Adolescent Health

Did You Know?

• Accidental injury is the leading cause of death in adolescents
• Homicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. The homicide death rate for black older adolescents is eight times higher than for whites of the same age.
• Suicide is the third ranking killer of adolescents ages 15-19 years.
• About 3 million adolescents contract a sexually transmitted disease annually.
• Among developed countries, the US has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy.
• One out of five teenagers will be smoking regularly by the time he or she finishes high school.
• US kids are not even close to meeting the daily recommended servings of grains, fruits, vegetables, and calcium. Only 1% of children aged 2-19 met the USDA requirements.
• Skipping breakfast deprives a person of important nutrients and calories that the brain needs for problem solving, information processing and attentiveness.
• Sexually active adolescent girls should be screened for chlamydia every six months. A study of Baltimore inner-city girls found that over one-quarter had the disease, which can cause sterility if it goes untreated.
• Kids whose mothers talked with them about condom use where three times more likely to use a condom during their first sexual experience.
• A national survey involving 9,712 teenagers and parents concludes that parents are underestimating the reality of drugs in their children’s lives. While 58% of teens find drugs easy to obtain, only 43% of parents believe that their kids have easy access to drugs.