Sammanfattning
Introduction: Today there is an expressed concern for children’s and adolescent health, and the
fact that many students do not complete highschool. In order to meet these challenges, school health
services need to be strengthened and multidiciplinary teams developed.
Main part: Describing the health challenges of adolescents today, and also different understandings
of body and health, we discuss, based on a phenomenological perspective, physiotherapists’
possible understanding and competence in meeting young people’s health challenges. Bodily
expressions can be said to be characterized by contradictions, which cannot be reduced to a simple
question of inactivity and obesity. What possibilities can be given to youth, enabling them to live
their bodies changing towards adulthood, - and how can physiotherapists contribute to this process?
Conclusion: What opportunities can be given in order to enable young people to live their changing
bodies towards adulthood? How can physiotherapists contribute to this process? In our opinion,
physiotherapists’ knowledge about body and movement related to experiences, health, participation
and function in the broadest sense, is a way of strengthening the multidisciplinary team in school
health care, both in prevention and health promotion activities for youth.