Health status indicators among Tunisian young children

Every child needs special care and protection, yet significant disparities in access to health care persist worldwide. This study aimed to identify key health indicators, environmental influences, and rural-urban inequities to propose practical and sustainable solutions. An observational comparative study of 120 children aged 1-5 years was conducted in two primary care centers (Kondar and Jawhara, Sousse) over three months. Data from medical files and parental surveys included education, socioeconomic status, medical history, feeding, pregnancy monitoring, vaccination, and growth follow-up. Parents’ education, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle strongly influenced children’s health and ability to access care. Rural families were particularly disadvantaged: 28.3% had indigent health coverage, 38.3% struggled to reach services, often resorting to self-medication. This led to higher chronic illness risk (25%), more acute respiratory infections (3.1 ±1.38/year), stunting, delayed vaccinations (25-33.3%), and inadequate growth monitoring. Urgent educational programs, community awareness, and structured pediatric actions are essential to reduce these persistent health gaps.