Monitoring health and health behaviors among adolescents in Central Catalonia: DESKcohort protocol

Abstract

The objective of the prospective cohort study (the DESKcohort project) is to describe and monitor health, health behaviors, and their related factors among 12 and 19-year-old adolescents schooled at centers of Compulsory Secondary Education or post-compulsory secondary education in Central Catalonia, considering social determinants of health. The DESKcohort survey is administered biannually between the months of October and June, and the project has been running for three years. We have interviewed 7319 and 9265 adolescents in the academic years 2019/20 and 2021/22, respectively. They responded a questionnaire created by a committee of experts, that included the following variables: sociodemographic factors, physical and mental health, food, physical activity, leisure and mobility, substance use, interpersonal relationships, sexuality, screen use and digital entertainment, and gambling. The results are presented to educational centers, county councils, municipalities, and health and third sector entities to plan, implement, and evaluate prevention and health promotion actions that address the identified needs.