Research and development
Beitostølen Health Sports Center conducts development work and research activities that contribute to promoting physical activity and participation in a life-course perspective.
From the very beginning, in 1970, the center has emphasized documentation of its activities as a basis for professional development and quality improvement. The field of physical activity and disability was "born" at Beitostølen Health Sports Center and is growing larger and stronger, both nationally and internationally.
Every year, approximately 900 children, young adults and adults undergo rehabilitation/habilitation at the center. An interdisciplinary staff with increasingly high levels of expertise, combined with over 200 students in practice each year, creates a unique environment for immersion and innovation.
Our research questions arise in practice, and the results should feed back into practice. All employees and users are potential participants in research and development projects.
Through the integration of practical experiences, user experiences and research expertise, research issues are generated. The research is practice-oriented and aims to provide new knowledge for further development of the rehabilitation/habilitation field, where adapted physical activity and health sports are included as a main tool.
The range of research and development topics is wide and is rooted in subject areas such as;
health sciences (such as physical medicine/rehabilitation, preventive medicine, and public health sciences)
activity-pedagogical (such as learning/pedagogy/physical activity).
The topics are linked to current societal issues with relationships to our area of expertise.
"Best practice" is our driving force, and we aim to publish our research in national and international journals, in addition to other relevant arenas for disseminating new knowledge.
Rehabilitation/habilitation services for children and young people, as well as services for relatives and families.
Rehabilitation/habilitation services for young adults.
Living with disability.
Adapted physical activity: Current descriptions, conceptual basis and history.
Activity aids: Mapping needs, use and objectives, procedures for procurement, adaptation and training processes.
Conditions that affect physical activity and participation: Activity and function analyses, adaptations of the environment and activity aids.
Collaboration and interaction with municipal health and care services, relatives and local resource persons, volunteers and other players in the specialist health service.
Families with a minority background: Mapping of needs, adaptation of information and the rehabilitation/habilitation offer itself.
Documentation of the effects of rehabilitation/habilitation services with adapted physical activity as the main tool: Development and adaptation of methods and measurement instruments with ICF as a tool and conceptual framework.
Learning in a re/habilitation context: Coping experiences, identity as physically active, health literacy.
Interaction models and active participation in the local community.
Re/habilitation and existential conditions ("lived life"), life strength training.
Our R&D activities are largely carried out in collaboration with other professional and scientific communities. Employees with university affiliations contribute to close collaboration with the academic communities at the University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health and Society and Mälardalen University, Academy of Health, Care and Welfare in Sweden:
We also have formalized agreements with the Norwegian School of Sports and Recreation and Oslo Met, where employees with master's and PhD qualifications actively participate in supervision, teaching and project development.
Do you want to develop new projects or collaborate with Beitostølen Health Sports Center?
Please contact FOUI coordinator Berit Gjessing ( berit.gjessing@bhss.no) or
Subject and research manager: Senior consultant Grethe Månum ( grethe.maanum@bhss.no)
