title: Health screening: a survey of children's growth and development in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the status of children's growth and development, visual acuity and blood pressure at four to six years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study included 447 children enrolled in kindergartens in Turkey. Height, weight, developmental level, visual acuity and blood pressure of each child were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most children were in the normal ranges for height and weight. Application of the Denver II Developmental Test revealed no children in the abnormal category. The authors identified 66 children (14.8 per cent) with visual acuity problems. Five children (1.1 per cent) had systolic blood pressures above the recommended value for their age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A preschool screening programme is needed when children begin education, either kindergarten or primary school.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Candan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Hatice Yildirim
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Sari
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bektas
authors.forename: Ayfer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elcigil
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D014421:Turkey; D014792:Visual Acuity