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

TY - JOUR

T1 - From policy to reality

T2 - early overweight, structural barriers and the allocation of responsibility in the Danish health care system

AU - Ditlevsen, Kia

AU - Reventlow, Susanne

AU - Nielsen, Annemette Ljungdalh

N1 - Published online 28 Dec 2015

PY - 2016/10/19

Y1 - 2016/10/19

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Obesity

KW - Health Policy

KW - Denmark

KW - Pre-school children

KW - qualitative analysis

KW - Obesity

U2 - 10.1080/09581596.2015.1123810

DO - 10.1080/09581596.2015.1123810

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0958-1596

VL - 26

SP - 566

EP - 577

JO - Critical Public Health

JF - Critical Public Health

IS - 5

ER -