Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Research has shown that the number of health professionals in a country is related to the general health of citizens, where countries with a larger health workforce have populations with better health. Studies in the past have not examined if this relationship holds for adolescent health. This study uses data from 44 countries in North America and Europe to examine if the size of the health workforce predicts adolescent health. Data is used from the Health Behavior of School-aged Children survey, the World Health Organization, and the World Income Inequality Database. Although we have not yet completed analyses, we hypothesize that adolescents in nations with more health professionals will report better health. Results from this study can be used to inform health policies that aim to improve adolescent health and decrease health disparities by socioeconomic status.