ABSTRACT
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University/ Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A.
INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is the critical process in which the child leaves childhood dependency and approaches a stage of human development in which dramatic changes develop leading to adulthood (1). It is a complex period with major physiologic, sociological, and psychological changes. The goal of adolescence is to allow the emergence of adults who are autonomous and ready to function at appropriate sexual, intellectual, and vocational levels and contribute to the society that hopefully nurtured them. Various terminology is used when discussing this age group, whether child (under the age of 18 years), adolescent (ages 10-19 years), youth (ages 15-24 years), or young people (ages 10-24 years) (2). There are over 1 billion adolescents on the planet, and 50% of the world’s population is now under 25 years of age (3). Approximately 85% of adolescents live in developing countries.
