Transition to Adulthood Associated With Decrease in Annual Well Visits

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — As teens transition to adulthood, many begin to skip yearly wellness visits with a primary care provider, according to a study published online Dec. 19 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Morayo Akande, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues explored adolescents and young adults” (AYAs”) longitudinal patterns for annual well-visit attendance (WVA) and associations with WVA. The analysis included data from 2,766 participants in the NEXT Generation Health Study followed annually for seven years (ages 15 to 23 years).

The researchers found that among male participants, 66 percent were “engaged,” 17.7 percent were “engaged with decline,” and 17 percent were “persistently disengaged.” A similar pattern was seen for female participants: 67 percent were “engaged” and 19 percent were “engaged with decline,” but 13 percent were “gradually reengaged.” Male participants with chronic health conditions were significantly more likely to be “engaged.” Female participants with depressive symptoms were significantly less likely to be “engaged.” There were also significant associations between WVA class membership and health insurance status, family affluence, race/ethnicity, geographic region, and youth/parental nativity.

“These life changes can have physical and mental health impacts,” lead author Arik V. Marcell, M.D., also from Johns Hopkins, said in a statement. “Attending yearly wellness visits is an opportunity to screen and provide care for risky or dangerous behavior, including drug use.” 

Abstract/Full Text