Viveca Östberg

Viveca Östberg is a Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University. Her research focuses on health among young people, examining how social structures and conditions influence children's and youth's health outcomes.

Her research interests include:

• Health inequalities by parental education, social class, and income
• School conditions and their relationship to health complaints
• Nordic welfare research, particularly regarding children's welfare
• Development of Swedish welfare surveys for children and adolescents (Child-LNU and Child-ULF)

Dr. Östberg's work examines school as both a work environment and social arena, investigating how status hierarchies, friendships, and bullying affect psychological health. She leads several ongoing research projects including studies on school-contextual pathways to psychological symptoms, depression and anxiety in youth, and the reproduction of inequality through linked lives.

Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on understanding the social determinants of adolescent health, with particular attention to gender differences and longitudinal perspectives. Her research has contributed significantly to understanding how early life experiences shape health outcomes in adulthood.