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Health problems among the street children of Dharan municipality
K Thapa1, S Ghatane, Surya P Rimal
1Charak Hospital Nursing College, Simalchaur, Pokhara, Nepal.
Insights
Street children in Nepal face numerous health issues, with 100% experiencing at least one problem, often linked to poor health habits and lifestyle. Addressing these requires integrated programs to improve their well-being.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Street children represent a vulnerable global population facing significant health risks due to harsh living conditions and lifestyle.
- Their marginalization exacerbates challenges to mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being, necessitating baseline health data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and document the prevalent physical health problems among street children in Dharan Municipality, Nepal.
- To establish baseline health data for this underserved population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed.
- Data collection involved interview schedules, physical examinations, and laboratory investigations (hemoglobin, urine, stool).
- Forty-eight street children participated in the study.
Main Results:
- All subjects (100%) presented with at least one health problem; common issues include head lice (81.2%), headaches (66.7%), and cut injuries (60.4%).
- High prevalence of substance use was observed: cigarette smoking (87.5%), alcohol consumption (50%), and drug use (72.9%), primarily glue sniffing.
- Other significant health concerns were common cold (52.1%), dental caries (52%), and underweight (43.8%).
Conclusions:
- Poor health habits, work nature, and lifestyle significantly contribute to the health problems of street children.
- Preventive strategies necessitate integrated programs addressing the multifaceted issues affecting this population.
- Interventions should focus on improving health behaviors and living conditions to mitigate disease prevalence.
Background:
The street children, a marginalised and vulnerable population to poor health, have grown all over the world and also in our country. The continuous exposure to harsh environment and nature of their life style threatens their mental, physical, social and spiritual well being. With the increasing number the problem is also growing at an alarming proportion. It is therefore important to have baseline data on their health problems.
Objectives:
This study was conducted to identify the physical health problems among the street children of Dharan Municipality, Nepal.
Materials And Methods:
This is a cross sectional descriptive study. Forty eight subjects were included in the study. Research instruments included an interview schedule, physical health examination performa and lab investigations (i.e. blood for haemoglobin, urine routine examination/microscopic examination, stool routine examination/ microscopic examination).
Results:
Study results showed that 68.8% of the street children were between 11-15 years of age, 95.8% were males. Out of the total subjects 81.2% were found to be rag pickers. Research findings reveal that 100% of the subjects had at least one or more health problems. The study revealed that majority 87.5% had the habit of cigarette smoking, 50% had habit of consuming alcohol and 72.9% had the habit of taking drug. Dendrite (glue sniffing) was the only drug used by the respondents in this study. The most common health problems were head lice infestation (81.2%), headache (66.7%), cut injury (60.4%), common cold (52.1%), dental caries (52%), burning micturation (47.9%), cough (47.9%), underweight (43.8%), abdominal pain (39.6%), tinnitus (37.55%), gum bleeding (33.3%), joint pain (31.2%), eye inflammation (25%), leg cramps (25%), palpable lymph nodes (25%), chest pain (18.8%), skin lesions (16.7%), abnormal vision (8.3%).
Conclusion:
Most of the diseases were due to poor health habits. It was found that the nature of work, their life styles and the different types of behaviour they adapt finally lead them to many health problems. The health problem can be prevented, if an integrated program that involves all the issues are developed and implemented.
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