HBSC Greenland is the Greenlandic part of the international survey HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children). The international survey is conducted among schoolchildren aged 10.5-15.5 years across more than 45 countries, including all the Arctic nations except the Faroe Islands. The survey provides a valuable and comprehensive overview of schoolchildren’s health and health behaviour, and is therefore highly valuable for preventive health efforts.
Greenland has been participating in the international survey in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. From 1994 to 2004, the survey was led by the then-regional doctor in Ilulissat, MPH J. Michael Pedersen. Based on health promotion efforts under Inuuneritta III, it was decided that the survey should also take place in other even years. Consequently, it was conducted in Sisimiut in 2020 and is planned to be conducted nationwide in 2024.
Purpose
The study has three main objectives:
- Monitoring health behaviour among children and adolescents over time.
- Conducting research to uncover associations between behaviour, well-being, and other factors among children and adolescents.
- Promoting health by sharing the study's data through reports and presenting it to schools, municipalities, and other stakeholders to support efforts aimed at improving the well-being of children and adolescents.
Method
The study is a standardized survey conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. The survey is carried out every two years in even-numbered years: every four years as part of the international study and every four years as a national study. The questionnaire consists of three types of questions: mandatory questions, optional international questions, and national questions. The mandatory questions are asked in all participating countries, while each country decides whether to include the optional international questions. In Greenland, the national questions are selected based on local priorities and tailored to address the needs of researchers, organizations, and municipalities.
Collaboration and funding
The study is supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO Europe) and data is used by the WHO to, among other things, in their work on health-promoting schools, including through the European Network of Health Promoting Schools (ENHPS).
Since 2012, the study has received an annual grant of DKK 200,000 from the Child and Youth Strategy through the Ministry of Health but is otherwise funded by foundations.