Poster 25: Befolkningsmedvirkning i prioritering av forskning på barn og unges helse

We suggest an approach with equal participation in youth health research that may empower public participants, strengthen research quality, and increase data accessibility relevant for the communities

Background: In the last twenty years, user involvement in health research has been given increasingly high attention. At present, patient, service user and public involvement and engagement is an imminent part in most funding applications. However, literature and assessments on public involvement in planning and conducting population-based health research are scarce. Especially, identifying health research priorities among healthy children, youths and their stakeholders is warranted. This study aims to approach democratic generated priorities in future child health research.

Methods: This community-based participatory research project, as informed by methods developed by the James Lind Alliance, includes extensive collaboration with children, youths, and their stakeholders. Nine PI groups from five pre-selected municipalities in Finnmark will meet to develop an anonymous health research priority survey, as well as form strategies for recruitment and dissemination of survey results. Four groups will consist of 5-10th grade pupils with representation across main ethnic groups. The remaining groups will include adult health and social care-, school-, municipality-, and parents’ representatives. After creating the survey, all 5th to 10th-grade pupils in the Finnmark region, and adults working with and for youths, will be invited to answer it. In the analysis we will categorize and refine survey results into summary research questions that are clear and understandable, and applicable to research. The data per se will be explored for differences in categorical variables and descriptively reported. Results will be analyzed in collaboration with the initial PI groups, and public priorities will be compiled with existing research literature.

Results: At present, the nine PI groups have completed in total 27 collaboration workshops. A joint survey has been developed and distributed to schools and pupils in Finnmark with a tentative deadline spring 2023. After four weeks of enrolling the survey, more than 450 youths and 200 stakeholders have answered the survey. At present, topics on 1) loneliness and alienation, 2) harassment, violence, and violation, and 3) child and youth mental health are most highly prioritized. We expect that all data from the survey is collected by May 2023. Analyzes and a final list of priorities from both the young and adult participants are planned completed in early autumn 2023.

Conclusions: This protocol describes an approach to include children, youths, and stakeholders in identifying future health research priorities.