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Understanding Vulnerability During Preventive Child Health Examinations: Insights from Danish General Practitioners
Sarah Kornum Melgaard1, Lotte Lykke Larsen1, Janus Laust Thomsen1
1Center for General Practice, Aalborg University, 9260 Gistrup, Denmark.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 27, 2026
Summary
Danish general practitioners (GPs) view child vulnerability as complex, influenced by various factors. Effective assessment requires extensive family knowledge beyond limited preventive child health examinations (PCHEs).
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- General Practice
- Child Health
Background:
- Child vulnerability is a key predictor of adverse outcomes but lacks consistent definition.
- Danish general practitioners (GPs) are crucial in identifying child vulnerability.
- This study explores GPs' perspectives on child vulnerability assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Danish GPs' understanding and assessment of child vulnerability.
- To explore the challenges and facilitators in identifying child vulnerability within general practice.
- To inform improved strategies for child protection and support.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory, sequential mixed-methods approach was employed.
- Semi-structured interviews with 11 GPs were conducted.
- A quantitative survey based on interview findings was distributed to 10 general practices, yielding 197 recordings.
Main Results:
- GPs associate child vulnerability with diverse social, somatic, and psychological factors.
- Limited time and scope during preventive child health examinations (PCHEs) hinder assessment.
- Somatic challenges were the most frequent finding (60%), with follow-up consultations being the primary response (64%).
Conclusions:
- Child vulnerability is a complex concept for GPs, requiring extensive family knowledge.
- Assessment often relies on multiple consultations, not solely PCHEs.
- Collaboration with social services is perceived as inadequate, highlighting a need for improvement.
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