Drug use among street children and non--street children in the Philippines.

This study characterizes the prevalence of drug use among Filipino street children compared with Filipino non-street children. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 311 street children and 528 non-street children aged 13 to 17 years. Participants were enrolled through 4 nonprofit organizations and 3 high schools located in Manila, Philippines.

Characterizing health behaviors and infectious disease prevalence among Filipino street children.

Purpose: To describe health problems and social, environmental, and health behavior characteristics among street children in Manila, Philippines.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey and clinical tests that included chest radiographs blood, urine, and stool samples were completed with 179 street children, ages 8-17 years, served by Childhope-Asia Philippines.

Results: The most frequently occurring health problem was coughing, followed by fever, dyspnea, diarrhea, and then blood in the stools.