Background

This project involves the set-up of a cohort of that allows for studying self-regulation strategies over a period of 10 years and examine:

1. how the nature and frequency of self-regulation strategies develops during the critical period of young adulthood
2. to what extent the employment of self-regulation strategies is affected by environmental (e.g., neighborhood characteristics) and personal (e.g., life events, life transitions) factors
3. how such strategies affect health and wellbeing with an emphasis on critical choices about health and wellbeing (e.g., relationships).

The cohort allows to address critical gaps in longitudinal self-regulation research that so far has not addressed the use or development of strategies during young adulthood but instead has only examined the predictive value of fixed childhood self-regulation competence. Recent calls by advisory bodies (Netherlands Health Council, Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy) emphasize the relevance of behavioral knowledge and self-regulation strategies for effective policy making in health and wellbeing in terms of self-reliant citizenship. The cohort forms an essential basis for contributing relevant, novel insights with high theoretical as well as practical value.

Study design

Our aim is to study 1000 16-years old young adults over a ten year period, until they are 25 years. A final version of assessments and procedures will be announced as soon as the set-up protocol is completed.

A preliminary overview of assessments includes the following:

• information on demographics (gender, age, education, family composition, family background, SES, social network, neighbourhood)
• self-regulation
• health and wellbeing (e.g., diet, physical activity, smoking, (psycho)somatic symptoms, substance abuse, exercise, weight status, satisfaction with life)
• measures relating to life events and critical transitions (e.g. single-parent rearing, credit problems, work status, school diploma).