Leader: Professor Britt Elin Øiestad
PhD Students:
Kaja Smedbråten
Henriette Jahre
Little is known about risk factors for mental and musculoskeletal disorders in young adults. In this study we aim at following a large cohort of young adults (16 – 26 years of age) for 10 years to assess potential risk factors, risk profiles and risk trajectories for mental and musculoskeletal disorders.
The transitional phase from adolescence to young adulthood is a critical period of life for future health and quality of life. Getting independent from parents; making important choices about education and occupation, and choosing life style and where to settle may influence future health. Despite a high prevalence of mental health disorders and musculoskeletal pain among this group of people, very little research exists of this life stage with respect to mental and musculoskeletal health.
The overall objective to The HEYoung Study is to identify risk factors, risk profiles, and risk trajectories for mental and musculoskeletal disorders in young adults. The study will be carried out in three Work Packages:
Work package 1
The aim of work package 1 is to summarize existing literature on risk factors for mental and musculoskeletal pain in adolescents and young adults.
Two systematic reviews are published:
Risk factors for episodes of back pain in emerging adults. A systematic review
Risk factors for non-specific neck pain in young adults: a systematic review
Work package 2
The objective of work package 2 is to identify risk factors and risk profiles for mental and musculoskeletal disorders using data on adolescents and young adults from existing Norwegian data.
Two Ph.D. students are currently working with data from the HUNT Study, The Tromsø Study- Fit Future, the Norwegian UngData survey, and the SHot survey to investigate risk factors and risk profiles for musculoskeletal pain in adolescents and young adults.
Work Package 3
The aim of work package 3 is to establish and conduct a prospective cohort study following adolescents from Oslo and Viken over ten years. The first assessment will be in the first year of high school (15/16 years of age), the second follow-up will be in the last year of high school, and thereafter every third year until they turn 26 years of age. The assessments will consist of answering a comprehensive electronic questionnaire and perform some physical tests (Biip-test, star excursion balance test, grip-strength, height, and weight). We are currently conducting a pilot study.