Youth Health

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Adolescent health is developing as a specialist field in New Zealand, and is an area of increasing importance across the wider sector. Significant gains have been made in youth health in the past few years – a number of youth-focused services, including school-based and community-based services have emerged, and considerable research in the area of youth health has been undertaken.

Youth Health: A Guide to Action published in 2002, set out the goals, objectives and specific actions aimed at improving the health of New Zealand’s young people aged 12 to 24 years. It was developed to guide the health sector, and other sectors that have an impact on the wellbeing of young people. The Guide to Action shares the positive youth development approach in the Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa which aims to shift the way that young people have traditionally been viewed – from a problem to be solved, to being valued partners participating in decisions that affect them.

Why is focusing on youth health important?

Good health is essential to the positive development of young people. Generally, most young people are healthy most of the time. However, the years between 12 and 24 years are when people are most likely to be involved in risk-taking behaviours. Attitudes and behaviours, both positive and negative, established during adolescence and young adulthood will influence ongoing behaviours and have life-long impacts.

Health is holistic and the health of young people is often a reflection of what is happening in their lives – positive connections with family / whānau, school, peers, communities and work and training are all important for healthy development. Quality youth health services work within a youth development framework and avoid a focus on single health issues.

Acknowledging that health is only one component of a young person’s life, there has been increased interdepartmental collaboration among health, education and social services agencies that work to support young people.

Many groups within the Ministry support youth health through their work – including primary health care, mental health and sexual health.

Links to other groups within the Ministry:

Primary health care - http://www.moh.govt.nz/primaryhealthcare
Mental health - http://www.moh.govt.nz/mentalhealth
Sexual and reproductive health - http://www.moh.govt.nz/sexualhealth
Suicide prevention - http://www.moh.govt.nz/suicideprevention
Healthy Eating, Healthy Action - http://www.moh.govt.nz/healthyeatinghealthyaction
Pacific Health - http://www.moh.govt.nz/pacific
Māori Health - http://www.maorihealth.govt.nz/

Latest News
Increased funding for youth health services

Establishment of Youth Health Advisory Group

What are the current youth health issues?

New Zealand’s young people are over-represented in mortality and morbidity statistics, and have high rates of preventable diseases. The current health issues facing New Zealand’s youth include:

high injury rates – including injuries and deaths from motor vehicle accidents
high rates of suicide and suicide attempts
alcohol and drug use and abuse
mental health problems – including increased prevalence of depression and anxiety
sexual and reproductive health problems – including high teenage pregnancy rates and increased number of sexually transmitted infections
increasing rates of obesity and lower rates of physical activity

Compared with other OECD countries, New Zealand’s youth have high rates of suicide, unintended pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted infections. Compared with other age groups, young people have higher injury rates (intentional and unintentional), higher rates of mental illness and alcohol and other drug use and abuse. Health inequalities exist among young people – young Māori continue to experience poorer health outcomes than their peers.

Young people aged 15 to 24 years have the highest mortality rates for all young people and children aged 24 years and under, and have had the smallest improvement over the last few decades. The leading causes of death for youth aged 15 to 19 years are unintentional injury (38.5%) and suicide (23.6%). The leading causes of death for people aged 20 to 24 years are unintentional injury (29.6%) and suicide (27.4%). The mortality rates for Māori youth are around twice that for non-Māori youth.

Page last updated: 13 February 2008