[Networks of experiences on community health as an information system in health promotion: lessons learned in Aragon (Spain)]. / Las redes de experiencias de salud comunitaria como sistema de información en promoción de la salud: la trayectoria en Aragón.

Networks of community health experiences promote interaction and knowledge management in health promotion among their participants. These networks integrate both professionals and social agents who work directly on the ground in small environments, with defined objectives and inclusion criteria and voluntary participation. In this article, networks in Aragon (Spain) are reviewed in order to analyse their role as an information system. The Health Promotion Projects Network of Aragon (Red Aragonesa de Proyectos de Promoción de la Salud, RAPPS) was launched in 1996 and currently includes 73 projects. The average duration of projects is 12.7 years. RAPPS interdisciplinary teams involve 701 people, of which 89.6% are professionals and 10.6% are social agents. The Aragon Health Promoting Schools Network (Red Aragonesa de Escuelas Promotoras de Salud, RAEPS) integrates 134 schools (24.9% of Aragon). The schools teams involve 829 teachers and members of the school community, students (35.2%), families (26.2%) and primary care health professionals (9.8%). Experiences Networks boost citizen participation, have an influence in changing social determinants and contribute to the formulation of plans and regional strategies. Networks can provide indicators for a health promotion information and monitoring system on: capacity building services in the territory, identifying assets and models of good practice, cross-sectoral and equity initiatives. Experiences Networks represent an opportunity to create a health promotion information system, systematising available information and establishing quality criteria for initiatives.

Conocimientos y actitudes sobre factores de riesgo de sexualidad en adolescentes / Knowledge and attitudes regarding sexuality risk factors in adolescents

El objetivo general de este estudio fue conocer los comportamientos de los adolescentes en sus relaciones sexuales, así como sus conocimientos y actitudes sobre la prevención de embarazos no desea -dos y las Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual (ETS).Material y método: estudio descriptivo transversal a través de una encuesta anónima a una muestra de 350 adolescentes, de dos Institutos de Educación Secundaria públicos del municipio de Teruel. Resultados: el 98,5% identificó el preservativo masculino como método anticonceptivo; un 34,6% opinó que, además del preservativo,son útiles otros métodos, como la píldora anticonceptiva(18,9%) y la píldora del día siguiente (25,7%). Un 59,5% de los adolescentes identificaron los preservativos masculino y femeninoc omo únicos métodos para prevenir ETS y el 29,4% señalaron “otros anticonceptivos”.El 33,3% ya habían mantenido relaciones coitales en alguna ocasión,siendo la edad media de inicio alrededor de los 15 años, sin diferencia significativa entre hombres y mujeres. La televisión, los amigos,maestros y padres son las vías más frecuentes de información. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los sexos sobre la información recibida por radio, prensa y revistas.Los encuestados creen que un embarazo en la adolescencia puede acarrear algún riesgo, pero sólo un 21% los identifica.Conclusiones: el preservativo masculino es el método de prevención más extendido entre la población juvenil. Sin embargo, los adolescentes encuestados tienen carencias de conocimientos sobre la utilidad delos diferentes métodos anticonceptivos y de prevención de ETS (AU)

The general objective of this study was to ascertain adolescent behaviours in sexual relationships, in addition to their knowledge andattitudes in regards to the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).Material and method: cross-sectional descriptive study by means of an anonymous survey administered to a sample composed of 350 adolescents from two public Secondary Education Institutes of the city of Teruel.Results: 98,5% identified the male condom as a birth control method;34,6% believed that, in addition to condoms, other methods such as the birth control pill (18,9%) and the morning-after pill(25,7%) were also useful. 59,5% of adolescents identified male andfemale condoms as the only methods to prevent STDs and 29,5% chose “other birth control methods”.33,3% had already engaged in sexual relations with intercourse on occasion, the mean age of virginity loss being approximately 15years, with no significant differences between men and women. Television, friends, teachers and parents are the most frequent sources of information. Significant differences were found between sexes in terms of the information received via radio, press and magazines.Surveyed adolescents believe that teen pregnancy can entail certain risks, but only 21% are able to identify them.Conclusions: the male condom is the most commonly used prevention method in the adolescent population. However, surveyed adolescents lack information on the utility of different birth controland STD prevention methods (AU)