Long-term consequences of adolescent health behaviors: implications for adolescent health services.

The authors discuss the evidence supporting the effectiveness of adolescent preventive services to influence health outcomes, the magnitude of the long-term consequences of adolescent health-compromising behaviors, and their implications for health policies. Particular attention is given to the contribution that behaviors participated in or begun during adolescence have on long-term health, including cancer and heart disease. They postulate the health benefits that might accrue from the widespread implementation of comprehensive adolescent preventive services, assuming a conservative estimate of effectiveness, could be significant.