Mapping and mobilising action on commercial determinants of health in Denmark

Background

Unhealthy commodities such as tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods remain key drivers of non-communicable diseases in Denmark. Addressing these challenges requires greater understanding of the commercial determinants of health, defined as the systems, practices, and pathways through which commercial actors influence health and equity.

Methods

To foster shared understanding and collective action in a Danish context, we conducted two participatory workshops at a national public health conference over two years, both conceptually grounded in The Lancet Commission framework on commercial determinants of health. The first workshop (2024) mapped how commercial actors influenced the work in different public health sectors in Denmark, while the second (2025) identified promising practices and strategies to address them. Participants included stakeholders from municipalities, civil society actors, academia, and other public health actors. In addition, grey literature was reviewed to identify concrete examples of commercial practices in Denmark.

Results

Participants identified multiple ways commercial actors influenced their work including marketing of unhealthy products in public sports halls, involvement in research processes, and corporate social responsibility initiatives such as partnerships with municipalities. Grey literature provided further examples. Key areas for action included clearer governance and regulation of public–private interactions, increased transparency, and capacity building within public institutions to manage commercial influences.

Conclusions

Findings were synthesized into a national publication to support continued dialogue and action on commercial determinants of health in Denmark. The study demonstrates the value of participatory approaches in developing context-specific knowledge and responses to commercial determinants of health.

Key messages

• Commercial determinants of health are actively shaping health in Denmark but are not sys-tematically addressed in policy and practices.

• Participatory approaches can build shared understanding and identify actionable strategies across public health actors.