Engagement to understand young people’s health prospects

• An engagement exercise with young people to understand their perceptions and experiences of the foundations of a healthy life
• Led by Kantar Public UK and Livity
• To be completed by November 2017

In April 2017, Kantar Public UK, a market research agency, and Livity, a youth engagement specialist, were commissioned to undertake an engagement exercise with young people to better understand their perceptions and experiences of the foundations for a healthy life as they transition into adulthood. 

Context

The factors that shape long term wellbeing and health exert their influence early in life, and though much is known about the importance of the early years on future outcomes, less is known about the impact of experiences and opportunities leading up to and around the age of transition to adulthood (taken as aged 25). The Health Foundation has launched an inquiry to better understand the wider social and economic determinants, including employment, housing and relationships, that impact on young people’s longer term prospects for wellbeing and health.

Aim

As part of this inquiry, the ways in which young people identify with, experience and articulate the foundations of a healthy life will be explored. The work aims to understand young people’s:

• experiences of transitioning to adulthood, the social and economic factors at play leading up to the present and how these could help or hinder their prospects in the long-term;
• perceptions of these factors, how much control they have over them and what motivates them to achieve stability in these areas of their lives;

Approach

Kantar and Livity will be using a multi-method approach that will include social media analysis, reviewing currently available qualitative and quantitative data, establishing an online Young People’s Reference Group, and a series of workshops with young people across the UK.