Statistics on morbidity among school-age children and adolescents
The study “Relationship of musculoskeletal pain with … postural changes in school children aged 6–12 years” found musculoskeletal system problems in 51.1% of schoolchildren. More than 30% of schoolchildren have myopia (nearsightedness). According to statistics in the Russian Federation, about 5% of children enter first grade with myopia, while by the eleventh grade, 25–30% suffer from varying degrees of myopia. A review in the Russian Bulletin of Hygiene states that only about 25% of schoolchildren are completely healthy; in 75%, worsening vision and musculoskeletal disorders are identified, along with an increase in gastrointestinal and nervous system diseases. Also, from 44.4% to 34% of graduating students belong to health group II (with functional disorders).