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This paper is dedicated to the research presented at the 26th Nordic Congress of Gerontology in Odense, Denmark, in June 2022, which was organized by the Danish Gerontological Society and the Danish Society for Geriatrics. The overall topics of the congress were change and continuity. Participants were invited to explore questions on change and continuity from the perspective of ageing and later life within the following congress themes: digitisation and technology; housing, generations and mobility; lifestyle, engagement and transition; education and competences in ageing societies; morbidity, medical treatment and ageing processes; and a good life and a good death. Life is about change and continuity. We experience ourselves and our surroundings differently throughout our lives. For most people, later life is characterized by major transitions, moving towards frailty and multiple losses. But it may also be a part of life with more time to engage in preferred activities, explore new possibilities, and to cope and come to terms with new challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a challenge to the world beyond imagination, particularly for frail and vulnerable people and societies. However, it also provided valuable new insights and reminded us of the values in life. We, therefore, also welcomed presentations and discussions on societal perspectives such as citizen perspective, ethnicity, inequality, sustainability and ecology, the pandemic and lockdown. We thank the organizers, scientific committees and all participants for a great congress with high-quality presentations and discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of outlaw bikers is growing globally. Despite this, little research exists on these groups and their alleged violent tendencies. To address this, the current paper uses unique data to examine whether gang violence causes outlaw biker violence. The period examined runs from mid-2008 until early 2012 during which violent clashes occurred between outlaw bikers and street gang members involved in an alleged conflict in Copenhagen, Denmark. A precise description of each individual act of violence would make it possible to identify whether specific acts were carried out in furtherance of the alleged conflict. This would allow one to determine whether outlaw bikers commit violence on behalf of their club. However, such knowledge is unavailable. The paper therefore takes a different approach by examining whether acts of violence committed by the two groups are statistically associated. In other words, it considers whether one or more acts can be described as retaliatory during the observation periods. The sample consists of 640 individuals involved with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or with non-biker street gangs–both of which are present in Copenhagen. Statistical models are used to predict 143 violent events committed by 196 outlaw bikers. The results suggest that violence committed by gang members predicts violence committed by outlaw bikers. This indicates that violent acts committed by outlaw bikers are at least partly a form of retaliation carried out on behalf of their club. The paper expands the literature on the kinds of inter-group, micro-level processes that can lead to reciprocal violence by including outlaw bikers in a literature that has previously focused on non-biker street gangs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the Danish Government implemented an active labour market reform directed at unemployed young adults under 30 years of age with low educational qualifications. The reform replaced the (unemployment) cash benefits with a lower education benefit for many of the unemployed aged under 30 and obliged the low-skilled in this group to enrol in a regular general or vocational (VET) education program. This paper exploits the sharp discontinuity that occurs at age 30 to estimate the joint effect of higher benefits and the cessation of educational obligations on the share receiving cash benefits and the share enrolled in education. We estimate the effects by applying a regression discontinuity design. We report results for the group of low educated young adults and for subgroups facing different economic incentives. The results establish that reaching age 30 creates an incentive to apply for cash benefits, and we find strong evidence that a significant increase in the share of cash benefit recipients relates to a corresponding reduction in the share of young adults enrolled in education. When including subgroups the size of the effect increases, and the results demonstrate that the effects are strongest among previous education benefit recipients. This indicates that the results are mainly driven mainly by individuals reverting to cash benefits., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: The universal right to education for people with disabilities has been highlighted by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In this paper, we mapped policies addressing the right to education and special education needs of autistic children in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland ., Methods: A policy path analysis was carried out using a scoping review as an underlying framework for data gathering. Policy mapping was performed independently by both lead authors to increase reliability., Results and Discussion: The values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been closely translated into the respective education systems of the countries under study, offering special education needs services and support in mainstream education with the aim of including as many children into mainstream education as possible. Even though the education systems are comparable, the approaches between the countries under study are slightly different. Denmark and Sweden have passed several policies specifically geared towards special education needs, while Finland incorporates this more in general education policy., Conclusion: All countries under study have incorporated the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in their respective education systems while emphasising the need to include as many children in the mainstream system as possible., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThere are no competing interests between the collaborating authors in this study., (© The Author(s). 2019.)

The article discusses various papers published in this issue including one by Theodore Breton on the economic aspect of education, one by Stephen Machin, Sandra McNally and Gill Wyness on taxation and one by Vibeke Jensen on reforms in the Danish school sytem.

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Background: Inequity in healthcare utilisation refers to differences between groups that remain after adjustment for need for health care. To our knowledge, no previous studies have aimed to assess social inequity in chiropractic utilisation in a general population. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate social inequity in chiropractic utilisation in the general Danish population adjusted for health status as a proxy of need for chiropractic care. Methods: A population-based repeated cross-sectional study design was used based on the Danish National Health Survey in 2010 and 2017. Overall, we included 288,099 individuals aged 30 years or older in 2010 or 2017. For each individual, information on chiropractic utilisation, socioeconomic status, and health status as a proxy of need for chiropractic care was retrieved from nationwide registers using the unique personal identification number. Measures of health status included demographics, poor self-rated physical health, activity limitations, musculoskeletal pain, number of musculoskeletal conditions, and number of chronic diseases. We investigated social inequity in chiropractic utilisation (yes, no) using logistic regression adjusted for health status, stratified by sex and year. Three characteristics of socioeconomic status (educational level, employment status and income) were investigated. To further quantify the degree of social inequity in chiropractic utilisation, we estimated the concentration index of inequity for each of the three characteristics of socioeconomic status. Results: We found significantly higher odds of chiropractic utilisation among individuals with short or medium/long education compared with individuals with elementary education, and among employed individuals compared with individuals who were unemployed, receiving disability pension or retired. Furthermore, the odds of chiropractic utilisation increased with higher income. The concentration index indicated social inequity in chiropractic utilisation in favour of individuals with higher socioeconomic status, with income and employment status contributing more to inequity than educational level. Conclusion: The study demonstrated social inequity in chiropractic utilisation in Denmark beyond differences in health status as a proxy of need for chiropractic care in the general population. The results suggest that new strategies are required if equal treatment for equal need is the goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark (GLA:D™), an evidence-based education and exercise program designed for conservative management of knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA), has been shown to benefit participants by reducing pain, improving function, and quality of life. Standardized reporting in the GLA:D databases enabled the measurement of self-reported and performance-based outcomes. There is a paucity of qualitative research on the participants' perceptions of this program, and it is important to understand whether participants' perceptions of the benefits of the program align with reported quantitative findings. Methods: We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with individuals who participated in the GLA:D program from January 2017 to December 2018 in Alberta, Canada. Data were analyzed using an interpretive description approach and thematic analysis to identify emergent themes and sub-themes associated with participants perceived benefits of the GLA:D program. We analyzed the data using NVivo Pro software. Member checking and bracketing were used to ensure the rigour of the analysis. Results: 30 participants were interviewed (70% female, 57% rural, 73% knee OA). Most participants felt the program positively benefited them. Two themes emerged from the analysis: wellness and self-efficacy. Participants felt the program benefited their wellness, particularly with regard to pain relief, and improvements in mobility, strength, and overall well-being. Participants felt the program benefited them by promoting a sense of self-efficacy through improving the confidence to perform exercise and routine activities, as well as awareness, and motivation to manage their OA symptoms. Twenty percent of participants felt no benefits from the program due to experiencing increased pain and feeling their OA was too severe to participate. Discussion: The GLA:D program was viewed as beneficial to most participants, this study also identified factors (e.g., severe OA, extreme pain) as to why some participants did not experience meaningful improvements. Early intervention with the GLA:D program prior to individuals experiencing severe OA could help increase the number of participants who experience benefits from their participation. Conclusion: As the GLA:D program expands across jurisdictions, providers of the program may consider recruitment earlier in disease progression and targeting those with mild and moderate OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Paper raises the question whether or not a social and economic dimension exists (community and social involvement, career service intervention/assistance employer requirements, qualification building) within the Jobskills Training Programme in Northern Ireland. For many young school leavers it has undoubtedly assisted them in the transition from school to the world of work. In addition, many of the cohort study gained an accredited qualification for the first time. All of this, of course, has the aim of making them more employable within the labour market However, with the local economy becoming stronger and skills shortages rising quickly we have to ask what real contribution does a training intervention like jobskills really make. In order to determine the effectiveness and contribution to the local labour market, a comparison is made to the Danish vocational and education training model, which highlights significant fundamental differences. The Paper concludes by demonstrating the key policy differences and thus Presents a new vocational model for youth training in Northern Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A good educational climate is essential for delivering high-quality training for medical trainees, professional development, and patient care. The aim of this study was to (1) validate the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) in a Danish setting and (2) describe and evaluate the educational climate among medical trainees. Methods: D-RECT was adopted in a three-step process: translation of D-RECT into Danish (DK-RECT), psychometric validation, and evaluation of educational climate. Trainees from 31 medical specialties at Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Denmark were asked to complete an online survey in a cross-sectional study. Results: We performed a forward-backward translation from Dutch to Danish. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that DK-RECT was robust and valid. The reliability analysis showed that only seven trainees from one specialty were needed for a reliable result. With 304 trainees completing DK-RECT, the response rate was 68%. The subsequent analysis indicated a positive overall educational climate, with a median score of 4.0 (interquartile range (IQR): 3.0–5.0) on a five-point Likert scale. Analysis of the subscales showed that the subscale Feedback received the lowest ratings, while Supervision and Peer collaboration were evaluated highest. Conclusions: Psychometric validation of D-RECT in a Danish context demonstrated valid results on the educational climate in specialist training. DK-RECT can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in the future and can facilitate the conversation on the educational climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2003 it became legal to carry out human embryonic stem (hES) cell research in Denmark using embryos that are considered 'spare' in connection with fertility treatment. The public debate preceding the change of the Fertility Act presented the 'spare' embryo as a biological fact and discussed whether it was possible and morally acceptable to connect a given stock of 'spare' embryos to the stem cell lab. This paper tells a different story. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a fertility clinic in Copenhagen and among stem cell researchers, we argue that 'spare' embryos are not straightforward biological facts. Rather, complex decision-making processes constitute embryos as 'spare' and thus as possible objects of exchange between couples in fertility treatment, stem cell researchers and future citizens in need of regenerative medicine. The ongoing fact-making of the 'spare' embryo in the fertility clinic reveals the network of relationships and conflicting responsibilities in which clinicians are positioned. Using the spatial metaphor of a moral landscape we explore how clinicians try out new moral pathways when seeking alternative ways to obtain and classify embryos as 'spare'. We argue that changing moral landscapes and 'spare' embryos are being co-produced in the development of hES cell research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been many new initiatives within the Danish educational system during the last few years. These initiatives are based on an unshakable belief that "…within a knowledge and service society continuous competency development is decisive … for companies' ability to compete" (Ministry of Education, 1997, p. 22). In other words, there are new demands on both companies and employees. This paper seeks to describe the nature of education and training provision in Denmark. Labour market policies and infrastructure are examined, the education system is described and analysed and recent empirical data on corporate training and development are discussed. Finally, an attempt is made to indicate key challenges facing the Danish learning environment into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the first PIAAC survey were published in October 2013. In the case of Denmark, the survey showed that Denmark is below the OECD average when it comes to reading skills, above average with regards to numeracy and on average with regards to IT skills. In this paper we analyse how the PIAAC results were covered by the media and how different stakeholders within the field of adult literacy took PIAAC as an opportunity to try to influence how the problem of adult literacy in Denmark should be represented. The analysis is based on Bacchi’s What’s the problem represented to be? approach to policy analysis (2009) and Kingdon (1984), and Zahariadis’ (2003) multiple streams theory. The analysis shows that PIAAC did not provoke the same kind of national ‘shock’ as PISA and that adult literacy is low on the political agenda compared to basic schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is increasingly used in general practice despite the lack of official educational programmes or guidelines for general practitioners (GPs). To explore how GPs have learnt to use POCUS and which barriers they have encountered in their learning process. Qualitative study conducted in office-based general practice in Denmark. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 GPs who had implemented POCUS without supporting guidelines or regulations. Analysis was carried out using systematic text condensation. The interview data for this study were collected along with data used in a previous study. The participating GPs described having composed their own ultrasound education following a continuous learning process. Basic POCUS competences were achieved through formalized training sessions at hospital departments or courses. The GPs further developed and expanded their scanning skills through additional courses and continuous self-study practice on patients often while consulting internet sources, textbooks or colleagues. Lack of available ultrasound courses, supervision, and clinical guidelines together with time constraints and financial aspects were mentioned as barriers to their ultrasound training. This study showed how GPs had composed their own ultrasound education individually and differently, guided by their own experiences and beliefs about good clinical practice. Formalized ultrasound training was considered a prerequisite for achieving basic ultrasound competences while continuous practice was considered paramount to develop and maintain scanning skills. There were several obstacles to overcome in the learning process including lack of supervision, guidance, and opportunity for practicing skills. Little is known about the educational needs of general practitioners striving to achieve ultrasound competences. General practitioners described using formalized training to achieve basic scanning competences and continuous self-study and practice to further develop their skills. Lack of time, supervision, clinical guidelines and ultrasound courses were considered barriers in the learning process together with financial aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze how adolescents in a Copenhagen school classify and systematically organize the different types of language they come across in their linguistic everyday. Furthermore, we analyse descriptions of how this metapragmatic system affect the adolescents' language use in their daily life. Our primary data consist of 74 essays on language and norms for its use made by a group of pupils at the age of 14-15. Our analyses show that the participants outline systematic metapragmatic organizations that generally can be described by using three parameters that roughly can be labelled as categorizations, style continua and personal attachment or detachment. Traditional accounts of "languages" as countable and coherent entities play a role in the system but cannot account for all the aspects. Therefore we suggest viewing the data through the lens of the languaging theory. We conclude that the adolescents' ways of organizing language reflect (and comment) the societal condition of superdiversity. At the same time the specific competences developed among the adolescents are not accepted or respected by mainstream society and the educational system and we discuss possible consequences of this discrepancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I examine processes of racialization in a school in Copenhagen, Denmark. On the basis of the data produced in 2009, which is part of a larger study, I investigate themes of race as a difference-making and constituting category for subjective (human) becoming and racialization as contingent and negotiated processes (Butler, 1997). As part of the analyses I will discuss how difference and differentiation with regard to race and racialization is related to a denial of particularity as much as it can be a denial of universality (Hage, 2010), and further, how racialization intersects with marginalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dansk Sociologi is the property of Djøf Forlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A high educational attainment is shown to have a positive effect on second birth rates for Danish one-child mothers during the period 1981-94. We examine whether a time-squeeze is a possible explanation: due to the longer enrollment in the educational system, highly educated women have less time at their disposal in order to get the desired number of children. Also, we examine to what extent the partner's education can explain some of the positive effect. We find no evidence that the positive effect of education is due to a time-squeeze nor to a partner effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I evaluate Andrade and Thomsen (A&T)'s (2018) study, which concludes that Denmark is significantly more educationally mobile than the United States. I make three observations. First, A&T overstate the difference in educational mobility between Denmark and the United States. Both in international comparison and compared with differences in intergenerational income mobility, A&T's reported country differences in educational mobility are negligible. For example, whereas income mobility estimates reported in the literature differ by 300 to 600 percent between the two countries, the corresponding educational mobility estimates that A&T report differ by 10 to 20 percent. Second, I provide evidence suggesting that A&T's use of crude categorical education measures leads them to overstate these negligible differences. Third, A&T's empirical analyses of the U.S. data contain several statistical and data-related flaws, some so severe that they potentially undermine the credibility of their analyses. In sum, A&T's results are perfectly consistent with the existence of a mobility paradox very similar to what Sweden-United States comparisons show: although Denmark and the United States are dissimilar with respect to income mobility, they are similar with respect to educational mobility. Understanding the nature of this paradox should be a key concern for future mobility research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1810 a grant was given by the Danish King Frederik VI to a young painter, lens Peter Moller, to obtain training in conservation and restoration in Brussels and Paris. Moller returned from Paris in September 1813 and in November he was appointed the first restorer of the Royal Paintings Collection. This paper examines the background to these events through correspondence between Moller and his employers. Examples are given of the work of a nineteenth-century restorer, of working conditions, and of ethical, aesthetic and practical considerations. Moller's contract shows that formal training of successors was part of his duties. At least one trainee has been documented, and a written 'curriculum' from 1826, covering five years of training, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the education and training policies for disadvantaged young people in Denmark and Sweden. The objectives, the structure, and the practical operations of Sweden and Denmark reveal contrasts with indicate the broad range of options open to other societies which confront similar problems. These options hinge more on the attention to a range of controllable factors which can be assessed and compared cross-nationally. For instance, there are differences in the manner that the risk group is defined, and in how its needs are specified.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal condition causing pain, physical disability, and reduced quality of life. Exercise and patient education are non-pharmacological interventions for knee OA unanimously recommended as first-line treatments based on extensive research evidence. However, none of the numerous randomised controlled trials of exercise and education for knee OA has used adequate sham/placebo comparison groups because the 'active' ingredients are unknown. Designing and executing an adequate and 'blindable placebo' version of an exercise and education intervention is impossible. Therefore, using an open-label study design, this trial compares the efficacy of a widely used 'state-of-art' exercise and education intervention (Good Life with osteoarthritis in Denmark; GLAD) with presumably inert intra-articular saline injections on improvement in knee pain in patients with knee OA.Methods: In this open-label randomised trial, we will include 200 patients with radiographically verified OA of the knee and randomly allocate them to one of two interventions: (i) 8 weeks of exercise and education (GLAD) or (ii) Intra-articular injections of 5 ml isotonic saline every second week for a total of 4 injections. Outcomes are taken at baseline, after 8 weeks of treatment (week 9; primary endpoint) and after an additional 4 weeks of follow-up (week 12). The primary outcome is change from baseline in the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaire (KOOS) pain subscale score. Secondary outcomes include the Physical function in Activities of Daily Living, Symptoms, and Knee-related Quality of Life subscales of the KOOS, the patients' global assessment of disease impact, physical performance tests, and presence of knee joint swelling.Discussion: This current trial compares a presumably active treatment (GLAD) with a presumably inert treatment (IA saline injections). Both study interventions have well-established and anticipated similar effects on knee OA symptoms, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The interpretation of the results of this trial will likely be difficult and controversial but will contribute to a better understanding of the bias introduced in the effect estimation of classically unblindable exercise and education interventions for knee OA.Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03843931 . Prospectively registered on 18 February 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of articles published within the issue, including "Education and the Nordic Model of Welfare," "The School, the Economy and the Danish Education Policy," and "What Can Public Ground Schools Do to Reduce Drop-out Rates From Tertiary Education?"

N. F. S. Grundtvig's idea of national education has usually been regarded as a part of the history of adult education or as a complex of national ideas. This article takes into consideration that Grundtvig was first and foremost a clergyman, a founder of grundtvigianism and of the Grundtvigian revival movement. It presents a new perspective on the Lutheran background of Grundtvig's educational programme, and its impact on the shaping of a civic society in Denmark. A religious revival which Grundtvig underwent during the first decades of the nineteenth century shaped the background of his educational programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the affective effects of school policy on Danish teachers, by using a ghostly perspective supplemented with Lacanian psychoanalysis as described by Zizek. The empirical case concerns how Danish teachers experienced a series of political events, including a lockout, a school reform, and a new law regulating their working hours. Our ghostly reading draws attention to the ways in which linear time collapses as past events continue to have an influence on the present. What becomes clear is that what bothers the teachers is not a matter of having to work more or less. Nor is it exclusively a question of settling accounts and rewriting history. It is also a matter of teachers having become seriously bewildered about what others require of them. The key claim is that 'the spirit of teaching' is rooted in a fantasy of what the Other wants, and creates a desire to provide exactly that. However, this 'spirit of teaching' has been killed, and teachers are now 'working dead' (teaching machines), driven without desire. But they are also haunted by the absent presence of 'the spirit of teaching' calling to them: 'Remember me! Remember me!'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nordic countries are often perceived as a coherent group representing the Nordic model of welfare states, with a strong emphasis on the public provision of universal welfare and a strong concern with social equality. But today we see a change in the Nordic model as part of a global knowledge economy. The aim of this article is to examine education in the five Nordic countries utilising three dimensions of political change: deregulation, marketisation and privatisation. We also analyse the parallel changes in relation to segregation and differentiation in education. The analysis shows that the themes related to deregulation seem to show fairly similar patterns and structures in all contexts. The emerging differences were discovered mainly in the themes of marketisation and privatisation. Institutional segregation emerges in all Nordic countries to different extents along the lines of these three processes, and we observe a simultaneous social segregation and differentiation with an ambiguous connection to them. Based on these findings, the question of what is left of the “Nordic model” could be raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this review is to investigate cross-cutting research themes and issues related to access and stratification in Nordic higher education (H.E.) (Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden). We synthesise how recent changes in H.E. policy, practise, and appropriations have influenced educational opportunities along social class, gender and age. In this review we highlight results and conclusions shared by various recent Nordic studies. The emphasis is on the common trends and patterns related to social stratification in access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and managing customers’ satisfaction are key features to benefit from today’s competitive environment. In higher education context, only a few studies are available on satisfaction and loyalty of the main customers who are the students, which signifies the need to investigate the field more thoroughly. The aim of this research is to measure the strength of determinants of students’ satisfaction and the importance of antecedents in students’ satisfaction and loyalty in Denmark. Our research model is the modification of European Performance Satisfaction Index (EPSI), which takes the university’s image direct effects on students’ expectations into account from students’ perspective. The structural equation model of student satisfaction and loyalty has been evaluated using partial least square path modelling. Our findings confirm that the EPSI framework is applicable on student satisfaction and loyalty among Danish universities. We show that all the relationships among variables of the research model are significant except the relationship between quality of software and students’ loyalty. Results further verify the significance of antecedents in students’ satisfaction and loyalty at Danish universities; the university image and student satisfaction are the antecedents of student loyalty with a significant direct effect, while perceived value, quality of hardware, quality of software, expectations, and university image are antecedents of student satisfaction. Eventually, our findings may be of an inspiration to maintain and improve students’ experiences during their study at the university. Dedicating resources to identified important factors from students’ perception enable universities to attract more students, make them highly satisfied and loyal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo 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.DesignThe current longitudinal study was based on measurements of organic food percentages in Danish public kitchens before and after kitchen employees participated in conversion projects.SettingPublic 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.SubjectsA total of 622 public kitchens.ResultsThe 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.ConclusionsThe 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The U-shaped association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality may depend on other traits with permanent health effects. Whether the association between BMI and mortality depends on levels of health-related traits known to be inversely associated with mortality throughout adult life such as height, intelligence, and education was investigated.Methods: The study was based on a cohort of young men with data on weight, height, intelligence test score, and education from the Danish Conscription Database. In total, 346,500 men born 1939 to 1959 were followed until December 2013. The association between BMI and mortality was analyzed using Cox-regression models including interactions between BMI and height, intelligence, and education, respectively.Results: BMI and mortality showed the U-shaped association from the start of the follow-up period, and it persisted through the subsequent 56 years. As expected, the mortality was inversely associated with height, intelligence, and education, but the U shape of the association between BMI and mortality was unaffected by the levels of these traits except at higher BMI values, where the slopes were steeper for men with higher levels of height, intelligence, and education.Conclusions: High and low BMI was associated with higher mortality throughout life regardless of the levels of height, intelligence, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Education is a key determinant of future employment and income prospects of young people. Poor mental health is common among young people and is related to risk of dropping out of school (dropout). Educational level and gender might play a role in the association, which remains to be studied.Methods: Mental health was measured in 3146 Danish inhabitants aged 16-29 years using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and examined across genders and educational levels. For students, educational level at baseline was used; for young people who were not enrolled in school at baseline (non-students), the highest achieved educational level was used. The risk of dropout in students was investigated in administrative registers over a 4.8-year period (1(st) March 2010-31(th) December 2014). Odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for mental health and in relation to dropout in logistic regression models, adjusting for age, gender, educational level, parental education, parental income and ethnicity.Results: Poor mental health was present in 24 % (n = 753) of the participants, 29 % (n = 468) in females and 19 % (n = 285) in males (p < 0.0001). The prevalence differed from 19 to 39 % across educational levels (p < 0.0001). Females had a statistically significantly higher adjusted risk of poor mental health than males (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.5-2.2). Among the students the lowest risk was found at the elementary level (OR = 1.3, CI = 0.8-2.3), while students in higher education had a statistically significantly higher risk (OR = 1.9, CI = 1.2-2.9). The lowest-educated non-students had the highest OR of poor mental health (OR = 3.3, CI = 2.1-5.4). Dropout occurred in 8 % (n = 124) of the students. Poor mental health was associated to dropout in vocational (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.0-3.2) and higher education (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.0-4.2). For males in higher education, poor mental health was a predictor of dropout (OR = 5.2, CI = 1.6-17.3), which was not seen females in higher education (OR = 1.2, CI = 0.5-3.1).Conclusions: Poor mental health was significantly associated to dropout among students in vocational and higher education. Males in higher education had five times the risk of dropout when reporting poor mental health, while no such association was found for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Across Europe and the Nordic countries, it is widely agreed that the high proportion of 15–30-year olds not in employment, education or training is a challenge, which needs to be tackled by focusing on education. The political and institutional focus is on individual training readiness, individual qualification processes, individual building of confidence in oneself and so forth, culminating in an overall individual perspective. Purpose:The study argues for a shift in focus away from an individual perspective on young people on the margins of education and towards a relational perspective that takes the social environment and the education system into account. Sample: Respondents were 20 young people aged 17–24 who were participating in a specific project in a provincial town in Denmark, the aim of which was to encourage the youths to re-enter education. Design and methods: Qualitative data were collected through: (1) 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with 11 young people on the margins of the education system, and (2) observations of 11 respondents’ participation in educational activity. The analysis was based on relational and social constructionist theories. Findings:The analysis of data from this small-scale study provides evidence to suggest that a shift in the current focus on the individual young person on the margins of education is needed. The concept of ‘educational trust’ is introduced as a supplement to the individual concept of self-confidence in order to capture the socially constructed aspects of the young adult’s participation in education. Conclusions: We identify three overall components of educational trust: (1) social security and recognition, (2) flexibility in structures and (3) progression in skills. The concept of educational trust, it is suggested, creates a shift in focus from the individual young person to the role and function of the education system in aiming to reach the target of more young people completing education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The social environment at schools is an important setting to promote educational attainment, and health and well-being of young people. However, within upper secondary education there is a need for evidence-based school intervention programmes. The Shaping the Social intervention is a comprehensive programme integrating social and educational activities to promote student well-being and reduce smoking and dropout in upper secondary vocational education. The evaluation design is reported here. Methods/design: The evaluation employed a non-randomised cluster controlled design, and schools were selected to either implement the intervention or continue with normal practice for comparison. In the baseline survey conducted 2011-2012, 2,329 students from four intervention schools and 3,371 students from six comparison schools answered a computer-based questionnaire during class, representing 73 % and 81 % of eligible students, and 22 % of all technical/ agricultural vocational schools in Denmark. Follow-up assessment was conducted 10 weeks after baseline and at the same time teachers of the intervention classes answered a questionnaire about implementation. School dropout rates will be tracked via national education registers through a 2-year follow-up period. Discussion: Shaping the Social was designed to address that students at Danish vocational schools constitute a high risk population concerning health behaviour as well as school dropout by modifying the school environment, alongside developing appropriate evaluation strategies. To address difficulties in implementing settings-based interventions, as highlighted in prior research, the strategy was to involve intervention schools in the development of the intervention. Baseline differences will be included in the effectiveness analysis, so will the impact of likely mediators and moderators of the intervention. Trials registration: ISRCTN57822968. Date of registration: 16/01/2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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An explicit marketisation and national profiling of Denmark as an attractive country for foreign students has resulted in an increasing number of students from poor countries in the global South, including Nepal, being admitted to Danish colleges and universities. The influx of students from these countries has led to several accusations against them of using enrolment in educational institutions primarily as an entrance point to the Danish labour market. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among Nepalese students in Denmark this article addresses the intersection of internationalisation of higher education and immigration policy in a Europe with tightened immigration rules for certain nationalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms behind social differences in mortality rates have been debated. The authors examined the extent to which shared family background and health in early life could explain the association between educational status and all-cause mortality rates using a sibling design. The study was register-based and included all individuals born in Denmark between 1950 and 1979 who had at least 1 full sibling born in the same time period (n = 1,381,436). All individuals were followed from 28 years of age until death, emigration, or December 2009. The authors used Cox regression analyses to estimate hazard ratios for mortality according to educational level. Conventional cohort and intersibling analyses were carried out and conducted separately for deaths occurring before and after the age of 45 years, respectively. The cohort analyses showed an inverse association between educational status and all-cause mortality that was strongest for males, increased with younger birth cohorts, and tended to be strongest in the analyses of death before 45 years of age. The associations were attenuated slightly in the intersibling analyses and after adjustment for serious health conditions in early life. Hence, health selection and confounding by factors shared by siblings explained only a minor part of the association between educational level and all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many writers have expressed a concern that growing educational assortative mating will lead to greater inequality between households in their earnings or income. In this article, we examine the relationship between educational assortative mating and income inequality in Denmark between 1987 and 2006. Denmark is widely known for its low level of income inequality, but the Danish case provides a good test of the relationship between educational assortative mating and inequality because although income inequality increased over the period we consider, educational homogamy declined. Using register data on the exact incomes of the whole population, we find that change in assortative mating increased income inequality but that these changes were driven by changes in the educational distributions of men and women rather than in the propensity for people to choose a partner with a given level of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total cost for the Danish Folkeskole is 51.5 billion DKK (in 2010 prices), and many will see this as well spent money. Most will also be of the opinion that there is a one-to-one relation between the expenditure per student and quality of education. But is it so in the real world? Are we in Denmark in a situation where educational policy have been governed by lack of knowledge about or lack of interest in quantitative educational research and instead has been driven by concerns for the working conditions for staff members? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with faecal occult blood test (FOBT) has the potential to reduce the incidence and mortality of CRC. Screening uptake is known to be inferior in people with low socioeconomic position (SEP) when compared with those with high position; however, the results of most previous studies have limited value because they are based on recall or area-based measures of socioeconomic position, and might thus be subject to selective participation and misclassification. In this study we investigated differences in CRC screening participation using register-based individual information on education, employment, and income to encompass different but related aspects of socioeconomic stratification. Also, the impact of ethnicity and cohabiting status was analysed.Methods: A feasibility study on CRC screening was conducted in two Danish counties in 2005 and 2006. Screening consisted of a self-administered FOBT kit mailed to 177 114 inhabitants aged 50-74 years. Information on individual socioeconomic status was obtained from Statistics Denmark.Results: A total of 85 374 (48%) of the invited returned the FOBT kits. Participation was significantly higher in women than in men (OR=1.58 (1.55-1.61)), when all socioeconomic and demographic variables were included in the statistical model. Participation also increased with increasing level of education, with OR=1.38 (1.33-1.43) in those with a higher education compared with short education. Also, participation increased with increasing income levels, with OR=1.94 (1.87-2.01) in the highest vs lowest quintile. Individuals with a disability pension, the unemployed and self-employed people were significantly less likely to participate (OR=0.77 (0.74-0.80), OR=0.83 (0.80-0.87), and OR=0.85 (0.81-0.89), respectively). Non-western immigrants were less likely to participate (OR=0.62 (0.59-0.66)) in a model controlling for age, sex, and county; however, this difference might be attributed to low SEP in these ethnic groups ((OR=0.93 (0.87-0.99), when adjusting for SEP indicators).Conclusion: This study based on individual information on several socioeconomic dimensions in a large, unselected population allowed for identification of several specific subgroups within the population with low CRC screening participation. Improved understanding is needed on the effect of targeted information and other strategies in order to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection response of parents to low school quality, for instance large class sizes, is a major problem when estimating causal class-size effects, also in experimental and quasi-experimental studies. To address this problem a new identification strategy using within-school variation over time in the size of subject-specific classes is proposed. It provides random class-size variation and enables tests for possible selection using test scores in other subjects. Applying this approach to Danish administrative data, highly significant and substantial positive effects of reducing class size are found on examination marks in French. Effects are larger for academically weak students and for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Relative body weight is typically inversely associated with social status in affluent societies but studies comparing the social patterning of relative body weight and obesity in different countries have only seldom been conducted. The aim of this study was to analyse and compare the social patterning of relative weight and obesity by occupational status, educational attainment and marital status between Danish and Finnish women and men. Methods: Data from the Finnish Survey on Living Conditions and the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey, both collected in 1994, were compared. Relative weight was studied by using body mass index (BMI), and those with BMI ≥30 kg/m² were regarded as obese. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the social patterning of obesity in the pooled dataset. Two-variable interaction effects were tested separately. Results: Compared with their Danish counterparts, Finnish women and men had higher average relative weight and they were more often obese. There were no country differences in the socio-economic patterning of obesity by educational attainment, but a stronger patterning of obesity by occupational status was found among Danish women. Moreover, non-married women in Denmark were more likely to be obese than their married counterparts. Conclusions: Finns have higher relative weight and they are more often obese than Danes. The social patterning of obesity was similar in both studied countries but stronger in Denmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Since farmers' perceptions of animal welfare affect the way they treat their animals, it is important to study the formation of the attitudes of future farmers and farm workers. Using individual and focus group interviews, we studied how education affects Danish agricultural students' view of animal welfare. We also interviewed teachers at the agricultural colleges to see how they perceive the importance of animal welfare. Our results show that students, both older and younger, often see animal welfare as valuable if it can be combined with productivity. To an extent, the students also focused on the importance of having a personal, positive relationship with the animals. Older teachers indicated that animal welfare has a much bigger impact today than it did 20 years ago, and all the teachers felt it should be included across all relevant subjects. However, animal welfare is not defined in any particular way in the relevant curricula. Agricultural education ought to have an important role in teaching about animal welfare in a society where farmers are increasingly required to engage in market-driven improvements in animal welfare. Farmers' perceptions of animal welfare have been found to affect the way they treat their animals, and there is growing awareness of the range of ethical views today's farmers take on animal welfare. The purpose of this study was to examine how perceptions of animal welfare develop among prospective farmers and farm workers in Denmark during their studies at agricultural colleges. We also examined the experiences of college teachers and their views on the inclusion of animal welfare in livestock courses. Drawing on individual interviews and focus group interviews at four Danish agricultural colleges, we used systematic text condensation to identify three major themes among the students: 1. The importance of balancing welfare and productivity, 2. Concerns about the animal itself, 3. Concerns relating to the students themselves. Our interviews with teachers revealed a growing awareness of the inclusion of animal welfare in Danish agricultural colleges, but also disagreements over the way animal welfare should be understood. We conclude that the education of future farmers in Danish agricultural colleges today embraces animal welfare but should leave more room in the future to introduce students to the issue of market-driven welfare and consumer interest in animal-friendly production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the revival of Bournonville ballet decades after the death of its creator August Bournonville. Bournonville served as artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet and have created about 56 ballets during his tenure and about 8 have been preserved in the archives of Denmark such as "La Sylphide," "A Folk Tale," and "La Ventana." To preserve his tradition, a Bournonville school has also been established which adapts to the changes in time and style of dancing.

The article examines educational long-term planning in Denmark towards educational equalization citing the political thinking and influence of the largest Danish party, the Social Democrats.. Evidently, the government has introduced the U-90 concept to develop education on the basis of economic, social, scientific, technical and cultural forecasts. It calls for closer cooperation between planners and educational research, educators, politicians and other influential forces in the development of an educational policy.

This commentary is based on the experience of teaching and observations of how pharmacy technician students can expand their perspective on patient safety by using real-life student-gathered patient data collected from community pharmacies. Pharmacy technicians in Denmark work extensively with counselling on the safe and efficient use of medications. Final-year pharmacy technician students can take the elective course in Clinical Pharmacy in Community Pharmacy, which targets the students who wish to work in depth with patient communication and quality assurance in counselling. One assignment that forms part of the course is for students to collect data about patients' beliefs about medications. Teachers' observations suggest that when students gather and work with their own data, they change their perspective on patients' beliefs about medications. It also strengthens the students' awareness of their responsibility for ensuring patient safety and contributes valid data to research in pharmacy practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]