American Journal of Advanced Medical & Surgical Research

ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH NEEDS OF GIFTED SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH, SAUDI ARABIA

Ammar Abdullah Attar*

aaiattar.@uqu.edu.sa

Gifted, Physical, Students, Saudi Arabia

Due to the importance of gifted individuals in every society as a national wealth and power driving towards civilization, progress and prosperity, they should have the necessary care from physical aspects to invest their capacity optimally. To evaluate physical health services needs for gifted students in Makkah region in, 2014 by the perception of gifted students (from Mawhiba Summer Enrichment Program at King Abdullah Medical City and Umm Al-Qura University) focusing on physical health. A cross-sectional study was implemented among a representative sample of gifted students recruited from King Abdul-Aziz Medical city (KAMC) “n=100” and Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) “n=80”. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. It included baseline characteristics and finally assessment of the physical health services provided to them. The study included 138 gifted students with a response rate of 76.6%. Their age ranged between 12 and 17 years with a mean of 15.3 (±0.6) years. Slightly more than half of them (51.4%) were males. Most of the gifted students (70.3%) agreed that physical services currently provided to them are available whereas 52.9% agreed that they are adequate and 75.4% agreed that they needed improvement. with no difference between males and female students in this regard. The most agreed upon recommended physical services by gifted students were providing training programs for health care providers who provide their services to gifted people (87%), awareness of the potential risks during talented programs for them and which do not fit in with their chronological age and at academic acceleration (86.9) and awareness of talented people of the importance to wear personal protective equipment during the programs which do not fit in with their chronological age (86.3%). There was no significant correlation between degree of giftedness and physical recommendations given by students (r=-0.150, p=0.078). Gifted students recommended physical health services. Provide promotion and consultation services to the gifted student's parents about gifted health and how to detect health problems through: social media, programs, online courses are recommended.