[Prevalence and determinants of obesity in children and young people in Catalonia, Spain, 2006-2012].

Background And Objective: To estimate the prevalence of obesity and overweight in children aged 2 to 14 years in Catalonia, its trends between 2006 and 2010-2012, and to evaluate social determinants and lifestyle associated with obesity.

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional study, using the data from 4,389 surveys from Catalonia Health Surveys of the years 2006 and 2010-2012, was conducted. Obesity and overweight were determined by World Health Organization criteria.

[New design of the Health Survey of Catalonia (Spain, 2010-2014): a step forward in health planning and evaluation].

This article presents the genesis of the Health Survey of Catalonia (Spain, 2010-2014) with its semiannual subsamples and explains the basic characteristics of its multistage sampling design. In comparison with previous surveys, the organizational advantages of this new statistical operation include rapid data availability and the ability to continuously monitor the population. The main benefits are timeliness in the production of indicators and the possibility of introducing new topics through the supplemental questionnaire as a function of needs.

Comparison of the information provided by electronic health records data and a population health survey to estimate prevalence of selected health conditions and multimorbidity.

Background: Health surveys (HS) are a well-established methodology for measuring the health status of a population. The relative merit of using information based on HS versus electronic health records (EHR) to measure multimorbidity has not been established. Our study had two objectives: 1) to measure and compare the prevalence and distribution of multimorbidity in HS and EHR data, and 2) to test specific hypotheses about potential differences between HS and EHR reporting of diseases with a symptoms-based diagnosis and those requiring diagnostic testing.

[Dependency for activities of daily living in the elderly in Catalonia, Spain].

The aim of this article is to estimate the disabilty prevalence for the activities of daily living (ADL), the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and the use of health services, distinguishing between the population receiving assistance for ADL and not. Cross-sectional study (Encuesta de Salud de Cataluña [ESCA] 2006). We have analyzed 17 ADL.

[The health of men and women in Catalonia, Spain. Are changes occurring?].

The aim of this work is to show the changes observed in the health profile according to gender in 2006 with respect to 1994 of the population of Catalonia, through the comparison of data obtained in 1994 and 2006 from the Encuesta de Salud de Cataluña. The increase of the level of studies of the population has tended to comparing both sexes. The pattern of the social classes has been invested, so that in 2006 the proportion of women who place themselves in the upper classes and intermediate is superior to that of the men, and the proportion of women belonging to the lower class is inferior to that of the men.

[Prevalence and burden of visual impairment in Catalonia, Spain].

The aim of this work is to determine the prevalence of visual impairment in Catalonia and analyze inequalities in vision. Cross sectional study in the population having ≥ 15 years of age (7,881 men and 8,045 women) based on data from the Encuesta de Salud de Cataluña 2006. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio by age, civil state, level of studies, income and working situation with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%.

[Impact of chronic diseases on life expectancy in the population of Catalonia, Spain, in 1994 and 2006].

This paper analyzes the changes in the prevalence of selected chronic conditions and their impact on the life expectancy in the population of Catalonia. The chronic conditions selected are: hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart diseases, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic allergies, musculoskeletal system diseases, and anxiety/depression. The prevalence of these diseases is estimated from data collected by the Health Survey of Catalonia in 1994 and 2006.

[Methodological characteristics of the Catalan Health Survey 2006].

The Health Survey of Catalonia (ESCA) gives essential population information for health planning and evaluation. On the edition of 2006, 18,126 non-institutionalized persons were interviewed. The sample design is complex with the aim to guarantee the representatively also in small geographic areas with interest in health and service planning.

[Health surveys: lights and shadows].

Surveys are relevant tolls to analyze social changes and its methods are appropriate to know about the distribution of perceptions and behaviors of different phenomena related to health and disease. Health surveys (HS) are usually focused on areas like social and demographic characteristics, health related behaviors, health status and health services utilization. They provide with information that is not possible to reach through other systematic data sources and are crucial to assist decision making in health policy.

[Prevalence of urinary incontinence in Catalonia, Spain].

Background And Objective: To study the prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence (IU) in the population of Catalonia.

Design: Descriptive and cross-sectional study.

Patients And Method: Sample of 18.