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Over 42 million adolescents (ages 10 to 19) live in the United States, making up roughly 14 percent of all Americans.1 About 9.8 percent of youth ages 12-17 lack health insurance.2 The health care needs of adolescents are different from those of adults and children. Although adolescents are generally healthy, access to health care, preventive care, and health education is important to ensure continued health throughout their lives.3 The behavioral patterns established during the second decade of life help influence not only the current health status of adolescents, but their risk for developing chronic diseases into adulthood. For example, adolescents who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. In addition, there are significant disparities in outcomes among racial and ethnic groups for adolescents. In general, adolescents and young adults who are African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Latino, especially those who are living in poverty, experience worse outcomes in a variety of areas (obesity, teen pregnancy, tooth decay, and educational achievement) compared to adolescents who are White or who are more economically advantaged.