• Happy and confident
• Supportive relationships
• Healthy
  • Mortality
  • Suicide
  • Self rated general health
  • Mental health disorder
  • Physical activity
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Contraception
  • Problem drinking
  • Drink-driving
  • Unmet GP needs
• Education and training
• Meaningful employment
• Economically secure
• Recreation and leisure
• Safe
• Active citizens

Healthy

Desired outcome

Young people enjoy good physical and mental health, live healthy lifestyles and have access to quality health services. 

Relevance

Good health is critical to wellbeing and general quality of life.  Without it, people are less likely to be able to enjoy their lives to the full and to feel positive and optimistic about the future.  Good health supports full participation in society and assists young people to meet their potential.

Good health includes both physical and mental health.  A wide range of factors influence health outcomes. These include genetic inheritance, behaviour and the availability of health services.  In recent years increasing attention has been paid to the interaction between health outcomes and socio-economic factors such as low income, poor housing, and low educational attainment, all of which affect living standards.(1)

Indicators

Indicators for this section provide an overview of the health of the youth population.  These cover subjective measures such as how young people feel about their health as well as indicators of health-related behaviours, and the prevalence of various physical and mental health conditions.  One indicator examines access to primary health care. 

The first indicator, the mortality rate among young people aged 15 to 24, measures an extreme health outcome - death.  In order to show the extent to which these deaths may be preventable, key causes of death in this age group are also highlighted. 

The second indicator is the youth suicide rate, which serves as a rough proxy for the mental health status of the youth population and is the second leading cause of death for young people (after road deaths).  This is complemented by the fourth indicator, which measures the prevalence of mental health disorder over a 12 month period.

The third indicator measures young people’s perceptions of their own health.  Perceptions of current health status affect young people’s quality of life.  This indicator measures how young people feel their health compares to that of others and their health expectations for the future. 

The next indicators in this section focus on physical health: physical activity, obesity, and cigarette smoking.  The physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise are well known.  These include improved fitness and lower risk of a number of poor physical health outcomes, as well as a reduction in symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety.  Obesity is a known risk factor heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.  Obesity in childhood and young adulthood increases the likelihood of obesity in later life.  The links between cigarette smoking and poor health outcomes are also well known.  Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of a number of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and many cancers.  Most smokers began smoking before the age of 18. 

Positive sexual health is fundamental to our sense of self, self-esteem and ability to lead a fulfilling life.  Sexual health problems such as sexually transmitted infections may have long-term consequences, including infertility from pelvic inflammatory disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.  Young people are a high risk group for preventable infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea. Here we include an indicator of the use of contraception and condoms among sexually active young people. 

The next indicator focuses on young people who drink large amounts of alcohol in one sitting, a hazardous behaviour which is associated with increased risk of alcohol-related harm. The main cause of alcohol-related harm is through intoxication that contributes to accidents, injuries and violence.  Sustained heavy use can lead to dependence and an inability to control the frequency and amount of drinking.  Drinking patterns characteristic of heavy or frequent consumption are associated with chronic health problems such as liver cirrhosis, cancers and depression.  Alcohol-impaired judgement may also encourage young people to engage in behaviours that place their personal safety – or the safety of others - at risk.  Riding in a car with an alcohol-impaired drunk driver is one such activity.  Friends, family members and others in the community can also be affected by a person’s drinking.

The final indicator is a measure of unmet need for a general practitioner.  Ensuring that GP services are accessible and appropriate is critical for health promotion, disease prevention and treatment within the youth population.

Use the links on the left to explore the indicators in this domain.

Notes

1. Health and living standards (income and housing) are now considered together in Statistics New Zealand’s analytical reports produced as part of their “Monitoring Progress Toward a Sustainable New Zealand” project.  See http://www.stats.govt.nz/analytical-reports/monitoring-progress/living-stds-health/default.htm.