RESEARCH AREA
Childhood and Adolescence
We conduct large randomized controlled trials and observational studies to investigate how diet and nutrition in childhood and adolescence affect healthy weight development and growth, cardiometabolic health, bone health, gut microbiota, immune function, cognitive function and wellbeing.
The perspective is to improve dietary recommendations to children for optimal health and disease prevention.
- Does wholegrain intake affect cardiometabolic risk markers in children and adolescents, and does this involve changes in the gut microbiota?
- Can provision of healthy school meals reduce risk of overweight and improve cardiometabolic health and cognitive function in children?
- Does vitamin D supplementation during winter improve children’s bone mineralization, cardiometabolic health and immune function – and what is the optimal dose?
- Is underweight among children in Denmark associated with poorer diets, nutritional status and physical and mental health – or is it the opposite?
Research projects
Childhood underweight, as indicated by low body mass index (BMI) for age and sex, is prevalent in Denmark.
Despite the U-shaped associations between BMI and morbidity in adults and the well-known negative health impacts of underweight among children in low-income countries, underweight in children is largely overlooked in high-income countries, due to an unequivocal focus on overweight.
In this PhD project, we will triangulate data from two well-characterized cohorts,
The Danish National Birth Cohort and OPUS School Meal Study, and the nationally representative Children's Database to
1) investigate the sociodemographic characteristics and childhood development of underweight among children in Denmark,
2) compare the nutritional status, physical activity, body composition, growth, bone health and cardiometabolic health of children with underweight and normalweight and
3) examine if underweight is associated with increased risk of eating disorders and other indicators of poor mental health and wellbeing in school-aged children.
We anticipate that that the results will help define and promote a healthy weight in childhood by elucidating whether underweight constitutes a health problem in Denmark and showing whether there are subgroups or characteristics of underweight that need special attention.
This knowledge can be used by public authorities, health practitioners and parents to promote and support healthy weight development in childhood.
Involved in the project
PhD student Anne Aurup, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen
Associate Professor Camilla T. Damsgaard (PI), Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen
Associate Professor Katrine Strandberg-Larsen (co-PI), Department of Public Health, Section of Epidemiology, University of Copenhagen
MSc Public Health, PhD Lau Caspar Thygesen (Collaborator), National Institute of Public Health (SIF), University of Southern Denmark
Funder
Members
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Gro Eilersen | PhD Fellow | +4535329906 | |
| Anne Vedelsdal Aurup | PhD Fellow | +4535333223 | |
| Anni Larnkjær | Academic Staff | +4535333548 | |
| Camilla Trab Damsgaard | Associate Professor | +4535332221 | |
| Cecilie Holm Rasmussen | PhD Fellow | +4535335827 | |
| Christian Mølgaard | Professor | +4535332516 | |
| Christina Sonne Mogensen | PhD Fellow | +4535333284 | |
| Faidon Magkos | Professor | +4535333671 | |
| Frederik Holmegaard Jensen | PhD Fellow | +4535329622 | |
| Kristine Marie Kristensen | Academic Research Staff | +4535328867 | |
| Line Kattai Ulrikkeholm | Academic Officer | +4535328498 | |
| Lotte Lauritzen | Professor | +4535332508 | |
| Søren Andresen | Biomedical Laboratory Scientist | +4535332468 |
Research leaders
Camilla Trab Damsgaard
Associate Professor
Christian Mølgaard
Professor
Lotte Lauritzen
Professor
Faidon Magkos
Professor