[Morbidity and risk behavior regarding street-children in Medellin, Colombia, 2008].
OBJECTIVE
Describing the characteristics, morbidity and risk behaviour of street children from Medellin.


METHODS
This was a descriptive, retrospective study. The medical charts of children aged less than 17 who sought medical attention in five protection institutions in Medellin during 2008 were reviewed. The analysis included descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Age was categorised into two groups: boys/girls (0- 12 years) and adolescents (13-17 years).


RESULTS
The following characteristicswere found after reviewing 483 medical charts: being male (73.1 %), adolescent (73.1 %) and living in the streets (44.7 %). The most common diagnoses were for infectious and parasite illnesses (21.8 %), factors that affected health status and contact with health services (13.7 %), respiratory diseases (11.8 %). A total of 81.0 % of all children were engaged in psychoactive substance abuse,smoking marijuana being the most common (80.0 %);84.0 % reported engaging in sexual activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Infectious diseases, sexual activity and usingpsychoactive substances placed this population in a high vulnerability category. This situation demands that local health-policy makers guarantee thispopulation's constitutional right to health, through health-promotion programmes and sexual and reproductive health strategies to prevent disease and psychoactive substance abuse.
Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Ivanfelipe9@gmail.com
Iván F
IF
Muñoz-Echeverri
Camilo
C
Noreña-Herrera
Beatriz E
BE
Londoño
Carlos A
CA
Rojas-Arbeláez
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D018453:Homeless Youth / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D019372:Orphanages; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations