HEALTH PROFILE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: STUDY FROM A RURAL HEALTH BLOCK OF KANPUR

Nutritional deprivation and poor health status is rampant in children of school age particularly primary school children. The health & nutritional status of school-aged children impacts their cognition, and subsequently their educational achievement. A school health service is an important forum for improvement of health & nutritional status of school children. The present study was conducted as a part of the School Health Services being provided on regular basis by the Department of Community Medicine, Rama Medical College Kanpur in schools of Block Shivrajpur with the objective to detect the defect and diseases at the earliest and ensure prompt treatment. All students enrolled in two purposively selected primary schools of Block Shivrajpur constitute sample size. A pre-structured health card was used to record socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements, health examination, clinical findings & provisional diagnosis for each student. Weight status of students was classified according to WHO BMI for Age classification. A total of 339 school children were included in present study. Among these 225 (66.4%) were Boys. Over-all 28.6% children were found underweight. Proportion of underweight was found higher in case of girls (33.3%) as compared to boys (26.2%). Overall 25.7% children were affected by dental caries, 20.1% skin infection, 21.5% ear discharge, 12.4% defective vision, 33.9% anemia and 11.5% vitamin-A deficiency. History of ear discharge was almost similar among boys (21.7%) & girls (21.5%). Anemia was significantly more prevalent among girls.