Construcción y validación de una escala para evaluar salud sexual y reproductiva en adolescentes mujeres de la Región Caribe Colombiana / The Development and Validation of a scale to measure Reproductive and Sexual Health of young women in the Colombian Caribbean region

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo el diseño y validez de una escala para evaluar salud sexual y reproductiva. Participaron 919 estudiantes mujeres entre 11 a 19 años quienes respondieron el cuestionario, que evalúa actitudes y normas subjetivas, basado en planteamientos de la teoría de comportamiento planeado. Con el objetivo de comprobar la fiabilidad y validez del instrumento, se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio y un análisis de componentes principales con rotación VARIMAX. Esta investigación incluye dos estudios independientes, en el estudio 1 (prueba piloto) la versión del pilotaje inicialmente constaba de 172 ítems y disminuyó a 78 en la muestra final. Para el estudio 2, en la escala de actitud se reporta una media de 3.68 (D.E. = 1.21) y un a= 0.91. Se extrajeron dos factores agrupados en dos dimensiones que explican un 67.10%; en la escala de normas subjetivas se obtuvo media de 3.80 (D.E. = 1.10) y un a= 0.97. Los ítems se adecuan a la matriz factorial. Se extrajeron 11 factores de los cuales son interpretables 9 y se explican en un 75.89%. En conclusión, el instrumento confirma una confiabilidad adecuada y estabilidad estructural de gran utilidad para la comprensión e implementación de estrategias de acción en sexualidad reproductiva en mujeres adolescentes.

This article describes the design and validation of a scale for evaluating reproductive and sexual health. 919 young females from 11 to 19 years in five Caribbean- Colombian cities were administered the questionnaire that assesses attitudes and subjective norms about the reproductive sexuality, based on the planned behavior theory (Ajzen & Fishbein, 2000). The reliability and validity of the instrument was analyzed through exploratory factorial analysis with principal components and VARIMAX rotation. The methodology includes two independent studies; in study 1 (pilot test) the first questionnaire consisted of 172 items and decreased to 78 in the final sample. For study 2, the attitude scale reported (Mean = 3.68, ED = 1.21) and Cronbach's alpha reliability was 0.91. Two factors were extracted and grouped into two dimensions that explain 67.10% of the variance. For the subjective norms scale (Mean = 3.8, ED = 1.1) Cronbach's alpha reliability was 0.97 and eleven factors were extracted and grouped into nine dimensions, which explain 75.89% of the variance. The scale showed good reliability and structural stability for the analysis and design of programs for sexual and reproductive health in adolescent girls.

Changes in the hormone and lipid profile of obese adolescent Saudi females with acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease affecting a majority of the adolescent population. The objective of this study was to test for a correlation between fasting serum lipid profiles and levels of testosterone, insulin, leptin, and interleukin 1-β (IL-1β) and the incidence of severe acne vulgaris in obese adolescent females. Four groups of adolescent females were studied: obese with acne, obese without acne, non-obese with acne, and non-obese without acne. Obese females with acne, compared to obese females without acne and non-obese subjects, had significantly higher serum triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein-B (apo-B) (mean ± SD: 197 ± 13.7 vs 171 ± 11.5, 128 ± 8.3 vs 116 ± 7.7, 96 ± 13.7 vs 85 ± 10.3 mg/dL, respectively) but significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apo-A1 levels (40 ± 3.3 vs 33 ± 3.5 and 126 ± 12 vs 147 ± 13 mg/dL). Serum testosterone, insulin and leptin levels were significantly higher in obese subjects with or without acne compared to non-obese females with or without acne (3 ± 0.5 vs 2.1 ± 0.47, 15.5 ± 3.3 vs 11.6 ± 3, 0.9 ± 0.2 vs 0.6 ± 0.15 nmol/mL, respectively). Serum IL-1b was significantly elevated in obese and non-obese subjects with acne compared to subjects without acne; in those without acne, these levels were higher in obese than non-obese subjects (2.4 ± 0.2, 1.4 ± 0.1 vs 1.8 ± 0.12 and 1.3 ± 0.11 pg/mL, respectively). Our results indicate that there is a relationship between obesity (BMI >27) and acne. By early recognition, the etiology and treatment protocol of acne may prevent unwanted conditions.

Iron Status of the Adolescent Females before and after Menarche

This study was performed to determine the iron status of the adolescent Korean girls before and after menarche. The 101 subjects aged 11-13 years who attending in an elementary school in Mokpo were recruited. They were divided into pre-menarche (A) group or post-menarche (B) group based on their menstruation status. The latter subjects were sub-divided into one of the four groups according to the times of their menstruation B-I(> or =3 times), B-II (4-6 times), B-III (7-9 times) or B-W (> or =10 times). In the total subjects, dietary iron intake, 11.3 mg/day, was below the Korean RDA for iron, the percentage of heme iron to total iron intake, 15%, and the bioavailability of dietary iron, 12.3%, seemed to be low. And their body iron storage, 140.8 mg, seemed to be insufficient. However, they tended to meet body's iron requirement in the cell level. Red blood cell number (RBC), hematocrit (Hct), and hemoglobin (Hb) level in the total subjects were 4.5 1012/I, 39.3%, and 13.0 g/dl, respectively. The subjects in B group had lower (p<0.05) RBC and Hct compared to those in A group and the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia tended to be high. Serum iron, ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and sTfR:ferritin ratio were 86.7microgram/d, 17.6microgram/l, 3.58 mg/1, and 230, respectively. Those four indices were not significantly different among the groups. The results of this study imply that, although there a tendency to affect negatively iron status, menstrual blood loss in adolescent females does not deteriorate obviously their iron status during the relatively short period up to 1 you. However, it should be better to improve their iron status after starting menarche by increasing iron intake, especially heme-iron, and enhancing factors for iron absorption.

The Intake, Preference, and Utilization of Kimchi in Female High School Students / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the intake, preference, and utilization of kimchi in female high school students. A questionnaire was used as the instrument of investigation. The subjects were 371 female high school students in Chonbuk province. More than 80% of the subjects had eaten 8 kinds of kimchies Korean cabbage kimchi, cubed radish kimchi, radish leaves kimchi, green onion kimchi, salted cucumber, watery radish kimchi, radish root & leaves kimchi, and Korean wild radish kimchi. The subjects living in urban areas ate more stalk of sweet potato kimchi and leaf mustard kimchi, however the subjects living in rural areas ate more sedum kimchi. The subjects in large families ate more leaf mustard kimchi and sedum kimchi. The preferred kinds of kimchi were radish kimchi, Korean cabbage kimchi, cubed radish kimchi, and cucumber radish kimchi. Seventy-four point four percent of the subjects liked kimchi, whereas 1.6% of them disliked it. The reason eating kimchi was 'custom'(59.0%), 'taste'(30.7%), 'nutrition'(4.3%), 'traditional flod'(2.7%), and 'parents advice'(2.7%). 38.4% of the subjects in urban area ate kimchi for taste whereas 25.0% of them in rural area did. They prefefrred 'well fermented', 'hot', and 'very pungent' kimchi. The preferred dishes made with kimchi were stir-fried rice with kimchi, kimchi stew, pan-fried kimchi, and rice with bean sprouts & kimchi.