Morbidity profile and hospitalization of adolescents at Ribeirão Preto (SP) region

Abstract

Study model: epidemiological survey. Introduction: Adolescence is a phase of great biological and emotional transformation associated with the definition of one's social role, and it is important to learn aboutthe most prevalent health problems during this age range in order to better direct actions and resourcesaiming at assistance and preventive programs.Objectives: to determine the profile of hospital morbidity among adolescents from the Ribeirão Pretoregion (SP) and their temporal evolution over the years of 1988, 1997 and 2006.Methods: survey of data of the Center for the Processing of Hospital Data of the Department of SocialMedicine, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, regarding all admissions ofadolescents to the 34 hospitals of the 26 municipalities of the Regional Health Division of Ribeirão Preto(SP), during the years of 1988, 1997 and 2006.Results: the main diagnoses of 10-to-14-year-old adolescents admitted to the hospitals were pneumonia (first cause of hospitalization in 1988 and 1997), diarrhea and appendicitis during all years studied,whereas intoxications and neoplasias were diagnosed only in 1988. For adolescents older than 15years, high rates of hospitalization were observed due to problems related to pregnancy, delivery andpuerperium, although pneumonia, diarrhea and appendicitis were still important diagnoses. Hospitalization and death predominated among males during all years surveyed. Males always presented higherdeath rates than females and the proportions of deaths per number of hospitalizations indicated higherfrequencies among 10-to-14-year-old adolescents.Conclusions: knowing the profile of morbidity among adolescents favors the adoption of important feasible actions at the primary level that should be incorporated into Puericulture, Hebiatry and into PrenatalCare Programs at outpatient clinics.