A Study of Health Profile among Adolescent School Students of Bagalkot

Introduction : Adolescence and young adulthood are periods of critical development and transition that need to be focused on priority basis. Adolescence is a key transition phase before adulthood that should be monitored cautiously to determine the future outcome of an adult in all dimensions of life. Physical health and mental health of an adolescent are the most needed priorities for the families worldwide. Illnesses can hinder their ability to grow and develop to their full potential. Student health and academic achievement are interdependent. Healthy students are more effective learners. Academic success and achievement strongly predict overall adult health outcomes. Worldwide, the health profile of an adolescent should be regularly checked up and there is remarkable need for awareness of discouraging harmful lifestyles and promoting healthy behavioral change adaptation. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the health profile and its associated risks among school-going adolescents in Bagalkot district. Materials and Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the scholastic year 2018–2019 on 145 adolescent students of secondary schools in Bagalkot. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the sociodemographic characteristics and adolescent health and illness profile issues. Results: Of 145, 91 (62.75%) were boys and 54 (37.24%) were girls. The majority of them were Hindus 139 (95.86%). About 107 (11.72%) were from nuclear families. The mean calories calculated were 1042.17 kcal. The prevalence of overweight is 4.82% and obesity is 3.44%. The study revealed that 9.6% of girls were suffering from severe anemia. Fourteen (9.65%) adolescents had defective vision. About 12% of adolescents were having dental caries. About 4.0% of adolescents had skin diseases. Conclusions: Our study addresses various health profiles and lifestyle determinants which are needed to build sustainable and healthy foundation pillars among the adolescents. Hence, the preventive and promotive measures focus should be on awareness of nutritional education and active physical lifestyle and healthy behavior which should be developed in early childhood. Key words: Academic success, adolescents, physical health