ABSTRACT
The objective is to investigate the relation between cord blood mercury concentrations and child neurobehavioural functioning assessed longitudinally during childhood until pre-adolescence. METHODS: The study involves mothers and their offspring engaged in the Spanish INMA birth cohort (n = 1147). Total mercury (THg) was determined in cord blood. Behavioural problems were assessed several times during childhood using the ADHD-DSM-IV at age 4, SDQ at ages 7 and 11, CPRS-R:S and the CBCL at ages 7, 9 and 11. Covariates were obtained through questionnaires during the whole period. Multivariate generalised negative binomial (MGNB) models or mixed-effects MGNB (for those tests with information at one or more time points, respectively) were used to investigate the relation between cord blood THg and the children's punctuations. Models were adjusted for prenatal fish intake. Effect modification by sex, prenatal and postnatal fish intake, prenatal fruit and vegetable intake, and maternal polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations (PCBs) was assessed by interaction terms. RESULTS: The geometric mean ± standard deviation of cord blood THg was 8.22 ± 2.19 µg/L. Despite adjusting for fish consumption, our results did not show any statistically significant relationship between prenatal Hg and the children's performance on behavioural tests conducted between the ages of 4 and 11. Upon assessing the impact of various factors, we observed no statistically significant interaction. CONCLUSION: Despite elevated prenatal THg exposure, no association was found with children's behavioural functioning assessed from early childhood to pre-adolescence. The nutrients in fish could offset the potential neurotoxic impact of Hg. Further birth cohort studies with longitudinal data are warranted.
Subject(s)
Fetal Blood , Mercury , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects , Humans , Female , Mercury/blood , Spain , Pregnancy , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced , Child, Preschool , Child , Male , Fetal Blood/chemistry , Longitudinal Studies , Environmental Pollutants/blood , Birth Cohort , Adult , Cohort Studies , Maternal ExposureABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Sex education (SE) is a fundamental element of a fulfilling and safe life. Currently, education is understood beyond what happens inside the classroom. The aim of this research was to describe and to compare sex education resources available in official webs of Autonomous Communities of Spain (ACS) that to could be used in non-formal educational context. METHODS: A review of the ACS official web pages related to healthcare, education, youth, family and equality was made. Finally, 216 resources were selected for descriptive analysis. The resources were classified based on United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Technical Guidelines. RESULTS: 64% of resources were targeted at young people/adolescents. 80% dealt some specific issues, the most frequent being Reproductive Health, Violence and Gender. Values and Rights related to sexuality, Skills for Health and Well-being and Sexual behaviour are issues rarely addressed. Only 6 ACS were a social network profile related to SE. ACS with the widest diversity of issues addressed were Andalusia, Asturias and the Canary Islands. CONCLUSIONS: Homogeneity in the kind of resources and issues disparity reveals potential inequities in SE access in Spain. To enhance out-of-school environments learning can provide better successful health promotion. UNESCO's guidelines can be used to classify educational resource content and to identify the institutions that have best integrated actual SE paradigm.
OBJETIVO: La educación sexual (ES) es fundamental para una vida plena y segura. Actualmente, la educación es entendida más allá de lo que ocurre dentro de las aulas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir y comparar los materiales disponibles en las distintas webs oficiales de las comunidades y ciudades autónomas de España (CC. AA.) sobre ES y que puedan ser utilizados en contextos educativos no-formales. METODOS: Se realizó una revisión de las webs oficiales de las CC. AA. relacionadas con salud, educación, juventud, familia y/o igualdad. Se seleccionaron 216 recursos para su análisis descriptivo. Siguiendo las Orientaciones Técnicas de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO), se clasificaron los recursos en función de los temas que abordaban. RESULTADOS: El 64% de los recursos estaba dirigido a jóvenes/adolescentes. El 80% trataba algún tema en específico, siendo los más frecuentes Reproducción, Violencia y Género. Los temas: Valores y derechos relacionados con la sexualidad, Habilidades para la salud y bienestar y Conducta sexual fueron contenidos raramente tratados. Sólo 6 CC. AA. contaban con un perfil en redes sociales relacionado con ES. Las CC. AA. con mayor diversidad de temas abordados fueron Andalucía, Asturias y Canarias. CONCLUSIONES: La homogeneidad en el tipo de recursos y la disparidad de temáticas revela potenciales inequidades en el acceso a la ES en España. Potenciar medios de aprendizaje fuera de las escuelas puede lograr una promoción de la salud más efectiva. Las orientaciones de la UNESCO pueden servir para clasificar los contenidos e identificar las instituciones que mejor han integrado el actual paradigma que la ES propone.
Subject(s)
Sex Education , Sexual Behavior , Adolescent , Humans , Spain , Educational Status , SexualityABSTRACT
FUNDAMENTOS: La educación sexual (ES) es fundamental para una vida plena y segura. Actualmente, la educación es entendidamás allá de lo que ocurre dentro de las aulas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir y comparar los materiales disponibles en lasdistintas webs oficiales de las comunidades y ciudades autónomas de España (CC. AA.) sobre ES y que puedan ser utilizados encontextos educativos no-formales. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una revisión de las webs oficiales de las CC. AA. relacionadas con salud, educación, juventud, familia y/o igual-dad. Se seleccionaron 216 recursos para su análisis descriptivo. Siguiendo las Orientaciones Técnicas de la Organización de las Nacio-nes Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO), se clasificaron los recursos en función de los temas que abordaban.RESULTADOS: El 64% de los recursos estaba dirigido a jóvenes/adolescentes. El 80% trataba algún tema en específico, siendo losmás frecuentesReproducción,Violencia yGénero. Los temas:Valores y derechos relacionados con la sexualidad,Habilidades para lasalud y bienestar yConducta sexual fueron contenidos raramente tratados. Sólo 6 CC. AA. contaban con un perfil en redes socialesrelacionado con ES. Las CC. AA. con mayor diversidad de temas abordados fueron Andalucía, Asturias y Canarias.CONCLUSIONES: La homogeneidad en el tipo de recursos y la disparidad de temáticas revela potenciales inequidades en el ac-ceso a la ES en España. Potenciar medios de aprendizaje fuera de las escuelas puede lograr una promoción de la salud más efectiva.Las orientaciones de la UNESCO pueden servir para clasificar los contenidos e identificar las instituciones que mejor han integradoel actual paradigma que la ES propone.(AU)
BACKGROUND: Sex education (SE) is a fundamental element of a fulfilling and safe life. Currently, education is understood beyondwhat happens inside the classroom. The aim of this research was to describe and to compare sex education resources available inofficial webs of Autonomous Communities of Spain (ACS) that to could be used in non-formal educational context.METHODS: A review of the ACS official web pages related to healthcare, education, youth, family and equality was made. Finally,216 resources were selected for descriptive analysis. The resources were classified based on United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organizations (UNESCO) Technical Guidelines.RESULTS // 64% of resources were targeted at young people/adolescents. 80% dealt some specific issues, the most frequentbeingReproductive Health,Violence andGender.Values and Rights related to sexuality,Skills for Health and Well-being andSexualbehaviour are issues rarely addressed. Only 6 ACS were a social network profile related to SE. ACS with the widest diversity of issuesaddressed were Andalusia, Asturias and the Canary Islands.CONCLUSIONS: Homogeneity in the kind of resources and issues disparity reveals potential inequities in SE access in Spain. Toenhance out-of-school environments learning can provide better successful health promotion. UNESCOs guidelines can be used toclassify educational resource content and to identify the institutions that have best integrated actual SE paradigm.(AU)
