Video as a Tool to Facilitate Cross-National Youth Participation in the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study.

PURPOSE: To describe an approach taken by the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) network to enable adolescents to play an active role in a cross-national research study.

METHODS

Using a standard protocol, adolescents from across the HBSC network were recruited to submit videos outlining their perspectives on adolescent health, actions that governments should take and their hopes for the future. The videos were analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS

One third of the country teams (n = 16) took part with 50 adolescents submitting videos. The videos were disseminated at the HBSC 40th Anniversary meeting, and the findings impacted protocol development, data interpretation, and policymaking.

DISCUSSION: Adolescents highlighted current and emerging health issues, which has influenced future HBSC surveys and policymaking. The use of video successfully facilitated the involvement of adolescents across a wide range of countries. Capacity is a key challenge for some countries to get involved in youth participation.