Health profiles of five year old children in an urban school– A cross sectional study.

Uruj Altaf Qureshi; Umar Amin Qureshi; Amber Bashir Mir

Volume : IX, Issue : V, May - 2019

Health profiles of five year old children in an urban school– A cross sectional study.

Uruj Altaf Qureshi, Umar Amin Qureshi, Amber Bashir Mir

Abstract :

The health supervision of the school children is necessary and can help identify the magnitude of morbidity and malnourishment in a community. We conducted a health survey of five year old children attending an urban school in Srinagar. Methodology: A cross–sectional study was designed for children of age five years in a high school of an urban area of district Srinagar. Clinical examination and the anthropometric measurements of children were taken. Results: Mean weight of boys and girls was 20.9 kg and 18.9 kg respectively. Mean height of boys and girls was 114.8cm and 113.8 cm respectively. Mean BMI of boys and girls was 16.1 kg/m2 and 15.9 kg/m2 respectively. None of the student had short stature. Almost 50% of boys and girls were overweight and obese. There was only one underweight girl. Majority of boys and girls had co morbidities in the form of dental caries. 3% boys and 4% girls had refractive errors. Conclusion: The burden of overweight, obesity and dental caries is noted to be high . The refractive errors although low is important as they were unknown to the parents. Comprehensive periodic school health check–ups should be carried out for early diagnosis of the common morbidities