Rannveig Kaldager Hart

"What About Fertility? The Unintended Pro-Natalism of a Nordic Country". Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society.  2024 With C. Holst. 

“Extended Paternity Leave and Family Dynamics”. Journal of Marriage and the Family 2022; 84:814–839. With S. N. Andersen & N. Drange

"Can policies stall the fertility fall? A systematic review of the (quasi)experimental literature" Population and Development Review 47(4):913-964. With J. Bergsvik & A. Fauske 

"Re-opening schools in a context of low COVID-19 contagion: Consequences for teachers, students and their parents". Journal of Population Economics 2022. With A. Godøy & M. W. Grøtting

"Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental healthcare consultations among children and adolescents in Norway: a nationwide registry study" European Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2022 With M. Evensen et al. 

"Does women’s health matter for fertility? Evidence from Norwegian administrative data". Population Studies 2022. With A. Syse, M. Thomas &  L. Dommermuth 

• Kravdal, Øystein; Grundy, Emily & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). Health Influences on Second‐ and Third‐Birth Probabilities in Norway. Population and Development Review. ISSN 0098-7921. 52(2), p. 650–650. doi: 10.1111/padr.70066. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract We examined how several health variables were associated with mothers’ probability of having a second or third child and the timing of the second birth. Data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and linked registers were used. Parents with certain potentially chronic health problems before or in pregnancy were less likely than others to have an additional (especially a second) child, net of differences in relationship status, education, and economic resources. Some pregnancy‐related and largely temporary health problems during the most recent previous pregnancy and adverse birth experiences were associated with reduced probabilities of a second or third birth, or both, as was generally poor physical health six months after birth and postnatal depression. The latter health indicators may reflect health implications of pregnancy, delivery, and having a relatively “demanding” young child, as well as underlying health problems. Only a few estimates suggested associations between indicators of potentially chronic health problems of the most recently born child and subsequent fertility, but fertility was reduced among one‐child mothers whose first child had colic and among one‐ and two‐child mothers whose most recently born child slept little. Possible reasons for and implications of these health–fertility associations are discussed.

• Methi, Fredrik; Elgersma, Ingeborg Hess; Solberg, Runar Barstad; Kinge, Jonas Minet; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Telle, Kjetil Elias [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Norwegian Register-Based Studies on Sports & Health (NorSport): Study protocol. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. doi: 10.1177/14034948261459233. Full text in Research Archive
• Spitzer, Sonja; Lemoine, Adèle; Song, Zhanxiong; Reiter, Claudia; Greulich, Angela & Herlitz, Agneta [Show all 30 contributors for this article] (2026). The European Parenting Leave Policies (EPLP) dataset: Leave duration entitlements for 21 countries from 1970 to 2024. Demographic Research. ISSN 1435-9871. 54, p. 987–1008. doi: 10.4054/DemRes.2026.54.31. Full text in Research Archive
• Methi, Fredrik; Elgersma, Ingeborg Hess; Kinge, Jonas Minet; Mykletun, Arnstein; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Fretheim, Atle [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). The Norwegian Sports Membership Database: Coverage, biases and potential. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. doi: 10.1177/14034948261432559. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aims: This study describes the Norwegian Sports Membership Database (NSMD), assesses its coverage, and develops definitions of active sports memberships. Methods: We validated the coverage of the NSMD, a database capturing individual-level sports memberships among people aged 10–70 years between 2015 and 2024. We compared yearly membership counts in the NSMD with figures from official reports from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF). We defined all memberships as lasting one day or longer, and active memberships as lasting at least one season or with a paid licence. Results: Between 2015 and 2024, the NSMD contained 3,148,213 memberships, of which 2,180,621 (60%) were considered active. In total, there were 1,606,048 unique individuals across 55 sports federations and 279 disciplines. Football accounted for 24% of all memberships, handball for 11% and gymnastics for 9%. Database coverage was low in 2015, accounting for 11%–16% of expected memberships, but it improved substantially over time, exceeding 85% of all memberships and 92% of active memberships in 2023 for those aged 13–19. Conclusions: The coverage of the NSMD is high in recent years, representing a level of completeness that allows meaningful population-level analyses from 2019, although with large variations between sports. Linking sports data with health and socio-demographic outcomes provides a potentially significant opportunity for population-based research on sports participation and health across the lifespan.

• Andersen, Maria Lyster; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Davies, Neil Martin & Torvik, Fartein Ask (2026). The cost of caring: Gendered health and labor market effects of grandparenthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). ISSN 0027-8424. 123(22). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2535409123. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While the effects of the transition to parenthood are well researched, less is known about how the transition to grandparenthood affects health and labor market outcomes. Using comprehensive Norwegian register data covering the entire population born between 1950 and 1960, we examine the effects of first-born grandchildren born during 2007–2018. Employing event-study models with person-year records, we compare grandparents to not-yet grandparents. Our findings reveal a sharp increase in the likelihood of respiratory infections during the first two years of grandparenthood, with infections increasing by 56% for women and 31% for men. Additionally, grandparenthood modestly reduces the likelihood of doctor’s visits related to mental disorders (4.5%) and cardiovascular health (3.3%). Grandmothers also see a decline in musculoskeletal-related visits (3.8%). These health-related changes coincide with notable gendered effects on labor market participation. Ten years after the birth of their first grandchild, employed women are 12% less likely to hold full-time positions compared to a 2% reduction for men. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the transition to grandparenthood significantly reshapes health and economic outcomes for both women and men. The larger effects observed for women likely reflect their greater involvement in informal childcare provision. Our results underscore the intersection of health, family dynamics, and gendered labor market behaviors in late adulthood.

• Andersen, Maria Lyster; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Torvik, Fartein Ask (2026). Parenthood and mental health throughout the life course: A total population study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. ISSN 0933-7954. p. 1–14. doi: 10.1007/s00127-026-03091-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Do parents or childless adults have better mental health? The answer could vary by life phases, but past studies exploring the link between parenthood and mental health have not considered the entire life course. This study investigates the association between parenthood and mental health in an entire population and further looks at how parenthood interacts with factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. We used comprehensive Norwegian register data covering the entire population aged 31–80 years old (N = 2,234,087) to explore the relationship between parenthood and mental health conditions from 2006 to 2019. We used logistic regression models for population-wide analyses and conditional logistic models for analyses of discordant same-sex sibling sets and monozygotic twin pairs. Parenthood was associated with a lower risk of mental disorders (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.67–0.68 for women; OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.59–0.60 for men), including depressive and anxiety disorders. Fathers also had a minor reduction in risk of symptoms related to mental illness (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.98), while mothers had a slightly elevated risk of symptoms (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.09–1.10). Overall, mental health disparities between parents and non-parents persisted throughout life and were more pronounced among men and those with low educational attainment. Our findings were consistent in sibling- and twin-matched analyses. Our findings highlight parenthood as a significant indicator of mental health inequalities throughout adulthood and old age.

• Høy-Petersen, Nina; Selstø, Annlaug; Helleve, Arnfinn & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). “It’s Fine if it Helps Mom”: Comparing Teenager’s and Parent’s Experiences with a Universal Parental Guidance Program. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. ISSN 0738-0151. doi: 10.1007/s10560-026-01094-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study centres on findings from qualitative interviews with eight Norwegian adolescents aged 16–19, comparing these to findings from five focus groups with a total of 29 parents from Norwegian and other cultural backgrounds, following the parents’ completion of a new universal parental guidance program (ICDP Youth). As parents with teenagers are increasingly seeking parental guidance, there is a need for knowledge about teenager’s thoughts and experiences related to their parent’s participation. We combine elements of content- and thematic analysis. From the perspective that teenagers’ knowledge of the intervention informs their perceptions of it, the first section of findings details what the teenagers are told by their parents- before presenting their more general reflections and feelings about their parents’ participation. The second section of findings then outlines and compares parents’ and teenagers’ experiences of the usefulness of the intervention. Findings indicate that the parents, who report substantial improvements in their own parenting competences, give very little information about the program to their teenagers, and that the teenagers are disinterested in- and remember little of what they have been told. Although the teenagers perceive that the program predominantly benefits the parent(s) and indicate that there was no need for such an intervention, they without exception report a valued increase in parental calmness (reduced negative emotional expressiveness). No negative experiences or feelings associated with their parent(s) participation were reported by the teenagers.

• Johannessen, Pia Myklebust; Madsen, Christian; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Lund, Ingunn Olea; Pettersen, Johanne Hagen & Gustavson, Kristin [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2026). Protective factors for maternal mental health and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis. BMJ Open. 16(1), p. 1–11. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-110204. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective Mothers’ mental health and life satisfaction may have been negatively affected due to challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the risk of future crises, knowledge of possible mitigating factors in this population is essential. This study aims to examine whether the pandemic affected the level of protective factors such as social support, physical activity and employment situation, and how these factors are associated with mental distress and life satisfaction. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Outcome measures Primary outcomes were mental distress (measured by the eight-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist) and life satisfaction (measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale). As the first step, we investigated changes in the levels of social support (defined by the number and frequency of social contact), physical activity (average hours of physical activity during a week), employment situation (actively working vs sick leave or unemployed), alcohol consumption (measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) and relationship satisfaction (measured by the five-item version of the Relationship Satisfaction Scale). Methods We analysed data from two waves of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (n=~18 000 mothers); one pre-pandemic wave and one wave where half of the sample responded after the onset of the pandemic, with pandemic exposure being defined by questionnaire response timing rather than cohort recruitment. To assess changes in protective factors over time and pandemic exposure, we used difference-in-differences analyses and regression discontinuity design. Associations between protective factors with mental distress and life satisfaction, and possible moderation by pandemic exposure, were investigated using multiple regression models with interaction terms adjusted for potential confounders. Results Apart from physical activity, which declined less across time in the pandemic group (B=0.09, 99% CI 0.05 to 0.12), protective factors did not change during the pandemic. Social support, employment situation and relationship satisfaction were associated with mental distress and life satisfaction, whereas physical activity showed a unique relationship with mental distress. Most associations were similar across pandemic exposure groups, except employment situation which appeared to have a stronger protective effect in the pandemic group (β=−0.12, 99% CI −0.24 to −0.00). Conclusions Changes over time in self-reported levels of protective factors were generally consistent among mothers independent of the pandemic. These factors appear to play an equally important role for mental distress and life satisfaction both under ordinary circumstances and during public health crises. Our findings enhance the understanding of how potential protective factors among mothers are associated with mental distress and life satisfaction in the context of a global stressor. Future studies should investigate additional mitigating factors that may be particularly relevant during global crises and explore the causal relationship between protective factors, mental health and life satisfaction.

• Andersen, Maria Lyster; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Davies, Neil Martin & Torvik, Fartein Ask (2025). The Cost of Caring: Gendered Health and Labour Market Effects of Grandparenthood. Social Science Research Network (SSRN). doi: 10.2139/ssrn.5717325. Full text in Research Archive
• Reme, Bjørn-Atle; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Lind, Jo Thori (2025). Early-life death of a sibling and primary care utilisation during middle age: a population-wide cohort study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. ISSN 0143-005X. 79(8), p. 588–593. doi: 10.1136/jech-2024-222632. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background The death of a family member has been linked to higher mortality for those grieving. However, much less is known about different types of health problems of the surviving sibling during middle age. Methods Individual-level register data on all Norwegian residents born between 1969 and 1979 were linked to cause-specific primary care utilisation between 2015 and 2019. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of different types of health conditions in mid-life (age 36–50) were calculated, comparing individuals who experienced the death of a sibling during childhood or early adulthood (age 0–29) and those who did not. Results The study included 556 593 participants (mean (SD) age in 2017, 43.3 (3.15) years; 273 491 women (49.1%)). The death of a sibling was positively associated with all-cause primary care utilisation (IRR=1.11; 95%CI, 1.08 to 1.13). The highest cause-specific estimates were found for psychological (IR=1.17; 95%CI, 1.11 to 1.23) and cardiovascular (IRR=1.14; 95%CI, 1.05 to 1.23) health problems. Suicide was the cause of death with the strongest association with all-cause primary care (IRR=1.16; 95%CI, 1.09 to 1.23). When examining the intersection of type-specific health problems and causes of death, the highest estimate was found for psychological problems and sibling suicide (IRR=1.53, 95%CI, 1.32 to 1.77). Conclusion Early-life sibling death was associated with more health problems several decades after the trauma. The persistence of these associations suggests that these problems are substantial, and at least partly caused by the trauma. More needs to be learnt interventions that could mitigate these adverse effects.

• Baravelli, Carl Michael; Vedøy, Tord Finne; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Kinge, Jonas Minet & Syse, Astri (2025). Inequalities in health outcomes by income and education: The case of Norway. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research. ISSN 1728-4414. 23, p. 231–253. doi: 10.1553/p-d6az-d2j6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Reducing social inequalities in health is a priority in European policy and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We aim to estimate the magnitude of health inequalities in Norway, a high-income country with a universal health care system but rising income inequality. Using survey and registry data, we estimated relative and absolute inequality in self-reported health, health behaviours and mortality by education and income, using the Relative and Slope Index of Inequality (RII/SII). Social disparities in health were evident across nearly all outcomes, for both income and education and for both sexes. Significant RIIs were found for self-reported health, long-standing health problems, global activity limitations, dental health and the behavioural risk factors of smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, low fruit (women only) and vegetable intake, and various causes of deaths. Inequality by income were particularly pronounced for mortality among men, with the RII for men’s all-cause mortality reaching 6.2 (CI 5.9–6.5) for income, compared to 3.6 (3.5–3.8) for education. SIIs were also significant for all outcomes, except for fruit intake for education among men. Thus, despite its extensive welfare system, income- and education-related health inequalities persist in Norway, highlighting the need for targeted policy interventions. Proportionate universalism may be a valuable strategy to address these disparities within European efforts to improve public health.

• Rogne, Adrian Farner; Fauske, Agnes & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Educational Expansions and Fertility: Evidence from Norwegian College Reforms. European Journal of Population. ISSN 0168-6577. 41(1). doi: 10.1007/s10680-025-09737-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Previous research has pointed to educational expansions and increased educational attainment among women as an important factor contributing to reductions in fertility levels and changes in family formation patterns in the second half of the twentieth century. We investigate one potential mechanism that may have contributed to these developments—the establishment of local colleges providing access to higher education for broader segments of the population. We study the establishment of regional colleges in Norway 1973–83. Taking advantage of population-wide administrative register data, historical data sources and recent developments in difference-in-differences methodology, we employ an event study design to assess the impact of local colleges on cohort fertility and age-specific fertility outcomes, as well as age at marriage and regional mobility as potential mechanisms. Our findings suggest that access to local colleges did not impact fertility, family formation or mobility to any substantial degree.

• Rotevatn, Torill Alise; Høy-Petersen, Nina; Hussaini, Lema; Håberg, Siri Eldevik; Magnus, Maria Christine & Morken, Nils-Halvdan [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). Utilization of antenatal care among immigrant women in Norway: a nationwide register-based cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 25, p. 1–15. doi: 10.1186/s12884-025-07519-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: International research suggests that immigrants face poorer access to antenatal care, but comprehensive nationwide studies identifying variations across immigrant groups are lacking. Using national registries like the Medical Birth Registry, we compared antenatal care utilization among immigrant women by country/region of origin to Norwegian women. Methods: We included 348,547 singleton births between 2012–2018 by women aged ≥ 16 years registered with ≥ 1 antenatal consultation in primary care, including 79,671 (22.9%) births by immigrant women. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using both crude and adjusted logistic regression models, assessing the likelihood of immigrant women having fewer consultations than recommended by national guidelines compared to Norwegian women per trimester. Estimates were adjusted for relevant sociodemographic variables. Results: Large country-specific differences in estimates were noted across all trimesters. In the crude models, Eritrean (OR 3.01 [95%CI: 2.76–3.28]), Somali (OR 2.63 [95%CI: 2.48–2.79]) and Ethiopian (OR 1.90 [95%CI: 1.67–2.16]) women, and women from other Sub-Saharan countries (OR 1.92 [95%CI: 1.77–2.08]), had the highest odds of initiating antenatal care later than the first trimester. In later trimesters, care utilization by immigrants and Norwegian women were more similar, except for lower utilization among Somali women. Sociodemographic variables explained much of the observed differences. Conclusion: Late initiation and substandard utilization of antenatal care among certain immigrant groups exists in Norway. Timely access to antenatal care is important for maternal and child health. Efforts should be initiated to facilitate earlier initiation of antenatal care, particularly among Eritrean, Somali, Ethiopian and other Sub-Saharan women.

• Kravdal, Øystein; Wörn, Jonathan; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Reme, Bjørn-Atle (2024). The influence of parental cancer on the mental health of children and young adults: Evidence from Norwegian register data on healthcare consultations. Demographic Research. ISSN 1435-9871. 50, p. 763–796. doi: 10.4054/DEMRES.2024.50.27. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective: The aim was to examine how parental cancer affects the mental health of offspring aged 6–30, and age variations in this effect. Methods: Individual fixed-effects models were estimated from register data covering the entire Norwegian population in 2010–2018. The outcome variable was whether the individual (offspring) had at least one consultation within a year with a general practitioner (GP) or specialist where a mental health diagnosis or symptom was reported. Results: The consultation probability was higher after a parental cancer diagnosis than before (e.g., 15% higher in the first year after the diagnosis). This was to a large extent driven by subsequent parental deaths, but there was also a small post-diagnosis increase among offspring whose parent survived the observation period. The consultation probability increased by 83% the year a parent died among offspring who were 19–30 at that time, after a smaller increase over a few of the preceding years. A decline occurred later. The death seemed to have a weaker, but more lasting, effect on those who were 8–18 years old at the time of the death, and these did not experience a clear pre-death increase. Conclusions: Parental cancer death seems to weaken offspring’s mental health – and no less among young adults than among children. By contrast, having a parent with cancer who remains alive at least throughout the observation period has relatively little impact. Contribution: We show associations between parental cancer and offspring’s mental health, paying special attention to whether the parent dies. This may inform discussions about supporting offspring.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Bergsvik, Janna; Fauske, Agnes & Kim, Wookun (2024). Causal Analysis of Policy Effects on Fertility. In Zimmermann, Klaus F. (Eds.), Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics. Springer. ISSN 9783319573656. p. 1–25. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_451-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter reviews the literature on the causal effects of policies on fertility. It focuses on evidence from experiments and quasi-experiments in low fertility contexts, including studies from Europe, Northern America, Oceania, and Asia. Making no a priori restrictions on policy type, the review encompasses evaluations of parental leave, childcare, health insurance, and financial incentives such as child transfers. Childcare expansions increase completed fertility. Financial incentives had positive effects on fertility across contexts, both in the short and long run. Expansions of parental leave rights in Central Europe, and introduction of parental leave in the USA, also had positive effects. Distributional effects of these policies are very different, with parental leave compensation benefiting high-earning couples, while expansions of childcare programs have potential to reduce social inequalities. Publicly funded assisted reproduction can increase fertility for women over the age of 35.

• Andersen, Maria Lyster; Sunde, Hans Fredrik; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Torvik, Fartein Ask (2024). Parenthood, Mental Disorders, and Symptoms Through Adulthood: A Total Population Study. medRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2024.10.29.24315908. Full text in Research Archive
• Beck, Kathryn Christine; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Flatø, Martin (2024). School Starting Age, Fertility, and Family Formation: Evidence From the School Entry Cutoff Using Exact Date of Birth. Demography. ISSN 0070-3370. 61(6), p. 1999–2026. doi: 10.1215/00703370-11686231. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the past 50 years, the age at first birth in Norway and other European countries has shifted, leading to concerns that individuals begin childbearing too late to reach their intended family size. This article analyzes the effect of school starting age on fertility and family formation by utilizing Norway's age-based school entry policy. Using individual-level register data and a regression discontinuity design, we find that being born after the age cutoff for school start results in an increased age at first birth of 2.9 months for women and 4.0 months for men, whereas completed cohort fertility was unchanged. Similarly, being born after the cutoff increased the age at first marriage by 4.7 months for women and 2.4 months for men, with no effect on the overall probability of having a partner. Results show that age at completed education and earnings development are important mechanisms in this fertility postponement. Additionally, we analyze detailed age- and parity-specific effects, providing important insights into how age at starting school affects fertility timing but not overall fertility.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Holst, Cathrine (2024). What About Fertility? The Unintentional Pro-natalism of a Nordic Country. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society. ISSN 1072-4745. 31(3), p. 429–454. doi: 10.1093/sp/jxad033. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Combining high birth rates with gender equality and women’s reproductive choice is often put forward as a Nordic success story. We analyze Norwegian governmental commission reports delivered 1984–2017, tracing how fertility issues are approached in policy-making under shifting demographic conditions. We focus on four key topics—pro-natalism, individual versus societal level effects of policies, socioeconomic differences in fertility, and immigration. We see little or no attention given to the fact that policy effects may vary by class background or preferences. Relatively high fertility is considered positive, but pro-natalist intent is downplayed or absent, even when fertility is falling. We connect these findings to the distinctive Nordic dual earner/care-giver model, a historical legacy of “unintentional” pro-natalism, and features of the commission system. We call for more interchange between demography and institutionalist scholarship and argue that questions of macro-level fertility effects of family policies could be better handled in a more explicit debate.

• Bergsvik, Janna; Cools, Sara & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2023). Explaining Residential Clustering of Large Families. European Journal of Population. ISSN 0168-6577. 39(1). doi: 10.1007/s10680-023-09655-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Numerous studies have shown that fertility behavior is spatially clustered. In addition to pure contextual effects, two causal mechanisms could drive this pattern. First, neighbors may influence each other's fertility and second, family size may influence decisions about where to live. In this study we examine these two potential causal mechanisms empirically, using the sex composition of the two eldest children and twin births as instrumental variables (IVs) for having a third child. We estimate how having a third child affects three separate outcomes: the fertility of neighbors; the propensity to move houses; and the likelihood of living in a family-friendly neighborhood with many children. We draw residential and childbearing histories (2000–2018) from Norwegian administrative registers (N ~ 167,000 women). Individuals' neighborhoods are defined using time-varying geocoordinates for place of residence. We identify selective moves as one plausible causal driver of residential clustering of large families. This study contributes to the understanding of fertility and relocation, and to the literature on the social interaction effects of fertility, by testing the relevance of yet another network: that of neighbors.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Galloway, Taryn Ann (2023). Universal Transfers, Tax Breaks and Fertility: Evidence from a Regional Reform in Norway. Population: Research and Policy Review. ISSN 0167-5923. 42(3). doi: 10.1007/s11113-023-09793-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The relatively high fertility in the Nordic countries has attracted considerable academic and political interest. Still, the causal relationship between economic circumstances and fertility in the Nordic context is poorly understood. This paper estimates the effect of tax breaks and universal transfers on fertility in the Nordic context. We analyze the fertility effects of a regional child benefit and tax reform implemented in the northern municipalities of the Norwegian county Troms, using the southern municipalities of the same county as a plausible and empirically similar control group. We use a difference-in-difference/event study design, and estimate multivariate models on individual-level data from administrative registers for the full population. The reform increased fertility among women in their early 20 s. The effects are concentrated among unmarried women, who received the largest subsidies. Our findings suggest that favorable economic conditions have contributed to the relatively high fertility in the Nordic countries.

• Kravdal, Øystein; Syse, Astri; Dang, Thang Dinh; Baranowska-Rataj, Anna & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2023). Mental Health Penalties of Childbearing in a Family Friendly Welfare State. OSF Preprints. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/9v6h8. Full text in Research Archive
• Elgersma, Ingeborg Hess; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Straiton, Melanie Lindsay; Hauge, Lars Johan & Reneflot, Anne (2023). Migrant background and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental healthcare consultations among children and adolescents in Norway: a nationwide registry study. BMC Health Services Research. 23, p. 1–14. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-09666-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Godøy, Anna Aasen; Grøtting, Maja Weemes & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2022). Reopening schools in a context of low COVID-19 contagion: consequences for teachers, students and their parents. Journal of Population Economics. ISSN 0933-1433. 35(3), p. 935–961. doi: 10.1007/s00148-021-00882-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Knowing how school reopenings affect the spread of COVID-19 is crucial when balancing children’s right to schooling with contagion management. This paper considers the effects on COVID-19 testing prevalence and the positive test rate of reopening Norwegian schools after a 6-week closure aimed at reducing contagion. We estimate the effects of school reopening on teachers, parents and students using an event study/difference-in-differences design that incorporates comparison groups with minimal exposure to in-person schooling. We find no evidence that COVID-19 incidence increased following reopening among students, parents or teachers pooled across grade levels. We find some suggestive evidence that infection rates among upper secondary school teachers increased; however, the effects are small and transitory. At low levels of contagion, schools can safely be reopened when other social distancing policies remain in place.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Christiansen, Solveig Tobie Glestad; Reneflot, Anne & Hauge, Lars Johan (2022). Adolescents’ primary care consultations before and after parental suicide: evidence from population-wide data. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1018-8827. doi: 10.1007/s00787-022-02095-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Syse, Astri; Thomas, Michael J.; Dommermuth, Lars & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2022). Does women’s health matter for fertility? Evidence from Norwegian administrative data. Population Studies. ISSN 0032-4728. 76(2), p. 191–212. doi: 10.1080/00324728.2022.2041075. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Women’s health status may affect their opportunities and preferences for children through various mechanisms. We examine the relationship between health and fertility using Norwegian registry data (2004–18). Measuring verifiable and persistent health problems, we use uptake of doctor-certified sickness absence and long-term health-related benefits as proxies for health. In contrast to the expectation that poor health limits women’s opportunities for children, our results show that sickness absence is positively associated with transitions to parenthood. The uptake of long-term benefits is, however, negatively associated with fertility. The selection of healthy women into parenthood weakens the association for higher-order births. The impact of long-term health indicators on fertility is comparable in magnitude to that observed for more conventional predictors, such as education and income. With continued postponement of childbearing and thus higher maternal ages, the influence of health as a fertility determinant is likely to grow and further research appears warranted.

• Suren, Pål; Skirbekk, Benedicte; Torgersen, Leila; Bang, Lasse; Godøy, Anna Aasen & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2022). Eating Disorder Diagnoses in Children and Adolescents in Norway before vs during the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Network Open. 5(7). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.22079. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction Studies from the US1,2 and Canada3,4 have reported increasing numbers of children and adolescents receiving treatment for eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most patients are girls,1,2,4 and the predominant diagnosis is anorexia nervosa.1,2 There is insufficient information about the magnitude of this increase on a population level. In this cohort study, we analyzed trends in diagnoses of eating disorders among children and adolescents in Norway before vs during the pandemic. Methods We obtained primary care data from the Norwegian Registry for Primary Health Care and specialist care data from the Norwegian Patient Registry.5 Reporting to these registries is mandated by law and linked to the national reimbursement systems for health services. The entire Norwegian population is covered. This study followed the STROBE reporting guideline and was approved by the Norwegian Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics. Because the study used existing registry data, informed consent was not required. Individuals aged 6 to 16 years living in Norway on January 1, 2020 (pandemic cohort), were observed from January 2019 to December 2021. The comparison group included this age group living in Norway on January 1, 2018 (prepandemic cohort), observed from January 2017 to December 2019. We assessed changes in the percentage of individuals with recorded eating disorders since onset of the pandemic in March 2020 in the pandemic cohort and after March 2018 in the prepandemic cohort. Changes were compared by difference-in-difference models.6 We calculated monthly percentages of individuals with eating disorders using event study models to estimate relative changes. Analyses were done by sex and age group (6-12 and 13-16 years) using Stata, version 16.0. The eMethods in the Supplement gives additional information. Results The number of boys with eating disorder diagnoses was low; thus, girls were analyzed. The pandemic cohort included 348 187 girls (mean [SD] age, 11.03 [3.13] years), and the prepandemic cohort, 353 848 girls (mean [SD] age, 10.96 [3.15] years) (Table). For girls aged 6 to 12 years, we observed larger relative increases in the percentage with eating disorder diagnoses in the pandemic cohort: 66.90% (95% CI, 33.12%-100.67%) in primary care and 278.30% (95% CI, 160.44%-396.16%) in specialist care. For girls aged 13 to 16 years, the relative increase was 126.54% (106.48%-146.59%) in primary care and 95.96% (95% CI, 79.54%-112.38%) in specialist care. Increases were attributable to new cases. The monthly percentage of girls with eating disorder diagnoses increased over time in the prepandemic cohort (Figure). The pattern was similar in the pandemic cohort but with a disruption after onset of the pandemic. The monthly percentage of girls aged 13 to 16 years with an eating disorder diagnosis ranged from 0.05% to 0.08% before the pandemic and from 0.15% to 0.20% after onset in primary care and from 0.27% in February 2019 to 0.74% in December 2021 in specialist care. The relative increase ranged from −11.89% (95% CI, −47.23% to 23.46%) in March 2020 to 194.63% (95% CI, 160.27%-228.99%) in February 2021 for primary care and from 11.06% (95% CI, −2.84% to 24.96%) in May 2020 to 150.70% (95% CI, 128.87%-172.53%) in November 2021 for specialist care and was statistically significant throughout 2021. Among girls aged 6 to 12 years, the percentage with eating disorder diagnoses was lower but increased after March 2021. In specialist care, the percentage did not exceed 0.10%, but the relative increase remained greater than 200% after May 2021. Discussion We found a substantial increase in the number of girls diagnosed with eating disorders in Norway starting after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing of the trend disruption suggests that the increase was associated with societal changes induced by the pandemic, including restrictions placed on youth’s lives, education, and activities. Limitations were that follow-up was incomplete for teenagers older than 16 years, we could not distinguish between eating disorder subtypes, and diagnostic data were not validated. Our findings are similar to those from North America,1-4 suggesting that the increase in eating disorders occurred internationally.

• Evensen, Miriam; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Godøy, Anna Aasen; Hauge, Lars Johan; Lund, Ingunn Olea & Knudsen, Ann Kristin Skrindo [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental healthcare consultations among children and adolescents in Norway: a nationwide registry study. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1018-8827. 32(6), p. 1025–1035. doi: 10.1007/s00787-022-02046-y. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions may have affected children and adolescent's mental health adversely. We cast light on this question using primary and specialist consultations data for the entire population of children of age 6-19 years in Norway (N = 908 272). Our outcomes are the monthly likelihood of having a consultation or hospitalization related to mental health problems and common mental health diagnoses. We compared a pandemic (2019-2021) to a pre-pandemic (2017-2019) cohort using event study and difference-in-difference designs that separate the shock of the pandemic from linear period trends and seasonal variation. We found temporary reductions in all mental health consultations during lockdown in spring 2020. In fall 2020 and winter 2021, consultation volumes in primary care increased, stabilizing at a higher level in 2021. Consultations in specialist care increased from spring 2021. Our findings could suggest a worsening of mental health among adolescents.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Pedersen, Willy & Skardhamar, Torbjørn (2022). Blowing in the wind? Testing the effect of weather on the spatial distribution of crime using Generalized Additive Models. Crime Science. 11(1). doi: 10.1186/s40163-022-00171-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Oslo, the capital of Norway, is situated in a North European cool climate zone. We investigate the effect of weather on the overall level of crime in the city, as well as the impact of different aspects of weather (temperature, wind speed, precipitation) on the spatial distribution of crime, net of both total level of crime, time of day and seasonality. Geocoded locations of criminal offences were combined with data on temperature, wind speed, and precipitation. Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) allowed us to map level of and the spatial distribution of crime, and how it was impacted by weather, in a more robust manner than in previous studies. There was slightly more crime in pleasurable weather (i.e. low precipitation and wind speed and high temperatures). However, neither temperature, precipitation nor wind speed impacted the spatial distribution of crime in the city.

• Grøsland, Mari; Larsen, Vilde Bergstad; Reneflot, Anne & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mental health care use among Norwegian students in higher education: a nation-wide register-based pre-post cohort study. BMC Health Services Research. 22. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08816-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Andersen, Synøve Nygaard & Drange, Nina Eirin (2022). Effects of extended paternity leave on family dynamics. Journal of Marriage and Family. ISSN 0022-2445. 84(3), p. 814–839. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12818. Full text in Research Archive
• Telle, Kjetil; Jørgensen, Silje B.; Hart, Rannveig; Greve-Isdahl, Margrethe & Kacelnik, Oliver (2021). Secondary attack rates of COVID-19 in Norwegian families: a nation-wide register-based study. European Journal of Epidemiology (EJE). ISSN 0393-2990. 36, p. 741–748. doi: 10.1007/s10654-021-00760-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Methi, Fredrik; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Godøy, Anna Aasen; Jørgensen, Silje Bakken; Kacelnik, Oliver & Telle, Kjetil Elias (2021). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 into and within immigrant households: nationwide registry study from Norway. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. ISSN 0143-005X. 76(5), p. 435–439. doi: 10.1136/jech-2021-217856. Full text in Research Archive
• Fretheim, Atle; Helleve, Arnfinn; Løyland, Borghild; Sandbekken, Ida Hellum; Flatø, Martin & Telle, Kjetil Elias [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Relationship between teaching modality and COVID-19, well-being, and teaching satisfaction (campus & corona): A cohort study among students in higher education. Public Health in Practice. 2. doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2021.100187. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objectives: Higher education institutions all over the world struggled to balance the need for infection control and educational requirements, as they prepared to reopen after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A particularly difficult choice was whether to offer for in-person or online teaching. Norwegian universities and university colleges opted for a hybrid model when they reopened for the autumn semester, with some students being offered more in-person teaching than others. We seized this opportunity to study the association between different teaching modalities and COVID-19 risk, quality of life (subjective well-being), and teaching satisfaction. Study design: Prospective, observational cohort study. Methods: We recruited students in higher education institutions in Norway who we surveyed biweekly from September to December in 2020. Results: 26 754 students from 14 higher education institutions provided data to our analyses. We found that two weeks of in-person teaching was negatively associated with COVID-19 risk compared to online teaching, but the difference was very uncertain (− 22% relative difference; 95% CI -77%–33%). Quality of life was positively associated with in-person teaching (3%; 95% CI 2%–4%), as was teaching satisfaction (10%; 95% CI 8%–11%). Conclusion: The association between COVID-19 infection and teaching modality was highly uncertain. Shifting from in-person to online teaching seems to have a negative impact on the well-being of students in higher education.

• Bergsvik, Janna; Fauske, Agnes & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2021). Can Policies Stall the Fertility Fall? A Systematic Review of the (Quasi‐) Experimental Literature. Population and Development Review. ISSN 0098-7921. 47(4), p. 913–964. doi: 10.1111/padr.12431. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the course of the twentieth century, social scientists and policy analysts have produced a large volume of literature on whether policies boost fertility. This paper describes the results of a systematic review of the literature on the effects of policy on fertility since 1970 in Europe, the United States,Canada, and Australia. Empirical studies were selected through extensive systematic searches, including studies using an experimental or quasi‐experimental design. Thirty‐five studies were included, covering reforms of parental leave, childcare, health services, and universal child transfers. In line with previous reviews, we find that childcare expansions increase completed fertility, while increased cash transfers have temporary effects. New evidence on parental leave expansions, particularly from Central Europe, suggests larger effects than previously established. High‐earning couples benefit more from parental leave expansions, while expanding childcare programs can reduce social inequalities on other domains. Subsidizing assisted reproductive treatments shows some promise of increasing birth rates for women over the age of 35. Countries that to date have limited support for families can build on solid evidence if they choose to expand these programs.

• Brekke, Idunn; Evensen, Miriam & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Uptake of Attendance Benefit for Children with a Disability in Norway: Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Immigrant Background. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. ISSN 1501-7419. 22(1), p. 127–136. doi: 10.16993/sjdr.669. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this study, we examine the take-up of a non-mean tested cash benefit for children with a disability in Norway. We question if the uptake of the attendance benefit varies according to socioeconomic status and immigrant background using administrative register data. The sample in the present study contains all children (N = 335,415) born in the period between 2000 and 2005 in Norway, as well as their mothers. As we do not have sufficient information on the eligibility criteria for the attendance benefit of all children in the sample, we also operate with a subsample of children born with Down syndrome (n = 482), who all met the eligibility criteria. The analyses of attendance benefit uptake are performed using logistic regression analysis. We present the results both on the relative and absolute scales (odds ratios and average marginal effects). The findings show that immigrants have a lower take-up of the attendance benefit for children with a disability compared with the majority of the population. Having low earnings increases the probability of taking up the attendance benefit. Finally, the findings reveal that amongst those who already receive the attendance benefit for their child, there was no social inequality in the rate granted.

• Øvrebø, Bente; Halkjelsvik, Torleif Bjordal; Meisfjord, Jørgen Rajan; Bere, Elling Tufte & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). The effects of an abrupt increase in taxes on candy and soda in Norway: an observational study of retail sales. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 17, p. 1–9. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-01017-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Cools, Sara (2019). Identifying interaction effects using random fertility shocks. Demographic Research. ISSN 1435-9871. 40, p. 261–278. doi: 10.4054/DEMRES.2019.40.10. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2019). Union histories of dissolution: What can they say about childlessness? European Journal of Population. ISSN 0168-6577. 35(1), p. 101–131. doi: 10.1007/s10680-018-9464-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates how the association between union dissolution and childlessness depends on life course context. Data on union histories and fertility are taken from the Norwegian GGS. To observe union histories up to age 45, I include men and women born 1927–1962. I further condition on having experienced at least one union dissolution before age 45, giving a study sample of 883 men and 1110 women. To capture the life course context of union dissolutions, I group union histories similar in timing, occurrence and ordering of events using sequence analysis. Eight well-clustered groups of union histories are distinguished. Four consist of life courses dominated by a long first or second union and display low levels of childlessness. The highest proportion childlessness is found among individuals who entered a first union late and dissolved it quickly. Groups characterised by long spells alone after a dissolution or many short unions also displayed a high proportion of childlessness. In contrast to findings from the USA, neither union trajectories nor their link with childlessness varies by educational attainment.

• Fauske, Agnes; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Bergsvik, Janna (2019). Protocol for ‘Effects of policy on fertility: A systematic review of (quasi)experiments.’. SocArXiv. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/t8vsg. Full text in Research Archive
• Cools, Sara & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2017). The Effect of Childhood Family Size on Fertility in Adulthood: New Evidence From IV Estimation. Demography. ISSN 0070-3370. 54(1), p. 23–44. doi: 10.1007/s13524-016-0537-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although fertility is positively correlated across generations, the causal effect of children’s experience with larger sibships on their own fertility in adulthood is poorly understood. With the sex composition of the two firstborn children as an instrumental variable, we estimate the effect of sibship size on adult fertility using high-quality data from Norwegian administrative registers. Our study sample is all firstborns or second-borns during the 1960s in Norwegian families with at least two children (approximately 110,000 men and 104,000 women). An additional sibling has a positive effect on male fertility, mainly causing them to have three children themselves, but has a negative effect on female fertility at the same margin. Investigation into mediators reveals that mothers of girls shift relatively less time from market to family work when an additional child is born. We speculate that this scarcity in parents’ time makes girls aware of the strains of life in large families, leading them to limit their own number of children in adulthood.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Lyngstad, Torkild Hovde & Vinberg, Elina (2017). Children and Union Dissolution across Four Decades: Evidence from Norway. European Sociological Review. ISSN 0266-7215. 33(2), p. 317–331. doi: 10.1093/esr/jcx039. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Lyngstad, Torkild Hovde (2016). Individualiserte livsløp? - Et sekvensanalytisk blikk på samlivene til norske menn og kvinner født 1927–1966. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning (TfS). ISSN 0040-716X. 2016(2), p. 135–166. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-291x-2016-02-02. Full text in Research Archive
• Syse, Astri & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2015). Hvem velger å få (flere) barn? SSB - Discussion papers. ISSN 0809-733X. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2015). Earnings and first birth probability among Norwegian men and women 1995-2010. Demographic Research. ISSN 1435-9871. 38, p. 1067–1104. doi: 10.4054/DemRes.2015.33.38. Full text in Research Archive

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• Berg, Ole Trond; Hagen, Terje P.; Gjefsen, Hege Marie; Godager, Geir; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Kinge, Jonas Minet [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2026). Organisering og finansering av helsetjenester. Fagbokforlaget. ISBN 9788245061505. 414 p. doi: 10.55669/oa1809. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Boken gir en bred innføring i organisering og finansiering av helsetjenester, med vekt på norske forhold. Den innledende bolken omfatter kapitler om helsetjenestesystemer og forsikringsordninger, betalingssystemer og demografiske endringer. I de følgende bolkene brukes de grunnleggende begrepene til å beskrive og analysere kommunehelsetjenesten og spesialisthelsetjenesten, samt samhandlingen mellom de to nivåene. Enkelte policy-orienterte temaer, som effektivitet og likhet i tilbudet, analyseres i egne kapitler. Den avsluttende bolken er viet komparativ helsepolitikk, med beskrivelser av land med sosialforsikringsordninger og private helseforsikringer. Utviklingen av EUs helsepolitikk beskrives i et eget kapittel. Bokens underliggende perspektiv er at organisering og finansiering er virkemidler i offentlig helsepolitikk. Dette er instrumenter som kan brukes til å redusere ulikhet i tjenestetilbudet, øke effektiviteten og heve kvaliteten. Boken inneholder oppdatert kunnskap om reformer og piloter fra de siste tiårene, også reformer i andre land som har relevans for norske forhold.

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• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). Ny NOU: Fødselstallsutvalget foreslår rullerende barnehageopptak. [Internet]. Barnehage.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Utvalget foreslår at alle barn får tilbud om barnehageplass fra fylte ett år, samtidig som det åpnes for at foreldre kan ha 70 uker med foreldrepenger med 70 prosent kompensasjon.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Skirbekk, Vegard Fykse (2026). Fødselstall under press. [Internet]. Tendens. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norge får stadig færre barn. En ny utredning viser at årsakene handler om mer enn familiepolitikk.

• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). Seminar om fødselstall. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Folkehelseinstituttet inviterer til seminar om fødselstall, helse og politikk på Litteraturhuset.

• Kravdal, Øystein & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). Health around the time of first birth matters for future fertility. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). Fødsler i Norge: Kvinnen har vært både offer, skurk og helt. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hvordan kvinner omtales i norsk debatt om fødselstall, har endret seg de siste 50 årene. Men en ting går igjen: Ett kjønn får ansvaret, ifølge ny studie.

• Andersen, Maria Lyster; Torvik, Fartein Ask; Hanevik, Hans Ivar; Bensnes, Simon Søbstad & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2026). Careers on Hold? Earnings, Sick Leave, and Mental Health after Assisted Reproduction. Full text in Research Archive
• King, Jordan & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Nordic Parents Have It Great—But Birth Rates Are Still Falling. [Journal]. Newsweek. Full text in Research Archive
• Birkeland, Malene & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Utvalg vil gi ekstra barnetrygd til foreldre under 30 år. [Journal]. VG. Full text in Research Archive
• Strandberg, Torgeir; Brækstad, Preben; Lærum, Ninni Bjørlo & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Nå skal mysteriet løses: Derfor får ikke nordmenn flere barn. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Stork, Hanne Skogvang; Førde, Kristin Engh & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Må vi føde flere barn? Når kjærlighet og familie blir politikk. Full text in Research Archive
• Brethvad, Sunesen, Emma; K., Andersen, Torben & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Nordens befolkning halverad inom detta århundrade. [Journal]. Altinget. doi: https:/www.altinget.se/artikel/nordens-befolkning-halverad-inom-detta-aarhundrade. Full text in Research Archive
• Brethvad, Sunesen, Emma; K., Andersen, Torben & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Den nordiske befolkning vil være halveret i dette århundrede. [Journal]. Mandag Morgen. doi: https:/www.mm.dk/artikel/20393-den-nordiske-befolkning-vil-vaere-halveret-i-dette-aarhundrede?toke=7c193805948448b2a0993da5233b8d92. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Vi får færre barn enn vi ønsker oss. [Internet]. Forskning.no. doi: https:/www.forskning.no/barn-barnlos-fruktbarhet/vi-far-faerre-barn-enn-vi-onsker-oss/2453606. Full text in Research Archive
• Rogne, Adrian Farner; Fauske, Agnes & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2025). Educational expansions and fertility: Evidence from Norwegian college reforms. SocArXiv. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/dkt8a. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Har familiepolitikk noen effekt på fødselstallene? doi: https:/www.med.uio.no/om/aktuelt/blogg/2024/har-familiepolitikk-noen-effekt-pa-fodselstallen.html. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Forskeren på fruktbarhet og helse. doi: https:/barnlos.podbean.com/e/forskeren-pa-fruktbarhet-og-helse/. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Den store fruktbarhetsgåten: Hvorfor får vi færre barn? [Journal]. Dagsavisen. doi: https:/www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/den-store-fruktbarhetsgaten-hvorfor-far-vi-faerre-barn/5666836. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Fertility and Policy in Germany and the Nordics. Full text in Research Archive
• Beck, Kathryn Christine; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Flatø, Martin (2024). School Starting Age, Fertility, and Family Formation: Evidence from the School Entry Cutoff using Exact Date of Birth. Full text in Research Archive
• Pedersen, Ida Victoria Katjivena; Cools, Sara & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Paternity quotas and family health: Evidence from a policy expansion in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Baranowska-Rataj, Anna; Dang, Thang Dinh; Kravdal, Øystein & Syse, Astri (2024). Mental Health Penalties of Childbearing in a Family Friendly Welfare State. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Baranowska-Rataj, Anna; Dang, Thang Dinh; Kravdal, Øystein & Syse, Astri (2024). Mental Health Penalties of Childbearing in a Family Friendly Welfare State. Full text in Research Archive
• Pedersen, Ida Victoria Katjivena; Cools, Sara & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Paternity quotas and family health: Evidence from a policy expansion in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Undheim, Eva Aalberg; Bergsvik, Janna; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Cools, Sara (2024). Vi blir så få her i landet. [Journal]. Dag og tid. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Bergsvik, Janna; Fauske, Agnes & Kim, Wookun (2024). Causal analysis of policy effects on fertility. Full text in Research Archive
• Beck, Kathryn Christine; Flatø, Martin & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Januarbarn utsetter fødsler. Full text in Research Archive
• Syse, Astri; Kravdal, Øystein; Rostoft, Siri; Thomas, Michael & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2024). Illness in Marital or Cohabiting Partners: Implications for Welfare Uptake and Labor Market Efforts. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2023). Barn er .. ut? [Journal]. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Kravdal, Øystein; Dang, Thang Dinh; Syse, Astri & Baranowska-Rataj, Anna (2023). Mental Health Penalties of Childbearing in a Family Friendly Welfare State. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Håberg, Siri Eldevik; Magnus, Per Minor & Kravdal, Øystein (2023). Hvorfor faller fruktbarheten så dramatisk? Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Cools, Sara (2023). Den utdøende trebarnsfamilien. [Journal]. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Bergsvik, Janna; Fauske, Agnes & Kim, Wookun (2023). Causal Analysis of Policy Effects on Fertility. CESifo Working Papers. ISSN 1617-9595. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter reviews the literature on the causal effects of policies on fertility. It focuses on evidence from experiments and quasi-experiments in low fertility contexts, including studies from Europe, Northern America, Oceania and Asia. Making no a priori restrictions on policy type, the review encompasses evaluations of parental leave, childcare, health insurance, and financial incentives such as child transfers. Childcare expansions increase completed fertility. Financial incentives had positive effects on fertility across contexts, both in the short and long run. Expansions of parental leave rights in Central Europe, and introduction of parental leave in the U.S., also had positive effects. Distributional effects of these policies are very different, with parental leave compensation benefiting high-earning couples, while expansions of child care programs have potential to reduce social inequalities.

• Lind, Jo Thori & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2023). Early-life death of a sibling and healthcare utilization during middle age - a study of long-term impacts. Full text in Research Archive
• Drange, Nina Eirin; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Grøtting, Maja Weemes (2022). The Effect of Income Transfers on Maternal Health in a Welfare State. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2022). Is there a health penalty for childbearing? Evidence from Norwegian registry data. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Hauge, Lars Johan; Reneflot, Anne & Christiansen, Solveig Tobie Glestad (2021). Boys don't cry (to their GP) A within-individual analysis of parental suicide and. Full text in Research Archive
• Reme, Bjørn-Atle; Wörn, Jonathan; Godøy, Anna Aasen; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Bratsberg, Bernt Magne & Raaum, Oddbjørn (2021). Arbeidsløshet og helse. In Tvedten, Hilde Marie; Vikum, Eirik Frønæs; Holtermann, Merete Kile & Larsen, Vilde Bergstad (Ed.), Folkehelserapportens temautgave 2021. Folkehelsen etter covid-19. Pandemiens konsekvenser for ulike grupper i befolkningen. Folkehelseinstituttet. ISSN 9788284062440. p. 29–36. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Som en følge av tiltakene for å begrense spredningen av SARSCoV-2 har store deler av befolkningen opplevd endringer i arbeidssituasjonen. Mange har i tillegg blitt permittert og andre har mistet jobben. Har det fått konsekvenser for helsen i befolkningen?

• Syse, Astri; Dommermuth, Lars & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Does health influence fertility? SSB - Discussion papers. ISSN 0809-733X. 2020(921). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Poor health may constrain women’s capacity for active leisure, including family life and childrearing, for participation in the labor market and potentially affect preferences. Still, health remains remarkably understudied as a fertility determinant. We explore the association between health and fertility, using uptake of doctor-certified sickness absences and long-term health-related benefits as proxies for health. We examine whether compositional changes in health distributions and/or changes in the health-fertility association have contributed to the distinct fall in the total fertility rate in Norway since 2009. We use nationwide registry data on women aged 16-45 from 2004-2018. We analyse first, second and third births separately, and use annual observations with lagged timevarying covariates for education, sickness absence and long-term benefits. Income, employment and partnership status are also included in some subanalyses. Long-term benefit uptake is negatively associated with fertility, and the association weakens over time. In addition, such uptake is relatively rare, but increases slightly over time. The use of sickness absence is positively associated with fertility, and the association strengthens over time. Sickness absence uptake is common but decreases over time. It is thus unlikely that changes in women’s health and/or changes in the health-fertility association can help explain the observed decline in fertility observed after 2009. However, if the decrease in sickness absence uptake reflects a stronger labor market preference among women in fertile ages, it might help explain parts of the observed decline. Overall, the decline in fertility is most pronounced for healthy women. Health as a fertility determinant warrants further research, from other countries and with other proxies for health.

• Bergsvik, Janna; Fauske, Agnes & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Policy effects on fertility: A systematic review of (quasi)experiments. SSB - Discussion papers. ISSN 0809-733X. Full text in Research Archive
• Syse, Astri; Dommermuth, Lars & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Helse og fruktbarhet. Full text in Research Archive
• Syse, Astri; Dommermuth, Lars & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Er det de friskeste som får barn? Full text in Research Archive
• Syse, Astri; Dommermuth, Lars & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Does One Have to Be Healthy to Opt to Have Children in Norway? Full text in Research Archive
• Bergsvik, Janna; Cools, Sara & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2020). Explaining residential clustering of fertility. SSB - Discussion papers. ISSN 0809-733X. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Andersen, Synøve Nygaard & Drange, Nina Eirin (2019). Effects of Extended Paternity Leave on Union Stability and Fertility. SSB - Discussion papers. ISSN 0809-733X. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Long paternity leaves have the potential for lasting effects on parental unions, potentially reducing specialization and increasing union stability and fertility. We put these hypotheses to a causal test, using an extension of the Norwegian parental leave ather's quota from 6 to 10 weeks as a source of exogenous variation in fathers' leave uptake. We implement a Regression Discontinuity design, using full population data from Norwegian administrative registers of parents of children in a four-month window around the reform (N = 9 757). The reform significantly increased the amount of leave taken by fathers by about three weeks and reduced the amount of leave taken by mothers. Neither union stability, fertility nor his or her subsequent earnings were affected by the reform.

• Kaldager, Rannveig V & Skardhamar, Torbjørn (2013). Hva kan vi lære av umiddelbare effekter? Kommentar til Johnsen og Løken. Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift (NNT). ISSN 0800-336X. 30(4), p. 429–430. Full text in Research Archive
• Høy-Petersen, Nina; Selstø, Annlaug; Helleve, Arnfinn & Hart, Rannveig Kaldager (2023). Følgeevaluering av ICDP veiledning for foreldre med ungdommer. Folkehelseinstituttet. Område for psykisk og fysisk helse. ISSN 9788284064147. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  • Rapporten evaluerer en ny versjon av et gruppebasert veiledningsprogram for foreldre med ungdommer, som bygger på International Child Development Programme (ICDP) og Tuning in to Teens (TinT). Den primære læringsmetoden er erfaringsutveksling og refleksjon mellom foreldre, på bakgrunn av korte undervisningssegmenter om hvordan foreldre kan styrke relasjonen med ungdommene sine. • ICDP Ungdom er tenkt som et universelt helsefremmende tiltak (primærtiltak), men foreldre som opplever større utfordringer med ungdommene sine er overrepresentert i veiledningsgruppene. Hvis det er et mål at tiltaket brukes forebyggende som tenkt, må det gjøres en endring i og økt satsning på brede rekrutteringsstrategier og markedsføring. • Foreldrene som deltok i vår evaluering er svært fornøyde, både med opplevelsen som deltakere og med veilednings nytteverdi. De beskriver at de har blitt tryggere i foreldrerollen, at de nå er roligere i relasjonen med ungdommene, og at samspillet og kommunikasjonen med ungdommene er bedre. Endringene vedvarer et år etter avsluttet veiledning. Ungdommene er lite interesserte i veiledningen, men enes om at foreldrene blant annet har blitt roligere. • Funnene tyder på at ICDP Ungdom kan passe tvers av kulturelle skillelinjer så lenge foreldrene har noe botid i Norge, men at det krever bedre tematisering av kultur og kulturelle forskjeller i oppdragelsesnormer. • Vi ser variasjoner i om veilederne er fornøyde med veiledningsmateriellet. ICDP veiledere spiller en sentral rolle i implementeringen og gjennomføringen av tiltaket, ofte som initiativtagere for etablering av tilbudet på sin arbeidsplass. Å opprettholde deres motivasjon og ønske om å ta i bruk den nye versjonen av programmet er viktig for å sikre en langsiktig realisering av tiltaket. • Vi anbefaler endringer av veiledningsmateriellet for å sikre bedre konsistens mellom programmet slik det ser ut på tegnebrettet, og slik det gjennomføres i felt. Vi anbefaler at opplegget gjøres mer fleksibelt, gjerne ved å endre manualen til en mal, med flere valgmuligheter for oppgaver, undervisningsinnhold, og pedagogiske tilnærminger. Malen bør øke tiltakets kultursensitivitet ved å inneholde tilpasset materiale for foreldre med mer kollektivistisk bakgrunn. • Vår studie kan ikke gi svar på om ICDP Ungdom har en positiv effekt på ungdommer, deres foreldre og deres relasjon. Rapportering om høy tilfredshet er svært vanlig i evalueringsforskning, og har ingen sterk sammenheng med tiltakets faktiske effekt. For å undersøke om ICDP Ungdom har positive effekter må det gjøres en (kvasi-)eksperimentell evaluering av tiltaket.

• Bergsaker, Marianne A Riise; Bratsberg, Bernt; Daae, Anita Odveig; Flottorp, Signe Agnes; Forland, Frode & Furuseth, Ellen [Show all 31 contributors for this article] (2021). Folkehelserapportens temautgave 2021. Folkehelsen etter covid-19. Pandemiens konsekvenser for ulike grupper i befolkningen. Folkehelseinstituttet. ISSN 9788284062440. Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Langørgen, Audun & Zhang, Li-Chun (2021). Evaluering av befolkningsframskrivingene 2020. Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB). Full text in Research Archive
• Hart, Rannveig Kaldager & Kravdal, Øystein (2020). Fallende fruktbarhet i Norge. Hva kan det skyldes og hva kan man gjøre med det hvis det oppfattes som et problem? Folkehelseinstituttet. ISSN 9788284060606. Full text in Research Archive
• Dommermuth, Lars; Hart, Rannveig Kaldager; Lappegård, Trude; Rønsen, Marit & Wiik, Kenneth Aarskaug (2015). Kunnskapsstatus om fruktbarhet og samliv i Norge. Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB). ISSN 9788253791753. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rapporten gir en oppdatert oversikt over norske studier på områdene fruktbarhet og samliv. Til tross for nedgang de siste årene, ligger fruktbarheten i Norge fortsatt høyere enn i de fleste andre europeiske land. Kunnskapsstatusen viser at det er en nær sammenheng mellom fruktbarheten og en rekke ulike faktorer, som sosioøkonomiske ressurser. På noen områder er det gjort flere studier enn på andre. Det er blant annet blitt gjort en rekke studier av sammenhengen mellom utdanning og fruktbarhet. De senere årene har det også vært gjort flere studier av ulike sider av samliv og parforhold og fruktbarhet. Sammenhengen mellom fruktbarhet og familiepolitikk har også vært en sentral del av fruktbarhetsforskningen. De fleste nordmenn gifter seg fortsatt, men ekteskapene inngås senere i livet. Alderen ved første samlivsinngåelse har imidlertid endret seg lite. En viktig grunn til denne utviklingen er økningen i samboerskap. De fleste nyere studier av samlivsinngåelse tar hensyn til denne utviklingen ved å inkludere samboerskap, og det er i den senere tid gjort en rekke studier av forskjeller mellom samboerskap og ekteskap. Forskningen på samlivsområdet har etter hvert også inkludert personer med innvandrerbakgrunn og likekjønnede par. Men fortsatt finnes det få studier av samboeres partnervalg og brudd blant samboerpar.

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