ABSTRACT
A child, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), is ‘a human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier’. Most countries consider the age of 18 years to be the legal threshold for childhood. Previously, children were regarded as ‘little’ adults, erroneously creating the impression that health and life outcomes largely depended on genetic factors. However, over the last four decades, scientific evidence has shown that an individual’s growth and development are mostly shaped by the environment in which the individual is born, grows, lives, plays, and attends school. Adolescence is a phase of life between childhood and adulthood. The World Health Organization defines adolescence as a period between the ages of 10–19 years and youths as people between the ages of 10 and 24 years. This chapter will explore theories and contemporary global health issues of children and adolescents and their intersections with social and structural determinants of health.
