Electra González

The Fortunes of Adolescent Mothers and Their Children: The Transmission of Poverty in Santiago, Chile

This study investigates these questions as applied to a group of mostly poor, adolescent mothers in Santiago, Chile. These young women, participants in the early 1980s in an adolescent reproductive health program of the University of Chiles teaching hospital, were first studied by Ramiro Molina and colleagues fromn late 1987 to early 1989. The present study, undertaken in 1991, reinterviewed the group of women and carried out new analyses of the existing data. Extensive evidence from the United States, while controversial, in general shows that the reproduction of poverty in mother-child pairs is more closely related to the loss of the fathers income than to the effect of the

Factores asociados a la continuidad del uso anticonceptivo en adolescentes solteras nulíparas

BACKGROUND Factors such as personal issues, family, sexuality and sexual partner characteristics are strongly associated with contraceptive continuation among single, nulliparous female adolescents. AIM To determine factors associated to contraceptive maintenance among female nulliparous adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cohort of 2,811 adolescents, who confidentially requested contraception in a sexual and reproductive health university center from 1990 to 2006 was analyzed. Two years after the request, their clinical records were reviewed to determine the time and length of contraception. Using life table analysis, the variables related to continuation or discontinuation of contraception were identified. RESULTS Factors associated with a longer contraceptive use were a lower age at the moment of initiating the method, a better academic achievement and aspirations, higher schooling of the partner, higher age of the mother, having an adolescent mother, supervision of permissions by people different than parents and not attending to religious services. Variables associated with a higher risk for abandonment were a higher age of the adolescent, greater number of sexual partners, lack of communication with parents, non-catholic religious affiliation, use of oral hormonal contraceptive, greater number of siblings, commenting sexual issues with relatives or friends, having a partner without academic activity or working and to live without parents. CONCLUSIONS Several personal, familial and environmental factors influence contraceptive use continuity among adolescents.

Bullying y calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en adolescentes escolares chilenos

BACKGROUND Bullying has a negative impact on the perception of adolescents of their quality of life. AIM To analyze the association between being bullied and health related quality of life in Chilean adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS The bullying module of the KIDSCREEN 52 survey and the KIDSCREEN 10 survey to assess health related quality of life were applied to 7737 students aged 10 to 18 years. Social and demographic data, information about disability and type of school were also gathered. RESULTS Fifteen percent of surveyed students were bullied. A lower quality of life perception increased by a factor of 2.6 among bullied students. It also increased by a factor of 4.4 among students with a low self-esteem, by a factor of 3.1 among those who perceived their health status as regular or bad and by a factor of 1.4 among women. CONCLUSIONS Bullying is associated with a lower quality of life perception among Chilean students.BACKGROUND: Bullying has a negative impact on the perception of adolescents of their quality of life. AIM: To analyze the association between being bullied and health related quality of life in Chilean adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The bullying module of the KIDSCREEN 52 survey and the KIDSCREEN 10 survey to assess health related quality of life were applied to 7737 students aged 10 to 18 years. Social and demographic data, information about disability and type of school were also gathered. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of surveyed students were bullied. A lower quality of life perception increased by a factor of 2.6 among bullied students. It also increased by a factor of 4.4 among students with a low self-esteem, by a factor of 3.1 among those who perceived their health status as regular or bad and by a factor of 1.4 among women. CONCLUSIONS: Bullying is associated with a lower quality of life perception among Chilean students. Language: es

Comparative performance of a combined injectable contraceptive (50 mg norethisterone enanthate plus 5mg estradiol valerate) and a combined oral contraceptive (0.15 mg levonorgestrel plus 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol) in adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To compare in a regular non-clinical trial experience the efficacy, acceptability, and continuation rates of an injectable contraceptive containing 50 mg norethisterone enanthate plus 5mg estradiol valerate (IC) and an oral contraceptive containing 0.15 mg levonorgestrel plus 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol (OC), among adolescent users. DESIGN A total of 251 adolescents ages 14-19 were followed during 12 months. The IC group (124 subjects) was studied for 1044 cycles and the OC group (127 subjects) was studied for 1368 cycles. The users were not assigned in a random selection. Information was collected from clinical records. Groups were compared using Pearson chi-square, odds ratio (95% confidence interval), t-test, and proportion difference test. RESULTS The IC group had significant differences in baseline social risk, confidence, psychiatric problems, consumption of alcohol, and number of sexual partners. At 12 months, the IC group showed significant decrease in weight and increase in hypermenorrhea. In the OC group, dysmenorrhea decreased, and hypomenorrhea and regular cycles were significantly more frequent. One pregnancy occurred in the OC group (Pearl Index: 0.88). Final continuation rates at 12 months were 41.9% and 37.8% for IC and OC, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The monthly injectable is a recommended contraceptive option for adolescents, especially for those facing psychosocial risk factors.

Motivo de inicio de actividad sexual en adolescentes desde una perspectiva de género: Cemera 2005 - 2006

Gender image is the basis through which adolescents, both male and female, start the process leading to the acquisition of their identity as women or men, since it leads them to acquire expected and pre-established behavior patterns that will determine what they “must be”, thus providing socialization tools. Therefore, it is in such context that the appraisal of the characteristics of sexual activity initiation may become a significant contribution to the design of strategies promoting the attainmentof a full development both in males and females. The present study aims at describing and comparing according to gender, the characteristics related to coital sexual activity initiation among adolescents admitted to Cemera during 2005 and 2006. This cross-sectional study used secondary data. The study population consisted of heterosexual adolescents aged between 10 and 19, who had initiated their sexual activity and attended consultation for family planning. The variables evidencing significant differences between males and females were: age, scholarship, attendance at religious services, age of initiation of smoking, alcohol consumption, social participation, relationship between parents, parental supervision, age of sexual activity initiation and sexuality discussions. There were no associations between the age of sexual activity initiation and other study independent variables, with exception of scholarship. The appraisal of trends in adolescent sexuality sets the basis for the development of rapprochement strategies specific to each vulnerable group, considering local realities, instances for understanding and individual styles of sexuality approach.