RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Areca (Betel Nut) is the fourth most commonly used psychoactive drug throughout the world and is legal in U.S. It is carcinogenic. Within a health program in the Federated States of Micronesia we surveyed use among adolescents. METHODS: One hundred 7th and 8th graders in Yap and Pohnpei were surveyed and clinical oral examinations conducted. The questionnaire included items on Areca: age first used Areca, whether peers or family members used Areca, frequency of use, whether tobacco was used, and source of Areca. Questions also assessed anxiety and depression. Two scales assessed getting along with other kids and adaptation to school. RESULTS: 61.5-71.4% of adolescents had ever used Areca and 54.7-68.6% used it at least once in the last month. CONCLUSION: Most adolescents surveyed in Yap and Pohnpei used Areca, which may place these youth at increased risk for cancer and health disparities.
Assuntos
Areca , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Criança , Coleta de Dados , Interpretação Estatística de Dados , Etnicidade , Feminino , Nível de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Saúde Mental , Micronésia/epidemiologia , Mucosa Bucal/patologia , Neoplasias Bucais , Havaiano Nativo ou Outro Ilhéu do Pacífico , Grupo Associado , Instituições Acadêmicas , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/complicações , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/patologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Dente/patologiaRESUMO
Anecdotally there are high rates of domestic violence in the small Micronesian State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), but there have been no studies to quantify the prevalence or characteristics of domestic violence in Yap or in any other state of the FSM. A survey was administered to women at the Yap hospital and community health centers from February through June 2011. Survey data were on domestic violence, which was supplemented by a focus group to explore the issues involved in greater detail. A high prevalence of domestic violence was documented by the survey; perceptions about this were explored in the focus group. On the questionnaire, 148 of 194 (76%) women reported at least one form of abuse. Given the small number of adult women in Yap, these findings suggest that domestic violence is a serious, pervasive problem that Yap needs urgently to address. The issue clearly needs to be investigated throughout the other states of the FSM and addressed at the national policy level as well as at the state level.
