Community-Oriented Adolescent Health Promotion Strategies Addressing Nutrition, Mental Wellness, And Preventive Pediatric Healthcare Services Today

Abstract

Adolescence is a pivotal period of development which involves many physical, psychological and social changes all of which are important to lifelong health. Poor nutrition, mental health issues and lack of access to preventive health services are key adolescent public health problems. In this study, the efficacy of community-based health promotion interventions for enhancing the nutritional status, mental health and use of preventive pediatric services among adolescents was assessed. A total of 240 adolescent youth (10–19 years old) participated in a twelve week community-based interventional study. Nutrition education, mental wellness counseling, physical activity promotion and preventive health screening were provided to participants. Structured questionnaires, BMI assessment, and healthcare utilization data were used to gather data. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests and chi-square tests were used for statistical analyses. For dietary diversity and BMI status, mental wellness scores and utilization of preventive care, significant improvements were observed (p < 0.05). The results suggest that community-based health promotion strategies are effective for improving the nutrition, mental health and access to preventive care for adolescents, which facilitates their inclusion in programs geared towards adolescents.