Prevalence of nutritional deficiency disorders among rural primary school children (5-15 years).

The school as portal of personalised health care is an important concept. Significant number of school-age children are in need of adequate source of health care and nearly one-fifth of the population of every country comprised these children. Nutritional disorders account for the majority of morbidity, mortality and drop outs among them. One thousand and fifty primary school children (of both sexes) were studied from June to December, 1992. Prevalence of various nutritional disorders was 47.42%, anaemia and vitamin A deficiency were the commonest among them. Remedial measures followed by health education of pupil, teachers and parents, were the intervention measures adopted during and after the survey. Dietary modification, improvement of school sanitation and personal hygiene, strengthening school health services and awareness building, are the key strategies recommended.

PIP: A survey conducted in 1992, in 3 primary schools in a rural area of India's southwest Maharashtra State, assessed the prevalence of nutritional deficiency disorders among children, 5-15 years of age. Most common among the 1050 children examined were anemia (32.47%), vitamin A deficiency (9.8%), vitamin B-complex deficiency (2.57%), protein-energy malnutrition (2.38%), and vitamin D deficiency (0.19%). 69.52% of the children had perceived morbidity at the time of the initial visit to the schools. 68% were assessed as having poor personal hygiene, 30.47% were infested with worms, and 10.66% had acute respiratory infections. These children and their families were offered remedial services (immediate treatment, nutrition counseling) at successive follow-up visits, and improvements were made in school sanitation. Nutritional disorders represent a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and dropout among school-aged children in India, and school-based services directed toward the deficiency disorders identified in this study could have a major impact on child health.

Perceived morbidity, utilisation of health services and factors affecting it in a rural area.

A survey of perceived morbidity was carried out in rural population in eight villages and four wards of Saoner town, covering a total population of 8,876. The nature of illness was assessed by weekly visits to the families. History regarding treatment taken for disease and its source was taken. The overall incidence of perceived morbidity was 176.35 spells of sickness per 1000 population per month. Health care agency was contacted for 36.7 per cent spells of sickness. Utilisation of health services was found to be affected significantly by factors like age (chi 2 = 138.36), literacy (chi 2 = 14.123), type of occupation (chi 2 = 433.74), nature of illness (chi 2 = 83.578) and accessibility of health services. A health behaviour model of the population has also been discussed in this paper.

PIP: A study of perceived morbidity was carried out among a total population of 8876 persons in 8 rural villages and 4 wards of Saoner town, Nagpur. Occurrences of illness and source of treatment if any were assessed by weekly visits of paramedical workers. 1240 families were each surveyed at least 4 times in 1 month over a 1 year period. 1447 spells of sickness were reported, or 176.7 spells per 1000 population per month. Information on utilization of health services was obtained for 1441, of which care from a health agency was sought in 529 cases, or 36.7%. Utilization of health services was found to be affected significantly by age, education, type of occupation, literacy, seriousness of illness, and accessibility of services. A conceptual model of the health behavior of the population, which shows the relationship between perceived morbidity, predisposing and enabling factors and utilization of health care, is described and discussed.