Health status of adolescents deprived of parental care

Abstract

Children deprived of parental care are a vulnerahle population with complex needs and health problems. The aim of our study was to assess health status of this population and compare it with children living in their biological families. Our study included 41 adolescents living in foster families (22 boys and 19 girls, mean age 14.66 + 1.39 and 43 adolescents living in child foster homes (16 boys and 27 girls, mean age 14.99 +/- 1.3). The control group consisted of their classmates living with their biological families (45 adolescents, 20 boys and 25 girls, mean age 14.69 +/- 1.43). Health status was assessed by analyzing their medical records. Results There were no differences in regard to anthropometric characteristics (body weight, body height, body mass index) and prevalence of body deformities in studied groups. Acute bronchitis was significantly more fequent in children living in foster families (41.5%) than in other two groups (16.3%--foster homes: 17.8%--biological families). Headaches were significantly more common in groups living in foster families (31.70%) and foster homes (25.6%) than in children living with their biological families. The same was established for myopia (46.3% foster families: 32.6%--foster homes; 1 7.8%--biological families). Even though there were no differences in regard to characteristics which are indicators of general health, it is apparent that children deprived of parental care present with particularities of health status. Additional researches are necessary in order to get insight into the causality of these phenomena.