The school years are a time when the foundations of a healthy lifestyle are formed and when health promotion programs are likely to have the greatest impact. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of health promotion program on improving lifestyle of school children living in slum areas. Design: A quasi –experimental design was used . Setting: The study was conducted at two governmental primary schools in Azbat Elwalda, in Helwan Sample: A stratified multi-stage cluster random sample was used for selection of school children in slum areas ,the total number of governmental primary schools in Azbat Elwalda are ( 3 ),two were chosen randomly. One class from fifth grade and one from sixth grade were selected randomly from each school. The total number of children for two schools were 200 (both sexes).Tools: 3 tools were used 1) A structured interviewing questionnaire was used to assess students socio-demographic characteristics, students' perception of social and physical environment of school, students’ common health problems during the past two years and students’ knowledge about healthy life style .These tools were used before and after program. 2) A physical examination to assess the student from head to toe. 3)An observational checklist for assessing in and out school's environment. Results: the study confirms that diseases of respiratory system had the highest frequencies among the students as follows: less than two fifths for common cold, more than one third for tonsillitis and bronchitis and more than one quarter for influenza. There was difference between before and after program implementation concerning students’ health promoting life style, perception of social and physical school environment. The differences were statistically significant for all of variables (P = < 0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that students perception improved toward their social, physical school environment and their knowledge about healthy life style after implementing the health promotion program .This improvement was proved statistically .Recommendations : The study recommended that a health promotion program are strongly needed to school children to improve their lifestyle especially school children living in slum areas and the necessity of improving school environmental sanitation for the promotion of students health.
[Sahar A. Sh. Mahmoud., Hanaa A, A. Yossif, Safaa S, Health Promotion program to Improve the Lifestyle of School Children Living in Slum Areas in Helwan Governorate] Life Science Journal,. 2011; 8(X): X-X] (ISSN: 1097-8135). www.lifesciencesite.com.
Key words: Slum area, lifestyle, environment, health promotion program, school age children |
