So it is with children in Germany

In a large-scale study, scientists from the Robert Koch-Institute have been exploring for years, as it is to the health of children and adolescents in Germany. New analyses show, in particular, how often minors of pain are plagued, what is the role of migration background and family income for the health play, and at what age children are particularly accident-are at risk.

Details of how the study on the health of children and adolescents in Germany (KiGGS) is carried out can be found here.

Constant thick

The positive message in advance: A majority of children in Germany has a normal weight. However, 7.6 percent of 3 – to 17-Year-old suffering from under weight, 15.4 percent are overweight or even obese.

Neither in boys nor in girls, the proportion of thick or thin children between the two KiGGS has surveys changed significantly, the researchers write. The researchers examined several Thousand children – in the meantime, in three studies in the period from 2003 to 2006, 2009 to 2012, and 2014 to 2017

Many children and young people have repeatedly pain

“Did you or did your child have any pain in the last three months?” This question, the researchers either asked the children themselves, if they were at least eleven years of age, or their guardian. The answer was either “no”, “Yes, once” or “Yes, repeatedly” are – were counted only of those who indicated that the pain had occurred repeatedly.

The results show that pain in childhood (3 to 10 years) common:

• About every fifth girl and every sixth Boy had, therefore, in the last quarter of the year, a number of times headaches,
• every third girl and every fourth Boy abdominal pain.
• Lower back pain 4.9 percent of girls and 4.5 percent of boys suffered.

In adolescence (11 to 17 years) are head – and back pain more likely:

• Around 45 percent of girls and almost 29 percent of the boys suffered according to the survey, repeated headache.
• Approximately 28 percent of girls and 20 percent of boys had repeated back pain.

In comparison with the data from the years 2003 to 2006 the children and young people in the current survey, were more likely to have pain.

Sports club for everyone!

The world health organization (WHO) recommends that children and young people should be at least an hour of physical activity. This goal is achieved, however, only a quarter of the 3 – to 17-Year-olds in Germany. Children sit too much.

Accordingly, the judgment of the motor efficiency falls out: you are stagnant, according to researchers at a low level.

For the study, children and young people had to complete some tasks, for about a Minute on a narrow Block, stand on one leg, wherein the number of the floor was counted as contacts.

Participants who drove in a club Sport, not overweight were and their parents had a high socio-economic Status performed the Tests better.

Whether a child is active in sports, depends on the income of the parents, Only eleven percent of children from households with a high income, are physically inactive, in families with medium income, it is 18.4 percent. Among the children of parents with a low income, 28 percent don’t exercise.

From the point of view of the scientists should more be done to ensure that, in particular, children from low-income families, overweight children and girls are occurring more frequently in sports clubs. Because all children should have access to regular Sport, writes the research team.

Eating disorders – a serious girl problem

To find out whether the children showed symptoms of an eating disorder, the researchers noted them five questions, such as: “you Find yourself too fat, while others find you too thin?” “Give you, if you feel uncomfortably full?” or “Are you Worried, because you sometimes can’t stop eating can?” Responded to children at least two of the questions with “Yes”, was rated by the researchers as an indication of an eating disorder.

In the evaluation of every fifth child showed at the age of 11 to 17 years of age, signs of an eating disorder. Girls were affected more than twice as often:

• In the case of the girl 27.9 percent showed signs of an eating disorder.
• In the case of the boys, it was 12.1 percent.

The risk for an eating disorder increased by, among other things, if the children lived in a family with a low level of cohesion, emotional problems or less in their skills and familiar, to cope with challenging situations.

Also critical was when the young people felt they were far too thick or much too thin. “Body dissatisfaction is, especially against the Background of the physical changes of puberty, a significant risk factor for the development of eating disorders, especially in girls,” says the study.

Immigrant: not healthier or sicker

A good third of the Minors in Germany has a migration background. This “does not, in itself, sicker or healthier,” writes the research team. In the search for subjects, the researchers were researchers, particularly to enable families with a migrant background, through a letter of invitation in the name of the suspected origin of language, for example Turkish or Russian.

The surveys show that these parents assess the health condition of their children slightly more than mediocre, or bad, as parents do without a migration background. In addition, the children, especially the girl is Overweight, a little more often.

The study shows, however, that the families with a migrant background are more likely to have a low income, a lower education level and a lower occupational status, and this is then associated with the poorer health status of the children. Therefore, the researchers see it as inadequate, the migration background alone as an explanation to be used.

Combined show, so the researchers that the vast majority of children and young people grow up in Germany healthy, whether with or without a migration background.

Children At Risk Of Poverty

A fifth of children and young people in Germany lives in poverty and this is reflected often in the health and health behavior.

In the study, parents were asked the General health condition of their children to assess. Only 1.6 percent of children in families with high income have moderate, therefore a medium to poor health. In low-income families is 8 percent of the children.

Among other things, mental abnormalities occur significantly more frequently in children and young people who grow up in poor conditions.

The parents have little money available to feed the children are also more unhealthy, practice less Sport and are more likely to be overweight. The more important it is to reach with health programs, particularly those families.

Accidents: care for the Eleven – to twelve-year-old

Whether poisoning, falls or collisions – accidents in Germany, one of the most common causes of health problems in children. Around 16.5 per cent of children and young people had to be treated in the year prior to the survey due to injury. Almost five percent and even three or more times after an accident the doctor said in the study.

Young injured more significantly, the proportion was 18.6 per cent; for the girls it was 14.3 percent. Blame could also be society, the researchers write. Therefore, boys are differently socialized as girls and of their parents may be less likely to brake.

Almost every eighth child had to stay due to his injuries for at least one night in the hospital, the One – to six-year-olds were affected significantly more frequently.

Older children injure themselves tend to be more frequently than younger, the risk reached with eleven to twelve years of its peak. Also the nature of accidents is changing with age. In the case of children up to ten years, falls are still the most common cause of accidents in the 11 – to 17-Year-old play clashes are becoming more frequent role. In addition, the risk to be injured by the Overloading of individual parts of the body – for example, by Twisting or contortions increases with age.

Number of type 1 diabetics is on the rise.

Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys the Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Sufferers need to inject a lifetime of Insulin. According to the latest data, the incidence of the disease in children and adolescents is increasing. During the survey in the years 2003 to 2006, a total of 0.1 percent of 11 – to 13 Year-olds were affected, it was in the current KiGGS-study, 0.7 percent of the children in this age group. In the case of the young people at the age of 14 to 17, the proportion of type 1 diabetics increased from 0.2 to 0.8 percent. As the increase is explained, can not answer this study.

The study does not differ according to Diabetes type 1 and 2, however, the researchers assume that the greatest part of the youth, age, Ill, has type 1 Diabetes. Because type 2 develops Mainly due to an unhealthy lifestyle and rarely occurs before the age of 40. Since the age of. According to current estimates, less than 0.02 per cent of 11 – to 18-Year olds with a type 2 Diabetes, so less than 2 out of 10,000 children.

Wind less smallpox

Since 2004, the Standing Committee on vaccination recommends that children should be vaccinated against chickenpox. Before the introduction of vaccination, approximately 85 percent of the child patients up to the age of six years.

The study documented how the disease since the introduction of the vaccination of rare. In the baseline survey from 2003 to 2006, 68.4 per cent of the parents indicated that their child has the chicken pox by. In the next round between 2009 and 2012 it was 51.4 percent in the latest survey, only 32.5 percent.