| Summary: | The topic of this PhD dissertation is the social support networks adolescents of foreign origin and immigrant adolescents perceive to be available, both in their immediate environment (family, friends), and the more distal environment (neighborhood). More specifically, adolescents’ sociodemographic backgrounds and social support are explored in relation to their well-being (life satisfaction, and distress). Although previous studies have addressed immigrant adolescent well-being, there is a lack of deeper understanding of the association of sociodemographic background with well-being and the benefits of social support. Further, scholars have called for more research into friendship relations in diverse settings. The aims of the study were to investigate how social support and sociodemographic background relate to the well-being of adolescents of different ethnic backgrounds at the individual level and neighborhood level in Iceland, and how adolescents of native and foreign origin perceive social support from friendship networks, native friends and friends of foreign origin. The datasets used in the first two papers, come from the international research network Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) collected in Iceland in 2009–2010 (first paper) and 2013–2014 (second paper). The research is population based, based on administering a standardized questionnaire to 11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds. In the 2009–2010 data collection cycle, 11,561 students answered (87% response rate), and in 2013–2014, 10,561 participated (84% response rate). A third data collection cycle was designed for this study and data collection took place in the spring term of 2018. A total of 806 adolescents (82% response rate) from nine lower-secondary schools (8th–10th grade) answered an anonymous online questionnaire administered in their schools. The sampling method used was purposive sampling and included nine compulsory schools selected to participate based on their geographic location (the capital area and four towns in the country ...
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