The ‘assets’ needed for a healthy life

In the first phase of work, the Health Foundation identified the factors and influences that young people felt that helped or hindered their transition to adulthood. Over 80 young people, aged between 22 – 26, participated in five engagement workshops across the UK. From these workshops, four assets were identified as central to their current life experiences.

Right skills and qualifications: whether they had gained the academic or technical qualifications needed to pursue their preferred career.

Personal connections: whether they had confidence in themselves and access to social networks or mentors able to offer them appropriate advice and guidance on navigating the adult world.

Financial and practical support: direct financial support from their parents or carers, such as being able to live at home at no cost as well as practical assistance, including help with childcare.

Emotional support: having someone to talk to, be open and honest with and who supports their goals in life. This could include parents or carers, partners and friends, as well as mentors.

The initial engagement work showed that not all young people have these assets and whether or not they have them leads to particular patterns of experience, with some experiences reinforcing each other, and a number of broad groups emerging. For more information, see the Listening to our future report and the joint Health Foundation and Association for Young People’s Health working paper. A subsequent literature review supports the importance of these assets in providing young people with the best opportunity for a healthy life.

In addition to these four assets, the housing and labour markets were repeatedly identified as external factors that affect their chances of a healthy future.


02 Mentors here refers to any adult who is not a family member or partner. Mentors could be teachers, tutors, youth leaders, parents of friends or any other trusted adult.

03 Shah R, Viner R, Hargreaves D, Heys M, Varnes L, Hagell A. The social determinants of young people’s health. The Health Foundation and the Association for Young People’s Health; 2018 (https://www.health.org.uk/publication/social-determinants-young-peoples-health)

04 Hagell A, Shah R, Viner R, Hargreaves D, McGowan J and Heys M. Young people’s suggestions for the critical assets needed in the transition to adulthood: To what extent does existing research support their hypotheses? Health Foundation Working Paper. London: Health Foundation; 2018

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