Objectives To explore the health effects of a community health intervention on older people who are isolated at home due to mobility problems or architectural barriers, to identify associated characteristics and to assess participants’ satisfaction. Design Quasi-experimental before–after study. Setting Five low-income neighbourhoods of Barcelona during 2010–15. Participants 147 participants, aged ≥59, living in isolation due to mobility problems or architectural barriers were interviewed before the intervention and after 6 months. Intervention Primary Health Care teams, public health and social workers, and other community agents carried out a community health intervention, consisting of weekly outings, facilitated by volunteers. Measurements We assessed self-rated health, mental health using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and quality of life through the EuroQol scale. Satisfaction with the programme was evaluated using a set of questions. We analysed pre and post data with McNemar tests and fitted lineal and Poisson regression models. Results At 6 months, participants showed improvements in self-rated health and mental health and a reduction of anxiety. Improvements were greater among women, those who had not left home for ≥4 months, those with lower educational level, and those who had made ≥9 outings. Self-rated health [aRR: 1.29(1.04–1.62)] and mental health improvements [ β : 2.92(1.64–4.2)] remained significant in the multivariate models. Mean satisfaction was 9.3 out of 10. Conclusion This community health intervention appears to improve several health outcomes in isolated elderly people, especially among the most vulnerable groups. Replications of this type of intervention could work in similar contexts.

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When the three basic measures were promptly and jointly applied, 90% of the cases were resolved within 6 months.

Cannabis was easily accessible to secondary school pupils and 9 out of 10 obtained the drug from a classmate or friend without paying for it. Two out of 3 adolescents reported negative effects as a consequence of cannabis use. Knowledge of expectations could help to explain and prevent cannabis consumption during adolescence.

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Adolescent smoking has been decreasing in the last few years in Barcelona. There is a strong association between tobacco use and cannabis consumption.