[Complementary health promotion measures for children in underprivileged city districts as exemplified for Cologne].
Concepts of health promotion for children in underprivileged districts of the city of Cologne are based on the data of checkups of school beginners, standardised and effected comprehensively by the Youth Health office. Different from other Federal German states, data protection legislation does not permit data collection about the individual social status, and inquiries conducted among parents do not reflect the real situation. Hence, district findings among school beginners are correlated with district data on public assistance ("Sozialhilfe") on record at the Statistical Office for the purpose of concluding on a possible connection between social status and checkup findings. There is an accumulation of specific conspicuous findings in districts with a large share of socially discriminated families, mainly concerning the acceptance of preventive health care facilities as well as findings relevant for education in respect of perception, motoricity and speech. High incidence of findings in certain districts of the city call for action by the Youth Health office, even where local offers of preventive health care are ignored or available precautionary measures and early diagnosis are not demanded. In this investigation the data of the checkups of school beginners proved satisfactory for epidemiological discussion and planning of regionally required health promotion measures for (pre)school children. For three projects the chances and limitations of collaboration and coordination of facilities for health promotion are tabulated.
Mersmann
H
H
Gesundheitsamt Köln.
Warrlich
R
R
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003153:Community Health Services; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000639:trends; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors