Annemette Nielsen

From Spelling Pronunciation to Lexical Access: A Second Step in Word Decoding?

There is a gap between “w..aa..sss” and “woz” (was). This is a gap between the output from a phonological recoding of a word and its lexical pronunciation. We suggest that ease of recognition of words from spelling pronunciations (like “w..aa..sss”) contributes independent variance to word decoding ability with both regularly and irregularly spelled words. This suggestion was supported in two studies: a correlation study with 74 Grade 1 students learning a regular orthography, and a longitudinal study of 187 children from preschool into Grade 1 learning a deep orthography. Correlations were stronger for accuracy than for fluency in word decoding. In conclusion, word recognition from spelling pronunciations may form a second step in word decoding. Implications for theoretical models of word decoding are discussed.

Contesting competence--change in the Danish food safety system.

This paper presents the rationalisation and centralisation in the last decade in the Danish food safety system and illustrates some of the frustration it raised among market actors. The article argues that, even if the reforms did not change formal division of responsibilities for securing food safety, the implementation of new principles in the food safety control procedure in the form of HACCP and the publication of results from public food inspection visits (The Danish Smiley System) have altered the roles and responsibilities of market actors and public actors at a practical level. In this way the reform raises new questions about the efficiency of the food safety control system.

A Cohort of Balanced Reciprocal Translocations Associated with Dyslexia: Identification of Two Putative Candidate Genes at DYX1

Dyslexia is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders where likely many genes are involved in the pathogenesis. So far six candidate dyslexia genes have been proposed, and two of these were identified by rare chromosomal translocations in affected individuals. By systematic re-examination of all translocation carriers in Denmark, we have identified 16 different translocations associated with dyslexia. In four families, where the translocation co-segregated with the phenotype, one of the breakpoints concurred (at the cytogenetic level) with either a known dyslexia linkage region—at 15q21 (DYX1), 2p13 (DYX3) and 1p36 (DYX8)—or an unpublished linkage region at 19q13. As a first exploitation of this unique cohort, we identify three novel candidate dyslexia genes, ZNF280D and TCF12 at 15q21, and PDE7B at 6q23.3, by molecular mapping of the familial translocation with the 15q21 breakpoint.

Parental concerns about complementary feeding: differences according to interviews with mothers with children of 7 and 13 months of age

Background/objectives:To investigate and analyze differences in parental concerns during earlier and later phases of complementary feeding.Subject/methods:Eight focus group interviews were conducted with 45 mothers of children aged 7 or 13 months. Deductive and inductive coding procedures were applied in the analysis.Results:There were marked differences in mothers’ health concerns in early and in later phases of complementary feeding. In the early phase, feeding a child healthy food was an unquestioned and self-evident practice. The child’s food was a specific category, separated from the rest of the family’s food, and the mother’s focus was on the immediate well-being and safety of the child. In the later phase, health concerns shifted towards a longer-term perspective, and the aim of integrating the child into the family’s social world became as important as concerns about well-being and safety. Contested and partly contradictory practices resulted, including conscious acceptance of some intake of sugar and unhealthy fats. Perceived relevance of nutritional guidelines on complementary feeding was high in the early phase but declined later.Conclusion:Mothers’ concerns and practices in the feeding of a young child vary considerably across the early and later phases of complementary feeding. This should be explored further and taken into consideration in the targeting and timing of dietary guideline communications.

Inverting the food pyramid? Social and cultural acceptability of Walter Willett's dietary recommendations among people with weight concerns

The article presents results from a survey that was carried out among participants in a strictly controlled dietary intervention trial in order to investigate and compare the social and cultural acceptability of three different diets. Measures of social and cultural acceptability included liking of diet, social eating events, practical matters surrounding shopping, cooking, eating, understandings of the relationship between diet type, bodyweight and health, and preferences for specific foods. The survey study focuses especially on the acceptability of the diet recommended by American epidemiologist Walter Willett. On most measures the results indicated that a diet based on Willetts recommendations had a generally high level of acceptability. Scepticism related primarily to the health and weight benefits of this diet in comparison with those of the present dietary recommendations in Denmark. The survey also revealed that participants attributed more influence on their body weight to the amount of food they ate than they did to the composition of the diets they followed. While the scope of the study does not allow for the generalizations of results to a general population level, the experimental design provides detailed insight into social and cultural aspects of experiences of strict dietary adherence.

Morbidity, Self-Perceived Health and Mortality Among non-Western Immigrants and Their Descendants in Denmark in a Life Phase Perspective

To enable preventive policies to address health inequity across ethnic groups, this review overviews the current knowledge on morbidity, self-perceived health and mortality among non-Western immigrants and their descendants in Denmark. A systematic search in PUBMED, SCOPUS, Embase and Cochrane as well as in national databases was undertaken. The final number of publications included was 45. Adult immigrants had higher morbidity, but lower mortality compared to ethnic Danes. Immigrant children had higher mortality and morbidity compared to ethnic Danes. Immigrants’ health is critical to reach the political goals of integration. Despite non-Western immigrants’ higher morbidity than ethnic Danes, no national strategy targeting immigrants’ health has been implemented. Future research should include elderly immigrants and children, preferably employing a life-course perspective to enhance understanding of parallel processes of societal adaptation and health.

Early Identification of Reading Difficulties: A Screening Strategy that Adjusts the Sensitivity to the Level of Prediction Accuracy

Early screening for reading difficulties before the onset of instruction is desirable because it allows intervention that is targeted at prevention rather than remediation of reading difficulties. However, early screening may be too inaccurate to effectively allocate resources to those who need them. The present study compared the accuracy of early screening before the onset of formal reading instruction with late screening six months into the first year of instruction. The study followed 164 Danish students from the end of Grade 0 to the end of Grade 2. Early screening included measures of phonemic awareness, rapid naming, letter knowledge, paired associate learning, and reading. Late screening included only reading. Results indicated that reading measures improved substantially as predictors over the first six months of Grade 1, to the point where late reading measures alone provided as much information as the early measures combined. In the light of these results and a less than perfect early screening accuracy, a new strategy for screening is introduced and discussed. The strategy proposes multi-point screening with gradually increasing sensitivity to strike a balance between manageable screening procedures and outcomes and early identification of students who are most likely in need of extra resources. Copyright

The Taste of ‘the End of the Month’, and How to Avoid It: Coping with Restrained Food Budgets in a Scandinavian Welfare State Context

Based on a mixed methods approach, this article describes the prevalence of different levels of food budget restraints in a sample of 1,650 Danish households, and explores different types of coping strategies to deal with such restraints. Strategies concerned cooking, eating and buying food. A deeper knowledge of coping strategies was obtained by analysing qualitative data from interviews with thirty families who have experienced food budget restraints. Results revealed that more than 40 per cent reported some level of restraint on their food budget, while about 20 per cent experienced more substantial food budget restraints or food insecurity. Single parent households were at significantly greater risk of experiencing restraint than others. An investigation of coping strategies showed that some strategies, for example, using leftovers and cooking seasonal products, were common across all levels of budget restraint, while strategies affecting social life and taste preferences negatively were mostly applied when restraint was more severe. The qualitative analysis explored how the various strategies involved the potential for both positive and negative experiences for the individual, depending on the wider context surrounding the need to reduce household food budgets. Results from this study may be important for developing adequate measures to influence food purchases and eating practices in specific groups in situations of widespread economic turbulence in welfare societies.

Setting limits in uneasy times – healthy diets in underprivileged families

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide knowledge on barriers to preventive action on early childhood overweight in non-western migrant families. It investigates the underlying understandings of the parental role in relation to weight control present in health-care professionals and in families. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on qualitative interviews with parents who are engaged in interventions aimed at helping them and their children to adopt a healthier life style, and on interviews with health-care professionals. Findings This study shows that the participating parents, all low SES and living under different forms of insecurity, perceived their parental task for the present as creating well-being for their children, and they were, therefore, reluctant to enforce dietary changes. The health-care professionals, in contrast, considered the need for change through a perspective on future risks. Research limitations/implications The results are based on a rather small sample and the link between insecurity, family dynamics and health practice needs further research. Originality/value The participating parents represented a group that is rarely included in scientific research and the study, therefore, contributes valuable knowledge on health behavior in ethnic minority families. The empirical analysis provides new insights for health professionals regarding the suitability of the universal model of parental feeding styles. It illuminates the implications of implicitly applying this model in health interventions which involve vulnerable categories of parents such as refugees to western societies.

From policy to reality: early overweight, structural barriers, and the allocation of responsibility in the Danish health care system

Abstract This qualitative study explores the structural barriers to preventive interventions targeting childhood obesity in the Danish health care system. Based on interviews with relevant health care professionals, the paper reports on the problems which are experienced by general practitioners and health visitors and which complicate implementation of the policies of the Danish health authorities. Findings show that the current system is not well equipped to treat early overweight. A gap in primary preventive health care for children at age 3–5, indistinct lines of responsibility, inadequate cooperation, and lack of resources together make it difficult for health care professionals to initiate interventions and reach the children in need of support. By analyzing the policy implementation process in a theoretical framework that discloses the discursive allocation of responsibilities, the study is able to provide a deeper description and analysis of the problem. The study makes it clear how preventive health care for overweight children rests on the negotiation of formal and performed responsibilities among health practitioners within a framework of scarce resources and communication deficit.