International Journal of Advanced Community Medicine
Vol. 3, Issue 1, Part D (2020)
A comparative study of school health services in South India
Author(s): Anju D Ade, Chandrasekhar Vallepalli, K Nagaraj and G Visweswara Rao
Abstract:Background: India is home to 47.3 crore children (0–18 years) comprising 39 percent of the country’s total population. Sickness is a major cause of school absenteeism and scholastic backwardness.
Objectives
1. To find out availability and implementation of school health related services in urban and rural area of Tirupati.
2. To compare availability and implementation of health related services between rural and urban government schools of Tirupati.
Materials and Methods: This Cross sectional study was conducted in Schools of Rural Field Practice Area and in urban area of South India during June to September 2019. The information collected on various attributes of health services availability and implementation was compared between the two areas.
Results: Medical examination of students was never done in 4 government schools in rural area. First aid kit was available in 15 (93.75%) urban government schools but was not fully equipped. Teachers were not doing morning inspection of students in rural government schools. Yoga facility and students counselling facility was not available in rural government schools. Majority of the schools in urban area are maintaining the school health records. Hand washing facility was available in majority of urban schools.
Conclusion: Availability and implementation of most of the school health services were found to be higher in urban government schools compared to government schools in rural area.
Anju D Ade, Chandrasekhar Vallepalli, K Nagaraj, G Visweswara Rao. A comparative study of school health services in South India. Int J Adv Community Med 2020;3(1):218-222. DOI: 10.33545/comed.2020.v3.i1d.137