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1. National strategy(ies)

2. Encouraging healthy lifestyles and healthy nutrition for young people

3. Health education and healthy lifestyles education in schools

4. Peer-to-peer education approaches

5. Collaboration and partnerships

6. Raising awareness on healthy lifestyles and on factors affecting the health and well-being of young people

National strategy(ies)

The Government's youth health strategy #Young people health – the Norwegian Government’s strategy for young people’s health 2016 – 2021 [#Ungdomshelse – regjeringens strategi for ungdomshelse 2016-2021] sets out a number of goals and measures for promoting healthy lifestyles, including in the areas of alcohol and drugs, tobacco, physical activity and nutrition, and sexual health. One of the measures set out in the youth health strategy is the development of the Government’s Sexual Health Strategy “"Good sexual health – our shared responsibility" 2025 (God seksuell helse – vårt felles ansvar Strategi for seksuell helse). With this strategy, the government is taking a comprehensive approach to strengthening sexual health and rights in Norway. The strategy is based on broad knowledge, experiences from previous work and input from civil society, professional communities and user organisations. It sets clear goals for how we will work together to promote sexual health throughout the life course – for everyone, regardless of background, identity or life situation.

White Paper 15 (2022–2023) on Public Health [Folkehelsemeldinga — Nasjonal strategi for utjamning av sosiale helseforskjellar], focuses specifically on the social determinants of health and the importance of cross-sectoral and coordinated efforts for leveling social differences. The White paper introduces the government's new tobacco strategy with the aim of creating a tobacco free generation with a specific focus on children and young people. In the area of ​​nutrition, the government has set down a commission that that will recommend effective measures. The commission is expected to deliver it recommendations within 2023. In parallel with this work, the government has initiated work to look in particular at the marketing of unhealthy food and drink aimed at children and young people.

The White paper Report 23 (2022–2023)Escalation plan for mental health, (Meld. St. 23 (2022–2023), Opptrappingsplan for psykisk helse) shows the government's efforts for the entire mental health field. 

The plan has three areas of focus: 

• health promotion and preventive mental health work, 
• good services where people live, 
• and services for people with long-term and complex needs.

The Norwegian National program for drug prevention work among children and young people (2025).
The national program aims to prevent drug use among children and young people and limit the harm that drug use can cause, by implementing knowledge-based tools and methodologies among actors responsible for drug prevention.

To achieve its objective, the program has defined 6 focus areas:

1. The program will contribute to increased use of knowledge-based measures among stakeholders through the development and dissemination of knowledge bases for preventive measures in the Norwegian context, and facilitate the closing of knowledge gaps.
2. The program will contribute to increased use of knowledge-based methodology among stakeholders by facilitating the "European Prevention Curriculum" (EUPC) as an approach.
3. The program will develop a knowledge-based portfolio of measures that can be piloted and implemented nationally, regionally or locally.
4. The program will facilitate local piloting of measures, as a basis for further development of the measure portfolio and experience base.
5. The program will facilitate the implementation of prioritized measures at the national level.

   The program will strengthen the dissemination of knowledge about substance use and substance-related harm to children, young people and their guardians.

Encouraging healthy lifestyles and healthy nutrition for young people

Norwegian authorities, through the Directorate of Health's dietary advice "The dietary guidelines" describe what you should eat to stay healthy and fit. Use the dietary guidelines as a guide to how you can put together a diet that suits you.

The Directorate of Health has developed national guidelines on nutrition and meals in schools with specific recommendations for young people in secondary education. The guidelines include information about the evidence base for the recommendations and practical information about how the recommendations can be implemented.

The national programme for public health [Folkeheseprogrammet] run by the Directorate of Health aims to strengthen mental health and substance abuse prevention as part of the municipalities’ public health work, as well as raising the municipalities' capacity in developing, implementing and evaluating knowledge-based measures. The programme has a focus on children and youth. Counties apply for grants to implement projects in the municipalities. .

Health education and healthy lifestyles education in schools

In upper secondary school health education is an integral part of physical education and sports which is incorporated into the national curricula. The official description of the subject can be accessed (in English and Norwegian) through the website of the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training: Curriculum for Physical education (KRO1-04) [Læreplan i kroppsøving (KRO1-04)]. Physical education is meant to ‘help pupils acquire knowledge about exercise and training, lifestyle and health, and motivate them to have an active life and continue physical training into adulthood.’ (Directorate for Teaching and Training, KRO01-05/purpose). Physical education is a common core subject for all the education programmes in upper secondary education.

The Directorate of Health has also developed a tobacco prevention education program called FRI. The program is for middle school students and is adapted to the middle school curriculum..

Sex education and personal relationships education usually include biological as well as emotional aspects of sexuality such as knowledge of sexual health and responsible sexual behaviour, awareness of different sexual orientations, reproduction, contraception, pregnancy and birth (EACEA/Eurydice, 2010).

Sex education is primarily given in primary and lower secondary school. Sex education is not taught as a separate subject, but as a part of science, philosophy and ethics, and social science.

Sex education is described as a part of the national curriculum descriptions of the above-mentioned subjects (The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training – National Curriculum).

Peer-to-peer education approaches

Norway does not have any top-level guidelines, programmes, projects or initiatives facilitating or relying on peer-to-peer education as a form of non-formal or informal learning to health education/healthy lifestyles.

Collaboration and partnerships

Norway does not have an official, singular policy or legal framework that explicitly instructs top-level authorities to mandate collaborations between schools, youth workers, and health professionals for promoting youth health. However, in practice, cross-sectoral cooperation is implemented through various policy documents and municipal models like SLT (Samordning av lokale rus- og kriminalitetsforebyggende tiltak). 

Raising awareness on healthy lifestyles and on factors affecting the health and well-being of young people

The public authorities responsible for disseminating information about youth health and related areas are the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Hdir) and the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir). ung.no, run by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) is a public website on which young people can receive information about health and related areas.

Local youth health stations and school health services are statutory services provided by the municipalities, designed to safeguard physical and mental health and provide health-promoting and preventative services for children and young people. The Directorate of Health has developed national guidelines and  recommendations for  youth health stations and school health services which includes youth information and counselling.