Global Adolescent Health

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/youth-health

Introduction

### Course Review: Global Adolescent Health on Coursera In today's rapidly evolving world, the well-being of adolescents has never been more critical. With over 25% of the global population aged between 10 and 24 years, understanding the intricate factors that influence the health and development of this demographic is essential. The Coursera course **Global Adolescent Health** effectively addresses this need and serves as an eye-opening exploration for anyone interested in public health, social policies, or youth advocacy. #### Overview The **Global Adolescent Health** course provides participants with a thorough understanding of the diverse determinants that affect young people's health globally. It emphasizes not only the challenges faced by this age group but also the significant role they play as future leaders and innovators. By investing in adolescent health, we are essentially paving the way for a healthier, more productive society. #### Syllabus Breakdown The course structure is well-organized, spanning six weeks of core content, followed by two weeks dedicated to assignments and peer evaluations. Here’s a brief overview of what to expect: 1. **Week 1 - Introduction to Adolescent Health (Part I)**: This opening week establishes the importance of adolescent health, providing historical context and introducing key concepts that will be revisited throughout the course. 2. **Week 2 - Introduction to Adolescent Health (Part II)**: Building on the previous week, students delve deeper into social determinants of health and explore risk and protective factors influencing adolescent development. 3. **Week 3 - Major Health Problems of Adolescents (Part I)**: The course moves on to discuss pressing health challenges such as sexual and reproductive health, alongside mental health issues that disproportionately affect young people. 4. **Week 4 - Major Health Problems of Adolescents (Part II)**: Continuing from the previous week, this segment introduces further health issues, including infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, and the ever-growing concerns regarding nutrition and obesity. 5. **Week 5 - Adolescent Health Policy, Programming, and Intervention (Part I)**: Here, the course examines the role of family, education, and social media in shaping adolescent behavior and health outcomes. 6. **Week 6 - Adolescent Health Policy, Programming, and Intervention (Part II)**: The final content week focuses on the policies and practices required to foster better health in young populations and discusses how healthcare services can adapt to meet their unique needs. 7. **Weeks 7 - 8 (No New Content)**: These weeks are reserved for the submission and peer assessment of a second written assignment, thereby encouraging peer-to-peer interaction and feedback. #### Highlights & Learning Outcomes One of the standout aspects of this course is its interdisciplinary approach. By combining elements of sociology, public health, and policy making, it enables learners to appreciate the complexity of adolescent health issues comprehensively. The course is structured to encourage critical thinking and practical application—participants will learn to identify health-related behaviors and their implications, analyze data, and discuss potential interventions. They will also gain insight into the importance of advocacy and youth participation in health initiatives, advocating for a more significant investment in adolescent health on a global scale. #### Who Should Enroll? **Global Adolescent Health** is perfect for students, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and anyone passionate about improving the health outcomes of young people. It is particularly beneficial for those looking to build a career in public health, social work, or education, as it provides foundational knowledge along with practical tools for real-world application. #### Conclusion and Recommendation In conclusion, the **Global Adolescent Health** course on Coursera is a comprehensive and insightful program that sheds light on one of the most critical groups in our society. By understanding the factors affecting adolescent health, participants are better equipped to advocate for and implement necessary changes. If you are in search of a course that challenges your thinking and equips you with practical skills, I highly recommend enrolling in **Global Adolescent Health**. You'll not only expand your knowledge but also contribute to a movement aiming to enhance the lives of millions of young people worldwide. Join the course today and take the first step towards making a difference!

Syllabus

Week 1 - Introduction to adolescent health: developmental and ecological perspectives (Part I)

Welcome! Before getting started on this week’s content, be sure to review the materials under the ‘Introduction’ section below to help you get the most out of this course, whatever your learning goals may be. This week we set the scene for adolescent health as a critical area of human health and development. We introduce the conceptual framework used throughout the course, which will assist greatly in building your learning across each week of material. We discuss different definitions of adolescence and young adulthood, and explore how the biological and social transitions associated with this period of life- and our understanding of them- have changed over time.

This week we return to our conceptual framework and unpack the key concepts of social determinants of health and risk and protective factors. We explore what these terms mean and how they influence and shape adolescent health and development. We also begin to apply this knowledge at a practical level in terms of the interventions and actions we can take to improve or maintain health and wellbeing during the adolescent and young adult years, or prevent problems from happening in the first place.

This week we explore our conceptual framework for adolescent health as it relates to health-related behaviours and states and health outcomes. By that we mean, how do the biological, social, economic and other influences that we have discussed so far play out in terms of adolescent health outcomes (e.g. death and disability) and behaviours (e.g. those relating to sexual activity or substance use)? What are the major health issues affecting young people around the world today, and how does this differ by region, gender and other variables? We will explore the latter question over the course of this week and next, with the focus this week predominantly on sexual and reproductive health and mental health.

This week continues last week's focus on the 'health-related behaviours and states' and 'health outcomes' components of our conceptual framework. We will discuss some of the other major health topics and issues affecting adolescents and young adults around the world today, including infectious diseases, chronic illness and disability, nutrition, physical activity and obesity. We will also highlight injury as a leading cause of death and major cause of disability in young people, and build on last week's discussion of sexual, reproductive and mental health.

This week we set the scene for understanding the policy and practice context of adolescent health and development through reviewing the functions of family and family policy, the value of education as a resource for health, and the wider influences of peers, advertising and marketing, taxation, legislation and social media in shaping adolescent behaviours.

This week we continue our exploration of the policy and practice context of adolescent health and development by focusing on the role of health services in responding to the burden of disease experienced by young people. We discuss the elements of quality healthcare for young people and what adolescent-friendly health care means at an individual practitioner and service level. We also highlight the challenge of monitoring and communicating the health status of adolescents at a national and global level, why nations need to be held to account for investing in appropriate actions that promote the health of their young people, and how to promote positive and meaningful youth participation.

As this marks the final week of learning material for this course (Weeks 7 and 8 are devoted to the completion and evaluation of Assignment 2 for those interested), we also discuss learning and networking opportunities beyond GAH for those of you who would like to continue this journey.

Weeks 7 and 8 do not feature any new course material and are for the development, submission and peer marking of the second written assignment for those wishing to do so. Please be sure to review the intro video below for some important information before getting started.

We would also greatly appreciate your feedback on this course via the end of course survey below if you have not already done so- it is so critical for us in our efforts to ensure we are providing our students with the best experience possible. Thank you!