Optimizing Adolescent Health Behavior Programs

Abstract

This article summarizes the key messages and recommendations from the recent National Academies report, Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes: Thriving in the 21st Century. The first section outlines important definitions and frameworks that guided the committee's process. Next, the article describes the results of the committee's systematic review, which aimed to identify the core components of programs and interventions that are effective across a variety of adolescent health behaviors and outcomes. The final section of this article presents a subset of the committee's recommendations and promising approaches that can be useful to the diverse readership of this journal.