Health and wellbeing of under-25 year olds in the Midland region 2019

In this report the New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service (NZCYES) presents information to assist in the planning and funding of services that can collectively improve, promote and protect the health and wellbeing of children and young people aged under-25 years. This is the final of three age-based reports: indicators presented in 2017 had a focus on the first five years of life, and the 2018 report had a focus on the health and wellbeing of under-15 year olds. Data for the indicators presented in this report were extracted in 2019 from a range of routinely collected national datasets. The report provides an analysis of the most recent data available for each indicator at the time of writing. Unadjusted rates should be interpreted in light of the differing patterns in age structure, ethnic composition, social and material deprivation in each DHB and in Aotearoa overall. Evidence for good practice is presented for each section, compiled from published scholarly literature and from publicly available guidelines, policies, and reports. Where possible, the evidence for good practice includes discussion of equity issues relevant to each indicator, to inform service planning and delivery. The two review topics included in this report were selected by DHB representatives: Alcohol use in young people by Lee Smith and Promoting mental wellbeing in schools by Judith Adams and Georgia Richardson. These two sections of the report can inform strategies to promote health and wellbeing for all young people. Intervention and treatment services, supportive environments, and healthy cultural norms around drinking are some key components to addressing hazardous alcohol consumption in Aotearoa’s youngest generations. Through school-based initiatives, services can support the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents and thus invest in their long-term flourishing. Navigating sexual and reproductive health is important to the lives of many young people. Information on reproductive planning and pregnancy rates can ...