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The objective of this paper is to analyze the importance of nurses as key providers of preventive services for Mexican children and adolescents. Nurses represent a long-standing tradition as public health providers and are very close to the individual, the family and the community. Their contribution to the preventive care of patients of these age groups is explicit and tangible. Health needs for this segment of the population and the current conditions of the Mexican health care system call for further actions. Preventive care should be accessible, high quality and comprehensive. To accomplish these goals it is necessary to invest in the public health workforce. Also, the need to increase its efficiency and effectiveness of preventive services should prompt the Mexican health care system to support the skill mix and promote the presence of nurse practitioners in primary care facilities.

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OBJECTIVE: To understand the health needs of the population living in Mexico's marginalized urban areas. METHODS: A population-based survey of families residing in poor, urban neighborhoods, in five geographic areas in Mexico (northern, central, southern, south-east, and Mexico City), selected through multistage sampling. Interviews were conducted and anthropometric measurements were taken in the home, and included all members of the participating family. Analysis was carried out on positive health factors, nutrition, reproductive health, health problems, and mental health, and results were disaggregated by age and sex. RESULTS: In all, 24,707 individuals participated. The interviewees were found to have minimal schooling (6 years or less). Only 46.8% had health care coverage, be it public or private. Among the children, 19.8% were malnourished; overweight was prevalent from adolescence onwards. Of adolescents 12-19 years of age, 15.7% were sexually active, but only 57.7% of the males and 41.9% of the females in this age group were using some method of contraception. Of the adults, 5.9% suffered from diabetes and 11.5%, from high blood pressure. In the sample of adolescents, adults, and elderly adults, tobacco use was 21.2%; alcohol consumption, 36.0%; illicit drug use, 9.5%; and depression, 20.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The health needs of people living in Mexico's marginalized urban areas proliferate in the context of a young population with weak ties and little support from family and health services. They face crisis and disease--infant malnutrition, high-risk pregnancy, and addictions--the byproducts of disparities in social progress. The rate of chronic conditions was similar to that of the general population of Mexico.

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OBJETIVO: Evaluar las necesidades de salud de la población residente en áreas urbanas marginadas de México. MÉTODOS: Encuesta poblacional a familias residentes en colonias urbanas pobres de cinco regiones geográficas de México (Norte, Centro, Sur, Sureste y Ciudad de México), seleccionadas mediante un muestreo polietápico. Se realizaron entrevistas y mediciones antropométricas en sus domicilios a todos los integrantes de las familias seleccionadas y se analizaron las características de salud positiva, nutrición, salud reproductiva, daños a la salud y salud mental por grupos de análisis formados por edad y sexo. RESULTADOS: Participaron 24 707 personas. En los entrevistados se observó una baja escolaridad (6 años o menos) y solo 46,8 por ciento tuvo cobertura de servicios de salud, ya fuera en instituciones públicas o privadas. De los niños, 19,8 por ciento presentaba desmedro y el sobrepeso predominó a partir de la adolescencia. En los adolescentes de 12 a 19 años, 15,7 por ciento tenía vida sexual activa, pero solo 57,7 por ciento de los hombres y 41,9 por ciento de las mujeres de ese grupo de edad usaban algún método anticonceptivo. De los adultos, 5,9 por ciento padecía diabetes y 11,5 por ciento hipertensión arterial. En la muestra de adolescentes, adultos y adultos mayores, el tabaquismo fue de 21,2 por ciento, el consumo de alcohol de 36,0 por ciento, el uso de drogas de 9,5 por ciento y la depresión de 20,2 por ciento. CONCLUSIONES: La vulnerabilidad sanitaria de las personas que viven en las áreas urbanas marginadas de México se manifiesta en la existencia de una población joven, con pocas redes de apoyo familiar y de servicios de salud, que sufre trastornos y enfermedades, como la desnutrición infantil, el alto riesgo reproductivo y las adicciones en adolescentes y adultos, producto del rezago en el desarrollo social. La prevalencia de enfermedades crónicas fue similar a la de la población mexicana no marginada.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the health needs of the population living in Mexico's marginalized urban areas. METHODS: A population-based survey of families residing in poor, urban neighborhoods, in five geographic areas in Mexico (northern, central, southern, south-east, and Mexico City), selected through multistage sampling. Interviews were conducted and anthropometric measurements were taken in the home, and included all members of the participating family. Analysis was carried out on positive health factors, nutrition, reproductive health, health problems, and mental health, and results were disaggregated by age and sex. RESULTS: In all, 24 707 individuals participated. The interviewees were found to have minimal schooling (6 years or less). Only 46.8 percent had health care coverage, be it public or private. Among the children, 19.8 percent were malnourished; overweight was prevalent from adolescence onwards. Of adolescents 12-19 years of age, 15.7 percent were sexually active, but only 57.7 percent of the males and 41.9 percent of the females in this age group were using some method of contraception. Of the adults, 5.9 percent suffered from diabetes and 11.5 percent, from high blood pressure. In the sample of adolescents, adults, and elderly adults, tobacco use was 21.2 percent; alcohol consumption, 36.0 percent; illicit drug use, 9.5 percent; and depression, 20.2 percent. CONCLUSIONS: The health needs of people living in Mexico's marginalized urban areas proliferate in the context of a young population with weak ties and little support from family and health services. They face crisis and disease-infant malnutrition, high-risk pregnancy, and addictions-the byproducts of disparities in social progress. The rate of chronic conditions was similar to that of the general population of Mexico.

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Background: adolescent population is an important age group, with vulnerability and health needs not well known, especially for those living in urban slums. Our objective was to identify health risks for adolescents living in poor urban areas in five geographical regions of Mexico. Methods: a secondary data analysis from a nationwide adolescents ́ survey was carried out from population living in poor urban areas of the north, center, DF, south and southeast of Mexico. Cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug consumption, as well as frequency of accidents and violence, age at sexual initiation and use of contraception methods were analyzed. Results: the highest frequencies of consumption were: 27.8 % for cigarette smoking and 35.2 % for alcohol, both in adolescents from 16 to 19 years; accidents (5 %) and violence (1.7 %); age (median) at sexual initiation was 16 years, about 50 % of adolescents with regular sexual activity reported use of a contraception method. Conclusions: comparing our data with National Health Surveys; in poor urban areas, most adolescents health risks are higher than those found for same group age in the general population, however, presentation of accidents and violence are similar.

Introducción: : los adolescentes son un grupo con vulnerabilidad y necesidades de salud poco conocidas en México, principalmente en áreas de pobreza urbana. El objetivo de esta investigación fue identificar los riesgos para la salud de los adolescentes en las áreas urbanas marginadas en cinco regiones del país. Métodos: análisis secundario de una encuesta de salud para adolescentes realizada en áreas urbanas marginadas del Distrito Federal y regiones norte, centro, sur y sureste del país; se analizó consumo de tabaco, alcohol y drogas; historia de accidentes y violencias, edad de inicio de vida sexual y uso de métodos anticonceptivos; se calcularon frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados: los consumos más altos fueron para tabaco (27.8 %) y alcohol (35.2 %), ambos en el grupo de 16 a 19 años de edad; 5 % sufrió algún accidente y 1.7 %, violencia; el inicio de la vida sexual tuvo una mediana de 16 años y 50 % utilizaba algún método anticonceptivo. Conclusiones: al comparar nuestros datos con los de otras encuestas nacionales, se encontró que los riesgos para la salud son mayores en los adolescentes de áreas urbanas marginadas que en adolescentes de la población general, sin embargo, la frecuencia de accidentes y violencias fue similar.

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