Promoting good and equal health by advancing vulnerable students’ employment and income opportunities: Protocol for a multiple method research program leveraging student and school staff perspectives

School-level social determinants of health (SDOH) account for a large share of variation in students’ health behaviors. Because educational attainment is itself a key social determinant of health—shaping later employment, income, and health—efforts to promote equitable health must include understanding and improving school climate as a mechanism influencing academic achievement and wellbeing. This project examines how school-level SDOH develop and how they relate to later employment, income, and health outcomes in a representative sample of Swedish young people. It also investigates how school staff and students perceive the school’s ability to address school-level SDOH and develops and pilots an intervention aimed at strengthening these determinants. This multi-method, multi-informant study uses a large longitudinal dataset following a representative cohort from ages 12–20. Additional primary data will be collected from school staff and students to assess perceptions of school-level SDOH. The project will also design and test an intervention intended to improve students’ academic achievement, a central pathway influencing later employment, income, and health. Combining longitudinal data with new qualitative and quantitative materials allows the project to examine the development of school-level SDOH and the mechanisms through which they shape long-term outcomes. Education is essential for strengthening skills, economic opportunities, and health equity. Strong links exist between education level, employment, income, and health, making this project relevant for students, families, school personnel, and broader policy development. Findings may guide schools and policymakers in improving school environments to support achievement and long-term health equity. The project involves extensive data collection and collaboration across disciplines and universities. By integrating multiple methods, it aims to advance knowledge on how education influences employment, income, and health while informing school-level and policy-level strategies to support academic achievement and wellbeing.