Introduction
The promotion of a healthy lifestyle among adolescents is a significant contribution to the formation of a healthy society. The proposed intervention is community education focused on primary prevention in children’s centers for adolescents. To improve the applicability of the proposed plan, an interview with a nurse working at an adolescent health center was conducted. The community assessment also identified potential barriers to plan implementation. The community learning intervention will be modified based on the characteristics of the community and will include non-intrusive education with increased involvement aimed at adolescents 12-19 years old.
The Background of the Issue
Ignoring the importance of primary prevention causes significant harm to public health. According to the NCCDPHP (2022), 21% of children are obese, and 23% of schoolchildren smoke in the United States. Such disappointing statistics are caused by the low level of awareness of adolescents about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The intervention program is aimed at improving public health and involves working closely with the community. However, more community research is needed to address potential barriers to the implementation.
Interview
Questions
- How would you rate the current public health in the adolescent community?
- In your opinion, are modern teenagers aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
- What do you think are the most common health problems in adolescents that result from a lack of awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle?
- Do you think that public health can have a significant impact on changing negative habits in teenagers?
- Do you see your role as a health promotion agent for teenagers?
- In your opinion, are such initiatives generally perceived by teenagers in a positive or negative way?
- What are the most common barriers you encounter in your work with adolescents?
Justification
The selected community setting representative was a nurse from the Center for Adolescent Health. The nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, was selected for the interview because she is the direct healthcare representative when working with adolescents. Her experience with this population can be a valuable contribution to understanding the opportunities and barriers that need to be taken into account when working with adolescents. Communication with a direct representative of the community is an important factor in evaluating a potential strategy. The healthcare provider’s perspective also allows assessment of the environment’s capabilities, the need for intervention, and the current state of affairs that may affect the implementation.
Procedure
The interview took place remotely as part of a Zoom video conference. The interviewee was informed about the time and topic of the conversation but was not familiar with the list of questions. The interview was conducted in the format of a conversation, in which the answers to questions were recorded in writing. The participant wanted to remain anonymous; informed consent was also obtained. During the interview, the goals and objectives of the study were explained. It was also mentioned that the answers to the questions of the interviewee will be used in the framework of educational and scientific activities. During the interview, there were no disagreements or conflicts of interest.
Answers
- In my opinion, in recent years, adolescents have become healthier. Of course, many still start smoking and drinking alcohol, but this is less common than it used to be. There is still room for change, but I do not see the situation in a critical light.
- I think awareness is on the way as it is a part of many modern programs. Another question is how ready teenagers are to accept propaganda statements. Modern teenagers have an idea of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, but the conscious adoption of it is probably still at a low level.
- Most likely, this is smoking, drinking alcohol, as well as diseases from an inactive lifestyle and malnutrition. These include overweight, heart problems, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Yes, of course, I think that this should be a joint effort of both healthcare, parents, and schools.
- I always try to educate children and parents about the need to change habits. However, I do not know exactly how many people actually listen to my advice.
- There are many teenagers who are interested, for example, if they want to connect life with sports. I do not think there are those who are very negative about it. Rather, the majority remains neutral and proceeds from personal convictions.
- Teenagers are not the easiest social group to work with. Many withhold valuable information about their health out of fear of their parents. Some do not take their health condition seriously or cannot properly assess it.
Community Description
The People
The community of children and adolescents aged 12-19 is diverse in terms of values and beliefs. Members of this community mostly do not pay much attention to maintaining health or do not think about it (Mayne et al., 2020). The most valuable for adolescents are personal freedom of choice and the absence of undue pressure. The predominant health problem caused by ignoring the right lifestyle is overweight (Jakobsen et al., 2023). This happens due to a lack of awareness and to the availability of fast food and its relative cheapness (Jakobsen et al., 2023). This community is not sufficiently involved in healthcare promotion programs.
The Geographic and Geopolitical Level
Geographically and geopolitically, the community under consideration, which is planned to be influenced, lives in an urban environment with developed infrastructure and sufficient resources. These resources are valuable for understanding well-being from a health perspective and include access to transport, food, and water. In terms of ecology, within the geographical and geopolitical position, there may be a negative impact due to the developed industry in the city (Prunicki et al., 2020). Adolescents living in such urban areas may subsequently face health consequences due to environmental pollution.
The Financial and Educational Level
From a financial and educational point of view, which also have a significant impact on health, the community can be called prosperous. However, the financial well-being of the community remains uneven, as a significant proportion of adolescents do not have their own income. At the same time, the financial part mainly does not go to ensure health. The age of 12-19 years is the period when teenagers are studying, while the availability of schooling is high (Solone et al., 2020). Some older teenagers may be able to rely on scholarships from an educational institution.
Ethnic and Phenomenological Features
From an ethnic view of the community, it appears to be diverse and does not have similar views on health that could be influenced by ethnicity. Phenomenological features in the community of adolescents aged 12-19 are manifested significantly: this community is able to feel unity and membership. This is mainly facilitated by joint learning, participation in class and extracurricular activities, joint pastime, and association in communities of interest (Balleys et al., 2020). Teenagers who grew up in one place, from a social point of view, have many common features that allow them to unite.
Types of Social Interaction
Social interaction within a group of teenagers can be varied. Mostly, these are positive relationships within a group of classmates or friends. However, within the community in question, violent manifestations can also flourish. Such negative types include bullying in an educational institution and insults on the Internet (Gaffney et al., 2021). These cases may be systematic despite the work being done to eradicate such behavior (Gaffney et al., 2021). Violent communication between adolescents can have a significant negative impact on health.
Common Goals and Interests
A community of teenagers aged 12-19 may have common goals and interests. Such goals may include the desire to continue studies in order to receive a quality education. Young people may have similar career goals in terms of a desire to reach their potential and succeed. It can also be sports or creative interests that stem from the association of students during training and extracurricular activities (Fredricks et al., 2019). To achieve the common goals of the community, it is necessary to maintain health, but not all members of the group are aware of this need.
Barriers and Challenges
Working with adolescents can involve barriers and challenges that are dictated by the characteristics of this age group. Young people may not be aware of the importance of maintaining health and a healthy lifestyle. The age group is highly diversified, which may imply difficulties in applying a common strategy for adolescents of different ages. Many adolescents spend a significant amount of time studying, which can prevent them from attending primary prevention activities. Adolescent engagement may also suffer due to a lack of motivation to devote time to a healthy lifestyle (Caldwell & Melton, 2020). There may also be strong prejudices about not recognizing the importance and value of such interventions.
Social Determinants of Health
The determinants of health are social factors on a personal, family, and community level. The conditions of life in the family are of paramount importance. If the family is supportive, then it is more likely to have a positive impact on the adolescent’s health. With the help of family communication, a teenager forms a healthy attitude towards themselves, the world, and other people (Morrison et al., 2019). Personal determinants are associated with comfortable and positive interactions with peers. The community level means providing the teenager with a sense of significance and involvement in a common activity. An effective and non-violent learning environment creates a healthy personality. Social determinants affect both the physical and mental health of adolescents.
Community Assessment
Summary
Adolescents aged 12-19 represent a diverse community of people of various ethnic origins. This group may have common goals and interests that are dictated by studying together. Adolescents are not sufficiently involved and not interested in healthcare issues. Obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption are detrimental health influences that are common to adolescents of 12-19 years old. Poor urban ecology and pollution can also negatively impact this community.
Funding Sources and Partnerships
Funding for community development projects is common, especially for child and adolescent initiatives. Funding sources are private capital, assistance from state and local authorities, benefits, and grants. Adolescent welfare promotion partnerships are also spreading in the form of collaborative work between organizations. There are programs to help the mental health of adolescents and educational assistance programs. Teenagers are a visible and recognized part of the society.
Lacking Issues for Health Promotion and Possible Modifications for the Teaching Plan
After a study of the specifics of adolescents living in an urban environment and an interview with a representative of a local adolescent health center, modifications of the intervention plan should be made. The primary task should be to increase the motivation of adolescents to take care of their own health. The format for achieving the goal should be interactive, implying the practical application of new knowledge. To work with different age groups, it is necessary to divide the program into theoretical and a game or quiz part. It is also important to involve schools in cooperation to increase attendance. For additional motivation, it is possible to introduce small gifts for participants.
Conclusion and Discussion
The community of adolescents turned out to be more difficult to work with than it seemed. Different views, backgrounds, attitudes towards health, age and low levels of awareness build significant barriers to the implementation of the plan. The impression of the general community health is that it continues to be at a low level. Despite assistance programs, teenagers continue to lead unhealthy lifestyles. For the successful implementation of the plan, a new approach is needed, which will be based on increasing motivation to achieve community well-being.
References
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCCDPHP). (2022). Childrenâs health: Factsheet. Web.
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