Home
Research
Momentum delegate 2021 - 2022

Helga Bjørnøy Urke

Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology

Main content

Helga Bjørnøy Urke is an associate professor at the Department of Health Promotion and Development. Urke has a background in Public Health and Health Promotion with a PhD in Child Health Promotion focusing on socioeconomic and interpersonal social factors related to child health and childcare.

Urke’s research is focused on child and adolescent health from a social determinants perspective, both in a Norwegian and global contex. In her current research, the focus is on the role of social inequality in adolescent mental health across the life course with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the role of various social factors for the development of adolescent and adult mental health. She is particularly interested in drivers of positive mental health and well-being, especially in the school setting. Another main research focus is on the role of physically active learning as tool for increasing school engagement and well-being among school children. Other interests include the role of arts for health promotion, specifically how arts can be used to include marginalized groups in aspects that regard their own health.

Methodologically, Urke uses quantitative methods, mainly through survey data, but is involved in research projects that cover a range of methodological approaches.