Youth voice: Stakeholder feedback is a valuable asset for research

Background For the past decade, recommendations have guided researchers to engage stakeholders in the planning and conducting of research. The impact of research on stakeholder participants is rarely studied. Our aim was to describe the engagement of young people in research involving them, and to analyze the feedback they provided.

Methods The 3S – School, Sport and Social Media – survey study was composed together with the Youth Research Council of the Helsinki University Hospital and conducted in 21 high schools in 2022–2023. In addition to validated questionnaires, the survey also included open-ended questions. The study participants were aged 15 to16 years and assigned female at birth. Answers to open-ended questions were analyzed using a thematic analysis.

Results Collaboration with the Youth Research Council was smooth and improved the survey. Of the 1161 study participants (response rate 59%), 461 (40%) gave feedback. The study stimulated self-reflection on wellbeing, body image, self-confidence, and use of social media, as well as on both positive and negative emotions, and ideas to improve the validated questionnaires.

Conclusions Working with young people helped advance the research project, and the diverse feedback of study participants raised new topics for research and development.

Ines Sederholm, Elina Holopainen, Sara Mörö, Silja Kosola