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This paper explores the moral implications of treatment of young people with functional somatic symptoms. Based on an ethnographic field study at a Danish pain clinic for youngsters (age 8 to 18), the paper seeks to unearth the cultural, moral values that clinical practice steers by and upholds, and the implications this has for the assessment and management of ill body-selves. Through an exposition of the general practice of the clinic and an investigation of two specific cases of youngsters, it is found that the assessment of symptoms and selves and the goals of treatment are informed by cultural ideals of 'the good self' and 'the good life' in which agency and work ethic – both pertaining to the notion of individual responsibility – figure as prevalent virtues. The study underpins the findings of other researchers who have found that ideals of individual autonomy and responsibility for own life and health permeate the Western health care system and the discourses of ill individuals. The contribution of this article is to portray in ethnographic detail how such a cultural ethics manifests in practice and what implications this have for the treatment of young people with functional symptoms at a specific location and in specific cases. The two cases illustrate that the underlying norms and values can give rise to very different moral assessments of symptoms and selves within the same diagnostic category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study investigates health care practitioners’ approaches to early childhood obesity in Denmark and their view on their own ability to initiate processes of change in affected families, and it asks the overall question of whether perceived barriers become real through practitioners’ reluctance to intervene in families labelled as ´problematic’. The paper identifies three approaches in the practitioners’ narratives: the socially oriented, the individually oriented, and the mixed. The individually oriented approach was based on a logic resembling individualistic explanatory models of behaviour change, and was related to a positive perspective on their own ability to move families towards healthier habits by health care practitioners. The socially oriented approach borrowed elements from a sociological perspective, which seemed to lead to resigned pessimism in the face of the complexity of the problem of childhood overweight and a reluctance to address early childhood overweight in some families. In practitioners of all three types, widespread cultural essentialism was found. Non-western, ethnic minority background was seen as determining family habits and making preventive action especially difficult. Based on this, the current paper discusses whether individual actions and choices are being ascribed too much explanatory power, and the health system's biased perceptions too little. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis constitutes a major categorisation tool in medicine. This paper adds to the paucity of knowledge about part of the work such a tool performs. It examines the ways in which diabetes epidemiology translates into attempts to prevent diabetes from occurring through screening and diagnosing, and then managing those categorised as ‘at high risk’. Using a qualitative design in the context of a small-scale Danish intervention study, the findings suggest that health professionals overinterpreted relative risk reductions and exaggerated treatment effects; simultaneously, prediabetics called into question the scientifically set thresholds. Nonetheless, arguments concerning changed behaviour’s benefits were sought to be incorporated into self-care routines. The data highlight how, by identifying a normatively set threshold, a diagnosis can determine health promotion messages’ impact in ‘high-risk’ prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on a qualitative study of the onset of acquired hearing impairment. The focus of attention is why a person seeks treatment. The Danish welfare state serves the population 'in need' such as those with an audiological need and gives them guidance on becoming hearing aid wearers in order to rehabilitate them back to 'normalcy'. However, within audiological research, noncompliance has attracted much attention as investigations have shown that more than 20 percent of hearing aids are very seldom, if ever, in use and 19 percent are used only occasionally. As shown in the paper the form a problem takes is in large part a product of micro-political struggles. Hence, at the onset 'need' is often embedded in social pressure from significant others. The paper examines these two discursive frameworks and their constitution of (hearing) problems and concludes that norms of disease are complex and epistemologically contested and can help explain why noncompliance is dominant when it comes to hearing rehabilitation for hearing impaired adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It can be challenging to research aspects of people's health behaviour, attitudes, and emotions due to the sensitive nature of these topics. We aimed to develop a novel methodology for discussing sensitive health topics, and explore the effectiveness in focus groups using prostate cancer and screening as an example. Method: We developed a fictitious case and employed it as a projective technique in focus groups on prostate cancer and screening. The participants were men and their partners who lived in Denmark. Results: The technique encouraged emotional and cognitive openness in focus group discussions about the risk of prostate cancer, the benefits and harms of screening, and decision-making about screening. It appeared that using the fictitious case allowed the participants to personally distance themselves from the topic, project emotions onto the case, and thereby openly talk about their emotions. Conclusion: This article presents a methodological contribution to communication about sensitive topics in focus groups, using prostate cancer screening as an example. Further refinement of the methodology is needed to enable participants to transfer improvements in knowledge to their own decision about screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsuccessful weight loss or weight loss maintenance is due to different barriers and physical limitations related to participation in everyday life. It will, therefore, be relevant to investigate the field from an occupational therapy perspective, since occupational therapists are uniquely trained in focussing on people's resources, meaningfulness and participation in everyday life. The aim was to explore what motivates people to lose weight from an OT perspective and which opportunities people with obesity experience in their everyday lives to achieve and maintain lost weight. A descriptive phenomenological study including 21 semi-structured individual interviews was conducted as part of the DO:IT study. The data analysis led to the identification of three main themes: The influence of external circumstances on the desire for weight loss; use of time in everyday life; and changes in habits, routines and structure. People who are overweight or obese are motivated to lose weight because of health issues and feeling more comfortable with their body. The opportunities for weight loss lie in creating habits, routines and structuring everyday life activities to facilitate a healthier lifestyle. The findings indicate that an occupational therapist should be part of weight-loss interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the learner perspective on being overweight by listening to 39 Danish overweight children aged 8–13 years. In accordance with the existing critique of the 'obesity epidemic' and medico-scientific discourses around food and exercise, this article explores how new health imperatives shape overweight children's self-narratives. Health pedagogical activities in Denmark are between urgent and lifelong approaches to achieving health, and the article presents overweight children's voices on having to learn new health behaviour in between these two schisms. From a social constructionist and post-structuralist perspective, the analysis demonstrates how the children both subscribe to discourses of discipline and control over health actions, as well as legitimate narratives of having to adjust, accommodate and negotiate health challenges to everyday life practices. The article addresses what can be learnt from listening to overweight children's voices in the context of performing meaningful health pedagogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: (1) To identify possible factors of importance for reporting lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among men and (2) to examine possible associations between socioeconomic status (SES), lifestyle factors, and likelihood of men contacting a general pracitioner (GP) regarding LUTS reported to be of concern or influencing daily activities (bothersome LUTS). Design: Nationwide population-based, cross-sectional survey. Data was collected in 2012. Setting: The general Danish population. Subjects: A total of 48,910 randomly selected men aged 20+. Main Outcome Measures: (1) Odds ratios for reporting LUTS by lifestyle and SES, and (2) Odds ratios for GP contact with bothersome LUTS by lifestyle and SES. Results: 23,240 men participated (49.8%). Nocturia was the most commonly experienced LUTS (49.8%). Incontinence was most often reported as bothersome (64.1%) and nocturia less often reported as bothersome (34.2%). Only about one third of the men reporting a bothersome LUTS contacted their GP. Odds for reporting LUTS significantly increased with increasing age, obesity, and lack of labor market affiliation. Increasing age and symptom burden significantly increased the odds for GP contact regarding bothersome LUTS. No overall associations were found between lifestyle, SES, and GP contact. Conclusion: Bothersome LUTS are common among Danish men. Concern and influence of LUTS on daily activities are important determinants of GP contact, yet only one in three bothersome LUTS are discussed with a GP. Advanced age and symptom burden were significantly associated with GP contact. Implications: Information on treatment options for LUTS might be desirable among Danish men regardless of SES and lifestyle. Urological symptoms are common among men in the Danish population and are often managed without contacting healthcare professionals. Increasing age and symptom burden significantly increase the likelihood of consulting a general practitioner regarding bothersome urological symptoms Healthcare-seeking behavior with bothersome urological symptoms is not influenced by lifestyle or socioeconomic status among Danish men; Information about available, effective treatment options for urological symptoms might be desirable among men regardless of socioeconomic status and lifestyle [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research in music and health suggests differential long-term health implications for amateur versus professional musicians. The present study focused on (a) self-rated health of adult amateur musicians and professional musicians compared to non-musicians; (b) associations between self-reported music in early childhood homes and choice of staying musically active as adults; (c) associations between involvement in music in one’s early childhood home and adult belief in music as a health resource. Data originated from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey 2013. The survey was based on a random sample of 25,000 adult Danes (response rate: 57%). Besides standard health-related questions the survey included eight specific music questions. The study revealed significant differences between professional musicians, amateur musicians, and non-musicians and between active and no longer active musicians (both amateurs and professionals). Active professional musicians reported a number of health problems, while active amateur musicians reported a significantly better health than both non-musicians and no longer active amateurs. A clear association was found between singing and playing in childhood and being active as professional or amateur musicians in adult life, and also believing that music activities and experiences can help to stay healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To describe the rehabilitation status three months after first-time myocardial infarction (MI) to identify focus areas for long-term cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in general practice. Design. Population-based cross-sectional study. Setting and subjects. Patients with first-time MI in 2009 from the Central Denmark Region. Data were obtained from patient questionnaires and from registers. Results. Of the 1288 eligible patients, 908 (70.5%) responded. The mean (SD) age was 67.1 (11.7) years and 626 (68.9%) were men. Overall, 287 (31.6%) of the patients lived alone and 398 (45.4%) had less than 10 years of education. Upwards of half (58.5%) of the patients stated that they had participated in hospital-based rehabilitation shortly after admission. A total of 262 (29.2%) were identified with anxiety or depressive disorder or both, according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Of these, 78 (29.8%) reported that they had participated in psychosocial support, and 55 (21.0%) used antidepressants. One in five patients smoked three months after MI although nearly half of the smokers had stopped after the MI. Regarding cardioprotective drugs, 714 (78.6%) used aspirin, 694 (76.4%) clopidogrel, 756 (83.3%) statins, and 735 (81.0%) beta-blockers. Conclusion. After three months, there is a considerable potential for further rehabilitation of MI patients. In particular, the long-term CR should focus on mental health, smoking cessation, and cardioprotective drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]