| Call Number | 14941 |
|---|---|
| Day & Time Location |
R 9:00am-11:20am HESS ROSENFIELD B |
| Points | 3 |
| Grading Mode | Standard |
| Approvals Required | None |
| Instructor | Samuel Master |
| Type | LECTURE |
| Method of Instruction | In-Person |
| Course Description | This course examines how public health defines and measures the health of adolescents, youth, and young people; how individual, social, environmental, and structural determinants shape their health behaviors and outcomes; where reliable data on young people’s health come from and their limitations; and why investing in this population is critical. Adolescents and young adults represent a large and growing share of the global population, about 1.8 billion people aged 10–24 (nearly 90 percent of whom live in low- and middle-income countries), and investments in their health yield a “triple dividend” for individuals, across the life course, and for future generations. Adolescence and young adulthood are pivotal developmental periods marked by rapid biological, cognitive, emotional, and social change that unfold within shifting social, economic, and cultural contexts. While most young people are considered “healthy” by traditional indicators, slower improvements in adolescent health compared with childhood, persistent engagement in health-compromising behaviors, school dropout, and underuse of health services signal substantial unmet need. Social determinants including poverty, policy environments, education, and access to youth-friendly services, along with family, peer, school, and community support, play a central role in shaping young people’s health and underscore the essential role of public health in improving outcomes during this critical life stage. The first half of the course will focus on fundamentals of adolescent health such as definitions, conceptual models, and adolescent development. The second half will focus on key issues in adolescent health, including site visits to understand several innovative, “youth-friendly” models for adolescent health promotion. Issues such as the HIV among youth, fertility, and marginalization of LGBTQ and justice-involved youth will be framed as public health issues. Key theoretical approaches will be emphasized throughout the course. Young people will be viewed as potentially powerful change agents who are resources to be developed not problems to be fixed. The participation of public health practitioners in developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and advocating for "youth friendly" services grounded in evidence, theory, and human rights will be illustrated and discussed throughout the course. Students will increase their knowledge of adolescent and young adult health through assigned readings, class discussions, group activities, written assi |
| Web Site | Vergil |
| Department | Population and Family Health |
| Enrollment | 28 students (30 max) as of 9:07PM Tuesday, February 3, 2026 |
| Subject | Population and Family Health |
| Number | P8616 |
| Section | 001 |
| Division | School of Public Health |
| Open To | GSAS, Public Health |
| Note | Dept permission required for non-POPF students (cak2190cumc. |
| Section key | 20261POPF8616P001 |