Determining adolescent health information needs: A survey in Geneva, 2022

Purpose

When adolescents feel that their opinions are valued and respected, they are more likely to seek and use health services. Our aim was to identify what health information adolescents in Geneva, Switzerland, want and how much they are willing to participate in health promotion, linking it to international recommendations.

Method

Data were collected from 970 adolescents (aged 12-15 years), between September and November 2022, using a classroom-based survey.

Results

Adolescents expressed their preferences: the study showed that the topics of sleep, self-perception, biology, mental health, and physical activity received the highest interest. Girls were more interested than boys in the issues of sleep, mental health, violence, and social life. Adolescents' increasing interest in sexuality issues as they get older is inversely proportional to their interest in other issues such as pandemics, medical research, and the environment, which they are more interested in during early adolescence. Everyone over two felt it was important to promote health in their social environment. And more than a third of teens are open to participating in such activities.

Discussion

Adolescents are open to various health subjects, except for pandemics. Age dependent interest highlights the importance of tailoring intervention programs. Adolescents consider health promotion important and are willing to participate, as recommended by the World Health Organization. By involving them as experts in their adolescence, we have taken an essential step. We strongly recommend continuing involving and trusting adolescents in shaping future interventions.