Medical and Social Peculiarities of the Health Condition of Pupils of Lviv and Lviv Region

Introduction. The health of the nation is determined primarily by the health of children. The results of numerous studies show that the source of the differences in adult health should be sought in their childhood. Children's health is an integral indicator of the general well-being of society, as well as a subtle indicator of all social and environmental problems. Recently, the situation with the health of children has come close to the critical one: the general level of morbidity and the prevalence of diseases of organs and systems is increasing. Aim. To evaluate the medical and social features of the health status of schoolchildren in Lviv and Lviv region, to determine their dependence on age and place of residence. Materials and methods. The analysis of the results of the surveys made in 2002 (about 20,000 schoolchildren in Lviv) and in 2012 (about 32 000 children of Lviv and 16 000 children of four districts of Lviv region) were considered. The main risk factors of the formation of functional disorders, syndrome of school maladaptation, neurotic reactions, age prevalence of major complaints were discussed. Results. The study of the state of children's health, taking into account their individual age characteristics at all stages of their development, with the simultaneous determination of the influence on the children's organism of the various factors of micro- and macrosocium plays an important role in the optimization and complex principles of the organization of scientific research of such an important direction of pediatrics as preserving the health of the child. It is impossible to create an effective system of preventive, organizational and other technologies aimed at improving and preserving the health of children without taking into account the complexity of the main risk and protection factors. Analyzing the results of questionnaires, we can conclude that in recent decades, the state of health of schoolchildren in the Lviv region has no tendency to improve. Among the factors that lead to a decrease of the level of child health, the most important role belongs to the school workload, due to the stressful action of which there is a maladaptive syndrome with neurotic reactions of varying degrees of severity. A screening survey of schoolchildren, conducted on a large sample, enables us to identify the main medical and social features of schoolchildren's life, to assess the age-old prevalence of major complaints and threatening symptoms, the main trends in their habits, to distinguish risk groups for further in-depth review and survey. Comprehensive assessment of the health of children, the introduction of new health-improving technologies, the unification of efforts of health workers, pedagogues and parents will help to prevent the growth of functional disorders and organ lesions in schoolchildren, their chronization, reduce the symptoms of school maladaptation, and increase their health. Conclusions. Among the factors that assist the decline of child's health level the educational loading plays an important role. Its stress making effect results in fast development of the disadaptation syndrome with the neurotic reactions of different degree of expressiveness. The complex estimation of the children's health state and introduction of new health promotion technologies give an opportunity to prevent the increase of functional disorders and organic pathologies in schoolchildren.