[Children without parental care as a vulnerable population group].
BACKGROUND
Health protection and health promotion are the primary goals of modern medicine. Since children's health is the cornerstone of adult's health, it must be in the center of all social and health care strategies.
Vulnerability means exposure to harmful influences, risks or stress, which increases disease probability. The most vulnerable are categories that are exposed to influence of many harmful factors, which have minimal chances for survival and lowest quality of life.
Vulnerability of children without parental care is caused by lack and/or inadequate family environment. These children are usually emotionally unstable; they frequently develop conduct disorders and have low self-esteem. As adolescents, these children have tendency to risky behavior, which greatly decreases their health potentials.
All three components of health are endangered with children without parental care. These children present with physical, psycho-motoric and intellectual impairments. There are no studies about quality of life regarding these children, but we can assume that their quality of life is lower than in children who experience protective family environment, since quality of psychosocial factors and family environment are very important predictors of quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Children without parental care are an extremely vulnerable category, because they are subjected to various risk factors. Therefore, in order to improve health potentials and quality of life, special measures are required in health care, psychological care and social welfare.
Kvrgić
Svetlana
S
Institut za zastitu zdravlja, 21000 Novi Sad, Futoska 121. izzz@eunet.ju
Jovović
Jelena
J
D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy; D002662:Child Health Services; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005195:Family Relations; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D015022:Yugoslavia