Publication:

A school based cross-sectional study to assess the health problems and health status among school going children at Akhorigola, Rohtas District, Bihar

Background School-going children constitute one-fifth of the total population. They are the future of the nation's successor generation; therefore, high-performing students are important investments in building the nation's future. This study aimed to identify the health problems among school-going children.

Methods The current research was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Akhorigola block of Rohtas, targeting school-going children. A total of 650 participants were selected through a purposive sampling technique and assessed using a pre-structured format. The acquired data was analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) to calculate the results based on objectives and hypotheses.

Results The outcomes of the study showed that among the 360 school-age boy participants, 210 (58.33%) had a normal weight, 100 (27.79%) were underweight, and 50 (13.88%) were overweight. Among the 290 girl participants, 150 (51.82%) had a normal weight, 110 (37.84%) were underweight, and 30 (10.34%) were overweight. The study also revealed that the majority of the 650 participants, 149 (22.92%), had inadequate personal hygiene, 109 (16.76%) had dental caries, 78 (12%) were affected by worm infestation, 55 (8.46%) were anemic, 47 (7.23%) had vitamin-A deficiency, 44 (6.76%) had scalp and hair problems, 38 (5.84%) had ear problems, and 30 (4.61%) had impaired visual acuity.

Conclusions Implementing school health programs can pose several challenges, but these can be effectively tackled through the integration of activities between the health and education departments.