Risk and determinig health factors

Abstract

This work examines the extent of existingrelationship between risk and sociodemographic indicators in the different political districts in Argentina and its variability from 2005 to 2009.Descriptive and correlational research with retrospective longitudinal design. Multiple correlations were found among indicators of coverage, medical controls, urbanization, GGP and unhealthy habits such as risky consumption of salt, tobacco and alcohol. On one side, a population with unsatisfied basic needs (UBN), illiteracy and health self-perception as regular/poor, still with public health facilities without possible hospitalization. Argentina presents three province typologies: the central and Patagonian provinces with good coverage and unhealthy habits; the northern ones with high social vulnerability and an intermediate group. Although health coverage and controls increased and health self-perception as regular/poor decreased, between 2005 and 2009 we did not observe improvements in population physiological parameters; besides, physical inactivity, salt consumption and obesity increased.