Citation

Maddaleno M, Silber TJ. J. Adolesc. Health 1993; 14(8): 595-604, 655-63.

Affiliation

Program de Medicina de la Adolescencia, Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Chile.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8130230

Abstract

Only recently has attention been given to the condition and needs of adolescents in Latin America. Many assume that the low mortality rate among adolescents is an indication of their more than adequate health status. In reality, however, data on the health status of Latin American teens in lacking and those data which are available have been poorly synthesized and employed. In an effort to redress this oversight, the authors review and synthesize existing data on the subject from UNESCO, the World Bank, PAHO, the ILO, and other international organizations. From sections on the demography of adolescents, education, employment, economic and social conditions, mortality, morbidity, risk behaviors, and reproductive health, the authors find that adolescents in Latin America suffer traditional infectious illnesses and nutritional deficiencies; are increasingly exposed to alcohol, tobacco and drugs; and are experiencing new morbidities from violence, self-destructive behaviors, injuries, and addictions. While the level of educational attainment had increased for these youths and illiteracy has decreased across the board, poverty pervades much of the region and constrains the ability of adolescents to secure and maintain a decent quality of life. Health professionals and the general public need to dismiss the myth that adolescents in Latin America are overwhelmingly healthy and move proactively to provide them with the attention and services they so desperately need.

Language: es