Nursing in project Head Start: improving health

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-directed health promotion program in decreasing upper respiratory illness symptoms and injury rates in preschool children attending a Head Start (HS) program. The health promotion program presented to the Head Start staff consisted of signs and symptoms of childhood illnesses, infection control, injury prevention and first aid. The 47 children had their health evaluated by a registered nurse once per week for 4 weeks before the program and once per week for 4 weeks after the program. The children's health was evaluated using the Child Health Assessment Inventory. Symptoms of upper respiratory illness were significantly decreased after the intervention of the program. Injury rates increased, but further data analysis determined that 88% of the injuries had occurred at home.