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A barrier to meeting the goal of universal health coverage in India is the inequality in utilisation of health services between indigenous and non-indigenous people. This study aimed to explore the determinants of utilisation, or non-utilisation, of public healthcare services among the Santals, an indigenous community living in West Bengal, India. The study holistically explored the utilisation of public healthcare facilities using a framework that conceptualised service coverage to be dependent on a set of determinants - viz. the nature and severity of the ailment, availability, accessibility (geographical and financial), and acceptability of the healthcare options and decision-making around these further depends on background characteristics of the individual or their family/household. This cross-sectional study adopts ethnographic approach for detailed insight into the issue and interviewed 422 adult members of Santals living in both rural (Bankura) and urban (Howrah) areas of West Bengal for demographic, socio-economic characteristics and healthcare utilisation behaviour using pre-tested data collection schedule. The findings revealed that utilisation of the public healthcare facilities was low, especially in urban areas. Residence in urban areas, being female, having higher education, engaging in salaried occupation and having availability of private allopathic and homoeopathic doctors in the locality had higher odds of not utilising public healthcare services. Issues like misbehaviour from the health personnel, unavailability of medicine, poor quality of care, and high patient load were reported as the major reasons for non-utilisation of public health services. The finding highlights the importance of improving the availability and quality of care of healthcare services for marginalised populations because these communities live in geographically isolated places and have low affordability of private healthcare. The health programme needs to address these issues to improve the utilisation and reduce the inequality in healthcare utilisation, which would be beneficial for all segments of Indian population.

Dust pollution is common in Indian roads and several industrial settings (including mines) that affects human health. Identification and characterization of the dust particles in the mining area is essential for knowing the properties of the dust that effectively causes ailments to humans, particularly among workers those who are working in unorganized industrial settings. The present study aimed to determine the level of dust pollution and to know the size and characterize the dust particles in the Pachami-Hatgacha stone mine areas of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India. Dust samples were collected and analysed for Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to determine the size and shape of the particles, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) to determine the free silica content, and X-ray Florence (XRF) analysis for quantitative estimation of components in the sample. All the analyses were done following standard instrumentation and techniques. The size of the dust particles was much less (ranges 101-298 nm) than the size of respirable particles (2500 nm). Those were mostly generated as well as precipitated during peak working hours of the day. Presence of considerable amounts of silica was confirmed by the FT-IR (strong and broad band at 1000 cm -1 ) and XRF analysis (76.85% SiO 2 ). Exposure to these dust particles may cause severe health impairments. Therefore, interventions like wet drilling and blasting, sprinkling of water during peak working hours, and awareness of use of personal protective devices among workers are required to reduce the risk and hazards associated with dust pollution to the health of miners and inhabitants around the mines., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Summary: Prevalence of hypertension is increasing among indigenous populations of India. However, the relationship of body composition traits and hypertension among them is not known. Therefore, the objective of the study is to know the incidence of hypertension and associated body composition traits of rural Oraons. Data have been collected on socio-demographic characteristics, few lifestyle variables, anthropometric measurements and blood pressure from 336 adult (126 males and 210 females) Oraons using standard techniques and instruments. BMI, Waist Hip Ratio, Fat Mass, Fat Free Mass were calculated using formulae. Descriptive statistics, stepwise linear and logistic regression were adopted. Higher percentages of males (46.03%) were hypertensive than females (25.71%). Age was one of the significant predictor of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in either sex with or without adjusting lifestyle variables. Fat free mass, waist circumference along with tobacco chewing for males and mid-upper arm circumference, weight for females were significant predictors of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. The risk factors for hypertension were age and fat free mass, adjusting lifestyle variables for the group.

Anthropometric somatotyping is one of the methods to describe the shape of the human body, which shows some associations with an individual's health and disease condition, especially with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Individuals with lower extremity amputation (LEA) are known to be more vulnerable to the cardiovascular risk. The objectives of the present study are to report the somatotype of the individuals having lower extremity amputation, to study the possible variation in somatotype between two groups of amputated individuals, and to study the association between cardiovascular disease risk factor and somatotype components among individuals with locomotor disability. 102 adult male individuals with unilateral lower-extremity amputation residing in Calcutta and adjoining areas were investigated. The anthropometric data for somatotyping and data on cardiovascular risk traits (such as body mass index, blood pressure measurements, blood lipids) have been collected. The somatotyping technique of Carter & Heath (1990) has been followed. The result shows high mean values of endomorphy and mesomorphy components and a low mean value of the ectomorphy component among the amputated individuals having cardiovascular risks. The results of both discriminant analysis and logistic regression analysis show a significant relationship between somatotype components and CVD risk among the individuals with LEA. The findings of the present study support the findings of similar studies conducted on the normal population. Diagnosis of CVD risk condition through somatotyping can be utilized in prevention/treatment management for the individuals with LEA.

Skill is one of the factors influencing labour productivity of manual labour. The present study aims to find out the possible relationship between skill and productivity and between skill and physical body dimension among the tea garden labourers of Northern West Bengal, India. Skill was measured by indigenously devised test protocols developed only for this purpose. Productivity or labour output was measured in terms of amount of tea leaves (in weight) plucked in a day by an individual. Physical body dimension was recorded in terms of a list of anthropometric traits. The results show an inconsistent relationship between skill and productive output and a non-significant relationship between skill and physical body dimensions. However, there are some trends that skill is high in younger individuals and low skill in females is associated with relatively high fat accumulation in the body.

Background: Body weight is a good indicator of a person's size and is widely used in clinical assessment. However, health-status assessment based on observed body weight (W(O)) is incorrect for persons with limb amputation., Objectives: The objectives were 1) to develop a more accurate and generalized method for estimating body weight in persons with limb amputation, 2) to determine whether corrected body weight can be used to assess nutritional status in persons with limb amputation, and 3) to test the validity of the estimation by using empirical data., Design: Anthropometric data were collected from men from Calcutta and adjoining areas with unilateral lower-extremity amputation (n = 102). Mathematic formulas were developed for determining estimated body weight (W(E)) and body mass index (BMI) calculated from both W(O) and W(E) (ie, BMI(O) and BMI(E), respectively). We assessed nutritional status by using BMI(O) and BMI(E) and tested the validity of each by considering the result of nutritional assessment from midupper arm circumference as the gold standard. We also compared the nutritional status results for the subjects with limb amputation with those for a similar sample size of healthy control subjects., Results: BMI(E) had a stronger association with midupper arm circumference and a higher efficiency (ie, proportion of correct results given by any test method) than did BMI(O). Moreover, the results obtained with BMI(E) were similar to those obtained with BMI in healthy control subjects. However, the nutritional assessments made with BMI(O) and BMI(E) did not differ significantly from one another., Conclusion: For persons with limb amputation, W(E) provides a better basis for appropriate nutritional evaluation than does W(O).

Data on anthropometric and physiological parameters were collected as a part of an ongoing biomedical research project on 197 adult Oraon agricultural labourers of the Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India. The analysis of the present data focuses attention towards the nature and extent of changes in adulthood in respect of anthropometric and physiological traits. The results reveal that the height increases up to 35 years of age, then declines, weight decreases after 40 years of age, although males and females do not show similar results. Physiological parameters on the other hand reveal that the blood pressure increases with age and strength parameters i.e. grip strength and back strength declines after the age of 25 years or so. However, no generalization can be made out of this, because of the cross-sectional nature of the present study.

In developing countries like India, where the incidence of protein-calorie malnutrition is high and mechanization is at a minimum, human labor provides much of the power for physical activity. This study presents anthropometric measurements, somatotypes, food intakes, energy expenditures, and work outputs of Oraon agricultural laborers of the Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, in an attempt to identify the factors that predict high work productivity. Specifically, this study investigates 1) the relationship between morphological variation (anthropometric measurements and somatotype) and work productivity, 2) the nature and extent of the relationship between nutritional status and work productivity, and 3) the best predictor variables of work output. Classification of groups on the basis of median values of work output show that in the aggregate, the high productive groups are significantly younger than low-productive groups in both sexes. Before age-adjustment, the high productive groups show higher mean values of a few body dimensions, though these differ by sex, and both males and females exhibit a normal range of blood pressure and pulse rate values. Mean values of grip strength and back strength are higher in high-output men and women. Mean values of both food intake and energy expenditure are also higher among men in high-output groups, with only food intake higher in high-output women. However, after eliminating the effects of age, the differences between low-productive groups and high-productive groups in most of the variables are not significant. Productivity predictors in males consist of age, food intake and chest girth (inhalation). Females, on the other hand, show age and grip strength (left) as work output predictors., (Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Lung functiion, selected hematological traits, blood pressures, and anthropometric dimensions were measured on adult Oraon tea garden laborers of both sexes from two tea gardens of Jaipaiguri district, northern West Bengal, India. The laborers were classified into two groups on the basis of work output or productivity, measured in terms of the quantity of green leaves plucked per day. The groups were similar in income, dietary pattern, and self-reported morbidity. Relationships between the measured variables and productivity were evaluated. The results show several significant relationships, but do not conclusively demonstrate that the independent variables under study have any effects on work output. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc., (Copyright © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company.)