Effect of rheumatic fever on the life style of children in the basic education stage in Tanta city, Egypt

The aim of this study was to identify the effect of rheumatic fever on the life style of primary school children aged (6-12) years in Tanta City. Study design: Descriptive cross sectional. Setting: the study was conducted in the out patient medical clinics of three health units affiliated to the students' health insurance serving Tanta city. Sample: 100 students attending the previous setting. (I):- An interview sheet included socio demographic, environmental data and information about the history of Rheumatic fever disease diagnosis. (II):- Life style assessment sheet. (III):- Body mass index of the child. Results: - Rheumatic fever affects dietary habits of the majority (82.9% and 87.8% respectively) of children less than 10 years. There is a statistically significant difference between the children aged <10 years, 10-12 years old and the children's preference of certain types of food. There was a statistically significant difference between frequency of follow up visits of the children and their age. More than half (58.6%) of children that their duration of illness ?15 months had a school absenteeism ? 3 days/month, furthermore the majority of them (87.9%) had good academic performance. Conclusion and recommendations: Rheumatic fever had an impact on the most of the life style of the children. It affected the dietary habits of the majority of the children with illiterate parents. Psychological state of most of the studied children was affected. Nearly two thirds of the studied children didn't participate in school activities, more than half of them didn't participate due to their frequent absenteeism from school. This is a need for designing and carrying out education programs for children with rheumatic fever and their families about compliance with treatment to avoid complication of disease and improve their lifestyle. Preparing nurses with high level of efficiency, knowledge and practices to provide better care for children suffering from rheumatic fever through carrying out education programs.