A socio-demographic profile, growth, nutritional and hygiene status of children of primary and secondary boarding schools of Gandhinagar district: a cross sectional study.

Background: A school is a key location for educating children about health, hygiene and nutrition, and for putting in place interventions to promote the health of children. Objectives: of current study were 1) To study the socio demographic profile of children of boarding schools. 2) To study the growth, nutritional and hygiene status of children of boarding schools. Methods: The study was a cross sectional study. After taking the permission of principal of resident schools and consent of the parents of children, 867 children from 8 boarding schools were interviewed during February-March 2011. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Age of the study children (total 867) ranged from 5-19 years. (Mean age = 13.80 ± 1.96 years). Out of 867, 434 (49.9%) were boys and 433 (50.1%) were girls. 32.6% belonged to socio economic class IV. There were only 122 (14.1%) children who had been in boarding school since 4 and more than 4 years. Good personal hygiene was observed in only 75 (8.7%) children followed by fair personal hygiene in 292 (33.7%) children and poor personal hygiene in 500 (57.7%) children. 220 (50.8%) female children had fair personal hygiene and 343 (79.0%) male children had poor personal hygiene and this difference was statistically significant. Prevalence of malnutrition in this study was 7.2% (Females = 4.2%; Males = 10.1%; P <0.001).The bulk of the malnutrition cases were constituted by the grade-I P.E.M. cases (66.1%) followed by grade-II P.E.M. cases (25.8%) and there were 5 (8.1%) cases of grade-III malnutrition only in female children. Conclusion: Poor personal hygiene, poor nutritional status among these children needs great attention and health education.

Tobacco and areca nut use among children of primary and secondary boarding schools of Gandhinagar district: a cross sectional study.

Tobacco and Areca nut use among school children is becoming a serious problem in developing countries. Objectives of current study were to determine the prevalence and pattern of smokeless tobacco and areca nut use among residential school children and to know the reason behind sending them in boarding school. Methods: The study was a cross sectional study. After taking the permission of principal of resident schools and consent of the parents of children, 867 children from 8 boarding schools were interviewed during February-March 2011. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Age of the study children (total 867) ranged from 5-19 years. (Mean age = 13.80 ± 1.96 years). Out of 867, 434 (49.9%) were boys and 433 (50.1%) were girls. Out of 867 children 311 (35.9%) children [Females: 99 (22.8%); Males: 212 (48.8%)] had addiction. Prevalence of any type of addiction in girls and boys was 22.8% and 48.8% respectively. Tobacco prevalence was 18.6% and areca nut prevalence was 17.3%. Out of 212 male children who had addiction majority of children {149 (70.3%)} consume tobacco in the form of gutkha and out of 149, 127 (85.2%) male children consume tobacco since 1 to 3 years and 22 (14.8%) children since 4 to 9 years. Among the tobacco users, the mean age at the start of any tobacco use was 12.8 years with an SD of 1.1 years. Out of 99 female children who had addiction majority of children {87 (87.9%)} consume areca nut and out of 87, 74 (85.1%) female children consume areca nut since 1 to 3 years and 13 (14.9%) children since 4 to 9 years. The mean age group of children who consume tobacco and areca nut was 14.34 ± 1.83 years and 14.03 ± 1.41 years. 63.6% children were in residential school were due to economical reason. Conclusion: High prevalence of tobacco and betel nut in children indicate that more emphasis should be given to increase their awareness regarding hazards of these substances through health education campaign with active involvement of teachers and parents.

Role of exercise and nutrition on cardiopulmonary fitness and pulmonary functions on residential and non-residential school children.

Physical fitness is the prime criterion for survival and to lead a healthy life. Our aim is to find out effect of exercise and nutrition on physical fitness on growing children with scientific records. The present study was designed on healthy school children of a Residential-Sainik (100) and Non-Residential (100) school children (12-16 yrs) of Bijapur. To evaluate cardiopulmonary fitness parameters included are VO2 Max (ml/kg/min) and Physical Fitness Index (PFI %). Harvard Step Test determined VO2 Max and PFI. Also recorded pulmonary function parameters like Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 sec (FEV1 in %) by recording spirometry. Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR in L/Min) by Peak flow meter and Maximal Expiratory Pressure (MEP in mmHg) by modified Black’s apparatus. We found statistically significant higher values (p=0.000) of VO2 Max, PFI, FEV1, PEFR and MEP in residential school children compared to nonresidential school children higher. So, our study shows that regular exercise and nutritious food increase the cardiopulmonary fitness values and pulmonary functions in Residential school children.

Role of Exercise and Nutrition on Cardiopulmonary Fitness.

Physical fitness is the prime criterion for survival, to achieve any goal and to lead a healthy life. Effect of exercise to have a good physical fitness is well known since ancient Vedas. Our aim is to find out the effect of exercise and nutrition on growing children with scientific records. So, we have selected Residential and Non-residential school children with age between 12 and 16 years. Obviously, Residential school children will get recommended nutritious food and they are undergoing regular physical exercise training. Subjects were divided into two groups. Group I is residential and group II is non-residential, each of having 100 students and they were subjected for cardiopulmonary fitness tests. Physical fitness can be assessed by suitable cardiopulmonary fitness parameters like Physical Fitness Index (PFI in %) and maximal oxygen consumption that is VO2max (ml/kg/min) by using Harvard step test. Results were compared and subjected to statistical analysis for Z test. VO2 max (Mean ± SD) in residential was 66.03 ± 7.06 and in non-residential school children was 55.24 ± 7.53. PFI (Mean ± SD) in residential was 54.96 ± 8.38 and in non-residential school children was 44.75 ± 5.05. So, VO2 max (p=0.000) and PFI (p=0.000) were significantly higher in residential as compared to that of non-residential school children. So, from above data analysis it is observed that regular exercise and nutritious food increase the cardiopulmonary fitness values in residential school children.

Pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 outbreak in a residential school at Panchgani, Maharashtra, India.

Background & objectives: An outbreak of influenza was investigated between June 24 and July 30, 2009 in a residential school at Panchgani, Maharashtra, India. The objectives were to determine the aetiology, study the clinical features in the affected individuals and, important epidemiological and environmental factors. The nature of public health response and effectiveness of the control measures were also evaluated. Methods: Real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was performed on throat swabs collected from 82 suspected cases to determine the influenza types (A or B) and sub-types [pandemic (H1N1) 2009, as well as seasonal influenza H1N1, H3N2]. Haemagglutination inhibition assay was performed on serum samples collected from entire school population (N = 415) to detect antibodies for pandemic (H1N1) 2009, seasonal H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B/Yamagata and B/Victoria lineages. Antibody titres ≥ 10 for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and ≥ 20 for seasonal influenza A and B were considered as positive for these viruses. Results: Clinical attack rate for influenza-like illness was 71.1 per cent (295/415). The attack rate for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases was 42.4 per cent (176/415). Throat swabs were collected from 82 cases, of which pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus was detected in 15 (18.3%), influenza type A in (6) 7.4 per cent and influenza type B only in one case. A serosurvey carried out showed haemagglutination inhibition antibodies to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in 52 per cent (216) subjects in the school and 9 per cent (22) in the community. Interpretation & conclusion: Our findings confirmed an outbreak of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 due to local transmission among students in a residential school at Panchgani, Maharashtra, India.