[Health risks for adolescents in underserved areas]

adolescent population is an important age group, with vulnerability and health needs not well known, especially for those living in urban slums. Our objective was to identify health risks for adolescents living in poor urban areas in five geographical regions of Mexico.

a secondary data analysis from a nationwide adolescents ́ survey was carried out from population living in poor urban areas of the north, center, DF, south and southeast of Mexico. Cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug consumption, as well as frequency of accidents and violence, age at sexual initiation and use of contraception methods were analyzed.

the highest frequencies of consumption were: 27.8 % for cigarette smoking and 35.2 % for alcohol, both in adolescents from 16 to 19 years; accidents (5 %) and violence (1.7 %); age (median) at sexual initiation was 16 years, about 50 % of adolescents with regular sexual activity reported use of a contraception method.

comparing our data with National Health Surveys; in poor urban areas, most adolescents health risks are higher than those found for same group age in the general population, however, presentation of accidents and violence are similar.