Adolescents are young people aged between 10 to 19 years. It is a transitional stage of physical, physiological and psychological development from puberty to legal adulthood. Adolescents constitute a solid percentage of the population in every country. Worldwide more than 1.2 billion are adolescents: this indicates that roughly one in every six persons is an adolescent. About 21% of Indian population is adolescents [about 243 million]. They are the future of the nation, forming a major demographic and economic force. They have specific needs which vary with their gender, life circumstances and socio-economic conditions. They face challenges like poverty, lack of access to health care services, unsafe environments etc. It is a period of preparation for undertaking greater responsibilities like parenting and tackling familial, social, cultural and economic issues in adulthood. Adolescents are a group of apparently healthy individuals who forms a socially important segment of the population. The health status of an adolescent determines the health status in his/her adulthood.
Many serious diseases in adulthood have their roots in adolescence. Also, many adolescents do die prematurely due to various reasons that are either preventable or treatable and many more suffer chronic ill-health and disability. The health needs of adolescents are broad of three categories- physical, psychological and social. The main health issues faced by adolescents include mental health problems, early pregnancy and childbirth, HIV/STI and other infectious diseases, violence, unintentional injuries, malnutrition and substance abuse.
Apart from physical health, positive social health constitutes the holistic health of adolescents. The prevalence of sexual abuse, violence and physical abuse is increasing among adolescents. In India, data on adolescents from national surveys including National Family Health Surveys, District Level Household and Facility Survey and Sample Registration System call for focused attention with respect to health and social development for this age group. It has therefore been realized that investing in adolescent health will yield demographic and economic dividends for India.
