Guatemala City Youth: A Descriptive Study of Health Indicators Through the Lens of a Clinical Registry

An abstract of the study by Golub et al identifying a series of risk behaviors, socio-economic measures, and health status of youth in Guatemala is presented. Results showed among 2832 youth (median age 14 years (25th, 75th) quartiles = (12, 17) years, 72% female), 17% reported a history of chronic illness, 17% reported severe psychological problems, and 11% had experienced violence. Soclo-economic status was measured by maternal and paternal education levels (32% of youth's mothers and 35% of fathers had completed secondary education), parental employment (52% of fathers and 21% of mothers with a stable job), and housing stability (less than 3% of youth reporting overcrowding, lack of electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing). Youth were food secure with a median of 3 meals per day: and fairly sedentary with a median reported physical activity of less than 1 hour a week: a minority (12%) were dissatisfied with their body image.