A study to assess the physical health status of children aged between 6-12 years in selected orphanages of Udupi district during 2008 to 2010

Children are placed in orphanages due to poverty, abandonment, illness, death of parents, severe familial dysfunction and so on. Any of those conditions can result in a multitude of health problems in a child. The main Objectives of the study were to assess the physical health status of children aged between 6-12 years in selected orphanages of Udupi district and to find out association between the physical health status and selected demographic variables. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. An observational checklist on physical health status was developed to collect the data by using purposive sampling technique. The findings of the results showed that the majority (65%) of the children had poor physical health status whereas 35% of the children had good physical health status. The major prevalent morbid conditions among children were Bitot’s spot (65%), pale conjunctiva (65%), acute respiratory tract infection (81.7%), dental caries (88.3%), inflammation of tonsils (73.3%), lice in the head (53.3%), scabies (65%), ring worm infection (46.7%), pyoderma (23.3%). The assessment of nutritional status revealed that majority (60%) of the children had malnutrition.