Health Promotion, Diabetes Prevention Research

My research is centered on the development and evaluation of interventions, methods and models for use in complex, real-life population-based health promotion interventions. My research is within structural prevention and physical activity, tobacco control, partnerships, co-creation and social inequality in a range of settings, spanning from primary school to vocational education and training (VET) schools and communities.

In my research, I have developed a new method for measuring children's movement patterns, so it is possible to objectively document movement patterns. This method is being used to estimate the effect of changes in the built environment on movement patterns and physical activity. As a researcher at Steno, I have been responsible for developing and evaluating a partnership project in collaboration with three municipalities and 11 housing organizations (2015-2018). In this project, I worked with both quantitative and qualitative methods to develop new knowledge about co-creation with residents in socially disadvantaged communities, and new knowledge about collaboration and partnerships between professionals working with health promotion and prevention. These learnings are integrated into two current projects: Our Healthy Everyday Life (2017-2022) and the Prevention Laboratory (2018-2022).

Working with social inequality in health, I have summarized knowledge on the links between social inequality in socially disadvantaged communities as a contribution to an anthology, and in the ASPHALT project (2018-2020) we debated how physical activity in socially disadvantaged communities can help to reduce social inequality in health.

In the last two years, I have also worked with VET schools as a strategic area, as it is a setting with a great potential to reach a vulnerable group at risk for developing NCD’s. Initially, we have worked on mapping the area, including conducting the first representative national health profile. In 2018, we further launched the Smoke-Free VET School Project, which takes place at nine VET schools, where, in collaboration with the Heart Association and the Danish Cancer Society, we support schools in introducing smoke-free school hours and evaluate the effects and processes (2018-2022).

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1. Title: New Approaches to Wellbeing and Movement (2015-2018)

   Aim: The partnership was funded with the aim to contribute to increase mental wellbeing and physical activity in less advantaged communities across three municipalities by developing partnerships between social housing development plans and health promoters. (2015-2018).

   Collaborators: Health Promotion Departments (HPD) across four administrative units across Køge, Roskilde and Copenhagen municipality, 11 social housing organizations, and a research institution (SDCC)

2. Title: Health promotion and capacity at Danish Vocational schools (2017-2018)
   Aim: To investigate how vocational schools work with health promotion and explore capacities to do this
   Collaborators: Danish Heart Foundation

3. Title: Tobacco-Free-Schools in vocational schools in Denmark (Pilot study 2017-2018)
   Aim: The pilot study identifies effective and feasible methods and approaches to implement Tobacco-Free-Schools at vocational schools in Denmark

   Collaborators: Danish Heart Foundation

4. Title: ASFALT – a research project and intervention targeting children and youth in disadvantaged neighbourhoods (development and feasibility study 2018-2020)

   Aim: The vision is to prevent obesity and diabetes, by promoting physical activity among children and youth aged 8-25, and thereby making them more physically active in their daily life and strengthening their social relations, well-being and empowerment.

   Collaborators: ASPHALT is a research project and an intervention developed in collaboration between the non-profit organization GAME and Steno Diabetes Centre Copenhagen. Four larger Danish municipalities: Esbjerg, København, Viborg and Aalborg, are partners in the project, which is expected to run from 2017-2022.