title: [Adolescents and their relationship to health services: a school-based cross-sectional study in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].
abstract: This cross-sectional study describes the relationship between adolescents and health services using several indicators (self-reported diseases, self-rated health status, the need and search for health care, health care utilization and fidelity, adherence to medical prescription) and their association with socio-demographic variables. The adolescents (aged 12 to 17 years) were enrolled in schools from a district in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Type of school, representing the participants' socioeconomic status, was associated with all the indicators. Adolescents in public schools tended to rate their health status as fair or poor. They also showed lower odds of reporting health needs, the search for health care, obtaining access, and remaining faithful to health services. Girls rated their health status as fair or poor and sought health care more frequently boys. High adherence to medical prescription of medicines and tests was observed in the sample.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde da Comunidade, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lenita Barreto Lorena
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Claro
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: Monica Tereza Machado
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.forename: Isabel Antonia Barros
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Garcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students