Question

Discuss some of the major community health concerns and statistics associated with adolescents and young adults today.

Answer 1

Major health concern of adolescent and young adults today are :

Injuries

Mental health

Violence

HIV/AIDS

Other infectious diseases

Early pregnancy and childbirth

Alcohol and drugs

Nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

Discussion with statistics :

1. Alcohol and drugs use in adolescents :

-The acute effects of intoxication are :

1. Alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents remain leading causes of mortality among youth

2. Sharing needles, I.V drug use lead to transmission of blood borne viruses

3. High risk behaviour like sexual risk taking, sexual victimization and unintentional injury is high.

Statistics of drug abuse :

EPIDEMIOLOGY

1. Lifetime prevalence of Substance use disorders in children and adolescents is 11.4%

2. More than half of adolescents report alcohol use

3. One fourth report exposure to illicit drugs

4. Prevalence rates of alcohol and drug dependence (1.3% and 1.8% respectively) are one-fourth the magnitude of abuse (5.2% and 7.1%, respectively)

• A higher prevalence of substance abuse was reported among school students:

1. Alcohol (4-13%) most common

2. Tobacco (3-6%)

3. Minor tranquillizers (1-4%)

Early pregnancy and childbirth :

Adolescent saying yes to sex with their partners of love making or with school or college friends with turns to early pregnancy and childbirth .

This problem can be solved :

1. If parents start talking to their adolescent child about the sahari g things and about sex and use of protection .

2. If proper sex education id implied in schools.