Health Status and Measurement of Some Haematological Parameters of New Secondary School Students in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: A good school health programme is necessary to optimize the educational opportunities and make appropriate adjustments for optimal development of the school child. This study was done to determine some haematological parameters as a correlate of health status of new entrants in two mission owned secondary schools in Benin City.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study carried out among 150 students of two mission-owned secondary school in Benin City in which the packed cell volume, Rhesus factor, the Hemoglobin, genotype and blood group were analyzed.

Results: Of the 150 students studied, 75.3% were males while 24.7% were females. The mean ages of the students were 10.5%EF%BF%BD 1.0yrs. Eighty-nine per cent of the students had a packed cell volume of between 33% and 42%. Ninety seven percent (96.7%) were rhesus D positive, 77.3% were of genotype AA, while 56.7% of them were of blood group O.

Conclusion: Majority of the students were of good health status and had haematological profile similar to report of studies conducted elsewhere in Nigeria