Authors

  1. Section Editor(s): Pfeifer, Gail M. MA, RN

Article Content

Some progress made on critical national health objectives for U.S. adolescents. Although improvements were made toward many of the goals set for adolescents by Healthy People 2010, the actual goals were met for only two of the 21 targeted outcomes: fewer people riding with a drunk driver and engaging in physical fighting. Youths improved slightly at wearing seat belts and reducing rates of pregnancy, suicide, binge drinking, smoking tobacco, and carrying weapons to school. Little or no progress was made in the areas of sexual behavior, substance use and mental health, physical activity, and motor vehicle deaths. The findings "emphasize the need for a focused and sustained national effort to improve the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults," write the authors in the August Journal of Adolescent Health.