Percepciones sobre la salud en estudiantes que viven en áreas de riesgo de desastres de origen hidrometeorológico: el caso de Motozintla, Chiapas, México

Motozintla is a city with high risk to hidrometeorologic disasters with hurricanes and torrential raining periods. Big lost of material and lives have had registered. The objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of health and disasters of students in Motozintla, Chiapas, which a city with a long history of high risks of flooding disasters. Methods: We applied 378 questionnaires that contained closed and open questions to students in the Institute of “Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios No. 243” as well as to students of the Institute of “Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas”. The questions focused on health and its relation to disasters. Results: 45.5% of the students perceived health in an integral manner as a physiological, psychological and social well-being, 26.7% perceived it as absence of disease, pain or discomfort. 26.2% mentioned diverse aspects of individual well-being related to nutrition, the feeling of well or bad or other satisfactions in life. In terms of the context of disasters, 36.8% perceived disaster as a presence of natural phenomena, 29.4% as an event that provokes destruction and death. The remaining (17.2%) mentioned disaster as some kind of physical or social problem, as something sudden or as a danger. Conclusion: The majority of the students perceived health as a physical, psychological and social well-being. In their view, the disasters are related to natural phenomena and in general terms, underestimated the risk: health is not depended on or related to disasters. Motozintla es una ciudad de alto riesgo histórico de desastres de origen hidrometeorológico como lluvias torrenciales y huracanes de grandes pérdidas materiales y de proyectos de vida en la población. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las percepciones sobre la salud y desastres de los estudiantes que viven en este municipio del estado de Chiapas, México. Métodos: Se aplicaron 378 cuestionarios que contenían preguntas cerradas y abiertas a estudiantes del Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios No. 243 y de la Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas. Las preguntas se centraron en la salud y su relación con los desastres. Resultados: El 45.5% de los estudiantes percibieron la salud como un estado de bienestar en los aspectos físico, psicológico o social, el 26.7% lo percibieron como la ausencia de enfermedad, dolor o molestias. El 26.2% mencionaron diversos aspectos del bienestar individual relac