Youth Health: Investigating the Situation and its Challenges

This paper, applying meta-synthesis method, is designed to discuss main youth health issues in Iran.
The article, considering conceptual problems in defining "youth health", describes why young people’s health situation has been deteriorated. It also investigates why young people, in spite of advances in welfare conditions, are not at the stage of health policies. It concludes young people’s health behaviors are not at the priority of health policies.
In addition to conceptual problems in prioritizing "youth health", the article explores a disagreement between adults and young people on what really youth health is about. Since adults have the power to define and make policies, the article concludes that under these circumstances young people has been excluded from health welfare regimes.
After mentioning conceptual problems, the article, in a comparative sense, describes health related behaviors among young people. Both risk behaviors and health behaviors are expressed in details. The argument includes health knowledge, moral health, body image, physical activity, diet, eating disorders and dental health. It also consists of tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol and substance use. Citing these issues, the article reviews youth health behaviors in Iran.
Furthermore, the article discusses of determinants of health behaviors, pursuing to know which one, structural factors or human agency, better describes health situation among young people. Based on the facts, mentioned in the article, it has been approved that structural factors are yet the most important determinants of both states and statues of youth health. However it has been verified that effects of structural factors are changing due to the age of adolescents. It has been confirmed that while young people are growing up their lifestyle become more relevant in predicting their health situation.