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Research subject Child and Adolescent Health

Our research aims to increase the knowledge about health and health-related habits among young people, such as mental health problems, smoking and alcohol habits. The research is based on sociological, psychological and epidemiological perspectives where both quantitative and qualitative data are used.

Health and health-related habits in young people are affected by the circumstances in the family, school, peer groups, neighbourhood and society at large. Social inequalities can be identified already in the early life when the family’s social position (e.g. parental education, social class, income and birth country), together with the child’s gender, are linked to health and health-related habits. In addition, parents’ poor health and substance abuse constitute risk factors for children’s health and health-related habits. Alongside the family, school is an important living environment where work and social life matter for health and habits. Societal changes also transform and modify the meaning of being young, which can be reflected in young people’s health and health-related habits, such as increased mental health problems and reduced alcohol consumption.

How social factors become translated into health, and how healthy habits are shaped while growing up, are central issues in several research projects. Other projects ask whether the health of young people has an impact on their future socio-economic careers and health trajectories in their adulthood. Additional projects study preventive efforts to promote young people’s health.