MRC Epidemiology Unit
Wave 2 of the DEBEAT study has now started!
Everyone that participated in wave 1 of the DEBEAT study will receive their invites to participate in wave 2 approximately 12 months after they participated in wave 1 via both email and text message. Keep up to date with wave 2 progress by following our social media pages, which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Why we are running this study
Entering early adulthood can be an exciting new chapter in young people’s lives. This period often includes changes in living arrangements, starting a new job or a new education course, and changes in friendships and relationships.
Early adulthood is also an important period for health and is the age at which overweight and obesity rise the fastest. It can also be a time of development of new food and exercise-related behaviours in response to new living environments. We want to understand more about the changing influences and constraints which young adults experience, and how these may be related to the food they eat and their long-term health.
What this study is looking to answer
The DEBEAT study had the following research questions:
- How does diet change from the final year (Y13) of school/college to 12 months later?
- How do changes in diet differ between those who transition from secondary school into further/higher education, employment or not in education or employment?
- How do changes in the environment in which people live, work and study influence changes in eating behaviours and diet quality?
What this study aims to do
The Diet and Eating Behaviours across Early Adulthood Transitions (DEBEAT) study is investigating the drivers of changes in diet and eating behaviours through early adulthood. This longitudinal study focuses on the transition out of secondary school to understand how changes in social environments, local food environments and economic factors impact diet and eating behaviours over this period. DEBEAT will recruit 1,500 adolescents in the last year of secondary school and collect data from these individuals over the next year.
We have recruited a Young Person’s Advisory Group, whose experiences and expertise have helped us to align the DEBEAT and DEBEAT-pilot studies more with the interests and contexts of our target population. Following the completion of the DEBEAT-pilot study, we have created a document containing the lessons learned that we have taken forward into the main study.
What study participants can expect from us
This research will add to current knowledge about diet and other risk factors in early adulthood which contribute to poor health later in life. By understanding how diet is changing and what influences these changes in early adulthood, we will find out how best to support young people to live healthy lives. This could include things like improving access to healthy foods in workplaces, changing planning rules for food shops or takeaway outlets, or offering personalised lifestyle support at particular life stages.
Contact us for more information
Please contact the study team (DEBEAT.Study@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk) for more information about the study.
Research Team
- Esther Van Sluijs (Principal Investigator)
- Eleanor Winpenny (Principal Investigator)
- Emma Lachasseigne (Study Coordinator)
Online platforms
Information pages
- Information for researchers
- Participant Information sheet
- DEBEAT Participant consent Form (e-consent form)
- School Information Sheet
- Geolocation data capture instructions
- Group Information Sheet
- iPhone geolocation instructions
- Summer 2024 Newsletter
Data sharing
Please see our Data Sharing page.