Outcome 3:

Youth Health and

Wellbeing
Interpret data to identify key areas for improving youth health and wellbeing,
and plan for action by analysing one particular area in detail.
Unit 3 – AOS 3 –
Youth Health Issues Timeline
 Term 2 – Week 1 – Exploring Youth health Issues and Exploring mental health
 Term 2 – Week 2 – Government and non-Government Programs and Youth Advocacy – Start of
Practice Task
 Term 2 – Week 3 – Practice Task Feedback – Mental Health – Extended Response Practice –
Nutrition SAC Feedback
 Term 2 – Week 4 -- (lesson 1) – SAC – Youth Mental Health Issues
 Term 2 – Week 4 – (lesson 2) – Unit 1 Exam Revision

To successfully pass the outcome you must complete the entire coursework booklet (before the coursework
deadline), and achieve at least 40% on your practice SAC or SAC.

Practice Tasks and SACs will all be handwritten.

Youth Health Issues and Inequalities
Explain aspects of youth health and wellbeing requiring health action, as indicated by
health data on burden of disease and health inequalities.
Success Criteria:
I can identify key health issues for youths
I can identify social inequalities for youth health
I can describe how social inequalities contribute to youth health issues
Youth Health and Wellbeing Issues
• Australia is one of the healthiest countries in the world
• Youth (12-81 years) are among the healthiest subgroups of the population
• BUT not all youth experience the same level of health and wellbeing
• There are ‘gaps’ in the level of health experienced between different population
groups.
Youth Health and Wellbeing Issues
• Health inequalities exist among young people in Australia as a cohort and between
young people and other age groups.
• Health inequalities may result from sociocultural factors that are avoidable or unfair
 Income
 Education
 Community expectations
 Gender
 Geographic location
 SES
 Ethnicity
 These are called social inequalities

• Health inequalities in youth can also be a result of risk taking and inexperience.
• Health inequalities can be addressed by empowering youth to change behaviour,
through government action or by early intervention through health promotion programs.
 Social inequality: unequal
Health inequalities: 
distribution of resources,
differences in health status
wealth and opportunities
or in the distribution of
within a group or society
health risk and protective
based on sociocultural
factors
factors.

Sociocultural factors:
income, education, gender,
SES, ethnicity etc.
Youth Health and Wellbeing Issues

What
are so
health me yo
is ut h
concer sues/areas o
n? f

Personal areas of concern?

National areas of concern?
Youth Health and Wellbeing Issues
Health Inequalities
• Every year, Mission Australia conducts its Youth Survey,
 Australians aged 15–19 years get to voice their concerns about youth issues

• This is Australia’s largest youth survey, it allows identification of:

 The leading causes of concern for youth
 The leading contributors to burden of disease
 The health inequalities exist amongst youth

Identification of health and social inequalities

Areas needing action
Health Inequalities
• What are the priority areas of action and
improvement in youth health and wellbeing?
• How do these compare to what we brainstormed
earlier?
https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/what-we-do/research-evaluation/youth-survey
 Health Issue

Description

Burden of Contributing
disease factors

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.
 Injury

All injuries are considered

preventable. Injury is the
leading cause of death for
Australian Youth

Burden of disease Contributing factors

Males are 1.9 times more

Developing independence
likely to be hospitalised for
can increase risk-taking
injury/poisoning than
behaviour
females

In rural areas, the roads may

Rural youth are more likely
be of poor quality, young
to engage in dangerous
people may need to travel
behaviours that result in
longer distances, and in less
accidental injury.
safe vehicles.

In rural areas, the roads may

Indigenous youth are six
be of poor quality, young
times more likely to die from
people may need to travel
assault and four times more
longer distances, and in less
likely to die from suicide.
safe vehicles.
 Areas of inequality
Area of youth health and Description
well being
Injury All injuries are considered
preventable. Injury is the
leading cause of death for
Australian Youth
Burden of disease,
inequalities and concerns
of young people
 Males are 1.9 times more likely
to be hospitalised for
injury/poisoning than females
 Rural youth are more likely to
engage in dangerous behaviours
that result in accidental injury.
 Indigenous youth are six times
more likely to die from assault
and four times more likely to die
from suicide.
Contributing factors
 Developing independence can
increase risk-taking behaviour
 In rural areas, the roads may be of
poor quality, young people may
need to travel longer distances,
and in less safe vehicles.
 For youth, peer acceptance may
be a motivating factor in risk
taking