Promoting healthy weight in young people, helping young people achieve more and looking at the role of nursing in supporting young people: these are among the challenges being addressed at an event at the University of the West of Scotland on Friday.
Promoting healthy weight in young people, helping young people achieve more and looking at the role of nursing in supporting young people: these are among the challenges being addressed at an event at the University of the West of Scotland on Friday.
Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Harry Burns, will give the keynote speech on the theme of How Health is Created. He has previously argued for a psychosocial model of health, which acknowledges that Scotland's poor public-health context can be explained partly by issues such as poverty and a feeling of lack of control in the lives of many people.
The conference, Getting it Right for Scotland's Young People: Promoting Health & Wellbeing, will bring together delegates from a wide range of professions including teaching, medicine and nursing, the police, social work and the voluntary sector to share their expertise.
Organisers say the focus on young people's health is timely, with obesity, pregnancies and mental ill-health having increased among teenagers in recent years.
Dr Burns received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland in November 2006 in recognition of his contribution to Scottish society. As chief medical officer, he has a direct role in the development of health policy in Scotland.
Paul Martin, Dean of the university's faculty of education, health and social sciences, said his involvement was an indication of the prominence of the issue. "We are delighted that Dr Harry Burns is going to deliver the keynote speech," he said.
"Promoting health and wellbeing of young people is a hugely important issue and this conference will bring together key professionals working in this specialised field to share their expertise."
Young people's drug use and the effectiveness of prohibition are also on the agenda, and the multi-disciplinary event will look at what mechanisms are in place for promoting health and wellbeing among Scotland's young and how these can be enhanced by greater partnership working.
As well as Dr Burns, speakers include Dr Anne Scoular, consultant in public health medicine, who will discuss the idea of promoting healthy weight to young people; Dr Kenneth Gray, deputy headteacher of Douglas Academy, Milngavie, who will explore how young people can be helped to achieve; solicitor Deidre Watson, who will look at young people and advocacy; Dr Kathy Leighton, consultant psychiatrist; Pauline McGough, consultant in sexual health medicine; Iain McPhee of UWS's drug, alcohol research and teaching unit; and Maureen Bell, consultant nurse.
- Getting It Right for Scotland's Young People will be held at the UWS's Paisley campus on Friday. See www.workingtogethergroup.org.uk/webs/56/documents/ 2009YoungPeople'sConference Flyer.pdf
