The Health Status of Primary-School Aged Children in Adjara Region

Background: According to the data of numerous researches, in the recent years the situation, with respect of children’s health is unfavorable: number of absolutely healthy children has reduced, frequency of functional disorders has increased, 68% of the pre-school children has multiple functional disorders, 13.5% has physical development anomalies and 17% of them has chronic diseases. Structure of chronic pathologies has changed; share of the digestive organs, locomotion and nervous systems has increased. There are many cases of body posture anomalies, myopia, impairment of the functional capabilities of cardio-respiratory system and this plays significant role in organism resistance reduction and high morbidity.

Objective: Goal of the research was complex evaluation of the health status of the primary-school aged children residing in various regions (urban, rural) of Adjara.

Methods: Cross-section, one-stage research was conducted in the City of Batumi and village Tsikhisdziri. In the process of survey health status of children of 4 public schools, from 6 to 9 years old was studied. Public schools’ selection was provided by cluster randomization method. Observations covered up to 800 school children in total. Screening included consultations of the multidisciplinary group of specialists, additional laboratory and instrumental studies intended for the purpose of accurate diagnostics.

Results: Performed studies showed that 28.3% of the studied population was actually healthy, 55% had functional disorders and 16.7% - chronic diseases. Prevalence of both, functional disorders and chronic diseases was tow times greater in the 6-7 years’ group, compared with the group of 8-9 years-old children.

Conclusion: Negative trends in health status of primary school aged children, given the regional characteristics, evidences necessity of timely identification of the key causes of morbidity and adequate diseases’ management and this is of great importance, with respect of reduction of the children’s morbidity burden.