Healthy People is a multi-year cross-disciplinary public health initiative led by the federal government in close collaboration with a diverse group of individuals and organizations from partnering public and private entities. The Healthy People initiative began more than 30 years ago and continues its commitment to improving the quality of our Nation's health. The science-based initiative is centered around a framework for public health prevention priorities and actions. Most recently, Healthy People launched Healthy People 2020, outlining new 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention. The Healthy People 2020 agenda includes objectives and topics for adolescents with a goal of improving the healthy development, health, safety, and well-being of adolescents and young adults. A national public health focus on adolescents is critical: the behavioral patterns established during this developmental period help determine young people's current health status and their risk for developing chronic diseases in adulthood. Although adolescence and young adulthood are generally healthy times of life, several important public health and social problems either peak or start during these years. Healthy People 2020 identifies 11 objectives for improving the health of our nation's adolescents: 

Objectives

More information on these objectives can be found at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=2.

• AH-1: Increase the proportion of adolescents who have had a wellness checkup in the past 12 months
• AH-2: Increase the proportion of adolescents who participate in extracurricular and out-of-school activities  
• AH-3: Increase the proportion of adolescents who are connected to a parent or other positive adult caregiver 
  • AH-3.1: Increase the proportion of adolescents who have an adult in their lives with whom they can talk about serious problems
  • AH-3.2: Increase the proportion of parents who attend events and activities in which their adolescents participate
• AH-4: (Developmental) Increase the proportion of adolescents and young adults who transition to self-sufficiency from foster care  
• AH-5: Increase educational achievement of adolescents and young adults 
  • AH-5.1 (Leading Health Indicator): Increase the proportion of students who graduate with a regular diploma 4 years after starting 9th grade
  • AH-5.2: Increase the proportion of students who are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act who graduate high school with a diploma
  • AH-5.3: Increase the proportion of students whose reading skills are at or above the proficient achievement level for their grade 
  • AH-5.4: Increase the proportion of students whose mathematics skills are at or above the proficient achievement level for their grade 
  • AH-5.5: Increase the proportion of adolescents who consider their school work to be meaningful and important
  • AH-5.6: Decrease school absenteeism among adolescents due to illness or injury
• AH-6: Increase the proportion of schools with a school breakfast program
• AH-7: Reduce the proportion of adolescents who have been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property
• AH-8: Increase the proportion of adolescents whose parents consider them to be safe at school
• AH-9: (Developmental) Increase the proportion of middle and high schools that prohibit harassment based on a student's sexual orientation or gender identity
• AH-10: Decrease the proportion of public schools with a serious violent incident
• AH-11: Reduce adolescent and young adult perpetration of, as well as victimization by, crimes 
  • AH-11.1.1: Decrease the rate of minor and young adult perpetration of violent crimes
  • AH-11.2: Decrease the rate of minor and young adult perpetration of serious property crimes
  • AH-11.3: (Developmental) Decrease the percentage of counties and cities reporting youth gang activity
  • AH-11.4: (Developmental) Reduce the rate of adolescent and young adult victimization from crimes of violence