Study of morbidity status of school-children from different cultural regions of Punjab, India

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the morbidity status of school-children (11-17 years) from different cultural regions of Punjab (N=1050); namely, Majha (n=210), Doaba (n=210) and Malwa (n=630). A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in rural and urban government schools of Punjab, between January and June 2016. Thirty-cluster multistage sampling technique was used. Information on any morbidity sufferedby the subjects such as gastrointestinal problems (stomach infections, diarrhea), upper respiratory tract infections (cold, cough, sore throat) and fevers (malaria, typhoid, jaundice), was obtained using a questionnaire. Incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and fevers was found to be highest among children from Doaba region; whereas, stomach infections and diarrhea were more prevalent among children from Malwa region. Overall from Punjab, most of the children had upper respiratory tract infections (66%) followed by fevers and stomach infections (22% each); while, least incidences of diarrhea (18%) were reported. The study emphasized the need to prioritize the assessment of infectious diseases with simultaneous evaluation of different methods of nutritional management, which would prevent the severe morbidity and mortality among children.