more_vert
Adolescents must be involved in the development of digital health care initiatives if they are to be engaging and effective.
More must be done to combat the growing burden of chronic disease in young people.
Yet adolescents (people aged 10–24 years) are rarely included in the development and design of digital health care initiatives aimed at them, with only 1% of adolescent health research including an adolescent voice.
Researchers from the University of Sydney have bucked this trend by collaborating with the Health Advisory Panel for Youth at the University of Sydney (HAPYUS) for a perspective article published this week in the Medical Journal of Australia.
The authorship team included researchers and youth advisory group members, aged between 14 and 18 years, with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Together, the authors have outlined five domains that they believe are crucial to the wellbeing of adolescents when developing digital health initiatives for them, and with them.
“Engaging adolescents in designing digital health initiatives is crucial for promoting wellbeing. Genuine partnerships that incorporate adolescents’ creativity, ideas and concerns can enhance the quality of digital health solutions,” the authors wrote.
“Discussions were conducted through group sessions, with all authors contributing to and approving the ideas expressed here. This approach stresses the importance of youth co-authorship on perspectives that are directly relevant to them.”
Domain 1: good health and optimum nutrition
Adolescents want to be able to confidently evaluate the health information they find online, but to do so, they will need improved health literacy.
There are limited engaging and interactive websites with health and nutrition information aimed at adolescents, and few of these websites are written explicitly for adolescents with easy-to-understand language.
“Co-designed educational interventions involving adolescents and health providers are necessary to achieve critical decision-making skills,” the authors wrote.
Adolescents also raised concerns about misinformation and weight stigma being spread by social media influencers.
While there are some restrictions on how influencers can promote products due to restrictions implemented by Instagram and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, adolescents are still exposed to misleading physique-focused, nutrition-related content.
“Addressing these concerns will require governments to implement further regulations regarding the quality of health information on social media platforms and provide education on critical health literacy skills.”
Domain 2: connectedness, positive values and contribution to society
Social media gives adolescents opportunities to create social networks, pursue interests, build their identity and engage with community support networks.
However, social media can also exacerbate peer pressure and loneliness, with 50% of teens aged 14–17 years reporting at least one negative online experience in 2020.
The authors believe more accountability is needed from social media companies.
“Effective digital technologies should address these dual aspects, promoting positive connections while mitigating negative impacts,” the authors wrote.
70% of adolescents have expressed a preference for social media as the platform where they receive information about government actions, but a social media ban on Australians under 16 years of age could limit adolescent participation in the matters that impact them.
“Without the broad reach of social media, engaging a broad population of adolescents would be challenging, limiting opportunities to known networks and potentially excluding many young people, thereby disregarding their opinions and voices.”
Domain 3: safety and a supportive environment
Adolescents need to be able to form meaningful social connections in digital environments while being safe from cyber bullying, privacy breaches and harmful content.
“Adolescents report negative online experiences, such as exposure to harmful content, desensitisation, and the normalisation of discrimination,” the authors wrote.
“Addressing these concerns requires stronger content regulations, algorithm transparency, and youth-led awareness platforms.”
There are also ongoing concerns with regulating digital marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to young people, with calls for strong government-led policy and mandatory regulation.
Domain 4: learning, competence, education, skills and employability
Digital technologies can help adolescents prepare for future employment through enhanced learning and skill development, but issues of digital equity remain, such as affordability, accessibility and digital literacy.
This inequity also impacts the use of digital technologies for health and wellbeing, with the adolescents most in need at risk of missing out.
“Ensuring all adolescents have access to digital resources is crucial for their development,” the authors wrote.
“Promoting diverse learning platforms, updating education curriculums with youth engagement, and supporting adolescents seeking employment are essential steps.”
Domain 5: agency and resilience
Agency and resilience can be fostered by empowering adolescents to control their digital footprint.
This can be supported by the government implementing robust data protection policies, committing to regulation of the private technology sector, and providing education on digital literacy and critical thinking to aid adolescents in making informed decisions as they form their digital identity.
Including adolescents in the co-design of digital health tools will be crucial to the success of digital health initiatives.
“Empowering adolescents to have control over digital health technologies has the potential to enhance their sense of agency through collective actions that contribute to improving the wellbeing of their generation.”
Read the perspective in the Medical Journal of Australia.
Subscribe to the free InSight+ weekly newsletter here. It is available to all readers, not just registered medical practitioners.