Abstract
Adolescents represent 19.6% of the Colombian population; this requires proper medicaltraining to tackle health problems for this group of age. Violent mortality is high inColombia but external causes are the most common cause of mortality among teenagersaround the world. Invulnerability self-consciousness and exploratory behaviors are relatedto risk factors such as substance consumption (alcohol, 65%, and tobacco, 35,8%), unsafesexual conducts (unexpected pregnancy, 21%), and lack of emotional control. Violence, unintentional injuries, suicide, and sexual healthrelated problems might have great impact on youthand family life. The scarcity of instruments foridentifying risks and the lack of evidence regardinginterventions for risk factor control challengeprimary care services. Protective factors (familiar,spiritual, sports) are supported by scientificevidence as a preventive tool, but they require skillsand competencies not regularly included in medicaleducation or routine primary care practice in Co-lombia.
| Translated title of the contribution | Adolescent health in Colombia: basis for a preventive medicine |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Pages (from-to) | 29-42 |
| Journal | Universitas Médica |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2010 |