[Physical exercise and food habits: a study of adolescents in Cádiz]. / Ejercicio físico y hábitos alimentarios: un estudio en adolescentes de Cádiz.

BACKGROUND: A increased number of eating disorders among teen-agers are currently being reported. Physical exercise, especially when done individually, is one of the methods chosen for losing weight. We are basing this study on the hypothesis of a larger number of eating habit disorders (EHD's) in subjects who do physical exercise alone. This study describes and compares eating habits among teen-agers that do individual exercise as opposed to athletes who work out in groups or on teams. METHOD: Cross-section study of 532 teen-agers ages 14-18 who are enrolled in school and who do physical exercise, having been selected at random by means of a two-stage, stratified sampling process. The subjects were divided into two groups according whether they did individual physical exercise alone (Number: 216) or in groups (Number: 316). The eating habits of both groups were analyzed based on a questionnaire filled out by the subjects themselves. RESULTS: In the group preferring individual sports, females were predominant (degree of males 0.44). Of these females, their being on diets in order to lose weight was 3.12 times more frequent, compulsive eating episodes being 3.73 times more frequent. As regards behaviors which might be considered to be compensatory, there is a clear concentration thereof among those who do sports individually, hence 43% stated to voluntarily undergo periods of fasting (4.96 times more than those who exercise in groups), 46% stating to have brought on vomiting at one time or another for "dieting" purposes (3.76 more) and up to 26% have used laxatives with the intention of losing weight (2.56 times more than among athletes who play on teams). CONCLUSION: The existence of EHD's seems to be associated with teen-agers who play individual sports as opposed to those who play on teams.

[Level of knowledge about nourishment/nutrition among school adolescents in Cadiz]. / Nivel de conocimientos sobre alimentación/nutrición en adolescentes escolarizados de Cádiz.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of knowledge about nourishment/nutrition and how this knowledge is distributed among school adolescent population in the town of Cádiz. DESIGN: Descriptive and transversal study. SETTING: Schools. PARTICIPANTS: Sample of 630 subjects from the school adolescent population in the town of Cádiz. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The average level of knowledge about nourishment/nutrition is 6.63 (in a 0-13 scale). No significant differences were found according to the perception of proportion or disproportion in height and weight, level of concern about body fats and getting fat, diets, avoiding some food or taking some medication, dietary fibers and infusions or any other weight-reducing products and physical exercise and fitting. The relationship between the level of knowledge and the BMI is very close to statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: We found a middle level of knowledge about nourishment/nutrition. We think this level of knowledge should be raised and other factors determining healthy habits should be considered. It is necessary to go on with research and contextualize nourishment habits.

[Adolescence and contraception]. / Adolescencia y contracepción.

The birthrate has decreased for all age groups except for adolescents. 4.51% of all pregnancies in Spain fall within the 15-19 year old age group. The prevention of adolescent pregnancy indicates the need for making family planning services more accessible to young people. The object of this study was a review of medical consultations performed in 1993 with adolescents at a family planning service. Among the most significant results are the following: the average age of menarche and coitus primaris was 11.8 years (+ or -2.2 years) and 16 years (+ or -1.7) respectively. The period between coitus primaris and the act of going to a family planning center was 9.1 months (+ or -2.3). 81.7% of those adolescents were advised to take oral contraceptives, 12.4% condoms, 1.96% the I.U.D. and 3.9% none. Among the most common side effects noted after taking oral contraceptives for 6 to 12 months were: psychic alterations (changes of mood, etc.), spotting, digestive upset, migraines and weight increase. The number of sexual partners before and after contraceptive use did not change significantly.

[Contraception in adolescents included in a family planning program]. / Anticoncepción en adolescentes incluidas en un programa de planificación familiar.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the motives of consultation, kinds of contraceptive methods and side-effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) in adolescent users of a family planning program. DESIGN: Family planning program at the District Primary Care Unit, Cádiz, Spain. PATIENTS: 283 adolescent females who requested attendance in a family planning program from January 1993 until January 1994. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A medical history of every adolescent was carried out and every patient was examined. Those who were recommended the use of OCs passed through 3 controls: at the beginning, after the 6th month and after 1 year. These controls consisted in recording sexual risk behaviours as well as several analytic tests. RESULTS: Most adolescents requested the prescription of contraceptive methods (81.7% of the most prescribed and demanded methods were OCs). We found no serious side-effects after 1 year, so we can conclude that OCs are an usefull contraceptive choice for sexually active adolescents because of its security, acceptance and easy use.

[Anthropometric assessment of the nutritional status of the adolescent population of Cádiz (Spain)]. / Valoración antropométrica del estado nutricional en una población adolescente de Cádiz.

OBJECTIVE: The results of a series of anthropometrical values of nutritional nature, which were used to determine corporal composition, are presented. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The samples were taken from schools in the city of Cádiz. A total of 945 young people between the ages of 10 and 17 years were used. In each case, tricipital skinfold thickness, Quetelet's index, brachial fat area and brachial adipose muscular quotient were determined. RESULTS: A comparison of the values we obtain with those of national studies showed our figures to be higher. CONCLUSIONS: The figures given for our adolescent population are intended to serve as a reference point for use in nutritional studies in this geographical area.

[The USFAM Study: the prevalence of allergic diseases in the school-age population of the province of Cádiz. I. Ubrique, San Fernando, Algeciras and Medina Sidonia]. / Estudio USFAM: prevalencia de las enfermedades alérgicas en la población escolar de la provincia de Cádiz. Parte I.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of allergic diseases in the school population of the province of Cádiz in order to confirm the hypothesis that these diseases are more frequent there than in the rest of the Spanish provinces. Four cities of our province were chosen (Ubrique, San Fernando, Algeciras and Medina Sidonia, whose initials form the acrostic USFAM) with clear differential characteristics (climatological, orographical, environmental, etc). In each city, schools, both public and private, were chosen at random. Complete classes were used, and the age-limit was that established in each school. A questionnaire was given to all of the parents who, together with the teachers, were given instructions for its completion. Of the 4,000 questionnaires distributed, 2,572 were correctly completed. Of these, 1,988 answered that their child was non-allergic and 584 as allergic (22.7%). The ratio male/female was almost 2/1 (64.4%/35.6%) and the largest prevalence of these allergic diseases was in the group of children between 10 and 13 years of age. We have found that the prevalence of this pathology in the province of Cádiz is higher than the national mean.

[Evaluation of the Andalusia Vaccination Program in the Sierra de Cádiz Sanitary District]. / Evaluación del Programa de Vacunación de Andalucía (PVA) en el distrito sanitario Sierra de Cádiz.

One of the foundations for good child care is the application of a vaccination program. With this report we evaluate the vaccination coverage (January 1991) of a group of children (1319), born during 1988 between January 1st and October 1st, in the Sierra of the District of Cadiz. Our results show that 87.64% participated in the Vaccination Program. The first vaccination was received by 80.06% of these children. This rate decreased as we advanced through the vaccination calendar, reaching 76.34% for the measles/mumps/rubella vaccination and 66.71% for the vaccination at 2 years of age. Therefore, one-third of this child population did not complete the vaccination schedule. The most frequently found complication was a local reaction, whereas the counter-indication most frequently observed was an acute infectious illness.