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Background: A decline in fertility rate and expansion in life span has resulted in the growth in the percentage of aged populations in the whole world. India and Odisha are no exceptions. Objectives: The objective of the present paper is to find out the incidence of functional ability/inability among the aged people of the rural areas of western Odisha of India. Materials and Methods: Katz Scale of ADL was used to assess the functional ability of elderly people. Six activities of daily living such as (Bathing, Dressing, Toilet, Mobility, Continence, and Feeding) were analyzed as per age and sex of the samples. Results: Of all the samples (1992), 98.5 percent are physically independent and only 1.4 percent are physically dependent. Out of 945 female elderly people, 931 (98.1%) are independent and out of 1047 male elderly people 1033 (98.6%) are independent. The physical dependency of females is more with a χ² -- value of 0.075 and p -- value of 0.466. The age group wise χ² -- value is 20.899 (3) and p -- value of 0.001. Conclusion: Lesser physical dependency is found among the elderly people in rural areas. An increase in dependency is seen with the increase in age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Diabetes is a significant public health concern in India, with Kerala being labeled as the diabetes capital of the country. The study aims to evaluate the prevalence, treatment, and management of diabetes to examine the unmet need for care to propose cost-effective strategies. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a geographically defined cohort population in Ernakulam. Sample: This paper presents diabetes data of adults ≥30 years enrolled from the community cohort. The interviews were conducted with 997 participants at their residence. Measurement: Random blood glucose was assessed for each participant using a finger prick test. Results: The overall prevalence of diabetes was 30.1%, of which 4.1% of participants had undiagnosed diabetes. Among those with diabetes, 86.3% were aware of their diagnosis; among those aware, 86.5% were on treatment. Among those on treatment for diabetes, 54% achieved controlled blood sugar. Conclusion: The challenge in diabetes management is controlling the blood glucose levels of people who adhere to treatment. Younger employed females from lower-income quartiles have the highest risk. The study also raises questions about quality and strategies for medication compliance. The findings inspire future research on care needs, policies, and program responses to reduce the diabetes disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Undiagnosed diabetes is a significant public health concern in India, considering the accumulative burden of diabetes and its long-term complications. We have estimated the prevalence and factors associated with undiagnosed diabetes in India. Methods We used data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) to estimate undiagnosed diabetes prevalence aged under 50 (15-49) years. A log-binomial model with survey-adjusted Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence risk ratio (PR) between undiagnosed diabetes and various factors. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors associated with diagnosed diabetes (vs. healthy) and undiagnosed diabetes (vs. healthy). All the analyses were survey-weighted and stratified by gender and reported with 95% confidence intervals. Results The prevalence of diabetes for individuals aged 15-49 years was found to be 4.90% (4.80 to 5.00%) from the NFHS-5. Among them, the proportion of individuals with undiagnosed diabetes was 24.82% (24.07 to 25.59%), with higher among males (28.82% (26.45 to 31.30%)) than females (24.22% (23.44 to 25.01%)). The overall prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 1.22% (1.18 to 1.26%), with a higher prevalence among males (1.60% (1.46 to 1.76%)) than females (1.17% (1.13 to 1.21%)). Individuals who are middle-aged (45-49), have a higher body mass index (BMI), and are in a lower wealth index group, or live in the southern regions of India are at a higher risk of being undiagnosed for diabetes. Conclusion One in every four having diabetes is undiagnosed. The study highlights the need for public health interventions to improve diabetes screening and access to health care, particularly among middle-aged individuals, and those with higher BMI, as well as addressing lifestyle and dietary factors. The findings also reveal disparities in diabetes burden among population subgroups in India, underscoring the need for targeted efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In India, twenty-five percent of women who menstruate are unable to utilize sanitary methods, and even among those who have access, there are multiple obstacles to achieving proper menstrual hygiene management. The consequences of inadequate menstrual health may extend to affect a girl's socialisation, empowerment, overall well-being, and even survival. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of unmet menstrual practice needs and its determinants among college going women in Coimbatore district, India. Methodology: A questionnaire based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 3144 college going women from October 2022 to January 2023. Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36) was used to collect data regarding the unmet needs and their mean scores were compared across socio-demographic variables, menstrual knowledge, and the choice of hygiene material. Results: The mean (SD) age of the study population was 19.3 (1.8) years. The prevalence of unmet menstrual practice needs was 62.8% with a mean (SD) MPNS score of 1.8 (0.4). The total MPNS score was low for those currently residing in rural or having a rural hometown. The unmet need was better for those residing in-campus of the educational institute and having educated parents. The socioeconomic class and presence of a personal income also influenced the total MPNS scores significantly (p < 0.05). Menstrual talks with friends before puberty and with friends and family after puberty improved the MPNS scores. Regarding menstrual hygiene methods, modern menstrual methods (MMM), disposable and bio-degradable materials had a lower unmet need. Marital status, freedom to manage expenses, pre-pubertal menstrual talks with family, and total number of family members did not influence the scores of MPNS. Multivariate regression analysis showed that maternal education, menstrual talks with family after puberty, and type of menstrual hygiene method including its disposability were independent predictors of total MPNS scores. Conclusion: Addressing unmet menstrual practice needs among college-going women in Coimbatore district necessitates a multifaceted approach encompassing education, access to affordable and sustainable menstrual products, and destigmatization efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antenatal morbidities and associated malpractices are quite prevalent in slums of Delhi. This paper aims to highlight the relationship between calories intake, seasonality and gravida. It also draws attention towards inter-related aspects of antenatal practices and morbidity among women. Survey of 400 women conducted in the slums of Delhi indicated high occurrence of antenatal and post-natal malpractices. The findings indicated that discrepancies in the advice given by the medical practitioners and traditional birth attendants (TBAs). This was seen to adversely impact a majority of expectant mothers. The finding support a strong direct relationship between calories intake, seasonality morbidity and mortality patterns among women as well as their children. Although ample research has been done on homebirths and their challenges, the perspectives of TBAs (who assist in the majority of homebirths) remain unexamined. The present study sought to add to this knowledge base by uncovering various practices prevalent in low income households of a cosmopolitan city like Delhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food insecurity is a matter of public health concern as it is associated with adverse health outcomes particularly among vulnerable population. Accessibility and availability of nutritious and culturally appropriate food is paramount to achieve zero hunger. To assess the prevalence of household food insecurity, to estimate the household dietary diversity and its association with household food insecurity. Material and Methods: Using multistage sampling 381 rural households were surveyed. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and House hold Dietary Diversity Scale were used as study instruments. Chi square test was used to compare the two groups and P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Prevalence of household insecurity was 33.3% (127) among the surveyed households and 8.1% (31) had severe food insecurity. The mean HFIS score was 6.85 ± 4.82. The household Dietary diversity score was 8.14 ± 1.54 for food secure and 6.51 ± 1.38 for severely food insecure households. There was a statistically significant difference in intake of milk and milk products, fruits, eggs and meat/poultry among food secure and insecure households (P < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Food insecurity was high in rural households and was associated with lower dietary intake of foods from protein group, necessitating a need to reinforce the food security programmes in rural India with focus to enhance protein rich diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Pottery is defined as clay that has been fashioned into the desired shape and then dried to reduce its water content before being fried or baked to fix its form. The artisans living in traditional societies are normally influenced by their environment as well as by their myths, legends, rituals, ceremonies, festivals, social organization, and cultural norms which are reflected in their creations. The poor environmental conditions and the lack of protective equipment in these pottery workshops are key contributing factors to the development of these occupational diseases. Most pottery industries are small- to medium-scale industries and have longer and irregular working hours, a higher percentage of elderly employees, limited opportunities for health education or health inspection, and insufficient health promotion facilities compared with large companies. These factors are considered to play an important part in the development of occupational diseases and some nonspecific diseases such as psychosomatic, cardiovascular, and locomotor diseases among pottery workers. Traditional pottery making has its unique method of potter-work where it demands prolonged squatting without back support for hours which can develop musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). AIMS: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) among traditional pottery makers at selected places in Bengaluru. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two rural communities of Bengaluru. One hundred and ten traditional pottery makers were randomly selected. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were screened for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, following which the pottery makers who reported low back pain (LBP) were screened for the severity of disability using the Modified Oswestry LBP Disability Questionnaire (M-OSW). The results obtained were statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0. RESULTS: The result showed the highest prevalence of MSDs in the lower back, the findings of this study confirmed the work-related stress on traditional pottery makers. In the present study, the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder was found in the lower back, of which had trouble in the last 12 months, 56.36% were having trouble during the last 7 days, and 19.09% were prevented from doing normal activities during the last 12 months. The prevalence of MSDs during the last 12 months revealed that the maximum of them, i.e., 24.54%, were having pain in the lower back. The present study also found MSDs prevalent in the hip joint and knee joint due to the occupational need to complete the work on prolonged squatting. CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that prolonged work exposure and awkward work postural demand increase the incidence of MSD among traditional pottery makers in Bengaluru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Flatfoot is a common foot condition that can be classified into flexible or rigid flatfoot. It is more prevailing among young children, adolescents, and adults. There has been an association seen between flatfoot and increased weight; however, the research is more focused on the prevalence of flatfoot in younger children. AIMS: The purpose of the present study is to report the prevalence of the flexible and rigid flatfoot and its association with body mass index (BMI) among adolescents. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: One-hundred adolescents including both males and females were included from Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Amritsar. Parental consent was obtained through the process of informed consent. The height and weight of subjects were measured using a standard apparatus. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Obesity was calculated by BMI. Flatfoot assessment was done using the Staheli index and plantar arch index (PAI), and flatfoot severity was graded with the Denis method. A relationship between BMI and flatfoot was observed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS 15 version statistical program for Microsoft Windows. The statistical analysis employed included calculating the average, standard deviation, cumulative percentage, conducting a t-test, and performing Pearson's correlation test. The probability value P ≤ 0.05 was statistically significant. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of participants had left flatfoot, and 8% had right flatfoot. Further, left and right flatfoot types were also analyzed, and it was found that 12% of participants had flexible flatfoot on the left, and 5% had it on the right. The results showed a positive correlation between BMI and the right foot (r = 0.222, P = 0.026), indicating that as BMI increases; the right PAI also increases. However, there was no significant correlation between BMI and left foot (r = 0.111, P = 0.273). CONCLUSIONS: This study found a low prevalence of flexible and rigid flatfoot among adolescents; however, a positive correlation between BMI and flatfoot was found, indicating that individuals with higher BMI may be at increased risk for flatfoot. The findings of this study suggest that flexible flatfoot is common among adolescents, whereas rigid flatfoot is rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nursing profession requires strength and resilience not just physically, but emotionally as well which requires them to adapt in stressful situations that they are often exposed to in their work environment. Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of emotional intelligence (EI) and occupational stress (OS) among the nursing professionals from selected tertiary care hospitals in Bangalore, India. Methods: This was a multi-centric, cross-sectional study done among nurses with more than 1year of work experience and they were randomly selected from four tertiary care hospitals in Bangalore. The EI and OS were assessed using the Emotional intelligence scale (EIS) and Occupational Stress Index (OSI). Data was collected, both online and offline, owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The data was analyzed using SPSS v21.0 to calculate the mean, associations, and regression. Results: Out of the total 294, the mean age of the study participants was 27±4.92years. A total of 75 (25.5%) nurses had poor EI and 245 (83.3%) had moderate OSI. None of the participants had high OSI. There was a significant association between the severity grades of EI and OSI (P = 0.010) and a binary logistic regression showed that those staff with high EI had a lesser odd (OR 0.531, 95% CI 0.282-0.999) of developing occupational stress as compared to those with low EI. Conclusion: EI plays a significant role in reversing the effect of one's occupational stress. Thereby, the training curriculum should include skills and measures of resilience to facilitate their EI improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents are at risk of various psychosocial problems, due to pressure from parents, educational agencies, peers, and society. Often, it is not recognized and goes unnoticed. There is an immense need to screen this group for early detection and proper management. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychosocial problems among adolescents and to determine their risk factors. Methodology: The study employed a nonexperimental, exploratory, cross-sectional research design with a quantitative approach. Using a two-stage random sampling technique, a total of 2030 adolescents from 37 schools were chosen. The data collection tool for study participants consisted of three parts: (a) A sociodemographic proforma, (b) a pediatric symptom checklist-youth report, and (c) a checklist for assessing determinants of psychosocial problems. Results: Three hundred five (15.02%) of the 2030 respondents had significant impairment to internalizing problems, 350 (17.24%) to attention deficit problems, and 378 (18.62%) to externalizing problems. Pediatric symptom checklist scores and academic performance showed a moderately positive correlation. There is a significant association between psychosocial problems and adolescent characteristics at a P = 0.05 level of significance. Conclusion: Adolescents have a high prevalence of psychosocial problems such as anxiety and attention deficit. Periodic screening, counseling, and referral to psychotherapy can help to lessen the severity of the condition and improve psychosocial well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukoplakia is a white mucosal thickening and perhaps undermining change in the oral mucosa transcendently found in tobacco users. Since the tobacco utilization is extensively higher with the indigenous groups in the Asia Pacific locale, the current examination implicated the prevalence of tobacco consumption and leukoplakial lesions and the relationship between the two. This cross-sectional study was conducted through six tribal hamlets of Chithalayath Forest range at Wayanad district of Kerala, South India. Leukoplakia screening was led by a senior consultant on the basis of a visual investigation and pathological evaluation was not done. An organized questionnaire was utilized to gather data on demographic details and tobacco usage status and frequency. The prevalence of clinical oral lesions among tobacco users and non users was determined using statistical analysis. Clinical oral leukoplakia was diagnosed in 27 (8.5%) subjects among the 317 individuals screened. The prevalence of lesions was considerably higher among tobacco consumers in comparison with non users (11 vs. 3.7%). Also, the tobacco chewers group had a higher percentage of leukoplakia. Another significant finding of this study is that the incidence of provisional leukoplakia was observed to be comparatively high among the most frequent tobacco consumers 15 (65.2%) in comparison with 8 (34.8%) in the frequent and nonfrequent users. Prevalence of abusive habits and clinical oral leukoplakial was substantial among the tribes. The cause and effect relationship and dose-response were also shown to have a significant association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mental health issues were neglected in India. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had raised the importance of mental health. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of awareness and utilization of the mental health services provided by primary care centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals aged 18 years and above in selected primary health center (PHC) service areas, Karnataka, South India. The sample size was 388. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the information. Results: The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of the participants was 42.7 (±15.37) years and 76% were female. The prevalence of awareness was 47% (95% confidence interval [CI] 41.8%–52.0%), and only 1% (95% CI 0.8%–2.6%) had utilized the mental health services through PHCs during COVID-19. About 82% (95% CI 78.0%–85.8%) were willing to avail the mental health services through PHCs. No formal education (adjusted prevalence ratios [APR] = 7.33, 95% CI 1.81–29.60, P = 0.005) and current psychological distress (APR = 2.99, 95% CI 2.08–4.30, P = 0.00) were significantly associated with unwillingness to avail care from PHCs. Conclusion: The awareness and utilization of mental health services through primary care centers were poor in the community. Strategic measures must be implemented through the mental health program to improve the utilization of the services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Thyroid disorders are a major public health burden. Generally, women exhibit higher differentials in the prevalence of these disorders. This study focuses on the socio-economic and behavioural correlates of thyroid disorders along with their spatial clustering among women of reproductive age in India. Methods: The study uses dataset from the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) carried out in 2015–16 to assess self-reported thyroid disorders. Poor–rich ratio (PRR) and concentration index (CI) were used to study the variation in thyroid disorder among women arising out of economic inequality. Moran's I statistics and bivariate local spatial autocorrelation (BiLISA) maps were used to understand spatial dependence and clustering of thyroid disorder. Spatial lag and error models were applied to examine the correlates of the disorder. Results: Thyroid disorder prevalence was higher among women from socio-economically better-off households. Adjusted effects showed that users of iodized salt were 1.14 times more likely to suffer from a thyroid disorder as compared to non-users, which is contrary to the general belief that a higher percentage of consumption of iodide salt leads to a lower prevalence of thyroid disorder. A higher autoregressive coefficient (0.71) indicated significantly higher spatial clustering in thyroid disorders. Conclusions: The prevalence of thyroid disorder in India depends appreciably on spatial and various ecological factors. Sedentary lifestyles among women may be aggravating diseases, which has strong linkage with thyroid disorders. It is strongly recommended to effectively integrate universal salt iodization with activities geared towards the elimination of iodine deficiency disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaemia control programmes in India are hampered by a lack of representative evidence on anaemia prevalence, burden and associated factors for adolescents. The aim of this study was to: (1) describe the national and subnational prevalence, severity and burden of anaemia among Indian adolescents; (2) examine factors associated with anaemia at national and regional levels. Data (n = 14,673 individuals aged 10–19 years) were from India's Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS, 2016–2018). CNNS used a multistage, stratified, probability proportion to size cluster sampling design. Prevalence was estimated using globally comparable age‐ and sex‐specific cutoffs, using survey weights for biomarker sample collection. Burden analysis used prevalence estimates and projected population from 2011 Census data. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyse factors (diet, micronutrient deficiencies, haemoglobinopathies, sociodemographic factors, environment) associated with anaemia. Anaemia was present in 40% of girls and 18% of boys, equivalent to 72 million adolescents in 2018, and varied by region (girls 29%–46%; boys 11%–28%) and state (girls 7%–62%; boys 4%–32%). Iron deficiency (ferritin < 15 μg/L) was the strongest predictor of anaemia (odds ratio [OR]: 4.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [3.21,6.83]), followed by haemoglobinopathies (HbA2 > 3.5% or any HbS) (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: [1.66,4.74]), vitamin A deficiency (serum retinol <20 ng/ml) (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: [1.23,2.80]) and zinc deficiency (serum zinc < 70 μg/L) (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: [1.02,1.72]). Regional models show heterogeneity in the strength of association between factors and anaemia by region. Adolescent anaemia control programmes in India should continue to address iron deficiency, strengthen strategies to identify haemoglobinopathies and other micronutrient deficiencies, and further explore geographic variation in associated factors. Key messages: The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) 2016–2018 is the only nationally representative survey to measure haemoglobin, haemoglobinopathies, biomarkers of micronutrient deficiencies, diet and social factors in Indian adolescents aged 10–19 years.Using CNNS data, we found that 28.5% of adolescents (girls: 39.6%, boys: 17.6%) were anaemic, with variation by region or state.Our prevalence estimates translate to 72 million adolescents being anaemic, with Uttar Pradesh having twice as many anaemic adolescents as any other state.Iron deficiency, haemoglobinopathies, vitamin A deficiency and zinc deficiency were associated with an increased risk of anaemia; these associations may vary subnationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Smoking in Hollywood movies is a known risk factor for teen smoking in the USA and Europe, but little is known about the association between exposure to tobacco use in Bollywood movies and teen tobacco use in India. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 3956 adolescents (eighth and ninth grades, ages 12-16 years) from 12 randomly selected New Delhi schools was surveyed in 2009, assessing tobacco use status, receptivity to tobacco promotions (based on owning or being willing to wear tobacco-branded merchandise) and exposure to tobacco use in movies. Quartiles of exposure to tobacco use in popular Bollywood movies released from 2006 to 2008 (n=59) were determined by content coding them for tobacco use and querying the adolescents whether they had seen each one. Logistic regression was used to control for covariates including age, gender, parent education, school performance, sensation-seeking propensity, family and peer tobacco use, and authoritative parenting. Results Altogether, the 59 movies contained 412 tobacco use occurrences. The prevalence of ever tobacco use among adolescents was 5.3%. Compared with low-exposure adolescents (quartile 1), the adjusted odds of ever tobacco use among high-exposure adolescents (quartile 4) was 2.3 (95% CI 1.3 to 3.9). Being receptive to tobacco promotions was also associated with higher adjusted odds of ever tobacco use, 2.0 (95% CI 1.4 to 3.0). Conclusion Watching tobacco use in Bollywood movies and receptivity to tobacco promotional activities were both independently associated with ever tobacco use among adolescents in India, with ORs being similar to the studies of adolescents elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) co‐exist, often because of poor intakes and adversely impact health. Habitual diets were assessed in 300 school children (6–17 years old) recruited from two government schools by simple random sampling. Probability of adequacy (PA) for 11 micronutrients and mean probability of adequacy (MPA) was calculated. Haemoglobin, plasma ferritin, folic acid, vitamin B12 and C‐reactive protein were estimated. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to estimate magnitude and factors associated with MNDs. The contribution of fortified foods and/or supplements in addressing inadequacies and excessive intakes was modelled. The PA ranged from 0.04 for folate to 0.70 for zinc, and the MPA was 0.27. Prevalence of anaemia (53%), iron deficiency (57%; ID), iron deficiency anaemia (38%; IDA), folate deficiency (24%) and B12 deficiency (43%) was high. Dietary inadequacy of iron, zinc and a low MPA was associated with anaemia and IDA. Inclusion of double fortified salt (DFS), fortified rice (FR) or iron folic acid (IFA) supplements individually in habitual diet reduced probability of iron inadequacy significantly from 82% to ≤13%. Inclusion of DFS and FR simultaneously led to disappearance of iron inadequacy, but risk of excessive intake increased to 16%. Inclusion of DFS, FR and IFA together increased risk of excess iron intake to 40%. Nevertheless, intakes of folate and B12 remained inadequate even with FR and/or IFA. These results indicate a high risk of dietary MNDs in children and suggest need for more systematic intake measurements in representative sample and adjustment of iron dosages to avoid excessive intakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study is trying to find the intergenerational changes in substance use by the males of three generations of cobbler community in Mumbai. Cobbler community was an occupational group that engaged in cobbling activity by tradition. Methods: For this study, inter-generational changes in substance use refer to the changes in the habit of receiving the various types of the drug by the male members of the household in consecutive generations (Grandfather, Father, and Grandson). The data for this study had been collected through the snowball sampling method from the 114 households. All three-generation (N = 342) has included for the present study. The analysis has done using the univariate and bivariate method using Stata/SE 12.0 software. Results: Tobacco smoking and chewing, as well as alcohol addiction, is higher in most males of the second and younger generation, who are highly educated and engaged in the tertiary occupations. Substantial proportions of youths, who are still getting an education, are addicted to tobacco and alcohol. As for the cohabit of smoking and chewing tobacco with alcohol intake, the older generation is more vulnerable. In the small number of families, not one member of all three generations had ever consumed any substances, whereas, for most households, all three generations are the users of alcohol (33 out of 114), smoking (10 out 114), and chewing tobacco (03 out of 114). Conclusion: Our study shows that positive changes in the habit of drinking alcohol, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco have occurred over the generation. The first generation was primarily involved in the occupation of cobbling; therefore, they might be addicted to focus on their work. The last generation, however, has changed their profession and also increased the level of education among them. Nevertheless, there is still an addiction to alcohol, tobacco chewing, and smoking-related substance among the males of all three generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a preventable and treatable disease state characterised by progressive airflow limitation that is not fully reversible.It includes two main conditions-1. Emphysema 2. Chronic bronchitis. These are associated with fixed airway obstruction. Patients with COPD complaints of breathlessness,chest tightness, generalized weakness, fever & cough (with expectorations). Materials & Methodology: Both male and female workers from cotton mill industries of Miraj Taluka who were aged between 35-45 were included in this study. Data was collected using COPD Assessment test (CAT) and PEFR. Results: There were 54.17% workers who had a no obstruction with low impact of disease, 30% workers showed mild obstruction with moderate impact of disease, 15.83% workers showed moderate obstruction and high impact of COPD, and there were no workers who had severe obstruction of the airways. p value=0.1437 Conclusion: This study concluded that cotton mill industries of Miraj taluka showed that there were 54.17% of workers with no obstruction of airways. There were prevalence of mild obstruction of COPD in 30% of workers, moderate obstruction of COPD in the 15.83% of workers, also there were no workers with severe obstruction of COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recognizing the need for good quality, scientific and reliable information for strengthening mental health policies and programmes, the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of India was implemented by National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, in the year 2015–2016. Aim: To estimate the prevalence, socio-demographic correlates and treatment gap of mental morbidity in a representative population of India. Methods: NMHS was conducted across 12 Indian states where trained field investigators completed 34,802 interviews using tablet-assisted personal interviews. Eligible study subjects (18+ years) in households were selected by a multi-stage, stratified, random cluster sampling technique. Mental morbidity was assessed using MINI 6. Three-tier data monitoring system was adopted for quality assurance. Weighted and specific prevalence estimates were derived (current and lifetime) for different mental disorders. Mental morbidity was defined as those disorders as per the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision Diagnostic Criteria for Research (ICD-10 DCR). Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine risk for mental morbidity by different socio-demographic factors. Survey was approved by central and state-level institutional ethical committees. Results: The weighted lifetime prevalence of 'any mental morbidity' was estimated at 13.67% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 13.61, 13.73) and current prevalence was 10.56% (95% CI = 10.51, 10.61). Mental and behavioural problems due to psychoactive substance use (F10–F19; 22.44%), mood disorders (F30–F39; 5.61%) and neurotic and stress-related disorders (F40–F48; 3.70%) were the most commonly prevalent mental morbidity in India. The overall prevalence was estimated to be higher among males, middle-aged individuals, in urban-metros, among less educated and in households with lower income. Treatment gap for overall mental morbidity was 84.5%. Conclusion: NMHS is the largest reported survey of mental morbidity in India. Survey estimated that nearly 150 million individuals suffer from one or the other mental morbidity in India. This information is to be used for planning, delivery and evaluating mental health programming in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal Disorders or MSDs are injuries and disorders that affect the human body's movement or musculoskeletal system (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, blood vessels, etc.). Work activities that involve heavy lifting, awkward postures, bending, twisting or stooping, prolonged sitting or standing and repetitive motions may contribute to the development of these problems. Industrial workers are more prone to develop musculoskeletal disorders. Objectives: Objectives of the study were to the prevalence of common musculoskeletal disorders and survey among the workers. To find out the severity of specific musculoskeletal disorders prevailing in the food industry in Karad. Material and Method: In this observational study, 60 subjects were assessed using Visual analogue scale (VAS), Posture assessment and Nordic questionnaire. Results: Statistical analysis of VAS were found to be extremely significant with a P value of <0.0001. Conclusion: The current study concluded that there are chances of musculoskeletal disorders in small scale food industry workers. The musculoskeletal disorders which appears with maximum duration initiates with neck pain followed by low back pain and knee pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Public health research in India frequently depends on self-reported data, which is usually a compromised method. Policies and programs based upon such data may not be efficient enough to estimate the actual burden of the diseases. Previous studies have looked at the issues of discrepancies between self-reported and measured estimates. However, the majority of them have failed to examine the reasons for such disparities. This pivotal research gap is decoded in this study, which explores the determinants of heterogeneity between self-reported and clinically-diagnosed hypertension and diabetes. Subject and methods: The study utilizes the data from the fourth round of the District Level Household and Facility Survey, 2012–13, and has considered 860,501 nationally representative samples of respondents aged 18 years and above from 18 demographically developed states of India. Age-adjusted prevalence rates of hypertension/diabetes and a multinomial logistic regression model are utilized to draw inferences from the data. Results: The findings bring out heterogeneity by comparing respondents' Clinical, Anthropometric, and Biochemical (CAB) test results with their self-reported data. Heterogeneity included respondents who self-reported themselves as not suffering from hypertension/diabetes while their CAB test indicated otherwise, and those who had self-reported being hypertensive/ diabetic even though their CAB test data information proved otherwise. Additionally, respondent's age, sex, wealth, and occupation are the major determinants of heterogeneous reporting. Conclusion: The study suggests that the estimates obtained by self-reporting underrate the actual scenario. Thus, large-scale surveys should focus on collecting data using clinical diagnostic tools to access the actual burden of disease in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many interventions focus on preventing stunting in the first 1,000 days of life. We take a broader perspective on childhood growth to assess the proportions of children who suffer persistent stunting, recover, and falter and become newly stunted between birth and adolescence. We use longitudinal data collected on 7,128 children in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Data were collected in five survey waves between the ages of 1 to 15 years. We use descriptive and graphical approaches to compare the trajectories of children first stunted by age 1, first stunted by age 5, and those remained not stunted until age 5. On average, 29.6% of children were first stunted by age 1, 12.9% of children were first stunted by the age 5, and 68.7% of children were not stunted at either age 1 or age 5. A larger percentage of children stunted by age 1 remained stunted at age 15 (40.7%) compared with those who were first stunted by age 5 (32.3%); 33.7% of children first stunted by age 1 and 31.1% of children first stunted by age 5 go on to recover, but then falter during later childhood. 13.1% of children who were not stunted at age 1 or age 5 become newly stunted between the ages of 8 and 15. Our results show that children both become stunted and recover from stunting into adolescence. More attention should be paid to interventions to support healthy growth throughout childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iodine deficiency is a preventable cause of brain damage. Aims &Objectives : The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of goiter in school going children clinically, to assess the iodine status (urinary iodine excretion) of school children, and to assess the iodine content of the salt consumed by the population. Materials and Methods: It is school based cross-sectional study, conducted in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India in 2016. The study participants were school children in 6-12 years of age. Probability-proportional-to-size cluster sampling was used. Palpation method was used to identify the presence of goiter. Urine samples were collected and median urinary iodine excretion was found. The salt samples were also collected from the households and local market to determine the iodinization status. Results: A total of 2700 school children were studied. The total goitre rate was 0.74%. Among those clinically palpable goiter 15(75%) were girls. The prevalence of goitre higher among girls was statically significant with p=0.025. All the cases of clinically palpable goiter belonged to caste other than general with p<0.001. The median urinary iodine excretion of 270 urine samples of school children was 184 ^g/l. The prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders using urinary iodine excretion as indicator in the present study was 22.9% Seven percent of the samples had median urinary iodine The normal iodine content i.e more than the 15 ppm iodine was present in 84% of samples collected from households. Conclusion: The children of Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh had low prevalence of goiter. However, there is significant burden of goiter among backward classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most superstition from the past have been proven by science as unnecessary, ineffective or just plain silly but are still practiced by normal intelligent people today. Every country has its own localized take on superstitions. In this research, researcher reviews on prevalence of superstitions in Indian society in 21st century. There is much different kind of researches in the field of superstition and had different concepts related to the superstition. In this research, researchers separate the beliefs regarding superstitious activities into three categories i.e. common superstitious activities; death related superstitious activities and pregnancy and new-born related superstitious activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A community‐based cross‐sectional study was carried out with 603 children ages 5 and under and 500 of their mothers from 510 households to examine the prevalence of undernutrition and chronic diseases among the Khasis of North‐East India. Anthropometric measurements including Mid‐Upper Arm Circumference, height, and weight were taken. Dry blood spots to estimate haemoglobin and vitamin A were collected from children and women separately by finger prick. Mothers provided data about household socio‐demographic particulars and infant and young child feeding practices. The prevalence in children of underweight was 31%, stunting was 57%, and wasting was 10%. Undernutrition was higher among boys as compared to girls. Nutrient intakes were below recommended levels. The prevalence of anaemia among children ages 1 to 5 years old was 68%, and vitamin A deficiency was 59%, and they were 83% and 48%, respectively, among women. Hypertension was observed in 15% of women, whereas diabetes was less than 1%. Only about 20% of households were food secure, and this was associated with parental literacy, per capita income, and family size. Undernutrition was unacceptably high among the Khasis despite rich food biodiversity. Proper implementation of nutritional intervention programs such as Integrated Child Development Services, Mid Day Meal, and the Public Distribution System will improve the nutrient intake and nutritional status of the population. Additionally, preservation of forest lands and products paired with judicious use of the rich food biodiversity available will promote dietary diversity and ultimately better nutrition and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gynecological morbidities constitute an important health problem among women of reproductive age group in India. Many of them did not seek care and bare it silently. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of self-reported gynecological morbidities among women of 15 to 45 years and to find out association with certain selected socio-demographic factors. This study also tried to study the health seeking behavior of women. Methodology: A population based cross sectional survey was conducted across Vakkom Panchayat, it's area comes under Rural Health Centre of the Department of Community Medicine, Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. A total of 540Women of 15 to 45 years was included in the study by two stage sampling technique. Results: Of the total, 199 {(36.85%) 95% CI -31.14, 42.94} women in the study reported at least one type of gynecological morbidity. Major morbidity reported was menstrual problems (25.0%). Prevalence of overall gynecological morbidities was found to be significantly more among women who married early (<18years) Adjusted OR 1.66 (95%CI- 1.05, 2.64).On subgroup analysis the factors like age group of women (below 30yrs), age at menarche below 13 years & presence of thyroid hormone disorders were found to be significantly (p<0.05) related to menstrual diseases in the regression model. Only 110 (55.3%) women sought treatment for any one of the morbidity. Majority took treatment from private hospitals. Conclusion: Prevalence of gynecological morbidities was high in this community. The data collected are valuable & could serve as preliminary data to pilot innovative delivery of gynecologic healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Urinary incontinence (UI) is still a common chronic health problem affecting physical, psychological and social well-being of women in developing countries. UI is a challenge to women's health because of the number affected and lack of access to affordable care that can cure or relieve associated symptoms especially in resource limited settings. This study explored the prevalence of UI and assessed effectiveness of a Video Assisted Teaching Program for Kegel's Exercises (VATPKE) in reducing severity of UI symptoms among community dwelling women. A survey was used to obtain data from a sample of 598 community dwelling Indian women in Coimbatore district in Tamilnadu State. A pre-posttest design was then used to assess effectiveness of the VATPKE in reducing UI symptom severity in affected women. Data were analysed using a paired samples t-test. Of the 598 women, 202 (34%) reported having some level of UI and most participants affected were married (78%), less educated (56%), had high BMI (52%) and lower socio-economic status. Affected women mostly reported the severity level of UI symptoms at pre-intervention as moderate (78%) or mild (22%).The mean post-intervention UI symptoms severity score (M = 21·72, SD = 3·99) was lower than pre- intervention (M = 29·91, SD = 5·12) and paired t-test results showed that the difference was highly statistically significant ( p < 0·00). The VATPKE used in this study was effective in reducing the severity of self-reported UI symptoms in community dwelling Indian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco use is a significant risk factor of many chronic diseases like lung cancer, coronary heart diseases, stroke, oral cancer etc., which are preventable. It is evident from various studies that tobacco consumption is higher among those from low socioeconomic status, poor and marginalized groups of the society. Objective: To determine the prevalence of tobacco use among daily wage laborers in Bhubaneswar. Methodology: A cross-sectional study involving 212 daily wage laborers selected from six randomly selected waiting places in Bhubaneswar was conducted. Using a pretested structured schedule, all relevant information was obtained. Result and discussion: The overall prevalence of tobacco use was 88.7%, which is much higher as compared to that of the general population. The prevalence of smoked and smokeless tobacco was found to be 58.0 and 68.9% respectively. Reason for initiation of tobacco consumption was primarily feeling pleasure followed by peer pressure. Smoked tobacco was the preferred method of tobacco consumption among the older subjects, whereas chewing tobacco was more popular among the younger subjects. More female laborers were consuming smokeless tobacco as compared to smoked tobacco, whereas the rate of consumption of both the forms was almost same in case of males. Bidi (57.7%) and Gutkha (60.9%) were the most frequently used smoked and smokeless forms of tobacco among the workers. There is an urgent need of intervention measures to arrest the rising trend of tobacco use among the labor classes, thereby reducing the future burden of tobacco related morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A descriptive study was conducted to determine the extent of vision loss among the individuals of 45 years and above and to identify the individuals who were at risk for developing vision loss and its complications in a village of Udupi district, Karnataka, among 100 subjects. Overall prevalence of vision loss was 2%. 4 male had the high risk for vision loss and 78 and 18 subjects had moderate and low risk respectively. With regard to occupation 3 subjects among the high risk group were in the group of gate keeper, watchman, coolie, domestic servant and mason and all of them belonged to Hindu religion and the income was between Rs.2500 to 4999 and majority were non vegetarians. 22 subjects had hypertension, 12 subjects had diabetes mellitus, 30 subjects had cataract, 93 subjects had long sight/short sight, 40 subjects had watering of the eye, 39 subjects had eye injury, 9 subjects were constantly exposed to sunlight, 38 subjects viewed lunar/ solar eclipse, 33 subjects had injury to the head, 22 subjects had rheumatoid arthritis, 33 subjects had family history of diabetes, 35 subjects had family history of hypertension, 26 subjects had family history of blindness, 25 subjects had family history of eye disorders. Habit of alcohol consumption was present in 42 subjects, 33 subjects had habit of smoking, 67 subjects had habit of taking snuff and 78 subjects had habit of chewing tobacco. And 55 subjects were taking medications for different illness. It is established that there is an association between vision loss and age and there is also a significant relationship between risk status and visual impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]