Adolescent health in the UK today: where next?

The effects of poor health during the teenage years can last a lifetime. Keeping adolescents healthy is a valuable investment in the nation’s future. (Chief Medical Officer’s report, 2007).

"The health needs of young people are often given a low priority by both policy makers and clinicians. However young people’s health is important not just because this age group has a right to effective health provision, but also because the appropriate management of adolescent health will pay long-term dividends for individuals and society. The particular needs of adolescents are frequently missed because much policy thinking deals with children and adolescents as one age group. Furthermore adults, even professional adults, often know little about the stage of adolescence, and are unaware that young people have separate and individual needs where health matters are concerned."
Coleman, J. (2011) Adolescent health in the UK today: where next?

This paper, Adolescent health in the UK today: where next? was produced by the Association for Young People's Health (AYPH) with support from ChiMat and examines:
  • Why does adolescent health matter?
  • Key trends in adolescent health
  • Main policy themes of the last decade
  • Issues for service delivery relating to adolescent health
  • Suggestions and recommendations
  • Supporting data about young people's health and well-being (see separate section below)

Supporting data about young people's health and well-being

To view data on any of the indicators mentioned in the paper, Adolescent health in the UK today: where next?, follow the links below. The data are provided at a range of geographical levels – depending on availability – including local authority, strategic health authority (SHA), primary care trust (PCT), and England. The most recently published, as well as previous years' data, are available.

The links below take you to the relevant data on ChiMat’s Data Atlas. For help viewing the data click on the ‘help’ button shown on each data display page. Or read the quick guide. Some of the data will become available in July.

Theme Indicator Geography
Alcohol use Hospital admissions due to alcohol specific conditions (aged under 18 years) PCT
Mean units of alcohol consumed (age 11-15 years) England
Children and young people who say they drink alcohol Local authority
Proportion of pupils aged 11 - 15 years who drank alcohol in the last week England
 
Child
mortality
rates
All cause mortality rate (age 1-24 years) England
 
Children in
poverty
Percentage of children living in poverty (aged under 16 years) Local authority
 
Drug use Hospital admissions due to substance misuse (age 15-24 years)Local authority
NI115 - Substance misuse by young people Local authority
Children and young people who say they use drugsLocal authority
 
Long term
conditions
Hospital admissions for asthma (age 0 - 18 years) PCT
Hospital admissions for epilepsy (age 0 - 18 years) PCT
Hospital admissions for Diabetes (age 0 - 18 years) PCT
 
Mental
health
problems
Percentage of children who say that they worry about something (Tellus4 survey) Local authority
Emergency hospital admission rate for self-harm (age 0-18 years)Local authority
NI50 - Emotional health of childrenLocal authority
Rates of suicides and undetermined deaths (age 15 - 24 years) England
 
Obesity Obese children (age 10 -11 years) Local authority
Hospital admission rates for obesity (available November 2011) Local authority
Participation in at least 2 hours of sport/PE (Years 1 - 11)Local authority
Overweight and obesity prevalence among children aged 11-15 years England
 
Sexually
transmitted
infections
Percentage of 15-24 year olds screened for chlamydia PCT
Prevalence of chlamydia in under 25 year olds PCT
 
Smoking Prevalence of cigarette smoking among young adultsEngland
Proportion of pupils aged 11-15 years who smoke regularly England
School aged children who say that they smoke cigarettes regularly (available November 2011)Local authority
 
Teenage
conceptions
Teenage conception rate (aged under 18 years) Local authority
Percentage of under 18 conceptions ending in abortion Local authority
Deliveries to teenage mothers (aged under 20 years) PCT

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