get support

Young people can experience a wide range of changes as they grow into adults, as well as developing different and relationships with family, friends, peers and other adults.  They have great potential but making the transition into adulthood can be a challenge.  Too many of our young people make this transition with unhealthy behaviours and outcomes;

• Levels of physical activity tend to decline across adolescence, particularly in young women.
• In the under 20 age group, a female living in the most deprived areas is 5 times as likely to experience a pregnancy as someone living in the least deprived.
• Good nutrition often falls short of national recommendations and 29% of children aged 12-15 years are at risk of being overweight including 15% at risk of obesity.
• Youth and adolescence is a key life stage for establishing health related attitudes and behaviours, which can be influenced through
  • peers
  • family
  • school
  • educational opportunities
  • social networks and relationships

Socio-economic deprivation has a clear relationship with mental health issues in childhood and adolescence. Children and adolescents from socio-economically disadvantaged families are three times more likely to develop mental health problems than peers from more affluent areas.

http://www.healthscotland.scot/population-groups/young-peo