The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health: promising practices for youth and adults working in partnership.

The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health: promising practices for youth and adults working in partnership. Can J Public Health. 2019 Oct 08;: Authors: Ramey HL, Rayner ME, Mahdy SS, Lawford HL, Lanctot J, Campbell M, Valenzuela E, Miller J, Hazlett V Abstract SETTING: Canadian youth (aged 15-29 years) are more diverse, educated, connected and socially engaged than ever before. However, many face health-related challenges, including mental health problems (10-20%), substance use concerns (14%) and obesity (45%). INTERVENTION: The Young Canadians Roundtable on Health (YCRH) was created in 2013 to be Canada's youth voice on health. Supported by the Sandbox Project, this youth-led advisory works primarily virtually, leading advocacy projects and wide-ranging health initiatives. OUTCOMES: Youth and adult allies engaged in a participatory research evaluation of the YCRH, which was identified as a living laboratory, where youth could experiment with ideas and provide new perspectives on health issues. Adult allies reported learning new skills from youth, and youth gained advocacy and leadership skills. Collaborative projects resulted in a sense of shared achievement. Further, youth increased their connections to health and youth-serving spaces across the country. Identified challenges included difficulties in coordinating a national roundtable and defining shared responsibilities. IMPLICATIONS: The researchers gener...
Source: Canadian Journal of Public Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Can J Public Health Source Type: research