Though adolescence is relatively a healthier period of life as compared to childhood, several risk factors of adult diseases having their onset during adolescence can be prevented with proper interventions during this period, though with many challenges. Data on the health and nutritional status of adolescents is of vital importance not merely in the context of improving the quality of their lives but also for providing valuable insight into issues that are likely to have profound bearing on the future generations. However, the exclusive data pertaining to the adolescent health issues in Indian scenario is not available as compared to other nations. Hence, the data pertaining to South East Asia region for comparison has been referred to, in which India is a major constituent country. The data about important adolescent health issues in different areas is scarce. Hence, detailed investigation of the incidence and interventions on adolescent health issues is the need of the hour.
TopKey Facts
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Nearly 10 to 30 percent of young people suffer from health impacting behaviours and conditions that need urgent attention of policy makers and public health professionals (Singh & Gururaj, 2014).
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Iron Deficiency Anaemia is the leading cause of Years Lost to Death and Disability among female adolescents during the year 2015 (Sivagurunathan, UmaDevi, Rama, & Gopalakrishnan, 2015).
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Obesity has become a colossal epidemic causing serious public health concern and contributes to 2.6 million deaths worldwide every year (WHO, 2005).
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Other major causes of adolescent deaths include diarrhoea and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI’s) which are estimated to be among the top five causes of deaths for 10 to 19-year-old adolescents.
TopIntroduction
In the growth process of human beings, adolescence occupies a significant period with rapid changes in growth and progressive attainment of adult status. Adolescence is characterized by the onset of major maturational events, principally the spurt in somatic growth and the accompanying appearance of secondary sexual characteristics and the onset of menarche and spermarche in adolescent girls and boys respectively. The growth and maturation timings may be affected by environmental and health factors, though the genetic factors are primarily responsible for the timing of maturation events (Tanner, 1962). Thus, the normal variability in growth at adolescence may be due to genetic and hormonal changes which are environmentally induced (Tanner, 1962; Malina & Bouchard, 1991).
Adolescents are a group of apparently healthy individuals. The health status of an adolescent determines the health status in his/her adulthood. Many serious diseases in adulthood have their roots in adolescence. Also, adolescents face premature mortality due to various reasons that are either preventable or treatable and many more suffer from chronic ill-health and disability.
This young population constitutes one of the precious resources of a country. This phase is characterized by rapid growth and development and is a phase of vulnerability which is often influenced by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect their health and safety. Nearly 10 to 30 per cent of young people suffer from health impacting behaviours and conditions that need urgent attention of policy makers and public health professionals (Singh & Gururaj, 2014).
Nutritional disorders, including malnutrition and over-nutrition, tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, other substance use, high risk sexual behaviours, stress, common mental disorders and injuries especially road traffic injuries, suicides, violence of different types specifically affect this population and have long lasting impact on their health and well-being.
At the individual level, puberty is generally beginning earlier although it has reached a plateau in some industrialized countries and is being delayed in the poorest while the mean age of marriage is rising. These many factors in combination are having an impact on young people’s behavior and society’s treatment of them with important consequences for their own psychological, physical, mental as well as social health and wellbeing, their future health and longevity and also that of the children born to them. Moreover, they are at a time of life with great energy, creativity and enthusiasm and that if given the right degree of support and opportunity, they are a great resource for the present and future of all societies (Friedman, 1994).