Prevention At The Right Time: The Key To Young Adult Health
Keywords:
young adults, preventive medicine, screening, health promotion, primary prevention, secondary preventionAbstract
Preventive medicine focuses on maintaining health and reducing the risk of disease through planned actions that take place before symptoms appear. Preventive measures that are taken in a timely manner for young people are very important to reduce long-term health problems and premature deaths. Primary prevention deals with avoiding diseases through vaccines, changing habits and reducing risks, while secondary prevention focuses on early detection through testing and prompt management to prevent the disease from progressing.
It is very important to focus on mental health prevention in young adults, as early recognition and intervention can greatly reduce the long-term effects of mental health problems. Preventive measures for heart disease, diabetes and sexually transmitted infections are also very important due to the increasing number of cases and the long-term effects they have on this age group. Implementing comprehensive and timely prevention strategies in young adults not only helps improve the health of each individual, but also supports the health system by reducing the number of future illnesses and deaths.
Downloads
References
1. Greig AA, Tellier PP. Greig Health Record for Young Adults: Preventive health care for young adults aged 18 to 24 years. Can Fam Physician Med Fam Can. 2019 Aug;65(8):539–42. PubMed PMID: 31413021; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6693591.
2. Antza C, Gallo A, Boutari C, Ershova A, Gurses KM, Lewek J, et al. Prevention of cardiovascular disease in young adults: Focus on gender differences. A collaborative review from the EAS Young Fellows. Atherosclerosis. 2023 Nov;384:117272. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2023.117272
3. Tran DMT, Zimmerman LM. Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Young Adults: A Literature Review. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2015 Jul;30(4):298–310. doi:10.1097/JCN.0000000000000150
4. Lloyd-Jones DM, Hong Y, Labarthe D, Mozaffarian D, Appel LJ, Van Horn L, et al. Defining and Setting National Goals for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Reduction: The American Heart Association’s Strategic Impact Goal Through 2020 and Beyond. Circulation. 2010 Feb 2;121(4):586–613. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192703
5. Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J. Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health. Milbank Q. 2005 Sep;83(3):457–502. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x
6. Lau JS, Adams SH, Irwin CE, Ozer EM. Receipt of Preventive Health Services in Young Adults. J Adolesc Health. 2013 Jan;52(1):42–9. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.04.017
7. US Preventive Services Task Force, Krist AH, Davidson KW, Mangione CM, Barry MJ, Cabana M, et al. Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Promote a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Adults With Cardiovascular Risk Factors: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2020 Nov 24;324(20):2069. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.21749
8. Frieden TR. A Framework for Public Health Action: The Health Impact Pyramid. Am J Public Health. 2010 Apr;100(4):590–5. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.185652
9. Kruse CS, Bouffard S, Dougherty M, Parro JS. Telemedicine Use in Rural Native American Communities in the Era of the ACA: a Systematic Literature Review. J Med Syst. 2016 Jun;40(6):145. doi:10.1007/s10916-016-0503-8
10. Bodenheimer T, Bauer L. Rethinking the Primary Care Workforce — An Expanded Role for Nurses. N Engl J Med. 2016 Sep 15;375(11):1015–7. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1606869
11. Aggarwal R, Yeh RW, Joynt Maddox KE, Wadhera RK. Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence, Treatment, and Control in US Adults Aged 20 to 44 Years, 2009 to March 2020. JAMA. 2023 Mar 21;329(11):899. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.2307
12. Warburton DER, Bredin SSD. Health benefits of physical activity: a systematic review of current systematic reviews. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2017 Sep;32(5):541–56. doi:10.1097/HCO.0000000000000437
13. Lobstein T, Jackson-Leach R, Moodie ML, Hall KD, Gortmaker SL, Swinburn BA, et al. Child and adolescent obesity: part of a bigger picture. The Lancet. 2015 Jun;385(9986):2510–20. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61746-3
14. Murthy N, Wodi AP, Cineas S, Ault KA, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Lee GM, et al. Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2023. Ann Intern Med. 2023 Mar;176(3):367–80. doi:10.7326/M23-0041
15. Murthy N, Wodi AP, Cineas S, Ault KA, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Lee GM, et al. Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2023. Ann Intern Med. 2023 Mar;176(3):367–80. doi:10.7326/M23-0041
16. Lau JS, Adams SH, Irwin CE, Ozer EM. Receipt of Preventive Health Services in Young Adults. J Adolesc Health. 2013 Jan;52(1):42–9. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.04.017
17. Carey RM, Whelton PK, for the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline Writing Committee*. Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: Synopsis of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension Guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Mar 6;168(5):351–8. doi:10.7326/M17-3203
18. Carey RM, Whelton PK, for the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline Writing Committee*. Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: Synopsis of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension Guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Mar 6;168(5):351–8. doi:10.7326/M17-3203
19. Duan D, Kengne AP, Echouffo-Tcheugui JB. Screening for Diabetes and Prediabetes. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2021 Sep;50(3):369–85. doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2021.05.002
20. US Preventive Services Task Force, Davidson KW, Barry MJ, Mangione CM, Cabana M, Caughey AB, et al. Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021 Aug 24;326(8):736. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12531
21. Low N, Redmond S, Uusküla A, Van Bergen J, Ward H, Andersen B, et al. Screening for genital chlamydia infection. Cochrane STI Group, editor. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Sep 13;2016(9). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010866.pub2
22. Colizzi M, Lasalvia A, Ruggeri M. Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: is it time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care? Int J Ment Health Syst. 2020 Dec;14(1):23. doi:10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9
23. Salazar De Pablo G, De Micheli A, Solmi M, Oliver D, Catalan A, Verdino V, et al. Universal and Selective Interventions to Prevent Poor Mental Health Outcomes in Young People: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2021 May;29(3):196–215. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000294
24. Kleinert S, Horton R. Adolescent health and wellbeing: a key to a sustainable future. The Lancet. 2016 Jun;387(10036):2355–6. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30297-5
25. Greig AA, Tellier PP. Greig Health Record for Young Adults: Preventive health care for young adults aged 18 to 24 years. Can Fam Physician Med Fam Can. 2019 Aug;65(8):539–42. PubMed PMID: 31413021; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6693591.
26. McGill HC, McMahan CA, Herderick EE, Malcom GT, Tracy RE, Strong JP. Origin of atherosclerosis in childhood and adolescence. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Nov;72(5):1307s–15s. doi:10.1093/ajcn/72.5.1307s
27. Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, Buroker AB, Goldberger ZD, Hahn EJ, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2019 Sep 10;140(11). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678
28. Colizzi M, Lasalvia A, Ruggeri M. Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: is it time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care? Int J Ment Health Syst. 2020 Dec;14(1):23. doi:10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9
29. Salazar De Pablo G, De Micheli A, Solmi M, Oliver D, Catalan A, Verdino V, et al. Universal and Selective Interventions to Prevent Poor Mental Health Outcomes in Young People: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2021 May;29(3):196–215. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000294
30. Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J. Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health. Milbank Q. 2005 Sep;83(3):457–502. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x
31. Frieden TR. A Framework for Public Health Action: The Health Impact Pyramid. Am J Public Health. 2010 Apr;100(4):590–5. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.185652
32. Carrillo De Albornoz S, Sia KL, Harris A. The effectiveness of teleconsultations in primary care: systematic review. Fam Pract. 2022 Jan 19;39(1):168–82. doi:10.1093/fampra/cmab077
33. Sanders GD, Neumann PJ, Basu A, Brock DW, Feeny D, Krahn M, et al. Recommendations for Conduct, Methodological Practices, and Reporting of Cost-effectiveness Analyses: Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. JAMA. 2016 Sep 13;316(10):1093. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.12195
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bianca Buciavaras, Ancuta-Georgiana Copot, Ana-Maria Manaila, Teodora-Ana Lepadatu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
