Ungdata plus. A longitudinal study of boys and girls in Vestfold and Telemark, Norway

Ungdata plus will collect data on what children and young people in Vestfold and Telemark (Norway) do in their leisure time and examine how this is related to their health and quality of life, and important life outcomes as adults – such as education, work and family life. The significance of gender, disability, neighbourhood, and socio-economic background will also be examined.

All 10–12-year-olds in Vestfold and Telemark, about 15,000 children, will be invited to participate in the study. Participants will fill out the first questionnaire at school during class in 2023 and followed up in four subsequent waves of data collection across adolescence to adulthood.

Data will also be linked to public registers. The data will form the basis for scientific articles and research reports aimed at public policymakers. 

The study adds to our knowledge about which factors in childhood, adolescence and in the transition to adulthood are particularly important to address when planning for health-promotive environments. This applies both in general and to children and young people in vulnerable situations. 

In Vestfold and Telemark, the Ungdata survey is well established, and findings are actively used to develop preventive efforts. Ungdata plus will contribute to a deeper understanding of findings from the ordinary Ungdata surveys (ungdata.no).

The study is a collaboration between Vestfold and Telemark County Municipalities, the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) at Oslo Metropolitan University and The Competence Centre on Alcohol and Drugs - Region South (KORUS Sør).