Investing in Adolescent Health: A Social Imperative for Californias Future

1
Investing in Adolescent Health A Social
Imperative for Californias Future
2
Californias Teen Population is Growing

• Between 1995 and 2005, Californias teen
  population will grow by 34
• This compares to a 13 increase nationwide.

3
Growth in Californias adolescent population
(10-19), 1995-2005
Source California Department of Health
Services Center for Health Statistics, Vital
Statistics
4
Population growth by ethnic group, age 10-19,
1995-2005

• 16 white
• 22 African American
• 61 Hispanic/Latino
• 45 Asian

Source California Department of Finance,
Race/Ethnic Population with Age and Sex Detail,
1970-2040
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Every year in California, approximately
Adolescent health problems result in great
personal, social and monetary costs.

• 500 teens are killed in motor vehicle crashes.
• 170 teens commit suicide.
• 28,000 hospitalizations occur for mental health
  problems among youth.
• 3,200 young people 13-20 are hospitalized due to
  assault.

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Every year in California, approximately
Adolescent health problems result in great
personal, social and monetary costs. (continued)

• 59,000 teenage girls under 20 become parents.
• Over 2,000 cases of chlamydia, an STD, are
  reported among female teens 15-19.
• 8.7 billion dollars is spent treating adults for
  tobacco-related illnesses caused by a habit that
  began in adolescence.

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Every week in California, approximately
Adolescent health problems result in great
personal, social and monetary costs.

• 9 youth are killed in motor vehicle crashes
• 3 youth commit suicide
• 538 hospitalizations occur for mental health
  reasons among youth.
• 80 youth 13-20 are hospitalized due to assault
• 1,139 teens under 20 become mothers
• 483 cases of chlamydia, an STD, are reported
  among female teens 15-19

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Adolescence offers opportunities for prevention.

• 16 of California AIDS cases occur among young
  adults, ages 20 to 29.
• 90 of current adult smokers started smoking
  during adolescence.
• Poor diet and physical inactivity are second only
  to tobacco as preventable causes of death among
  adults.
• An adults ability to achieve financial stability
  and make productive contributions to society is
  largely dependent on the preparation they receive
  during childhood and adolescence.

9
Adolescents benefit from supportive environments.

• Teenagers are less likely to engage in risk
  behaviors if they
• Have a sense of physical, emotional, and economic
  security.
• Have connections with adults and peers, in
  particular, a strong relationship with a caring
  adult.
• Are able to make a contribution to the community
  and have input into decision-making.
• Believe that others have high expectations of
  them.
• Have opportunities for participation in engaging
  and challenging activities that build skills and
  competencies.

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We can make a difference.

• The success of public initiatives illustrates the
  results we can achieve with further investment.

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Motor vehicle death rates among youth 15-19 have
fallen from 1989 to 1998.
Source National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, Fatal Analysis Reporting System,
1989-1998
12
Teen birth rates have fallen 27 since 1991.
Source California Department of Health
Services, Vital Statistics, 1984-1998
13
Juvenile (10-17) arrest rates declined from 1974
to 1998.
Source Males, M. Macallair, D. (2000.)
Dispelling the Myth An Analysis of Youth and
Adult Crime Patterns in California over the Past
20 Years. San Francisco, CA Justice Policy
Institute. p.5
14
Juvenile homicide arrests declined from 1990 to
1998.
Source Males, M. Macallair, D. (2000.)
Dispelling the Myth An Analysis of Youth and
Adult Crime Patterns in California over the Past
20 Years. San Francisco, CA Justice Policy
Institute. p.15
15
There has been a decrease in dropouts from
Californias public high schools across all
ethnic groups.
Source Source California Department of
Education, Education Demographics Unit Fact
Book, 1997-98
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Investing in Adolescent HealthA Social
Imperative for Californias FutureA Strategic
Plan bythe California Adolescent Health
Collaborative

• Prepared by
• Serena Clayton, Ph.D.
• Claire Brindis, Dr.P.H.
• Jill Hamor, M.P.H.
• Hannah Raiden-Wright, M.S.W./M.P.H.
• Claire Fong, B.S.
• National Adolescent Health Information Center
• Division of Adolescent Medicine
• Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Health
  Policy Studies
• University of California, San Francisco

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Investing in Adolescent Health A Social
Imperative for Californias Future

• Chapter 1 Framing Adolescent Health
• Chapter 2 Moving Forward Eight Core
  Recommendations for Improving Adolescent Health
• Chapter 3 Targeting our Efforts Strategies in
  Seven Outcome Areas

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Moving Forward Eight Core Recommendations for
Improving Adolescent Health

• 1. Build strong public support for investment in
  youth
• 2. Involve youth in the policy process
• 3. Ensure access to comprehensive, youth friendly
  health services
• Coordinate systems for the delivery of services
  to teens
• Build stable families that can support teens
• 6. Create communities that offer youth positive
  life options
• 7. Design schools to promote health and
  development
• 8. Use data to support responsive programs and
  policy

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Targeting our Efforts Strategies in Seven
Outcome Areas

• 1. Injury prevention
• 2. Mental health and suicide
• 3. Nutrition and physical activity
• 4. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
• 5. Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted
  infections
• 6. Oral health
• 7. Environmental and occupational health

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Three directions for improving adolescent health
in California
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1. Make youth a policy priority.
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2. Improve services and service systems.
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3. Create supports and opportunities for all
youth.
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Recommendation 1 Build strong public support
for investment in youth.
1. Establish an Office of Youth at the state
level. 2. Educate policymakers about youth.
3. Use the media to increase public
understanding of and support for teens.
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Recommendation 2 Involve youth in the policy
process.

• 1. Provide youth with the skills needed to
  influence policy.
• 2. Create opportunities for youth to shape
  policy.

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Recommendation 3Ensure access to comprehensive,
youth-friendly health services.

• 1. Create public programs that attract qualified
  providers and facilitate the provision of
  comprehensive, quality services.
• 2. Ensure an adequate supply of services and
  providers.

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Recommendation 3 (continued) Ensure access to
comprehensive, youth-friendly health services.

• 3. Make health care easy and comfortable for all
  teens to access.
• 4. Involve adolescents in the planning and
  delivery of health services.

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Comprehensive care for adolescents must include

• Primary care
• Reproductive health
• Mental health services
• Substance abuse prevention and treatment
• Immunization
• Oral health
• Case management
• Psychosocial supports
• Health education

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Recommendation 4Coordinate service delivery
systems for adolescents.

• 1. Create connections between services and
  service systems.
• 2. Improve coordination among administrative
  structures.
• 3. Fund and support a system of local adolescent
  health coordinators.

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Recommendation 5Build stable families that can
support teens.

• 1. Help families achieve social and economic
  stability.
• 2. Support families in raising teens.

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Recommendation 6Create communities that offer
youth positive life options.

• 1. Expand community opportunities for teens.
• 2. Create positive social connections for youth.
• 3. Create community conditions that promote safe,
  healthy choices.
• 4. Improve the ability of adults in the community
  to work with and support teens.

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Recommendation 7Design schools to promote
health and development.

• 1. Provide schools with the human and financial
  resources they need to address the needs of
  youth.
• 2. Improve school health education.

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Recommendation 7 (continued)Design schools to
promote health and development.

• 3.Increase the connection between schools and
  community.
• 4.Create safe schools and support healthy choices.

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Recommendation 8Use data to support responsive
programs and policy.

• 1. Increase standardization of data collected by
  state departments.
• 2. Improve the utility of data for programs in
  policy development.