Ovanger Barrett disputerer for ph.d.-graden i helsevitenskap og vil offentlig forsvare avhandlingen:
Early identification of infants at risk of poor development The suitability of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale as a screening tool in the child health centre: Psychometric properties and professionals’ perspectives
The doctoral thesisAuditoriet er åpent for publikum, men disputasen vil likevel bli strømmet
Opptak av disputasen vil være tilgjengelig i et døgn
The auditorium is open to the public, but the defense will also be streamed
A recording of the defense willl be available for 24 hours
Prøveforelesning over oppgitt emne holdes kl. 10:15, samme sted
"Infant sustained withdrawal syndrome: what we know, what we do not know, how can we detect it and why it is important".
Prøveforelesningen vil også bli strømmet/the trial lecture will also be streamed
Populærvitenskapelig sammendrag av avhandlingen:
Infancy is a critical period in life, making early identification of developmental challenges essential. The Alarm Distress Baby (ADBB) Scale assesses sustained social withdrawal in infants. The use of screening tools to identify developmental difficulties has become more common in healthcare. Questions remain about their quality and how they work in practice.
This thesis reviewed the ADBB scale’s measurement properties and interviewed public health nurses (PHNs). The scale shows good reliability and identifies group differences. Evidence for predicting specific outcomes is limited. PHNs valued the scale for verbalizing infant behaviour and addressing concerns early. They emphasized selective use, clinical judgment, and parent collaboration to maintain trust and avoid over-diagnosing normal behaviour.
For effective use, the ADBB scale must align with PHNs’ values, include culturally adapted training and be supported by sufficient resources, ongoing training, and clear referral systems.
Hovedveileder
Professor Catharina Elisabeth Arfwedson Wang, IPS, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Biveileder
Professor Geir Fagerjord Lorem, Institutt for Samfunnsmedisin, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Professor Monica Martinussen, RKBU, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
Professor Vibeke Moe, Psykologisk Institutt, Det Samfunnsvitenskapelige fakultet, Universitetet i Oslo
Bedømmelseskomité
Professor Kaija Puura, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Finland – 1. opponent
Ph.d. Pamela Massoudi, Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg - 2. opponent
Førsteamanuensis Mikołaj Hernik, Institutt for psykologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet – leder av komité
Disputasleder
Professor Eelke Snoeren, Institutt for psykologi, Det helsevitenskapelige fakultet, UiT Norges arktiske universitet
When: 29.10.26 kl 12.15–16.15
Where:
Auditorium Cortex
Location / Campus: Digitalt, Tromsø
Target group: Employees, Students, Guests, Invited
Contact: Andrea Jennerwein
Phone: +4777645872
E-mail: andrea.jennerwein@uit.no