Previously reported associations between headache and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents could be confirmed, but might vary with type of headache. As psychopathological symptoms may be a precursor for manifest psychiatric disorders, adolescents particularly with migraine and miscellaneous headache appear to be a vulnerable population.

The significantly increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschool children with peer relationship problems could not be explained by confounding. It seems evident that there is a relevant co-morbidity of peer relationship problems and obesity in pre-school children pointing to the need of interventions focusing on both physical as well as psychosocial health.

While rural living protects from asthma and allergies in many countries, results are conflicting in Latin America. We studied the prevalence of asthma and asthma symptoms in children from urban, semiurban, and rural sectors in south Chile. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in semiurban and rural sectors in the province of Valdivia (n = 559) using the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire. Results were compared to prevalence in urban Valdivia (n = 3105) by using data from ISAAC III study. Odds ratios (+95% confidence intervals) were calculated. No statistical significant differences were found for asthma ever and eczema symptoms stratified by residential sector, but a gradient could be shown for current asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms with urban living having highest and rural living having lowest prevalence. Rural living was inversely associated in a statistical significant way with current asthma (OR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.9) and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2–0.7) in logistic regression analyses. Rural living seems to protect from asthma and respiratory allergies also in Chile, a South American country facing epidemiological transition. These data would be improved by clinical studies of allergic symptoms observed in studied sectors.

Our study has shown a significant association between excessive media consumption and abnormal SDQ values, especially among 5- to 6-year-old girls, but which is less pronounced in boys. Parents of preschool children with excessive media consumption should be informed and the children should undergo a screening for behavioural problems.