Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Public Health Approaches to Adolescent Health Beyond Disease and Illness

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology

  • 5786 Accesses

Abstract

Two seminal events provide a frame for public health approaches to adolescent disease and illness: the formation of the United States Public Health Service and the establishment of the World Health Organization. Within this framework, this chapter addresses contemporary public health approaches for adolescents beyond disease and illness. Next, contemporary public health efforts in the United States, now guided by a comprehensive set of goals and objectives called Healthy People including adolescent-specific content, are explored. Adolescent health issues, the unique needs of adolescents to improve their health, and the importance of adolescent public health are then outlined. Within that context, practical issues in public health practice focused on adolescents are detailed. Emphasis is placed on positive youth development, a youth-oriented strategy involving active youth participation as a public health approach.

Partially supported by MCHB Grant #T71MC00012.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Legacy Foundation. (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011, from www.legacyforhealth.org.

  • Aufseeser, D., Jekielek, S., & Brown, B. (2006). The family environment and adolescent well-being: Exposure to positive and negative family influences. Washington: Child Trends; and San Francisco: National Adolescent Health Information Center, University of California. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2006_06_01_FR_FamilyEnvironmen.pdf.

  • Bernat, D. H., & Resnick, M. D. (2006). Healthy youth development: Science and strategies. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 12(Suppl 6), S10–S16. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from http://journals.lww.com/jphmp/Fulltext/2006/11001/Healthy_Youth_Development__Science_and_Strategies.4.aspx.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead, G. S., Riser, M. H., Mesler, K., Tallon, T. C., & Klein, S. J. (2006). Youth development is a public health approach. Journal of Public Health Management Practice (Suppl):S1–S3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, T. P., Spitalny, K. C., & Marsh, N. R., et al. (2006). Comprehensive statewide approach to improve youth outcomes: Experience of the New York State Youth Development Team. Journal of Public Health Management Practice, (Suppl), S32–S40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Gavin, L. E., & Markham, C. M. (2010). Future directions for positive youth development as a strategy to promote adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46, S92–S96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • CDC. (1989). Health objectives for the Nation. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 38(37), 629–633.

    Google Scholar 

  • CDC. (2011). National initiative to improve adolescent health. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/nationalinitiative/index.htm.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). The effectiveness of universal school-based programs for the prevention of violent and aggressive behavior: A report on recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 56(RR-7), 1–12. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5607.pdf.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010a). Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2009, Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, November 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.cdc.gov/std/stats09/surv2009-Complete.pdf.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010b). National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy youth! Student health and academic achievement. Atlanta: CDC. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/health_and_academics/index.htm#2.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). National Public Health Performance Standards Program. Essential Public Health Services. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/nphpsp/essentialServices.html.

  • Columbia University Teen Screen®. (2011). National Center for Mental Health Checkups. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from http://www.teenscreen.org.

  • D’Angelo, L. J., Halpern-Felsher, B. L., & Abraham, A. (2010). Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Adolescents and driving: A Position Paper of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Journal of Adolescent Health, 47, 212–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Damon, W. (2004). What is positive youth development? Annals of American Academy of Political and Society Science, 591, 13–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (2010). Office of Public Health and Science, Office of Adolescent Health. Overview of the teen pregnancy prevention research evidence review. Washington: HHS. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/prevention/research/index.html.

  • Dotterweich, J. (2011). Principles of youth development. ACT for Youth website. Retrieved August 31, 2011, from www.actforyouth.net/youth_development/development.

  • Eaton, D. K., Kann, L., & Kinchen, S., et al. (2010). Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2009. Methodology of the youth risk behavior surveillance system. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report June 4, 2010/Vol. 59/No. SS-5 4:53(No RR-12).

    Google Scholar 

  • Global Health Council. (2011) Adolescent health. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.globalhealth.org/child_health/adolescent.

  • Hamilton, S. F., & Hamilton, M. A. (Eds.). (2004). The youth development handbook: Coming of age in American communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Associates. (1992). Communities that care: Action for drug abuse prevention. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healthy People 2020. (2011a). Adolescent health. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=2.

  • Healthy People 2020. (2011b). New topic areas. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/new2020.aspx.

  • Jiang, N., Kolbe, L. J., Seo, D.-C., Kay, N. S., & Brindis, C. D. (2011). Health of adolescents and young adults: Trends in achieving the 21 Critical National Health Objectives by 2010. Journal of Adolescent Health, 49(2), 124–132.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kreipe, R. E. (2006). Adolescent health and youth development: Turning social policy into public health practice. Journal of Public Health Management Practice, (Suppl), S4–S6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreipe, R. E. (2008). Introduction to interviewing: The art of communicating with adolescents. In A. Joffe (Ed.), Evaluation and management of adolescent issues. Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews. 19(1), 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreipe, R. E. (2011). Focusing on populations to improve the health of individual adolescents and young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 49(2), 111–112.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert A. (2011). Life at sea in the Royal Navy of the 18th century. Updated February 17, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/life_at_sea_01.shtml.

  • Larson, K., & Halfon, N. (2010). Family income gradients in the health and health care access of US children. Matern and Child Health Journal, 14(3), 332–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2004). Diversity in developmental trajectories across adolescence: Neighborhood influences. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 451–486). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mannes, M. (2006). Research on and evidence for the developmental assets model (appendix B). In D. Fisher, D. Imm, M. Chinman, & A. Wandersman, (Eds.), Getting to outcomes with developmental assets: Ten steps to measuring success in youth programs and communities (pp 275–299). Minneapolis: The Search Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNeely, C., & Blanchard, J. (2009). The teen years explained: A guide to healthy adolescent development. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Adolescent Health. Retrieved August 27, 2011, from www.jhsph.edu/adolescenthealth.

  • Muennig, P., & Woolf, S. H. (2007). Health and economic benefits of reducing the number of students per classroom in US primary schools. American Journal of Public Health., 97(11), 2020–2027.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mulye, T. P., Park, M. J., Nelson, C. D., et al. (2009). Trends in adolescent and young adult health in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(1), 8–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Adolescent Health Information Center. (2006). Fact sheet on mortality: Adolescents and young adults. San Francisco, CA: Author, University of California. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from http://nahic.ucsf.edu//downloads/Mortality.pdf.

  • National Adolescent Health Information Center. (2008). Fact sheet on demographics: Adolescents and young adults. San Francisco, CA: Author, University of California. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from http://nahic.ucsf.edu//downloads/Demographics08.pdf.

  • National Research Council. (1993). Panel on high-risk youth, Commission on behavioral and social sciences and education. Losing generations: Adolescents in high-risk settings. Washington: National Academies Press. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=2113&page=1.

  • National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2002). Community programs to promote youth development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2009). Committee on adolescent health care services and models of care for treatment, prevention, and healthy development. In R. S. Lawrence, J. A. Gootman, & L. J. Sim (Eds.), Adolescent health services: Missing opportunities. Washington: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2009). Committee on the prevention of mental disorders and substance abuse among children, youth, and young adults. In M. E. O’Connell, T. Boat, K. E. Warner (Eds.), Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people: Progress and possibilities. Washington: National Academies Press. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from www.iom.edu/Reports/2009/Preventing-Mental-Emotional-and-Behavioral-Disorders-Among-Young-People-Progress-and-Possibilities.aspx.

  • Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2008). High body mass index for age among US children and adolescents, 2003–2006. Journal of the American Medical Association, 299, 2401–2405. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm#ref4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, M. J., Mulye, T. P., Adams, S. H., Brindis, C. D., & Irwin, C. E., Jr. (2006). The health status of young adults in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(3), 305–317.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pittman, K., Irby, M., & Ferber, T. (2000). Unfinished business: Further reflections on a decade of promoting youth development. Washington, DC: The Forum for Youth Investment. Retrieved August 31, 2011, from www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/74_sup/ydv_1.pdf.

  • Pittman, K. J., Martin, S., & Yohalem, N. (2006). Youth development as a “Big Picture” public health strategy. Journal of Public Health Management Practice; (Suppl), S23–S25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers, J. L., & Tiffany, J. S. (2006). Engaging youth in participatory research and evaluation. Journal of Public Health Management Practice (Suppl), S79–S87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Public Health Service. (1980). Promoting health/preventing disease: Objectives for the Nation. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Resnick, M. D., Bearman, P. S., Blum, R. W., et al. (1997). Protecting adolescents from harm: Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on adolescent health. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278(10), 823–832.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Riser, M. H., Mesler, K., Tallon, T. C., & Birhhead, G. S. (2006). New York State’s “Assets Coming Together (ACT) for Youth”: A statewide approach effects community change. Journal of Public Health Management Practice (Suppl), S41–S47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, D. F., Henriksen, L., & Foehr, U. G. (2004) Adolescents and media. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed.). (pp. 487–521) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabaratnam, P., & Klein, J. D. (2006). Measuring youth development outcomes for community program evaluation and quality improvement: Findings from dissemination of the Rochester Evaluation of Asset Development for Youth (READY) tool. Journal of Public Health Management Practice (Suppl), S88–S94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulman, S. (2006). Terms of engagement: Aligning youth, adults, and organizations toward social change. Journal of Public Health Management Practice (Suppl), S26–S31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Search Institute. (2011). Developmental assets. Retrieved August 31, 2011, from www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets/lists.

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (2005). The positive perspective on youth development. In D. L. Evans, E. B. Foa, R. E. Gur, H. Hendin, C. P. O’Brien, M. E. P. Seligman, B. T. Walsh (Eds.), Treating and preventing adolescent mental health disorders: What we know and what we don’t know (pp. 497–527). New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved August 30, 2011, from http://amhi-treatingpreventing.oup.com/anbrg/private/content/mentalhealth/9780195173642/p127.html.

  • Sum, A., Khatiwada, I., & McLaughlin, J. (2009). The consequences of dropping out of high school: Joblessness and jailing for high school dropouts and the high cost for taxpayers. Boston: Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Surko, M., Lawson, H. A., Gaffney, S., Claiborne, N. (2006). Targeting evaluations of youth development-oriented community partnerships. Journal of Public Health Management Practice (Suppl), S95–S107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, T. N., Craft, C. A., Dahlberg, L. L., Lynch, B. S., & Baer, K. (2002). Best practices of youth violence prevention: A sourcebook for community action (rev.). Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/YV_bestpractices.html.

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Historical highlights. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.hhs.gov/about/hhshist.html.

  • University of California Center for Mental Health in Schools. (2011). Retrieved August 30, 2011, from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/.

  • Werner, E. E., & Smith, R. S. (2001). Journeys from childhood to midlife: Risk, resilience, and recovery. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitlock J. (2011). Understanding youth development principles and practices. ACT for youth research facts and findings 2004, September 1–4. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.actforyouth.net/resources/rf/rf_understandyd_0904.pdf.

  • Williams M. (1984/1985). Alcohol and ethnic minorities: Asian/Pacific Americans—An update. Alcohol Health and Research World, 9(2), 64–66, winter 1984/1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2011a). Frequently asked questions. What is the WHO definition of health? Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.who.int/suggestions/faq/en/.

  • World Health Organization. (2011b). Media centre. Young people: Health risks and solutions. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs345/en/index.html.

  • Zeldin, S., Petrokubi, J., Collura, J., Camino, L., & Skolaski, J. (2009). Strengthening communities through youth participation: Lessons learned from the ACT for youth initiative. Ithaca, NY: ACT for Youth Center of Excellence.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Golisano Children’s Hospital, 601 Elmwood Avenue, 690, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA

    Richard E. Kreipe M.D.

Authors
  1. Richard E. Kreipe M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard E. Kreipe M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, MS 0296, Reno, 89557-0062, New York, USA

    William T. O'Donohue

  2. , Department of Psychology, MS 0296, University of Nevada, Reno, North Virginia Street, Reno, 89557, Nevada, USA

    Lorraine T. Benuto

  3. , Integration Services, Aurora Mental Health Center, 11059 East Bethany Drive, Suite 105, Aurora, 80014, Colorado, USA

    Lauren Woodward Tolle

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kreipe, R.E. (2013). Public Health Approaches to Adolescent Health Beyond Disease and Illness. In: O'Donohue, W., Benuto, L., Woodward Tolle, L. (eds) Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6633-8_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation