Health profile of Bedouin children living at South Sinai

Abstract

South Sinai is an arid governorate at the northern east part of Egypt. Inhabitant of this area have unique pattern of life due to ecological, social and cultural conditions. Evaluations of children health status could be the base for further development of this community. Cross sectional study survey was designed; four sites were randomly selected to study health status of children. Sites were distributed according to social activities and ecological differences. Four hundred and nine children were examined, age ranged from 5-17 years. At their living sites, a questionnaire for every child was fulfilled about health problems and anthropometric measurements were collected. Urine and stool samples were analyzed. Xylose test was performed to assess intestinal integrity for 51 children. 9.1 and 13.6% were stunted and wasted, respectively. Clinical examination declared high prevalence of skin diseases (12.7%) high rate of urinary tract infection, pus cells (>5-50/HPF), were present in 59.3% of children, where clumps (>50/ HPF) were present in 6.2%. Crystals of urate and oxalates were present in 83.2 and 30.1%, respectively. Only 11.8% of the studied children had normal xylose excretion. Stool analysis showed that 28.31% had intestinal protozoal infestations and 9.43% suffered of helminthes infestation. We concluded that wasting and stunting are high. Nutritional defect due to insufficient supply or/and unhealthy nutritional habits together with increased incidence of malabsorption, protozoal and parasitic infestation could be the explanation. Urinary tract infections and crystals were abundant. Many of these health problems should be prevented.