Abstract
Background: Street children constitute a population that is vulnerable to various problems: psychological, social and health problems and tend to be ignored and excluded. Most local studies on street children have focused on social characteristics and sexual behaviour but not physical health problems.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Ibadan North Local Government Area. A total of 30 respondents, selected by cluster sampling method were interviewed. Anthropometric measurements: weight and height were also taken.
Objectives: This study aims to describe socio demographic status, family and social characteristics and to assess physical health problems of street children in Ibadan North LGA.
Results: Mean age of respondents was 15.9+0.4years, and there were more males (96.7%) than females. About 40% of the respondents were stunted, while 46% were underweight. None of the respondents were wasted. 50% of the respondents reported experiencing fever in the last 30 days, 13.3% experienced back pain and another 13.3% experienced headaches. 53.3% reported experiencing skin problems in the past 6months. 40% of the respondents reported taking herbal concoctions for the stated ailments, 33.3% of the respondents visited patent medicine stores, 10% did not seek treatment at all, while the remaining 16.7% visited health care facilities.
Conclusion: Street children experience long standing malnutrition as evidenced by the prevalence of stunting and underweight. Health problems such as feverish conditions and dermal problems are also prevalent amongst them. Hence, the need for focused, integrated interventions cater for their social as well as physical health needs.
Background of the Study
The phenomenon of street children, an offspring of the modern urban environment, represents one of humanity’s most complex and serious challenges. No country and virtually no city in the world today, is without the presence of street children (Le...