Youth health and wellbeing
New releases
Progress of the Northern Territory Emergency Response Child Health Check initiative: Preliminary results from the Child Health Check and follow-up data collections (19 December 2008)
Eye health among Australian children (7 November 2008)
Juvenile arthritis in Australia (23 October 2008)
Making progress: the health, development and wellbeing of Australia's children and young people (24 September 2008)
Juvenile justice in Australia 2006-07 (27 August 2008)
Most young Australians are healthy and
well, and we have seen great improvements in their health and wellbeing over
time. Despite this, young people still face important risks to their health.
The AIHW report, Young Australians: their health and wellbeing 2007, published in May 2007, provides comprehensive information on the health and wellbeing of young people using a set of key national indicators. This report is the third national report on the health and wellbeing of Australia's young people produced by the AIHW, covering Australians aged from 12 to 24 years. It brings together data from a wide variety of sources including information on health status, health outcomes and factors influencing the health and wellbeing of young Australians, such as behaviour, environment, family, community and socioeconomic factors.
In recognising that young people's health and wellbeing are influenced by a multitude of factors, the AIHW has broadened the list of indicators included in earlier reports to include burden of disease, social support, assault and victimisation, environmental factors, health system performance and indicators relating to the health, disability and socioeconomic status of parents of young people. The report also includes a feature chapter on the health and wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Specifically, the report covers causes of hospitalisation and death, mental health, injury, chronic disease, communicable disease, and disability. Behavioural risk and protective factors covered include substance use, nutrition, physical activity, weight and sexual and reproductive health. There is also information on the community and family environment, including areas such as family cohesion, social support, child protection and homelessness and socioeconomic factors, including the education, employment and income of young Australians.
This work has been guided by the National Youth Information Advisory Group comprising key experts in the areas of youth health and wellbeing, as well as jurisdictional representatives.
The next report on the health and wellbeing of Australia's young people will be released in 2011.
The AIHW also produces reports on the health and wellbeing of Australia's children.
Last reviewed by February 2008