Characterization of the family health in medicine students’ families

Abstract

Background: family is basic as a health determinant and it is the most adjusting efficacious net in social life. The fulfillment of its functions is essential for the full development of its members, and for propitiating responsibility and positive attitudes toward study and work.  
Aim: to characterize family health in Medicine students’ families.
Material and methods: we carried out a cross-sectional descriptive research, in 45 families of Medicine students belonging to the University Policlinic Heroes del Moncada, urban area of Cardenas, Matanzas. In the elaboration of the family health history, the techniques of observation and interviewing were used, and also the family functioning perception test for diagnosing family health through the relational dynamic.
Results: 60 % are nuclear families and 35,6 % are extensive ones. 64,5 % are median families, followed by the little ones with 15,  and 2,2 % are big. 73,3 % of the families are bi-generational and 11 are tri-generational. Nuclear bi-parental families are predominant with 15, being 55,6 %; 7 are reconstituted, for 25,9 % of all the nuclear families, and 5 are monoparental ones. 88,9 % of the total are functional families, and the rest are moderately functional.
Conclusions: There it was a predominance of nuclear, bi-generational and median families.  The biparental families were the most frequent, followed by the reconstituted ones. In around half of the sample, both parents live together, being married for the first time. There it was a diagnosis prevalence of functional family. No dysfunctional family was diagnosed.