Hygienic Assessment of Measures Aimed at Risks Reduction and Health Preservation for Children in Secondary Schools

Abstract

We questioned 1,064 school students from 5-11 grades and 720 parents of schoolchildren from 1-4 grades and assessed health of 2,512 children and teenagers via comparative examination performed in two secondary schools with similar sanitary-epidemiologic situation in them but different preventive activities accomplished and different medical care provided. The results we obtained via questioning and examination revealed that school children's health is preserved and improved due to targeted development of preventive activities and medical care, better nutrition in school, an increase in physical activities, and a growth in number of children who wish to pursue health-preserving behavior patterns. When a prevention and rehabilitation unit was established in a school it allowed to improve medical care and achieve a substantial decrease in morbidity among school children, first of all, with respiratory organs diseases which were a basic reason for absence from classes. Most children (77.5 %) who were made healthier or recovered in school had suffered from respiratory organs diseases. Improvement of preventive activities aimed at creating health culture and attitudes towards healthy life style had positive influence on children's motivation and formation of such behavior stereotypes that helped to preserve their health. It was confirmed by questioning results as well as by lower levels of common and primary morbidity and better physical development. Share of practically healthy school students without any risk factors (the 1st health group) increased from 5.61 % in 2009 to 8.54 % in 2017; share of school students who were in the 2nd health group (had functional deviations or ran risks of chronic pathology development) decreased from 86.28 to 83.98 % (р < 0.05).