Impacto de la violencia doméstica sobre la salud reproductiva y neonatal / Impact of domestic violence on reproductive and neonatal health

Background: Domestic violence can have an important influence on mother and child health. Aim: To assess the consequences of remote and actual, emotional or physical, domestic violence on the reproductive and newborn health in pregnant women. Material and methods: A longitudinal epidemiological observation from an Urban Primary Health Care Center from Valdivia, Chile, in 1998. Two cohorts were studied: Pregnant women that experienced domestic violence (index group) and pregnant women not exposed to domestic violence (control group). Women were followed during pregnancy and at labor. The newborn was also assessed. Results: The index group had a higher relative risk (RR) for impending abortion (RR 1.44, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI): 1.07-1.93), hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy (RR 1.5, 95 per cent CI: 1.18-1.96), intrahepatic cholestasis (RR 1.5, 95 per cent CI: 1.1-1.94). Women that experienced violence during pregnancy had a higher risk of urinary tract infection (RR 2.88, 95 per cent CI: 1.28-6.43), intrauterine growth retardation (RR 3.7, 95 per cent CI: 1.77-7.93) and intrahepatic cholestasis. Newborns from the index group had lower weight, size and gestational age. Conclusions: Domestic violence is associated with hypertension during pregnancy and intrauterine growth retardation. The incorporation of bio-psychological evaluation and monitoring systems could attenuate the consequences of domestic violence

Violencia doméstica y sexualidad / Domestic violence and sexuallity

Background: women's reproductive health is closely related to the conditions in which intercourse is carried out with the sexual partner. Physical and emotional abuse is expressed as loss of bonds, reduction in self esteem and deterioration in interpersonal relationships. Aim: to assess the effects of domestic violence on pregnant women attitudes towards sexual relations with their partners, and to critically analyze the dependence of these variables on biosociodemographic factors, socioeconomic status and family functioning. Material and methods: sixty three pregnant women with a domestic violence background (index group) and 43 women without such background (control group) were subjected to a structured survey including questions about biosociodemographic variables, socioeconomic status, family relations, couple interactions and questions about attitudes towards sexual relations. Results: domestic violence was caused by the woman's partner or ex partner in 73 percent of cases. A greater family dysfunction and disturbance in the couple's relation was observed in the index group (p< 0,05). Association tests and multiple correspondence analysis did not show a clear correspondence between variables related to a woman's attitude towards sex relations and the risk of domestic violence. Conclusions: this quantitative methodology was unable to identify the reasons, interpretations and meanings that women with a background of violence, give to features associated with their sexuality

Qué, cuánto y cuándo bebe el estudiante universitario / What, how much and when does the university student drink?

The aim of this work was to define the epidemiological profile of alcohol ingestion and its associated risks, in universitary students. A social survey about drinking habits was performed to a random sample of 528 students, aged 17 to 26 years old, 54 percent male, from Austral University. Eighty two percent of males and 79 percent of females drink alcoholic beverages. They mainly consume beer and strong spirits. Their main comsumption is occasional, during parties or celebrations. Thirty percent of males and 15 percent of females had 3 or more inebretions during the last year. Nine percent of males and 3 percent of females can be considered as problem drinkers. Students that drink alcohol have lower grades that teetotalers. It is concluded that alcohol consumption is frequent among students