Abstract
The purpose of study was to
determine the health problems and health care provisions for pre-school
children in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State. The questionnaire
and nursery school observation checklist were the instrument for data
collection. The population for the study included 48 head teachers and 192
classroom teachers drawn from 48 nursery schools Frequencies and percentages
were used to answer five research questions while t-test statistic was used to
verify the three hypotheses posed on the study. The findings of the study were:
that (68%) measles was the highest common communicable diseases followed by
whopping cough (29%) and fever (23%); while
(88%) malaria was the highest non-communicable diseases found among the
pre-school children followed by malnutrition (15%) and diarrhoea (14%); that
(52%) fever top the list of emergency conditions experienced among pre-school
children followed by headache (43%) and cut (28%); that (89%) noise making was
the highest social health problems of the pre-school children followed by
singing (45%), fighting (34%), pulling and rushing at things (33%) withdrawal
from school (285) and thumb sucking (24%); that (53%) fear and the gifted
respectively top the list of emotional health problems experienced by the
pre-school children followed by continous crying (49%), destroying things
(35%), shyness (31%) depressed (27%), and stubbornness (26%); that (58%)
immunization team was the highest human resources available for health care of
the pre-school children followed by teachers (41%) secondary education (34%);
while (85%) well top the list of material resources for pre-school children
followed by health centre (67%) rain (21%); that (83%) in the urban while (81%)
rural arrange for immunization top the list of level of health care services
followed by first aid (69%) rural while (62%) in the urban, take him to rest
room (30%) urban while (27%) in the rural; while (86%) take child to toilet in
the urban and (54%) rural top the list of methods of refuse collections, sewage
and disposal followed by basket (85%) rural (52%) urban, everyday (52%) urban
while 51%) rural; that the null hypothesis of no statistically significant
difference between the physical health problems of the rural and urban
pre-school children in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State was rejected;
that the null hypothesis of no statistically significant difference between the
social health problems of the rural and urban pre-school children in Vandeikya
Local Government Area of Benue State was upheld; that the null hypothesis of no
statistically significant difference between the emotional health problems of
the rural and urban pre-school children in Vandeikya Local Government Area of
Benue State was rejected; that the researcher observed a few features which
were very satisfactory (optimal situation) available for pre-school children in
the area (94%) chalked board was the highest followed by immunization status
(56%); some features were satisfactory (moderate situation) (75%) health
inspection, safety measure (67%) and chair for sitting (58%); some features
were unsatisfactory (poor situation) (75%) provision of toilet facilities, food
service room (73%), water supply and storage (60%); some features were absent
(absent of visible provisions) (100%) records of weight and height, family
health history (97%) child past history (96%), present health records (94%).
Bed/Cot (92%) etc. On the basis of findings the researcher suggested that the
pre-school children with physical, social and emotional health problems should
be corrected at the formative stage and where there is no improvement parents
should be advised to send them to hospital for intensive care. The available
resources should be utilized and the level of health care should be improved
for the children to grow and learn better. The researcher suggests that a
similar studies be carried out in other local governments of the state, she
further suggests that future studies should consider comparative study on age,
the role of parents educational level as they affect the health care provisions
of the pre-school children.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background of the Study
It is universally recognized that health of school children deserves special attention. In order to derive the maximum benefit from educational programme, the child must be physically, mentally and emotionally healthy since anything that makes them deviate from any of these is a health problem. In this present study, health problem was taker to mean a state of physical, social and mental or emotional disorder, which could manifest in disequilibrium, unsoundness, and malfunctioning of the human organs.
Health as a concept has been defined by different people. The World Health Organisation WHO (1948), has defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity” (p.258). This concept of health sees health as multidimensional rather than just absence of physical sufferings or pains. With the recent development in health this definition has been criticized.
According to Achalu and Achalu (1999), World Health Organisation’s definition has been critized for regarding health as a “state” that implies a static rather than dynamic or variable concept that changes from time to time. Also, the term “complete” implies that one is either healthy or not. There is nothing like complete or perfect health. The fact is that health status varies in a continuum from low to high level of well-being. Dubos and Pines (1965), viewed good health as a process of continuous adaptation to the many microbes, irritants, pressures, and problems which daily challenge humankind. The joint committee on Health of United States of America (1969), declared that health is the most important thing in life, but where there is a deviation it becomes a problem. According to Prothero (1994) health problem is a state of disequilibrum in which disease flourishes and health is impaired. He further stated that humankind and environment are closely linked in a complex relationship which frequently presents conditions of equilibrium between disease and health impairment. This condition is not unlikely to be found among adults, infant and pre-school children in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State where the present study was conducted.
Akhter (1994), opined that health problem is a state of imbalance in the body which may results in disease. This definition implies that health problem puts the body in a state of imbalance thereby making it possible for disease to flourish. Golladay (1980) stated that health problem is a state of unsoundness a source of perplexity physically or mentally which makes one difficult to settle. He stressed that health
problem can be viewed in two ways, namely in terms of conditions, which predispose one to disease (e.g. poor nutrition and bad water supply) and in terms of disease conditions (e.g. malaria and cholera) Meads (1994), asserted that health problems as seen from human perspective and as commonly understood represent something emotionally or physically distressing for which relief is sought. She further stated that health problem could be categorized into physical, mental, or emotional and social problems. She gave examples of each category that is physical problem as skin diseases, Ulcer, rashes diarrhoea, mental health problems as psychoses, neurosis, emotional health problems as psychoses, neurosis, emotional health problems as nervous stress, alcoholism and psychotic disorder and social health problems as maladaption and maladjustment. These health problems are so distressing that the person affected usually seek relief from various views of health problems above. In the study of the health problems of pre-school children, Spock (1976) stated that pre-school in educational term is generally taken as the period in a child’s life when he or she is considered too young to attend formal school and the period covers the chronological age of three and five years; white (1982), referred to pre-school as education given by trained personnel in an educational institution to children aged two to five years prior to their entering primary school. Pre-school in the present study therefore refers to ages between two to five years. Butcher (1979), warned against the possibility of spreading disease when student congregate can also apply when children gather. Kaine (1984), Norley and Jellief (1985), cantioned that age under five is the age while children are more vulnerable to diseases and malnutrition because at this age children have not built their own natural immunity against diseases and acquired immunity from mother might have vanished. Even though diseases are in existence the pre-school child has to go to school in order to learn. If the pre-school child must learn as well as survive to adulthood in the face of so much threat to life something definite must be done to remedy the situation and save life.
