Last week, Year 13 students had a visit by a representative of the Diet and Eating Behaviour across Early Adulthood Transitions (DEBEAT) study, coordinated by the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.

The visit was a fascinating introduction to a study that many Year 13 students will be participating in over the next 12 months. The investigation is examining how the dietary habits of young people in their last year of school/college will change as they take up opportunities in higher education, employment, or alternative.

Participants will be asked to complete online questionnaires at two key stages: February and November 2024. On these questionnaires, dietary recalls of the last 24 hours and data inputs about the nature of one’s home/school/work/university environment will inform researchers about the impact of new social and physical settings on young people’s quality of diet.

Year 13 students were presented with a model representing the influence that individual behaviours, individual constraints/resources, and external food environments all exert on dietary choices. Changes to each of these variables over the coming 12 months will have significant impacts on nutrient intake, susceptibility to disease, and energy levels.

Therefore, the study is crucial in understanding shifts in adolescents’ health. With independent schools typically over-represented in this genre of research, DEBEAT has attempted to diversify its coverage to a wider range of UK schools. Our Year 13 students are thus forming a key part of the targeted 1,500 participants. Contributing to DEBEAT is an opportunity to participate in pioneering work which is crucial in investigating, and improving, public health.