Need for Health Promotion Based on Evidence in Cross Sectional School Health Data

With the purpose of evaluating the health condition of children in public primary schools in the province of Cordoba in Argentina, cross sectional data were collected from the School Health Program of the Ministry of Health of Cordoba Province in 2001. To conduct an analysis, a total of 25,701 pupils of the first and the seventh grades from one hundred and fifty primary schools were studied. The data consisted of variables in three groups : i. e., nutrition, vaccination and disease groups. Descriptive statistics revealed a higher prevalence in scoliosis, lower weight, no scar from BCG vaccination and skin transmission diseases in urban and rural areas than in interurban areas, while male genital diseases showed a high prevalence in the three areas. Dental caries had a high prevalence in rural areas. Factor analysis was carried out and six factors were extracted out of 27 variables to cover 64% of total variance. Regression analyses revealed that nutritional variables such as lower weight and the absence of BCG vaccination were significantly related to scoliosis, and that lower weight significantly affected skin transmission diseases. We considered the necessity of modifying conduct in the school health program from the viewpoints of health promotion and community participation.