Adolescent Health

Adolescence is a distinct stage that marks the transition between childhood and adulthood. Although you may still include the family in education, adolescents themselves are a major focus of teaching since they have considerable independence and are, consequently, in more control of the degree to which recommendations will be carried out. Adolescents have many important developmental tasks to achieve. They are in the process of forming their own identity, separating themselves from parents, and adapting to rapidly changing bodies. Bodily changes at puberty may cause a strong interest in bodily functions and appearance. Sexual adjustment and a strong desire to express sexual urges become important. Adolescents may have difficulty imagining that they can become sick or injured. This may contribute to accidents due to risk taking or poor compliance in following medical recommendations. Because adolescents have a strong natural preoccupation with appearance and have a high need for peer ...

The World Health Organization defines adolescents as those people between 10 and 19 years of age. Adolescence is one of the most rapid and formative phases of human development, and the distinctive physical, cognitive, social, emotional and sexual development that takes place during adolescence demands special attention in national development policies, programs and plans. In India, data on adolescents from national surveys including National Family Health Survey III (NFHS-3), District Level Household and Facility Survey III, and Sample Registration System call for focused attention with respect to health and social development for this age group. It has therefore been realized that investing in adolescent health will yield demographic and economic dividends for India. In view of this, Government of India launched its first comprehensive program for adolescents, “Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram,” during January 2014, which has a sharp focus on adolescents' sexual health. The...

Adolescence is a significant period for physical growth and sexual maturation. Nutrition being an important determinant of physical growth of adolescents is an important area that needs attention. Growth retardation is one of the most important health concerns for adolescents and their parents as well as health care workers. Inadequate nutritional intake during adolescence can have serious consequences throughout the reproductive years and beyond. Poor nutrition during adolescence can impair the work capacity and productivity of adolescent boys and girls in their later years. Further, an undernourished girl is at the risk of developing complications during pregnancy and the chances of her giving birth to a low birth weight baby increases, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle of malnutrition and ill-health. Major components of food include protein, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins which perform different functions. Proteins are of greatest importance in nutrition. Pro...

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young adults worldwide. There is a growing recognition that prevention strategies need to be tailored to the region-specific demographics of a country and to be implemented in a culturally-sensitive manner. This review explores the historical, epidemiological and demographic factors of suicide in India and examines the strategies aimed at the prevention of suicide.  Suicide  is among the top three causes of death among youth worldwide. According to the WHO, every year, almost one million people die from suicide and 20 times more people attempt suicide; a global mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds and one attempt every 3 seconds, on average.  The suicide rate in India is comparable to that of Australia and the USA; and the increasing rates during recent decades is consistent with the global trend. Data on suicide in India are available from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB; Ministry of Ho...

Adolescence (10-19 years) is a phase of physical growth and development accompanied by sexual maturation, often leading to intimate relationships. Adolescent HIV/AIDS is a separate epidemic and needs to be handled and managed separately from adult HIV. The adolescents can be subdivided into student, slum and street youth; street adolescents being most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Among various risk factors and situations for adolescents contracting HIV virus are adolescent sex workers, child trafficking, child labor, migrant population, childhood sexual abuse, coercive sex with an older person and biologic (immature reproductive tract) as well as psychological vulnerability. The most common mode of transmission is heterosexual, yet increasing number of perinatally infected children are entering adolescence. This is due to “bimodal progression” (rapid and slow progressors) among the vertically infected children. Clinically, the HIV infected adolescents present as physically stunted indiv...

Drug Addiction refers to the condition of being addicted to a particular drug, particularly narcotic drugs.  These are generally illegal drugs that affect the mood and behavior of a person.  Drug Addiction is a Social Evil in India. It is the tragedy of our days that millions of youths, the future citizens of India, fall victims to the habit of taking drugs.  These addicted people are on the way to the steady and sure death. It is a social evil that affects the individual as well as the nation as a whole.  It is suspected that there is an under band to diminish and to destroy the youths of our country and to make our nation physically, intellectually and morally weak and invalid forever.  Various types of drugs come to the market through the smugglers and dishonest traders and peddlers. At first the students and youths take it out of curiosity or to fly to the dream-land of intoxication.  The habit of Drug Addiction gradually takes over them and...

In my last blog, causes and risk factors of depression were discussed. Sometimes people don't know whether the adolescent is suffering from depression.  The signs and symptoms of depression in teens do vary from person to person based upon individual temperament, presence of co-occurring disorders, and usage of substances. While it can be challenging to determine what is normal teen behavior and teen depression, early identification and treatment can prevent future complications . The most common signs and symptoms of teen depression include: Behavioral Symptoms : Poor scholastic performance Increased school absences Agitation Restlessness – pacing, handwringing Use of alcohol or drugs Disruptive behavior Increased risk-taking behavior Decreased motivation Loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities Increased time spent alone Decreased social interactions Increased conflict in interpersonal relationships Physical Symptoms : Sleeping too much Insomnia ...

Depression in teenagers is a very serious medical problem that leads to long-lasting feelings of sadness along with a loss of interest in once enjoyed activities. Teen depression affects the way a teen thinks, feels, behaves, and can lead to significant emotional, functional, and physical problems. While depression and other mood disorders may occur at any time in life, the symptoms of depression experienced by teens may be different than those experienced by adults with depression.  There are a lot of ups and downs involved in being an adolescent. Peer pressure, expectations of high academic achievement, or hormones associated with puberty will naturally bring about mood swings. However, teens who have clinical depression will feel the lows as more than temporary states. Having depression as an adolescent or teen isn’t a sign of weakness or something that can be overcome by toughing it out – teenage depression can lead to severe consequences and needs life-long treatment. While...

Homelessness among young people is a serious issue. Homeless youth, sometimes referred to as unaccompanied youth, are individuals who lack parental, foster or institutional care.* The National Runaway Switchboard estimates that on any given night there are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth living unsupervised on the streets, in abandoned buildings, with friends or with strangers. Homeless youth are at a higher risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, substance abuse, and death. It is estimated that 5,000 unaccompanied youth die each year as a result of assault, illness, or suicide. Reasons why youth feel homelessness Family problems : Many youth run away, and in turn become homeless, due to problems in the home, including physical and sexual abuse, mental health disorders of a family member, substance abuse and addiction of a family member, and parental neglect.  In some cases, youth are asked to leave the home because ...

There is a great concern about the incidence of violent behavior among adolescents. This complex and troubling issue needs to be carefully understood by parents, teachers, and other adults. Children as young as preschoolers can show violent behavior. Parents and other adults who witness the behavior may be concerned. Violent behavior in a child at any age always needs to be taken seriously. It should not be quickly dismissed as "just a phase they're going through!" Violent behavior in children and adolescents can include a wide range of behaviors: explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression,, fighting, threats or attempts to hurt others (including thoughts of wanting to kill others), use of weapons, cruelty toward animals, fire setting, intentional destruction of property and vandalism.  Numerous research studies have concluded that a complex interaction or combination of factors leads to an increased risk of violent behavior in children and adolescents. Thes...

Childhood Obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well being. In common words, obesity means overweight.  Childhood obesity is a burden in developed and developing countries. Overweight and obesity are caused by numerous social and environmental factors that influence people's food habit and physical activity. Lack of physical activity leads to obesity. Activities like Overindulgence in indoor activities and entertainment like television viewing, internet, computer games and now a days mobile phones are also a big cause of not doing physical activities. Due to unrestricted intake of fast foods which are high in calories as per body weight is the major cause of obesity. Also, if the practice of overfeeding of low birth weight babies for catch up growth continues, then also contributes to obesity later on. Also daily allowance to go to school by bus or car instead of walking or cycling leads to increase in amount of fat in the body ...

Exercise is an important part of keeping adolescents healthy. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents is important for when they grow older. Lifestyles that are learned in childhood are more likely to stay with the child into adulthood. The best way to promote healthy lifestyles is for the whole family to become involved.  A daily exercise program is a fun way to share physical activity with family and friends while helping to establish good heart-healthy habits.   Adolescents need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days for maintenance of good health and fitness and for healthy weight during growth.  Parents should limit children's screen time (TV, video, and computers) to approximate 1 hour daily and should encourage activities that require more movement than   these sitting activities .  Some Activities like  Pleasure walking,  Climbing stairs,  Dancing and home exercise for at le...

Alcohol is the drug of choice among youth. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide. As children move from adolescence to young adulthood, they encounter dramatic physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes. Developmental transitions, such as puberty and increasing independence, have been associated with alcohol use. Alcohol is the world's third largest risk factor for disease and contributes to 4% of the global burden of disease . A legal minimum age for the buying or consuming of alcohol is in place in many of the world's countries, typically with the intent to protect the young from alcohol-related harm.  This age varies betwe...

Anxiety is a worry about future events and fear is a reaction to current events. These feelings may cause physical symptoms, such as a  fast heart rate  and shakiness. There are a number of anxiety disorders: including  generalized anxiety disorder ,  specific phobia ,  social anxiety disorder ,  separation anxiety disorder ,  panic disorder , and  selective mutism . The disorder differs by what results in the symptoms. People often have more than one anxiety disorder. The cause of anxiety disorders is a combination of  genetic  and environmental factors.  Risk factors include a history of  child abuse , family history of mental disorders, and  poverty .  Anxiety disorders often occur with other mental disorders, particularly major depressive disorder ,  personality disorder , and  substance use disorder .   Other problems that may result in similar symptoms including hea...