ABOUT THE STUDY

MAKING A GLOBAL IMPACT

The CanTeC-19 is a project within a global network of researchers exploring how COVID-19 is impacting teenagers around the world. The other participating countries are: Ethiopia, India, Ghana, South Africa and the United Kingdom (countries in red on the map). Click on the links to each study's social media pages to learn more about where they are in their research, and what they're doing! Together, the projects are looking at how teenagers are affected in different environments, such as in developed and developing nations, and from different neighbourhoods, and different family and cultural backgrounds in each country.

WHY RESEARCH CANADIAN TEENAGERS' EXPERIENCE WITH COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed daily life for all Canadians in many big ways, from the need to follow "physical distancing" guidelines to moving school and university classes online for the last nearly 4 months of the 2019-2020 school year. Since the government's rules change frequently and life has become so different from normal, the pandemic is presenting many new stresses, challenges, and opportunities.

We expect that there will be many changes in teenagers' lives, such as changes in diet, physical activity, social relationships, sleep, and mental health. The study focuses on teenagers because this is a stage of life where people go through many important transitions such as moving from middle school to high school, or entering the paid workforce for the first time, or becoming involved in politics for the first time, or needing more time and support from friends and less from parents.

We want to understand how COVID-19 might be changing these important transitions and habits. We also want to use teenagers' own perspectives and ideas as well as ideas from our local connections and partners (e.g. The Art Gallery of Hamilton) to develop ways that we can support teenagers during COVID-19. This may include sending updates about COVID-19 rules that are easier to understand or more exciting to follow, offering ways teenagers can share their thoughts and experiences of the pandemic, or suggesting ways that school programming and resources can better support teenagers.