Antecedentes históricos de la nutrición comunitaria en España: los trabajos de la Escuela Nacional de Sanidad, 1930-36

El trabajo analiza los antecedentes históricos de la nutrición comunitaria española a través del estudio de los primeros intentos de institucionalización que tuvieron lugar en la Sección de Higiene de la Alimentación y Nutrición de la Escuela Nacional de Sanidad (ENS), limitando la búsqueda al período 1930-1936. Junto a la formación de los profesionales de la salud pública en las materias relacionadas con la nutrición y la alimentación se desarrolló un programa de investigación que contemplaba tres grandes áreas de trabajo. Para poder conocer cuál era la alimentación media habitual de los españoles y orientar las medidas preventivas encaminadas a conseguir una adecuada alimentación se llevaron a cabo estudios y encuestas sobre consumo. Se estudió la composición química de los alimentos españoles, con el objeto de determinar las posibles carencias. Por último, se analizaron los problemas de salud que acarreaba una alimentación deficiente en grupos de riesgo como las personas diabéticas. Los resultados de las investigaciones pusieron de manifiesto que la alimentación media de los españoles, especialmente la de las clases trabajadoras, estaba muy lejos de poder ser considerada equilibrada desde el punto de vista nutricional. Los mayores problemas residían en un déficit de proteínas animales, así como importantes deficiencias en aportes de minerales y vitaminas. El estallido de la guerra civil en julio de 1936 interrumpió el desarrollo del proceso de institucionalización. Sólo en la década de 1960, tras el paréntesis del primer franquismo, se recuperó el interés sanitario por los problemas de la alimentación.

Food, nutrition and public health in contemporary Spain, 1900-1936

Within the context of the health reforms introduced in Spain in the early 20th century and the influence of international health organisations on their development, this article analyses the growing interest that surrounded nourishment and food-related problems at that time in relation to healthcare, the diagnosis provided by hygienists of such problems, and the public health measures applied to resolve them. The issue of hygienic diet and the collective aspect of nutritional problems became priorities in the field of healthcare. Two of the most prominent initiatives involved setting up a Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and Bromatological Technique during the early years of the Second Republic, as part of the National School of Health, as well as a Food Hygiene Service. Spanish hygienists underlined the importance of education and the dissemination of information about food hygiene, health and nutrition, in order to overcome the qualitative and quantitative deficiencies observed in the average diet of the Spanish population.

Material demands for storage technologies in a hydrogen economy

A hydrogen economy is needed, in order to resolve current environmental and energy-related problems. For the introduction of hydrogen as an important energy vector, sophisticated materials are required. This paper provides a brief overview of the subject, with a focus on hydrogen storage technologies for mobile applications. The unique properties of hydrogen are addressed, from which its advantages and challenges can be derived. Different hydrogen storage technologies are described and evaluated, including compression, liquefaction, and metal hydrides, as well as porous materials. This latter class of materials is outlined in more detail, explaining the physisorption interaction which leads to the adsorption of hydrogen molecules and discussing the material characteristics which are required for hydrogen storage application. Finally, a short survey of different porous materials is given which are currently investigated for hydrogen storage, including zeolites, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), porous polymers, aerogels, boron nitride materials, and activated carbon materials.

Ciudadanía y defensa del territorio: la experiencia del Medio Vinalopó (Alicante)

El último periodo de expansión urbanizadora en España, iniciado en los años 1990, ha provocado intensas y extensas transformaciones sobre el territorio, con implicaciones económicas y ambientales, además de una creciente preocupación ciudadana hacia las dinámicas observadas. El artículo propone el análisis del comportamiento ciudadano ante los rápidos e intensos cambios territoriales que se observa sobre un ámbito supramunicipal concreto en Alicante. La unidad básica de análisis son los colectivos cívicos que responden a un perfil de defensa del territorio. La observación directa de estos colectivos ayudará a comprender los principales problemas del territorio y la política territorial, así como a establecer propuestas para el diálogo entre los gestores territoriales y los agentes ciudadanos.

Work-related health problems among resident immigrant workers in Italy and Spain

Background: in both Spain and Italy the number of immigrants has strongly increased in the last 20 years, currently representing more than the 10% of workforce in each country. The segregation of immigrants into unskilled or risky jobs brings negative consequences for their health. The objective of this study is to compare prevalence of work-related health problems between immigrants and native workers in Italy and Spain. Methods: data come from the Italian Labour Force Survey (n=65 779) and Spanish Working Conditions Survey (n=11 019), both conducted in 2007. We analyzed merged datasets to evaluate whether interviewees, both natives and migrants, judge their health being affected by their work conditions and, if so, which specific diseases. For migrants, we considered those coming from countries with a value of the Human Development Index lower than 0.85. Logistic regression models were used, including gender, age, and education as adjusting factors. Results: migrants reported skin diseases (Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR=1.49; 95%CI: 0.59-3.74) and musculoskeletal problems among those employed in agricultural sector (Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR=1.16; 95%CI: 0.69-1.96) more frequently than natives; country-specific analysis showed higher risks of musculoskeletal problems among migrants compared to the non-migrant population in Italy (OR=1.17; 95% CI: 0.48-1.59) and of respiratory problems in Spain (OR=2.02; 95%CI: 1.02-4.0). In both countries the risk of psychological stress was predominant among national workers. Conclusions: this collaborative study allows to strength the evidence concerning the health of migrant workers in Southern European countries.