ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL HEALTH STATUS WITH SELECTED FACTORS

Abstract

A study, to determine the physical health status of children between the age of three to five years and its association with selected factors, was conducted in a village of Udupi district of Karnataka state in 1998. The objectives of the study were to assess the physical health status of children between the age of three and five years, to identify the selected factors under study like employment status of parents, age of parents, educational status of parents, birth order of the child, number of siblings of the child, gender of the child, child care arrangements and socio-economic status of parents and to find out the association between physical health status of children between the age of three and five years and selected factors. The study used system's model. Co-relational survey approach was used and data were collected from 100 samples. Tools were developed by the investigator and purposive sampling was used for selection of sample elements. A significant association was observed between the physical health status of the children and the employment status of the mother [chi square = 4.003, p < 0.05], and no significant association was found between physical health status and age of parents, educational status of parents, birth order of the child, number of siblings of the child, gender of the child, child care arrangements and socio economic status of parents.