Health concerns of young adolescents.

Assessment of health concerns independent of health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors is important for understanding health among adolescents, who are being socialized into adult health roles yet have their own particular concerns. The health concerns of 278 young adolescents were examined with respect to 30 topics in a survey of all seventh- and eighth-grade students attending an urban school. Their highest levels of concerns pertained to dental health, friendships, nutrition, and sex; their lowest levels pertained to smoking, birth control, pregnancy, and homosexuality. Younger, female, and less healthy students expressed greater health concerns. Most desired class health presentations (particularly about sex), while relatively few requested private counseling on specific health topics. Health concerns need to be emphasized as a component of theoretical models, and also applied in the development of health education and school health programs.