Reported cases of violence during childhood and adolescence up
The Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) produces an annual report entitled ‘Barcelona’s Health’, offering an analysis of the state of people’s health in the city. This year’s report highlights the gradual improvement in economic and health indicators, such as the drop in unemployment or life expectancy following Covid-19, but also points to a rise in the number of reports of violence during childhood and adolescence in recent years in the city.
Life expectancy gradually recovered in 2022, following Covid-19. Women live 87.5 years on average, compared to 82 among men, compared to figures of 85.6 and 80.4 respectively in 2020, the year of the pandemic. Even though women live longer than men, their quality of life is lower. Inequalities are also apparent according to where people live and their country of origin.
Health among children and teenagers
When it comes to children, 98% of girls of 97% of boys enjoy good health. The most common chronic health problems are connected to eyesight, respiratory conditions and obesity.
According to the records of the Directorate for Police at the Catalan government’s Ministry of the Interior, there were 896 formal reports of violence against children or teenagers in 2022, with children the victims in 57.9% of cases. During the same year, 261 cases of gender violence against girls under the age of 18 were also formally reported in the city.
Sexually transmitted infections and consumption of substances
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) were up in 2022, particularly gonorrhea and chlamydia. Specifically, compared to 2021, gonorrhea was up by 44% and chlamydia up by 49% among men, with figures more stable among women.
In terms of the consumption of substances, cannabis consumption among teenagers was down, particularly boys, but the use of e-cigarettes was up.
The report highlights the start of treatment for the consumption of substances around Drug-dependency Support and Monitoring Centres (CAS), with alcohol the main cause, accounting for 54.6% among women and 45.6% among men, followed by cocaine, accounting for 13.7% among women and 20.8% among men.
Climate change
The report ‘Barcelona’s Health’ shows that 2022 was the hottest on record in the city, with two heatwaves that lasted 12 days. It is worth noting that the most vulnerable people are the elderly, children, those with chronic illnesses, those who work in hot environments, those with the least social and economic resources and those who suffer energy poverty.
According to data from the Barcelona Health Survey 2021, some 13.1% of women and 11.3% of men suffer energy poverty in the summer. This figure doubles among Barcelona residents born in countries with medium to low incomes, with a percentage of 24.6% among women and 20.5% among men.
