RESUMO
Background: The objective of the study was to find out the personal hygiene status among boys residing in social welfare hostels by class and age and type of hostel.Methods: Cross sectional study, analytical study, social welfare hostels in Tirupati town of Andhra Pradesh. Participants was 524 boys. Statistical analysis are percentages and Chi-square test.Results: The prevalence of scabies was found to be significantly higher in those children with poor personal hygiene (35.7%) compared to average level (18.8%) and good (14.4%) of personal hygiene. The prevalence of other specific morbid conditions was found to be similar in all the three levels of personal hygiene and the differences were not statistically significant.Conclusions: The prevalence of scabies was found to be significantly higher in those children with poor personal hygiene compared to average level and good of personal hygiene. In view of higher proportion of children with poor level of personal hygiene of children in scheduled tribe hostel, there is a need to sensitize and give health education on personal hygiene related diseases and take necessary preventive steps and supervision by hostel staff especially in scheduled tribe hostel. Hand washing with soap can protect about one out of every three young children.
RESUMO
The role of hostels in the educational advancement of backward classes is long recognized. In closed homes like hostels, the morbid conditions especially infectious diseases like skin diseases and respiratory diseases tend to rapidly spread among others and become difficult to control. There is increased nutritional demand in this age group because of pubertal changes. It has been found that several school children especially from socially backward sections of the community suffer from nutritional health problems as well as other physical health problems. We wanted to evaluate the morbidity pattern among boys residing in social welfare hostels.METHODSThis is a cross sectional, analytical study to determine the morbidity pattern among boys residing in social welfare hostels. This present study was conducted from August 2013 to July 2014 among boys residing in three welfare hostels, one each for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes in Tirupati town.RESULTSThe common prevalent morbid conditions found were skin disorders (46.4%), nutritional disorders (43.1%), eye diseases (29.0%), respiratory diseases (15.3%) gastrointestinal diseases (13.6%), ENT diseases (9.5%,), musculoskeletal conditions (1.0%), and other diseases (5.7%).CONCLUSIONSHealth education and increasing the nutritional supplements improve the health of children with regard to personal hygiene and common diseases. Provision of necessary materials like soaps, oils etc., under supervision of hostel staff will go a long way in controlling these infections.