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School nursing. Profile of five-year-olds in six primary schools
Insights
A school nurse screened 295 five-year-olds in a deprived area, finding many had medical conditions like asthma and eczema. This highlights the need for better school nursing services.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- School Nursing
Background:
- Socially deprived areas often face challenges in accessing healthcare services.
- Childhood health conditions can significantly impact development and school attendance.
- School nursing plays a vital role in early detection and management of health issues in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the health status of five-year-old children in a socially deprived area of Wakefield.
- To identify the prevalence of common medical conditions among young schoolchildren.
- To evaluate the need for enhanced school nursing support.
Main Methods:
- Health screening of 295 five-year-olds conducted by a school nurse.
- Data collected from September 1991 to August 1992 across six primary schools.
- Parental reports on children's medical conditions were gathered.
Main Results:
- 64% of children were reported to have a medical condition.
- Predominant conditions included respiratory issues (40%), ear, nose, and throat (ENT) problems (32%), and eczema (19%).
- A significant proportion of children exhibited health concerns requiring attention.
Conclusions:
- The study identified a high prevalence of medical conditions among young children in the screened area.
- Findings underscore the critical need to strengthen school nursing services to address identified health disparities.
- Initiatives to improve school nursing support are underway based on these results.
Abstract:
The health of 295 five-year-olds was screened by a school nurse at six primary schools in a socially deprived area of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, between September 1991 and August 1992. 64% of children were reported by their parents to have a medical condition, mainly asthma and other chest-related conditions (40%), ENT problems (32%) and eczema (19%). The poor health of children identified in this report highlighted the need to strengthen the school nursing service, and improvements are now under way.