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HEALTH STATUS OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN
5.1, Introduction
There are about 1,000 million school age children in the world (Bundy and
Guyatt,1996). They form a very important group because they are in the fonat~ve
stage and are the future builders of the nation. In addition, through them, their families
and communities could be reached. The physical and mental well being of school age
children can influence the health status of a larger segment of the population. Of all the
factors that contribute to the optimum growth and overall development of a child, good
health can be considered to be a very important factor. However, very little is known
about the disease burden in this age group (Bundy and Guyatt,1996). Data of good
qual~ty is essential to assess their specific needs which may vary from country to
country. Physical ill health in school age children is likely to influence their educational
achievement. Some of their illness burden can be reduced either by intervention or
inculcating appropriate behavior pattern by health education. The following IS a review
of their current health status and their health needs.
5.2. Review of literature
5.2.1. General morbidity in school age children
la) Global scenario
In 1990 there were estimated to be 1,080 million school age children (5-14 years Of
age). They shared a total burden of 150 million DALY which was 11.0% of the global
burden of disease for all age groups (Bundy and Guyatt,1996). Th~s may be an