Relationship of personal hygiene with nutrition and morbidity profile: a study among primary school children in South Kolkata.

Background: Majority of the health problems affecting school children are preventable by promotion of hygienic practices through proper health education by the teachers, who are the first contacts. Objectives: The study was undertaken to find out the status of nutrition and personal hygiene among primary school children and their association with their varied morbidity profiles. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in a primary school situated in the largest slum of Kolkata. Results: The participants included 103 boys and 81 girls, with a mean age of 6.2 years. The mean personal hygiene score of the girls (4.15 ± 0.98) was significantly higher than that of boys (3.2 ± 1.4) [ P P Conclusions: Care should be taken to improve the pitiable state of personal hygiene and poor sanitary practices of these school children through coordinated and concerted health education measures by teachers as well as parents.