One of every 5 people in the world is an adolescent. Six preventable risk behaviors contribute to 75% of health care costs among teens.
Our Target Population
One of every five people in the world is an adolescent, defined as a person between 10 and 19 years of age. Out of 1.2 billion adolescents in the world,
Six common risk behaviors contribute to 75% of health care costs related to illness and death among adolescents in the United States and Latin America (CDC 2001; Ahl 2002, WHO, UNICEF). These high-risk behaviors are: self-inflicted or accidental injuries (including car accidents, suicide, bullying and violence); use and abuse of tobacco products; use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs; engaging in risky sexual behaviors; lack of exercise; and poor nutritional habits. These behaviors are often clustered together and/or interrelated. By enlarge these behaviors are established during adolescence, persist into adulthood and all are preventable. While these behaviors are widespread among adolescents, the transition from childhood and adolescence to adulthood is often challenging. For many youth, this transition is complicated by ambiguous cultural and community norms, increased availability of alcohol and illicit drugs, peer pressure to experience sexual intimacy at an early age, exposure to violence, inadequate family and social support, and media exposure to models of risky behavior and sedentary life styles.
The Opportunity
Worldwide, use of Internet sources of information and communication is widespread and growing. These sources of information are increasingly accessible, affordable, and potentially can be effective in providing individuals, families, and organizations with information, education, evaluation, counseling, and referral. Furthermore, the use of web-based technology may provide new avenues to track and understand factors that influence health behaviors and health outcomes, and may increase opportunities to individualize health information.
Computer access is widespread among wealthy populations of the world, but among poor populations ownership levels and usage are much lower. For example, in Costa Rica approximately 25% of households have a computer and 5% are connected to the Internet (Gov. Statistics 2003). In Central America both national and international, private and public sector agencies are making it possible for a growing number of the population to have access to computers and to the Internet. For example, over the past few years with the support of private and public sector, national and international institutions, over 14 Computer laboratories (Aulanets) with access to the Internet have been established in Nicaragua . The World Bank is also working closely with the Ministries of Education in many countries to provide computer laboratories in public schools.
The Challenge
The adolescent health promotion intervention tools provided through the TeenSmart website (www.teensmart.net) combine cutting edge health promotion science information with life skills training and practice. They are based on research conducted over a 14 year period by a group of interdisciplinary health and social science professionals at Emory University , Georgia State University, University of Washington and University of Massachusetts in Boston and targeted teenagers and young adults, with an emphasis on Hispanics in community. This research was undertaken primarily in school or after school settings in the United States and Central America . Studies included careful reviews of the literature, qualitative ethnographic studies of Latino adolescents, and methodological studies to develop valid and reliable evaluation measures. Numerous pilot intervention studies were undertaken in field settings to test the acceptability of the content and teaching methods.
