As part of a long-term strategic collaboration initiated in 2020 between Vordingborg Municipality, Steno Diabetes Center Zealand, and the Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, the aim of this project is to conduct a community analysis, needs assessment, and health profile for pregnant women and young children in Vordingborg Municipality.
The proportion of individuals worldwide and in Denmark developing chronic diseases such as heart and lung diseases, cancer, and diabetes is increasing. These diseases are strongly associated with overweight and obesity. This is concerning because overweight and obesity are prevalent on both a global and national scale. Overweight is a complex bio-psycho-social issue, hence there are numerous factors contributing to one's potential for overweight. The risk of developing overweight accumulates over a lifetime. Living with overweight as a child significantly increases the likelihood of also experiencing overweight in adulthood. Therefore, early prevention and health promotion initiatives are crucial. A child's life course and health are already influenced from (and even before) birth through upbringing, behavior, and more complex intergenerational processes. The period of pregnancy, birth, and early childhood is thus an important and critical period that can have significant implications both in the short and long term for learning, well-being, behavior, physical, and mental health.
Based on the above, we aim to employ a whole systems approach to develop, test, and evaluate early health promotion initiatives aimed at preventing overweight in children and adolescents in a socioeconomically challenged municipality. The sub-goals are:
- To establish an evidence base and needs analysis for the development of initiatives aimed at preventing overweight in children and adolescents in a socioeconomically challenged municipality through a community analysis.
- To monitor and investigate the health and well-being of pregnant women and young children in the same municipality to design the right interventions for the right individuals and to monitor and evaluate these interventions.
The project's results will provide insights into the health and well-being of pregnant women, young children, and their families in Vordingborg Municipality, and will contribute evidence about how local cultural perceptions, among other factors, influence health.
Contact persons
Mette Lindholm Kurzhals
Lærke Mygind Grønfeldt
Thea Toft Amholt
Peter Bentsen