Discourses on the postcoital pill in young women.

BACKGROUND: Emergency contraception (EC) is an effective postcoital contraceptive method for reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. The estimated effectiveness of EC is between 70 and 89% if taken within 72 h following intercourse. Most of the studies carried out in Spain are quantitative and from the perspective of health professionals. In this study, we intend to explore the knowledge of, attitudes towards and discourse regarding the use of EC in women aged 15 to 25 years. METHODS: Sample: A qualitative study including in-depth interviews with 19 women between 15 and 25 years of age was performed. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Participants were natives of Spain or of a Latin American country. Segmentation criteria: Participants had experience in the use of EC. DATA COLLECTION: Participants were selected by health care informants and by the snowball technique among university students. DATA ANALYSIS: A thematic analysis was performed. Preliminary analyses were made during the course of the field work to adapt the script and to assess data saturation. A preliminary code tree was developed by two researchers, and the coding of the text was done with the Atlas.ti 5.0 software. RESULTS: EC is perceived positively by women. They do not express issues with taking it, although some feel guilty. The reason for taking EC is to avoid unwanted pregnancy and abortion. Women also feel that EC should be used in moderation. False beliefs and misconceptions regarding EC are held: EC delivers an excess of hormones, induces abortion and causes severe side effects. Women mention that the health professionals who provide EC have moral beliefs. Women use it because of condom breakage associated with their first coital relations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study have public health implications: The sexual-affective health education received by young people should incorporate clear information about the mechanism of action of the EC pill and its side effects together with empowerment strategies addressing guilt and moralistic messages. Programmes and training activities for health professionals must be designed to prevent the communication of inappropriate messages such as those that exaggerate the side effects of EC and those that promote fear and guilt, because they represent a barrier to the responsible use of this medication.

Policonsumo en la Universitat de les Illes Balears / Polyconsumption in the Universitat de les Illes Balears

Objetivos: Caracterizar en qué contexto se viene desarrollando elhábito tabáquico en lo referente a su relación con otras drogas o situacionessocioculturales o personales. Consecuentemente con este planteamiento,se han evaluado las relaciones existentes entre el hábito tabáquicoel consumo de alcohol, cannabis y otras variables como el género,hábitos familiares, hábitos de las amistades, nivel profesional de los padres…entre la población constituida por los alumnos del edificio GuillemCifre, de Colonya, de la Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB).Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal, efectuado mediante unaencuesta autocumplimentada cuyo ámbito es el colectivo de estudiantesdel Edificio Guillem Cifre, de Colonya, de la Universitat de les IllesBalears. La recogida de la información se llevó a cabo suministrando uncuestionario autocumplimentado a alumnos de las facultades dePsicología, Enfermería y Estudios de Ciencias de la Educación. Una vezdepurados los datos, se procedió al análisis con el paquete estadísticoSPSS v.11,5. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y para conocer la fuerzade asociación entre fumar y las variables predictoras se obtuvieronlas odds ratio (OR) utilizando la regresión logística tanto para el análisisunivariante como multivariante.Resultados: La muestra obtenida fue de 862 alumnos, con una mediade edad de 21,06 ± 0,38 años. La prevalencia total de fumadores habitualesse sitúa en el 35,3%. Admiten consumir semanalmente, al menosuna bebida alcohólica el 69,5% de los encuestados, y fumar al menosun porro el 16%. Ser consumidor de marihuana incrementa en más desiete veces la probabilidad de ser fumador. Si el mejor amigo es ser fumador,aumenta en 5,58 veces la probabilidad de ser fumador habitual.Los fumadores consumen marihuana y beben alcohol en mayor proporciónque los no fumadores. Además, cerca del 90% de los consumidoresde marihuana beben habitualmente. Ser consumidor de marihuanao alcohol, ser mujer, que en la familia haya algún fumador o ser hijode una madre no universitaria, son factores de riesgo independientespara ser fumador.Conclusiones: Fumaron cannabis semanalmente (durante los últimos12 meses) el 14,4%, lo que confirma a la Comunidad Balear comola de mayor consumo de España. Cuanto mayor es el consumo demarihuana y alcohol, mayor es la probabilidad de ser fumador. Se confirmaque el consumo de drogas y especialmente el tabaco depende, deuna forma muy relevante, del contexto familiar y, aún más, del social(OR de 5,58 en el caso de tener amigos íntimos fumadores u OR de 3,75en caso de que la pareja fume). Los datos que aporta este estudio nos hacenpensar en la necesidad de planificar programas de promoción de lasalud globales, tanto a nivel escolar como comunitario, y que estén dirigidosal policonsumo de drogas y no solamente al hábito tabáquico

Objectives: Characterize within what context the smoking habit hasbeen developing in relationship with other drugs or sociocultural orpersonal situations. In consequence with this approach, the relationshipsexisting between smoking habit, consumption of alcohol, cannabis andother variables such as gender, family habits, habits of friends, parents'professional level, etc. between the population made up by the studentsof the building Guillem Cifre de Colonya of the Universitat de les IllesBalears (UIB) have been evaluated.Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted through aself-filled out survey whose scope is the group of students from thebuilding Guillem Cifre de Colonya of the Universitat de les Illes Balears.Information was collected by providing a self-filled out questionnaireto students of the Psychology, Nursing and Studies of Sciences of theEducation schools. Once the data were purified, analysis was done withthe SPSS v. 11.5 statistical program. A descriptive analysis was doneand the Odds Ratio (OR) was obtained using the logistic regression bothfor the univariate and multivariate analysis to know the force of theassociation between smoking and predictive variables.Results: The sample obtained included 862 students, with a meanage of 21.06 ± 0.38 years. Total prevalence of usual smokers is 35.3%.A total of 69.5% of those surveyed admit that they drink at least one alcoholic drink per week and 16% that they smoke at least one joint.Consuming marijuana increases the likelihood of being a smoker seventimes. If one's best friend smokes, the likelihood of being a regular smokerincreases 5.88 times. Smokers consume marijuana and drink alcoholmore than non-smokers. Furthermore, about 90% of the marijuanaconsumers commonly drink. Being a consumer of marijuana or alcohol,being a woman, that there is someone who smokes in the family or beingthe child of a non-university mother are independent risk factors to bea smoker.Conclusions: Atotal of 14.4% smoked cannabis weekly (during thelast 12 months), which confirms the Balearic Island Community as thathaving the largest consumption in Spain. The greater the consumptionof marijuana and alcohol, the greater the likelihood of being a smoker.It is confirmed that the consumption of drugs and especially tobaccodepends in a relevant way on the family context and even more on thesocial one (OR of 5.58 in the case of having close friends who smoke orOR of 3.75 in case of the partner who smokes). The data supplied bythis study lead us to think about the need to plan global health promotionprograms on both the school and community level that are aimed atpolyconsumption of drugs and not only at the smoking habit

Management of terminal cancer patients: attitudes and training needs of primary health care doctors and nurses.

The objective of the study was to ascertain the attitudes and training needs of primary health care (PHC) professionals regarding the management of terminal cancer patients. A cross-sectional study involving 30 PHC teams (15 urban and 15 rural) in the health district of Majorca (Spain) was carried out. Out of the 224 doctors and 186 nurses initially included, 157 and 156, respectively, completed a questionnaire designed to elicit the participant's opinions on the role of PHC in palliative care, their needs in terms of training and their management of clinical and psychological symptoms. Forty percent of professionals considered that terminal care should be the responsibility of PHC, whereas 59.5% thought it preferable for such care to be given either in Palliative Care Units or by oncologists. All kinds of relationships between PHC professionals and specialists were highly valued. Seventy-five percent of general practitioners referred to pain control, and 83% of doctors and nurses provided emotional support. Most health professionals felt training in emotional aspects would be the most desirable. One group of professionals considered palliative care to be an asset in PHC, whereas another group thought that patient care should be provided by specialists. The majority of doctors and nurses pinpointed the need for improving co-ordination with specialists. A need for tuition in palliative care was clearly stated. In conclusion, the planning of palliative care should take into account the attitudes and opinions of PHC doctors and nurses.