International study on child and adolescent health

The third survey wave of the international HBSC study "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children" once again collects data on the subjective and psychosocial health and health behaviour of adolescents in Brandenburg. These include smoking, media consumption and exercise. At the same time, influences from the family, school and friends are analysed. Particular attention is paid to the school context, with entire school classes in years 5, 7 and 9 being surveyed. The two-year study will begin on 1 October 2025; the first results are expected in mid-2027.

Education Minister Steffen Freiberg: "Health and education go hand in hand - because only those who feel good can learn well. I very much welcome the study, because the randomly selected survey schools will also benefit: they will receive individualised registering for the following semester in the form of so-called 'school health profiles' and can use this to drive forward health promotion measures at their school."

Health Minister Britta Müller: "The health of children and young people is particularly close to my heart. Reliable data is needed to provide them with targeted support. This is the only way to develop appropriate political measures. The Brandenburg survey of the international HBSC study is a high-calibre data source for this and gives children and young people their own voice as experts on their health. The data is also an essential basis for our Child and Youth Health Report. I am therefore particularly pleased that we will also be able to participate in the third wave of the study with data from Brandenburg in 2025."

Rebecca Zeljar, Head of the vdek regional office in Berlin/Brandenburg: "The health insurers support the study because it provides us with an important data basis to better understand the health of children and young people in Brandenburg. On this basis, needs can be recognised at an early stage and tailored measures can be developed. Prevention and health promotion are a central pillar of good care, among other things because they reach children and young people directly in their living environments and are therefore effective in the long term."

Prof. Dr Ludwig Bilz, Institute of Health at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: "The foundation for a healthy life is laid in childhood and adolescence. I am therefore delighted that, with the support of our cooperation partners, we are able to collect representative data on the health of children and young people in Brandenburg for the third time and analyse long-term developments. As with the previous studies, I hope that this will provide valuable impetus for health promotion in schools."

The state of Brandenburg has already participated in the international HBSC survey waves in 2018 and 2022 with its own representative samples. The BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg team led by Prof. Dr Ludwig Bilz surveyed over 3,000 Brandenburg students in years 5, 7 and 9 at all types of schools. The results from 2022 have shown that the pandemic years were also challenging for children and young people in Brandenburg and have left clear marks on their health and health behaviour.

The third survey can now be used to analyse further developments and trends over almost a decade. The aim is to identify starting points for measures in prevention and health promotion. There is particular interest in the further development of the mental health of children and young people in Brandenburg, their use of social media and the effects of cannabis legalisation on substance use. The data obtained is incorporated into the health reporting of the state of Brandenburg and is available for health science research at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.

As in previous studies, the randomly selected survey schools in Brandenburg receive individualised registering for the following semester in the form of so-called "school health profiles". This allows each school to make a self-determined selection of school health promotion measures based on its own needs.

Background
The international study on child and adolescent health "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children" (HBSC) is the world's largest study on child and adolescent health. It is carried out every four years in more than 50 countries and has been supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for almost 40 years. It provides one of the most important data bases for international comparative health reporting.