Descriptive Overview of Adolescent Health Indicators in Humanitarian Settings: A Cross-Country Analysis

Purpose: An adolescent health information system is a relevantly new concept, especially in humanitarian settings. This article aims to map the available adolescent health indicators collected in selected humanitarian settings, identify the available data sources, and determine the alignment between these indicators and the draft list of priority indicators for adolescent health measurement recommended by the Global Action for the Measurement of Adolescent Health Advisory Group. Methods: We selected five countries experiencing humanitarian crises- Myanmar, Nigeria, Palestine, Ukraine, and Yemen. We identified the adolescent health indicators collected in each country using document analysis and a purposive sampling approach. We reviewed the primary population-based surveys used to gather adolescent health data and noted the most recent year each survey was conducted. The identified indicators were then categorized by measurement domains and specific areas of adolescent health.Results: The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and Demographic Health Survey were conducted in all five countries selected, but three out of five countries have not administered either within the last five years. Yemen and Palestine only included married women in their sample sizes, and no one younger than 15 was interviewed. Indicators most commonly assess reproductive health, tobacco use, and adolescent fertility. Limited data was found on younger adolescents, males, water, sanitation, hygiene, disability, and nutrition indicators. Discussion: Adolescent health information in humanitarian crises requires more frequent surveys, including all adolescent age groups, and unique data collection methodologies. The current surveys used to measure adolescent health indicators have limited ability to be inclusive to all adolescents. It is important to establish a list of priority indicators deemed essential in humanitarian settings and relevant ways to collect them.