The Department of Health collects and gathers information about adolescents and young adults in Washington from state and federal resources.
Why is Adolescent Health data important?
During adolescence, young people are experiencing many changes in their bodies, minds, and lives. These changes impact their overall wellbeing, their social and emotional states, and their behaviors.
Data and information about young people help adults understand where young people are strong and are experiencing successes, and where young people may be struggling and need additional support. Data on adolescents and young adults is important to planning programs, projects and systems that serve young people, to ensure services and supports meet young people where they are at.
State of Adolescent Health
- In 2020, there were nearly 1 million young people aged 10-19 in Washington State. That is more than ever before. This tells us that public health services for adolescents and young adults are needed more now than ever. (2022 at Estimates of April 1 population by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin | Office of Financial Management (wa.gov))
- Teen pregnancy rates are down in Washington and are lower than the national average. This tells us teen pregnancy prevention strategies – like Family Planning, Comprehensive Sexual Health Education and initiatives that are youth-friendly and culturally responsive – are working. (CDC 2022)
- 74% of 12th graders reported moderate or high on the Hope Scale, which defines hope as the belief that the future can be better than the past and you play a role in making it so. Research has shown that hope can be taught and is connected to academic achievements, well-being, and positive outcomes. (HYS 2021)
- 20% of 10th and 12th graders and 19% of 8th graders reported having considered attempting suicide. Young people need more mental health support than ever before. (HYS 2021)
- In 2021, over 30% of students reported they had not seen a doctor in the last 12 months, which means they may be missing key immunizations and important health discussions as a result. This tells us we have more work to do to get more young people in for yearly doctor check-ups. (HYS)
What’s Here
These dashboards present state-level data that describes the current state of young people in Washington, including demographics, teen pregnancy rates, and behavioral health among youth in Washington.
View the Data
Additional Adolescent Health Data Resources
- Adolescent Well-visits Data, Healthcare Authority
- Teens and Young Adults
- About the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Unit (AYAH) | WaPortal.org
- The National Survey of Children’s Health - Data on physical and mental health, healthcare access, and more.
- Healthy Youth Survey - Student answers to questions about mental health, substance use, safety and violence, and related risk and protective factors.
- Community Health Assessment Tool - Health-based data for community health assessments.
- Analytics Research and Measurement Dashboard Suite - Information about health services use by Washington State Medicaid enrollees.
- Behavioral health Treatment Needs and Outcomes Dashboard - Information on behavioral health needs, characteristics and outcomes of children and youth ages 0-20 who are enrolled in Medicaid.
- Young Adult Health Survey - Information about youth behaviors and links to data briefs.
- Population and Demographics tools - Population estimates and projections for the state.
Contact Us
For information or questions related to the Washington Tracking Network, email DOH.WTN@doh.wa.gov.
To learn more about Adolescent Health programs at DOH, see About the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Unit, WaPortal.org
Let Us Know How You Use Our Data
We love hearing about how our data is being used to make an impact on the health of Washingtonians. It also helps us to know what is meeting our users’ needs and how we can improve the information we provide. If you used our data, please tell us about it by sending an email to DOH.WTN@doh.wa.gov.
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