Creating safe and supportive families
Good parenting is crucial to children’s lifelong health and safety. The health sector’s promotion and support of parenting interventions is crucial for positive adolescent health and development.
a journey of love
WHO recommendations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a number of interventions to support the parents of young children that have been shown to prevent subsequent violent behaviours among adolescents. In addition, the WHO Mental Health Gap Action programme includes interventions that support parent skills training for the management of behavioural, developmental and emotional disorders in children and adolescents. Evidence suggests that non-specialist providers can effectively deliver parent skills training to parents of children with developmental disorders.1
mhGAP Evidence Resource CentreResearch on programmes that involve parents in improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health indicate that these programmes should focus on:
- developing greater parent–child attachment or connectedness, which is probably best done from an early age
- improving parents’ monitoring and regulation of their children’s activities and behaviour
- helping parents communicate their values concerning sexual relationships
- encouraging parents to model the behaviours that they want their children to adopt.2
To meet the demand from communities and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in low and middle income countries for support for parenting programmes, United Nations agencies have developed guidance materials. These materials are based on programmes in high income countries.3 This poses the twin challenges of generalizability and affordability.4 Nonetheless, with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), these materials have contributed to considerable progress in Latin America.
Familias Fuertes Evaluation framework
Key components of violence prevention programmes. Components of parenting interventions can vary. For violence prevention programmes, several studies have identified the key components: giving parents the opportunity to practice skills they learn in training sessions; teaching the principles of violence prevention rather than punishment tactics or technical skills; and addressing relationship difficulties between adults in the family as well as between parents and their children. Interventions with long-lasting results directly involve adolescents as well as parents in the programmes. To make best use of scarce resources, programmes with these components should be supported.5, 6
The challenge remains how to provide the support and guidance afforded through effective parenting for adolescents living without parents or other social support. These adolescents are often isolated in their communities, voiceless and lacking access to education, skills development and health care.
Wide-scale action promoting sport: built-up of the network of bicycle paths and bicycle rents, discounts to sports centres, support from teachers to students who participate in sport competitions, varied and more inclusive physical education classes (overweight or disabled students too frequently find excuses to avoid exercises) 2) Increasing the awareness of importance of physical health and its relation to mental condition - by school education and social campaigns 3) Creating alternatives - youth needs to understand that getting drunk or taking tobacco/other drugs is not a good way to build up one's position among peers.
female, 18-19, Poland
Adolescents on what can be done to improve health services: Improve and create more facilities, such as more primary health care centres in schools, community centres (that work well); encourage sports and extracurricular activities to help adolescents clear their minds.
female, 18-19, Venezuela
I do not find enough time to perform sports and I find handy, unhealthy food in front of me
female, 18-19, Saudi Arabia
Through school, as it is where we spend a lot of time, government initiatives of school wide health awareness should be somewhat compulsory, such as having speakers come to your school, organised by the government to choose from what organisation they come from, or your school, to speak about relevant health issues to students, from an understandable viewpoint. It is more effective than reading a pamphlet.
female, 15-17, Australia
I think that schools should do more than sport classes to improve their students health. Teaching the students how to cook healthy meals would be one of those things.
female, 18-19, Germany
Life is difficult, especially when you’re young and you have to be sitting down all the time. I feel that my body is being destroyed at school because I am forced to stay seated all day.
male, 18-19, Canada
Ensure sexual education in all schools and give out contraceptives for free, as sexual issues are the biggest health problems faced by adolescents, venereal diseases, unwanted pregnancies, HIV.
Gender not specified, 15-17, Chile
When someone in my family, especially my mother, or a close friend shows their support for me.
female, 15-17, Paraguay
I think the way we know about the issues that affect us should be much better done, like at schools and on internet instead of just on hospitals.
female, 18-19, Brazil
I don’t talk about my difficulties. I use sports as a way to feel relief from all the bad things that have happened and happen to me, etc.
male, 18-19, Chile
Through school, as it is where we spend a lot of time, government initiatives of school wide health awareness should be somewhat compulsory, such as having speakers come to your school, organised by the government to choose from what organisation they come from, or your school, to speak about relevant health issues to students, from an understandable viewpoint. It is more effective than reading a pamphlet.
female, 15-17, Australia
School stresses me out, and as a result I have been careless with my health, my diet, etc.
female, 18-19, Peru
For me, to be in good health means above all to have a family. I think that health is not only a physical thing but also mental because if you are surrounded by family or by people who love you, that can allow you to always be in good health (to smile, to be in a good mood)
female, 18-19, Gabon
