Centre for Adolescent Health ’s Post

#PowerShiftAlert If you live, work or serve in Los Angeles County, we need your wisdom and guidance. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is in the process of completing our countywide Title V Maternal Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Needs Assessment ***MCAH is the division here that I have the honor of leading***, a process that takes place every five years across the state and the nation. Each local health jurisdiction (LHJ) conducts an assessment of residents’ needs and priorities related to perinatal, maternal, child, and adolescent health, and children with special health care needs. The state, in turn, prepares a statewide MCAH five-year plan, scope of work and budget based on the combined top priorities across the LHJs, including here in Los Angeles County. We need your input to guide the State’s (and LA County’s) planning efforts around these critical health care needs. The needs assessment is an online, anonymous survey that takes less than ten minutes to complete. It is available in English and Spanish. Each individual only needs to complete the survey once, even if they receive it from multiple organizations. They are asking for residents to complete the survey by Monday, June 24. Thank you for helping us create a just, joyous and flourishing Los Angeles County. ENGLISH https://lnkd.in/gKPpq_bX SPANISH https://lnkd.in/gzkNZnG6

We thought we would share this summary of the recent report: The Adolescent Health Indicators Recommended by the Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent Health (GAMA). This great initiative represents a unique, multi-year collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and seven United Nations (UN) agencies, focused on harmonizing adolescent health measurement worldwide. You can read a copy here: https://lnkd.in/g7TP9CBk There is an estimated 1.3 billion adolescents in the world and their future is the world’s future. Historically, the lack of comprehensive indicators for adolescent health has impeded the development of effective, age-specific policies and interventions. GAMA's recommended indicators provide a consensus framework to guide global efforts to enhance adolescent health. These indicators are designed to be integrated into national health monitoring systems, forming the foundation for policies and programs. The document presents 47 indicators recommended by GAMA for measuring adolescent health. These 47 indicators apply to all adolescent subgroups and cover six domains: Policies, Programmes, and Laws: Country-level indicators on policies, programs, and laws relevant to adolescent health. Systems Performance and Interventions: Indicators on health service coverage for adolescents. Social, Cultural, Economic, Educational, and Environmental Health Determinants: Indicators on factors impacting population health and health equity. Health Behaviours and Risks: Indicators on modifiable behaviors and risks affecting adolescent health. Subjective Well-being: Indicators pertaining to connectedness and mental health. Health Outcomes and Conditions: Indicators directly relating to adolescent mortality and morbidity. The consistent use of these indicators will not only ensure a better focus on adolescent health data collection but also bring uniformity to how countries, as well as regional and global stakeholders, collect, compile, report, and use critical information. The indicators are designed to guide policy and programming for adolescents, helping identify areas needing more detailed health assessments and additional interventions. The present document serves as a reference, ensuring that efforts to collect adolescent health data are focused and uniform, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for this vital population group. Post by Nishita Panwar #AdolescentHealth #GlobalHealth #SustainableDevelopment #SDG3 #HealthIndicators #WHO #UNFPA #UNICEF #WFP #WorldBank #PMNCH #UNWomen #UNAIDS #UNESCO

🌟 New Long-Term Study on Adolescent Health 🌟 A significant new study funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is set to explore the health and wellbeing of 100,000 adolescents over the next 10 years. This research will provide comprehensive data on this critical stage of development. 4 Key Highlights: 1. Scope: The study will cover various aspects of adolescent health, including physical and mental health, lifestyle factors, and the impact of social and environmental factors. 2. Collaboration: This project involves several universities and research institutions, showcasing a strong collaborative effort to address adolescent health. 3. Long-Term Insight: By following participants over a decade, the study aims to identify patterns and changes in health outcomes, offering valuable insights into the long-term effects of adolescent experiences. 4. Impact: Findings are expected to inform public health policies and practices, aiding in the development of targeted interventions and support systems to improve health outcomes for young people. This study represents a major step forward in understanding adolescent health and wellbeing, with the potential to significantly impact public health strategies. To read more about the study, please use the link below. https://lnkd.in/erWkPnXk #AdolescentHealth #PublicHealth #ResearchInnovation

This article provides a critique of the NASEM social media and adolescent health report. Of note, the author points out conflicts of interest on the report committee and describes problems with the measures that the committee focuses on, namely, time on social media versus the type of content that adolescents are viewing. In short, don’t take the report’s conclusion about the absence of evidence…and take it to mean the evidence of absence (of social media’s effect on adolescent health)

Call for Experts – Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent Health (GAMA) Advisory Group (AG) Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent Health (GAMA) Advisory Group (AG). This call provides information about the AG, the expert profiles being sought, and the process for expressing interest and selection. Background: Improving health outcomes for adolescents aged 10-19 years is a priority for WHO and its partners, as outlined in the second edition of the Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA! 2.0). To track progress, evidence-informed measurement of adolescent health behaviors, outcomes, and policy implementation is essential. https://lnkd.in/deK-dj_f

May is National Adolescent Health Month (NAHM). This annual observance emphasizes the importance of building on young people’s strengths and potential, encouraging meaningful youth engagement in adolescent health activities, and highlighting key topics in adolescent health. This year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs (OPA) will focus on Take Action for Adolescents, which envisions that all adolescents in the United States have the safety, support, and resources to thrive, be healthy, and have equitable opportunity to realize their full potential. It outlines eight goals, each with initial action steps, designed to inspire individuals and organizations to develop innovative approaches that help young people thrive. Visit this link to learn more: https://opa.hhs.gov/nahm To view outreach and enrollment resources for youth, visit the CHAMPS website: https://lnkd.in/gjAHX2KQ

Supporting, translating, and disseminating research and data on adolescent health and well-being is vital to advancing policies, programs, and practices. It is especially important to build an understanding of topics in areas where youth have had limited participation in research or have been underserved by health care and human services systems. Closing research gaps is essential to a national, data-driven effort to advance adolescent health and well-being. Check out Take Action for Adolescents to see how you can involve young people within research and data collection to support data accuracy and innovative research methods, improve dissemination, and identify ways to translate research so that it is easily understood. https://lnkd.in/eSN-EhUQ 

The health and wellbeing of children and adolescents in Europe require urgent attention. Today we kick off our series of #RC74 side events with an exciting discussion on improving child and adolescent health across the WHO European Region. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing issues, with the prevalence of mental ill-health doubling to affect 1 in 4 young people under the age of 18. Additionally, 1 in 3 primary school children are now living with overweight or obesity, with alarming rates that keep increasing in the region. Inequities in health outcomes, driven by socioeconomic factors, are rising both within and between countries, while progress in reducing neonatal mortality has stalled in countries in the region. To address these challenges, we're launching the consultation process for a new Child and Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Strategy, developed in collaboration with UNICEF, to strengthen child and adolescent health. This new strategy will be developed through extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including direct participation from children and adolescents. This strategy aims to: ✅ improve health outcomes ✅reduce inequities ✅ensure health systems are equipped to support families and caregivers effectively ✅ provide a comprehensive monitoring framework ✅ ensure all children and adolescents realize their rights to physical, social, and mental health wellbeing Watch this space for more info! Visit our website to learn more about our work on child and adolescent health: https://bit.ly/RC74-CAH #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice #CAH WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA Natasha Azzopardi Muscat

Our paper reviewing measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth is out now in Assessment. This effort was led by Richard Liu, in collaboration with a great group of co-authors (Hannah Lawrence Rachel Walsh Ana Sheehan and many others!). We examined the clinical and research utility of common measures of suicidality for children and teens, which you can read here: bit.ly/3V78JmU TL;DR: "There is a need rigorously to assess their clinical utility, and particularly to develop and evaluate self-report measures of STBs for use in clinical settings, including behavioral health and nonbehavioral health contexts. As health care systems are increasingly recognizing the need to identify and treat STBs in youth, they are underequipped to assess STBs and their course over treatment."