History

The study on the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) began as an international study in 1982 with the initiative of investigators from three countries, (Finland, United Kingdom and Norway) who wished to design a common instrument that would permit us to understand the health life habits of pre adolescents and adolescents within the educational system. Very soon after, the study was named the Collaborative Study for the World Health Organization Regional Office in Europe (WHO Collaborative Study). In 1983/84 these three countries, along with Austria which had just joined the project, carried out the first data collection.

Since 1985 (as can be seen in table 1), the HBSC has gathered new data every four years, thus allowing us to grasp the evolutional trends in each of these countries with respect to the lifestyles of their adolescents, and also to compare data between countries. As shown below, as time went by more European countries joined the project, as well as Australia, Canada, Greenland and the USA. Spain has participated in all editions of the study, except for the first edition and that of 1997/98.

Table 1. Countries participating in each edition.
1983- 1984	1. England; 2. Finland; 3. Norway; 4. Austria; 5. Denmark

1985-1986	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Denmark; *5. Belgium; 6. Hungary; 7. Israel; 8. Scotland; 9. Spain; 10. Sweden; 11. Switzerland; 12. Wales; 13. Netherlands*

1989-1990	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Scotland; 7. Spain; 8. Sweden; 9. Switzerland; 10. Wales; 11. Denmark; 12. Netherlands; 13. Canada; 14. Latvia; 15. N. Ireland; 16. Poland

1993-1994	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Israel; 7. Scotland; 8. Spain; 9. Sweden; 10. Switzerland; 11. Wales; 12. Denmark; 13. Canada; 14. Latvia; 15. N. Ireland; 16. Poland; *17. Belgium (Fl); 18. Czech Rep.; 19. Estonia; 20. France; 21. Germany; 22. Greenland; 23. Lithuania; 24. Russia; 25. Slovakia*

1997-1998	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Israel; 7. Scotland; 8. Sweden; 9. Switzerland; 10. Wales; 11. Denmark; 12. Canada; 13. Latvia; 14. N. Ireland; 15. Poland; 16. Belgium (Fl); 17. Czech Rep.; 18. Estonia; 19. France; 20. Germany; 21. Greenland; 22. Lithuania; 23. Russia; 24. Slovakia; *25. England; 26. Greece; 27. Portugal; 28. Ireland; 29. USA*

2001-2002	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Israel; 7. Scotland; 8. Spain; 9. Sweden; 10. Switzerland; 11. Wales; 12. Denmark; 13. Canada; 14. Latvia; 15. Poland; 16. Belgium (Fl); 17. Czech Rep.; 18. Estonia; 19. France; 20. Germany; 21. Greenland; 22. Lithuania; 23. Russia; 24. England; 25. Greece; 26. Portugal; 27. Ireland; 28. USA; 29. TYFR Macedonia; 30. Netherlands; 31. Italy; 32. Croatia; 33. Malta; 34. Slovenia; 35. Ukraine

2005-2006	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Israel; 7. Scotland; 8. Spain; 9. Sweden; 10. Switzerland; 11. Wales; 12. Denmark; 13. Canada; 14. Latvia; 15. Poland; 16. Belgium (Fl); 17. Czech Rep.; 18. Estonia; 19. France; 20. Germany; 21. Greenland; 22. Lithuania; 23. Russia; 24. England; 25. Greece; 26. Portugal; 27. Ireland; 28. USA; 29. TYFR Macedonia; 30. Netherlands; 31. Italy; 32. Croatia; 33. Malta; 34. Slovenia; 35. Ukraine; 36. Luxembourg; 37. Turkey; 38. Slovakia; 39. Romania; 40. Iceland; 41. Bulgaria

2009-2010	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Israel; 7. Scotland; 8. Spain; 9. Sweden; 10. Switzerland; 11. Wales; 12. Denmark; 13. Canada; 14. Latvia; 15. Poland; 16. Belgium (Fl); 17. Czech Rep.; 18. Estonia; 19. France; 20. Germany; 21. Greenland; 22. Lithuania; 23. Russian Federation; 24. England; 25. Greece; 26. Portugal; 27. Ireland; 28. USA; 29. TYFR Macedonia; 30. Netherlands; 31. Italy; 32. Croatia; 33. Malta; 34. Slovenia; 35. Ukraine; 36. Luxembourg; 37. Turkey; 38. Slovakia; 39. Romania; 40. Iceland; 41. Bulgaria; 42. Albania; 43. Armenia

2013-2014	1. Finland; 2. Norway; 3. Austria; 4. Belgium (Fr); 5. Hungary; 6. Israel; 7. Scotland; 8. Spain; 9. Sweden; 10. Switzerland; 11. Wales; 12. Denmark; 13. Canada; 14. Latvia; 15. Poland; 16. Belgium (Fl); 17. Czech Rep.; 18. Estonia; 19. France; 20. Germany; 21. Greenland; 22. Lithuania; 23. Russian Federation; 24. England; 25. Greece; 26. Portugal; 27. Ireland; 28. USA; 29. TYFR Macedonia; 30. Netherlands; 31. Italy; 32. Croatia; 33. Malta; 34. Slovenia; 35. Ukraine; 36. Luxembourg; 37. Turkey; 38. Slovakia; 39. Romania; 40. Iceland; 41. Bulgaria; 42. Albania; 43. Armenia; 44. Moldova