By KEITH UPCHURCH

kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612

DURHAM -- The spotlight was on Durham's adolescents Thursday as parents, their children and others gathered at Hayti Heritage Center on Fayetteville Street to discuss ways to improve their health care.

The "town hall conversation'' drew more than 100 people who heard and discussed ideas for better health and ways to take advantage of the resources in Durham.

One mother, Shauntelle Evans of Durham, said she wants her two sons to develop good habits for a lifetime. "I'm interesting in learning different stuff for the adolescents, because they always focus on the adults and babies, but the adolescents seem to get lost in Durham. It's hard to get men into a clinic to get checkups, so I want to start them at an early age so they can keep on going with their health care.''

One of her sons, 11-year-old Marquise Evans, said he's more conscious about healthy eating. "I'm not eating a whole bunch of fried stuff,'' he said. "My blood pressure is excellent. I'm staying healthy.''

Another mother, Tewauna Patterson of Durham, has a 15-year-old son, Frankie. She said he's doing well in school, but she's concerned about peer pressure and the prevalence of gang violence in Durham.

Participants watched a DVD of interviews with adolescents about health concerns in Durham.

One youngster talked about how easy it is to opt for fast food instead of healthier fare.

Another said trying to ride the bus to doctor appointments and to the grocery store can be a problem because the buses are often late or break down.

And one teen suggested issuing vouchers to use the YMCA during certain periods, since many people can't afford to pay the monthly fee.

Kristian Ito, a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent medicine and is the Duke co-leader for the Adolescent Health Initiative, said health services in Durham need to be better coordinated.

"We can't have a healthy society without healthy youth,'' she said. "The habits that are established in adolescence continue into adulthood. So adolescence is a really crucial time for health promotion.''

Thursday's gathering was sponsored by the Adolescent Health Initiative, one of 10 teams given $100,000 planning grants to improve the health system. The grants are funded by Durham Health Innovations, a partnership between the Duke University Health System and the Durham community.