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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Latvia

Latvia

7. Health and Well-Being

Last update: 28 November 2023

Smoking, the use of alcohol and drugs, the consumption of unhealthy food and obesity as a consequence of unhealthy lifestyles are some of the most important EU-level priorities in the field of youth health.

Although overall, the health status of young people in the EU is considered good, questions about the availability of health services and quality of life in selected youth target groups - low income families, out-of-home care young people, unemployed young people, young people in rural areas and others - are topical. etc.

Although an overwhelming majority of Latvian youth assess their health status well, about half of young people are considered to be sedentary or inactive individuals physically active who do not spend more than 2.5 hours a week on physical or sporting activities. At the same time, most young people have a variety of opportunities to do sports: running, using the gym, playing team sports games.

Limited possibilities for young people to take a swim are limited, although about 1/2 of the young people are also available. However, despite the availability of opportunities, only a small proportion of young people in Latvia are active sportspersons or physical activity performers.

At the same time, the tendency to increase the proportion of young people who eat healthy food on a daily basis is a positive trend - an increase of 10% over the last six years.

The provision of good health care, the provision of sports activities and the combating of youth addiction are areas that should be given increased attention in planning youth health and wellness activities.