By Carolyn Casey
Rocky Mount Telegram
Residents gathered on the east side of Rocky Mount Saturday to better understand health issues affecting youth today.
Opportunities Industrialization Center’s Medical Center held a child health fair at its office to educate the community on the major health problems in the area and the resources available to residents.
“We have a lot of health fairs that are always geared to adults and seniors,” OIC Medical Center Office Manager Rita Boddie said. “We really fell we need to bring a lot of attention to our children’s health.”
One of the fair’s main objectives was to inform children, as well as their parents, about the risks youth face, Boddie said. The two major health problems pediatric physicians at OIC see are juvenile diabetes and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The OIC Medical Center estimates between 30 percent and 40 percent of its youth patients have ADHD, when the average statistic hovers around 5 percent in school-aged children.
Dr. Kari Lewis with ADHD Behavior Education Services said some surrounding counties, such as Johnston County, also are seeing higher numbers of children with the disorder.
Lewis couldn’t explain the numbers, but she said, “sometimes it’s overreported because of possible lack of discipline.”
Lewis was one of several speakers that addressed the crowd as she stressed ADHD is a disorder that people continue to cope with into adulthood.
“It’s really a prevalent problem,” she said. “I think a key thing to remember is it used to be characterized only as a childhood problem.”
In addition to speakers, organizations set up booths along the center’s parking lot handing out free information and discussing local resources, and free Tdap vaccines were given.
Representatives from Almand’s Drug Store, which has a location across the street from the medical center, shared information on its medical assistance program that allows patients who can’t afford private insurance to buy prescriptions for $4.
Community Care Plan of Eastern Carolina was on hand, teaching children about nutritious food and proper food portions.
The day also included a few fun perks. Children jumped in a bouncing inflatable play house and had their faces painted.
As Mikayla Edgerton, 10, stood in line to get her face painted, her dad, Tony Edgerton, said attending the fair was his children’s suggestion.
“It’s something to do for the kids, and it’s teaching them something,” he said.
Organizers said they hope the fair becomes an annual program. The plan is to continue the quasi-back-to-school event a few weeks into the school year, so parents can bring their children to the medical center once they know which vaccines each child needs, Practice Manager Queen Bethea said.
“We’re hoping this can be an annual event,” she said. “and recognize our kids and let them know we appreciate them.”
