Our Partnership with HBSC

HBSC and SHRN: An International Strategic Partnership Promoting Young People’s Health and Well-being

Since its inception in 1982, HBSC has been at the forefront of young people’s health research, providing invaluable insights that shape policies and practices worldwide. Undertaken in over 51 countries and regions internationally and conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).

HBSC’s comprehensive surveys, conducted every four years, offer a unique window into the lives of young people, helping to identify key health trends and factors affecting their well-being.

For more information, visit HBSC’s Website.

Embedding the HBSC study within SHRN in Wales has resulted in greatly improved response rates, a much bigger national sample for Wales and more engagement across the education system using the data for health action planning.

The HSBC study has always been an integral part of The SHRN Student Health and Well-being study.  

We are proud that our research here in Wales  Wales forms part of an international study of young people’s health.

The benefits of this partnership include:

• Data utilisation:  HSBC uses the data (including the data collected by SHRN) to inform policy guidance on young people’s health and education programmes.

• Data integration: Being a HBSC member provides SHRN with access to comprehensive internationally representative data on young people’s health and well-being, which we integrate into our own research framework in Wales. This data enables us to track key health indicators and carry out in-depth, policy-relevant scientific research, while also facilitating international comparisons with other countries. Find out more about the member countries.
• Data dissemination: We share findings with our network partners. Further, HBSC hosts events focusing on sharing the methodological advances in the survey, policy development, and engagement with young people. Such events offer valuable opportunities to learn from other countries. We have previously demonstrated the effectiveness of the SHRN model to international audiences.
• Enhanced research: Our partnership supports comprehensive research on young people’s health, providing in-depth and valuable insights.
• Policy and practice impact: HBSC is a WHO collaboration. The data is used at national, regional, and international levels to inform policy and practice. This aligns with SHRN’s goal of translating research evidence into practice. Read more here: Policy impact | HBSC study
• Young people engagement: Both SHRN and HBSC focus on involving young people in their research. We ask young people to help with creating questions, collecting data, and understanding the results. This makes the research more relevant and useful for young people. By doing this, both networks aim to create better policies and programs that meet the needs of young people.
• Community impact: Our partnership helps increase the impact of HBSC’s findings, leading to better health outcomes for young people.

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Publications

The 2024 HBSC Seven Trends Report ‘A Focus on Adolescent Social Contexts in Europe, Central Asia, and Canada.’ highlights several key trends from the 2021/2022 HBSC survey. It reveals a significant decline in family and peer support, particularly among girls, compared to previous years. Additionally, there is an increase in the pressure felt by learners, especially older young people and girls, due to schoolwork. The report also emphasises the impact of these social changes on the mental health and well-being of young people. It calls for coordinated action at various levels to create more supportive environments and address the inequalities affecting adolescents

Browse more HBSC reports, journal articles which feature HBSC data, and HBSC research protocols.