Adolescent Health

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NACCHO has a long history of helping LHDs address adolescent mortality and morbidity. The Adolescent Health Program focuses on injury prevention, mental and reproductive health, HIV and STD prevention, tobacco prevention, and obesity prevention. The goals of the program are to build NACCHO's capacity to address adolescent health needs and to enhance LHDs' ability to identify and meet the health needs of adolescents in their communities.

In the Spotlight

Niagara County (NY) Health Department’s Healthy Neighborhoods Program

Niagara County's Healthy Neighborhoods Program targets households considered to be at risk for environmental health and safety hazards in the city of Niagara Falls, where the median household income is just over $20,000, and 43 percent of the families with related children under age five are living in poverty.

Program personnel conduct 1,600 interviews at homes each year where potential health hazards are identified, smoke detector deficiencies are corrected, carbon monoxide levels are checked, lead poisoning prevention education is reviewed, and asthma education is provided. Other services and referrals are provided as needed. The outcome of the practice has been the improvement of the health and safety of the individuals in the county.

To view the program’s NACCHO Model Practice page, visit http://www.naccho.org/topics/modelpractices/database/index.cfm. More »

October Topic: Social Justice/ Health Equity

Health inequities are directly caused by systems and the policies that shape them. Social injustices as diverse as planned housing without access to grocery markets, low-quality healthcare for low-income populations, environmental health risks such as asbestos and lead in low-income areas, and lack of access to care for those without health insurance all contribute to systems of inequity that ultimately lead to disproportionate health problems among the poor and particularly among minority groups.

LHDs have an integral role in efforts to reduce health inequities for adolescents and ensure that all adolescents have an equal chance at a healthy life. LHDs must be strong advocates for addressing the root causes and social determinants of health inequalities in their communities. LHDs can work towards ensuring adolescents who lack access to healthcare can be seen by a provider, publicize data that show health inequalities and their causes, and create and join coalitions aimed at changing the patterns of injustice that lead to health inequalities rather than addressing only their symptoms.

For resources specific to this month's feature topic, please visit the Adolescent Health Resources Page.

NACCHO Adolescent Health Activities

»	The Plain Talk Approach to Teen Pregnancy & Teen HIV/STD Prevention: The Role of Local Health Departments
	Through support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NACCHO is conducting activities designed to raise the awareness of local health departments about Plain Talk/Hablando Claro, an evidence-based Teen Pregnancy and HIV/STD Prevention program developed by the foundation. More »

»	Partners in Program Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH)
	Through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau's Office of Adolescent Health, NACCHO is participating in activities to build its capacity to address adolescent health issues. More »

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