This article reviews existing federal data collection efforts and reporting systems to identify what pieces currently exist to support an effective health monitoring system for young adults and what is still needed, and makes recommendations for enhancing the current system by improving data access and quality. Please view the abstract here: Brown, B.V. (2008). A federal monitoring system for early…
This 2008 brief was a first of its kind to synthesize a range of national mental and behavioral data, including positive measures of emotional/mental well being. The brief provides a benchmark and framework for health, education and other professionals and community leaders who are concerned with adolescent mental health—an issue that remains as salient as it was when this was…
Healthy People 2010 included a broader focus on adolescent health and included 21 Healthy People 2010 objectives, identified by a national panel as critical to adolescent and young adult health. These objectives span six areas: mortality, unintentional injury, violence, mental health and substance use, reproductive health, and the prevention of chronic disease during adulthood. NAHIC review progress on these objectives, as…
This paper combines the conceptual and practical by: Offering a framework for assessing of health of adolescent sub-populations (e.g., such as rural and homeless/runaway youth); Describing the availability of data for these populations on priority indicators (see 21 Critical Health Objectives of Healthy People 2010.) through an extensive review of academic and government literature. Recommendations are offered to strengthen monitoring systems…
This article summarizes the key health issues surrounding male sexual health, including risky behaviors and sexually transmitted infections. It is the first in a series of four adolescent male health columns authored by Jane Park and David Breland for the American Journal of Men’s Health. The article is available here: Park, M. J., & Breland, D. J. (2007). Starting on…
This seminal article from 2006 introduced the health issues of young adults. Although key health issues of young adults parallel those of adolescents, young adults often fare worse on these health indicators, with many measures of negative outcomes—including rates of injury, homicide, and substance use—peaking during young adulthood. The article argues for a national health agenda for young adults that…
The transition from adolescence to young adulthood to adulthood involves changes in development and independence that have implications for health. This brief examines priority health issues for adolescent & young adult males and identifies key gender & racial/ethnic disparities. The brief argues for interventions that integrate a lifespan approach with gender considerations. It remains one of few analyses to highlight…
This article presents data on health insurance coverage for adolescents 1984-2002. The analysis suggests that federal expansions in health insurance, primarily during the 1990s, offset declines in private insurance and led to greater insurance rates for adolescents. View the article here: Trends in private and public health insurance for adolescents. JAMA, 291(10), 1231-1237.
Adapted from Improving the Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Guide for States and Communities, this brief provides an overview on how to use data to shape health programs for youth. Supplemented with tables and case studies, this brief reviews major data sources and offers guidance for developing a youth profile and conducting a needs-and-assets assessment based on the 21…
Improving the Health of Adolescents & Young Adults: A Guide for States and Communities is a companion to Healthy People 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ comprehensive, nationwide health promotion and disease prevention agenda. The document helps communities and individuals translate the Healthy People 2010 objectives that are key to adolescent health and safety into a vision…
University of California San Francisco
