Health Issues and Adolescents: Growing Up, Speaking Out

Most research and policy agendas relating to young people are dominated by adult concerns about young people's health; rarely are the issues looked at from a young person's perspective. Numerous public health campaigns target young people's drinking, smoking, drug-taking and sexual behavior, despite the fact that this is the segment of the population with the lowest morbidity and mortality of any age. Do young people themselves share this concern about their health? This gap in our knowledge may be a critical factor in explaining some of the problems that health educators face in getting young people to transform health knowledge into action. Based on their own research, Shucksmith and Hendry set adult agendas to one side and explore young people's own views about their health and health behaviors. They provide recommendations about initiatives relevant to a wide range of professionals and researchers involved in the health education of young people.