EiT

 This EiT village is initiated by the Norwegian Centre for Child Research at NTNU. It will be arranged in collaboration with Regional center for obesity treatment (RSSO), St. Olavs Hospital and Folkehelse Fosen.

Norwegian Centre for Child Research (NOSEB) is a national, interdisciplinary center, which does basic and applied long-term research on childhood, and on the activities and conditions of children's lives. It aims to develop research based knowledge about childhood and children's everyday life in a changing society. Social studies of children and childhood is engaged in viewing children as human beings with a right to have a say in matters that affect them. In other words, children should be understood as active participants in their own lives. This might seem obvious. However, children are often viewed as passive and incompetent, or even ‘forgotten' as citizens with rights in society.

The Coordination reform is the largest health reform Norway has had. Through this reform all municipalities in Norway will develop what they call Frisklivssentraler (A center for a healty life). A Frisklivssentral is set to be a municipal centre of competence for people and groups in the general public who is defined as in need of help to change their health behaviour. It is set to be a centre for everyone and is meant to consist of activities and offers that are meant to strengthen the individuals' control of their own health, primarily through guidance focusing on behavioural change and customized measures for physical activity and a better diet. A guide was developed in 2011 describing what such Frisklivssentraler should contain. This guide does not mention any measures to be taken specifically for children and young people, and as such they are a ‘forgotten' group within the public health sector as well.

Obesity is a growing problem in the general public, and also for children in Norway. In the last 20-30 years there has been an alarming increase in child obesity and overweight, which is supposed to create increased illness in the population later. Children are also claimed to be less physically active today than some decades ago. Recent research shows that Norwegian boys between 11-16 years are sitting still 40 hours per week in addition to the hours at school.

In this EiT Childhood village we wish to explore and/or create a contribution for children connected to the Frisklivssentral "Friskliv Fosen", which is located at the peninsula Fosen in Trøndelag, consisting of 7 municipalities.

Who are you?

The objective of EiT is an interdisciplinary teamwork, and we wish that Childhood village will reflect this profile through projects in which students can apply their academic background and develop their teamwork skills. All students that are able to participate at an intensive EiT-village can apply. We would welcome students from Childhood Studies, Psychology, Medicine, Sport Sciences, Sociology and Anthropology as well as from other disciplines, who find this topic interesting.

Practical information

English will be the official village language, and the course will be intensive (January 2012).

Read more about Experts in Teamwork at NTNU here.