[Social capital, poverty and self-perception of family support in cases of acute respiratory illness]. / Capital social, pobreza familiar y autopercepción de apoyo en casos de enfermedad respiratoria aguda.

The aim of this study was to correlate the socio structural variables of the Simplified Index of Family Poverty with the self-perception of resources that conform social capital among patients with acute respiratory disease (ARD). We used a qualitative and quantitative methodology. The sample included 848 cases distributed in seven Rural Medicine Units of Mexico. We considered three pathways described by Kawachi where social capital might have an impact on individual health. The bivariate correlation and discriminant analysis showed that when there is evidence of poverty in the family, the statistically significant differences are mainly observed in self-perception. Moral support of sons and daughters is thereby increased when there is an ARD. We concluded that when there is a higher index of family poverty there is a decreased access to social resources when a family member is diagnosed with an ARD.

[Factors of risk of bacterial vaginosis]. / Factores de riesgo asociados a vaginosis bacteriana.

OBJECTIVES: To recognise factors in the host that might condition the appearance of the bacterial vaginosis (BV) syndrome, whether gynae-obstetrical factors, habits of sexual conduct, hygiene, or other factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational study. SETTING: The study was conducted from January 2002 to June 2003 in the Primary Care Dr. Jose Castro Villagrana Community Health Centre at Tlalpan, Mexico City. PARTICIPANTS: 968 patients with an active sexual life who had not taken antibiotics for at least 15 days before the study and who were not menstruating at the moment of taking a swab, 859 of whom had a diagnosis of cervico-vaginitis and 109 had no symptoms. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Confidential questionnaire and a cervical-vaginal culture. The Amsel criteria were used to make the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS: There was 32.9% prevalence of BV. There was a statistically significant association with factors such as age, start of active sexual life, the number of sexual relations per week, the number of sexual partners, and pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial vaginosis is the main cause of infectious processes in the vagina. Its appearance appears to be linked to factors involving sexual transmission. Interventions to reduce its prevalence and complications are recommended.