Chap 8: Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults

Instructor’s Name

Semester, 200_

Chap 8: Adolescents

Chapter Objectives

• Explain why it is important for community health workers to be aware of the different health concerns of the various age groups in the United States.

• Define by age the groups of adolescents and young adults, and adults.

• Briefly describe key demographic characteristics of adolescents and young adults.

Chap 8: Adolescents

Chapter Objectives

• Explain what the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS), and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) are and what type of data they generate.

• Provide a brief behavioral risk profile for adolescents, college students, and adults.

Chap 8: Adolescents

Chapter Objectives

• Outline the health profiles for the various age groups-adolescents and young adults, and adults-listing major causes of mortality, morbidity, and risk factors for each group.

• Give examples of community health strategies for improving the health status of adolescents and young adults, and adults.

Chap 8: Adolescents

Introduction

• Understanding age group Health Risks and Problems

– Detect risks for specific target populations

– Propose specific reduction programs

Chap 8: Adolescents

Adolescents and Young Adults• Fall into the 15- to 24-year-old range

Baby Echo– offspring of the baby boom generation

• Critical time period– faces physical, emotional, and educational

changes

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Demography

• The Number of Adolescents and Young Adults

• Living Arrangements

• Employment Status

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Young Adult Population

Chap 8: Adolescents

Employment Status

• Proportion of overall labor force has remained constant since 1980’s

• Unemployment rates vary significantly by race and ethnicity

• Access to health care affected by employment status

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Health ProfileAdolescents and Young Adults• Mortality

– Medical advances have reduced death rate dramatically

– Physical threat comes primarily from behavioral activities

• Causes– Motor vehicle crashes– Other unintentional injuries– Homicides– Suicides

Chap 8: Adolescents

Major causes of mortality (15- 24)

Motor Vehicles Crashes

33%

Suicide13%

Homicide18%

Other Unintentional

Injuries11%

Other Causes25%

Chap 8: Adolescents

Teen Suicide Rates (YRBS, 1999)

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

14.00%

16.00%

18.00%

20.00%

1990 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999

Chap 8: Adolescents

Health ProfileAdolescents and Young Adults• Morbidity

– Measles– Sexually Transmitted Diseases

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Causes of Morbidity

• Communicable diseases– measles– sexually transmitted diseases

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Health Behaviors and Lifestyle Choices of High School Students• Behaviors that contribute to

Unintentional Injury

• Behaviors that contribute to Intentional Injury

• Tobacco Use• Increased use of smokeless tobacco among teenage

males

• Alcohol and Other Drugs

• Sexual Behavior

Chap 8: AdolescentsHealth Behaviors and Lifestyle Choices of College Students

• Behaviors that contribute to Unintentional Injuries

• Behaviors that contribute to Intentional Injuries

• Tobacco Use

• Alcohol and Other Drugs

• Sexual Behavior

Chap 8: AdolescentsPercentage of High School Students Who Reported Sexual Risk Behaviors

Chap 8: Adolescents

Strategies for Improving the Health of Adolescents and Young Adults• Community Based

– Involving stakeholders

• Comprehensive

• Collaborative

• Multifaceted

Chap 8: Adolescents

Health ProfileAdults

• 25 to 64 years old

• Represents about half the U.S. Population

Chap 8: Adolescents

Health ProfileAdults• Mortality

– Overall death rate improving• Improved health behavior and lifestyles

– Cancer– Cardiovascular Disease– Chronic Disease

Chap 8: Adolescents

Death Rates (24 - 44 yr.; per 100,000 pop)

Chap 8: Adolescents

Death Rates (45 - 64 yr.; per 100,000 pop)

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Health ProfileAdults• Health Behaviors and Lifestyle

Choices– Smoking

• Responsible for one in every six deaths

– Lack of Exercise– Alcohol Consumption– Weight

Chap 8: Adolescents

Risk Factors for Chronic Disease• Smoking

• Lack of exercise

• Alcohol consumption

• Body weight

Chap 8: Adolescents

Risk Factors for Personal Injury• Safety belt use

• Drinking and driving

Chap 8: Adolescents

Awareness and Screening• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• Cholesterol

Chap 8: AdolescentsStrategies for Improving the Health of Adults• Primary Prevention programs

– Exercise– Nutrition

• Secondary Prevention– Clinical Screening

• Tertiary Prevention– Medication Compliance

Chap 8: Adolescents

Chapter 8

Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults