A Study of Adolescent Health: Change Over Time and Place

The tradition of public health is fundamentally epidemiological and clinical, often being problem-oriented, rather than need or development-oriented. Most public health initiatives usually start with problems rather than with assessment of needs, often looking at the past, rather than the future. Thus, aspects of health in adolescence of interest to public health often related to morbidity; for example, accidents, sexually transmitted disease, substance abuse, or other problems such as teenage pregnancy. The health of adolescents has been the subject of very little research, with only a few studies investigating the health and health needs of young people in terms of socio-economic factors and different residential localities. The available material is severely limited, notable deficiencies being the impact of area of residence on health and how area of residence has an influence on future life chances. This is an important omission as attitudes about health-related services for adolescents may significantly influence the extent to which young people with specific needs or problems receive appropriate help for their difficulties. The way forward in nurturing the well-being of adolescents is not to focus on problems but on the potential for healthy development and physical, mental and social growth