[Elimination of measles plan in the Valencia community: epidemiological surveillance in 2003]. / Plan de eliminación del sarampión en la Comunidad Valenciana: vigilancia epidemiológica en el año 2003.

AIMS: Describing the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the suspicions of measles notified in the CV during the year 2003 and evaluating the system of surveillance. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Community of Valencia (CV), Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Cases of suspected measles notified in 2003. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Description of the data collected in the questionnaires (including names) of the Plan to Eliminate Measles of the CV, and obtaining of quality indicators for this plan and those proposed in the national action plan. RESULTS: From 43 notified suspicions, 11 (25.6%) were confirmed, 29 (67.4%) discarded, and 3 (7%) compatible. The rate of effect was 0.33 of 105. From 11 confirmed cases, 10 belonged to two outbreaks (one familiar and an other one communitary) and one was an isolated and imported case. 80% of areas of health were declared. The majority of the suspicions and all the cases were given in the first half of the year. Five cases were given in cohorts of age not submitted to the program of vaccination (minors of 15 months and major of 20 years), and 2 cases might have been avoidable in agreement with the program (6 and 12-year-old children not vaccinated). 40 samples of whey and 33 of urine were collect within the recommended periods. The majority of quality indicators were over the recommended ones (80%). CONCLUSIONS: In year 2003 no case of measles has taken place from autochthonous virus in the CV.

Plan de eliminación del sarampión en la Comunidad Valenciana: vigilancia epidemiológica en el año 2003 / Elimination of measles plan in the Valencia Community: epidemiological surveillance in 2003

Objetivo. Describir las características clínicas y epidemiológicas de los casos de sospecha de sarampión notificados en la Comunidad Valenciana durante el año 2003 y evaluar el sistema de vigilancia. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Emplazamiento. Comunidad Valenciana (CV). Participantes. Casos de sospecha de sarampión notificadas en 2003. Mediciones principales. Descripción de los datos recogidos en las encuestas nominales del Plan de Eliminación del Sarampión de la CV y obtención de indicadores de calidad de éste y los propuestos desde el plan de acción a escala nacional. Resultados. De 43 sospechas notificadas, se confirmó el 25,6%, se descartó el 67,4% y fue compatible el 7%. La tasa de incidencia fue de 0,33 por 105 habitantes. De los 11 casos confirmados, 10 correspondían a 2 brotes (uno familiar y otro comunitario) y uno fue un caso aislado e importado. El 80% de las áreas de salud notificó sospechas de sarampión. La mayoría de sospechas y casos se dio en la primera mitad del año. Cinco casos pertenecían a grupos de edad no incluidos en el programa de vacunación (menores de 15 meses y mayores de 20 años) y 2 casos podrían haberse evitado (niños de 6 y 12 años no vacunados). Se recogieron 40 muestras de suero y 33 de orina. La mayoría de los indicadores de calidad se cumplió por encima de los valores recomendados (80%). Conclusiones. Durante 2003 no se declaró ningún caso de sarampión por virus autóctonos en la CV

Aims. Describing the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the suspicions of measles notified in the CV during the year 2003 and evaluating the system of surveillance. Design. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Setting. Community of Valencia (CV), Spain. Participants. Cases of suspected measles notified in 2003. Main measurements. Description of the data collected in the questionnaires (including names) of the Plan to Eliminate Measles of the CV, and obtaining of quality indicators for this plan and those proposed in the national action plan. Results. From 43 notified suspicions, 11 (25.6%) were confirmed, 29 (67.4%) discarded, and 3 (7%) compatible. The rate of effect was 0.33 of 105. From 11 confirmed cases, 10 belonged to two outbreaks (one familiar and an other one communitary) and one was an isolated and imported case. 80% of areas of health were declared. The majority of the suspicions and all the cases were given in the first half of the year. Five cases were given in cohorts of age not submitted to the program of vaccination (minors of 15 months and major of 20 years), and 2 cases might have been avoidable in agreement with the program (6 and 12-year-old children not vaccinated). 40 samples of whey and 33 of urine were collect within the recommended periods. The majority of quality indicators were over the recommended ones (80%). Conclusions. In year 2003 no case of measles has taken place from autochthonous virus in the CV

[School failure in a cohort of adolescents]. / Fracaso escolar en una cohorte de adolescentes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a cohort of adolescents as to whether their personal characteristics and/or determined habits of health and social relations bore any relation to the state of their studies two years later. DESIGN: A prospective study following a cohort of adolescents. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Third-year ESO (aged c. 14) adolescents from the four state secondary schools in Puerto de Sagunto. INTERVENTIONS: Once the cohort (n = 551) was defined, in November 1995 the students themselves filled in a questionnaire on health and relationship habits. Two years afterwards they were located through school registers and classified as good if they were in the appropriate year, repeat if they were repeating a year and disappeared if they had left school. These last two categories were both considered school failures (SF). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: 222 students were classed as SF (40%). 118 of these (21.4%) had left and 104 (18.9%) were repeating a year. There were statistically significant differences in the following characteristics measured at the start of the study: greater SF among boys than girls (46.4%/35.6%): the disappeared had a higher average age than the good students (14.98/14.17), higher average number of siblings (2.73/2.26), and higher average of nights they went out during the week (1.65/0.84). Mean family income was lower in the repeat group (1926087/2475436 pesetas); the money students received weekly was higher in both SF groups (over 900/641 pesetas). Students whose fathers have university degrees made up only 7.4% of SF; and no student whose mother had a university degree was SF. 17.5% of those who said they spent their free time with their family were SF, whereas 53% of those who devoted their free time basically to enjoying themselves were SF. On drug consumption, those who replied they never smoked had 27.2% SF, never consumed alcohol 25.8% SF, never took marihuana 35.3% SF, and never consumed other drugs 39.5% SF. Students who said their relationships with family and teachers was bad had 70% and 62.2% of SF, respectively. 70% of those who felt depressed were SF. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that a favourable family atmosphere is important in preventing school failure. It also makes clear that young people's social relationships and health habits are closely associated to their being a standard student or a school failure.

[The evolution of health and relationship habits of an adolescent cohort of Puerto de Sagunto (1995-1996)]. / Evolución de hábitos de salud y de relación de una cohorte de adolescentes de Puerto de Sagunto (1995-1996). Grupo de Trabajo TBC-3. Valencia.

OBJECTIVE: To know the prevalence of tobacco consumption, alcohol and marihuana as well as the habits of relationship, in an adolescents cohort of 3rd of Obligatory Secondary Teaching (ESO), that accede for the first time to one of the four secondary school of Puerto de Sagunto and the evolution of these habits after a year of follow-up. DESIGN: Transverse observational study with data withdrawal in two moments. Site. In the four secondary school of Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia). PATIENT AND OTHERS PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent of 3rd of ESO that accede for the first time to the four secondary school of Puerto de Sagunto in the course 95-96. INTERVENTIONS: A self-fully validated habits poll of health and of relationship was given to the pupils of 3rd of ESO (n = 573), and a year after was given the same poll, to the pupils already in 4th of ESO (n = 395). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: On health habits, were found meaningful statistic differences in various variables: in tobacco consumption several times to the month passes of the 30% to the 40%, in alcohol consumption more than proven passes of the 35% to the 52%, in have you intoxicated the response never passes of the 67% to the 57%, in the paragraph of marihuana consumption, the response never passes of the 82% to the 72%. On the habits of relationship were found significant statistic differences with respect to number of nocturnal exists during the week that goes from 1.07 to 1.33, the return hour before 10 passes of the 23% to the 8%, as well as the type of associations to those which belong, sports club passes of the 38% to the 46%. In the paragraph of relationship to their teachers, the response good passes of the 89% to the 93%. CONCLUSIONS: The step of 14 to 15 years supposes in this population an increase in alcohol consumption, tobacco and marihuana, they go out more days at night and return later to house, are associated more in sports clubs and have better relationships to their teachers. The knowledge of these habits permits the intervention with preventive programs, that attempt to change attitudes toward these toxic habits and to promote the healthiest.

[Improvement in the quality of the interclinic referral note in regard to the information given]. / Mejora de la calidad de la hoja de interconsulta a través de la información.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the improvement in compliance with filling out the interclinical note after both general practitioners and specialists were informed of the compliance level found in an earlier study. DESIGN: An intervention before-and-after study. Unit of analysis: interclinical note in the primary care clinical record. SETTING: Health Areas 11 and 12 in the Community of Valencia, November 1993 and 1994. Field work was developed on the premises of the two specialist centres of these areas. PARTICIPANTS: Two samples, of 708 and 326 interclinical notes, were used. These were stratified in function of the number of consultations during the first six months of each of the study years, by centre and speciality. INTERVENTION: All primary care and specialist professionals were informed of the level of compliance with the interclinical note in the first part of the study. MAIN RESULTS: The primary care section improved significantly in: personal history, data on physical examination, suspected diagnosis, reason for consultation. The section on specialists improved significantly in the identification of the specialist, diagnosis, treatment, action to take. CONCLUSIONS: Information given to professionals improved their filling out of the interclinical note, basically on variables to do with the pathological process. It should be routine to feed back information to the professionals concerned.