VoCes-19 is a web-based open cohort study that aims to understand the short- and mid-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of Mexican adolescents (15–17 years of age) and young adults (18–24 years of age) in multiple dimensions: education, health, employment, and violence. The survey also gathers information on gender identity, gender norms, and household dynamics.
Two rounds of data collection have been completed: baseline in 2021 and follow-up in 2022. During the first round of data collection, 55,692 individuals completed the survey, whereas during the second round 164,415 completed it. A total of 2,557 individuals completed both rounds. The follow-up survey included questions addressing crucial issues such as youth resilience, perceptions of climate change, and exposure to climatic events.The Council completed the study in collaboration with the Mexican Institute of Youth (IMJUVE), the Mexican Ministry of Education (SEP), the Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health (CNEGSR), and local nongovernmental organizations. IMJUVE, SEP, and local nongovernmental organizations fostered collaborations to disseminate the online survey and information about the study through their networks, as well as results once the study was completed. Meanwhile, the CNEGSR facilitated access to different sources of information that collect data on gender-based violence, in order to contextualize the findings from the survey.
IMJUVE and the CNEGSR are key governmental actors regarding public policies for youth, family planning, and domestic violence, which bridge the gap between the Population Council and other governmental sectors interested in using evidence from the VoCes-19 study to tackle several inequities among Mexican youth.
