About Our Research
Our mission is to conduct impactful research that addresses the unique challenges faced by schools to support the development of health promoting environments for learners across Wales and beyond.
SHRN supports a vibrant community of researchers working together to generate evidence-based solutions that can be implemented in educational settings. We aim to foster partnerships and collaborations that bridge the gap between research and practice, ensuring that our findings lead to real-world improvements in the health and well-being of children and young people.
The SHRN Data Infrastructure
Alongside our innovative coproduction and knowledge exchange infrastructure, our biennial learner and school environment surveys have helped to establish a unique data resource in Wales. Our SHRN Student Health and Well-being (SHW) surveys, administered in primary and secondary schools, provide national and regional indicators for a range of policy and practice partners, as well as providing schools with routine monitoring data for health and well-being action planning and evaluation.
For researchers, SHRN data provides opportunities to investigate health and well-being trends and inequalities among children and young people (including minoritised groups), identify potential risk and protective factors, and better understand the role of schools in supporting health and well-being promotion. The frequency of our data collection and the strength of our relationships with schools also provides a ready-made research infrastructure for the evaluation and monitoring of new policies as they are implemented in school and community settings.
Secondary School Data and Participation Overview
- Data Collection and Storage: SHRN data from secondary school-aged learners is stored in the SAIL databank at Swansea University. This allows for the linking of survey responses from consenting learners with routine health and educational outcomes.
- Secondary School and Learner Response Rates: School participation regularly exceeds 90% of maintained secondary schools in Wales. Learner response rates have increased from 65% in 2017 to 75% by 2023.
- Highlights of The 2023 SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey (SHW): Highest participation to date, with 129,761 learners aged 11-16 from 201 schools. 43,730 learners (72.4% of eligible participants) consented to data linkage.
- SHW Survey Design and Historical Context: The SHW survey is a repeated cross-sectional survey, collecting data in 2017 (n=103,971), 2019 (n=119,388), 2021 (n=123,204), and 2023 (n=129,761). Developed from the international HBSC survey conducted in Wales since the mid-1980s, SHW data can be combined with historical HBSC datasets to create a long-running time series for large-scale policy evaluation.
- The SHRN School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ) Data Collection: SEQ collects data from school leadership on policies and practices, which can be combined with learner responses to examine the effects of the school environment on learner outcomes. The SEQ has been administered alongside the SHW since 2017.In 2023, 191 schools (90% of SHRN member schools) participated in the SEQ. Read our latest SEQ reports.
Primary School Data Collection and Participation Overview
- Data has also been collected from over 35,000 primary-aged pupils from 389 schools through phased feasibility and piloting work. Read our report.
- The inaugural primary school survey was undertaken in 2024, and data to be released in the autumn of 2025.
- Together, primary and secondary data sets help to understand pupil health and well-being trajectories across the Welsh education system and provide insights into the effects of school transitions on pupil outcomes.
For an overview of the data we collect, please see our recently published data resource profile in the International Journal of Epidemiology and read our Blog.
Visit our history page to understand our journey, gain insight into our guiding principles, and see how our past efforts shape our current and future projects.
Their academic staff profiles provide more detailed information about each of their roles, expertise, and contact information, ensuring you can connect with the right person for your needs.
Our Research
We support five key research themes aimed at improving the health and well-being of young people in Wales. These themes include:
- Mental Health and Well-being: Research on emotional and mental health, including interventions to support learners’ mental health.
- Physical Activity and Nutrition: Studies on promoting physical activity and healthy eating habits among learners.
- Substance Use: Research on preventing and reducing the use of substances like tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
- Sexual Health: Studies on sexual health education and behaviours.
- Social Relationships: Research on the impact of social relationships on learners’ health and well-being
These themes are explored through The Student Health and Well-being (SHW) Survey, which collects data from schools every two years.
The focus of our research within these themes is intrinsically linked to the interests of individual health and well-being researchers and the priorities of our partners – Public Health Wales (PHW) and Welsh Government This flexibility allows us to adapt and align our research with evolving needs and merging issues, ensuring that our work remains relevant and impactful. By not strictly defining our research areas, we embrace our uniqueness, fostering a collaborative environment where diverse research interests can thrive and directly contribute to the health and well-being of school communities across Wales and beyond. By combining these approaches, SHRN can maintain a balance between addressing established health priorities and being adaptable to new challenges.
Our Research Portfolio
An increasing number of researchers are using SHRN data:
A doctoral study looking to understand the role of schools in supporting the mental health of neurodiverse young people.
A study assessing whether schoolwork pressure has changed over a twenty-year period in Wales, and the degree to which any changes may be associated with increased emotional problems.
A study examining associations between individual and school-level predictors and student’s participation in organised activities in 2017/2018
A doctoral study looking at factors are associated with use or non-use of contraception, specifically long-acting reversible contraception, among adolescents attending schools in Wales.
Research looking into the prevalence of Severe Period Pain (SPP)and its impact on mental health, physical activity, and attitudes and engagement with schools. The study also seeks to look at the influence of school support and policies, with the aim of providing information into the nature and impact of the problem for future intervention design and planning
Research exploring the socioemotional profile of adopted children and young people in Wales, compared to their peers not in care and those in other placements (kinship, foster care, residential). One objective is to look at mental health and wellbeing, and the second, school life. The study will explore differences between schools with and without designated support for young people’s mental health and well-being e.g. mental health support, counselling etc. There may also be opportunities for further research on substance misuse, and a comparison of family and peer as relational contexts for understanding the mental health of care-experienced young people.
After the launch of the Public Health Wales Observatory SHRN Dashboard in 2023 there was a significant reduction in requests for specific indicators for our research team. We still receive specific requests for indicators not yet available in the dashboard from partners who use these data, for planning, guiding, and evaluating interventions. These include specific teams within Welsh Government, and other partners working at the health board level.
Click here to see our adopted studies and research opportunities.
Read Our Latest Academic Publications
Click here to explore our recent research and studies. Stay informed with the latest findings and insights.
Our Partners and Collaborators
- Read more about our partners and collaborators
- Learn more about our partnership with The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC).
Latest News
Stay tuned for our latest news and updates. We regularly share important announcements, research breakthroughs, and other noteworthy developments.
Our Latest News section is your go-to source for staying informed about our activities and achievements. Check back regularly for the most recent updates and insights.
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