1. Next Steps for the Teens Take on Health Report
Virginia Brown, DrPH, Extension Educator and Bonnie Braun, PhD, Professor Emerita
Responding to 1000 Teen’s Health Issues
Proposed Model*
Summary of Teens Take on Health
Evaluator Recommendations
Responding to 1000 Teens’ Top Health Issues Proposed Model*
Teens Take on Health was a nationwide, youth-led health initiative between Molina Healthcare and the National 4-H Council.
Goal: Prepare teens to take ownership of their health, promote healthy living and become health leaders.
Charge: Identify health issues and big, bold ideas to address each.
The 15-month, multi-faceted initiative identified health issues and solutions through:
A social media survey
2) Health videos created by youth
3) Town-hall meetings led by youth in five states and a teen health youth summit at the National 4-H Conference Center.
Drs. Bonnie Braun and Virginia Brown evaluated the initiative. A literature review of youth development and health was conducted; a qualitative analysis of all three data sources was completed.
What mattered to the teens was:
Obesity,
Sleep, stress and mental health,
Health care access and
Personal, family, community and public health action.
What emerged was a picture of teens
ready to make lifestyle changes
to address their own health
as well as that of their families and
communities.
1: Create a logic model template to specify prioritized actions, desired outcomes and resources for an extended Teens Take on Health Initiative.
2: Convene a group, or groups, of youths and adults who were involved in the initial Teens Take on Health activities to discuss this report and identify priority actions for a continuing Teens Take on Health Initiative.
3: Invite representatives of the ECOP Health Task Force to discuss findings from their report and proposed national framework with the purpose of identifying ways to integrate the Teens Take On Health while exploring ways to communicate about the initiative communicate across the nationwide Extension system.
4:Invite representatives of the National Prevention Council, the Department of Health and Human Services, including the CDC and other federal agencies and private organizations to explore ways their work and that of a Teens Take on Health Initiative could be leveraged to achieve improved health of teens, their families and communities.
5:Conduct teen health public policy workshops to increase the ability of teens and adults working with teens to affect health-related public policy.
6: Share findings from this report with members of the public, media, public policy makers, and youth educators to alert them to the health issues that matter to teens, to their willingness to take action and to opportunities to empower youth to make a difference in their health and that of their families, communities and nation now and for the future.
7: Adopt a version of the socio-ecological model to be used as an organizing framework for all Teens Take On Health Initiative components and discussions.
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Organizational
Community
Policy
Fitness, nutrition, safety, avoidance of risky behavior (drug or alcohol abuse, smoking), sexual responsibility, general hygiene, and adequate sleep, stress, mental health, and self-efficacy.
Forming and maintaining satisfying relationships, sense of self, autonomy, social competence, being able to take another perspective, and being able to resolve interpersonal conflict, eating, shopping and exercising together and interpersonal support.
Family, School, Business, Youth Programs
Youth-Adult Partnerships; Community Facilities & Services for health and mental health
Local, state and federal government and non-government policy decision making; food policy; access to health care, health insurance.
*Concepts in black from 4-H Healthy Living Strategic Framework; blue from Initiative
Teen Proposed Action Steps
Audiences for Report Dissemination
Program Actions
Partnership Actions
Policy Actions
Obesity
Examples:
local health action groups, health providers, Extension educators in nutrition, physical activity and wellness
Example:
Develop walking and cooking clubs
Work with schools, health food stores, gym teachers
Organize to re-mandate recess during elementary school
Health Care Access
Health providers, local hospitals and free clinics, etc.
Teach youth and families about health insurance
Work with local doctors to secure grant funding
Seek funding for mobile clinics, have field trips to doctors offices for physicals
Sleep and Mental Health
Local mental health professionals, school counselors, social workers, university departments
Institute nap room during lunch, develop peer support network
Partner with other organizations to provide free mental health counseling
Move school start times back, develop anti-bullying policy
Personal, Family and Community Health
Families, Parent Teacher Associations, Extension Educators in Family & Consumer Sciences
Exercise and activity clubs for families, neighborhood gardens and fairs
Partner with neighborhood associations, churches and local stakeholders
Address zoning laws to ensure unused space in each neighborhood is donate for community gardens
Key questions I need to ask to take action:
1. What is at stake if I do not respond?
2. What can I do?
3. Who do I know to work with me?
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