:: HBSC Website :: O v e r v i e w -The HBSC Research Network

The HBSC Research Network

Overview
Study Design

The HBSC Research Network comprises member country Principal Investigators and their research teams. There are currently over 250 individual researchers in the network from a range of disciplines.

Each member country needs to secure national funding to carry out the surveys and to contribute to the management and development of the international study. At present, membership of HBSC is restricted to countries and states within the WHO European region.

The network collaborates on a range of research activities in addition to collection of common data across countries. All members participate and contribute to the development of the study within their area of interest and expertise. We promote academic cross-national collaboration and the sharing of skills and expertise.

The Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit (CAHRU), University of Edinburgh, is currently the International Coordinating Centre (ICC) of HBSC. Candace Currie is the elected International Coordinator of the study (1995-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010).

The Centre is responsible for coordinating all international activities within the HBSC research network. These include the production of survey protocols and international reports; planning and organising the network's bi-annual meetings; facilitating network communications; and acting as a resource centre for information on the study for members and external agencies and professionals.

Collaboration with the study's primary partner, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe creates opportunities for, and facilitates, the wide dissemination and utilisation of HBSC research findings. The main outputs of this collaboration are the publication of international reports by the Copenhagen Office and the WHO/HBSC Forum series in collaboration with the European Office for Investment for Health & Development in Venice. The goal of the WHO/HBSC Forum series is to bring policy-makers, practitioners and researchers together to compare and learn from experiences in addressing the socioeconomic determinants of adolescent health.

The ICC is funded jointly by NHS Health Scotland and the Chief Medical Office of the Scottish Government.