Abstract

EYMANN, Alfredo et al. Estudiantes secundarios y su viaje de egresados: prevalencia de hábitos, conductas de riesgo y enfermedades en los años 1997 y 2004. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2007, vol.105, n.1, pp.17-22. ISSN 0325-0075.

Introduction. During the '60s, highschool students started doing graduation trips, which since then became a very frequent event. Objective. To recognize risk behaviours before and during the trip in highschool graduates of 1997 and 2004 and to know the prevalence of accidents and illness during the trip and immediately after returning. Population, material and methods. Cross-sectional study. All adolescents at the Adolescent Unit who made their graduation trip during the last year were included. The sample was collected in a non probabilistic way during the springs of 1997 and 2004. A semistructured survey was answered in the waiting room and the following variables were defined: age, gender, public or private school, sleep, meals skipped during the trip and its course, illness, accidents, use of substances as alcohol, tabacco and other drugs before, during and after the trip, sexual activity, coertion, regret, and satisfaction regarding the trip. Statistic method: chi square was used for categoric variables, t test for continuous variables and Mc Nemar's test for paired data. A p value <0.05 was considered significative. Results. The sample was of 85 and 77 adolescents in 1997 and 2004, 76% and 70%, respectively, were women. In both years we found that the hours of sleep were 3.5 and 4.2 hs per day; and felt sick and had any accident the 72% and 70%. The alcohol consumption was 76% and 78% but the abuse was 40% and 54%, respectively. In 2004 we observed an increase in the alcohol abuse in women (35.3% contra 57.4%). In both years the sexual intercourse were 10% and 28.5%. In 2004 the women increased their sexual intercourse respect to 1997 (7.7% vs. 28%). The Mc Nemar's test was statistically not significant in the association of risk behaviours before and during the trip in both years. In 1997 and 2004, the 84% and 91% were satisfied with the trip. Conclusion. We found that the majority of the adolescents skipped any meal, had any health problem or suffered any kind of accident. They sleep less than the expected. The majority consume alcohol and the women increased both consuming and abusing of alcohol and sexual intercourse in 2004. For all risk taking behaviour assessed during graduation trip, the most significative association was with having had these conducts previously .

Keywords : Graduation trip; Risk taking behaviour; Adolescence; Habits.

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