Health Information For Youth

Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions. What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Discusses how teenagers can learn to make more healthy food choices and get more exercise to improve their health.

Adolescent Health Sourcebook, Fifth Edition offers parents and teens basic information about growth and development during adolescence and related safety issues. It discusses the importance of routine medical care, adequate nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. The well-being of adolescents during COVID-19 is also discussed. It offers facts about reproductive development and the health consequences of sexual decisions. It also describes many of the most common health problems that affect adolescents, including acne, allergies, asthma, diabetes, and infections. Emotional, social, and mental health concerns - including depression, anxiety disorders, self-injury, suicide, and addictions - are also discussed. The book concludes with a glossary of related terms and a directory of resources for additional help and information.

Adolescence is a time of major transition, however, health care services in the United States today are not designed to help young people develop healthy routines, behaviors, and relationships that they can carry into their adult lives. While most adolescents at this stage of life are thriving, many of them have difficulty gaining access to necessary services; other engage in risky behaviors that can jeopardize their health during these formative years and also contribute to poor health outcomes in adulthood. Missed opportunities for disease prevention and health promotion are two major problematic features of our nation's health services system for adolescents. Recognizing that health care providers play an important role in fostering healthy behaviors among adolescents, Adolescent Health Services examines the health status of adolescents and reviews the separate and uncoordinated programs and services delivered in multiple public and private health care settings. The book provides guidance to administrators in public and private health care agencies, health care workers, guidance counselors, parents, school administrators, and policy makers on investing in, strengthening, and improving an integrated health system for adolescents.

Well-known authors, W. Bernard Lukenbill and Barbara Froling Immroth, provide an introduction to a difficult topic. This book covers the general status of youth healthcare, the issues and concerns providing a model of health delivery, and their relationship to the school and public library. Public and school librarians and their clientele will appreciate this straightforward approach to finding and selecting consumer information on health related topics. School librarians will find resources to help teachers who are being asked to teach consumer health classes. Students, librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers in need of information that addresses health issues encountered by youth will find it in this inclusive book on the topic. Public and school librarians will appreciate discussions of issues related to the general status of healthcare for youth, delivery systems, and locations of consumer information and methods to select and manage the collection of health information materials.

Young people develop health literacy skills in a variety of environments, facing critical thinking challenges about their health from school, home and family life, peers and social life, and online. To explore the development of health literacy skills in youth, the Roundtable on Health Literacy convened a workshop on November 19, 2019, in Washington, DC. Presenters at the workshop discussed factors relating to health literacy skills and ways to further develop those skills among youth from early childhood to young adulthood. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Teenagers, Sexual Health Information and the Digital Age examines the online resources available on teenagers, including games and digital interventions. In addition, it highlights current issues such as sexting and pornography. Information needs and provisions are examined, and existing sexual health interventions and digital interventions are discussed, gathering both teenagers’ and sexual health professionals’ views on these services. In addition to a review of the current literature on sexual health and teenagers, the book examines groups of teenagers, particularly those vulnerable to risky sex and asks what are the predictors of these behaviors and what can be done to address the behaviors. Finally, the book will also provide reflections and practical advice on the ethical issues associated with research in this context. Provides guidance on the ethical issues with research associated with this topic Covers both teenagers’ information needs as well as their existing levels of knowledge Assesses how teenagers engage with, and evaluate, sexual health information Addresses the challenges inherent in the online environment, such as unreliable and misleading information