The level of health in Elementary School Students in Training and Research Areas and Evaluation of School Screening Examination Results

Abstract

AIM: The research was planned in order to evaluate the level of health’s elementary schools located in Eskisehir Osmangazi University School of Medicine Public Health Department Training and Research Areas and the school health services they have been receiving for the last eight years. METHOD: 1st, 2nd, 7th and 8th grade students studying in 12 elementary schools located in the Training and Research Areas in 2009-2010 academic year were enrolled to the study. On days of the screenings, a total of 1405 students available (1405/1569: %89.5) in the schools were reached. Growth, seeing, hearing, mouth-teeth health, systemic physical examination and by consulting to the teachers, state of mind and existence of chronic diseases were researched. For each child, information containing the existence of school enrolment examination, the number of periodic examinations that have been conducted on the child, and also the results of the examination of the same year was inquired. RESULTS: 1.0 % of the students were detected as very weak, 4.8 % as weak, 75.9 % as normal, 15.8 % as overweight and 2.5 % as obese. In eye examinations, 10.5% of the students had refractive error, 6.2 % had amblyopia and 3.1% had diplopia. In the ear examination, it was determined that 48.7 % of the students had plug, 2.5 % had perforated tympanum, and 3.1 % had hearing loss. In mouth and teeth examination, it was detected that 64.8% of the students had tooth decay. All of the students who were claimed to have undergone school enrolment examination were first grade students and that examinations included examination results of this year. Health forms containing the results of school enrolment examination and periodic examinations of 2nd, 7th and 8th grade students were not found. School screening were conducted only in two district elementary schools. The eye examination results reported in the records appeared to be inconsistent with screning results. CONCLUSION: It was shown that school age children had significant undiagnosed health problems. It is concluded that school health services are inadequate in the research area and further researches are required to be conducted in this subject.