Core topics of AID:A 2027 are the development  of children, adolescents, and young adults as well as the well-being of families more broadly. Because children, adolescents, and young adults are confronted by different devlopmental challenges depending on their age and involvement in different social contexts (e.g, daycare, school, university, work), the survey questionnaire varies by age.

A comprehensive thematic overview by age groups can be found here[3]. As can be seen in the overview, children, adolescents, and young adults are surveyed on different topics that are relevant for these specific age groups. Aside from questions on childcare, school, apprenticeship, or work, there are also questions that are sensitive and/or collect personal data according to Art. 9 (1) of the DSGVO (General Data Protection Regulation). Examples are questions on health, partnerships and love, ethnic background, experiences with violence and discrimination, religious affiliation as well as political views. Of course, answering each question, and participating in the survey generally, is voluntary.

If you want to inform yourself and your child more on what is important when participating in a scientific survey, you can watch this 5-minute, child-friendly explanation: (link[4])

1. I was contacted to participate in the study “Growing Up in Germany” (German title: “Aufwachsen in Deutschland: Alltagswelten”; AID:A). Who can I contact if I have questions?

If you have questions about the study, please feel free to contact the infas team. You can call the toll-free number 0800 73 84 500 during regular business hours. You can also contact the infas team via e-mail:aida@infas.de[5]. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

2. Why was I selected?

Based on the AID:A study, we aim to find out what life is like for children, adolescents, young adults, and their families in Germany.

Since 2019, approximately 6,000 households nationwide have been surveyed as part of the AID:A study.

For the AID:A surveys in 2019, 2023, and 2027, participants were selected from 250 randomly chosen municipalities throughout Germany. For the AID:A 2027 survey, which will take place from approximately October 2026 to March 2027, both previous participants and newly selected individuals and their households will be invited to participate.

First, an adult member of the household will answer questions about the household. This process identifies which individuals live in the household and which household members are eligible for further participation in the study. Subsequently, the selected individuals in the household will be interviewed individually.

The responses of the individual respondents are representative of many other people.

For the study to be successful and for the results to be meaningful, it is very important that as many of the selected individuals as possible participate.

3. Is my participation in the study voluntary?

Your participation is, of course, voluntary, and you will not face any disadvantages if you choose not to participate. You are also free to leave individual questions unanswered during the survey. You may interrupt the survey at any time. However, to ensure the reliability and validity of the study results, it is very important that as many of the selected participants as possible take part. Each of the individual responses are representative of many people in Germany. That is why the success of our studies depends on the participation of every selected person, and we sincerely ask for your participation.

4. Several letters were sent to our address. Is that correct?

Yes, that’s correct. The living conditions and upbringing of children, adolescents, adults, and their families are closely linked to social networks, household members, or a partner. Therefore, we do not survey just one person per household, but, depending on the composition of the household, several or all household members.

5. Is there compensation or a “thank-you gift” for participating in the study?

Yes, all participants will receive a thank-you gift for the study, which will be sent by mail.

6. How can I participate?

There are several ways to participate in the AID:A survey. First, we’ll ask you a few questions about your household and the people living there. This part of the survey can be conducted either online or in person at your home. Your invitation letter will provide more detailed information on how to participate.

Afterward, the selected individuals from the household will participate in the survey either online or in person. Depending on the household composition, infas typically suggests either an online or in-person survey in the invitation letter. If you prefer a different method of participation, you can contact infas by email or phone.

7. My access to the online survey (code/QR code) isn’t working - what can I do?

Each participant receives a letter containing access codes for the online survey in the form of a URL with a password and/or a QR code. Please make sure to use only the access information provided in your personal letter to access the survey. If you typed the code in manually, please first check to make sure you entered it correctly.

If you encounter any problems, you can call the infas Institute’s toll-free number, 0800 73 84 500, during regular business hours. You can also send an e-mail to aida@infas.de[6], and we will respond as quickly as possible.

8. Can I choose the interview dates and times for the survey at my location?

Yes, the interviewers are happy to accommodate your preferences and can flexibly arrange a suitable time with you. You can also call the toll-free number 0800 73 84 500 during regular business hours or contact us by e-mail at aida@infas.de[7].

9. How can I verify that it is actually infas contacting me and not an impostor?

Our interviewers always carry an infas interviewer ID card with a photo. You can call us at the toll-free number 0800 73 84 500 during regular business hours or send an email to aida@infas.de to verify that you were indeed contacted by infas. You can also find information online at www.infas.de/aktuelle-befragungen/ about the studies infas is currently conducting.

10. How long does the survey take, approximately?

On average, the interviews last 20–30 minutes, but the duration varies widely. Surveys with children are significantly shorter than those with adults. When surveying parents, questions about their children are included, which means that surveys completed by adults who have children take longer overall. The duration therefore also depends on the composition of your household—that is, how many people of what ages live with you.

11. Can I withdraw my participation?

You may, of course, withdraw your participation at any time without providing a reason. Please contact the infas Institute for Applied Social Sciences (Postfach 240101, 53154 Bonn) if you do not wish to participate in the study. You can also call the toll-free number 0800 73 84 500 during regular business hours or contact us by e-mail at aida@infas.de[8]. Upon request, you will receive written confirmation by mail or e-mail.

12. What happens to my responses when I participate?

Your responses will be used exclusively for scientific purposes and will be treated confidentially. Your address information is always stored separately from the responses you provided in the questionnaire. Special statistical programs are used to analyze the survey data. These programs tally the responses of all participants to a given question and calculate the percentage of respondents who gave a particular answer. The overall results and the results for subgroups, such as men and women, are presented in tables and graphs. At no time can the responses of individual participants be identified. For more information, please refer to the “Statement on Data Protection and the Absolute Confidentiality of Your Information” as well as the “Information on Data Protection.”

13. How are my address and survey data protected?

We assure you that all data will be treated as strictly confidential and used solely for scientific purposes. For more information on data protection, please refer to the “Statement on Data Protection and the Absolute Confidentiality of Your Information” as well as the “Information on Data Protection.”

Please note that in exceptional cases, legal requirements or obligations to protect individuals must be taken into account, for example, in cases of suspected criminal offenses or an acute threat to a child’s well-being. Like other scientific studies, the AID:A study follows the recommendations of the German Council for Social and Economic Data (RatSWD[9]). To date, no such case has ever occurred in AID:A.

14. I’ve moved - how can I let you know?

We would appreciate it if you could let us know about any changes to your contact information, such as a new address or phone number, so that we can continue to reach you as part of this research project. You can call the toll-free number 0800 73 84 500 during regular business hours or contact us by e-mail at aida@infas.de[10].

15. Where can I find additional support services?

If the survey brings up distressing experiences or memories, there are free counseling and support services available nationwide.

• Telephone counseling (Telefonseelsorge): available around the clock at (0800) 111 0 111, (0800) 111 0 222, or 116123