PhD-thesis
“Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents in Agder, Norway”.
Title of trial lecture
«HRQoL hos barn og unge fra et kulturell perspektiv- screening av barn i en multi-etnisk kultur»
- Trial lecture starts at 10:15
- Public defence starts at 12:30
Read the thesis in the Norwegian Research Information Repository
Disputation chair: Professor Gudrun Rohde, Department of Health and Nursing Science, UiA
Assessment committee:
- First opponent: Associate Professor Mary-Elizabeth Eilertsen, NTNU
- Second opponent: Associate Professor Christina Louise Lindhardt, University of Southern University, Denmark
- Chair of assessment committee: Professor Tommy Haugen, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, UiA
Supervisors in the doctoral work:
- Main supervisor: Professor Kristin Haraldstad, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, UiA
- Co-supervisor: Professor Sølvi Helseth Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, UiA, og OsloMet
- Co-supervisor: Associate Professor Eirin Mølland, School of Business and Law, UiA
Summary of thesis
Good health-related quality of life (HRQL) during childhood and adolescence is important because it lays the foundation for good HRQL later in life. HRQL is about how one feels, physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. Children and adolescents go through various transitional phases that can affect their HRQL. Assessing the HRQL of children and adolescents is therefore important to early identify those at risk of developing reduced HRQL and mental health problems, so that early targeted interventions can be implemented.
KIDSCREEN is a questionnaire that measures HRQL in healthy and chronically ill children and adolescents. In the general population, there are few studies on HRQL. Based on previous research and in line with societal developments, updated knowledge about HRQL, mental health, pain, medication use, and use of health services among children and adolescents is needed.
This study is part of Starting RightTM in Agder where children and parents answer questionnaires digitally before an appointment with the public health nurse (PHN). Furthermore, the study contributes HRQL knowledge that strengthens the foundation for health-promoting and preventative public health work among children and young people. The goal of this doctoral thesis is to contribute to increased knowledge about HRQL among children aged 5–19 and to understand which factors affect HRQL among Norwegian schoolchildren. Adolescents and mothers of first-grade children answered digital questionnaires about HRQL and mental health.
The findings showed that most KIDSCREEN studies were from Europe. They were primarily cross-sectional studies focusing on self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQL) and examining public health challenges such as mental health, physical activity, socioeconomic factors, obesity, and school performance. Few studies have focused on 6-7-year-olds. Adolescents in Agder participating in the Ungdata survey 2022 reported lower HRQL than previously, with a connection between low HRQL and increased visits to public health nurses at school and youth health centers. Mental health issues, headaches, physical ailments, and medication use were common, and especially boys with mental health issues visited the PHN at school more than girls. The results showed that most first-graders in Agder had good HRQL and mental health, but mental health problems were strongly linked to lower HRQL, particularly focused on school enjoyment, psychological well-being, and social support. Low socioeconomic status was also associated with lower HRQL, but to a lesser extent.
The thesis provides broad insights into the HRQL of children and adolescents, which strengthens the foundation for health-promoting and preventative work among children and adolescents. The findings from the thesis yield important knowledge for children and adolescents themselves, as well as for all those who interact with them, such as parents, teachers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers. PHNs have a unique opportunity and an important role in the follow-up of children and adolescents. The thesis provides essential knowledge about HRQL in different age groups, highlighting the need for early and systematic mapping of children's HRQL and mental health. In this way, children and adolescents at risk of developing poor HRQL and mental health problems can be identified as early as possible, so early targeted interventions can be implemented for those who need them most.
About the candidate
(In Norwegian only)
Eva-Grethe Befus er utdannet sykepleier (1999) fra Høgskolen i Tromsø (nå Universitetet i Tromsø) og har en mastergrad i barnesykepleie (2016) fra Universitetet i Agder (UiA). Hun har sin 26 år lange kliniske arbeidserfaring fra Barne- og ungdomsavdelingen og Barnepoliklinikken ved Sørlandet sykehus, Kristiansand, Staten barnehus Kristiansand, Barneklinikken St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim og Diakonhjemmet sykehus, Oslo.
Eva-Grethe Befus (f. 1975) har vært PhD kandidat ved institutt for helse- og sykepleievitenskap ved UiA i perioden 2020-2025. Under doktorgradsperioden har hun hatt pliktarbeid ved Barne- og ungdomsavdelingen ved Sørlandet sykehus Kristiansand. Siden mars 2025 har hun også vært ansatt som universitetslektor ved institutt for helse- og sykepleievitenskap ved UiA.
Befus’ doktorgradsprosjekt er en del av prosjektet Godt begyntTM – barn og unge i Agder.
What to do as an online audience member
The disputation is open to the public. To follow the trial lecture and the public defence online, register on Zoom.
We ask online audience members to join no earlier than 10 minutes in advance. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time.
Opponent ex auditorio:
Deadline for the public to pose questions is during the break between the two opponents. Questions ex auditorio can be submitted to disputation chair dag.t.johannesen@uia.no, cc to PhD adm emma.e.horneman@uia.no.