A research team from The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), in collaboration with Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, conducted a health assessment programme for children from the underprivileged families, revealing crucial insights into their health and well-being.
Between September 2022 and February 2024, a comprehensive health assessment programme was conducted, involving a total of 251 kindergarten or primary school students from underprivileged families, along with their parents. Notably, 133 of the participants were primary school students aged 8 and above, making up 52.9% of the respondents.
Health Issues Identified in Upper Primary Students
The findings reveal health challenges among children aged 8 and above from the underprivileged families across various domains:
Physical health: 27.8% of participating children (1 in 4 children) have experienced neck or back pain in the past 3 months.
Mental health: A substantial portion, 26.2% of participating children (1 in 4 children) expressed feelings of worry, sadness, or unhappiness during the assessment. Alarmingly, 3.8% reached the borderline or clinical range for anxiety. Another 3.8% reached the borderline or clinical range for depression.
Social well-being: 11.5% of children expressed dissatisfaction with their family life, while 8.9% were unhappy with their school experiences. Furthermore, 18.8% reported instances of bullying or cyberbullying in the past. In times of trouble, 7% of children had no one to talk to or confide in.
Adaptative and maladaptive behaviour: Parental reports indicated that 26.2% of children (1 in 4 children) exhibited low ability in performing adaptive behaviour or had significant maladaptive behaviour problems compared to their peers. However, 51.5% of these children have never been diagnosed with special education needs or had access to healthcare services for follow-up.
Pain is surprisingly a major physical health problem among children aged 8 and above. Our findings indicate that their pain is associated with increased depressive symptoms (mental health) and unhappiness with family life (social well-being).
In addition, older children, who had experienced bullying, unhappy family life, and unhappy school life, are more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. It indicates the contributing role of family and school life in children’s health.
Prof Eliza Wong, Associate Director (Teaching and Learning) and Professor at The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care (JCSPHPC) at CU Medicine, stated, “These findings indicate the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the multifaceted health issues and challenges faced by local children from the underprivileged families. Our research not only highlights the challenges of physical health, mental health, and social well-being but emphasises the importance of early detection and interventions to ensure these children receive the necessary support for healthy development.”
The results of this study provide clear guidance on safeguarding the well-being of children from low-income families. In particular, these families face high living costs and limited resources, which may prevent them from ensuring their children’s nutritional needs. Also, children’s emotional stress is not adequately supported. Therefore, it requires the joint efforts of policymakers, healthcare professionals, teachers, and the community to provide them with sufficient resources for a brighter future.
Case Studies
Family 1: Due to financial constraints, this family is limited to simple meals and could hardly afford fresh vegetables and meats, making it challenging to ensure proper nutrition intake for the children. Parental discipline is also influenced by financial pressure, which affects the mental well-being of the children.
Family 2: Living in a subdivided household in very cramped conditions affects parent-child relationships and learning motivation.
About Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (BOKSS)
Established in 1982, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (BOKSS) was founded by Hong Kong Baptist University (formerly known as the Hong Kong Baptist College) under the commission of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong in 1978. We first provide community services in Wan Chai district and Hong Kong Island. With over 40 years of development, we have progressively expanded our social services across various districts in Hong Kong.
Hotmeal service - Kiddy Heart Canteen is a self-funded program that primarily offers $10 dinners. It also provides fresh vegetables and dairy products weekly to subdivided flat families with primary school children. In addition, educational groups led by dietitians and physiotherapists are available to enhance awareness of children’s health among low-income families.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Professor Eliza Wong at lywong@cuhk.edu.hk ;
The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at (Tel: 2252-8488 ; Email: info_sphpc@cuhk.edu.hk )
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