Adolescent Health
Adolescent Health is a pivotal stage where physical growth, cognitive development, identity formation, and social relationships all shift rapidly, making holistic Adolescent Health a core priority in pediatrics. Clinicians and health systems need practical frameworks to address nutrition, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, substance use, sleep, physical activity, and digital habits in a coordinated, youth-friendly way. This session is designed for professionals who want to upgrade their day-to-day practice with evidence-based strategies that speak to the real lives of adolescents in clinics, schools, communities, and virtual spaces.
Around the world, participation in Pediatrics Conference is increasing as providers recognise that traditional, disease-focused models do not fully meet the needs of young people. Delegates attending this session will explore how to combine preventive care, early intervention, and risk reduction with strengths-based, developmental approaches. You will examine how social determinants such as family dynamics, school environment, community violence, and online influences shape health trajectories across adolescence and into adulthood.
This session also highlights the importance of integrated pediatric adolescent medicine models that bridge gaps between pediatric services, school health programs, mental health care, and community-based organisations. Case-based discussions will showcase how to create safe, inclusive environments for diverse adolescents, including those living with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or in marginalised communities. Special attention is given to confidentiality, assent and consent, stigma reduction, and culturally sensitive communication in both in-person and digital care settings.
Participants will gain practical tools such as screening templates, psychosocial assessment frameworks, brief intervention scripts, and referral pathways that can be adapted to low-resource, middle-income, and high-income contexts. By the end of the session, attendees will feel better prepared to advocate for adolescent-responsive policies, design multidisciplinary care pathways, and co-create health initiatives with young people themselves so that services are not only clinically effective but acceptable, accessible, and empowering.
Ready to Share Your Research?
Submit Your Abstract Here →Key Dimensions of Adolescent Health
Sexual, reproductive, and relationship health
- Creating safe spaces for questions about sexuality, relationships, contraception, and consent without judgment or moralising.
- Linking adolescents to confidential counseling, STI screening, contraception options, and support services aligned with local laws and norms.
Health behaviours, risk, and resilience
- Exploring how sleep, physical activity, screen time, and substance use shape health trajectories during adolescence and beyond.
- Building resilience and protective factors through peer support, family engagement, mentorship programs, and positive youth development approaches.
Physical and nutritional wellbeing
- Recognising how growth spurts, puberty, body composition, and sports participation interact with diet, sleep, and chronic disease risk.
- Addressing undernutrition, obesity, disordered eating, and micronutrient deficiencies through realistic, family- and school-engaged strategies.
Mental and emotional wellbeing
- Identifying early signs of anxiety, depression, self-harm risk, and school-related stress in busy clinical or school environments.
- Embedding brief psychosocial interventions and clear referral pathways into routine visits so mental health is treated as part of core care.
Practice Insights and Service Innovations
Making services adolescent-friendly
Adapting clinic hours, privacy policies, and waiting-room environments so adolescents feel welcome, respected, and heard.
Embedding preventive screening
Routinely adding age-appropriate preventive checks for mental health, substance use, sexual health, and violence exposure to visits.
Partnering with schools and communities
Working with teachers, counselors, youth clubs, and community leaders to deliver coordinated health promotion and early intervention.
Leveraging digital tools safely
Using messaging platforms, apps, and telehealth to enhance access and adherence while protecting confidentiality and data security.
Co-creating with young people
Inviting adolescents to co-design questionnaires, materials, and feedback mechanisms so services reflect their real priorities and language.
Driving policy and advocacy
Translating frontline experience into advocacy for equitable funding, inclusive policies, and integrated adolescent health systems.
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