We conducted a study to screen school children for signs of common
childhood morbidity and certain nutritional defi-ciencies and to
assess proportion absenting themselves from school in preceding 3
months.
The study was conducted from November 2000 to April
2001 in 16 randomly selected schools from 243 registered with the
Department of Education, Lucknow. Attendance registers of classes II
and III were surveyed and a list of students of age group 5-10 years
was prepared. By random draw 25 students, who were present on that
day, were included following informed written consent.
A total of 320 children were included. Mean number
of working days in the preceding three months was 68.7 ± 4.8. The mean
numbers of days the girls and the boys were absent from school was
2.46 ± 3.2 and 3.93 ± 3.8, respectively (P = 0.2). Only 47 girls
(26.4%) and 46 boys (32.4%) were present for all days. Majority of
children (70.9%) had been absent at least once in the preceding 3
months.
Pallor was the most common clinical abnormality
noted in 191 (59.7%) children. Xerosis and Bitot’s spots were observed
in 41 (12.8%) and 10 (3.1%) children. Lymphadenitis, dyspnea, murmur,
icterus, asthma and edema were seen in 187 (58.4%), 33 (10.3%), 32
(10%), 8 (2.5%), 5 (1.6%) and 2 (1.2 %) children respectively, with
comparable frequencies in the two sexes. Causes of lymphadenitis,
murmur, dyspnea, edema and icterus were not assessed.
Shally Awasthi,
Ashish Sharma,
Department of Pediatrics &
Clinical Epidemiology Unit,
Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University,
Lucknow, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
