ABSTRACT
Adolescence and youth are stages of life that offer great opportunities for reduction of future health needs. A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the physical, mental, emotional and social health status of adolescents and youths attending 2 large universities in Benghazi city, Libya, and to determine variables associated with their health status. Stratified sampling was used to select 383 students aged 17-24 years and data were collected by face-to-face interview and self-administered questionnaires. Major health problems were depression/anxiety and pain/discomfort, and these were suffered by significantly more females than males. Mental health was at the transitional stage in Dabrowski's emotional development theory [spontaneous multilevel disintegration]. Females had higher levels of emotional development. Regular physical activity was practised by 34.7% overall [25.8% of women] and 17.2% were smokers. The main social activity was visiting family members
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Health Surveys , Mental Health , Depression/epidemiology , Anxiety/epidemiology , Pain/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Sex Distribution , Motor ActivityABSTRACT
The increasing incidence of trauma due to road crashes and violence has increased the need for an efficient emergency medical service. This cross-sectional study was based in a surgical emergency care facility in Benghazi city, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. A representative sample of 391 admissions and 492 deaths was drawn from hospital medical records over a 6-year period [2000-05]. A higher proportion of patients were males among both deaths and admissions. Surgical emergencies for females were less serious and less likely to be fatal. The most vulnerable age for admissions was 25-49 years [37.6%] and for deaths was 60+ years [37.0%]. Noncommunicable diseases were responsible for 50.0% of deaths and 61.6% of admissions; the remainder were classified as injuries. The causes of surgical emergencies not only highlight priority areas for hospital management but also have relevance for community health management