack of consensus regarding its value in health promotion and disease prevention. A large-scale Danish population-based preventive programme 'Check your health' was developed based on available evidence of screening and successive accepted treatment, prevention for diseases and health promotion, and is closely aligned with the current health care system.The objective of the 'Check your health' [CORE] trial is to investigate effectiveness on health outcomes of a preventive health check offered at a population-level to all individuals aged 30-49 years, and to establish the cost-effectiveness. The trial will be conducted as a pragmatic household-cluster randomised controlled trial involving 10,505 individuals. All individuals within a well-defined geographical area in the Central Denmark Region, Denmark (DK) were randomised to be offered a preventive health check (Intervention group, n = 5250) or to maintain routine access to healthcare until a delayed intervention (Comparison group, n = 5255). The programme consists of a health examination which yields an individual risk profile, and according to this participants are assigned to one of the following interventions: (a) referral to a health promoting consultation in general practice, (b) behavioural programmes at the local Health Centre, or (c) no need for follow-up.The primary outcomes at 4 years follow-up are: ten-year-risk of fatal cardiovascular event (Heart-SCORE model), physical activity level (self-report and cardiorespiratory fitness), quality of life (SF12), sick leave and labour market attachment. Cost-effectiveness will be evaluated according to life years gained, direct costs and total health costs. Intention to treat analysis will be performed. Results from the largest Danish health check programme conducted within the current healthcare system, spanning the sectors which share responsibility for the individual, will provide a scientific basis to be used in the development of systems to optimise population health in the 21st century. The trial has registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with an ID: NCT02028195 (7. March 2014).

Denmark's Boernehavens: A Place to Grow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mecham, Neil A.

2010-01-01

During the author's trips to Denmark as an instructor of American college students studying abroad, he led groups to visit several "boernehavens," which are the Danish equivalents of U.S. preschools for children ages 3 to 5. Danish society values confident individuals who can take initiative when faced with challenges and opportunities.…

Autonomous Learning--The Danes Vote Yes!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Gary; Sugden, David

1994-01-01

Examines techniques used by 2 Danish teachers of English as a Second Language with 11- and 12-year-olds that illustrate the autonomous learning approach to second language instruction. The role of the teacher and learners, class activities, and student journals in Danish second language classrooms are discussed. (six references) (MDM)

The clinical database and implementation of treatment guidelines by the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group in 2007-2016.

PubMed

Jensen, Maj-Britt; Laenkholm, Anne-Vibeke; Offersen, Birgitte V; Christiansen, Peer; Kroman, Niels; Mouridsen, Henning T; Ejlertsen, Bent

2018-01-01

Since 40 years, Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) has provided comprehensive guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. This population-based analysis aimed to describe the plurality of modifications introduced over the past 10 years in the national Danish guidelines for the management of early breast cancer. By use of the clinical DBCG database we analyze the effectiveness of the implementation of guideline revisions in Denmark. From the DBCG guidelines we extracted modifications introduced in 2007-2016 and selected examples regarding surgery, radiotherapy (RT) and systemic treatment. We assessed introduction of modifications from release on the DBCG webpage to change in clinical practice using the DBCG clinical database. Over a 10-year period data from 48,772 patients newly diagnosed with malignant breast tumors were entered into DBCG's clinical database and 42,197 of these patients were diagnosed with an invasive carcinoma following breast conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy. More than twenty modifications were introduced in the guidelines. Implementations, based on prospectively collected data, varied widely; exemplified with around one quarter of the patients not treated according to a specific guideline within one year from the introduction, to an almost immediate full implantation. Modifications of the DBCG guidelines were generally well implemented, but the time to full implementation varied from less than one year up to around five years. Our data is registry based and does not allow a closer analysis of the causes for delay in implementation of guideline modifications.

Incidence of ovarian cancer after hysterectomy: a nationwide controlled follow up.

PubMed

Loft, A; Lidegaard, O; Tabor, A

1997-11-01

To estimate the risk of developing ovarian cancer after abdominal (total or subtotal) hysterectomy on benign indication. Prospective historical cohort study with 12.5 years of follow up. Denmark, nationwide. All Danish women (aged 0 to 99 years) having undergone hysterectomy with conservation of at least one ovary for a benign indication from 1977 to 1981 (n = 22,135). Follow up was conducted from 1977 to 1991. The reference group included all Danish women who had not undergone hysterectomy, age-standardised according to the hysterectomy group (n = 2,554,872). Registry data derived from the Danish National Register of Patients (diagnoses and operation codes) and the Civil Registration System (information about general population, including time of death). Incidence rate of ovarian cancer, lifetime risk of ovarian cancer, relative risk of ovarian cancer. Seventy-one women developed ovarian cancer on average 7.0 years after hysterectomy and 10,659 women in the reference group had ovarian cancer diagnosed after on average 6.4 years. The incidence rate of ovarian cancer was 0.27 per 1000 person-years in the group that had undergone hysterectomy and 0.34 per 1000 person-years in the general population (age-standardised). The extrapolated lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer was 2.1% after hysterectomy and 2.7% in the general population (RR 0.78; 95% CI 0.60-0.96). The risk of ovarian cancer is lower among women who have undergone hysterectomy compared with those who have not. The protection seems to decrease with time.

Digital questionnaire platform in the Danish Blood Donor Study.

PubMed

Burgdorf, K S; Felsted, N; Mikkelsen, S; Nielsen, M H; Thørner, L W; Pedersen, O B; Sørensen, E; Nielsen, K R; Bruun, M T; Werge, T; Erikstrup, C; Hansen, T; Ullum, H

2016-10-01

The Danish Blood Donor Study (DBDS) is a prospective, population-based study and biobank. Since 2010, 100,000 Danish blood donors have been included in the study. Prior to July 2015 all participating donors had to complete a paper-based questionnaire. Here we describe the establishment of a digital tablet-based questionnaire platform implemented in blood bank sites across Denmark. The digital questionnaire was developed using the open source survey software tool LimeSurvey. The participants accesses the questionnaire online with a standard SSL encrypted HTTP connection using their personal civil registration numbers. The questionnaire is placed at a front-end web server and a collection server retrieves the completed questionnaires. Data from blood samples, register data, genetic data and verification of signed informed consent are then transferred to and merged with the questionnaire data in the DBDS database. The digital platform enables personalized questionnaires, presenting only questions relevant to the specific donor by hiding unneeded follow-up questions on screening question results. New versions of questionnaires are immediately available at all blood collection facilities when new projects are initiated. The digital platform is a faster, cost-effective and more flexible solution to collect valid data from participating donors compared to paper-based questionnaires. The overall system can be used around the world by the use of Internet connection, but the level of security depends on the sensitivity of the data to be collected. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comparing systems for costing hospital treatments. The case of stable angina pectoris.

PubMed

Larsen, Jytte; Skjoldborg, Ulla Slothuus

2004-03-01

This paper demonstrates the basic properties in the systems most commonly considered for costing treatments in the Danish hospitals. The differences between the traditional charge system, the DRG system and the ABC system are analysed, and difficulties encountered in comparing these systems are discussed. A sample of patients diagnosed with stable angina pectoris (SAP) at Odense University Hospital was used to compare the three systems when costing an entire treatment path, costing single hospitalisations and studying the effects of length of stay. Furthermore, it is illustrated that the main idea behind each system is reflected in how the systems over- or underestimate costs. Implications when managing the hospitals, particularly reimbursement, are discussed.

Evaluation of the enterovirus laboratory surveillance system in Denmark, 2010 to 2013.

PubMed

Condell, Orla; Midgley, Sofie; Christiansen, Claus Bohn; Chen, Ming; Chen Nielsen, Xiaohui; Ellermann-Eriksen, Svend; Mølvadgaard, Mette; Schønning, Kristian; Vermedal Hoegh, Silje; Andersen, Peter Henrik; Voldstedlund, Marianne; Fischer, Thea Kølsen

2016-05-05

The primary aim of the Danish enterovirus (EV) surveillance system is to document absence of poliovirus infection. The conflict in Syria has left many children unvaccinated and movement from areas with polio cases to Europe calls for increased awareness to detect and respond to virus-transmission in a timely manner. We evaluate the national EV laboratory surveillance, to generate recommendations for system strengthening. The system was analysed for completeness of viral typing analysis and clinical information and timeliness of specimen collection, laboratory results and reporting of clinical information. Of 23,720 specimens screened, 2,202 (9.3%) were EV-positive. Submission of cerebrospinal fluid and faecal specimens from primary diagnostic laboratories was 79.5% complete (845/1,063), and varied by laboratory and patient age. EV genotypes were determined in 68.5% (979/1,430) of laboratory-confirmed cases, clinical information was available for 63.1% (903/1,430). Primary diagnostic results were available after a median of 1.4 days, typing results after 17 days, detailed clinical information after 33 days. The large number of samples typed demonstrated continued monitoring of EV-circulation in Denmark. The system could be strengthened by increasing the collection of supplementary faecal specimens, improving communication with primary diagnostic laboratories, adapting the laboratory typing methodology and collecting clinical information with electronic forms.

[Early achievements of the Danish pharmaceutical industry-6 Pharmacia].

PubMed

Grevsen, Jørgen V; Kruse, Edith; Kruse, Poul R

2014-01-01

The article series provides a written and pictorial account of the Danish pharmaceutical industry's products from their introduction until about 1950. Part 6 deals with products from A/S Pharmacia. A/S Pharmacia was established in Copenhagen in 1922 as a Danish limited company by the enterprising pharmacist Edward Jacobsen. Pharmacia was not Jacobsen's first pharmaceutical company as previously he had established a pharmaceutical agency already in 1913 which in 1919 was reorganized to a limited company by the name of A/S Edward Jacobsen. This agency was later extended to include a production of generics. Jacobsen remained the co-owner and manager of Pharmacia until 1934 where he resigned and established another company, A/S Ejco, for the manufacture of generics. It is worth mentioning that already in 1911 a Swedish pharmaceutical company was established named AB Pharmacia. Today we do not know whether Edward Jacobsen knew about this Swedish company. Later on in 1936 AB Pharmacia and A/S Pharmacia made a contract concerning mutual market sharing, and a research cooperation was brought about between the two companies which resulted in an increase of turnover for A/S Pharmacia. In 1955 the cooperation between the two companies was increased as the Swedish company joined as principal shareholder with the purpose of continuing and developing the Danish company as an independent pharmaceutical company with its own research and development as well as manufacture, control and marketing. Therefore Pharmacia in Denmark was able to establish a synthesis factory in Koge and move the domicile to new premises in Hillered. In 1993 Pharmacia was presented in a printed matter as "The largest Nordic pharmaceutical company" as a result of the merger between the Swedish Kabi Pharmacia, formerly established by a merger between Kabi Vitrum and AB Pharmacia, and the Italian Farmitalia Carlo Erba. Only two years later in 1995 Pharmacia merged with the American pharmaceutical company The Upjohn Company under the name of Pharmacia & Upjohn. In 2000 this company was merged with the chemical group Monsanto under a new name, Pharmacia Corporation. Pharmacia Corporation was taken over by Pfizer in 2003. The early activities of A/S Pharmacia included not only the import of raw materials and ready-made articles, such as medicinal products, but also the manufacture of own medicinal products. This is not surprising considering the founder Edward Jacobsen's pharmaceutical career. Pharmacia's early manufacture of own medicinal products consisted mainly of generics, however, not only the expensive foreign medicinal products, but also any available Danish generics such as easily manufactured pharmacopeia products. It is thus worth mentioning that Pharmacia's own technological production capacity at that time was limited and required a cooperation with other (Danish) pharmaceutical companies. Pharmacia was able to produce tablet cores, but the sugarcoating had to be made by external business partners. Pharmacia was able to produce digitalis preparations, but the standardization of these had to be effected elsewhere. The total production of one of Pharmacia's products took place at an external business partner. Pharmacia was established at a time where the increasing use of industrially manufactured medicinal products, both Danish and foreign ones, had resulted in a considerable decrease in sales of pharmacy produced medicinal products. This had for a long time worried The Danish Association of Pharmacies, and this resulted in a reaction from the association, namely the DAK-products which by nature were produced in Denmark and thus became the most essential element in the fight against the industrially manufactured products--a fight which according to the association had to be fought with all legal means. Therefore The Danish Association of Pharmacies obviously reacted precipitated when in 1926 the association in writing stated that Pharmacia's products were not manufactured in Denmark in spite of the fact that they were labelled as such according to agreement with Landsforeningen Dansk Arbejde, i.e., The National Association Danish Work, which in 1925 allowed Pharmacia to use the labels of the association. The unemployment was high in the 1920'ies and increasing so when Pharmacia subsequently took legal action against the Association of Pharmacies and claimed that the statement was unjustified and might harm Pharmacia, it may indicate that the public of that time looked positively upon the manufacture and the use of Danish manufactured products. The Danish Association of Pharmacies lost the case as the claim according to the court was unjustified and thus unlawful. The suspicions of the association were not supported by facts, however, they were not either completely groundless. Following this The National Association Danish Work gave notice to terminate the contract with Pharmacia concerning the right to use the labels of the association. By expanding the cooperation and later on by merging with the Swedish Pharmacia AB the Danish A/S Pharmacia succeeded in continuing and developing a company where research, development and production of innovative medicinal products as well as of generics could take place in Denmark.

Advancing pharmacovigilance through academic-legal collaboration: the case of gadolinium-based contrast agents and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis-a Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (RADAR) report.

PubMed

Edwards, B J; Laumann, A E; Nardone, B; Miller, F H; Restaino, J; Raisch, D W; McKoy, J M; Hammel, J A; Bhatt, K; Bauer, K; Samaras, A T; Fisher, M J; Bull, C; Saddleton, E; Belknap, S M; Thomsen, H S; Kanal, E; Cowper, S E; Abu Alfa, A K; West, D P

2014-10-01

To compare and contrast three databases, that is, The International Centre for Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Registry (ICNSFR), the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and a legal data set, through pharmacovigilance and to evaluate international nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) safety efforts. The Research on Adverse Drug events And Reports methodology was used for assessment-the FAERS (through June 2009), ICNSFR and the legal data set (January 2002 to December 2010). Safety information was obtained from the European Medicines Agency, the Danish Medicine Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. The FAERS encompassed the largest number (n = 1395) of NSF reports. The ICNSFR contained the most complete (n = 335, 100%) histopathological data. A total of 382 individual biopsy-proven, product-specific NSF cases were analysed from the legal data set. 76.2% (291/382) identified exposure to gadodiamide, of which 67.7% (197/291) were unconfounded. Additionally, 40.1% (153/382) of cases involved gadopentetate dimeglumine, of which 48.4% (74/153) were unconfounded, while gadoversetamide was identified in 7.3% (28/382) of which 28.6% (8/28) were unconfounded. Some cases involved gadobenate dimeglumine or gadoteridol, 5.8% (22/382), all of which were confounded. The mean number of exposures to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) was gadodiamide (3), gadopentetate dimeglumine (5) and gadoversetamide (2). Of the 279 unconfounded cases, all involved a linear-structured GBCA. 205 (73.5%) were a non-ionic GBCA while 74 (26.5%) were an ionic GBCA. Clinical and legal databases exhibit unique characteristics that prove complementary in safety evaluations. Use of the legal data set allowed the identification of the most commonly implicated GBCA. This article is the first to demonstrate explicitly the utility of a legal data set to pharmacovigilance research.

Mind the gap in SEA: An institutional perspective on why assessment of synergies amongst climate change mitigation, adaptation and other policy areas are missing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vammen Larsen, Sanne, E-mail: sannevl@plan.aau.dk; Kornov, Lone, E-mail: lonek@plan.aau.dk; Wejs, Anja, E-mail: wejs@plan.aau.dk

2012-02-15

This article takes its point of departure in two approaches to integrating climate change into Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Mitigation and adaptation, and in the fact that these, as well as the synergies between them and other policy areas, are needed as part of an integrated assessment and policy response. First, the article makes a review of how positive and negative synergies between a) climate change mitigation and adaptation and b) climate change and other environmental concerns are integrated into Danish SEA practice. Then, the article discusses the implications of not addressing synergies. Finally, the article explores institutional explanations asmore » to why synergies are not addressed in SEA practice. A document analysis of 149 Danish SEA reports shows that only one report comprises the assessment of synergies between mitigation and adaptation, whilst 9,4% of the reports assess the synergies between climate change and other environmental concerns. The consequences of separation are both the risk of trade-offs and missed opportunities for enhancing positive synergies. In order to propose explanations for the lacking integration, the institutional background is analysed and discussed, mainly based on Scott's theory of institutions. The institutional analysis highlights a regulatory element, since the assessment of climate change synergies is underpinned by legislation, but not by guidance. This means that great focus is on normative elements such as the local interpretation of legislation and of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The analysis also focuses on how the fragmentation of the organisation in which climate change and SEA are embedded has bearings on both normative and cultural-cognitive elements. This makes the assessment of synergies challenging. The evidence gathered and presented in the article points to a need for developing the SEA process and methodology in Denmark with the aim to include climate change in the assessments in a more systematic and integrated manner. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synergies between climate change mitigation, adaptation and other environmental concerns are not addressed in Danish SEA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Institutional explanations relate to organisational set-ups and understandings of climate change as a new planning issue. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The paper points to a need for developing SEA to include climate change in a more systematic and integrated manner.« less

Danish Citizens and General Practitioners' Use of ICT for their Mutual Communication.

PubMed

Bertelsen, Pernille; Stub Petersen, Lone

2015-01-01

This paper reports on selected findings from a Danish national survey of citizens' perception and use of information and communication technology (ICT) for their health care [1]. Focus is on citizens' use of ICT and on communication with their General Practitioner (GP). It also focuses on citizens' experience of their GPs' ICT use and no use during medical consultations. The responsibility for medical service in Denmark is to a large extent handed over to the primary sector where the GP is the gatekeeper. Our data display that 65% of the adult citizens or their relatives have been using ICT to communicate with their GP. Twenty-two percent have experienced their GP use a computer screen to actively show them something while they have a consultation. Further, our data supports the assumption that the higher the education people have, the more likely they are to use ICT for their health care. The understanding of the use of ICT in communication with the GP is central to monitoring and developing an ICT that supports all citizens and considers new ways in which to enhance quality of care.

Autism spectrum disorder in individuals with anorexia nervosa and in their first- and second-degree relatives: Danish nationwide register-based cohort-study.

PubMed

Koch, Susanne V; Larsen, Janne T; Mouridsen, Svend E; Bentz, Mette; Petersen, Liselotte; Bulik, Cynthia; Mortensen, Preben B; Plessen, Kerstin J

2015-05-01

Clinical and population-based studies report increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in individuals with anorexia nervosa and in their relatives. No nationwide study has yet been published on co-occurrence of these disorders. To investigate comorbidity of ASD in individuals with anorexia nervosa, and aggregation of ASD and anorexia nervosa in their relatives. In Danish registers we identified all individuals born in 1981-2008, their parents, and full and half siblings, and linked them to data on hospital admissions for psychiatric disorders. Risk of comorbidity of ASD in probands with anorexia nervosa and aggregation of ASD in families of anorexia nervosa probands were increased. However, the risk of comorbid and familial ASD did not differ significantly from comorbid and familial major depression or any psychiatric disorder in anorexia nervosa probands. We confirm aggregation of ASD in probands with anorexia nervosa and in their relatives; however, the relationship between anorexia nervosa and ASD appears to be non-specific. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Science Anxiety, Science Attitudes, and Constructivism: A Binational Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Fred B.; Kastrup, Helge; Udo, Maria; Hislop, Nelda; Shefner, Rachel; Mallow, Jeffry

2013-08-01

Students' attitudes and anxieties about science were measured by responses to two self-report questionnaires. The cohorts were Danish and American students at the upper secondary- and university-levels. Relationships between and among science attitudes, science anxiety, gender, and nationality were examined. Particular attention was paid to constructivist attitudes about science. These fell into at least three broad conceptual categories: Negativity of Science Toward the Individual, Subjective Construction of Knowledge, and Inherent Bias Against Women. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses revealed that these dimensions of constructivist attitudes were equally applicable and had the same meaning in both cultures. Gender differences in mean levels of constructivist attitudes were found; these varied across the two cultures. Constructivist beliefs were associated with science anxiety, but in different ways for females and males, and for Danes and Americans. In agreement with earlier studies, females in both the US and Danish cohorts were significantly more science anxious than males, and the gender differences for the Americans were larger than those for the Danes. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for reducing science anxiety by changing constructivist beliefs.

Apgar Score Is Related to Development of Atopic Dermatitis: Cotwin Control Study

PubMed Central

Naeser, Vibeke; Kahr, Niklas; Stensballe, Lone Graff; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Skytthe, Axel; Backer, Vibeke

2013-01-01

Aim. To study the impact of birth characteristics on the risk of atopic dermatitis in a twin population. Methods. In a population-based questionnaire study of 10,809 twins, 3–9 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry, we identified 907 twin pairs discordant for parent-reported atopic dermatitis. We cross-linked with data from the Danish National Birth Registry and performed cotwin control analysis in order to test the impact of birth characteristics on the risk of atopic dermatitis. Results. Apgar score, OR (per unit) = 1.23 (1.06–1.44), P = 0.008, and female sex, OR = 1.31 (1.06–1.61), P = 0.012, were risk factors for atopic dermatitis in cotwin control analysis, whereas birth anthropometric factors were not significantly related to disease development. Risk estimates in monozygotic and dizygotic twins were not significantly different for the identified risk factors. Conclusions. In this population-based cotwin control study, high Apgar score was a risk factor for atopic dermatitis. This novel finding must be confirmed in subsequent studies. PMID:24222775

Chronic family stress moderates the association between a TOMM40 variant and triglyceride levels in two independent Caucasian samples.

PubMed

Jiang, Rong; Brummett, Beverly H; Hauser, Elizabeth R; Babyak, Michael A; Siegler, Ilene C; Singh, Abanish; Astrup, Arne; Pedersen, Oluf; Hansen, Torben; Holst, Claus; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Williams, Redford B

2013-04-01

TOMM40 SNP rs157580 has been associated with triglyceride levels in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Chronic caregiving stress moderates the association between triglyceride levels and a nearby SNP rs439401 that is associated with triglyceride levels in GWAS. Here, we report data from two independent Caucasian samples (242 U.S. women and men; 466 Danish men) testing the hypothesis that chronic family stress also moderates the association between rs157580 and triglyceride levels. The interaction of rs157580 and family stress in predicting triglyceride levels was statistically significant in the U.S. sample (p=0.004) and marginally significant (p=0.075) in the Danish sample. The G allele of rs157580 was associated with increased triglyceride levels among family stressed cases in both samples compared with A/A cases, but not among controls. Chronic family stress moderates the association of rs157580 variants with triglyceride levels and should be taken into account for disease risk assessment and potential intervention. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proteomic characterization of a mouse model of familial Danish dementia.

PubMed

Vitale, Monica; Renzone, Giovanni; Matsuda, Shuji; Scaloni, Andrea; D'Adamio, Luciano; Zambrano, Nicola

2012-01-01

A dominant mutation in the ITM2B/BRI2 gene causes familial Danish dementia (FDD) in humans. To model FDD in animal systems, a knock-in approach was recently implemented in mice expressing a wild-type and mutant allele, which bears the FDD-associated mutation. Since these FDD(KI) mice show behavioural alterations and impaired synaptic function, we characterized their synaptosomal proteome via two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis. After identification by nanoliquid chromatography coupled to electrospray-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry, the differentially expressed proteins were classified according to their gene ontology descriptions and their predicted functional interactions. The Dlg4/Psd95 scaffold protein and additional signalling proteins, including protein phosphatases, were revealed by STRING analysis as potential players in the altered synaptic function of FDD(KI) mice. Immunoblotting analysis finally demonstrated the actual downregulation of the synaptosomal scaffold protein Dlg4/Psd95 and of the dual-specificity phosphatase Dusp3 in the synaptosomes of FDD(KI) mice.

Proteomic Characterization of a Mouse Model of Familial Danish Dementia

PubMed Central

Vitale, Monica; Renzone, Giovanni; Matsuda, Shuji; Scaloni, Andrea; D'Adamio, Luciano; Zambrano, Nicola

2012-01-01

A dominant mutation in the ITM2B/BRI2 gene causes familial Danish dementia (FDD) in humans. To model FDD in animal systems, a knock-in approach was recently implemented in mice expressing a wild-type and mutant allele, which bears the FDD-associated mutation. Since these FDDKI mice show behavioural alterations and impaired synaptic function, we characterized their synaptosomal proteome via two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis. After identification by nanoliquid chromatography coupled to electrospray-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry, the differentially expressed proteins were classified according to their gene ontology descriptions and their predicted functional interactions. The Dlg4/Psd95 scaffold protein and additional signalling proteins, including protein phosphatases, were revealed by STRING analysis as potential players in the altered synaptic function of FDDKI mice. Immunoblotting analysis finally demonstrated the actual downregulation of the synaptosomal scaffold protein Dlg4/Psd95 and of the dual-specificity phosphatase Dusp3 in the synaptosomes of FDDKI mice. PMID:22619496

Modeling familial British and Danish dementia.

PubMed

Garringer, Holly J; Murrell, Jill; D'Adamio, Luciano; Ghetti, Bernardino; Vidal, Ruben

2010-03-01

Familial British dementia (FBD) and familial Danish dementia (FDD) are two autosomal dominant neurodegenerative diseases caused by mutations in the BRI ( 2 ) gene. FBD and FDD are characterized by widespread cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), parenchymal amyloid deposition, and neurofibrillary tangles. Transgenic mice expressing wild-type and mutant forms of the BRI(2) protein, Bri ( 2 ) knock-in mutant mice, and Bri ( 2 ) gene knock-out mice have been developed. Transgenic mice expressing a human FDD-mutated form of the BRI ( 2 ) gene have partially reproduced the neuropathological lesions observed in FDD. These mice develop extensive CAA, parenchymal amyloid deposition, and neuroinflammation in the central nervous system. These animal models allow the study of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the neuronal dysfunction in these diseases and allow the development of potential therapeutic approaches for these and related neurodegenerative conditions. In this review, a comprehensive account of the advances in the development of animal models for FBD and FDD and of their relevance to the study of Alzheimer disease is presented.

Between Casual Commitment and Cross-Media Articulation: The Faith of the Napkin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bødker, Susanne; Petersen, Anja Bechmann

Since the mid-1990s, newspaper companies have faced dramatic challenges due to stagnation or decline in the consumption of traditional media (12), new types of production technology, and new types of products. At present, media companies worldwide struggle with a new challenge called cross-media production: the integrated production of news stories to multiple media platforms (paper, TV, radio, etc.) (13). Digital materials make it possible to produce content for several different media platforms, and the different strengths of the media further support new forms of news coverage that cross these platforms. The very recent explosion of blogs and video podcasting are new examples adding to the family of products and ideally, the reporters become storytellers who choose the most suitable media for their story. The reality, however, is far more complicated: The Danish media company Nordjyske Medier was a local newspaper that has now diversified and produces daily news for radio, TV, web, a daily newspaper, and several additional products. All production is gathered in one location, where reporters produce news stories to be distributed in the various media. The editorial staff of all media is placed literally in the middle of this location. We carried out an empirical study of cooperation and planning at the media company (1; 5). The company used a production planning system in place, called the Napkin. The Napkin was not used very much, it was heavily criticized by reporters and it was at the point of being replaced by a different planning system, which was better integrated with the production system (11). This system, too, was later abandoned. This has motivated us to understand better the processes of planning and articulating the cross-media production and how information technology supported such cross-media production.

Intrapair Comparison of Life-Course Appetite and Physical Activity in Elderly Danish Twins: Reliability and Association With Subsequent Survival.

PubMed

Løkkegaard, Laura E; Larsen, Lisbeth A; Christensen, Kaare

2016-10-01

Avoiding overeating and being physically active is associated with healthy aging, but methodological issues challenge the quantification of the association. Intrapair comparison of twins is a study design that attempts to minimize social norm-driven biased self-reporting of lifestyle factors. We aimed to investigate the association between self-reported lifestyle factors and subsequent survival in 347 Danish twin pairs aged 70 years and older and, additionally, to investigate the reliability of these self-reports. The twins were interviewed in 2003 and followed for mortality until 2015. They were asked to compare their appetite and physical activity to that of their co-twins in different stages of life. On an individual level, we found a positive association between current self-reported physical activity and late-life survival for elderly twins. This was supported by the intrapair analyses, which revealed a positive association between midlife and current physical activity and late-life survival. A positive association between lower appetite and late-life survival was found generally over the life course in the individual level analyses but not in the intrapair analyses. Kappa values for the inter-twin agreement on who ate the most were 0.16 to 0.34 in different life stages, and for physical activity 0.19 to 0.26, corresponding to a slight-to-fair agreement. Approximately, 50% of the twin pairs were not in agreement regarding physical activity, and of these twins 75% (95% CI: 67-82%) considered themselves the most active twin. These findings indicate a still-existing tendency of answering according to social norms, even in a twin study designed to minimize this.

Intrapair Comparison of Life-Course Appetite and Physical Activity in Elderly Danish Twins: Reliability and Association With Subsequent Survival

PubMed Central

Løkkegaard, Laura E.; Larsen, Lisbeth A.; Christensen, Kaare

2016-01-01

Avoiding overeating and being physically active is associated with healthy aging, but methodological issues challenge the quantification of the association. Intrapair comparison of twins is a study design that attempts to minimize social norm-driven biased self-reporting of lifestyle factors. We aimed to investigate the association between self-reported lifestyle factors and subsequent survival in 347 Danish twin pairs aged 70 years and older and, additionally, to investigate the reliability of these self-reports. The twins were interviewed in 2003 and followed for mortality until 2015. They were asked to compare their appetite and physical activity to that of their co-twins in different stages of life. On an individual level, we found a positive association between current self-reported physical activity and late-life survival for elderly twins. This was supported by the intrapair analyses, which revealed a positive association between midlife and current physical activity and late-life survival. A positive association between lower appetite and late-life survival was found generally over the life course in the individual level analyses but not in the intrapair analyses. Kappa values for the inter-twin agreement on who ate the most were 0.16 to 0.34 in different life stages, and for physical activity 0.19 to 0.26, corresponding to a slight-to-fair agreement. Approximately, 50% of the twin pairs were not in agreement regarding physical activity, and of these twins 75% (95% CI: 67–82%) considered themselves the most active twin. These findings indicate a still-existing tendency of answering according to social norms, even in a twin study designed to minimize this. PMID:27485765

Resurfacing shoulder arthroplasty for the treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis: outcome in 167 patients from the Danish Shoulder Registry.

PubMed

Voorde, Pia C Ten; Rasmussen, Jeppe V; Olsen, Bo S; Brorson, Stig

2015-06-01

There is no consensus on which type of shoulder prosthesis should be used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We describe patients with RA who were treated with shoulder replacement, regarding patient-reported outcome, prosthesis survival, and causes of revision, and we compare outcome after resurfacing hemi-arthroplasty (RHA) and stemmed hemi-arthroplasty (SHA). We used data from the national Danish Shoulder Arthroplasty Registry and included patients with RA who underwent shoulder arthroplasty in Denmark between 2006 and 2010. Patient-reported outcome was obtained 1-year postoperatively using the Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder index (WOOS), and rates of revision were calculated by checking revisions reported until December 2011. The patient-reported outcome of RHA was compared to that of SHA using regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, and previous surgery. During the study period, 167 patients underwent shoulder arthroplasty because of rheumatoid arthritis, 80 (48%) of whom received RHA and 34 (26%) of whom received SHA. 16 patients were treated with total stemmed shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), and 24 were treated with reverse shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA). 130 patients returned a completed questionnaire, and the total mean WOOS score was 63. The cumulative 5-year revision rate was 7%. Most revisions occurred after RHA, with a revision rate of 14%. Mean WOOS score was similar for RHA and for SHA. This study shows that shoulder arthroplasty, regardless of design, is a good option in terms of reducing pain and improving function in RA patients. The high revision rate in the RHA group suggests that other designs may offer better implant survival. However, this should be confirmed in larger studies.

Sport or School? Dreams and Dilemmas for Talented Young Danish Football Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Mette Krogh; Sorensen, Jan Kahr

2009-01-01

Today's young semi-professional football players are expected to continue their education while honing their talents as footballers. This means they must balance the contradictory demands that come from their education establishments and their football clubs. The present study explores how young Danish male football talents experience and describe…

Accountability Practices in the History of Danish Primary Public Education from the 1660s to the Present

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ydesen, Christian; Andreasen, Karen E.

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on primary education accountability as a concept and as an organizational practice in the history of Danish public education. Contemporary studies of education policy often address questions of accountability, but the manifestations of school accountability differ significantly between different national settings. Furthermore,…

(Self)Confidence or Compliance: Students' Experience of Academic Quality in Study-Abroad Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaeger, Kirsten; Gram, Malene

2015-01-01

This article investigates the views of quality in higher education held by two groups of international students: Chinese students at a Danish university and Danish students at Chinese universities. Given that there are no agreed international "quality standards" in higher education, we analysed the students' understanding of the…

Autonomy and Control: Danish University Reform in the Context of Modern Governance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Susan; Orberg, Jakob Williams

2008-01-01

In 2003 the Danish government reformed universities to "set them free" from the state. Yet ministers are actively trying to shape universities and even set research agendas. How does the government's notion of "freedom" reconcile independence with control? We identify three discourses of freedom: freedom to use academic…

The Transnational and the Individual: A Life-History Narrative in a Danish University Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fabricius, Anne H.

2014-01-01

This article explores linguistic and cultural border crossing and the long-term consequences of transnational mobility on a professional international academic. It provides an in-depth qualitative analysis of a research interview which investigated the internationalisation background of a Danish academic within an English-speaking context. This…

Exploring the Heterogeneity of Class in Higher Education: Social and Cultural Differentiation in Danish University Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomsen, Jens Peter

2012-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between social background, choice of university programme and academic culture among Danish university students. Statistically and sociologically, university students are often treated as a homogeneous group, but the ever-increasing number of students in higher education demands a closer examination of the…

A resolution to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the heroic rescue of Danish Jews during the Second World War by the Danish people.

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ

2013-09-17

Senate - 10/04/2013 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Waiting Time: The De-Subjectification of Children in Danish Asylum Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitus, Kathrine

2010-01-01

This article analyses the relationship between time and subjectification, focusing on the temporal structures created within Danish asylum centres and politics, and on children's experiences of and reactions to open-ended waiting. Such waiting leads to existential boredom which manifests in the children as restlessness, fatigue and despair. The…

The Internet and Services Marketing--The Case of Danish Retail Banking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mols, Niels Peter

2000-01-01

Examines various aspects of the motives, perceptions, and expectations connected with the introduction of Internet banking in Danish retail banking. Responses from questionnaires and results from a factor analysis and a hierarchical cluster analysis indicate a belief that Internet banking will become more important in the future. (Author/LRW)

Educational Testing as an Accountability Measure: Drawing on Twentieth-Century Danish History of Education Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ydesen, Christian

2013-01-01

This article reveals perspectives based on experiences from twentieth-century Danish educational history by outlining contemporary, test-based accountability regime characteristics and their implications for education policy. The article introduces one such characteristic, followed by an empirical analysis of the origins and impacts of test-based…

Morphological Effects in Auditory Word Recognition: Evidence from Danish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balling, Laura Winther; Baayen, R. Harald

2008-01-01

In this study, we investigate the processing of morphologically complex words in Danish using auditory lexical decision. We document a second critical point in auditory comprehension in addition to the Uniqueness Point (UP), namely the point at which competing morphological continuation forms of the base cease to be compatible with the input,…

26 CFR 521.106 - Control of a domestic enterprise by a Danish enterprise.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 19 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Control of a domestic enterprise by a Danish enterprise. 521.106 Section 521.106 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER TAX CONVENTIONS DENMARK General Income Tax Taxation of Nonresident Aliens Who...

Placement Supervision of Pedagogue Students in Denmark: The Role of University Colleges and Early Childhood Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Jytte Juul

2015-01-01

The article examines Danish pedagogue students' supervision during their placement periods in early childhood settings. Throughout the long history of Danish pedagogue education, discourses relating to the placement element have been located either within a "work" paradigm or a "scholastic" paradigm. These two understandings of…

26 CFR 521.106 - Control of a domestic enterprise by a Danish enterprise.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 19 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Control of a domestic enterprise by a Danish enterprise. 521.106 Section 521.106 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER TAX CONVENTIONS DENMARK General Income Tax Taxation of Nonresident Aliens Who...

Comparison of cohort smoking intensities in Denmark and the Netherlands.

PubMed Central

Barendregt, Jan J.; Looman, Caspar W. N.; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the usefulness of the general framework of the smoking epidemic. METHODS: We use lung cancer mortality as an indicator for smoking intensity and employ an age-cohort model to accommodate the long-lasting and cumulative effects. RESULTS: Dutch males have higher risks than Danish males, but the risks for the younger cohorts have been declining faster in the Netherlands than in Denmark. Danish women have about twice the risk of Dutch women, and in both countries the risks for the younger cohorts are increasing. The smoking epidemic began at about the same time in Denmark and the Netherlands. Dutch males, however, seem to have smoked more but to have given up smoking more quickly than Danish males. Danish females were quicker to take up smoking than Dutch females. CONCLUSIONS: Within the general framework of the smoking epidemic, differences in timing and levels can produce large differences between countries. For the purposes of assessing smoking-related risks, including projections, the smoking epidemic framework therefore has to be tailored to each study population. PMID:11884970

Predictive value of stroke discharge diagnoses in the Danish National Patient Register.

PubMed

Lühdorf, Pernille; Overvad, Kim; Schmidt, Erik B; Johnsen, Søren P; Bach, Flemming W

2017-08-01

To determine the positive predictive values for stroke discharge diagnoses, including subarachnoidal haemorrhage, intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral infarction in the Danish National Patient Register. Participants in the Danish cohort study Diet, Cancer and Health with a stroke discharge diagnosis in the National Patient Register between 1993 and 2009 were identified and their medical records were retrieved for validation of the diagnoses. A total of 3326 records of possible cases of stroke were reviewed. The overall positive predictive value for stroke was 69.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 67.8-70.9%). The predictive values differed according to hospital characteristics, with the highest predictive value of 87.8% (95% CI 85.5-90.1%) found in departments of neurology and the lowest predictive value of 43.0% (95% CI 37.6-48.5%) found in outpatient clinics. The overall stroke diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Register had a limited predictive value. We therefore recommend the critical use of non-validated register data for research on stroke. The possibility of optimising the predictive values based on more advanced algorithms should be considered.

Possibilities for near-term bioenergy production and GHG-mitigation through sustainable intensification of agriculture and forestry in Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Søren; Bentsen, Niclas S.; Dalgaard, Tommy; Jørgensen, Uffe; Olesen, Jørgen E.; Felby, Claus

2017-11-01

To mitigate climate change it is necessary to further increase the deployment of renewable energy, including bioenergy. This analysis shows how this can be achieved in Danish agriculture and forestry before 2020. The key is a sustainable intensification and we show through three scenarios how it is possible to increase production while at the same time decreasing environmental impact and with only minor consequences on food and feed production. An additional ~10 Tg biomass can be available in 2020 for the Danish energy sector. By converting the biomass in a biorefinery concept it is possible to supply relevant, domestically produced energy carriers that amounts to ~5%-13% of 2020 Danish energy consumption. This has the potential to reduce the GHG emissions with 13%-21% of 2020 emissions. These results are possible because Danish net primary production and the human appropriation hereof can be increased. We show that biomass for bioenergy has a large near-term potential to supply relevant energy carriers to the society while at the same time achieving significant GHG emission mitigation.

Feasibility of Representing a Danish Microbiology Model Using FHIR.

PubMed

Andersen, Mie Vestergaard; Kristensen, Ida Hvass; Larsen, Malene Møller; Pedersen, Claus Hougaard; Gøeg, Kirstine Rosenbeck; Pape-Haugaard, Louise B

2017-01-01

Achieving interoperability in health is a challenge and requires standardization. The newly developed HL7 standard: Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) promises both flexibility and interoperability. This study investigates the feasibility of expressing a Danish microbiology message model content in FHIR to explore whether complex in-use legacy models can be migrated and what challenges this may pose. The Danish microbiology message model (the DMM) is used as a case to illustrate challenges and opportunities accosted with applying the FHIR standard. Mapping of content from DMM to FHIR was done as close as possible to the DMM to minimize migration costs except when the structure of the content did not fit into FHIR. From the DMM a total of 183 elements were mapped to FHIR. 75 (40.9%) elements were modeled as existing FHIR elements and 96 (52.5%) elements were modeled as extensions and 12 (6.6%) elements were deemed unnecessary because of build-in FHIR characteristics. In this study, it was possible to represent the content of a Danish message model using HL7 FHIR.

An overview of pedagogy and organisation in clinical interprofessional training units in Sweden and Denmark.

PubMed

Jakobsen, Flemming

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the organization and pedagogy in Swedish and Danish interprofessional training units (ITUs) and to synthesize empirical findings from Swedish and Danish ITUs published in peer review journals. A questionnaire concerning organization and pedagogy was sent to twenty Swedish and Danish ITUs. After a bibliographic search aimed to find empirical studies from ITUs, twenty Swedish and eight Danish studies were included in the review. The questionnaires results showed that despite different wording, the overall aims for the ITUs were to provide students with the possibility of uniprofessional learning, interprofessional learning, and strengthening of professional identity. Furthermore, it appeared that there were different organizational and pedagogical approaches. The review revealed that differences in clinical tutors' affiliation and presence in the ITU were challenging. Also different pedagogical approaches were discussed. However, all articles showed that the goals for the ITUs in general were fulfilled. There is basis therefore to recommend the establishment of future clinical ITUs with the patient in the core and with the use of a student activating approach.

[Trends concerning medical articles 1989-1998. A study of Danish articles compared to other members of the European Union].

PubMed

Jørgensen, H L; Praetorius, L; Ingwersen, P

1999-11-15

The paper analyses the development of the total number of journal articles indexed in the Medline database published by authors affiliated to Denmark 1989-1998 in medicine compared to the development in the European Union during the same period. The publication analysis is then compared to the citation impact of articles published in the central journals indexed in Science Citation Index (ISI) 1987-1996 through use of the National Science Indicators (NIS, ISI) database. The total number of Danish journal articles has remained relatively constant compared to a 50% increase in the EU as a whole. The number of Danish articles published in central journals, however, has increased by 20% (compared to 27% for the EU) and the number of citations obtained by these articles by 58% (compared to 66% for the EU) in the 1987-1996 period. By population, Denmark ranked third in total number of articles in 1998. In conclusion, Denmark is very active in medical research but neither the quantity nor the quality of Danish medical research has increased at the same rate as the EU average.

Use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

PubMed

Larsen, E R; Damkier, P; Pedersen, L H; Fenger-Gron, J; Mikkelsen, R L; Nielsen, R E; Linde, V J; Knudsen, H E D; Skaarup, L; Videbech, P

2015-01-01

To write clinical guidelines for the use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and breast-feeding for daily practice in psychiatry, obstetrics and paediatrics. As we wanted a guideline with a high degree of consensus among health professionals treating pregnant women with a psychiatric disease, we asked the Danish Psychiatric Society, the Danish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Danish Paediatric Society and the Danish Society of Clinical Pharmacology to appoint members for the working group. A comprehensive review of the literature was hereafter conducted. Sertraline and citalopram are first-line treatment among selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for depression. It is recommended to use lithium for bipolar disorders if an overall assessment finds an indication for mood-stabilizing treatment during pregnancy. Lamotrigine can be used. Valproate and carbamazepin are contraindicated. Olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine and clozapine can be used for bipolar disorders and schizophrenia. It is important that health professionals treating fertile women with a psychiatric disease discuss whether psychotropic drugs are needed during pregnancy and how it has to be administered. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Susceptibility to and Recoverability From Mastitis in Danish Holstein Cows

PubMed Central

Welderufael, B. G.; Løvendahl, Peter; de Koning, Dirk-Jan; Janss, Lucas L. G.; Fikse, W. F.

2018-01-01

Because mastitis is very frequent and unavoidable, adding recovery information into the analysis for genetic evaluation of mastitis is of great interest from economical and animal welfare point of view. Here we have performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and investigate the genetic background not only for susceptibility to – but also for recoverability from mastitis. Somatic cell count records from 993 Danish Holstein cows genotyped for a total of 39378 autosomal SNP markers were used for the association analysis. Single SNP regression analysis was performed using the statistical software package DMU. Substitution effect of each SNP was tested with a t-test and a genome-wide significance level of P-value < 10-4 was used to declare significant SNP-trait association. A number of significant SNP variants were identified for both traits. Many of the SNP variants associated either with susceptibility to – or recoverability from mastitis were located in or very near to genes that have been reported for their role in the immune system. Genes involved in lymphocyte developments (e.g., MAST3 and STAB2) and genes involved in macrophage recruitment and regulation of inflammations (PDGFD and PTX3) were suggested as possible causal genes for susceptibility to – and recoverability from mastitis, respectively. However, this is the first GWAS study for recoverability from mastitis and our results need to be validated. The findings in the current study are, therefore, a starting point for further investigations in identifying causal genetic variants or chromosomal regions for both susceptibility to – and recoverability from mastitis. PMID:29755506

The association between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health.

PubMed

Eriksen, Louise; Curtis, Tine; Grønbæk, Morten; Helge, Jørn W; Tolstrup, Janne S

2013-12-01

To investigate the joint association between self-reported physical activity as well as cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health among healthy women and men. Data from 10,416 participants in The Danish Health Examination Survey 2007-2008 which took part in 13 Danish municipalities were analyzed. Leisure time physical activity level and self-rated health were based on self-reported questionnaire data. Optimal self-rated health was defined as "very good" or "good" self-rated health. Cardiorespiratory fitness (mL O2·min(-1)·kg(-1)) was estimated from maximal power output in a maximal cycle exercise test. A strong dose-response relation between cardiorespiratory fitness and self-rated health as well as between physical activity level and self-rated health among both women and men was found. Within categories of physical activity, odds ratios for optimal self-rated health increased with increasing categories of cardiorespiratory fitness, and vice versa. Hence, participants who were moderately/vigorously physically active and had a high cardiorespiratory fitness had the highest odds ratio for optimal self-rated health compared with sedentary participants with low cardiorespiratory fitness (odds ratio=12.2, 95% confidence interval: 9.3-16.1). Although reluctant to conclude on causality, this study suggests that an active lifestyle as well as good cardiorespiratory fitness probably increase self-rated health. © 2013.

Occupational noise exposure, psychosocial working conditions and the risk of tinnitus.

PubMed

Frederiksen, Thomas Winther; Ramlau-Hansen, Cecilia Høst; Stokholm, Zara Ann; Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaard; Hansen, Åse Marie; Lund, Søren Peter; Kristiansen, Jesper; Vestergaard, Jesper Medom; Bonde, Jens Peter; Kolstad, Henrik Albert

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of occupational noise (current and cumulative doses) and psychosocial work factors (psychological demands and decision latitude) on tinnitus occurrence among workers, using objective and non-self-reported exposure measures to prevent reporting bias. In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from a Danish survey from 2009 to 2010 that included 534 workers from children day care units and 10 manufacturing trades. Associations between risk factors (current noise exposure, cumulative noise exposure and psychosocial working conditions) and tinnitus were analyzed with logistic regression. We found no statistically significant associations between either current [OR 0.95 (95% CI 0.89; 1.01)] or cumulative [OR 0.93 (95% CI 0.81; 1.06)] occupational noise exposure and tinnitus. Likewise, results for psychosocial working conditions showed no statistically significant association between work place decision latitude [OR 1.06 (95% CI 0.94; 1.13)] or psychological demands [OR 1.07 (95% CI 0.90; 1.26)] and tinnitus. Our results suggest that current Danish occupational noise levels (in combination with relevant noise protection) are not associated with tinnitus. Also, results indicated that the psychosocial working conditions we observed in this cohort of mainly industrial workers were not associated with tinnitus. Therefore, psychosocial working conditions comparable to those observed in this study are probably not relevant to take into account in the evaluation of workers presenting with tinnitus.

A missense mutation in MKRN3 in a Danish girl with central precocious puberty and her brother with early puberty.

PubMed

Känsäkoski, Johanna; Raivio, Taneli; Juul, Anders; Tommiska, Johanna

2015-12-01

Idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) results from the premature reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis leading to development of secondary sexual characteristics prior to 8 y in girls or 9 y in boys. Since the initial discovery of mutations in the maternally imprinted MKRN3 gene in 2013, several case reports have described mutations in this gene in ICPP patients from different populations, highlighting the importance of MKRN3 as a regulator of pubertal onset. We screened 29 Danish girls with ICPP for mutations in MKRN3. Expression of MKRN3 in human hypothalamic complementary DNA (cDNA) was investigated by PCR. One paternally inherited rare variant, c.1034G>A (p.Arg345His), was identified in one girl with ICPP and in her brother with early puberty. The variant is predicted to be deleterious by three different in silico prediction programs. Expression of MKRN3 was confirmed in adult human hypothalamus. Our results are in line with previous studies in which paternally inherited MKRN3 mutations have been found both in males and in females with ICPP or early puberty. Our report further expands the set of MKRN3 mutations identified in ICPP patients across diverse populations, thus supporting the major regulatory function of MKRN3 in pubertal onset.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator use for primary prevention in ischaemic and non-ischaemic heart disease-indications in the post-DANISH trial era: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

PubMed

Haugaa, Kristina H; Tilz, Roland; Boveda, Serge; Dobreanu, Dan; Sciaraffia, Elena; Mansourati, Jacques; Papiashvili, Giorgi; Dagres, Nikolaos

2017-04-01

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is the standard of care for prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in high-risk patients. For primary prevention of SCD, in patients with ischaemic heart disease, there is more robust data on the effect of ICD therapy compared with patients with non-ischaemic heart disease, but current real-life practice may differ substantially. The aim of this European Heart Rhythm Association survey was to evaluate the clinical practice regarding implantation of ICD for primary prevention among European countries in patients with non-ischaemic and ischaemic heart disease. Furthermore, we wanted to investigate the impact of the results of the recently published DANISH trial on clinical practice among European countries. In total, 48 centres from 17 different countries responded to the questionnaire. The majority did not implant ICD for primary prevention on a regular basis in patients with non-ischaemic heart disease despite current guidelines. Also, centres have changed their indications after the recent report on the efficacy of ICD in these patients. In patients with ischaemic heart disease, the guidelines for primary prevention ICD were followed on a regular basis, and no relevant change in indications were reported. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fever in pregnancy and offspring head circumference.

PubMed

Dreier, Julie Werenberg; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Uldall, Peter Vilhelm; Nybo Andersen, Anne-Marie

2018-02-01

To examine whether maternal fever during pregnancy is associated with reduced head circumference and risk of microcephaly at birth. A prospective study of 86,980 live-born singletons within the Danish National Birth Cohort was carried out. Self-reported maternal fever exposure was ascertained in two interviews during pregnancy and information on head circumference at birth was extracted from the Danish Medical Birth Registry. Fever in pregnancy was reported by 27% of the mothers, and we identified 3370 cases of microcephaly (head circumference less than or equal to third percentile for sex and gestational age) and 1140 cases of severe microcephaly (head circumference less than or equal to first percentile for sex and gestational age). In this study, maternal fever exposure was not associated with reduced head circumference (adjusted β = 0.03, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.01-0.05), increased risk of microcephaly (odds ratio: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.88-1.03) nor severe microcephaly (odds ratio: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.88-1.15) in the offspring. These findings were consistent for increasing numbers of fever episodes, for increasing fever severity, and for exposure in both early pregnancy and midpregnancy. In this most comprehensive study to date, we found no indication that maternal fever in pregnancy is associated with small head size in the offspring. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occupational lifting and pelvic pain during pregnancy: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Larsen, Pernille Stemann; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Juhl, Mette; Svendsen, Susanne Wulff; Bonde, Jens Peter; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

2013-01-01

Pelvic pain during pregnancy is a common ailment, and the disease is a major cause of sickness absence during pregnancy. It is plausible that occupational lifting may be a risk factor of pelvic pain during pregnancy, but no previous studies have examined this specific exposure. The aim of this study was to examine the association between occupational lifting and pelvic pain during pregnancy. The study comprised 50 143 pregnant women, enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort in the period from 1996-2002. During pregnancy, the women provided information on occupational lifting (weight load and daily frequency), and six months post partum on pelvic pain. Adjusted odds ratios for pelvic pain during pregnancy according to occupational lifting were calculated by logistic regression. Any self-reported occupational lifting (>1 time/day and loads weighing >10 kg) was associated with an increased risk of pelvic pain during pregnancy as compared to no such lifting. A confounder-adjusted exposure-response relation was observed between self-reported total loads lifted and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Daily lifting of both medium (11-20 kg) and heavy loads (>20 kg) were associated with increased risk, and the highest risk was observed among women who lifted heavy loads independent of exposure to medium loads. Occupational lifting may increase the risk of pelvic pain during pregnancy.

Engagement, Conduct of Life and Dropouts in the Danish Vocational Education and Training (VET) System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Klaus

2016-01-01

This study provides support for the idea that school engagement is a central concept when trying to understand the dropout process. One of the strengths of this concept is that it involves understanding dropping out as a process, rather than as an event. However, the concept of school engagement also presents a number of problems. It tends to be…

[Inpatient psychiatry in Denmark].

PubMed

Gnirss, M

1993-01-01

The paper describes organization and clinical aspects of Danish psychiatry seen from the view of a psychiatrist trained in Switzerland. Differences of the two societies, the description of the hospital, the psychiatrist's daily work as well as juridical aspects and their effects to the work on a psychiatric ward form the main themes of this article. At the end the author tries to value the two different systems.

Development and validation of a brief, descriptive Danish pain questionnaire (BDDPQ).

PubMed

Perkins, F M; Werner, M U; Persson, F; Holte, K; Jensen, T S; Kehlet, H

2004-04-01

A new pain questionnaire should be simple, be documented to have discriminative function, and be related to previously used questionnaires. Word meaning was validated by using bilingual Danish medical students and asking them to translate words taken from the Danish version of the McGill pain questionnaire into English. Evaluative word value was estimated using a visual analog scale (VAS). Discriminative function was assessed by having patients with one of six painful conditions (postherpetic neuralgia, phantom limb pain, rheumatoid arthritis, ankle fracture, appendicitis, or labor pain) complete the questionnaire. We were not able to find Danish words that were reliably back-translated to the English words 'splitting' or 'gnawing'. A simple three-word set of evaluative terms had good separation when rated on a VAS scale ('let' 17.5+/-6.5 mm; 'moderat' 42.7+/-8.6 mm; and 'staerk' 74.9+/-9.7 mm). The questionnaire was able to discriminate among the six painful conditions with 77% accuracy by just using the descriptive words. The accuracy of the questionnaire increased to 96% with the addition of evaluative terms (for pain at rest and with activity), chronicity (acute vs. chronic), and location of the pain. A Danish pain questionnaire that subjects and patients can self-administer has been developed and validated relative to the words used in the English McGill Pain questionnaire. The discriminative ability of the questionnaire among some common painful conditions has been tested and documented. The questionnaire may be of use in patient care and research.

Use of history science methods in exposure assessment for occupational health studies

PubMed Central

Johansen, K; Tinnerberg, H; Lynge, E

2005-01-01

Aims: To show the power of history science methods for exposure assessment in occupational health studies, using the dry cleaning industry in Denmark around 1970 as the example. Methods: Exposure data and other information on exposure status were searched for in unconventional data sources such as the Danish National Archives, the Danish Royal Library, archives of Statistics Denmark, the National Institute of Occupational Health, Denmark, and the Danish Labor Inspection Agency. Individual census forms were retrieved from the Danish National Archives. Results: It was estimated that in total 3267 persons worked in the dry cleaning industry in Denmark in 1970. They typically worked in small shops with an average size of 3.5 persons. Of these, 2645 persons were considered exposed to solvents as they were dry cleaners or worked very close to the dry cleaning process, while 622 persons were office workers, drivers, etc in shops with 10 or more persons. It was estimated that tetrachloroethylene constituted 85% of the dry cleaning solvent used, and that a shop would normally have two machines using 4.6 tons of tetrachloroethylene annually. Conclusion: The history science methods, including retrieval of material from the Danish National Archives and a thorough search in the Royal Library for publications on dry cleaning, turned out to be a very fruitful approach for collection of exposure data on dry cleaning work in Denmark. The history science methods proved to be a useful supplement to the exposure assessment methods normally applied in epidemiological studies. PMID:15961618

Melanoma of the Skin in the Danish Cancer Registry and the Danish Melanoma Database: A Validation Study.

PubMed

Pedersen, Sidsel Arnspang; Schmidt, Sigrun Alba Johannesdottir; Klausen, Siri; Pottegård, Anton; Friis, Søren; Hölmich, Lisbet Rosenkrantz; Gaist, David

2018-05-01

The nationwide Danish Cancer Registry and the Danish Melanoma Database both record data on melanoma for purposes of monitoring, quality assurance, and research. However, the data quality of the Cancer Registry and the Melanoma Database has not been formally evaluated. We estimated the positive predictive value (PPV) of melanoma diagnosis for random samples of 200 patients from the Cancer Registry (n = 200) and the Melanoma Database (n = 200) during 2004-2014, using the Danish Pathology Registry as "gold standard" reference. We further validated tumor characteristics in the Cancer Registry and the Melanoma Database. Additionally, we estimated the PPV of in situ melanoma diagnoses in the Melanoma Database, and the sensitivity of melanoma diagnoses in 2004-2014. The PPVs of melanoma in the Cancer Registry and the Melanoma Database were 97% (95% CI = 94, 99) and 100%. The sensitivity was 90% in the Cancer Registry and 77% in the Melanoma Database. The PPV of in situ melanomas in the Melanoma Database was 97% and the sensitivity was 56%. In the Melanoma Database, we observed PPVs of ulceration of 75% and Breslow thickness of 96%. The PPV of histologic subtypes varied between 87% and 100% in the Cancer Registry and 93% and 100% in the Melanoma Database. The PPVs for anatomical localization were 83%-95% in the Cancer Registry and 93%-100% in the Melanoma Database. The data quality in both the Cancer Registry and the Melanoma Database is high, supporting their use in epidemiologic studies.

Psychiatric disease incidence among Danish Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists.

PubMed

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Johansen, Christoffer; Ross, Lone; Kessing, Lars Vedel; Hvidt, Niels Christian

2013-10-01

Previous studies suggest that religious practice can have a positive effect on mental health, but may also have potential for harm. In Denmark, unique possibilities are available for studying the influence of religious practice on mental health: Denmark is characterized as a secular society and it is possible to follow members of religious societies in nationwide registers. In this study, we follow a cohort of Danish Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) and Baptists in a nationwide psychiatry register and compare the incidence in this cohort with the general population. We followed a cohort of 5,614 SDA and 3,663 Baptists in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, which contained information on psychiatric hospitalizations from 1970 to 2009. Psychiatric disease incidence in the cohort was compared with that in the general Danish population as standardized incidence ratios and within-cohort comparisons were made with a Cox model. The cohort had decreased incidence of abuse disorders compared to the general population. Furthermore, among Baptists, decreased incidence of unipolar disorders among men and decreased incidence of schizophrenia among women were observed. Surprisingly, we observed an increased incidence rate of unipolar disorder among women. In this nationwide cohort study with 40 years of follow-up, we observed increased incidence rates of unipolar disorders among women and decreased rates of alcohol- and drug-related psychiatric disorders compared to the general Danish population. We have no mechanistic explanation for the increased incidence of unipolar disorders among women, but discuss several hypotheses that could explain this observation.

[Early achievements of the Danish pharmaceutical industry--3. Alfred Benzon].

PubMed

Grevsen, Jørgen V; Kirkegaard, Hanne; Kruse, Edith; Kruse, Poul R

2011-01-01

The article series provides a written and pictorial account of the Danish pharmaceutical industry's products from their introduction until about 1950. Part 3 deals with products from the company founded by Alfred Benzon in 1849. Alfred Nicolai Benzon owned the Swan Pharmacy in Copenhagen. In 1863 he started an independent company manufacturing branded pharmaceuticals, thus combining the pharmacy's activities with the wholesale business. The family owned the company until 1952, when it was converted into a foundation. After several restructuring rounds, the medicine production business continued as Benzon Pharma A/S until 1990, when Nycomed Pharma A/S bought up all the branded pharmaceuticals. As the first pharmaceutical company in Denmark, Alfred Benzon was an industrial frontrunner in the country at the time, supplying not only the domestic market but foreign markets as well. Alfred Benzon was the first Danish company to produce ether for anesthesia, and malt extract, a dietetic preparation. The high quality of both products made them valuable export articles. In the early 1890s, Alfred Benzon became the first Danish company to start the research-based production of extract of thyroid glands from slaughtered cattle. This was the beginning of a long-standing specialization in producing organotherapeutic substances from animal organs originating from Danish animal husbandry. In 1932 the company had 26 preparations of this type in its range, many of them on the market for several years. These medicine substances included iron preparations and effervescent salts followed by sulfonamides, synthetic hormones and a substance to counteract motion sickness.

Danish Rural Eye Study: the association of preschool vision screening with the prevalence of amblyopia.

PubMed

Høeg, Tracy B; Moldow, Birgitte; Ellervik, Christina; Klemp, Kristian; Erngaard, Ditte; la Cour, Morten; Buch, Helena

2015-06-01

To determine the prevalence of amblyopia in Denmark before and after the initiation of the Danish national preschool vision screening programme. In a population-based cross-sectional study, 3826 participants of the Danish General Suburban Population Study (GESUS) aged 20 years and older from a Danish rural municipality received a complete general health examination and an ophthalmological interview and examination. This study included a comprehensive ophthalmologic interview, measurement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in each eye, Hirschberg's test for strabismus and two 45-degree retinal fundus photographs of each eye. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed when indicated. The prevalence of monocular visual impairment (MVI) was 4.26% (95% CI, 3.66-4.95, n = 163). Amblyopia was the most common cause, accounting for 33%. The prevalence of amblyopia was 1.44% (95% CI, 1.01-1.81, n = 55), being higher among non-preschool vision screened persons compared to those who were offered (estimated 95% attendance) preschool vision screening (1.78%, n = 41, 95% CI 1.24-2.33 versus 0.44%, n = 2, 95% CI, 0.12-1.60, p = 0.024). The leading cause of amblyopia was anisometropia (45.5%, 25/55). Amblyopia was the most common cause of MVI. Following the initiation of the Danish national preschool vision screening programme, which has an approximate attendance rate of 95%, the prevalence of amblyopia decreased by fourfold. © 2014 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Danish VISA-A questionnaire with validation and reliability testing for Danish-speaking Achilles tendinopathy patients.

PubMed

Iversen, J V; Bartels, E M; Jørgensen, J E; Nielsen, T G; Ginnerup, C; Lind, M C; Langberg, H

2016-12-01

The VISA-A questionnaire has proven to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing severity of Achilles tendinopathy (AT). The aim was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the VISA-A questionnaire for a Danish-speaking AT population, and subsequently perform validity and reliability tests. Translation and following cross-cultural adaptation was performed as translation, synthesis, reverse translation, expert review, and pretesting. The final Danish version (VISA-A-DK) was tested for reliability on healthy controls (n = 75) and patients (n = 36). Tests for internal consistency, validity, and structure were performed on 71 patients. VISA-A-DK showed good reliability for patients (r = 0.80 ICC = 0.79) and healthy individuals (r = 0.98 ICC = 0.97). Internal consistency was 0.73 (Cronbach's alpha). The mean VISA-A-DK score in AT patients was 51 [47-55]. This was significantly lower than healthy controls with a score of 93 (90-95). Criterion validity was considered good when comparing the scores of the Danish version with the original version in both healthy individuals and patients. VISA-A-DK is a valid and reliable instrument and has shown compatible to the original version in assessment of AT patients. VISA-A-DK is a useful tool in the assessment of AT, both in research and in a clinical setting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Use of history science methods in exposure assessment for occupational health studies.

PubMed

Johansen, K; Tinnerberg, H; Lynge, E

2005-07-01

To show the power of history science methods for exposure assessment in occupational health studies, using the dry cleaning industry in Denmark around 1970 as the example. Exposure data and other information on exposure status were searched for in unconventional data sources such as the Danish National Archives, the Danish Royal Library, archives of Statistics Denmark, the National Institute of Occupational Health, Denmark, and the Danish Labor Inspection Agency. Individual census forms were retrieved from the Danish National Archives. It was estimated that in total 3267 persons worked in the dry cleaning industry in Denmark in 1970. They typically worked in small shops with an average size of 3.5 persons. Of these, 2645 persons were considered exposed to solvents as they were dry cleaners or worked very close to the dry cleaning process, while 622 persons were office workers, drivers, etc in shops with 10 or more persons. It was estimated that tetrachloroethylene constituted 85% of the dry cleaning solvent used, and that a shop would normally have two machines using 4.6 tons of tetrachloroethylene annually. The history science methods, including retrieval of material from the Danish National Archives and a thorough search in the Royal Library for publications on dry cleaning, turned out to be a very fruitful approach for collection of exposure data on dry cleaning work in Denmark. The history science methods proved to be a useful supplement to the exposure assessment methods normally applied in epidemiological studies.

Oral mucosal lesions in older people: relation to salivary secretion, systemic diseases and medications.

PubMed

Lynge Pedersen, A M; Nauntofte, B; Smidt, D; Torpet, L A

2015-09-01

To determine the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in a sample of older Danish people and to investigate their associations with age, gender, systemic diseases, medications, xerostomia and salivary secretion. A total of 668 community-dwelling individuals aged 65-95 years underwent a clinical examination, measurements of unstimulated and stimulated whole and labial salivary flow rates and an interview regarding xerostomia, general health, medication, tobacco and alcohol habits. Seventy-five per cent of all participants and 70% of the non-medicated ones had one or more oral mucosal lesions. The most prevalent lesions were lingual varicosities (28.3%), denture stomatitis (12.7%), candidiasis (11.8%), fissured tongue (9.1%) and frictional keratosis (8.4%). Lesions were generally associated with smoking and xerostomia. Varicosities were more common in participants with systemic diseases and medication intake, particularly with cardiovascular diseases and agents. Fissured tongue and atrophic tongue were associated with female gender, xerostomia and low unstimulated whole and labial salivary secretion. Oral candidiasis was associated with older age; being male; current smoker; having >3 diseases, intake of medications and low salivary flow rates; and identified in relation to denture stomatitis, fissured tongue and atrophic tongue and median rhomboid glossitis. Oral mucosal lesions are prevalent in older Danish people and generally associated with changes in both local and systemic factors. Tongue lesions in particular appeared as indicators that may identify patients with specific need of oral intervention. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Danish auroral science history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stauning, P.

2011-01-01

Danish auroral science history begins with the early auroral observations made by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe during the years from 1582 to 1601 preceding the Maunder minimum in solar activity. Included are also the brilliant observations made by another astronomer, Ole Rømer, from Copenhagen in 1707, as well as the early auroral observations made from Greenland by missionaries during the 18th and 19th centuries. The relations between auroras and geomagnetic variations were analysed by H. C. Ørsted, who also played a vital role in the development of Danish meteorology that came to include comprehensive auroral observations from Denmark, Iceland and Greenland as well as auroral and geomagnetic research. The very important auroral investigations made by Sophus Tromholt are outlined. His analysis from 1880 of auroral observations from Greenland prepared for the significant contributions from the Danish Meteorological Institute, DMI, (founded in 1872) to the first International Polar Year 1882/83, where an expedition headed by Adam Paulsen was sent to Greenland to conduct auroral and geomagnetic observations. Paulsen's analyses of the collected data gave many important results but also raised many new questions that gave rise to auroral expeditions to Iceland in 1899 to 1900 and to Finland in 1900 to 1901. Among the results from these expeditions were 26 unique paintings of the auroras made by the artist painter, Harald Moltke. The expedition to Finland was headed by Dan la Cour, who later as director of the DMI came to be in charge of the comprehensive international geomagnetic and auroral observations made during the Second International Polar Year in 1932/33. Finally, the article describes the important investigations made by Knud Lassen during, among others, the International Geophysical Year 1957/58 and during the International Quiet Sun Year (IQSY) in 1964/65. With his leadership the auroral and geomagnetic research at DMI reached a high international level that came to be the background for the first Danish satellite, Ørsted, successfully launched in 1999 and still in operation.

No Correlation Between Work-Hours and Operative Volumes--A Comparison Between United States and Danish Operative Volumes Achieved During Surgical Residency.

PubMed

Kjærgaard, Jane; Sillesen, Martin; Beier-Holgersen, Randi

2016-01-01

Since 2003, United States residents have been limited to an 80-hour workweek. This has prompted concerns of reduced educational quality, especially inadequate operating exposure. In contrast, the Danish surgical specialty-training program mandates a cap on working hours of 37 per week. We hypothesize that there is no direct correlation between work-hours and operative volume achieved during surgical residency. To test the hypothesis, we compare Danish and US operative volumes achieved during surgical residency training. Retrospective comparative study. The data from the US population was extracted from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education database for General Surgery residents from 2012 to 2013. For Danish residents, a questionnaire with case categories matching the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education categories were sent to all Danish surgeons graduating the national surgical residency program in 2012 or 2013, 54 in total. In all, 30 graduated residents (55%) responded to the Danish survey. We found no significant differences in mean total major procedures (1002.4 vs 976.9, p = 0.28) performed during residency training, but comparing average major procedures per year, the US residents achieve significantly more (132.3 vs 195.4, p <0.01). When factoring in differences in time spent in training, this amounts to a weekly average difference of 1.2 cases throughout training. In this study, we find no difference in overall surgical volumes between Danes and US residents during their surgical training. When time in training was accounted for, differences between weekly surgical volumes achieved were minor, indicating a lack of direct correlation between weekly work-hours and operative volumes achievable. Factors other than work-hours seem to effect on operative volumes achieved during training. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic and Environmental Regulation on Longitudinal Change of Metabolic Phenotypes in Danish and Chinese Adult Twins

PubMed Central

Li, Shuxia; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Pang, Zengchang; Zhang, Dongfeng; Duan, Haiping; Tan, Qihua; Hjelmborg, Jacob; Kruse, Torben; Dalgård, Christine

2016-01-01

Objective The rate of change in metabolic phenotypes can be highly indicative of metabolic disorders and disorder-related modifications. We analyzed data from longitudinal twin studies on multiple metabolic phenotypes in Danish and Chinese twins representing two populations of distinct ethnic, cultural, social-economic backgrounds and geographical environments. Materials and Methods The study covered a relatively large sample of 502 pairs of Danish adult twins followed up for a long period of 12 years with a mean age at intake of 38 years (range: 18–65) and a total of 181 Chinese adult twin pairs traced for about 7 years with a mean baseline age of 39.5 years (range: 23–64). The classical twin models were fitted to the longitudinal change in each phenotype (Δphenotype) to estimate the genetic and environmental contributions to the variation in Δphenotype. Results Moderate to high contributions by the unique environment were estimated for all phenotypes in both Danish (from 0.51 for low density lipoprotein cholesterol up to 0.72 for triglycerides) and Chinese (from 0.41 for triglycerides up to 0.73 for diastolic blood pressure) twins; low to moderate genetic components were estimated for long-term change in most of the phenotypes in Danish twins except for triglycerides and hip circumference. Compared with Danish twins, the Chinese twins tended to have higher genetic control over the longitudinal changes in lipids (except high density lipoprotein cholesterol) and glucose, higher unique environmental contribution to blood pressure but no genetic contribution to longitudinal change in body mass traits. Conclusion Our results emphasize the major contribution of unique environment to the observed intra-individual variation in all metabolic phenotypes in both samples, and meanwhile reveal differential patterns of genetic and common environmental regulation on changes over time in metabolic phenotypes across the two samples. PMID:26862898

Practical use of a uterine score system for predicting effects on interval from calving to first insemination and non-return rate 56 in Danish dairy herds.

PubMed

Elkjær, Karina; Labouriau, Rodrigo; Ancker, Marie-Louise; Gustafsson, Hans; Callesen, Henrik

2013-12-01

A detailed study of 398,237 lactations of Danish Holstein dairy cows was undertaken. The objective was to investigate the information gained by evaluating vaginal discharge in cows from 5 to 19 days post-partum (p.p.) using an ordinal scale from 0 to 9. The study focused on the interval from calving to first insemination (CFI) and the non-return rate 56 days after first insemination (NR56), adjusted for the confounders milk production and body condition score (BCS). For the analyses, BCS was evaluated on the same day that the uterine score was made. Milk production was defined as test-day milk yield in the first month p.p. The study showed that the evaluation of vaginal discharge according to this score system permitted ranking of cows according to CFI and NR56, i.e. an increasing uterine score was associated with a significantly longer time from calving to first insemination and significantly reduced the probability of success of the first insemination. Reproductive success was already affected if the uterine score had reached 4 (i.e. before the discharge smelled abnormally). The negative effect on CFI and NR56 increased as the uterine score increased, which suggested that the uterine scoring system was a useful guide to dairy producers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation and application of site-specific data to revise the first-order decay model for estimating landfill gas generation and emissions at Danish landfills.

PubMed

Mou, Zishen; Scheutz, Charlotte; Kjeldsen, Peter

2015-06-01

Methane (CH₄) generated from low-organic waste degradation at four Danish landfills was estimated by three first-order decay (FOD) landfill gas (LFG) generation models (LandGEM, IPCC, and Afvalzorg). Actual waste data from Danish landfills were applied to fit model (IPCC and Afvalzorg) required categories. In general, the single-phase model, LandGEM, significantly overestimated CH₄generation, because it applied too high default values for key parameters to handle low-organic waste scenarios. The key parameters were biochemical CH₄potential (BMP) and CH₄generation rate constant (k-value). In comparison to the IPCC model, the Afvalzorg model was more suitable for estimating CH₄generation at Danish landfills, because it defined more proper waste categories rather than traditional municipal solid waste (MSW) fractions. Moreover, the Afvalzorg model could better show the influence of not only the total disposed waste amount, but also various waste categories. By using laboratory-determined BMPs and k-values for shredder, sludge, mixed bulky waste, and street-cleaning waste, the Afvalzorg model was revised. The revised model estimated smaller cumulative CH₄generation results at the four Danish landfills (from the start of disposal until 2020 and until 2100). Through a CH₄mass balance approach, fugitive CH₄emissions from whole sites and a specific cell for shredder waste were aggregated based on the revised Afvalzorg model outcomes. Aggregated results were in good agreement with field measurements, indicating that the revised Afvalzorg model could provide practical and accurate estimation for Danish LFG emissions. This study is valuable for both researchers and engineers aiming to predict, control, and mitigate fugitive CH₄emissions from landfills receiving low-organic waste. Landfill operators use the first-order decay (FOD) models to estimate methane (CH₄) generation. A single-phase model (LandGEM) and a traditional model (IPCC) could result in overestimation when handling a low-organic waste scenario. Site-specific data were important and capable of calibrating key parameter values in FOD models. The comparison study of the revised Afvalzorg model outcomes and field measurements at four Danish landfills provided a guideline for revising the Pollutants Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) model, as well as indicating noteworthy waste fractions that could emit CH₄at modern landfills.

Risk of Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Strokes in Occult and Manifest Cancers.

PubMed

Andersen, Klaus Kaae; Olsen, Tom Skyhøj

2018-06-04

Manifest cancer is associated with increased risk of stroke. The risk of stroke in people with occult cancer in comparison to the risk in the background population without cancer has not been investigated. Smoking is a risk factor for both cancer and stroke, but the role of smoking for the risk of stroke in cancer has not been investigated. We identified all incident cases of cancer in Denmark 2003 to 2012 (n=264.376) from the Danish Cancer Registry. Each person with cancer was matched by age, sex, and income with 10 randomly selected persons without cancer at index date (n=2.571.260). Linking data to the Danish Stroke Registry, we studied risk of ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke the year before (occult cancer) and after cancer diagnosis was established in the Danish Stroke Registry (manifest cancer) and stratified into the 15 most common cancer types related (lung, colon, bladder, rectum, pancreas, kidney, stomach, and head and neck cancer) and unrelated (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, breast, prostate, melanoma, central nervous system, ovary and endometrial) to smoking. Risk of ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke was increased for both occult (relative risk, 1.75/2.00) and manifest cancers (relative risk, 1.30/1.41). For occult cancer, risk of ischemic stroke was increased for all of the smoking-related cancers, but among cancers unrelated to smoking, only lymphoma, central nervous system, and endometrial cancer were associated with increased risk of stroke; breast, prostate, melanoma, and ovarian cancers were not. For occult cancer, risk of hemorrhagic stroke was generally increased for smoking-related cancers while not for cancers unrelated to smoking. For manifest cancer, risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke was generally increased for cancers related to smoking while not for cancers unrelated to smoking. Cancer, occult and manifest, is associated with increased risks for stroke. The increased risk is linked mainly to cancers related to smoking. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Detection of adverse drug reactions among ordinary users of liraglutide on the occasion of drug dispensing in the community pharmacy setting.

PubMed

Christensen, Søren Troels; Bjerrum, Ole Jannik

2013-12-01

Postmarketing studies of drugs forms an essential part of safety surveillance. In particular, this concerns new drugs as safety information of these by large rests on randomized clinical studies conducted on a limited number of subjects before licensing. Pharmacists in community pharmacies are in a unique position for detection of user experienced adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in relation to drug dispensing. The study reports from a research initiative exploring prompt and proactive ADR detection of liraglutide and reporting facilitated by pharmacy students undertaking internship in a community pharmacy in Denmark. Nineteen pharmacy students undertaking regular 6 months' internship--eighth semester--in a Danish community pharmacy participated in the data collection. Before the data collection, students attended an interactive training seminar addressing ADRs in general, organ symptoms, diagnostic classification, and pharmacovigilance systems. Pharmacy students approached recurrent drug users purchasing liraglutide. Participating users were asked about experienced ADRs linked to liraglutide use. Reported ADRs were collected and analyzed. Sixty-two liraglutide users participated in the study, of whom, 38 reported 84 ADRs possibly linked to liraglutide usage. Nausea was by far the most reported ADR followed by decreased appetite, diarrhea, fatigue, and abdominal pain (upper). The reported ADRs are in accordance with previously reported ADRs. The study has demonstrated the feasibility of community pharmacy driven pharmacovigilance. The study supports the thesis that community pharmacists in the future may play a proactive and prominent role in patient-centered pharmacovigilance.

Psychiatric disorders in women with fertility problems: results from a large Danish register-based cohort study.

PubMed

Baldur-Felskov, B; Kjaer, S K; Albieri, V; Steding-Jessen, M; Kjaer, T; Johansen, C; Dalton, S O; Jensen, A

2013-03-01

Do women who don't succeed in giving birth after an infertility evaluation have a higher risk of psychiatric disorders compared with women who do? The results indicated that being unsuccessful in giving birth after an infertility evaluation could be an important risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Several studies have investigated the association between fertility treatment and psychological distress, but the results from these studies show substantial variation and lack of homogeneity that may be due to methodological limitations. A retrospective cohort study was designed using data from a cohort of 98 320 Danish women evaluated for fertility problems during 1973-2008 and linked to several Danish population-based registries. All women were followed from the date of first infertility evaluation until date of hospitalization for the psychiatric disorder in question, date of emigration, date of death or 31 December 2008, whichever occurred first. Owing to the precise linkage between the infertility cohort and the Danish population-based registries, using the unique Danish personal identification number, virtually no women were lost to follow-up. Information on reproductive status for all women in the infertility cohort was obtained by linkage to the Danish Medical Birth Registry. A total of 53 547 (54.5%) women gave birth after the initial infertility evaluation, whereas 44 773 (45.5%) women did not gave birth after the evaluation. To determine psychiatric disorders diagnosed in the women after enrolment in the infertility cohort, the cohort was linked to the Danish Psychiatric Central Registry. A total of 4633 women were hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between parity status after the initial infertility evaluation and risk of hospitalization for various groups of psychiatric disorders, including 'all mental disorders' and six main discharge subgroups labelled: 'alcohol and intoxicant abuse', 'schizophrenia and psychoses', 'affective disorders', 'anxiety, adjustment and obsessive compulsive disorders', 'eating disorder' and 'other mental disorders'. The incidence rate for all mental disorders was 393 cases per 100 000 person-years among women who did not succeed in giving birth after the infertility evaluation but only 353 cases per 100 000 person-years among women who succeeded in giving birth after the infertility evaluation. Women not giving birth after the infertility evaluation had an increased risk of hospitalization for all mental disorders (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.11; 1.25), alcohol and intoxicant abuse (HR 2.02, 95% CI 1.69; 2.41), schizophrenia and psychoses (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.17; 1.82) and other mental disorders (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.27; 1.58) compared with women who gave birth after the infertility evaluation. In contrast, the risk of affective disorders (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.81; 0.99) was decreased among women not giving birth after the infertility evaluation. Finally, the risk of anxiety, adjustment and obsessive compulsive disorders (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.97; 1.17) as well as of eating disorders (HR 1.40, 95% CI 0.88; 2.22) was not significantly affected by parity status after the infertility evaluation. As only psychiatric conditions warranting hospitalization could be included in the present study, the true incidence of all psychiatric disorders among women with fertility problems is likely to be somewhat underestimated. Furthermore, since detailed information on fertility treatment was not available for all cohort members the association between different modalities of assisted reproductive techniques and risk of psychiatric disorders was not assessed. Clinicians and other healthcare personnel involved in diagnosis and treatment of women with fertility problems should be aware of the potential risk modification of psychiatric disorders associated with unsuccessful fertility treatment. Hence, our results may point to new aspects of follow-up of women with fertility problems who are unsuccessful in giving birth in order to prevent or identify and treat these possible psychological side effects. The study was supported by the Danish Cancer Society (award number: 96 222 54). All authors report no conflicts of interest.

Encounters with immigrant customers: perspectives of Danish community pharmacy staff on challenges and solutions.

PubMed

Mygind, Anna; Espersen, Sacha; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig; Traulsen, Janine M

2013-06-01

To explore the challenges that Danish community pharmacy staff encounter when serving non-Western immigrant customers. Special attention was paid to similarities and differences between the perceptions of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants. A questionnaire was distributed to one pharmacist and one pharmacy assistant employed at each of the 55 community pharmacies located in the five local councils in Denmark with the highest number of immigrant inhabitants. The total response rate was 76% (84/110). Most respondents found that the needs of immigrant customers were not sufficiently assessed at the counter (n = 55, 65%), and that their latest encounter with an immigrant customer was less satisfactory than a similar encounter with an ethnic Danish customer (n = 48, 57%) (significantly more pharmacists than assistants: odds ratio, OR, 3.19; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.27-8.04). Forty-two per cent (n = 35) perceived that immigrant customers put pressure on pharmacy staff resources, while 27% (n = 23) found that the immigrant customer group make work more interesting. More pharmacists than assistants agreed on the latter (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.04-11.33). Within the past 14 days, 86% (n = 72) experienced that their advice and counselling were not understood by immigrant customers, whereas 49% (n = 41) experienced lack of understanding by ethnic Danes; and 30% (n = 25) had consciously refrained from counselling an immigrant, whereas 19% (n = 16) had done so with an ethnic Dane. Use of under-aged children as interpreters during the past month was reported by 79% of respondents. Regarding suggestions on how to improve encounters with immigrant customers, most respondents listed interventions aimed at patients, general practitioners and pharmaceutical companies. Community pharmacy staff report poorer quality in their encounters with immigrant customers, including sub-optimal counselling and frequent use of under-aged children as interpreters. Our study also reveals certain differences across personnel groups, which may be explained by differences in level of education. © 2012 The Authors. IJPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

'FIFA 11 for Health' for Europe. 1: effect on health knowledge and well-being of 10- to 12-year-old Danish school children.

PubMed

Fuller, Colin W; Ørntoft, Christina; Larsen, Malte Nejst; Elbe, Anne-Marie; Ottesen, Laila; Junge, Astrid; Dvorak, Jiri; Krustrup, Peter

2017-10-01

To modify the 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme to the European situation, and to assess its effects on health knowledge and well-being in Danish school children. A two-cohort study with seven intervention and two control schools. Of the 546 Danish children (boys 269; girls 277) of mean age 11.1 (±0.4) years from five city and four country-side schools, 402 undertook the 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme and 144 acted as controls. As part of each school's PE curriculum, seven intervention schools received a 45 min Play Football period (football skills and 3 vs 3 games) and a 45 min Play Fair period (health issues and football drills) on a weekly-basis for 11 weeks. Control participants continued with their regular school PE activities. Participants completed preintervention and postintervention health knowledge and well-being questionnaires. Overall, health knowledge increase was significantly (p<0.05) greater for the intervention group (11.9%) than the control group (2.6%). Significant (p<0.05) between-group differences were obtained for 8 of 10 health topics (6.1-20.2%) related to physical activity, nutrition, hygiene and well-being. The social dimension of the well-being questionnaire was significantly (p<0.05) improved in the intervention group compared to the control group, but there were no significant between-group effects for the physical, emotional and school dimensions. Positive reporting about the programme was given by 72.4% of the children and only 4.8% reported negatively. The 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme modified for Europe demonstrated positive effects on children's health knowledge and social dimension of well-being, thereby providing evidence that the football-based health education programme can be used effectively within a European school's curriculum to increase physical activity, well-being and health knowledge. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Effect of Oral Vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis BCG on the Development of Tuberculosis in Captive European Badgers (Meles meles).

PubMed

Chambers, Mark A; Aldwell, Frank; Williams, Gareth A; Palmer, Si; Gowtage, Sonya; Ashford, Roland; Dalley, Deanna J; Davé, Dipesh; Weyer, Ute; Salguero, Francisco J; Nunez, Alejandro; Nadian, Allan K; Crawshaw, Timothy; Corner, Leigh A L; Lesellier, Sandrine

2017-01-01

The European badger ( Meles meles ) is a reservoir host of Mycobacterium bovis and responsible for a proportion of the tuberculosis (TB) cases seen in cattle in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. An injectable preparation of the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is licensed for use in badgers in the UK and its use forms part of the bovine TB eradication plans of England and Wales. However, there are practical limitations to the widespread application of an injectable vaccine for badgers and a research priority is the development of an oral vaccine deliverable to badgers in bait. Previous studies reported the successful vaccination of badgers with oral preparations of 10 8 colony forming units (CFU) of both Pasteur and Danish strains of BCG contained within a lipid matrix composed of triglycerides of fatty acids. Protection against TB in these studies was expressed as a reduction in the number and apparent progression of visible lesions, and reductions in the bacterial load and dissemination of infection. To reduce the cost of an oral vaccine and reduce the potential for environmental contamination with BCG, it is necessary to define the minimal efficacious dose of oral BCG for badgers. The objectives of the two studies reported here were to compare the efficacy of BCG Danish strain in a lipid matrix with unformulated BCG given orally, and to evaluate the efficacy of BCG Danish in a lipid matrix at a 10-fold lower dose than previously evaluated in badgers. In the first study, both BCG unformulated and in a lipid matrix reduced the number and apparent progression of visible lesions and the dissemination of infection from the lung. In the second study, vaccination with BCG in the lipid matrix at a 10-fold lower dose produced a similar outcome, but with greater intra-group variability than seen with the higher dose in the first study. Further research is needed before we are able to recommend a final dose of BCG for oral vaccination of badgers against TB or to know whether oral vaccination of wild badgers with BCG will significantly reduce transmission of the disease.

The Effect of Oral Vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis BCG on the Development of Tuberculosis in Captive European Badgers (Meles meles)

PubMed Central

Chambers, Mark A.; Aldwell, Frank; Williams, Gareth A.; Palmer, Si; Gowtage, Sonya; Ashford, Roland; Dalley, Deanna J.; Davé, Dipesh; Weyer, Ute; Salguero, Francisco J.; Nunez, Alejandro; Nadian, Allan K.; Crawshaw, Timothy; Corner, Leigh A. L.; Lesellier, Sandrine

2017-01-01

The European badger (Meles meles) is a reservoir host of Mycobacterium bovis and responsible for a proportion of the tuberculosis (TB) cases seen in cattle in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. An injectable preparation of the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is licensed for use in badgers in the UK and its use forms part of the bovine TB eradication plans of England and Wales. However, there are practical limitations to the widespread application of an injectable vaccine for badgers and a research priority is the development of an oral vaccine deliverable to badgers in bait. Previous studies reported the successful vaccination of badgers with oral preparations of 108 colony forming units (CFU) of both Pasteur and Danish strains of BCG contained within a lipid matrix composed of triglycerides of fatty acids. Protection against TB in these studies was expressed as a reduction in the number and apparent progression of visible lesions, and reductions in the bacterial load and dissemination of infection. To reduce the cost of an oral vaccine and reduce the potential for environmental contamination with BCG, it is necessary to define the minimal efficacious dose of oral BCG for badgers. The objectives of the two studies reported here were to compare the efficacy of BCG Danish strain in a lipid matrix with unformulated BCG given orally, and to evaluate the efficacy of BCG Danish in a lipid matrix at a 10-fold lower dose than previously evaluated in badgers. In the first study, both BCG unformulated and in a lipid matrix reduced the number and apparent progression of visible lesions and the dissemination of infection from the lung. In the second study, vaccination with BCG in the lipid matrix at a 10-fold lower dose produced a similar outcome, but with greater intra-group variability than seen with the higher dose in the first study. Further research is needed before we are able to recommend a final dose of BCG for oral vaccination of badgers against TB or to know whether oral vaccination of wild badgers with BCG will significantly reduce transmission of the disease. PMID:28174695

"We Got Incredibly Drunk...It Was Damned Fun": Drinking Stories among Danish Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tutenges, Sebastien; Rod, Morten Hulvej

2009-01-01

Drinking stories are immensely popular among contemporary Danish youth. The stories are shared with much enthusiasm in school, at parties, over the telephone and via the Internet. But why are the young so compelled by these seemingly vulgar stories? Applying the theories of, most importantly, Bakhtin (1968), Ricoeur (1991), and Jackson (2002),…

University Academics at a Crossroads? Continuity and Transformation in Danish University Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krejsler, John B.; Carney, Stephen

2009-01-01

Within an overall policy script aimed at creating fewer "world-class" institutions, Danish universities are currently being remade to better serve the world of work and employment, the demands of high-technology industry, and the needs of society, which are increasingly described and defined in terms of appeals to "relevance to the…

The Seeds of Social Change from Denmark.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, Donald N., Jr.

N.F.S. Grundtvig was a priest, historian, poet, and founder of the Danish Folk High School. He believed that education for adults should be geared to adults and wanted schools to be independent of the church. Grundtvig was among the first to call for Denmark's schools to use the native Danish language. Grundtvig believed that each group or culture…

Mortality and Causes of Death in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Update

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouridsen, Svend Erik; Bronnum-Hansen, Henrik; Rich, Bente; Isager, Torben

2008-01-01

This study compared mortality among Danish citizens with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with that of the general population. A clinical cohort of 341 Danish individuals with variants of ASD, previously followed over the period 1960-93, now on average 43 years of age, were updated with respect to mortality and causes of death. Standardized…

Psychosocial Development in a Danish Population of Children with Cochlear Implants and Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dammeyer, Jesper

2010-01-01

Research has shown a prevalence of psychosocial difficulties ranging from about 20% to 50% among children with hearing loss. This study evaluates the prevalence of psychosocial difficulties in a Danish population in relation to different explanatory variables. Five scales and questionnaires measuring sign language, spoken language, hearing…

Using Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Healthy Eating among Danish Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gronhoj, Alice; Bech-Larsen, Tino; Chan, Kara; Tsang, Lennon

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to apply the theory of planned behavior to predict Danish adolescents' behavioral intention for healthy eating. Design/methodology/approach: A cluster sample survey of 410 students aged 11 to 16 years studying in Grade 6 to Grade 10 was conducted in Denmark. Findings: Perceived behavioral control followed by…

Looking for the Information Needle in the Internet Haystack.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clausen, Helge

This paper presents the results of an empirical survey conducted in the winter of 1995-96 among 413 Danish Internet users (business people, higher education/research and students). Data from a recent Danish Mediacenter Internet survey (n=2981) are also included. Findings indicate that women tend to use the Internet to solve well-defined problems,…

Is Drop-Out from University Dependent on National Culture and Policy? The Case of Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troelsen, Rie; Laursen, Per F.

2014-01-01

National cultures are known to influence educational institutions and practices in many ways. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that drop-out from university is also influenced by differences in national cultures. In this article, we compare drop-out from Danish universities with drop-out from European universities. Based on Danish national…

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Photometry of 3 open clusters (Andreuzzi+, 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreuzzi, G.; Bragaglia, A.; Tosi, M.; Marconi, G.

2012-02-01

Be20 and Be66 were observed with DOLORES at TNG (Telescopio Nazionale Galileo) in 24-Nov-2000 and 03-Oct-2000 (Be66); To2 was observed on 07-Mar-1995 (ESO/Danish), 15-May-2001 (ESO/Danish with DFOSC), and 15-Mar-2002 (ESO/NTT with SuSI2) (3 data files).

Measuring Perceptions of the Learning Environment and Approaches to Learning: Validation of the Learn Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Kim Jesper; Bager-Elsborg, Anna; Parpala, Anna

2017-01-01

While focus on quality in Danish higher education has been growing in recent years, limited attention has been devoted to developing and thoroughly validating instruments that allow collecting data about university students' perceptions of the teaching-learning environment. Based on data from a large sample of Danish university students, a Danish…

Using the SOLO Taxonomy to Analyze Competence Progression of University Science Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brabrand, Claus; Dahl, Bettina

2009-01-01

During 2007 all Danish university curricula were reformulated to explicitly state course objectives due to the adoption of a new Danish national grading scale which stipulated that grades were to be given based on how well students meet explicit course objectives. The Faculties of Science at University of Aarhus and University of Southern Denmark…

Social Origin and Graduation Age: A Cohort Comparison of Danish University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klausen, Trond Beldo

2016-01-01

This paper investigates whether social origin has an impact on graduation age among university students. A large number of social background factors are applied on a large data set of 4 successive cohorts of Danish university graduates born 1960-1975. These are cohorts for whom university attendance increased steeply. Contrary to recent findings…

Active smoking and risk of breast cancer in a Danish nurse cohort study.

PubMed

Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic; Jørgensen, Jeanette Therming; Grøn, Randi; Brauner, Elvira Vaclavik; Lynge, Elsebeth

2017-08-22

No scientific consensus has been reached on whether active tobacco smoking causes breast cancer. We examine the association between active smoking and breast cancer risk in Denmark, which has some of the highest smoking and breast cancer rates in women worldwide. We used the data from a nationwide Danish Nurse Cohort on 21,867 female nurses (age > 44 years) who at recruitment in 1993 or 1999 reported information on smoking status, onset, duration, and intensity, as well as breast cancer risk factors. We obtained data on incidence of breast cancer from Danish Cancer Registry until 2013, and used Cox regression models to analyze the association between smoking and breast cancer. Of 21,831 women (mean age 53.2 years) 1162 developed breast cancer during 15.7 years of follow-up. 33.7% of nurses were current and 30.0% former smokers at cohort baseline. Compared to never smokers, we found increased risk of breast cancer of 18% in ever (hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval: 1.18; 1.04-1.34) and 27% in current (1.27; 1.11-1.46) smokers. We detected a dose-response relationship with smoking intensity with the highest breast cancer risk in women smoking >15 g/day (1.31; 1.11-1.56) or >20 pack-years (1.32; 1.12-1.55). Parous women who smoked heavily (>10 pack-years) before first childbirth had the highest risk of breast cancer (1.58; 1.20-2.10). Association between smoking and breast cancer was not modified by menopausal status, obesity, alcohol or hormone therapy use, and seemed to be limited to the estrogen receptor positive breast cancer subtype. Active smoking increases risk of breast cancer, with smoking before first birth being the most relevant exposure window.

Psychometric properties of HeartQoL, a core heart disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in Danish implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients.

PubMed

Zangger, Graziella; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Kikkenborg Berg, Selina; Kristensen, Marie S; Grønset, Charlotte N; Uddin, Jamal; Pedersen, Susanne S; Oldridge, Neil B; Thygesen, Lau C

2018-01-01

Background Patient-reported health-related quality of life is increasingly used as an outcome measure in clinical trials and as a performance measure to evaluate quality of care. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Danish HeartQoL questionnaire, a core heart disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Design This study involved cross-sectional and test-retest study designs. Method Implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients in the cross-sectional study completed the HeartQoL, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The HeartQoL structure, construct-related validity (convergent and discriminative) and reliability (internal consistency) were assessed. HeartQoL reproducibility (test-retest) was assessed in an independent sample of implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Results Mokken scale analysis supported the bi-dimensional structure of HeartQoL among 358 implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Convergent ( r > 0.72) and discriminative validity were confirmed. The HeartQoL scales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.90). Test-retest reliability (two weeks interval) was assessed in 89 implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients and found to be acceptable for each scale (intra-class correlation > 0.90). Conclusion The Danish HeartQoL questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory key psychometric attributes of validity and reliability in this implantable cardioverter defibrillator population. This study adds support for the HeartQoL as a core heart-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire in a broad group of patients with heart disease including implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients.

Prevalence of posttraumatic growth hormone deficiency is highly dependent on the diagnostic set-up: results from The Danish National Study on Posttraumatic Hypopituitarism.

PubMed

Klose, Marianne; Stochholm, Kirstine; Janukonyté, Jourgita; Lehman Christensen, Louise; Frystyk, Jan; Andersen, Marianne; Laurberg, Peter; Christiansen, Jens Sandahl; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla

2014-01-01

Recent international guidelines suggest pituitary screening in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Predominantly isolated GH deficiency (GHD) was reported in the literature, raising the question of potential methodological bias. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of GHD in patients admitted in 2008 with TBI, with concurrent assessment of methodological bias. We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study at tertiary referral university hospitals. Participants were Danish patients with a head trauma diagnosis from the Danish Board of Health diagnostic code registry; 439 patients and 124 healthy controls underwent dynamic assessment of GH secretion 2.5 years (median) after TBI. We evaluated the prevalence of GHD given use of 1) local versus guideline cutoffs, 2) insulin tolerance test (ITT), pyridostigmine (PD)-GHRH or GHRH-arginine (arg) test, 3) single versus repeated testing, and 4) GH assessment by assays with different isoform specificities. The prevalence of GHD was lower by local than by guideline cutoffs (12% vs 19% [PD-GHRH/GHRH-arg, P<.001]; 4.5% vs 5% [ITT, P=.9]), and by ITT than by PD-GHRH/GHRH-arg (P=.006 [local cutoffs]; P<.001 [guideline cutoffs]). Only 1% of patients had GHD according to 2 tests. GH assessment by the Immulite or iSYS assay caused no significant diagnostic differences. The study confirmed a high risk of bias in the management of pituitary testing of patients with TBI and stresses the importance of a proper control group and stringent GH testing including confirmatory testing in cohorts with low a priori likelihood of GHD such as in TBI. Our results question the evidence for newly introduced recommendations for routine pituitary assessment in TBI.

Opportunities for healthier child feeding. Does ethnic position matter? - self-reported evaluation of family diet and impediments to change among parents with majority and minority status in Denmark.

PubMed

Nielsen, Annemette; Krasnik, Allan; Vassard, Ditte; Holm, Lotte

2014-07-01

Health inequality between ethnic groups is expressed in differences in the prevalence of diet related diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate and compare barriers toward eating healthier among ethnic majority and minority parents in Denmark. A postal survey was carried out among 2511 parents with either Danish or non-western ethnic minority descendant background, investigating barriers on cultural, structural, social, individual, and practical levels. The results showed that compared with parents of Danish origin, ethnic minority parents were more likely to evaluate their own diets negatively (OR 3.0, CI 1.7-5.3), and to evaluate their children's diets negatively (OR 4.6, CI 2.5-8.4). In addition, ethnic minority parents to a higher degree experienced barriers to eating healthier than Danish parents did. Most salient was ethnic minority parents' expression of a lack of control over their own food intake and the food given to their children in everyday life. Such a lack of control was identified on practical, social, structural and individual levels. Young age of the parents was found to explain some of the differences between ethnic groups. It is concluded that dietary interventions directed at parents of small children should address not only cultural background but also barriers operating on practical, social, structural, and individual levels, as some of these influence ethnic minorities and the majority population differently. Further exploration of the importance of young age and the interplay between structural and cultural factors in the lives of ethnic minority families is needed. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Diet quality: associations with health messages included in the Danish Dietary Guidelines 2005, personal attitudes and social factors.

PubMed

Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Groth, Margit V; Matthiessen, Jeppe; Wachmann, Henrik; Christensen, Tue; Fagt, Sisse

2009-08-01

To study the association between diet quality and the new health messages in the Danish Dietary Guidelines 2005, i.e. 'Eat a varied diet', 'Engage in regular physical activity' and 'Maintain a healthy body weight'. The study was cross-sectional, comprising a random sample of 3151 Danish adults aged 18-75 years. Dietary intake was estimated using a 7 d pre-coded food diary. Information on social background, leisure-time physical activity, height, body weight and intention to eat healthy was obtained by in-person interviews. Logistic regression models were used to explore the independent effects of energy intake, leisure-time physical activity, food variety, BMI, age, gender, education, household income, location of residence and intention to eat healthy on the likelihood to have high diet quality measured by an index based on the intake of dietary fibre and saturated fat. Greater food variety (OR = 1.32 for women, 1.13 for men), high leisure-time physical activity (OR = 2.20 for women, 1.91 for men), frequent intentions to eat healthy (OR = 8.19 for women, 5.40 for men) and low energy intake (OR=0.78 for women, 0.85 for men) were significantly associated with high diet quality. For women education was positively associated with diet quality. The study did not demonstrate any association between BMI and diet quality. The health behaviours 'Eat a varied diet' and 'Engage in regular physical activity' were positively associated with healthy eating. The dietary habits reported were strongly influenced by personal intentions. Thus, the biggest challenge for public health nutritionists will be to reach non-compliers who seldom have intentions to eat healthy.

Association between ulcer site and outcome in complicated peptic ulcer disease: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

PubMed

Lolle, Ida; Møller, Morten Hylander; Rosenstock, Steffen Jais

2016-10-01

Mortality rates in complicated peptic ulcer disease are high. This study aimed to examine the prognostic importance of ulcer site in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) and perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). a nationwide cohort study with prospective and consecutive data collection. all patients treated for PUB and PPU at Danish hospitals between 2003 and 2014. demographic and clinical data reported to the Danish Clinical Registry of Emergency Surgery. 90- and 30-d mortality and re-intervention. the crude and adjusted association between ulcer site (gastric and duodenal) and the outcome measures of interest were assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. Some 20,059 patients with PUB and 4273 patients with PPU were included; 90-d mortality was 15.3% for PUB and 29.8% for PPU; 30-d mortality was 10.2% and 24.7%, respectively. Duodenal bleeding ulcer, as compared to gastric ulcer (GU), was associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality within 90 and 30 d, and with re-intervention: adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.47 (95% confidence interval 1.30-1.67); p < 0.001, OR 1.60 (1.43-1.77); p < 0.001, and OR 1.86 (1.68-2.06); p < 0.001, respectively. There was no difference in outcomes between gastric and duodenal ulcers (DUs) in PPU patients: adjusted OR 0.99 (0.84-1.16); p = 0.698, OR 0.93 (0.78 to 1.10); p = 0.409, and OR 0.97 (0.80-1.19); p = 0.799, respectively. DU site is a significant predictor of death and re-intervention in patients with PUB, as compared to GU site. This does not seem to be the case for patients with PPU.

Comparison of the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire with a validated position and motion instrument.

PubMed

Matthiessen, Jeppe; Biltoft-Jensen, Anja; Rasmussen, Lone B; Hels, Ole; Fagt, Sisse; Groth, Margit V

2008-01-01

To compare the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire (DPAQ) estimating physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and physical activity level (PAL) and the pattern of physical activity (including health-related physical activity) with measurements from a validated position and motion instrument (ActiReg). One hundred and thirty-eight healthy Danish volunteers aged 20-59 years participated. Participants filled in the DPAQ at the end of the day every day for seven consecutive days and carried the ActiReg on the same days as the DPAQ were filled in. A small, but statistically significant difference was seen between the DPAQ and the ActiReg for PAEE (mean: -0.32 MJ x d(-1); 95% limits of agreement: ((-2.88)-2.24 MJ x d(-1)); P = 0.003) and PAL (-0.03; ((-0.37)-0.31); P = 0.02) for the whole group and for women (P < 0.008 for PAEE and PAL), but not for men. The correlation between methods was good for PAEE (r = 0.71, P < 0.001) and PAL (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). No difference was observed for time spent in moderate plus vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (P = 0.40). Time reported in MVPA with the DPAQ was positively correlated with time spent in MVPA measured by the ActiReg (p = 0.53, P < 0.001). Although the volunteer sample may influence the representativeness of the results, the DPAQ provided a close estimate of PAEE, PAL (2-5% underestimation) and health-related physical activity (MVPA) in healthy adults at group level. The results indicate that the questionnaire can be used to rank individuals according to energy expenditure and level of total physical activity and to provide information on health-related physical activity.

Self-reported health-related quality of life predicts 5-year mortality and hospital readmissions in patients with ischaemic heart disease.

PubMed

Hansen, Tina Birgitte; Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Zwisler, Ann Dorthe; Helmark, Lotte; Hoogwegt, Madelein; Versteeg, Henneke; Höfer, Stefan; Oldridge, Neil

2015-07-01

Patient health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important health outcome with lower HRQL associated with adverse events in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Baseline health-related quality of life was investigated as a predictor of 5-year all-cause mortality and cardiac readmissions in Danish patients with IHD. The international HeartQoL Project survey was designed to develop a core HRQL questionnaire for patients with IHD. Baseline scores on each of the 14 items ultimately included in the HeartQoL questionnaire were linked to Danish national health registries and hazard ratios for mortality and readmissions were estimated using Cox regression models. Among 938 eligible Danish patients with IHD, 662 (70.6%) participated in the international HeartQoL Project. During the 5-year follow-up, 83 patients died and 196 patients were readmitted. Adjusted analyses showed a significant linear association between all-cause mortality and both lower global HRQL (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.26-2.23; p<0.001) and physical scores (HR=1.71, 1.33-2.21; p<0.001) and between readmission and both lower global (HR=1.73, 1.41-2.12; p < 0.001) and physical scores (HR = 1.63, 1.35-1.96; p < 0.001). A significant, but non-linear, effect was found for emotional HRQL score on outcomes. This study shows a significant and linear relationship between lower global and physical HRQL scores in patients with IHD and 5-year all-cause mortality and cardiac readmission. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Danish Observational Study of Eldercare work and musculoskeletal disorderS (DOSES): a prospective study at 20 nursing homes in Denmark

PubMed Central

Karstad, Kristina; Jørgensen, Anette F B; Greiner, Birgit A; Burdorf, Alex; Søgaard, Karen; Rugulies, Reiner; Holtermann, Andreas

2018-01-01

Purpose Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), sickness absence and premature retirement are highly prevalent among eldercare workers. We conducted a prospective observational workplace study with the main purpose to investigate longitudinal associations between physical and psychosocial working conditions and occurrence of MSD and its consequences (pain-related interference with daily work activities and sickness absence) among Danish eldercare workers. Participants At 20 Danish nursing homes, a total of 941 eldercare workers employed in day and evening shifts were invited to the study. Of those, 553 participated in the baseline measurements, and 441 completed the total period of 12 months follow-up. Findings to date Data were collected from September 2013 to January 2016. Physical and psychosocial working conditions were assessed with multiple methods (observations, accelerometer measurements and work schedules), and multiple levels of information (nursing home, ward, resident and eldercare worker) were incorporated in the data collection. MSD and the consequences hereof were assessed monthly during a 1-year follow-up. Study participants and non-participants were comparable on most of the 27 sociodemographic, health and working condition characteristics at baseline. The exceptions were higher neck–shoulder pain intensity, less sickness absence, more exposure to negative behaviour from residents and a higher percentage of working day shifts and fewer evening shifts among participants compared with non-participants. Future plans The first publications will report on the associations of physical and psychosocial working conditions with occurrence of MSD and its consequences. In addition, the cohort gives the opportunity to investigate the importance of organisational, management and team factors for distribution of physical work demands and development of MSD among the workers. This will provide important knowledge for future workplace interventions to reduce MSD and sickness absence. PMID:29490965

Secondary depression in severe anxiety disorders: a population-based cohort study in Denmark

PubMed Central

Meier, Sandra M; Petersen, Liselotte; Mattheisen, Manuel; Mors, Ole; Mortensen, Preben B; Laursen, Thomas M

2016-01-01

Summary Background Depression and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid conditions and a worldwide disease burden; however, large-scale studies delineating their association are scarce. In this retrospective study, we aimed to assess the effect of severe anxiety disorders on the risk and course of depression. Methods We did a population-based cohort study with prospectively gathered data in Denmark using data from three Danish population registers: The Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, and the Danish National Hospital Registry. We selected the cohort from people born in Denmark between Jan 1, 1955, and Dec 31, 2002, who we followed up from Jan 1, 1994, to Dec 31, 2012. The cohort was restricted to individuals with known parents. First, we investigated the effect of specific anxiety diagnoses on risk of single depressive episodes and recurrent depressive disorder. Second, we investigated the effect of comorbid anxiety on risk of readmission for depression, adjusting for sex, age, calendar year, parental age, place at residence at time of birth, and the interaction of age with sex. Findings We included 3 380 059 individuals in our study cohort. The adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) for single depressive episodes was 3·0 (95% CI 2·8–3·1, p<0·0001) and for recurrent depressive disorder was 5·0 (4·8–5·2) in patients with severe anxiety disorders compared with the general population. Compared with control individuals, the offspring of parents with anxiety disorders were more likely to be diagnosed with single depressive episodes (1·9, 1·8–2·0) or recurrent depressive disorder (2·1, 1·9–2·2). Comorbid anxiety increased the readmission rates in both patients with single depressive episodes and patients with recurrent depressive disorder. Interpretation Severe anxiety constitutes a significant risk factor for depression. Focusing on specific anxiety disorders might help to identify individuals at risk of depression, thereby providing new insights for prevention and treatment. Funding The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH). PMID:26360447

Agreement between patients and general practitioners on quality deviations during the cancer diagnostic pathway and associations with time to diagnosis.

PubMed

Jensen, Henry; Sperling, Cecilie; Sandager, Mette; Vedsted, Peter

2015-06-01

High quality and minimal delay are crucial and anticipated elements in the diagnostic cancer pathway as delay in the diagnosis may worsen the prognosis and cause lower patient satisfaction. The aim of this study was to describe agreement in reported quality deviations (QDs) between general practitioners (GPs) and cancer patients during the diagnostic pathway in primary care and to estimate the association between length of diagnostic interval and level of agreement on reported QDs. The study was carried out as a Danish cross-sectional study of incident cancer patients identified in the Danish National Patient Registry. Data were collected by independent questionnaires from patients (response rate: 53.0%) and their GPs (response rate: 73.8%), and 2177 pairs of questionnaires were subsequently combined. Agreement between GP- and patient-reported QDs was estimated using Cohen's Kappa, whereas the association between level of agreement and time to diagnosis was estimated using quantile regression. Patients reported QDs in 29.0% and GPs in 28.5% of the cases, but agreed only slightly on QD presence (Kappas between -0.08 and 0.26). Agreement on 'QD presence' was associated with a 54-day (95%CI: 44-64) longer time to diagnosis than agreement on 'no QD presence'. The association with a longer diagnostic interval was stronger when only GP reported a QD the association than when only patient reported a QD. Included GPs and patients agreed only slightly on QD presence although they reported the same amount of QDs; this suggests that GPs and patients see QDs as two different concepts. QD presence had a stronger impact on time to diagnosis when reported by the GP (alone or in agreement with the patient) than when reported by the patient alone. The GP may thus be the most important source of information on QD and diagnostic interval, while the patient information tends to underpin this assessment. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of the Danish saturated fat tax on the demand for meat and dairy products.

PubMed

Jensen, Jørgen Dejgaard; Smed, Sinne; Aarup, Lars; Nielsen, Erhard

2016-12-01

Taxation of unhealthy food is considered a regulation tool to improve diets. In 2011 Denmark introduced a tax on saturated fat in food products, the first country in the world to do so. The objective of the present paper is to investigate the effects of the tax on consumers' intake of saturated fat within three different types of food product group: minced beef, regular cream and sour cream. We use an augmented version of the Linearized Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) functional form for econometric analysis, allowing for tax-induced structural breaks. Data originate from one of the largest retail chains in Denmark (Coop Danmark) and cover January 2010 to October 2012, with monthly records of sales volume, sales revenue and information about specific campaigns from 1293 stores. The Danish fat tax had an insignificant or small negative effect on the price for low- and medium-fat varieties, and led to a 13-16 % price increase for high-fat varieties of minced beef and cream products. The tax induced substitution effects, budget effects and preference change effects on consumption, yielding a total decrease of 4-6 % in the intake of saturated fat from minced beef and regular cream, and a negligible effect on the intake from sour cream. The Danish introduction of a tax on saturated fat in food in October 2011 had statistically significant effects on the sales of fat in minced beef and cream products, but the tax seems to have reduced the beyond-recommendation saturated fat intake to only a limited extent.

Role of socio-economic and reproductive factors in the risk of multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Magyari, M

2015-01-01

The incidence of multiple sclerosis is increasing in Danish women. Their risk of developing multiple sclerosis has more than doubled in 25 years while it has remained virtually unchanged for men. The explanation for these epidemiological changes should be sought in the environment as they are too rapid to be explained by gene alterations. We investigated the effect of numerous biological social physical and chemical environmental exposures in different periods of life. These data were available from population-based registries and were used in a case-control approach. This study database included all multiple sclerosis cases (n = 1403) from the Danish MS Registry with clinical onset between 2000 and 2004 as well as 35,045 controls drawn by random from the Danish Civil Registration System and matched by sex year of birth and residential municipality at the reference year. Having newborn children reduced the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in women but not in men. Childbirths reduced the risk of MS by about 46% during the following 5 years. Even pregnancies terminated early had a protective effect on the risk of developing MS suggesting a temporary immunosuppression during pregnancy. Our data on social behaviour regarding educational level income and relationship stability did not indicate reverse causality. A greater likelihood to be exposed to common infections did not show any effect on the risk of MS neither in puberty nor in adulthood. Socio-economic status and lifestyle expressed in educational level and sanitary conditions in youth were not associated with the risk of MS. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adherence to a Healthy Nordic Diet and Risk of Stroke: A Danish Cohort Study.

PubMed

Hansen, Camilla Plambeck; Overvad, Kim; Kyrø, Cecilie; Olsen, Anja; Tjønneland, Anne; Johnsen, Søren Paaske; Jakobsen, Marianne Uhre; Dahm, Christina Catherine

2017-02-01

Specific dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean diet, have been associated with stroke prevention. Our aim was to investigate whether adherence to a healthy Nordic diet, including fish, apples and pears, cabbages, root vegetables, rye bread, and oatmeal, was associated with risk of stroke. Incident cases of stroke among 55 338 men and women from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort were identified from the Danish National Patient Register and verified by review of records. Cases of ischemic stroke were further subclassified based on etiology according to the TOAST classification system (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment). Information on diet was collected at baseline (1993-1997) using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazards ratios of total stroke and subtypes of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. During a median follow-up of 13.5 years, 2283 cases of incident stroke were verified, including 1879 ischemic strokes. Adherence to a healthy Nordic diet, as reflected by a higher Healthy Nordic Food Index score, was associated with a lower risk of stroke. The hazards ratio comparing an index score of 4 to 6 (high adherence) with an index score of 0 to 1 (low adherence) was 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.76-0.98) for total stroke. Inverse associations were observed for ischemic stroke, including large-artery atherosclerosis. No trend was observed for hemorrhagic stroke; however, a statistically insignificant trend was observed for intracerebral hemorrhage. Our findings suggest that a healthy Nordic diet may be recommended for the prevention of stroke. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

[The social recruitment of medical students in year group 2006 and 2007 at the University of Copenhagen].

PubMed

Pedersen, Laura Toftegaard; Bak, Nanna Hasle; Petersson, Birgit H

2010-01-18

To study the social recruitment of medical students at the University of Copenhagen in 2006 and 2007 and compare it to the social recruitment in 1992, the Danish population and other study programmes. Questionnaire survey of first-year medical students from year 2006-2007. The population comprised 446 students, of whom 71% were women. They were categorised according to parents' social class, parents' education and presence of doctors in the family. 81% of the students belonged to social class I and II, 41% of the students' parents had a higher education and 17% had at least one parent who was a trained physician. For the Danish population and for students at Psychology and the Humanities, the numbers were significantly lower. Fewer students were recruited from the higher social classes in 1992, but more students had parents with higher education. In 1992, the quota system had an equalizing effect on the distribution across social classes; this effect did not seem to be present in 2006-07. The distribution of medical students across social classes is less equal than in the rest of the Danish population and has remained close to unchanged in the period 1992 to 2007. Furthermore, the medical school recruits more students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds than other fields of study at the University of Copenhagen. There is a need for an increased focus on the social recruitment and an intensified effort to recruit a more differentiated segment of students, among others through an increase in quota 2 admission rates.

Prevalence of overweight, obesity and physical inactivity in 20- to 29-year-old, Danish men. Relation to sociodemography, physical dysfunction and low socioeconomic status: the Odense Androgen Study.

PubMed

Nielsen, T L; Wraae, K; Brixen, K; Hermann, A P; Andersen, M; Hagen, C

2006-05-01

To assess the prevalence of overweight, obesity and physical inactivity in 20- to 29-year-old men and to analyze whether sociodemography, physical dysfunction and low socioeconomic status are independent correlates of obesity and physical inactivity. Population-based, cross-sectional study. Seven hundred and eighty-three Caucasian, Danish men, aged 20-29 years recruited from 2042 respondents in a questionnaire survey of 3000 men, randomly drawn from the Danish Civil Registration System. Questionnaire, interview and physical examination. The 783 included men and the 2042 questionnaire respondents matched the background population demographically. The 783 men matched the questionnaire respondents as regards BMI, physical activity, chronic disease, medication, smoking, sociodemography and socioeconomic status. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 31.7 and 7.9%, respectively (World Health Organization criteria). Using waist circumference (WC) cutoffs of 94 and 102 cm, the prevalence was 16.2 and 10.6%, respectively; 24.4% were physically inactive. BMI and WC increased significantly from age 20 to 29 years. Physical activity decreased significantly with age and correlated inversely with WC, but not with BMI. Occupation, geography, partner status, fatherhood and tobacco exposure were independently related with obesity and physical inactivity. Obesity was also related to musculoskeletal complaints, whereas chronic diseases and low educational level were associated with physical inactivity. Age was not independently related with either outcome. In affluent societies, sociodemographic changes may partly explain the age-related decrease in physical activity and the parallel increase in WC and BMI.

Physician-staffed emergency helicopter reduces transportation time from alarm call to highly specialized centre.

PubMed

Fjaeldstad, Alexander; Kirk, Morten Hasager; Knudsen, Lars; Bjerring, Jesper; Christensen, Erika F

2013-07-01

Since 2007, the number of Danish emergency departments has decreased from 44 to 21. Longer distances to specialized treatment have increased the demand for advanced prehospital treatment. A Danish 24/7 Helicopter Emergency Medical System (HEMS) project in western Denmark was initiated on 6 January 2011. The HEMS provides prehospital care delivered by a specialized anaesthesiologist. This study evaluated the effect of HEMS on the time to treatment by a physician (time-to-doctor) and the time from a 112 emergency call to arrival at the highly specialized centre (time-to-centre) for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or severe injury (Injury Severity Score > 15). In this prospective study with a matched historical control group, the time-to-doctor and the time-to-centre for patients with STEMI or severe injury transported by HEMS were compared with geographically matched patients with the same diagnoses and who were transported by ambulance. Time-to-centre was reduced from 102 to 84 min. for STEMI and from 322 to 97 min. for severely injured patients after HEMS implementation. HEMS did not substantially reduce time-to-doctor, mainly because of increased availability of physician-staffed cars. In 56% of cases, HEMS was dispatched secondarily more than 30 min. after the ambulance had been dispatched. Using HEMS reduced time to arrival at a highly specialized centre for patients with STEMI or severe injury. Simultaneous dispatch of an ambulance and HEMS shows potential for further reduction in the time-to-centre and the time-to-doctor. not relevant. The trial is registered at the Danish Data Protection Agency.

Conference Proceedings on Propagation Effects on Military Systems in the High Altitude Region Held in Fairbanks, Alaska on 3-7 June 1985.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-11-01

Printing Services Limited ’ 40 Chigwel Lane, Loughton, Essex "I."-, THEME With the advent of new systems operating at high latitudes in the field of...Radars C. L. Rino and J. Owen, SRI International , Menlo Park, CA, US 1530 Break 1600 2.7. High-Latitude Scintillations using NNSS Satellites L. Kersley...D. Kelly, R. T. Tsunoda, SRI International , Menlo Park, CA, US, J. K. Oleson and P. Stauning, Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, DE

Epidemiological and serological investigation of a waterborne Campylobacter jejuni outbreak in a Danish town.

PubMed

Kuhn, K Gaardbo; Falkenhorst, G; Emborg, H-D; Ceper, T; Torpdahl, M; Krogfelt, K A; Ethelberg, S; Mølbak, K

2017-03-01

Following an unusually heavy rainfall in June 2009, a community-wide outbreak of Campylobacter gastroenteritis occurred in a small Danish town. The outbreak investigation consisted of (1) a cohort study using an e-questionnaire of disease determinants, (2) microbiological study of stool samples, (3) serological study of blood samples from cases and asymptomatic members of case households, and (4) environmental analyses of the water distribution system. The questionnaire study identified 163 cases (respondent attack rate 16%). Results showed a significant dose-response relationship between consumption of tap water and risk of gastroenteritis. Campylobacter jejuni belonging to two related flaA types were isolated from stool samples. Serum antibody levels against Campylobacter were significantly higher in cases than in asymptomatic persons. Water samples were positive for coliform bacteria, and the likely mode of contamination was found to be surface water leaking into the drinking-water system. This geographically constrained outbreak presented an ideal opportunity to study the serological response in persons involved in a Campylobacter outbreak. The serology indicated that asymptomatic persons from the same household may have been exposed, during the outbreak period, to Campylobacter at doses that did not elicit symptoms or alternatively had been exposed to Campylobacter at a time prior to the outbreak, resulting in residual immunity and thus absence of clinical signs.

Rorschach Comprehensive System data for a sample of 141 adult nonpatients from Denmark.

PubMed

Ivanouw, Jan

2007-01-01

A sample (n = 141) of Danish nonpatients 25-50 years of age, never hospitalized with a psychiatric diagnosis and currently employed, was demographically representative of two geographical areas of Copenhagen with different social strain. The sample, as well as 45 persons not currently employed, was tested with the Rorschach (Exner, 1995), MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989), Word Association Test (Ivanouw, 1999b), WAIS Comprehension subtest (Hess, 1974), and SCL-90-R (Olsen, Mortenson, & Bech, 2006). Half of the persons contacted volunteered for the study. There was no difference in rate of volunteering between a standard no-feedback condition and a feedback condition; the latter, however, tended to attract more psychologically resourceful persons. The employed persons tended to appear healthier than the not employed. Response style of the subjects, quality of the Rorschach protocols, reliability of scoring, and the effect of the data being grouped on geographical area and examiner were examined. Form level, color, texture, cooperative movement, and EA were lower than in the Comprehensive System (CS; n = 450) sample, but higher than in nine international nonpatient Rorschach studies. Unique for the Danish sample was a low number of animal movement answers. The Rorschach data showed women to be healthier than men. Differences in Rorschach variables based on educational level were small.

Characterization of the genetic profile of five Danish dog breeds.

PubMed

Pertoldi, C; Kristensen, T N; Loeschcke, V; Berg, P; Praebel, A; Stronen, A V; Proschowsky, H F; Fredholm, M

2013-11-01

This investigation presents results from a genetic characterization of 5 Danish dog breeds genotyped on the CanineHD BeadChip microarray with 170,000 SNP. The breeds investigated were 1) Danish Spitz (DS; n=8), 2) Danish-Swedish Farm Dog (DSF; n=18), 3) Broholmer (BR; n=22), 4) Old Danish Pointing Dog (ODP; n=24), and 5) Greenland Dog (GD; n=23). The aims of the investigation were to characterize the genetic profile of the abovementioned dog breeds by quantifying the genetic differentiation among them and the degree of genetic homogeneity within breeds. The genetic profile was determined by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and through a Bayesian clustering method. Both the PCA and the Bayesian clustering method revealed a clear genetic separation of the 5 breeds. The level of genetic variation within the breeds varied. The expected heterozygosity (HE) as well as the degree of polymorphism (P%) ranked the dog breeds in the order DS>DSF>BR>ODP>GD. Interestingly, the breed with a tenfold higher census population size compared to the other breeds, the Greenland Dog, had the lowest within-breed genetic variation, emphasizing that census size is a poor predictor of genetic variation. The observed differences in variation among and within dog breeds may be related to factors such as genetic drift, founder effects, genetic admixture, and population bottlenecks. We further examined whether the observed genetic patterns in the 5 dog breeds can be used to design breeding strategies for the preservation of the genetic pool of these dog breeds.

Susceptibility of vancomycin-resistant and -sensitive Enterococcus faecium obtained from Danish hospitals to benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide biocides.

PubMed

Alotaibi, Sulaiman M I; Ayibiekea, Alafate; Pedersen, Annemette Frøling; Jakobsen, Lotte; Pinholt, Mette; Gumpert, Heidi; Hammerum, Anette M; Westh, Henrik; Ingmer, Hanne

2017-12-01

In Danish hospitals, the number of infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE faecium) has dramatically increased in recent years. Hospital disinfectants are essential in eliminating pathogenic microorganisms, and reduced susceptibility may contribute to hospital-associated infections. We have addressed whether clinical VRE faecium display decreased biocide susceptibility when compared to vancomycin-sensitive Enterococcus faecium (VSE faecium) isolates. In total 12 VSE faecium and 37 VRE faecium isolates obtained from Danish hospitals over an extended time period were tested for susceptibility towards three commonly applied biocides, namely benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide. For benzalkonium chloride, 89 % of VRE faecium strains had a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8 mg l -1 , whereas for VSE faecium, only 25 % of the strains had an MIC of 8 mg l -1 . For chlorhexidine, the MIC of 95 % of VRE faecium strains was 4 mg l -1 or higher, while only 33 % of VSE faecium strains displayed MIC values at the same level. In contrast, both VRE and VSE faecium displayed equal susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide, but a higher minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) was found for the former. The efflux activity was also assessed, and this was generally higher for the VRE faecium strains compared to VSE faecium. VRE faecium from Danish hospitals demonstrated decreased susceptibility towards benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine compared to VSE faecium, where the use of chlorhexidine is particularly heavy in the hospital environment. These findings suggest that biocide tolerance may characterize VRE faecium isolated in Danish hospitals.

Association between CST3 rs2424577 polymorphism and corpulence related phenotypes during lifetime in populations of European ancestry.

PubMed

Hooton, Henri; Dubern, Beatrice; Henegar, Corneliu; Paternoster, Lavinia; Nohr, Ellen A; Alili, Rohia; Rousseau, Francis; Pelloux, Veronique; Galan, Pilar; Hercberg, Serge; Arner, Peter; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Clément, Karine

2011-01-01

Cystatin C, a protein coded by CST3 gene, is implicated in adipose tissue biology. Our hypothesis is that common variants in CST3 gene could play a role in the development of corpulence during lifetime. Two tag SNPs were selected to capture all SNPs in the CST3 region. We first investigated the association of the two tag SNPs individually and combined into haplotypes with corpulence related phenotypes in 4,288 French subjects (BMI = 24.31 ( 3.74 kg/m²). Significant findings were replicated in five independent populations--790 Danish lean men (BMI = 24.63 ( 2.30 kg/m²), 672 Danish obese men (BMI = 33.23 ( 2.34 kg/m²), 763 Swedish women (BMI = 21.73 ( 2.87 kg/m²), 1,848 Danish lean women (BMI = 22.66 ( 2.85 kg/m²) and 2,061 Danish obese women (BMI = 37.01 ( 3.59 kg/m²). Rs2424577 was associated with BMI in three independent populations--G/G carriers were less corpulent than A/A carriers in the French individuals (p = 0.045) and in the Danish lean men (p = 0.021), and they were more corpulent in the group of Swedish women (p = 0.004). This phenomenon has been described as a flip-flop phenomenon, probably caused by a multilocus effect. CST3 rs2424577 is associated with BMI in a complex fashion. This association is probably caused by the interaction between several functional variants. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Association between sexually transmitted disease and church membership. A retrospective cohort study of two Danish religious minorities

PubMed Central

Kørup, Alex Kappel; Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Christensen, René dePont; Johansen, Christoffer; Søndergaard, Jens; Hvidt, Niels Christian

2016-01-01

Objectives Studies comprising Danish Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) and Danish Baptists found that members have a lower risk of chronic diseases including cancer. Explanations have pointed to differences in lifestyle, but detailed aetiology has only been sparsely examined. Our objective was to investigate the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among Danish SDAs and Baptists as a proxy for cancers related to sexual behaviour. Methods We followed the Danish Cohort of Religious Societies from 1977 to 2009, and linked it with national registers of all inpatient and outpatient care contacts using the National Patient Register. We compared the incidence of syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia among members of the cohort with the general population. Results The cohort comprised 3119 SDA females, 1856 SDA males, 2056 Baptist females and 1467 Baptist males. For the entire cohort, we expected a total of 32.4 events of STD, and observed only 9. Female SDAs and Baptists aged 20–39 years had significant lower incidence of chlamydia (both p<0.001). Male SDAs and Baptists aged 20–39 years also had significant lower incidence of chlamydia (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). No SDA members were diagnosed with gonorrhoea, when 3.4 events were expected, which, according to Hanley's ‘rule of three’, is a significant difference. No SDA or Baptist was diagnosed with syphilis. Conclusions The cohort shows significant lower incidence of STD, most likely including human papillomavirus, which may partly explain the lower incidence of cancers of the cervix, rectum, anus, head and neck. PMID:27016243

Comparative Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Three Different Automated Medication Systems Implemented in a Danish Hospital Setting.

PubMed

Risør, Bettina Wulff; Lisby, Marianne; Sørensen, Jan

2018-02-01

Automated medication systems have been found to reduce errors in the medication process, but little is known about the cost-effectiveness of such systems. The objective of this study was to perform a model-based indirect cost-effectiveness comparison of three different, real-world automated medication systems compared with current standard practice. The considered automated medication systems were a patient-specific automated medication system (psAMS), a non-patient-specific automated medication system (npsAMS), and a complex automated medication system (cAMS). The economic evaluation used original effect and cost data from prospective, controlled, before-and-after studies of medication systems implemented at a Danish hematological ward and an acute medical unit. Effectiveness was described as the proportion of clinical and procedural error opportunities that were associated with one or more errors. An error was defined as a deviation from the electronic prescription, from standard hospital policy, or from written procedures. The cost assessment was based on 6-month standardization of observed cost data. The model-based comparative cost-effectiveness analyses were conducted with system-specific assumptions of the effect size and costs in scenarios with consumptions of 15,000, 30,000, and 45,000 doses per 6-month period. With 30,000 doses the cost-effectiveness model showed that the cost-effectiveness ratio expressed as the cost per avoided clinical error was €24 for the psAMS, €26 for the npsAMS, and €386 for the cAMS. Comparison of the cost-effectiveness of the three systems in relation to different valuations of an avoided error showed that the psAMS was the most cost-effective system regardless of error type or valuation. The model-based indirect comparison against the conventional practice showed that psAMS and npsAMS were more cost-effective than the cAMS alternative, and that psAMS was more cost-effective than npsAMS.