Morbidity pattern and health education for school age children in Karachi

To screen morbidities among school age children, to assess health education need to prevent these diseases and to compare morbidities with national and international patterns Cross Sectional Epidemiological Study This study was conducted at DIMC, DUHS, Karachi during February and March 2012. This study was conducted of school children of Karachi. Sample size; 125 children from 6 primary, kg and nursery classes data was collected on pre -designed and pre- tested proforma Total 22 morbidities were identified on clinical examination and anthropometry methods common morbidities were max in ear, scabies, lice infestation, alopecia, anemia, and underweight, DNS, Rhinorrhea, 21.5% children had no morbidity while 28.8% needed primary health care/ first aid or simple treatment or referral while 71% needed health education, hygiene or nutrition supplements. Morbidities are same as reported from Pakistan and Indian studies published Journals and books and all morbidities were preventable School age children are suffering from common preventable diseases they need primary health care education hygiene and nutrition supplement to improve their health Medical Universities NGOs and Education and Health Department can manage by health camps or by formal school health services programme

Stunting among children in district east Karachi, Pakistan

To study stunting problem in children attending schools in District East of Karachi, to calculate prevalence of stunting on the basis of study and compare it with national data and to suggest intervention to prevent stunting in school children. Cross sectional epidemiological study. This study was conducted on the school children of Karachi during February 2012 to February 2013. 164 randomly selected children attending private and government schools in Karachi East. There were 164 total children out of them 81 [49.40%] were male and 83 [50.60%] female. Stunting was present in 101 [61.5%], normal height and weight was observed in 7 [4.26%]. Stunting and not stunting proportion of 164 children among them 101 were stunted and 64 were not stunted [P< 0.05]. The study showed the stunting in Karachi needs nutritional intervention and public health and community health education to halt stunting problem in school health children in Karachi east

Body mass index [BMI] of international medical student in OJHA Campus Karachi, Pakistan

Measuring body mass index [BMI] by calculating height and weight gives significant information on the health and nutritional status of individuals. Wide range of factors including blood pressure level, heart disease, asthma, headache, backache, joint pain, anesthesia risks, menstrual abnormalities and insulin resistance is associated with increase in BMI. [1] To measure height and weight for Body Mass Index calculation. [2] To compare national data of Body Mass Index. Cross sectional study. This study was conducted at the Department of Community Medicine, Dow International Medical College [DIMC], Dow university of Health sciences OJHA campus Karachi from April 2012 to April 2013. The sample of the study was 112 medical student selected through random sampling method from DIMC. BMI trend of American student [10.90%] and Pakistani Local student is slightly different were under weight in local Pakistani student [20.65%]. While over weight were more in American student [over weight 29.64%]. Majority of local and International students are fall in Normal range [55.35%]. It was interesting that obesity in American students [3.70%] and local born students [3.44%] was almost same. The study concludes that BMI of International student who were born in Pakistani migrant family have different trend. How ever over all majority of students both local and international fall in normal BMI range

Effect of heavy school bags on the health of children

To evaluate how much the backpacks of elementary school children weigh and the percentage of body weight represented by them. To determine the attribute of school backpacks and key out the methods of carrying backpacks. Cross sectional study. This is a cross sectional study conducted on school girls and boys of age between 5-15 years during April 2008 to Sept 2008 in Karachi. Sample of 660 students was taken. Students were interviewed with structured pre-tested questionnaire asking about: How they travel to and from school [walk/transport]? How they carry bags? If they have pain due to bag carriage? Where they feel pain [shoulder/neck/back]? Do they consult doctor for pain? How many days they remain absent from school due to pain? How they get relief from pain? School bags averaged weight is 4.9 kg. Related to body weight of the students, school bag represented an average weight of 18.00% .The maximum value for bag weight relative to body mass was 48%.About 89.1% of students carried bags weighing more than 10% of their body mass. Bag surface area ranges from 87 cm in the first grade to 2322 cm in the 7th grade. The maximal ratio of Bag surface area to student's trunk area was 266.27.The proportion of students who experienced bodily pain due to back pack carriage was 67%.Regarding intensity of pain; 40.5% students had complain of mild pain, 17.4% students had complain of moderate pain, while 10.8% had severe intensity of pain. The average bag weight of students relative to their body weight who felt pain was 19.00% of their body weight while the average bag weight of students relative to their body weight who did not felt pain was 17.21%. Our research analysis shows that 7% students were absent from school due to pain.N6% of students visited doctor with complain of pain. School students of Karachi 5-15 years old seem to carry substantial backpack loads, which represent more than 10 percent of children's body weight