Comportamientos de riesgo para la salud en estudiantes colombianos recién ingresados a una universidad privada en Barranquilla (Colombia) / An assessment of health risk behaviors among first college students at a private university in Barranquilla (Colombia)

RESUMEN

Objetivo: Determinar los comportamientos de riesgo para la salud en estudiantes recién ingresados a una universidad privada durante el segundo semestre del 2006 y el primer semestre del 2007. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo; muestra 540 estudiantes de un total esperado de estudiantes al momento de realizar el cálculo de 2500 jóvenes. Se suministró un cuestionario modificado del Youth Risk Behavior Survey, desarrollado y validado por los Centros de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades. Se utilizó SPSS v13. Resultados: Promedio de edad 18 años; mujeres 52,7%. El 13,5% presentó sobrepeso y 2,6% obesos, 1 de 5 camina más de 10 minutos al día y 1 de 5 camina todos los días menos de media hora. Para el control del estrés 43,3% escucha música; el 67.2% ha consumido alcohol; 35,2% ha fumado. El 51,5% inició vida sexual; 56,6% utiliza método para planificación familiar. Prevalencia de enfermedades de transmisión sexual 1.1%. En el último año el 4,3% ha considerado el suicidio; de éstos 65,2% han realizado intentos. Conclusiones: Las conductas de riesgo son prevalentes por lo que se hacen imprescindibles estrategias para modular su influencia sobre la salud a corto y largo plazo...

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the health knowledge and behaviors of first year college students attending a private university in Colombia.Materials and methods: This descriptive study had a sample population of 540 students randomly selected from 2500 eligible students in the population. Data were collected using a modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 13. Findings. The average age in the sample was 18 years of age, 52.7% of the sample population were women, 13.5% were considered overweight and 2.6% were obese. 20% of the sample walks more than 10 minutes per day, and an additional 20% walks less than 30 minutes on a daily basis. Forty three percent listens to music as a stress management technique. Over two thirds of the study participants have consumed alcohol at least once in their lifestyle, 35.2% have smoked, 56% use some form of contraceptive methods, and 51.1% reported being sexually active. Only 1.1% of study participants reported an STI, 4.3% had considered suicide in the last year, and 65,2% had actually tried to commit suicide. Conclusions: Risk behaviors are prevalent among first year collage students making important to design strategies designed to ameliorate their influence in the health status of adolescents...