Abstract

Research development in the adolescent health arena is increasingly called for, given the relative lack of robust data on the health of young people. However, specific issues need to be considered when researching this age group. Such issues include participation of young people in the research process, availability of adolescent-specific data, developmental considerations and the interface between paediatric and adult-orientated healthcare. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of participation of young people in research and to discuss the key areas for consideration for practitioners when conducting research involving young people.