Why Adolescence?

Why Adolescence?

• Time of growth and development– Pivotal change occurs biologically,

cognitively, emotionally, and socially

• Habits formed now have been shown to persist throughout adulthood

Why Adolescence?

• Establishing healthy behaviors now is easier and more effective than trying to change unhealthy behaviors in adulthood

• Majority of mortality due to behaviors that are preventable

ICIAH Mission

• To promote optimal health and well-being for all Hoosier adolescents with an emphasis on prevention and access to quality, comprehensive health care

ICIAH Goals

• Increase awareness of health issues impacting adolescents

• Provide support and accurate health resource information to adolescents and those who serve and care for adolescents

ICIAH Goals

• Encourage collaboration among agencies and organizations whose services and decisions affect adolescents' health

Defining Adolescence

• National Initiative to Improve Adolescent Health (NIIAH)– Collaborative effort to improve the health,

safety, and well-being of adolescents and young adults

– Launched by CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health and MCHB Office of Adolescent Health

• 10 to 14 years old: younger adolescents• 15 to 19 years old: older adolescents• 20 to 24 years old: emerging adults

Hoosier Adolescents’ Health

Framework

• Healthy People 2010– 21 Critical Objectives for Adolescents and

Young Adults

• Positive Youth Development

Positive Youth Development

• Recognition that all young people must acquire certain strengths, skills, and competencies– academic, emotional, social, and/or physical– in order to achieve a happy, healthy, and productive adulthood.

Positive Youth Development

• Young people will develop in positive ways when their communities and relationships provide the resources for them to gain these abilities.

Hoosier Adolescents’ Health

• Assessment of health risk behavior data and morbidity and mortality data

• Identified 10 priority health issues

Ten Priorities

• Access to Care– Refers to the capability of adolescents to

receive needed health care from providers skilled in the care of adolescents

• Prevention– Addresses health risks that could be

avoided with proper intervention

Access-to-Care Priorities

• Health Care Capacity

• Health Insurance

• Mental Health Services

Prevention Priorities

• Binge Drinking

• Cigarette Smoking

• Dating Violence

• Motor Vehicle Fatalities

• Obesity

• Sexually Transmitted Infections

• Suicide

Ten Priorities

• Current Picture

• Changing the Picture

• Equation for Success

Case Study

Engaging Adolescents

• How do adolescents view health and wellness?

• What are adolescents’ health concerns?

Engaging Adolescents

• Six one-hour focus groups

• 6-10 adolescents per group

• Urban, rural (north and south), Latino, college, teen parents

Engaging Adolescents

• Discussion– Physical Health– Psychological Health– Social Support– Health Communication

• Personal responsibility

• Shared responsibility

Engaging Adolescents

• Connection– Someone to talk to who is willing to listen

and can share similar experiences

• Positive and non-judgmental– Relationships encourage self-worth and

support healthy behaviors

• Respect– Honest and truthful information

given to them

Connection

“The first time I met her [the adult coordinator of a youth leadership group] was this year, but I knew from like the beginning she was nice and I felt comfortable around her. The way she talks to you like she do, she keeps it real. She be like ‘You do this, you do this, you gonna have these consequences. But if you need somebody even you make a mistake, you can come to me.’ See people don’t say that, they just tell you your mistake and your consequence.”

Connection

“I have a pastor at my church that’s really good…but he was the rock n’ roll type, you know the partying. He finally turned his life around. He helps all of the youth at our church. Any kind of problems they have got, he has been through it.”

Positive and Non-judgmental

“Why don’t people take the initiative and give a compliment to somebody like once a day like, ‘You look nice,’ or that can help people with emotional stress, you know.”

Positive and Non-judgmental

“I mean, like don’t use your personal judgment and your personal opinion on my schooling. Like, when I’m in school that’s my focus. Yeah, I have a kid, and yeah, I think about him every minute, but I’m here to learn….Your job is to teach me. You’re not getting paid to like, criticize me about having a kid at my age.”

Respect

“Last year we had this family that came in and they juggled and they did all these circus acts and then they’re like, “Don’t have drugs! So you can do what we do.” … I think it was almost worse than actually helpful because I mean, people laughed…I think it’s better for someone to just be serious with them, someone from a town or a place like theirs and just be serious and talk to them.”

Respect

“I am terrified of doctors, like I won’t go and half the time it’s because I tell them I can’t take pills and then they prescribe me ten pills. Like I can’t swallow them, like it just doesn’t work with my body. So… and then, on top of that, half the time some of them are just rude. Like they don’t believe what you say because of your age.”

How will you use the plan?

Uses for the Plan

• Staff/grantee education• Program or resource development• Influence health policy• Data and support for grant proposals• Raise awareness and understanding• Identify recommendations you can put

into action • Share and explore resources

Indiana Coalition to Improve Adolescent Health

• INadolescenthealth.org