Prevention of cardiovascular disease in adolescents in Primary Healthcare

Abstract

Introduction: cardiovascular diseases are increasingly appearing at younger ages. Risk factors are present in adolescents, who imitate adults and acquire unfavorable habits.
Objective: to design an action plan for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in adolescents belonging to the Family Doctor's Office 16-21 of the "Santa Clara" Polyclinic.
Methods: a research was conducted in health system and service, applied, with quali-quantitative approach, with 60 adolescents from the 16-21 Clinic during the period from April 2019 to July 2021. A nominal group of specialists was used, working with the ranking method of the Pan American Health Organization to identify priorities and the fishbone diagram for causal analysis.
Results: female sex and late adolescence predominated in the study and most of the adolescents were exposed to two risk factors. Inadequate nutrition was identified as the main risk factor (score=11) and in the causal analysis the diet high in salt, fats and sugars and the low consumption of fruits and vegetables and weak family food education, irregularity in complying with medical guidelines and insufficient work of the Basic Team in the community.
Conclusions: adolescents need health education to avoid the development of cardiovascular disease; the Basic Health Group and the family physician and nurse should be consistent when designing actions at the primary level of prevention in Primary Healthcare.