Morbidity profile of primary school children in rural Koppal, Karnataka

Introduction: School health is an important intervention as a great deal of research tells us that schools can have a major effect on children's health, by teaching them about health and promoting healthy behaviors. Objectives: To assess the morbidity profile of primary school children in rural Koppal. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in all the school children aged 6-12 years from August 2016 to December 2016. Data was compiled, tabulated and analyzed using proportions. Results: A total of 1722 school children were enrolled in study with a mean age of 9.24 years; 31.4% were in the age group of 10-11 years. On examination it was found that, 20.3% were suffering from ARI, 8.1% anemia, and 13.8% were having dental caries. Recommendation: The most common morbidities among school children were related to nutrition and personal hygiene which are linked to each other in causing various morbidities.