Sunny outlook helps teens grow up healthier

Washington: Teenagers who retain a sunny outlook during these years seem to grow into better health as adults, not facing the likelihood of engaging in negative behaviour such as smoking, binge drinking, drugs and eating junk food, says a study.

"Our study shows that promoting and nurturing positive well-being during the teenage years may be a promising way to improve long-term health," said study co-author Lindsay Till Hoyt, a doctoral student in human development at the US` Northwestern University. The results come from the analysis of data collected from 10,147 young people as part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Journal of Adolescent Health reports. The survey began collecting data on this set of teenagers in 1994, asking them a series of questions, including questions about their physical and emotional health and well-being. The group was followed up on in 1996 and 2001. "Our results show that positive well-being during adolescence is significantly associated with reporting excellent health in young adulthood," said Emma K. Adam, study co-author and associate professor of education and social policy at the university. IANS