The Health of Young People Has Worsened in the Last Six Years

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) notes that the health of Indonesian youth has worsened over the past six years. This is evident in the increasing percentage of reported health complaints and morbidity rates experienced by young men and women (aged 15-44) during the 2016-2021 period.

BPS defines 'health complaints' as a condition where a person experiences a health or mental disorder, encompassing both physical and psychological complaints. 'Morbidity rate', on the other hand, refers to the percentage of the population experiencing health complaints that disrupt their daily activities.

According to BPS data, in 2016, 17.4% of young people experienced health complaints. This trend increased in subsequent years, reaching 21.24% in 2021.

A similar trend occurred in morbidity rates. BPS recorded a youth morbidity rate of only 8.54% in 2016, increasing to 10.23% in 2021.

Urban Youth Health Worse Than Rural Youth

Based on residence, the percentage of young people experiencing health complaints in urban areas reached 25.08% in 2021. This figure is higher than the 15.74% reported for rural youth.

By gender, health complaints were more prevalent among women (22.32%) than men (20.18%). Conversely, the morbidity rate was lower among women (8.99%) than men (11.45%).

Higher Expenditure, More Health Complaints

BPS also found that the higher the spending level of young people, the higher their reported health complaints and morbidity rates. Among the highest spending group, 24.28% of young people experienced health complaints. In the middle spending group, this figure reached 21.54%, while in the lowest spending group, it was only 19.06%.

(Also Read: 10 Provinces with the Highest Number of Young People Working as Farmers in 2021)