Adolescence is a tough time for many people. It is a time where you are trying to figure out things for yourself. You take into account how you were raised or what you have learned from society and teachers, to form your identity. In this blog, you are going to see how I believe we can encourage adolescents to be healthy and the roles of the people surrounding adolescents play.
Parents, healthcare providers, health educators, media, and society play significant roles in encouraging adolescents to follow health behaviors. First and foremost, the parents should serve as the first line of defense against unhealthy behaviors. Parents need to be a role model for the adolescents. For example, if the parent wants the child to eat healthy, the parents need to prepare nutritional meals in the home. In addition to eating right at the home, parents should educate their adolescents on the reasons why we eat healthy, how to cook healthy, serving sizes, etc. Another way parents can encourage a healthy lifestyle, is by planning fun activities outdoors to get exercise. Growing up, my parents encouraged us to play sports recreationally or competitively. Also, we took trips where we went exploring or hiking. These events should be based around your adolescent's interests to make exercise more enjoyable for your child. If it is more enjoyable, your child is more likely to continue that behavior into adulthood. In addition to encouraging diet and exercise, I believe the most important way to promote health behaviors is open communication between you and your child. It is important to educate your child, but it is also important that the child knows they can come to you for advice or questions. I am a firm believer that your child should hear about the dangers of drug use, alcohol use, safe sex practices, or other risky behaviors from the parent first. This will help prepare your child for situations where the right decision is crucial. If the child does feel comfortable talking to their parent, it is crucial that the child knows where to go to fort these questions or concerns. This is where the healthcare provider comes in. Healthcare providers role in encouraging health behaviors in adolescents is offering advice and education in a private and confidential manner. When reading the online journal written by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, it really hit on the importance of confidentiality between the healthcare provider and the adolescent. When an adolescent feels like their questions are being asked in private, they are more likely to open up to that provider. The other way around is true as well; the adolescent is more likely to give more accurate information to that provider when that adolescent is being evaluated. Confidentiality could make the difference between seeking help or not. Health educators, media, and society play a unique role in promoting healthy behaviors. Health educators look at the media and society to better promote healthy lifestyles. One example of this is the smoking prevention commercials we see on television. These commercials are aimed at adolescents, and the main goal is to change what they believe is the norm placed by society or the media. The health educators use the media to present facts to prove that not every teenager smokes, and the actual number is only around 9% as shown as the Truth.com.This is important because adolescence is a time period when they start looking at what their peers and society are doing. Health educators need to continue to prove that being healthy is the "cool" thing to do.
Sources:
Eliscu A, Cooperman D, Michener J, Nucci-Sack A, Diaz A. Promoting healthy behaviors in adolescents. City Health Information. 2009;28(2):9-20.http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/chi/chi28-2.pdf
http://www.thetruth.com/
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