Youth’s role in active engagement in Jounieh community specially in health policies

Abstract

Introduction: Youth participation helps achieve the goals of the community and of youth programs. It results in improved knowledge, attitudes, talents, and behaviors. By addressing their developmental needs, involving the youth of the Children Municipal Council in Jounieh in health-related activities like health promotion and policies has the potential to improve the community’s health. Methods: The first objective was to assess the current status of youth involvement within the community. A mixed methodology (qualitative and quantitative) was used through semi – structured interviews (n=3) and a survey (n=23). The second objective was to increase the awareness of youth on the importance of their involvement. The intervention was carried through a training session on the social determinants of health, the policy making cycle and hands-on activities on health policies. Results: Just 15 (65%) of the CMC's 23 members took part in the suggested activities. Throughout the assessment and awareness phases, there were no dropouts. All three parties involved—the NGO himaya, the municipality of Jounieh, and the union of the municipalities of Kesserwan and Ftouh—accepted to participate in this study. Stakeholders stressed how crucial it is to include young people in health policies, particularly in needs assessments and awareness campaigns. 87% of the youth claimed that the lack of information about how to get involved in the health policy cycle was one of the main reasons why children may not be involved in discussions about health policies. The pre and post-tests following the intervention showed a 32% increase in acquired knowledge. Conclusion: Lebanon's youth have an indisputable right to participate in the conversation, and they require professional assistance to get the knowledge and resources they require. Further measures should be considered at the local and regional level.