Evaluation of Pre-School Health Screening: An Example from Artvin Province.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the health status of children at five nursery schools within the Artvin Central Community Health Center region, Turkey, using a school health screening program. Materials and Methods: 257 children aged 36-72 months were included in this study. Age, sex and height-weight measurement and examinations (hair-hairy skin, eye, ear, oral-dental, genital) were performed with parental permission. The World Health Organization body mass index (BMI) for age was employed. Numbers, percentages, means are given together with standard error and confidence interval. Data were analyzed on SPSS 22.0 software using the chi-square and independent samples t tests. Results: 257 children aged 36-72 months, 47.50% female, with a mean age of 56.88±1.04 months were enrolled. Mean height was 107.48±0.74 cm, mean weight 18.67±0.35 kg and mean BMI 16.11±0.20 kg/m2. Normal weight was determined in 82.90% of children, while 13.20% were overweight and 3.50% were obese. Ocular problems were determined in 12.80% of children, hearing problems in 7.00%, dental problems in 14.80%, lice in 4.70% and short frenulum in 1.90%. An urogenital problem was determined in 10.40% of males, and undescended testis in 2.98%. Conclusion: The most common pathologies in this study were dental and ocular problems. Pre-school health screening allows primary physicians to identify major problems that will impact on school and societal health beforehand and to take appropriate measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]