How can we encourage adolescents to follow healthy behaviors? Any ideas for parents, healthcare providers, health educators, media, society, etc?
The adolesent years are marked and highlighted by the challenges of growing into one's own autonomy and at the same time, not having the cognitive capacity to think through every experience that comes our way. There was once a story I heard about a child who took his father's vehicle out for a ride without permission and ended up in a collision, needless to say the vehicle was totaled. When confronted by the father, he asked "What were you thinking?", the child responded, "I wasn't thinking!" This is a prime scenario and example of the teenage years. Adolescent brains are marked by impulse and temporary desire due to their brains not being developed enough.
This is why it is most challenging to confront topics such as healthy behaviors and lifestyles. The link attached is a link to the CDC and states statistics from the Dallas, TX region on risky adolescent behavior. Topics such as condom use, alcohol consumption and safety range from the unsafest behaviors by adolescents.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?LID=DA
I personally believe that prevention can best be created by means of education. If you educate this population on the first hand effects of healthy lifestyles versus the unhealthy through interview or visual aids, they are most likely to be impacted. If faced with a diabetic amputee who is having to modify his or her entire life due to this disease that could have been prevented or managed, I believe adolescents will think twice. The same goes for smokers, introduce the child to an oxygen dependent individual and see what effect this will cause. This approach can be applied to a wide range of preventable diseases.
Communication and education seem to remain the best way for adolescents to begin to modify their choices of action. Adolescents do not know it all, they need their parents and loved ones to continue to grow and thrive.
Dallas, TX High School Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. 2009. Retrieved on June 15, 2011.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?LID=DA
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this issue cynthia. I also agree that education is a must, and more people must be educated on ways to prevent illnesses and ways to live a healthier lifestyle.
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