[Behaviours and needs for health of secondary-school-adolescents in Sousse [Tunisia]]

It was a descriptive study bearing on a probabilistic sample of one-degree cluster composed of 685 adolescents studying in six secondary state schools in Sousse, during 1998 - 1999 school year. The facts had been collected through an anonymous and self administrated questionnaire. 23.3% of youngsters had a negative image of themselves. Parent-adolescent communication was inexistent in 30.6% of cases. At school. 24.3% of youngsters had a bad relationship with their teachers. One adolescent on four felt rather alone. One on three was not satisfied by leisure means put at his disposal. Alimentary behavior was disturbed for one adolescent on three. The prevalence rates of smoking and alcoholism were respectively 14.8% and 9%. At least, one suicide attempt was observed in 7.7%. Among sexually active youngsters, 23.8% did not use a contraceptive mean. This study revealed that adolescent was threatened by a hostile environment which may worsen his identity crisis and exposed him to adopt many risky behaviors

[Tracking of cardiovascular risk factors among school children: a four-year study of a population in Susa, Tunisia]

In order to confirm the phenomenon of tracking of cardiovascular risk factors among school children, we undertook in 2003, a prospective survey of a population of 789 pupils aged 13 to 15 years who had participated in a first investigation on cardiovascular risk factors in 1999. We were able to follow and study 453 pupils [57.4% of the initial population]. Prevalences of hypertension and obesity were respectively 11.3% and 6.1% without significant difference between sexes. On the other hand, hypercholesterolemia was significantly more elevated among girls than boys [16.1% versus 9.3%, p=0.039]. Children classified initially as hypertensive, obese or having a hypercholesterolemia were identified 4 years later at a subsequent exam as hypertensive, obese or having a hypercholesterolemia in respectively 25%, 48.9% and 59%. The stability of cardiovascular risk factors among children imposes an early screening for a better management and a policy of cardiovascular health promotion since childhood based essentially on prevention of risk factors in order to reduce the cardiovascular disease burden in adulthood