Older school children are not necessarily healthier: analysis of medical consultation pattern of school children from a territory-wide School Health Surveillance.
It is important to maintain the health of our school children as health is a major factor affecting learning. In developed countries, we assume that school children, especially in higher grades, are healthy because they are relatively free of diseases. However, many of the health problems encountered by school children are not reported in routine health data as they seek help in primary care or by self-medication. In this paper, the medical consultation pattern of school children in Hong Kong was analyzed. It was revealed that school children had a high rate of consultation and self-medication, and the health status of older school children is not better. They were not offered adequate preventive advice. The piecemeal approach to focus on curative medicine will only lead to a high rate of episodic consultation and self-medication without empowering the young people with the skills of self-care and self-help, and positive health behavior. The concept of a health-promoting school with emphasis on more extra-curricular health promotion activities, improved communication between health and education sectors, active involvement by pupils and parents, and changing policies and practices would help to make the co-ordinated school health program a greater success.
Lee
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A
Department of Community and Family Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. alee@cuhk.edu.hk
Tsang
C K
CK
Lee
S H
SH
To
C Y
CY
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires