Adol Health
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, adolescents and young adults comprise more than one-fifth, 21%, of the American population.[footnoteRef:1] These teens and young adults will become clients of the healthcare system, and their health plays a significant role in the social, economic, and political development of the nation over the next generation. Therefore, it is important to understand the health factors related to this specific age cohort. A relatively high number, actually the vast majority of teens and young adults are qualified as being in "excellent or very good health," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[footnoteRef:2] According to the Office of Adolescent Health, which is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, a full 96% of all adolescents in the United States are listed in "good," "very good," or "excellent" health.[footnoteRef:3] [1: United States Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy people: Adolescent health. September 2012. Retrieved online: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=2] [2: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Adolescent Health." 2012. Retrieved online: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adolescent_health.htm] [3: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." Retrieved online: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/physical-health-and-nutrition/states/us.html]
Only 6.7% of school-aged adolescents missed 11 or more days of school in 2010.[footnoteRef:4] The bulk of teenagers in the United States do not have any chronic conditions that might impact their performance at school or their social lives; this includes reference to mental health issues such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[footnoteRef:5] Adolescents with one chronic condition comprise about 17% of the total American population; adolescents with two or more chronic conditions number about 12% of the total population.[footnoteRef:6] The chronic conditions tabulated by the Office of Adolescent Health include learning disability; ADD; ADHD; depression; anxiety problems; behavioral or conduct problems; autism or other autism spectrum disorder; developmental delay; speech problems; asthma; diabetes; Tourette Syndrome; epilepsy or seizure disorder; hearing problems; vision problems; bone or joint problems; and brain injury or concussion.[footnoteRef:7] For statistical purposes, the presence of a chronic condition is indicated only when it has been officially diagnosed by a physician and if the child continues to exhibit that condition at the time of survey.[footnoteRef:8] [4: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Adolescent Health." 2012.] [5: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." ] [6: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." ] [7: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." ] [8: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." ]
Therefore, the Office of Adolescent Health offers a fairly accurate snapshot of the state of adolescent health in the United States. Although there is some room for improvement, American teenagers are on the whole a healthy population. The health problems that do impact adolescents in the United States include both physical and psychological problems. Some, but not all, of these problems are preventable. One of the most important preventable health problems that is currently affecting adolescents in America is obesity.
Almost 20% of teenagers in the United States were classified as obese in 2007 and 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[footnoteRef:9] The Office of Adolescent Health offers a more conservative figure, at 13% of high school age students.[footnoteRef:10] Poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and overeating are linked with obesity, comprising one of the most important lifestyle factors impacting adolescent physical health. Eating dysfunctions and preliminary signs of eating disorders are relatively common among American teenagers, and especially among females. As many as 17% of all females in high school have gone without eating for 24 hours or more with the express purpose of losing weight; the number of self-starving teens is 7% for male students in high school.[footnoteRef:11] Unhealthy foods are commonly consumed among adolescents, and diet is therefore a factor related to adolescent health. [9: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Adolescent Health." 2012.] [10: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." ] [11: Office of Adolescent Health (United States Department of Health and Human Services). "United States Adolescent Physical Health Facts." ]
Exercise, versus sedentary lifestyle, is a factor related...
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Introduction Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurobehavioral childhood disorders with 5% of school children being affected by the disorder (Czamara, Tiesler, Kohbock et al., 2013). According to the DSM-V (2013), ADHD is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, all of which interfere with the child’s ability to engage in quality “social, academic, or occupational functioning” (p. 2) for an extended period of time—at least 6 months
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