Teenage Health

 Teenage health

Western Pacific adolescent health

Teens between the ages of 10 and 19 are known as adolescents, and they are frequently considered to be a healthy demographic. Nevertheless, compared to other age groups, their rates of death reduction have been significantly slower. Teenagers are more vulnerable to inadvertent harm, aggression, unintended pregnancy, STDs, and substance abuse (tobacco, narcotics, and alcohol). Adolescents can be helped to make good decisions so they can grow up to be productive and healthy adults.

Important details

In 2021, more than 1.5 million teenagers and young adults (ages 10 to 24) passed away—roughly 4500 every day.

Among all age categories, young adolescents (10–14 years old) had the lowest probability of passing away.

The main causes of death for teenagers and young adults include injuries (including self-harm, interpersonal violence, and drowning), maternal conditions, and traffic accidents.

By the age of 14, half of all adult mental health illnesses begin, however the majority of these instances go undiagnosed and untreated.

Substance use disproportionately affects younger people compared to older people, and early initiation of use is linked to increased risks of acquiring dependency and other difficulties during adult life.

42 births per 1000 girls aged 15–19 were made worldwide.

Summary

The odds of survival for teenagers and young adults differ significantly between countries. The likelihood of death for individuals between the ages of 10 and 24 in 2021 was lowest in Europe and North America and greatest in sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, the average global likelihood of a 10-year-old dying before the age of 24 was approximately six times higher than in North America and Europe.

The death rates in the 10- to 24-year-old age group are highest among young adults (20–24 years old) and lowest among adolescents (10–14 years old). For these ages, females often have lower mortality rates than males.

The underlying risk profiles of the age groups are reflected in the patterns of death among those aged 10 to 24, with infectious diseases predominating in this age group. Among older teenagers.

major health problems

Adolescents are primarily injured and die from numerous unintended causes, including drowning and traffic accidents.

traffic accidents on the roads

115 000 teenagers (10–19 years old) lost their lives in car accidents in 2019. A large number of the deceased were vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, pedestrians, and riders of motorized two-wheelers.

Fact sheet on injuries and violence

Submerging

One of the leading causes of mortality for teenagers is drowning; in 2019, around 30,000 teenagers—more than three quarters of them were boys—are thought to have perished by drowning.

Fact sheet on drowning

Violence

One of the main causes of death for teenagers and young people worldwide is interpersonal violence. The prominence of it differs greatly by global region. Approximately one-third of all

Interpersonal violence is among the leading causes of death in adolescents and young people globally. Its prominence varies substantially by world region. It causes nearly a third of all adolescent male deaths in low- and middle-income countries in the WHO Region of the Americas.  

Violence during adolescence also increases the risks of injury, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems, poor school performance and dropout, early pregnancy, reproductive health problems, and communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

Youth violence fact sheet

Alcohol and drug use

Drinking alcohol among adolescents is a major concern in many countries. Worldwide, more than a quarter of all people aged 15–19 years are current drinkers, amounting to 155 million adolescents. Prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among adolescents aged 15­–19 years was 13.6% in 2016, with males most at risk.

Cannabis is the most widely used psychoactive drug among young people with about 4.7% of people aged 15–16 years using it at least once in 2018. Alcohol and drug use in children and adolescents is associated with neurocognitive alterations which can lead to behavioural, emotional, social and academic problems in later life.

Alcohol fact sheet

Tobacco use

The vast majority of people using tobacco today began doing so when they were adolescents. Globally in 2018, at least 1 in 10 adolescents aged 13–15 years uses tobacco, although there are areas where this figure is much higher. E-cigarettes are particularly risky when used by children and adolescents. Nicotine is highly addictive and young people’s brains develop up to their mid-twenties.