Ellen Margrete Iveland Ersfjord

• Johnsen, Hege Mari; Steig, Marianne Hovet; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Safari, Mugula Chris; Fone, Anne Marit & Melby, Kristian Leonard (2026). Training social care staff in promoting self-determination and nutritional health for people with intellectual disabilities using 360o virtual reality videos and ethical reflection: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research. 26. doi: 10.1186/s12913-026-14308-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: People with intellectual disabilities living in supported housing facilities are vulnerable to developing obesity and malnutrition. It is therefore essential to strengthen staff competence in providing nutrition and dietary support for people with intellectual disabilities, with particular attention to balancing the provision of appropriate health care with the promotion of residents’ autonomy and self-determination. The aim of this study was to explore social care service providers’ experiences with a teaching and learning approach that combines the use of 360° virtual reality videos with structured ethical reflection focusing on self-determination and preventive dietary work for people with intellectual disabilities. Methods: This study employed an explorative qualitative design that tested a learning intervention consisting of watching a 360o video followed by participating in a structured group reflection. Data were collected through three focus group interviews with a total of 14 participants from two Norwegian municipality-based supported housing facilities for people with intellectual disabilities. The data were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes with associated subthemes were identified: (a) the opportunity to experience and immerse oneself in a challenging situation, (b) the opportunity to expand perspectives together, and (c) Satisfaction with the teaching and learning approach. The 360o videos demonstrated immersive qualities, such as authenticity, presence and emotional engagement. Our results also showed that the teaching and learning approach heightened self-awareness, ethical sensitivity, reflection and ethical judgement related to the facilitation of self-determination for people with intellectual disabilities. Conclusions: Our results showed that the teaching and learning approach of combining 360° videos with structured ethical reflection provided an immersive experience and stimulated meaningful reflections, on which the experiential learning process depends. The participants in our study revealed rich perspectives and strong competence related to supporting residents, showing that staff members can be a potential source for increasing ethical awareness and preventing unethical practices in the support of people with intellectual disabilities regarding food and eating.

• Øgård-Repål, Anita; Johnsen, Hege Mari; Martinez, Santiago; Fangen, Kim & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2025). Addressing power imbalances in co-production of a telehealth solution for HIV care in an outpatient clinic: a case study. Discover Health Systems. 4. doi: 10.1007/s44250-025-00270-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite the rise of co-production of telehealth services, little attention has been given to power imbalances between patients and healthcare professionals. This case study investigated how employing a co-production model with an emphasis on patient perspectives affects power dynamics in the development of a telehealth solution for individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Southern Norway. This study applied a qualitative, participatory action research design to a co-production workshop with nine participants. To address power imbalance, we tested a workshop methodology guided by a theoretical model that centres on patients’ voices and perspectives. Data from the workshop, including insights of patients, healthcare professionals (nurses and physicians), information and communication technology personnel and administrative officers, were gathered and analysed using a rapid evaluation and assessment method (REAM). Our findings and lessons learned are discussed through the lens of our chosen theoretical model. Our study showed that the co-production methodology was useful for supporting the patients in raising their voices and helping healthcare professionals familiarise themselves with patients’ perspectives—and vice versa. More symmetrical and balanced power relations between the workshop participants were achieved. The workshop provided a foundation for further co-production of telehealth solutions between patients and service providers. The methodology employed in the workshop underscored the fact that inclusive design of healthcare services that addresses potential power imbalances is critical when working with populations of people living with chronic conditions such as HIV to counteract the risk of exclusion of people.

• Drilen, Tove Langlo; Eik-Nes, Trine Tetlie; Ødegård, Rønnaug Astri & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2025). “It’s Not Healthy to Be Too Large”—A Qualitative Study Using Participatory Methods to Explore Children’s and Adolescents’ Perspectives on Obesity Treatment and Body Image. Children. 12(10). doi: https:/www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/10/1353. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background/Objectives: Qualitative child-centered research on pediatric obesity treatment and body image remains limited. This study aimed to explore children’s and adolescents’ experiences with hospital-based obesity treatment and how these experiences relate to body image. Methods: A full-day workshop including three main participatory tasks was conducted in two groups of children (9–13 years) and adolescents (14–18 years), focusing on their experiences with obesity treatment and body image. Data were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes emerged, reflecting different aspects of participants’ experiences. The first theme, Talk with me and not my parents, encompassed participants’ desire for greater agency, as children described lacking information and feeling excluded from consultations. The second theme, Experiences of communication with healthcare professionals (HCPs) about obesity, concerned participants’ perceptions of trust, support, and non-judgmental communication, with some adolescents expressing a need for additional psychological support. The third theme, Internalization of lifestyle advice, indicated that healthy diet was viewed as the primary focus of obesity treatment, while physical activity received less attention. The final theme, Perceptions of the body, conveyed mixed experiences with weighing and most participants perceived weight loss as success in treatment and weight gain as failure. The participants shared experiences of weight-based bullying, perceived stigma, and challenges with maintaining a positive body image in a society with stereotypical thin and muscular body ideals. Conclusions: Body image was influenced by HCPs’ emphasis on health and body size, and by their own internalized perceptions, influenced by societal ideals and experiences of stigma.

• Drilen, Tove Langlo; Eik-Nes, Trine Tetlie; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Klöckner, Christian Andreas Nikolaus & Ødegård, Rønnaug Astri (2025). Perceived body size across sex and weight categories and its association with body size dissatisfaction: a cross-sectional study among early primary school children in Norway. BMC Public Health. 25(1). doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22219-z. Full text in Research Archive
• Plasil, Tanja; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Berge, Kim Bertil & Oldervoll, Line Merethe (2024). ‘A potentially ticking time bomb’ – barriers for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease in people with intellectual disabilities. JARID: Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities. ISSN 1360-2322. 37(6). doi: 10.1111/jar.13279. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Research suggests that people with intellectual disabilities have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than the general population. The aim of this study was to identify barriers for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease for people with intellectual disabilities. Method: We conducted individual interviews with relatives and general practitioners and focus group interviews with staff working at an assisted home facility, a cardiac ward, an obesity clinic and two rehabilitation centres (n = 33) in Norway. Inductive approach and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Results: We identified barriers on an individual and a structural level. The underlying reason for these barriers is that health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, are regularly overlooked as the condition of intellectual disability overshadows other possible diagnoses. Conclusion: This focus on intellectual disability rather than other explanations leads to shortcomings in the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of cardiovascular disease in this group.

• Johnsen, Hege Mari; Øgård-Repål, Anita; Martinez, Santiago; Fangen, Kim; Aas, Kristin Bårdsen & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2024). Patients’ perceptions of use, needs, and preferences related to a telemedicine solution for HIV care in a Norwegian outpatient clinic: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research. 24, p. 1–13. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10659-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Telemedicine in outpatient services for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) was scaled up during the COVID-19 pandemic as services transitioned to remote care. Many studies have reported on the challenges and advantages of telemedicine care during the pandemic. However, there is limited research on the provision of telemedicine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, which entails different telemedicine components and focuses on ways to improve the telemedicine experience for patients. This study aimed to explore PLHIV’s perceptions of use, needs, and preferences related to a telemedicine solution for HIV care in an outpatient clinic in Norway. The telemedicine solution included a pre-consultation questionnaire, asynchronous digital messages, and video consultation. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 PLHIV. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: We identified four main themes that covered the participants’ perceptions, needs, and preferences: (1) perceived usability, (2) maintaining confidentiality, (3) accommodating personal preferences, and (4) perceived usefulness. Some participants had difficulty logging into the telemedicine solution. Other participants suggested additional functionalities, such as picture sharing and access to test result. Telemedicine care enabled the avoidance of stigmatising clinic experiences, although a few participants reported concerns about confidentiality and data security. Accommodating personal preferences and needs in terms of the type of consultations (in-person or video) and frequency of visits was essential to the participants. With telemedicine care, participants felt more in control of their own lives, perceiving that it increased their perceived quality of life and saved them both time and money for travelling to the clinic. Conclusions: Our study identified several specific needs and preferences related to the assessed technical solution and the provision of current and future telemedicine care services. Nevertheless, the telemedicine solution was perceived as a usable, flexible, and person-centred approach to HIV care, contributing to accommodating the participants’ personal preferences. However, healthcare professionals need to ensure that individual requirements and preferences are consistent with evidence-based follow-up and supported by person-centred care. Thus, the practice of shared decision making is important in telemedicine care.

• Drilen, Tove Langlo; Eik-Nes, Trine Tetlie; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Klöckner, Christian Andreas Nikolaus & Ødegård, Rønnaug Astri (2024). Perceptions of height and weight screening and associations with body image: a cross-sectional study in early primary school children. BMJ Paediatrics Open. 8(1). doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002568. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Despite parental concern, few studies have investigated children’s experiences with school-based screening of growth deviations. This study aimed to explore perceptions of height and weight screening and associations with body size dissatisfaction (BSD) among third-grade children aged 8–9 years in central Norway. Methods In a cross-sectional study between November 2021 and April 2022, perceptions of height and weight screening and BSD were assessed individually among 209 children (49% girls) through researcher-assisted interviews. Results Most children indicated satisfaction with the screening by selecting a happy emoji, whereas only 1% indicated dissatisfaction, by selecting an unhappy emoji. However, 23%–30% selected a neutral emoji, indicating either neutrality or a response between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. No difference in the perception of height and weight screening was found between genders or body mass index (BMI). Children with parents from non-Western countries had a higher ris

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Plasil, Tanja & Johnsen, Hege Mari (2024). Staffs' experiences and strategies to maintain care for individuals with intellectual disabilities living in supported living facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. ISSN 1354-4187. 52(2), p. 385–396. doi: 10.1111/bld.12589. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we explored the experiences of staff working in Norwegian community-based living facilities, caring for people with intellectual disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic, and what self-regulatory strategies staff used to maintain health and care service delivery and contribute to organisational resilience. A qualitative design was utilized. Data were collected from September 2021 to April 2022 with individual and focus group interviews. In this study, 25 staff members participated. Thematic analysis was conducted. Five main themes were identified regarding the experiences of staff during the pandemic: Lockdown of facilities, social isolation of residents, lack of health follow-up, high sick leave rates and communication challenges. Only some of the strategies to mitigate pandemic-related challenges were based on current Norwegian infection control guidelines. Some strategies were successful while others were not and some were negligent and challenged the delivery of health and care services for the residents.

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Plasil, Tanja & Johnsen, Hege Mari (2023). Ansattes erfaringer og strategier for å opprettholde omsorg for personer med utviklingshemming som bodde i tilrettelagt bolig under covid-19-pandemien. Tidsskrift for omsorgsforskning. ISSN 2387-5976. 9(2), p. 9–20. doi: 10.18261/tfo.9.2.2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Da covid-19-pandemien kom, innførte den norske regjeringen inngripende tiltak for å håndtere situasjonen. Kommunene fikk ansvar for å iverksette tiltak for å redusere smitterisikoen for personer som mottar kommunale helse- og omsorgstjenester. Personer med utviklingshemming som mottar kommunale helse- og omsorgstjenester, ble berørt av disse. I denne studien undersøker vi utfordringene som ledere og ansatte i tilrettelagte boliger for utviklingshemmede hadde i sin arbeidshverdag under covid-19-pandemien, og hvilke strategier de tok i bruk. Hovedutfordringer vi identifiserte, omhandlet nedstenging av boliger, sosial isolering av beboere, helseoppfølging av beboere, høyt sykefravær og kommunikasjonsutfordringer mellom ansatte. Resultatene viste at ansatte og ledere tok i bruk ulike strategier for å opprettholde tjenestetilbudet. Noen strategier lyktes og andre ikke, og noen kan forstås som uforsvarlige. Vi fant også at noen strategier baserte seg på gjeldende retningslinjer, mens andre tilpasset tjenestetilbudet på grunnlag av brukergruppens spesielle behov. Vi konkluderer med at tiltakene som regjeringen og helse- og omsorgstjenesten implementerte under covid-19-pandemien, ikke var tilstrekkelige for å sikre en resilient tjeneste for personer med utviklingshemming som bor i tilrettelagte boliger.

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Plasil, Tanja & Heggem, Reidun (2023). Imagined foodways and rejected biopedagogies: Rural children's perspectives of rural foodways. Children & society. ISSN 0951-0605. doi: 10.1111/chso.12765. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rural residency is an independent risk factor for being overweight, but little is known about why this is so. The purpose of our study was to gain insight into what Norwegian rural children say about a rural diet in comparison to an urban one. Child-friendly methods were used. We found a discrepancy between what the children said they eat – traditional, ‘healthy’ foods, and what they ate – largely ultra-processed foods. We explored this by using the frameworks of imagined foodways and biopedagogies. Their imagined foodways were rooted in notions of ‘traditional food’, connected to surrounding nature and a history of farming and hunting. Urban people were perceived as eating an inferior diet of very unhealthy and ultra-processed foods of which they do not know the origin of. As a result, the children rejected specific health- and nutrition recommendations that were incompatible with their notions of traditional foods, leading to a more calorie dense diet than their urban counterparts. Our research adds to knowledge on what role a rural diet can play on the prevalence of overweight in rural areas, and how biopedagogies can be recontextualized within different cultural fields.

• Følling, Ingrid Sørdal; Oldervoll, Line Merethe; Hilmarsen, Christina Wikstrøm & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2021). Exploring use of activity monitors for patients with obesity during weight-loss treatment - a qualitative study. BMC sports science, medicine and rehabilitation. 13. doi: 10.1186/s13102-021-00253-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Obesity is a major health concern in western countries. In Norway, patients with obesity can attend weight-loss programmes, which focus on changes in dietary and physical activity habits. Use of self-monitoring is advocated when changing dietary and physical activity habits for adults with obesity. This study aimed to explore the experiences of patients with obesity who used activity monitors while attending a weight-loss programme. Methods Patients with body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m2 with weight related comorbidities or a BMI > 40 kg/m2 referred to an intermittent weight-loss programme were recruited into this study. They were introduced to one of three different activity monitors, Fitbit Zip™, Mio Fuse™, or Mio Slice™. Semi-structured interviews were performed with patients six months into the weight-loss programme. Thematic analysis was applied when analysing the data. Results Of the 29 informants (aged 21 to 66 years) interviewed, 59% were female. Their experience with activity monitors was related to their adherence to the weight-loss programme. Two main themes emerged from the informants stories: 1. “Activity monitors visualize proof of effort or failure to change health habits”. 2. “Activity monitors act as a positive or negative enforcer when incorporating change”. Conclusions Using activity monitors either strengthens or undermines patients’ attempts to change health habits when attending a weight-loss program. Our findings suggest a need for more individualized weight-loss programmes for patients with obesity.

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2021). Hvordan studerer man barns helse og velvære innen barndomsstudier? In Sørenssen, Ingvild Kvale; Abebe, Tatek & Ursin, Marit (Ed.), Barndomsstudier i norsk kontekst : Tverrfaglige tilnærminger. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISSN 9788205519213. Full text in Research Archive
• Hansen, Julie & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2021). The pen, the receiver and the pump: Exploring young children's experiences of having a parent with type 1 diabetes. Children & society. ISSN 0951-0605. p. 1–14. doi: 10.1111/chso.12440. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we explore young children's experiences of having a parent with type 1 diabetes (T1D). In our research we found that the children's knowledge about T1D was not age related, and that some had more in‐depth knowledge than others. This seemed related to how and what the parents taught them about diabetes, the individual child's curiosity and interest, and the parent's history with fluctuating blood sugar levels. Several children were affected by their parents' diabetes in their daily life. Our research contributes to knowledge about how children's lives can be affected by having a parent with chronic illness.

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2018). 'Look mommy, I'm eating the plate model!' Biopedagogies and coping with obesity through objectification. Sociology of Health and Illness. ISSN 0141-9889. 40(5), p. 793–806. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.12726. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Childhood obesity is increasing in many parts of the world. For the child, obesity often involves major social challenges. Within the framework of social studies of children and childhood and employing the concept of biopedagogies, I explore how children with severe obesity who participate in a long-term rehabilitation programme changed the perception of their bodies from ‘being fat’ to ‘suffering from obesity’ by embracing the biopedagogies involved. Due to this transformation, ‘obesity’ was made into an entity – ‘a thing’ that the children could work on –, which was used for coping and change. The article is based on an ethnographic field study of a Norwegian randomized medical intervention trial for children with obesity.

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2018). Taking children's humor seriously: A study of humor in children diagnosed with obesity and the medicalization of body weight. Childhood. ISSN 0907-5682. 25(2), p. 189–202. doi: 10.1177/0907568218760379. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Within the social studies of children and childhood, children’s humor is an under-explored area. In this article, I explore the use of humor by children diagnosed with severe obesity while attending long-term rehabilitation together with their families. In the children’s use of humor, I found a transition from the use of “fat jokes” to “biopedagogical humor,” which involved jokes about instructions related to food and physical activity as conveyed by members of the rehabilitation team. I interpret their humor as signifying how they were affected by the biopedagogical messages involved in treatment and how they started self-monitoring their food intake and physical activity. I claim that their humor also can point to a process of medicalization of their condition, where their understanding of themselves as “fat” was replaced by “I suffer from obesity.”

• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2012). Pediatriens konstruksjoner av barn og barndom. In Tjora, Aksel (Eds.), Helsesosiologi: Analyser av helse, sykdom og behandling. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISSN 9788205424142. p. 177–193. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2008). Pasienten i den medisinske diskurs. In Tjora, Aksel (Eds.), Den moderne pasienten. Gyldendal Akademisk. ISSN 9788205380974. p. 76–88. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Med ny informasjonsteknologi, endrede økonomiske modeller og større vekt på deltakelse, pekes det ofte på at dagens norske pasienter har fått en endret rolle i forhold til helsevesenets behandlere. Likevel ser vi at tradisjonelle roller, maktforhold og myndighetsstrukturer bevares i stor grad. Denne boken tar utgangspunkt i samfunnsvitenskapelig helseforskning for å forstå hvordan og hvorfor dette skjer. De 15 bidragsyterne tar utgangspunkt i egen forskning og viser via temaer som forebygging, risikotenkning, kunde- og markedsorientering, ekspertkunnskap, pasient-behandler-kommunikasjon og kommunikasjonsteknologi hvordan ”den moderne pasienten” er sammensatt og preget av et tvetydig forhold til helsedomenet. Boken søker å gi en større forståelse av hvordan dette forholdet oppstår, blant annet ved å legge hovedvekt på relativt nærgående studier av de situasjoner hvor helserelatert kommunikasjon utspilles. Boken henvender seg til studenter, praktikere og forskere innenfor medisin, andre helsefag og samfunnsvitenskap, men også til politikere og andre beslutningstakere innenfor helserelaterte felt.

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• Bergsjø, Leonora Onarheim; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Norekvål, Tone Merete & Haraldstad, Kristin (26). Digitalt beredt: Hva slags ehelsekompetanse trenger vi? doi: https:/www.arendalsuka.no/program/digitalt-beredt-hva-slags-ehelsekompetanse-trenger-vi. Full text in Research Archive
• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie; Johnsen, Hege Mari & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2026). Co-design of a virtual reality scenario: User-involvement of people with intellectual disability through storyboarding. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Røstad-Tollefsen, Helen Kathrine; Kolset, Svein Olav & McGarty, Arlene (2026). Caught Between Vulnerability and Neglect: Nutrition in People with Intellectual Disabilities. Nutrients. 18(304). doi: 10.3390/nu18020304. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  People with intellectual disabilities are disproportionately affected by diet-related health inequalities. This Perspective outlines a dual challenge: (1) intrinsic vulnerabilities—cognitive limitations, health-literacy constraints, and comorbidities—that impair individuals’ ability to make healthy dietary choices, and (2) extrinsic neglect—insufficient support in care environments, inadequate nutrition-related training among informal caregivers and support staff, and structural gaps in policy and services. We argue that this “double jeopardy” undermines nutritional equity and proposes strategies for person-centered nutrition education, caregiver empowerment, supportive food environments, and inclusive policy frameworks. Greater interdisciplinary collaboration and tailored research are urgently needed to ensure nutritional health as a right for people with intellectual disabilities.

• Øgård-Repål, Anita; Gelius, Heidi & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2025). Sammen er vi sterkere. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland & Johnsen, Hege Mari (2024). I henhold til ansattes perspektiver, hvilke hovedutfordringer beskriver ansatte at de møtte i sine daglige aktiviteter i tilrettelagte boliger for personer med utviklingshemming under Covid-19-pandemien, og hvilke strategier tok de i bruk? Full text in Research Archive
• Johnsen, Hege Mari; Øgård-Repål, Anita; Martinez, Santiago; Fangen, Kim & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2023). WORKSHOP: Digital transformation of outpatient clinics: lessons learned from a Norwegian HIV clinic. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2023). Digital oppfølging for unge voksne med type 1 Diabetes. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2023). HEL-KOST: Retten til et helsefremmende kosthold for personer med utviklingshemming som flytter til og bor i egen bolig. Fagdag for ansatte i tjenestene. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2023). Brukerstyrt poliklinikk. Full text in Research Archive
• Johnsen, Hege Mari & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2023). En ny måte å drive poliklinikk på. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2023). Why is there a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in rural areas? A qualitative study of rural children's perspectives of rural foodways. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Presentation of findings from a study that adds to knowledge on what role a rural diet can play on the prevalence of overweight in rural areas.

• Johnsen, Hege Mari; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland & Fangen, Kim (2023). Webinar: En ny måte å drive poliklinikk på. Full text in Research Archive
• Johnsen, Hege Mari; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Øgård-Repål, Anita & Fangen, Kim (2023). HVORDAN SIKRE BRUKERINVOLVERING I UTVIKLINGEN AV DIGITAL HJEMMEOPPFØLGING. Full text in Research Archive
• Oldervoll, Line Merethe; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Berge, Kim & Plasil, Tanja (2023). Heart health for people with ID - rare, seldom or overlooked? Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2022). Prosjektet HEL-KOST - Retten til et helsefremmende kosthold for personer med utviklingshemming som flytter til og bor i egen bolig​. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2022). HELKOST COVID: Hvordan gikk det med personer med utviklingshemming da landet stengte? Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2022). Forprosjektet DIGPAS: Digitale pasientforløp for personer med HIV. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2022). Folkehelse og digital teknologi for personer med utviklingshemming. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Utviklingshemmedes grunnleggende rettigheter er i hovedsak konkretisert og utdypet i FN-konvensjonen om rettighetene til mennesker med nedsatt funksjonsevne (CRPD). Ifølge konvensjonen har mennesker med utviklingshemming rett til et selvstendig liv og til å være en del av lokalsamfunnet, samt ha tilgang til helsetjenester og arbeid på lik linje med andre. Slik er det imidlertid ikke. En rekke offentlige utredninger og forskningsrapporter har pekt på utfordringer og mangler med hensyn til ivaretakelse av grunnleggende rettigheter for personer med utviklingshemming. Mange bor fremdeles samlet i segregerte boformer og har ofte begrenset kontakt med lokalsamfunnet. De har ikke alltid samme tilgang til forsvarlige helsetjenester, og mange får ikke selv fatte beslutninger om egen helsebehandling. Bare 25 prosent av utviklingshemmede i yrkesaktiv alder er i jobb, og tilgangen til både ordinært og tilrettelagt arbeid er begrenset og utviklingen har vært negativ over flere år. De har også begrenset tilgang til helseforebyggende tilbud. Det er også sosial ulikhet når det gjelder bruk av, og forskning på, digital teknologi som vedrører denne gruppa, som kunne ha vært med å støtte personer med utviklingshemmedes tilgang til arbeid og deres generelle liv og helse. I regi av Senter for e-helse ved Universitetet i Agder inviterte vi til diskusjon rundt sosial ulikhet som vedrører personer med utviklingshemming. Vi presenterte nyere forskning på folkehelseutfordringer hos personer med utviklingshemming, samt viste til mulige digitale løsninger for å støtte personer med utviklingshemming og ansatte i tjenestene innenfor områdene ernæring, fysisk aktivitet og arbeid. Det ble også avholdt en debatt med inviterte fagfolk, forskere, brukere og politikere om hvordan personer med utviklingshemming kan få oppfylt grunnleggende rettigheter.

• Hope, Sigrun; Terje, Nærland,; Nordstrøm, Marianne; Kolset, Svein Olav; Retterstøl, Kjetil & Aanonsen, Nils Olav [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Store utfordringer med kosthold ved autisme. Forskning.no. ISSN 1891-635X. Full text in Research Archive
• Plasil, Tanja; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland & Oldervoll, Line Merethe (2021). Risk factors for overweight and obesity among children in Frøya. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. 49, p. 12–12. Full text in Research Archive
• Oldervoll, Line Merethe; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Berge, Kim & Plasil, Tanja (2021). Cardio-vascular diseases among people with intellectual disabilities: rare, forgotten or overlooked? Full text in Research Archive
• Ytterhus, Borgunn; Pape, Kristine; Oldervoll, Line Merethe & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2020). Blikk på barn. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Tonny (38) blir spesialist i grov deig og sunne drinker. [Journal]. Frifagbevegelse.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Barneperspektivet i folkehelsearbeid. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Slår et slag for kosthold og mosjon. [Journal]. Hoyda.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). HEL-KOST: Retten til et helsefremmende kosthold for personer med utviklingshemming. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Children as social actors in the healthcare system - the case of children in treatment for obesity. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Blimedno og barneperspektivet i folkehelsearbeid. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Spiser man annerledes på bygda enn i byen? [Journal]. Hitra-Frøya.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Children’s views of how living in a rural community affect children’s public health. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). – Før måtte jeg sette hengelås på matskapene. Etter dette matkurset, slipper jeg det. [Journal]. Adresseavisa. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Children’s views of how living in a rural community affect their health. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Pediatrisk fedmebehandling – hvor er «det kompetente barnet»? Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Barn som folkehelseagenter. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Blimedno: Hvordan involvere barn i folkehelsearbeid? Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2019). Sosiale og biologiske prosesser i fedme og vektregulering hos barn: Et kritisk blikk på "det kompetente barnet". Barn – forskning om barn og barndom i Norden. ISSN 0800-1669. p. 95–109. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2016). Når middagen blir medisin. Hva skjer med barn når de deltar i behandling/-rehabilitering for fedme? Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2016). Barn med overvekt og deres foreldre – forberedelse til det første møtet. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2016). Når middagen blir medisin. En sosialantropologisk studie av barn med sterk fedme og deres familier, FamilY-studien. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2016). Introduction - overweight and obesity. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland & Kulseng, Bård Eirik (2015). Master i fedme og helse ved NTNU i Trondheim. [Journal]. Norsk tidsskrift for ernæring. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2014). Konfirmasjon, tradisjon og gåvar. [Radio]. Kveldsåpent NRKP1. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2012). "Fokuser på det positive!" Om bruk av PMTO og barnevennlig metodikk i behandling av barnefedme. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2011). Når mat blir medisin. En sosialantropologisk studie av barnefedme. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2011). Når mat blir medisin. Erfaringer fra FamilY-prosjektet - En sosialantropologisk studie av barnefedme. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2011). Når middagen blir medisin. Full text in Research Archive
• Smørholm, Sesilie & Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2011). Forståelse av funksjonsnedsettelse, utviklingshemning og helse i ulike kulturer. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland & Weisser, Agnethe (2011). Overvektige barn setter grenser for foreldrene. [Journal]. Adresseavisen. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2010). Pediatri - konstruksjoner av barn og barndom i vestlig biomedisin. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2010). Pediatrics - construction of children and childhood in western biomedicine. Child obesity. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2010). Child identities and childhoods. Gender, ethnicity, class and diability. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2007). Har du fått den berømte fingeren opp i rompa di? Jordens Folk. ISSN 0021-7484. 42(3), p. 16–21. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2005). The two spheres of diagnosing: nurses and physicians assesment of abdominal pain in the emergency ward. Full text in Research Archive
• Zahl-Thanem, Alexander; Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Gjøsund, Gudveig; Heggem, Reidun; Oldervoll, Line Merethe & Plasil, Tanja [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Kommunetilpasset forebygging og behandling – Overvekt og fedme blant bygdebarn. Sluttrapport. RURALIS - Institutt for rural- og regionalforskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland & Devle, Monica Tømmervold (2020). HEL-KOST: Retten til et helsefremmende kosthold for personer med utviklingshemming som bor i egen bolig. St. Olav forlag. ISSN 9788299901864. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland; Tingstad, Vebjørg & Larsen, Tord (2018). Fra «å være feit» til «å lide av fedme»: en etnografisk studie av barn i langvarig rehabilitering av fedme. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet. ISSN 9788232633555. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Summary This thesis contributes to a critical reflection of treatment of children with obesity. My study is localized within the framework of social studies of children and childhood. Participant observation was the main method for data collection. This thesis is built around one book chapter and two articles. I have explored constructions of children and childhood within pediatrics, and how these affect the content of treatment. Also, I have explored how children with obesity were affected by the biopedagogical content involved in treatment by analysing changes in the children’s language about food, physical activity, their bodies and their condition. Biopedagogies is about how the so-called obesity epidemic has created pedagogical practices or “instructions” of how people are supposed to “live healthy”. These biopedagogies are normalizing and regulating, and place the individual under constant surveillance and create increased self-monitoring. Within pediatric obesity treatment today, it is common to use so-called family-based approaches in order to influence the children’s weight-related behaviours indirectly through the parents. This was also the approach taken by the rehabilitation teams towards the children and their families in my study. Even though it was the parents that got lessons in diet and physical activity, my research shows that the children still picked up the rehabilitation teams’ biopedagogical instructions and discourses about food, physical activity and their condition. Most children also became strong agents in their families’ life style change process. Researchers within the framework of biopedagogies emphasise the dangers involved with conveying biopedagogical messages and instructions to children, claiming it can lead to increased, and dangerous, self-monitoring, making children develop eating disorders or an impaired relationship with their bodies and physical activity. Even though the children I observed developed such increased self-monitoring, I claim that the biopedagogies also functioned as a resource by giving them a sense of control and helping them cope with their condition. Due to the biopedagogies involved, the children went through a transformation from viewing themselves as “being fat” to “suffering from obesity”. In this thesis, I interpret this as a result of a process of medicalization of their condition.

• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland & Oldervoll, Line Merethe (2018). Evaluering av krefttilbudet ved LHL-klinikkene Røros. Rapport. LHL-klinikkene Røros. ISSN 9788269149906. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2016). Regionalt senter for fedmeforskning og innovasjon - Virksomhetsrapport 2005-2014. Regionalt senter for fedmeforskning og innovasjon. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland; Følling, Ingrid Sørdal; Kulseng, Bård & Devle, Monica Tømmervold (2012). Barns tanker om «et sunt liv», og hvordan involvere barn og unge i folkehelsearbeid? Erfaringer fra Blimedno-prosjektet. Regionalt Senter for Sykelig Overvekt. ISSN 9788299901819. Full text in Research Archive
• Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2012). Barns tanker om "et sunt liv". Hvordan kan man involvere barn og unge i folkehelsearbeid? Erfaringer fra Blimedno-prosjektet. St. Olav forlag. ISSN 9788299901819. Full text in Research Archive
• Johansen, Stein Erik & Ersfjord, Ellen M. Iveland (2007). Praksissfærene. En antropologisk studie av diagnostisering av magesmerter, kommunikasjon, papirflyt, kroppsdiskurs og humor i et akuttmottak på et norsk universitetssykehus. Sosialantropolgisk institutt, NTNU. Full text in Research Archive

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