Methodological approach of the GUIDE

There are two different methodological approaches to measuring the well-being of children and young people: objective and subjective measures. Objective measures of social reality are those that are not filtered by perception and are independent of personal assessments, such as gross domestic product (GDP), household income and wealth, the proportion of children in education, life expectancy and crime rates. In contrast, subjective measures clearly reveal subjective states, such as perceptions, assessments and preferences. There is a growing consensus among researchers that subjective and objective well-being indicators together provide a comprehensive picture. The GUIDE study will use this holistic approach, which pays equal attention to both well-being indicators and allows for a more comprehensive assessment of how changes in the lives of children and young people as they grow up affect both their objective and subjective well-being.

To implement the first comparative cohort study in Europe on the well-being of children and young people from birth to 24 years, GUIDE (Growing Up In Digital Europe: EuroCohort) is developing a child-centred approach, considering children as active members of society and incorporating their perspective into the research process. When starting the preparatory work for the GUIDE study, including the design of the study, it was taken into account that children and young people are the main stakeholders. Children and young people aged 9 to 24 (N=440) from eleven European countries, including Latvia, were involved in the development of the GUIDE survey, who provided a helping hand in formulating the questions. The GUIDE survey is child-centred not only because it includes the perspectives of children and young people in the development of concepts and systems, but also because it gives priority to children's views on well-being issues. Therefore, as soon as the first results of GUIDE are available, they will be involved in their evaluation. Such a methodological approach will guarantee the development of policies appropriate for children and young people for long-term socio-economic benefits.

The well-being of children and young people leads to positive outcomes in adulthood, including better health, academic success, more stable and harmonious relationships, better work performance, higher self-esteem, correct behaviour, creative thinking and inclusive attitudes. Although the main scientific field of GUIDE is sociology, the survey data will also contribute to the fields of social policy, health sciences, economics, demography, family studies, psychology and education research. The involvement of many disciplines applies not only to the topics covered in the survey, but also to the analysis of the data and the creation of a wide network of professionals.