adolescent health
Adolescent health epidemiology
Key points
Mortality rates are low in adolescents compared with other age groups and have shown a slight decline in the past decade.
Globally, the leading causes of death among adolescents are road injury, HIV, suicide, lower respiratory infections and interpersonal violence.
HIV-related deaths have more than tripled since 2000, making it the number 2 cause of death among adolescents worldwide.
Depression, road injuries, iron deficiency anaemia, HIV and suicide are the major causes of disability-adjusted life years lost in 10–19 year olds.
The African Region has the highest rates of disability-adjusted life years among adolescents.
Nearly 35% of the global burden of disease has roots in adolescence.
Leading causes of death
In 2012 an estimated 1.3 million adolescents died, down from 1.5 million in 2000. The mortality rate decreased from 126 to 111 per 100 000 between 2000 and 2012. This modest decline of about 12% continues the trend of the past 50 years. Mortality rates dropped in all regions and for all age groups except 15–19 year old males in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Americas regions.
The leading causes of death among adolescents in 2012 were:
1. road injury
2. HIV
3. suicide
4. lower respiratory infections, and
5. interpersonal violence.
There are two important differences from the 2000 mortality data. HIV-related deaths have more than tripled since 2000, making it the number 2 cause of mortality among adolescents. In contrast, in 2000 HIV was not even among the top 10 causes of death.
Morbidity
Morbidity is also important for defining public health priorities for adolescence. Morbidity data allow assessment of the many non-fatal diseases and conditions that develop during adolescence, which not only have implications for service provision today but often also have life-long repercussions.
Years lost to disability (YLD) are estimates based on prevalence data, real or imputed, that quantify the burden
Key points
Mortality rates are low in adolescents compared with other age groups and have shown a slight decline in the past decade.
Globally, the leading causes of death among adolescents are road injury, HIV, suicide, lower respiratory infections and interpersonal violence.
HIV-related deaths have more than tripled since 2000, making it the number 2 cause of death among adolescents worldwide.
Depression, road injuries, iron deficiency anaemia, HIV and suicide are the major causes of disability-adjusted life years lost in 10–19 year olds.
The African Region has the highest rates of disability-adjusted life years among adolescents.
Nearly 35% of the global burden of disease has roots in adolescence.
Leading causes of death
In 2012 an estimated 1.3 million adolescents died, down from 1.5 million in 2000. The mortality rate decreased from 126 to 111 per 100 000 between 2000 and 2012. This modest decline of about 12% continues the trend of the past 50 years. Mortality rates dropped in all regions and for all age groups except 15–19 year old males in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Americas regions.
The leading causes of death among adolescents in 2012 were:
1. road injury
2. HIV
3. suicide
4. lower respiratory infections, and
5. interpersonal violence.
There are two important differences from the 2000 mortality data. HIV-related deaths have more than tripled since 2000, making it the number 2 cause of mortality among adolescents. In contrast, in 2000 HIV was not even among the top 10 causes of death.
Morbidity
Morbidity is also important for defining public health priorities for adolescence. Morbidity data allow assessment of the many non-fatal diseases and conditions that develop during adolescence, which not only have implications for service provision today but often also have life-long repercussions.
Years lost to disability (YLD) are estimates based on prevalence data, real or imputed, that quantify the burden