Prevalencia y factores asociados a dismenorrea en estudiantes de la Universidad del Rosario

Antecedentes: la dismenorrea es el dolor asociado al ciclo menstrual. Presenta una prevalencia entre el 60 y 93%. Se han descrito factores asociados como: edad de la menarquía, índice de masa corporal, ejercicio, tabaquismo, antecedente de dismenorrea materna entre otros. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un estudio de corte transversal, basado en una encuesta anónima a 127 mujeres de la Universidad del Rosario pertenecientes a las facultades de Medicina y Psicología. Resultados: ee encontró una prevalencia de dismenorrea del 73%, el 67% de las participantes que presentaron dolor menstrual refirió tomar medicamentos para aliviar el dolor, el 42% fue auto formulado. El 44,6% de las encuestadas con dismenorrea se han ausentado de sus labores académicas o sociales, con un porcentaje de ausentismo escolar a causa del dolor del 74.5% en al menos 1 día. El antecedente materno de dismenorrea se asocio positivamente a la aparición de la enfermedad en las adolescentes (P 0.02). Conclusiones: La dismenorrea es una enfermedad con una alta prevalencia, y con impacto importante sobre el ausentismo académico. El antecedente materno de dismenorrea fue el único factor asociado positivamente en este estudio. Es necesario realizar estudios a mayor escala para poder establecer el impacto de esta enfermedad en la calidad de vida de las pacientes, así como para poder determinar otros factores asociados.

Aproximación teórica al fenómeno de la automedicación desde la psicología del consumidor

La automedicación es un fenómeno global creciente que tradicionalmente se ha definido como la acción individual de tomarse un medicamento o seguir un tratamiento sin prescripción médica. Sin embargo, esta visión se ha quedado corta ante las manifestaciones contemporáneas del fenómeno que van más allá del autocuidado y se asocian cada vez más al consumo masivo inducido por la publicidad. En ese sentido, este artículo presenta las definiciones y teorías explicativas de la automedicación ofrecidas por la literatura científica y ofrece una nueva hipótesis sobre la automedicación, como comportamiento individual de consumo, explicada por un posicionamiento cognitivo causal simple de la acción de los medicamentos, a su vez facilitado por la publicidad y el mercadeo de éstos. Se concluye mostrando la importancia de contrarrestar el efecto de la publicidad mediante la educación del consumidor acerca del riesgo que implica la complejidad la automedicación a partir de la acción de los medicamentos en el organismo.

Self-medication and related terms: a conceptual reflection

Introduction: self-medication has become a growing practice in the world population. This phenomenon has been promoted as a form of self-care, with a positive impact on reducing spending in health systems, however there is concern about the potential negative effects related to inadequate diagnosis and treatment, which can affect health of individuals. This dual perception of the phenomenon is partly related to a variety of terms and concepts used, that make difficult its theoretical and empirical approach. Harmonization of the definitions involved is required in order to make adequate epidemiological comparisons. Objectives: analyze the concept of self medication and related terms from the definitions in the literature of the subject. Conclusions: in the last four decades it has been an evolution of both the wording and the definitions related to self-medication, from a very simple concept that implies the absence of prescription, to more complex ones that encompass very diverse behaviors, even those mediated by an act of prescription but not followed or not completed by the patient. Additionally the conceptual proliferation seen, justify the ordering of the terms related to self-medication. This paper presents a proposal for classification in four groups: a. self-medication, b. self care, c. pharmaceutical preparations and medicines, and d. prescription. This proposal should facilitate the exploration and analysis of the phenomenon and allow future theoretical approaches.

Prevalence and factors associated with dysmenorrheal in health science students

Introduction: Dysmenorrhea has a prevalence between 60 and 93%. Different factors have been associated with it, such as age at menarche, body mass index, exercise, smoking and maternal history of dysmenorrhea, among others. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, based on an anonymous survey applied to a random sample of 127 women from the school of medicine and psychology at the Universidad Del Rosario. Results: The prevalence of  dysmenorrhea was 73%. 67% of participants presenting with menstrual pain, reported having taken pain relief medication (66.7% self medicated). 32.5% of respondents with dysmenorrhea were absent from their academic or social work, with a percentage of school absenteeism due to pain of 74.5% in at least one day. The risk of dysmenorrhoea was 2.36 times higher in women who had mothers with this history (OR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.03 to 5.40). No associations with other factors were found. Conclusions: Dysmenorrhea is a disease with a high prevalence and significant impact on school absenteeism. Maternal history of dysmenorrhea was the only factor positively associated in this study.

The Integrated Mass Transit Systems Program in Colombia: an Example of Recentralization of the Cities´ Management?

The Integrated Mass Transit Systems are an initiative of the Colombian Government to replicate the experience of Bogota’s Bus Rapid Transit System —Transmilenio— in large urban areas of the country, most of them over municipal perimeters to provide transportation services to areas undergoing a metropolization process. Management of these large scale metropolitan infrastructure projects involves complex setups that present new challenges in the interaction between stakeholders and interests between municipalities, tiers of government and public and private sectors. This article presents a compilation of the management process of these projects from the national context, based on a document review of the regulatory framework, complemented by interviews with key stakeholders at the national level. Research suggests that the implementation of large-scale metropolitan projects requires a management framework orientated to overcome the traditional tensions between centralism and municipal autonomy.

Body mass index as a standard of living measure: a different interpretation for the case of Colombia

We analyze the Body Mass Index (BMI) in a distinct way of its traditional use and it lets us use it as a proxy of standard of living for the case of Colombia. Our approach is focused on studying how far the people are from the normal range and not on the score of each one and this lets us to treat equally extreme cases as severe thinness and obesity. We use a probabilistic model (Ordered Probit) that evaluates the probability of being within the normal range or another level. We found that socioeconomic variables have a significant effect on the dependent variable and that there are no linear effects. Besides, people with difficulties for walking and adults have less probability of having a normal BMI.