Abstract

HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ, Mariela; GARCIA ROCHE, René; ROBAINA AGUIRRE, Caristina  and  RODRIGUEZ MENDEZ, Mariela. Unintentional injuries in adolescents aged 15-19. Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol [online]. 2008, vol.46, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3003.

ABSTRACT Unintentional injuries are important causes of mortality and morbidity in Cuba and in the rest of the world. To characterize these injuries in adolescents, a descriptive study was conducted in 1 397 students of Havana City in 2005. The questionnaire included variables of knowledge, perception, risk attitudes, and antecedents of these injuries. Percentages and their confidence intervals at 95 % were calculated. Most of them accepted that such injuries could be prevented, but only 3.4 % answered correctly how to do it. The most frequent ways of getting information were parents (81.4 %) and television (56.1%). Most of the adolescents expressed that risk attitudes were adopted as entertainment and due to the lack of knowledge about danger. 35.4 % had had these injuries. It was concluded that an inadequate knowledge and perception of risk, together with the psychological characteristics of age, favored the risk practices.

Keywords : Unintentional injuries in adolescents; accidents in adolescents; prevention in adolescents.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )