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Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC-study)

Institution/
contact address:

University Hospital
Blok A, De Pintelaan 185

9000 Gent, Belgium

Tel.: +32 (9) 240 20 81

Contactperson/
researcher(s):

Prof.dr. L. Maes & lic. C. Vereecken.

Goal of the study:

• – To monitor health, related behaviour, determinants and the social context in school-aged children.

  – To gain new insight into and increase understanding of health behaviour, lifestyle and their context in young people.

  – To inform and influence health promotion and health education policy, programmes and practice aimed at school-aged children at the national and international level.

  – Internationally the study is repeated every 4 years, in Flanders every 2 years. The study creates a database and is available for other researchers.

Type of study:

Survey.

Population
studied:

• – International: sample of 11-, 13 and 15-year old schoolchildren.

  – Flanders: sample of 11-18 year old schoolchildren.

Design and
instruments:

Sampling procedure: stratified cluster sampling, primary sampling unit is the school followed by a random selection of classes within the selected schools. Min. 1500 students of each age group are included.

Startdate:

1990.

Duration:

Surveys in 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000.

Initiative:

The study is supported and coordinated by World Health Organization- Europe. In Flanders the PI took the initiative to participate in the international study.

Funding:

The Flemish Community, department of health.

Reporting:

Website and data are included in Flemish publications on health indicators, education indicators, overviews of available data on health behaviours.

References:

Currie, C., Hurrelmann, K., Settertobulte, W., Smith, R., &Todd, J. (2000). Health and health behaviour among young people. Copenhagen: WHO.

Vereecken, C., & Maes, L. (2000). Jongeren en gezondheid: invloed van socio-economische klasse op gezondheidsgedrag. In W. Aelvoet, H. Cloots, M. Fortuin, P. Hooft, & J. Vanoverloop (Eds.), Gezondheidsindicatoren 1998. Brussel, Vlaamse Gemeenschap.