Inequalities in health among young people: new study results

Children and adolescents are highly vulnerable to prolonged sources of stress during sensitive periods in their development. In a recently published article, the Population Epidemiology Unit presented the results of an intersectional analysis based on the follow-up of children and adolescents enrolled in the SEROCoV-KIDS cohort. UEP researchers studied how demographic characteristics and socio-economic conditions intersect to shape trends in quality of life and mental health among young people, two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This analysis consisted of grouping participants into 48 social strata, defined by crossing different dimensions such as gender, age, migratory status, parental education and financial difficulties within the household, and studying their association with poor quality of life and difficulties in terms of mental health.

Analysis of the results reveals considerable differences in quality of life between social strata, but few differences in mental health. These results suggest that, following the pandemic, interventions to improve quality of life should focus on specific groups involving adolescents and families experiencing financial difficulties, while those to improve mental health should target all children and adolescents.

Social inequalities in health are a central theme of the research carried out on the basis of the information provided to us by the people of Geneva involved in our studies. Further work is underway to try and better understand the mechanisms by which social inequalities are associated with a poorer quality of life, for adults and young people alike.

Access the publication on the page Research