Geographical Locations - Denmark

• (Statistical) Number of Inhabitants per Doctor:
• CIA World Factbook : Denmark

Organisations and Networks

UN and Multinational

• WHO
  - WHO Country Profile - Denmark
  - WHO - Tobacco control: Country Profile - Denmark
  - WHO - Environmental Burden of Disease: Country Profile – Denmark
  - WHO – Progress in the Prevention of Injuries in the WHO European Region: Denmark
• Regional Office for Europe (EURO) in Copenhagen (Denmark)

Government

• Danish Centre for Evaluation and Health Technology Assessment
• Danish Institute for Studies in Research and Research Policy - The Danish Institute for Studies in Research and Research Policy is a government research institute under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The Institute was set up for the purpose of strengthening, through its own research and analysis, the foundations of the research advisory system and the basis for research policy decisions.The Institute is responsible for carrying out both basic research and long-term competence-building, together with more practical-oriented analyses and investigations.
• Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health - The Ministry of the Interior and Health was established on 27 November 2001 when the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health were integrated. In the field of health care, the Ministry is in charge of the administrative functions in relation to the organisation and financing of the health care system, psychiatry and health insurance as well as the approval of pharmaceuticals and the pharmacy sector. Prevention and health promotion are also part of the Ministry’s remit.
• Danmarks Statistik - English Version -The mission of Statistics Denmark is to produce and disseminate trustworthy statistics on social and economic trends in society, which are an essential condition for its democracy and economy to work. Statistics Denmark’s vision is to be recognised as a user-friendly statistical institution, providing internationally high quality products.
• Kennedy Institute - Activities at the Kennedy Institute - National Eye Clinic include diagnosis, prevention, treatment and research in patients with serious, often genetic, handicaps with mental retardation or visual impairment. The institute intends to further develop a highly specialised platform for treatment and research and to create new possibilities for combining research in genetics and eye diseases.
• Ministry of Social Affairs - Social.dk is the common access to the web-site of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The purpose of the Portal is to give an overview of the Ministry, make relevant technical information available, increase the service level for our users and be the pivot for social and political debate in Denmark.
• National Board of Health - "The tasks of the National Board of Health are undertaken by a number of divisions and centres, which deal with related areas of expertise. Attached to the Board are the medical public health officers, who are responsible for monitoring health conditions in the respective counties. In addition, the National Board of Health employs a number of specialist advisers."
• National Institute of Occupational Health - NIOH is a government research institute under the Ministry of Employment. NIOH is obligated to contribute to a safe, healthy and developing work environment in accordance with technical and social development. NIOH is also a national centre for work environment research. This means that the institute conducts strategic research, and it contributes to securing the best possible coordination of Danish work environment research. Furthermore, NIOH monitors international work environment research and the environmental development nationally as well as internationally.
• Statens Serum Institut

Non-Government

• AIDS-Info
• Danish Council of Ethics -The Danish Council of Ethics' was established in 1988 to provide the Danish Parliament, official authorities and the public with ongoing advice and information about ethical problems raised by developments within the national health service and the field of biomedicine. This is accomplished by submitting reports and statements etc. in specified areas and by mounting debate generating activities in the form of e.g. public enquiries and debate days, publishing of debate books, anthologies, videos and teaching material, and extensive lecturing activities.
• Danish Epidemiological Society
• Danish Institute for Health Services Research - DSI Danish Institute for Health Services Research is an independent not-for-profit research institute. The Institute provides research, communication and consultancy services for and with the health sector.
• Danish Medical Association - The specific objectives of the DMA, as stated in its statutes, are: to unite Danish doctors in order to protect the interests of the medical profession, and to serve as the body through which the influence of the medical profession may be exercised on general social issues in the best interest of health and the health care system.
• Danish Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Danish Society for Public Health
• Institute of Local Government Studies - Akf, institute of local government studies - Denmark, is researching issues of relevance to the public, municipalities and regions. The goal of Akf is to take part in achieving better activities to the public sector and its users, Danish counties and municipalities.
• Institute of Preventive Medicine - Located at Kommunehospitalet in Copenhagen, the Institute of Preventive Medicine is administratively associated with Bispebjerg Hospital. The Institute of Preventive Medicine is a part of the Copenhagen University Hospital, which is an organisation for collaboration in research and academic pre- and post graduate teaching between the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Hospital Corporation, and the Copenhagen County Hospitals.
• Komiteen for Sundhedsoplysning - The Danish Committee for Health Education was founded in 1964 and is a non-profit non-governmental organization with close working relations with public authorities like the Ministry of Health, the National Board of Health and private organizations in the health field. The membership organizations are primarily professional associations in the health field and the associations of county councils and local authorities.
• National Institute of Public Health - The National Institute of Public Health is an independent sectorial research institute under the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health. Its primary purpose is to: Do research into the health and morbidity of the Danish population and the functioning of the health care system with special emphasis on application-oriented research; Carry out monitoring and surveillance of the health and morbidity development of the Danes and make reviews and consultancy for public authorities and participate in post-graduate education within public health science and social medicine
• Ung centret (The Youth Centre) - created by the county of Storstrømmen in 1972 to aid different Danish communes in their work with 16-24 year -olds with serious social, psychiatric, or substance abuse-related problems

Academic Institutions

• University of Copenhagen

• University of Aarhus Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine
• Syddansk Universitet - Institute of Public Health

National Policy and Related Documents

• Health Care in Denmark
  This report, published by the Ministry of the Interior and Health provides an overview of the Danish health care service. "The most recent developments in the health status of the Danish population are described together with the initiatives which are being taken to improve it."
• Healthy throughout life - the targets and strategies for public health policy of the Government of Denmark 2002-2010
• Policies on Health Care for Undocumented Migrants in EU27 – Country Report: Denmark
  "Currently, immigration to Denmark consists mostly of asylum seekers and persons who arrive as family dependents and in accordance with legislation regulating family reunification. In addition, Denmark annually receives a number of citizens from Western countries, notably Scandinavian countries, the EU, and North America, who usually come to work or study for a limited period of time. Also, workers from especially Poland and the Baltic nations have arrived to perform menial labour (e.g. construction, agriculture and cleaning). Since 2002, a number of policy measures have restricted the ability to obtain asylum and residence permits in Denmark. As a result, financial support to asylum seekers has decreased markedly and the number of persons obtaining residence permits in relation to family reunification was halved between 2000 and 2007. The general climate for ethnic minorities, especially with Muslim backgrounds, has deteriorated over the last decade and cases of discrimination appear to be more frequent in Denmark compared to other EU countries. In 2008, Denmark received 2 375 asylum applications. Among the applicants, 560 came from Iraq, 415 from Afghanistan and 195 from Iran. The same year, 1 725 decisions were issued (in the first and second instance) and the rate of recognition was 58.3 % (in the first instance)."

Reports, Guidelines, and Projects

• Air pollution from traffic and risk for lung cancer in three Danish cohorts
  Background: Air pollution is suspected to cause lung cancer. The purpose was to investigate whether the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) at the residence, used as an indicator of air pollution from traffic, is associated with risk for lung cancer. Methods: We identified 679 lung cancer cases in the Danish Cancer Registry from the members of three prospective cohorts and selected a comparison group of 3,481 persons from the same cohorts in a case-cohort design. Residential addresses from January 1, 1971, were traced in the Central Population Registry. The NOx concentration at each address was calculated by dispersion models, and the time-weighted average concentration for all addresses was calculated for each person. We used Cox models to estimate incidence rate ratios after adjustment for smoking (status, duration, and intensity), educational level, body mass index, and alcohol consumption. Results: The incidence rate ratios for lung cancer were 1.30 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.07-1.57] and 1.45 (95% CI, 1.12-1.88) for NOx concentrations of 30 to 72 and >72 μg/m3, respectively, when compared with <30 μg/m3. This corresponds to a 37% (95% CI, 6-76%) increase in incidence rate ratio per 100 μg/m3 NOx. The results showed no significant heterogeneity in the incidence rate ratio for lung cancer between cohorts or between strata defined by gender, educational level, or smoking status. Conclusion: The study showed a modest association between air pollution from traffic and the risk for lung cancer. Impact: This study points at traffic as a source of carcinogenic air pollution and stresses the importance of strategies for reduction of population exposure to traffic-related air pollution. [author abstract] [Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(5); 1284–91, 2010]
• An Introduction to the Financing and Organisation of the Danish Health Care Sector
  "The aim of this working paper is to give the Australian reader a brief introduction to the general structure and management of the Danish health care sector. Hereby presenting the structure based on a model that can be applied to other countries’ health care systems in order to explain the overall effectiveness or the lack of it. Secondly, to present expenditure within the Danish health care sector alongside the Australian health care sector, hereby providing a description of ways of financing the two countries’ health care systems. Thirdly, to give some indications of how the future of the Danish health care system may look. This working paper is written for Australian readers, which is the reason why references from the Australian health care system are found at times. This solely occurs in order that the reader may have something to compare with. This is in no way a comparative analysis of the health care systems of the two countries." [Centre for Health Program Evaluation, Monash University (Australia), Working Paper 121, May, 2001]
• Can we compare violence data across countries?
  Objectives: The paper aims to explore what knowledge can be obtained about violence through population- based data and additionally, through inter-country comparisons of violence data. Study design and methods: Data on lifetime and 12-month experiences of violence and/or severe threats of violence were obtained from self-administered questionnaires supplementary to nationwide, cross-sectional health interview surveys conducted in Greenland in 1993-94 (N=2,425) and in Denmark in 2000 (N=16,684). The overall response rate achieved for the self-administered questionnaire was 63 % (N=1,393) in Greenland and 63 % (N=10,458) in Denmark. Results: A comparison of violence data shows that overall, the violence prevalence was significantly higher in Greenland than Denmark. Experienced violence and/or severe threats amongst Greenlandic women was almost as prevalent as amongst Greenlandic men – especially so for severe lifetime violence. This was not the case for the Danish sample. Significantly more Danish men than Danish women reported experienced violence and/or severe threats for all age groups. Conclusion: Comparing violence data across countries enables us to describe actual differences in violence prevalence, as well as to highlight potential methodological discrepancies and cultural and gender differences in understanding and, thus, reporting of violence. This knowledge can be implemented in the development and improvement of existing and new prevention strategies. [International Journal of Circumpolar Health 2004; vol. 63, suppl 2: pp.389-395]
• Coordination between primary and secondary healthcare in Denmark and Sweden
  Introduction: Insights into effective policy strategies for improved coordination of care is needed. In this study we describe and compare the policy strategies chosen in Denmark and Sweden, and discuss them in relation to interorganisational network theory. Policy practice: The policy initiatives to improve collaboration between primary and secondary healthcare in Denmark and Sweden include legislation and agreements aiming at clarifying areas of responsibility and defining requirements, creation of links across organisational boarders. In Denmark many initiatives have been centrally induced, while development of local solutions is more prominent in Sweden. Many Danish initiatives target the administrative level, while in Sweden initiatives are also directed at the operational level. In both countries economic incentives for collaboration are weak or lacking, and use of sanctions as a regulatory mean is limited. Discussion and conclusion: Despite a variety of policy initiatives, lacking or poorly developed structures to support implementation function as barriers for coordination. The two cases illustrate that even in two relatively coherent health systems, with regional management of both the hospital and general practice sector, there are issues to resolve in regard to administrative and operational coordination. The interorganisational network literature can provide useful tools and concepts for interpreting such issues. [author abstract] [International Journal of Integrated Care – Vol. 9, 12 March 2009]
• Differences in socioeconomic and gender inequalities in tobacco smoking in Denmark and Sweden; a cross sectional comparison of the equity effect of different public health policies
  Background: Denmark and Sweden are considered to be countries of rather similar socio-political type, but public health policies and smoking habits differ considerably between the two neighbours. A study comparing mechanisms behind socioeconomic inequalities in tobacco smoking, could yield information regarding the impact of health policy and -promotion in the two countries. Methods: Cross-sectional comparisons of socioeconomic and gender differences in smoking behaviour among 6 995 Danish and 13 604 Swedish persons aged 18-80 years. Results: The prevalence of smoking was higher in Denmark compared to Sweden. The total attributable fraction (TAF) of low education regarding daily smoking was 36% for Danish men and 35% for Danish women, and 32% and 46%, respectively, for Swedish men and women. TAF of low education regarding continued smoking were 16.2% and 15.8% for Danish men and women, and 11.0% and 18.8% for Swedish men and women, respectively The main finding of the study was that the socioeconomic patterning of smoking, based on level of education and expressed as the relative contribution to the total burden of smoking exposure, was rather different in Sweden and Denmark. Moreover, these differences were modified by gender and age. As a general pattern, socioeconomic differences in Sweden tended to contribute more to the total burden of this habit among women, especially in the younger age groups. In men, the patterns were much more similar between the two countries. Regarding continued smoking/unsuccessful quitting, the patterns were similar for women, but somewhat different for men. Here we found that socioeconomic differences contributed more to overall continued smoking in Danish men, especially in the middle-age and older age strata. Conclusion: The results imply that Swedish anti-smoking policy and/or implemented measures have been less effective in a health equity perspective among the younger generation of women, but more effective among men, compared to Danish policy implementation. The results also raises the more general issue regarding the possible need for a trade-off principle between overall population efficacy versus equity efficacy of anti-tobacco, as well as general public health policies and intervention strategies. [BMC Public Health 2010, 10: 9]
• Engaging citizens in the Danish health care sector
  "The report examines how Denmark approaches ‘government-citizen connections’ – provision of information, consultation and active engagement of citizens – in the public debate over the provision of health care. The study includes a special focus on the role of patient groups, because of their growing number and impact on the policy debate. The report begins by providing a review of the structure of the Danish health care sector and of recent developments. The Danish health care sector is characterised by substantial consensus around certain basic values, namely that all citizens should have free and equal access to public health care services and free choice of a primary care doctor and of hospitals. Debate tends to focus on issues around the margins of these basic agreed values, such as the extent to which private insurance and private hospitals may play a role in the system; who takes on responsibility for what services; and where resources should be focused. The report goes on to outline the evolving roles of doctors, patients, administrators and political representatives. Alongside the traditional reliance on medical expertise for decision-making in health care, the influence of patients – at both the point of service and policy-making levels – is increasing. Among the most important vehicles are ‘patient groups’ formed around concerns about particular diseases or health problems (e.g. heart disease). Initially restricted to education and awareness-raising, many of these patient groups have now explicitly taken on policy advocacy as an important role, and the largest ones are routinely invited to participate in parliamentary committee hearings and to comment on draft proposals by the Ministry of Health." [In: Citizens as Partners: Information, Consultation and Public Participation in Policy-making, OECD, 2001, pp.107-123]
• Fish consumption and its motives in households with versus without self-reported medical history of CVD: A consumer survey from five European countries
  Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural differences in the frequency of fish intake and in motivations for fish consumption between people from households with (CVD+) or without (CVD-) medical history of cardiovascular disease, using data obtained in five European countries. Methods: A cross-sectional consumer survey was carried out in November-December 2004 with representative household samples from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and Spain. The sample consisted of 4,786 respondents, aged 18–84 and who were responsible for food purchasing and cooking in the household. Results: Individuals from households in the CVD+ group consumed fish more frequently in Belgium and in Denmark as compared to those in the CVD- group. The consumption of fatty fish, which is the main sources of omega-3 PUFA associated with prevention of cardiovascular diseases, was on the same level for the two CVD groups in the majority of the countries, except in Belgium where CVD+ subjects reported to eat fatty fish significantly more frequently than CVD- subjects. All respondents perceived fish as a very healthy and nutritious food product. Only Danish consumers reported a higher subjective and objective knowledge related to nutrition issues about fish. In the other countries, objective knowledge about fish was on a low level, similar for CVD+ as for CVD- subjects, despite a higher claimed use of medical information sources about fish among CVD+ subjects. Conclusion: Although a number of differences between CVD- and CVD+ subjects with respect to their frequency of fish intake are uncovered, the findings suggest that fish consumption traditions and habits – rather than a medical history of CVD – account for large differences between the countries, particularly in fatty fish consumption. This study exemplifies the need for nutrition education and more effective communication about fish, not only to the people facing chronic diseases, but also to the broader public. European consumers are convinced that eating fish is healthy, but particular emphasis should be made on communicating benefits especially from fatty fish consumption. [author abstract] [BMC Public Health 2008, 8: 306]
• Health Care Systems in Transition Denmark
  The Health Care Systems in Transition (HiT) profiles are country-based reports that provide an analytical description of each health care system and of reform initiatives in progress or under development. The HiTs are a key element that underpins the work of the European Observatory on Health Care Systems.
• Health expectancy in Denmark
  "This report is produced by the European Health Expectancy Monitoring Unit (EHEMU) as part of a country series. In each report we present: (i) Life expectancies and health expectancies at age 65 based on activity limitation (HLY) for the country of interest and for the overall 25 European Union member states (EU25), using the SILC question on long term activity limitation for 2005, 2006 and 2007. As the SILC has been only recently initiated, to document trends we provide previous HLY series based on the disability question of the 1995-2001 European Community Household Panel (ECHP); (ii) health expectancies based on the two additional dimensions of health (chronic morbidity and self-perceived health) for the country of interest, based on SILC 2007; [and] (iii) a global analysis of health expectancies of European countries, based on the SILC 2007." [EHEMU Country Reports, Issue 3 - March 2010]
• Health technology assessment in Denmark: Strategy, implementation, and developments
  Objectives: The mainly tax-paid healthcare system in Denmark is decentralized with three defined policy and management levels. Health technology assessment (HTA) as a concept was introduced in the beginning of the 1980s. Significant implementation only happened when the first national strategy for HTA was developed by relevant stakeholders and issued as an official document in 1996. The introduction and the further development are described. Methods: The Danish Institute for HTA was established in the National Board of Health in 1997 with responsibility for coordination and production of HTA. A local government reform from 2007 provides several new challenges to HTA and its coordination. Results: An external evaluation in 2003 indicated that HTA was widely disseminated and that HTA results were benefitting political, administrative, and clinical decision making at all levels of the healthcare system. Conclusions: The first national strategy for HTA, the broad HTA model covering four elements: Technology (clinical aspects), Patient, Organization, and Economy, and the development and introduction of mini-HTA as a tool for HTA-related activities in institutions and municipalities are major contributions to international HTA. [author abstract] [International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 25: Supplement 1 (2009), 94–101]
• Intake of beer, wine and spirits and risk of heavy drinking and alcoholic cirrhosis
  Studies have suggested that wine drinkers are at lower risk of death than beer or spirit drinkers. The aim of this study is to examine whether the risk of becoming a heavy drinker or developing alcoholic cirrhosis differs among individuals who prefer different types of alcoholic beverages. In a longitudinal setting [involving two comprehensive Danish population studies] we found that both the risk of becoming a heavy or excessive drinker (above 14 and 21 drinks per week for women and above 21 and 35 drinks per week for men) and the risk of developing alcoholic cirrhosis depended on the individuals preference of wine, beer or spirits. We conclude that moderate wine drinkers appear to be at lower risk of becoming heavy and excessive drinkers and that this may add to the explanation of the reported beverage-specific differences in morbidity and mortality. [author abstract] [Biol Res 37: 195-200, 2004]
• Local Use of National Performance Indicators: Experiences from the Public Health Sector in Denmark
  "This paper reports from an evaluation that KREVI has recently made of a national performance measurement system in Denmark called the National Indicator Project (NIP). NIP is a tax-financed system and its purpose is to measure and improve the professional quality of hospitals on eight disease areas. The evaluation has included two of these areas; schizophrenia and orthopaedic surgery. In brief, the evaluation shows that NIP has been successfully integrated on two hospital wards while to other wards have refused the system. In the paper we use the terms “adoption” and “denial” to describe these different processes of integration. Furthermore, the evaluation revealed several preconditions for successful integration of performance management systems. These preconditions include a well designed system, attention from local management and existing norms and values in the organization." [KREVI, 2010]
• Men’s violence against women: Extent, characteristics and the measures against violence –2007 (English Summary)
  "The present report illustrates the trends in gender-based violence during the last 5-6 years and describes the government initiatives to prevent this violence. Reliable data and statistics are important tools in order to inform the strategy and target it towards preventing violence." [Ministry for Gender Equality, National Institute of Public Health, Denmark, 2008]
• Mortality and life expectancy in Denmark and in other European countries: What is happening to middle-aged Danes?
  Background: The trend in life expectancy in Denmark has been less favourable than in other European countries for several years. The aim of this study was to compare mortality in Denmark with that in selected European countries, focusing on age groups and causes of death for which the Danish trends are particularly unfavourable. Methods: Comparisons were made for the period 1952-1993 between Denmark and Norway, the former Federal Republic of Germany, The Netherlands, the UK, France, Italy and former Czechoslovakia of age-specific mortality rates and changes in life expectancy specific for each age group and cause of death. Results: At the end of the period only the former Czechoslovakia had a lower life expectancy than Denmark; the difference in life expectancy between Denmark and the other six countries varied between 5 and 48 months. Almost all of the difference was due to a higher mortality rate in the 35-74 years age group. All heart diseases and 'symptoms and ill-defined conditions' were responsible for a large proportion of the Danish high mortality, the decrease in mortality from this group of diseases being moderate in comparison with the other countries. Lung cancer contributed to a loss of 1-6 months more of life expectancy for Danish women than in the other countries. In comparison with Norway, The Netherlands and the UK, Danish men lost 2 more months' life expectancy due to liver cirrhosis and Danish women lost 1 month more. Conclusions: A considerable proportion of the extra deaths in Denmark could be prevented. [author abstract] [European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp.93-100, 2000]
• Risk factors and public health in Denmark
  "This report presents a comprehensive, broad description and analysis of the impact of selected risk factors on public health in Denmark. As used in this study the term risk factor is broadly defined as a factor causally related to health status. The individual risk factors may occur at various levels in a larger causal network encompassing biological factors such as hypertension, lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, and social factors such as educational level. The report operates with 19 risk factors and 18 indicators of health and social economic costs. The choice of risk factors and indicators was made by the National Institute of Public Health in consultation with the National Board of Health on the basis of their importance and public interest and data availability."
• The Danish Health Care System: An Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT analysis)
  "The organizing framework for this essay is an analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the Danish health system along with threats (challenges) and opportunities – a so-called SWOT-analysis. This is followed by 10 proposals (‘solutions’) to the combined set of issues. It is easy to come up with proposals that will increase the benefit scope and levels of health services provided and hence increase expenditures. However, the whole point of the SWOT analysis is to identify areas worthy of attack because they threaten the sustainability of the health system as we know it, run counter to the objectives of the system, e.g. equity, or are glaring weaknesses. Rational decisions about improvements must be based not only on a helicopter view of the health care system via the SWOT analysis, but improvements must be selected so that they have the biggest impact per monetary unit expended. Therefore, whenever possible and relevant it has been attempted to provide a very rough estimate of the cost-benefit ratio of particular solutions or QALY-ratios. Numerous references support both the SWOT-analysis and the solution section to underpin the factual basis of the report." [University of Southern Denmark Health Economics Papers, 2011: 2]
• The Danish National Prescription Registry
  Introduction: Individual-level data on all prescription drugs sold in Danish community pharmacies has since 1994 been recorded in the Register of Medicinal Products Statistics of the Danish Medicines Agency. Content: The register subset, termed the Danish National Prescription Registry (DNPR), contains information on dispensed prescriptions, including variables at the level of the drug user, the prescriber, and the pharmacy. Validity and coverage: Reimbursement-driven record keeping, with automated bar-code-based data entry provides data of high quality, including detailed information on the dispensed drug. Conclusion: The possibility of linkage with many other nationwide individual-level data sources renders the DNPR a very powerful pharmacoepidemiological tool. [author abstract] [Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2011; 39 (Suppl 7): 38–41]
• The social patterning of relative body weight and obesity in Denmark and Finland
  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. [author abstract] [European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 16, No. 1, 36–40, 2005]

Educational Resources

• CDC - Travel Information : Western Europe
• Copenhagen University Library, Faculty Library of the Health Sciences
• European Observatory on Health Systems and Policy - Denmark
• Health Policy Monitor - Country Fact Sheet: Denmark
• Ugeskrift for Læger - The weekly journal of the Danish Medical Association - in Danish