Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The need to focus on adolescent health Older generations often say the "youth of today aren't resilient" yet Gen Z faces a rapidly changing world, such as COVID-19, climate change and technological advancements. HAPYUS Cohort 2024Positionality statement T his perspective article is co-authored by a diverse team of researchers and youth advisors.The researchers all identify as women and bring interdisciplinary expertise in adolescent health, nutrition, digital health, public health, and youth engagement.Collectively, we have held leadership roles in the International Association for Adolescent Health, Australian Association for Adolescent Health, and the Public Health Association of Australia.Our research is supported by funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, New South Wales Health, and the National Heart Foundation of Australia.The youth advisory group comprises adolescents aged 14-18 years from diverse cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds across NSW.Specifically, in the second cohort, 50% are aged 14-16 years, 50% are aged 17-18 years, 75% identify as girls/women, 44% speak a language other than English at home, and 25% live in rural or regional NSW.Young people in the Health Advisory Panel for Youth at the University of Sydney (HAPYUS) independently applied to join, submitting written statements that demonstrated significant maturity, commitment, and a strong passion for creating healthier societies for their peers.Their lived experience growing up in a digital era has directly shaped the perspectives presented in this article, with the research team supporting the integration of evidence.These youth are not participants but collaborators, and their ability to contribute meaningfully, combined with increasing recognition of adolescents' capacity to provide informed consent from age 14, supports their inclusion as co-authors without requiring parental or guardian consent.
Source: The Medical Journal of Australia
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52653
Institution: The University of Sydney
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,400
OpenAlex ID: W4409774939