Leading Cause of Death among Teens

Educator Perspective

How can community health efforts affect the leading causes of death for the adolescent and the young adult age group?

Adolescents and young adults are at a critical juncture in their lives, when many health-related behaviors are established. Community health efforts that target this age group can have a significant impact on the leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults. The leading cause of death of these age groups is injury-related causes, such as car crashes (Cunningham et al., 2018).

Motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide, and substance abuse are all causes of death for this age group, and community initiatives that focus on prevention and education can help reduce the incidence of these problems. For example, community programs that teach safe driving habits or provide counseling services for those at risk for suicide can help to save lives (Suarez?Balcazar, 2020). Similarly, campaigns that raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse can discourage adolescents and young adults from engaging in risky behavior.

Risky sexual behavior and drug use can be problems that lead to issues like depression, isolation, substance abuse, overdosing, and even suicidal ideation. Thus, it is important that community health efforts look at the causes that lead to death for these groups and direct their attention to these causes. A wide body of research has shown that community health efforts that focus on teaching teens about drug abuse, depression, risky sexual behavior, etc. can be effective in reducing the risk of death. For example, one study found that students who participated in a drug abuse prevention program were significantly less likely to engage in drug use than those who did not participate in the program (Suarez?Balcazar, 2020). Similarly, another study found that teens who participated in a depression prevention program were significantly less likely to experience depression than those who did not participate in the program (Suarez?Balcazar, 2020). These studies suggest that community health efforts that focus on teaching teens about drug abuse, depression, and risky sexual behavior can be effective in reducing the risk of death.

By working to address the leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults, community health efforts can have a profound impact on the health of this population.

What can happen to increase the likelihood of older adults utilizing community facilities and services?

There are many factors that can increase the likelihood of older adults utilizing community facilities and services. One is increased social isolation due to retirement, widowhood, or other life changes (Crowe et al., 2021). This can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression, which in turn may motivate individuals to seek out social interaction through community involvement. To address these feelings of isolation, the elderly population can be encouraged to use community facilities and services, so that they have a place to go where they can socialize. Since social isolation and loneliness can have negative impacts on health, both mental and physical, the elderly are particularly susceptible, as they are often retired from work and may not have as many opportunities to interact with others on a daily basis. Thus, access to community facilities can be one way to help reduce the risk of isolation among the elderly. Providing them with access to community facilities and services that are specifically designed for them by way of engagement, shows, events, and so on can be a way for health educators to support this population. These types of engagement might include senior centers, organized activities, transportation services, and so on. By giving the elderly opportunities to socialize and stay active, we can help promote their overall health and well-being.

Additionally, as people age they often face decreased mobility, which can make it difficult to access services that are not conveniently located. Having community facilities and services within walking distance or accessible by public transportation can therefore encourage older adults to take advantage of them. That way the elderly population does not have to worry too much about how they will get to an event or how they might get home. It is important for access to be readily available but also within easy distance. Or community services could even offer free pick-up with a shuttle service that would go to each person’s home to pick them up and deliver them home again later.

Finally, chronic health conditions are common in older adults, and these can lead to a decreased ability to care for oneself. As a result, many older adults rely on community resources for assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating (Crowe et al., 2021). The more health issues the elderly have the more important it is that they find engagement with the community through organized community services.