Adolescent Health
Adolescence is an important time for promoting health and preventing disease; one that is sometimes overlooked. Most of the nation’s 42 million adolescents,1 who are between the ages of 10 and 19, experience rapid changes during this period of development. More than 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents in the United States have at least one chronic disease.2 Four main risk factors cause many preventable chronic diseases: poor nutrition, smoking, physical inactivity, and alcohol misuse.3 All adolescents can benefit from guidance on how to improve their health and development during these years.
Adolescent health encompasses changing transitions within multiple domains, including the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and intellectual. The fast-paced development of these different domains can lead to phenomenal growth during this period. This growth can also occur at different rates, which can put adolescents at a higher risk for risk-taking behaviors and emerging mental health issues. It is important to understand adolescent development, environmental influences, and the risk and protective factors that can affect adolescent health so that organizations and individuals who work with youth can support the health and healthy development of all adolescents.
Resources
Get Kids Active
Recently launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Get Kids Active offers tools to help families, schools, and communities encourage physical activity and healthy habits among young people. The site also supports youth preparation for the Presidential Fitness Test, with a focus on strength, endurance, agility, and personal progress.
Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Results
These reports present information about the percentages of high school and middle school students who engage in certain risk behaviors, along with the status of school health policies and programs designed to address those behaviors.
Adolescent Health Facts
This webpage from the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) has fact sheets on adolescent health based on federal data on adolescents in each state and select island territories.
Division of Adolescent and School Health
The Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer additional information on adolescent health topics, including resources for funded programs, data and statistics, communication resources, professional development, and other resources.
Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (PDF, 146 pages)
This report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health provides the latest results from the survey, covering key indicators of substance use and mental health in the U.S. including findings on adolescents.