Priority strategic directions in adolescent health in Iran based on the WHO’s Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents
Author:
Omidimorad Afsaneh1, Nazari Maryam2, Bahmanziari Najmeh2, Soleymani Mohammad Haddad3, Barakati Seyyed Hamed4, Ardalan Gelayol4, Aminaee Tahereh5, Taghizadeh Rahim6, Motlagh Mohammad Esmail4, Heidarzadeh Abtin7ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland 2. Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran 3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran 4. Ministry of Health and Medical Education , Tehran , Iran 5. Youth and School Health Unit, The Population, Family and School Health Office , Ministry of Health and Medical Education , Tehran , Iran 6. Health Promotion , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands 7. Medical Education Research Center, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine , Guilan University of Medical Sciences , Rasht , Iran
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
In line with the World Health Organization’s Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) guidance, the goal of the current research was to identify critical strategies for adolescents’ health and to determine the role and distribution of responsibilities among the leading players in the field of adolescent health in Iran.
Methods
The current qualitative and applied study is part of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education’s “Adolescent, Youth and School Health” plan to develop the “National Adolescent Health Plan Document” in 2020. First, stakeholder analysis was done, then a pool of nationally appropriate strategies was selected from the list of priority strategies recommended by the WHO in the AA-HA! through several group sessions. After that, the experts selected priority strategies based on the criteria of feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, guaranteed resources, coordination with other plans and temporal priority, scoring, and executive priorities. Eventually, the priority strategies were assigned to different players/stakeholders in the field over several sessions bearing in mind the methods of implementation and the target groups.
Results
The experts identified 58 priority strategies/actions for adolescent health under the seven priority areas of positive development, sexual protection, reproductive health, mental health, substance abuse, self-harm, violence, unintentional injury, communicable and non-communicable diseases, nutrition, and physical activity.
Conclusions
The highest identified priority areas were in the areas of vaccination; special health care package for service providers; training and education to promote health literacy and self-care, life skills, sexual awareness, and prevention/protection against violence; community-based mental health services, planning for adolescents’ spare time, substance use prevention.
Funder
Deputy of Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the World Health Organization, Iran Office
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Reference35 articles.
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