Thomas Skovgaard

People with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy (CP) and muscular dystrophy, face unique challenges based on the severity of their impairment and are twice as likely to be physically inac...

Effective implementation of school-based health program depends on successful pre-implementation, which may influence program adoption, delivery, and outcomes. Despite its importance, pre-implementation remains underexplored. The Generation Healthy kids (GHK) study examined factors influencing pre-implementation of a multicomponent health promotion program in Danish primary schools from a school management perspective using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). An online questionnaire was distributed to 43 school management representatives across 23 participating schools, including school leaders, vice principals, deputy heads, and department heads. In total, 37 representatives responded (86%). Questionnaire items reflected the CFIR 2.0 domains Inner setting and Implementation process . As CFIR-related items were administered only to intervention schools, the present analysis included 19 respondents from these schools: 12 school leaders and seven department heads (vice principals, deputy heads, and department heads). Fisher’s exact test was used to explore group differences. Descriptive differences were observed between school leaders and department heads. School leaders were more frequently identified logistical factors, including adequate facilities and preparation time, whereas department heads more frequently identified staff competency development and monitoring of staff engagement. Both groups identified school management support as relevant for pre-implementation. No statistically significant differences were found between groups. The findings suggest that perspectives on pre-implementation may vary across school management roles, although differences were not statistically significant and should be interpreted with caution. Considering multiple management perspectives may strengthen planning and support for implementation of school-based health programs. Future research should include broader stakeholder perspectives.

A high prevalence of child overweight and obesity worldwide calls for innovative multi-setting intervention approaches, and thorough evaluation. This paper

Cerebral palsy (CP) profoundly affects both children and their families, often resulting in parental stress, emotional strain, and challenges in maintaining family well-being. Good Start is a family-centered early intervention designed for families of children aged six months to four years with CP, with the goal of enhancing parental competence, empowerment, and quality of life. Family-centered interventions, such as Good Start, aim to support parents by helping them integrate training into daily routines and fostering overall well-being. This study evaluates the Good Start program as a structured approach to addressing these challenges. A qualitative design was used, incorporating in-depth interviews with 19 parents at two time points - shortly after program completion and six months later - supplemented by observational data. Parents reported increased confidence in their caregiving role and a greater ability to incorporate therapeutic activities into everyday life. Psychological support and peer networking opportunities were highly valued, though maintaining connections post-program was challenging. Findings indicate that family-centered approaches contribute to parental empowerment and improved family dynamics. Good Start promotes parental competence and well-being by providing structured guidance, peer support, and strategies for incorporating therapy into daily life. Further research is needed to examine its long-term impact and broader applicability.

On August 29 and 30, 2024, eight researchers and six expert practitioners within wellbeing and youth sport were gathered in Copenhagen to reach evidence‐based consensus on how to promote wellbeing in and through youth sports. The consensus process integrated international research‐based knowledge with practice‐based knowledge into statements about key factors influencing wellbeing in youth sport. Based on this knowledge, practice and policy directed statements on how wellbeing in and through sport can be promoted were formulated. The consensus process and the resulting statements were based on a system approach to wellbeing in youth sport and how it can be promoted. Four system levels (the individual, interpersonal, community, and policy levels) were addressed in answering the following questions: (1) What characterizes wellbeing in sport for children and adolescents? (2) What characterizes sport environments that promote children and adolescents’ wellbeing? (3) Which factors are important to consider in efforts to develop wellbeing promoting youth sport environments? (4) How can wellbeing in youth sport be promoted? In total, 19 consensus statement sentences were formulated on how young sports participants (3), parents/caretakers (5), coaches and leaders/managers (5), local sport communities (3) and sports federations (3) can promote wellbeing in youth sport.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the four-day family-centered early intervention program Good Start on psychosocial constructs related to quality of life in parents of children with cerebral palsy. Parental well-being, life satisfaction, sense of coherence, parenting efficacy, and family empowerment were assessed using recognized scales in a pre-post-follow-up design involving 38 parents. Measurements at baseline, three weeks, and six months post-program showed statistically significant improvements over time in most outcomes, except for the Efficacy and Family Empowerment Subscales immediately after the program. At six months, all outcomes except the Family Subscale showed sustained improvement. The findings suggest that Good Start is associated with positive changes in parental well-being, life satisfaction, sense of coherence, and parenting efficacy. Overall, family empowerment ratings were relatively high, which indicates a solid foundation of perceived capacity and confidence among families. This study indicates that a brief, family-centered intervention may be associated with psychosocial changes similar to those observed in longer programs. Studies with larger samples and including control factors are needed to confirm the study’s findings.

The aim of this article is to explore the role of local school champions in the facilitation and implementation of “The School Health Program”. This study is based on semi-structured interviews with 26 local school champions. The interviews focused on exploring key implementation responsibilities and barriers and facilitators to implement core program components. Champions identify coordination, promotion, and handling of support functions as key implementation tasks. The findings highlight organizational and structural factors that impact this type of implementation agent. Teachers functioning as champions can be central agents in the implementation of a whole-school program. Champions must, however, be supported by thorough organizational preparation, engaged leadership, and a well-defined distribution of roles.

Lærerne i den danske folkeskole skal tage højde for eksplicitte lovkrav omhandlende inklusion og bevægelse i undervisningen. Det er afgørende, at lærere arbejder bevidst med et inkluderende sigte, når de gør brug af bevægelse i undervisningen. Artiklen belyser, hvordan en bestemt gruppe grundskolelærere arbejder med at skabe rammer for en inkluderende bevægelsespraksis. Artiklens empiriske udgangspunkt er et konkret aktionslæringsforløb forankret i Karl Weicks udredninger af forudsætninger for produktiv meningsskabelse. På baggrund af vores analytiske fund påviser vi, at aktionslæringsforløbet og Weicks meningsskabelsestilgang hjælper lærerne med at forankre og skabe mening og retning i arbejdet med inkluderende bevægelsesaktiviteter i praksis.

Close to ten years ago, at the beginning of December 2012, the Danish government, announced its intention to implement comprehensive reforms of the public school system. Six months later, in June 2013, a broad-based political alliance agreed on extensive alterations in the legislation guiding Danish public schools. The discussions of the most recent major reform of Danish public schools, established a next to unequivocal consensus among the parties in the Danish Parliament, school employers and employees as well as voluntary sports organizations that children and young people should be more physically active during the school day. Thus, the updated Danish Education Act of 2013 made it compulsory for public schools to offer an average of 45 minutes of physical activity (PA) per school day. It is, however, painfully clear that the subsequent implementation of the primary policy goal to incorporate a minimum of 45 minutes of school-based PA for all pupils per day has been far from complete. According to some of the more exhaustive monitoring reports, in 2019 only six out of 10 schools fulfilled the basic PA-criterion. This was at the same level as in 2016. In spite of much political goodwill at both national, regional and local levels, significant investments of time and other resources by school authorities, professional organizations, a number of private and public foundations, individual employees and work teams, school managers and boards the number of schools actually adhering to current legislative goals related to physical activity has not changed in any substantial way from the adoption of the updated legislative framework in mid-2013 till present time. Based on this state of affairs the presentation explores the question: What factors have influenced the translation of an overall policy ambition, related to school-based physical activity, into practice? The presentation builds on the Integrated Implementation Model, as presented by Winter and Nilsen and Cairney's introduction to Policy implementation research, and covers phases two and three of a total of four into which a given political decision-making process is typically divided: 1) agenda-setting, 2) policy generation, 3) implementation, and 4) evaluation.

Children and youth with disabilities participate less in physical activity (PA) than their peers. This qualitative multiple-case study aimed to assess how municipal practices support PA implementation for these children and youth. A total of 23 interviews were conducted, which covered participants from different departments and professional positions in two municipalities. Local policy documents were included. A thematic analysis was performed, which was based on Winter’s integrated implementation model and Gittell’s theory on relational coordination. The study findings indicate how PA implementation for children and youth with disabilities is a complex challenge that involves several departments and agents. The study demonstrates that having an explicit policy that focuses on parasport can positively influence organisational and interorganisational behaviour, and that coordinating consultants seem to play an essential role in PA implementation. However, there is room for improvement at the municipal level in order to promote a better overall performance in terms of the support for PA participation of children and youth with disabilities.