Task Force on Adolescent Health

The NCIOM Task Force on Adolescent Health studied health behaviors displayed by North Carolina adolescents in order to develop a 10-year plan to improve the health and well-being of youth across the state. The Task Force was a collaborative effort of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and the NC MARCH More Between 10 and 20 Adolescent Health Initiative. Support for the project was provided by The Duke Endowment.

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Task Force Leadership

All Members

Co-Chairs

J. Steven Kline, DDS, MPH

Deputy State Health Director

North Carolina Division of Public Health

Carol A. Ford, MD

Program Director, NC MARCH

Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Public Health

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Howard Lee

Chairman

NC State Board of Education

Project Director

Berkeley Yorkery, MPP

Project Director

North Carolina Institute of Medicine

Description

Improving health and well-being during the second decade of life can favorably influence life-long trajectories of health and well being. The goal of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Task Force on Adolescent Health was to increase awareness of the unmet needs of North Carolinians ages 10-20 and to develop a detailed strategy to address the high-priority health needs of these adolescents and young adults.

In setting the Healthy People 2010 goals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 21 Critical Health Objectives for adolescents and young adults crossing six areas: mortality, unintentional injury, violence, substance abuse and mental health, reproductive health, and the prevention of chronic diseases during adulthood. Using the work of the CDC as a starting point, this Task Force will looked at unintentional injury, prevention of chronic illness during adulthood, substance abuse, mental health, reproductive health and violence.

To accomplish this goal, the Task Force:
1) Examined the most serious health and safety issues facing adolescents and young adults in North Carolina.
2) Reviewed evidence-based and promising interventions to improve adolescent and young adult health.
3) Recommended strategies to address the high-priority needs of adolescents and young adults.

The work of the Task Force was part of the NC Multi-site Adolescent Research Consortium for Health (NC MARCH) More Between 10 and 20 Adolescent Health Initiative.