The Business Case for Protecting and Promoting Child and Adolescent HealthAdolescents
As children grow into adolescents they experience rapid physical, cognitive, and emotional changes.
In fact, the rate of growth in adolescence is second only to the rate of growth in infancy. Due
to rapid growth and other physical and mental changes, many health-damaging behaviors (e.g.,
smoking) and health problems first emerge during adolescence. For these reasons, preventive
healthcare is particularly important during this time period.
Well-Child Care for Adolescents
Annual preventive healthcare visits (well-child
care) are recommended for adolescents aged 11
to 21 years.^17 Despite the recommendation that
older children and adolescents should have one
preventive visit per year, only 69.1% of children
aged 10 to 14 years and 63.3% of children aged
15 to 17 years received a well-child visit in 2007.^56
In fact, only three quarters (73%) of adolescents see a primary care provider at least once a year for
any reason.^57 Adolescents who miss preventive healthcare visits may go untreated for health and
developmental problems, delay necessary immunizations, and miss opportunities to receive risk-
reduction and healthy lifestyle counseling.58, 59
Risk-reduction and healthy lifestyle counseling is particularly important for adolescents because the
effects of the behaviors adolescents practice can have a profound affect on their current and future
health. Experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, or engaging in risky sexual behaviors can
create long-term or even permanent health problems.^60 Positive health behaviors such as taking
precautions to prevent injury, choosing healthy foods, and getting regular exercise can help an
adolescent set the stage for a lifetime of good health.
The American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) all recommend that adolescents receive health
education and risk-reduction counseling services during the course of well-child care. Health
education counseling can help adolescents^61 :
• Prevent injuries (through seat belt use),
• Reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes later in life (through tobacco cessation, good
nutrition, and adequate exercise); and
• Prevent or reduce certain risky behaviors (such unsafe sexual behaviors).
The most serious, costly, and widespread adolescent health problems—unintended pregnancy, sexually
transmitted infections, violence, suicide, unintended injuries, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and
other drugs—are potentially preventable. In fact, nearly three quarters of adolescent mortality is due to
preventable causes.^57
Approximately 25% to 30% of
adolescents are considered at
risk of adverse health outcomes
based on the reported prevalence
of health-damaging or risk-taking
behaviors (e.g., smoking, driving
without a seatbelt, binge drinking).