Elsevier

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 69, Issue 3, September 2021, Pages 365-374
Journal of Adolescent Health

Review article
A Scoping Review of Adolescent Health Indicators

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.04.026Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Purpose

A host of recent initiatives relating to adolescent health have been accompanied by varying indicator recommendations, with little stakeholder coordination. We assessed currently included adolescent health–related indicators for their measurement focus, identified overlap across initiatives, and determined measurement gaps.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review to map the existing indicator landscape as depicted by major measurement initiatives. We classified indicators as per 33 previously identified core adolescent health measurement areas across five domains and by age groups. We also identified indicators common across measurement initiatives even if differing in details.

Results

We identified 413 indicators across 16 measurement initiatives, with most measuring health outcomes and conditions (162 [39%]) and health behaviors and risks (136 [33%]); followed by policies, programs, and laws (49 [12%]); health determinants (44 [11%]); and system performance and interventions (22 [5%]). Age specification was available for 221 (54%) indicators, with 51 (23%) focusing on the full adolescent age range (10–19 years), 1 (<1%) on 10–14 years, 27 (12%) on 15–19 years, and 142 (64%) on a broader age range including adolescents. No definitional information, such as numerator and denominator, was available for 138 indicators. We identified 236 distinct indicators after accounting for overlap.

Conclusion

The adolescent health measurement landscape is vast and includes substantial variation among indicators purportedly assessing the same concept. Gaps persist in measuring systems performance and interventions; policies, programs, and laws; and younger adolescents' health. Addressing these gaps and harmonizing measurement is fundamental to improve program implementation and accountability for adolescent health globally.

Keywords

Adolescent
Adolescent health
Youth health
Adolescent health services
Global health
Health status indicators
Social determinants of health
Health behavior
Health risk behavior
Review

Cited by (0)

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Author statements: HN, ADM, ABM, and RG are members of the World Health Organization. LC is a member of the United Nations Children's Fund. HSF is a member of the United Nations Population Fund. AM is a member of the World Bank Group. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication, and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of the World Health Organization, of the United Nations Children's Fund, of the United Nations Population Fund, or of the World Bank Group.