Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, and it encompasses elements of biological growth and major social role transitions. The age range for adolescence varies depending on the definition used. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as any person between ages 10 and 19, which is the most commonly used definition. However, a recent Viewpoint in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health proposed extending the definition of adolescence from 10–19 years to 10–24 years, as this definition corresponds more closely to adolescent growth and popular understandings of this life phase30022-1/fulltext).
During adolescence, individuals experience rapid physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth, which affects how they feel, think, make decisions, and interact with the world around them. Adolescents establish patterns of behavior related to diet, physical activity, substance use, and sexual activity that can protect their health or put their health at risk now and in the future.
The age range for adolescence can be broken down into different stages, which include early adolescence (ages 10-13), middle adolescence (ages 14-17), and late adolescence (ages 18-24). Each stage is characterized by different physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes. For example, during middle adolescence, physical changes from puberty continue, and most males will have started their growth spurt, while females will have completed puberty. Adolescents in this stage are very concerned about their appearance, and peer pressure may peak at this age.
In conclusion, the age of adolescence varies depending on the definition used, but it generally refers to the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19 according to WHO. Adolescence is a unique stage of human development characterized by rapid physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth, and it is an important time for laying the foundations of good health.
