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One of the important aspects of today's research in the area of public health is the nutritional health of children populations which has been suffering from decades and now became a burning issue in public health. Scholars worldwide appointed themselves to understand the role of multiple factors working behind it such as demographic imbalance, socio-economic factors, food impurity, parental unconsciousness etc. Likewise, the present study is a small attempt to understand the nutritional health of the children of a particular population, residing in a peri-urban region of North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India, in light of maternal knowledge and practices regarding child's health and nutrition. A total of 96 under-five children have been accounted for in this study through random sampling from the ICDS centers of Madhyamgram town. Data on children's HAZ, BAZ, birth weight and maternal knowledge and practices has been collected through anthropometric measurements of children and interviews of mothers. Study reveals that according to HAZ they are in a satisfying condition as their prevalence percentage in low HAZ shows 3.12% but in case of low BAZ, the prevalence percentage shows unsatisfactory result (36.46%) as found in case of low-birth-weight (39.58%). The study also found insignificant association between children's socio-economic background and their nutritional failure but found some disparity among maternal knowledge and its practices. The study concludes that the studied children population is in unsatisfying nutritional condition only in terms of their BAZ which might be the result of inconsistency in the knowledge and it's practices of mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine adiposity and body composition in relation with physical activity among Muslim adolescents of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. One thousand and sixty eight school boys (n=522, PE=282 and NPE=240) and girls (n=546, PE=304 and NPE=242) aged 10 to 17 years participated in this study. The subjects were classified into eight age groups: 10-10.9 years (n = 56, 62), 11-11.9 (n = 63, 73), 12-12.9 (n = 65, 82), 13-13.9 (n = 77, 79), 14-14.9 (n = 84, 78), 15- 15.9 (n = 71, 70), 16-16.9 (n = 60, 55), 17-17.9 (46, 47). All anthropometric variables were measured by following standard anthropometric procedure. Body mass index (BMI), skinfold equations were utilized to estimate percent body fat (PBF). Boys, who did not undertake regular physical exercise (NPE), had significantly greater subcutaneous adiposity, PBF, fat mass index (FMI) and sum of 5 skinfolds (S5S) than those who undertook regular physical exercise (PE). However, BMI was similar among PE and NPE boys. Girls who did not undertake regular physical exercise (NPE) had a significantly greater mean body mass index (BMI), PBF, fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), fat mass index (FMI) and sum of 5 skinfolds (S5S) compared with those who undertook regular physical exercise (PE). The mean differences between NPE and PE children (boys and girls separately) of all the measurements in each age group were statistically significant (p < 0.05). We conclude that there was a decrease in adiposity, subcutaneous fat content and body composition at almost all ages of PE boys and girls compared with the children who did not undertake regular physical exercise resulting from non sedentary lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Menarche seems be related to the relative distribution rather than the total amount of body fat. Previous studies showed that the ratio between lower-body vs. upper-body fat was associated with the timing of menarche. Aim: To compare the relative distribution of subcutaneous fat among Bengali Hindu pre-.and post-menarcheal girls. Materials and Methods: The participants were 234 Bengali Hindu girls aged 11-14 years: 111 pre-menarcheal and 123 post-menarcheal girls, randomly selected from a secondary school from a suburb of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Triceps, abdominal, sub-scapular, and calf skinfolds were measured. For each skinfold site, ratio was calculated as follows: Log (one skinfold/sum of skinfolds). Principal components (PC) analysis was performed to derive components which express the maximum contrast among the log of ratios. T-test was employed to assess differences between individual scores of components between pre-.and post-menarcheal girls. Results: The three identified PC suggested extremities-trunk, lower trunk-upper trunk, and an upper extremity-lower extremity contrasts, respectively. Scores for second and third components showed significant differences between pre- and post-menarcheal groups of girls. Conclusion: The attainment of menarche by Bengali girls aged 11-14 years was associated with characteristically more relative subcutaneous fat distribution in the upper trunk and in the lower limbs, in contrast to lower trunk and upper limbs, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High prevalence of low birth weight, high morbidity and mortality in children and poor child health to be major nutritional concerns in India. In addition, the Indian population is passing through a nutritional transition and is expected to witness higher prevalence of adult noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease according to the theory of 'fetal origin of adult disease'. Although nationwide intervention programmes are in operation over two decades, the situation has not changed greatly. Clearly, there is a need for examining several issues of nutritional significance for effective planning of interventions. In particular, maternal nutrition and fetal growth relationship, long term effects of early life undernutrition, interactions of prenatal nutritional experiences and postnatal undernutrition are some of the major issues. Malnutrition (undernutrition or overnutrition) is a problem at varying proportions in developing countries, mad anthropometry is a simple tool to assess its magnitude in children. This community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the magnitude of undernutrition among 549 school children (boys = 291 and girls = 258) aged 5-9 years of rural areas of East Midnapore district of West Bengal in India. The collected data was analyzed using the recommended indices of height for-age (stunting] and weight-for-age (underweight) based on the NCHS standard. Prevalence of stunting (overall = 29.7%, boys = 29.6%. girls = 29.8%) and underweight (overall = 53.4%, boys = 54.6%. girls = 51.9%) was alarming among the children studied. There was not much difference between boys and girls for nutritional status. Moreover, the age variations in stunting and underweight demonstrate similar age-trend for both the sex groups. Compared to undernutrition levels identified in other Third World countries, rural Bengalee children of the present study had very high rates. Thus, this study provided evidence that undernutrition is still a leading problem among rural Bengalee primary school children of West Bengal and this has not improved in spite of nutrition intervention programmes which are currently in operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated age and sex variations in height and weight, levels of stunting, underweight and wasting among 533 (254 boys; 279 girls) 3- to 5-year-old rural children of Bengalee ethnicity at 11 Integrated Child Development Services centres of Nadia District, West Bengal, India. Height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height < −2 z-scores were used to evaluate stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively, following the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Guidelines. Results revealed that boys were significantly heavier than girls at age 3 years. Significant age differences existed in mean height and weight in both sexes. Mean z-scores of height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height were lower than those of NCHS for both sexes at all ages. The overall (age and sex combined) rates of stunting, underweight and wasting were 23.9%, 31.0% and 9.4%, respectively. The rate of underweight and wasting was higher among girls (underweight = 35.1%, wasting = 12.2%) compared with boys (underweight = 26.5%, wasting = 6.3%). In general, the frequency of stunting increased with increasing age in both sexes. Based on the World Health Organization classification of severity of malnutrition, the overall prevalence of underweight was very high (≥30%). The prevalence rates of stunting (20–29%) and wasting (5–9%) were medium. In conclusion, the nutritional status of the subjects is unsatisfactory. There is scope for improvement in the form of enhanced supplementary nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The author looks at technologies that can be helpful in mapping cholera cases. He references the study "Global Positioning System (GPS) & Google Earth in the Investigation of an Outbreak of Cholera in a Village of Bengaluru, Urban District, Karnataka" by N. R. Ramesh Masthi et al., published within the issue. He notes that GPS technology and the geographical information program Google Earth could potentially act as an early warning system for cholera, particularly in developing countries.

Objective: Despite the literature on dydrogesterone, studies on dydrogesterone utilization patterns are largely lacking in Indian patients., Methods: This was a multi-center, retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study across 817 centers in India. Data of patients who received dydrogesterone in past and provided consent for future use of their medical record for research purpose was were retrieved and analyzed., Results: Data of 7287 subjects (aged 29.55±4.84 years) was analyzed. Threatened abortion was the most common indication for which the subjects received dydrogesterone (46.9%) followed by recurrent pregnancy loss. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disorders and anemia were the most common comorbid conditions and prior pregnancy loss, advanced maternal age and obesity were the most common risk factors seen in subjects who received dydrogesterone. Total 27.5% of subjects received a loading dose of dydrogesterone, and majority (64%) received 40 mg as loading dose. 10 mg dose was used as maintenance or regular dose in 81.4% of the subjects. Twice daily (BID) was the most common dosing frequency (66.6%). The most common concomitant medications being taken by the subjects on dydrogesterone included folic acid (45.1%), iron supplements (30.3%) and calcium and vitamin D3 supplements (25.5%). Another progesterone preparation (oral, injection, vaginal, tubal) other than dydrogesterone was used concurrently in 7.8% of subjects., Conclusion: The study helped to identify the patient population that is benefitted by dydrogesterone and the preferred indications, risk factors, comorbid conditions and concomitant medication used in this patient population at real-life scenario., Competing Interests: Conflicts to interest: none to declare., (© 2024. Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. All rights reserved.)

The coexistence of hypothroidism and depression is already reported and both of these conditions are known to share some common clinical symptoms. Serum cholesterol level is known to be altered in either condition considered separately. But, no report is obtained regarding serum cholesterol level when both the conditions coexist. In this study, 78 patients (61 females and 17 males, age ranged 19 to 67 years) suffering from major depressive disorder were included. Serum T3, T4, TSH and cholesterol levels were estimated in all of them. Sixty-two patients were found to be euthyroid and 16 patients (11 females, 5 males) were found to be hypothyroid. Among female patients, 6 had subclinical hypothyroidism and 5 had overt hypothyroidism. Among male patients 3 had subclinical hypothyroidism and 2 had overt hypothyroidism. The overall prevalence of hypothyroidism in major depressive disorder was estimated as 20.5%. Mean serum cholesterol level in 62 euthyroid patients was found to be 150.9% +/- 16 mg% and that of 16 hypothyroid patients to be 190.7 +/- 12 mg% showing a significant difference (p < 0.01). Thus estimation of cholesterol in major depressive disorder patients may give an idea regarding their thyroid status and vice-versa.

The nutritional status of tuberculosis patients (TBP) and controls (CT) was compared among adult (> 20 years) Bengalees in Shyamnagar, Barrackpore, Naihati and Jagaddal of North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. The subjects included 310 men (154 TBP and 156 CT) and 246 women (128 TBP and 118 CT). The mean ages of TBP men was 36.4 years (CT = 34.5) and that of TBP women was 26.4 years (CT = 25.6). Variables compared included weight, height, fat mass, fat mass index, mid-upper arm fat area, and skinfolds. Results revealed that TBP had significantly lower means for all variables (except for height in men) compared to CT in both sexes. In men, the highest percent differences between the two groups were observed for fat mass (FM: 60.1%), fat mass index (FMI: 59.2%) and suprailiac skinfold (SUPSF: 58.8%). In women, the highest percent differences between the two groups were observed for SUPSF (59.7), mid-upper arm fat area (MUAFA: 58.1), triceps skinfold (TSF: 51.4), biceps skinfold (BSF: 51.2), FM (51.2) and FMI (49.0). Regression analyses confirmed that tuberculosis status had significant impact (p < 0.0001) on all anthropometric and body composition characteristics compared (except for height in men) in both sexes. Among men, tuberculosis status explained the highest percent variation in percent body fat (PBF: 57.2%), FMI (56.0%) and FM (55.6%). In women, tuberculosis status explained the highest amount of variation in PBF (67.9), TSF (63.5%), BSF (62.8), FMI (61.0) and FM(60.7). Results of contingency chi-square tests revealed that there were significant differences in the frequency of undernutrition between TBP and CT in men (χ2 = 73.13361) and women (χ2 = 59.0000). The frequencies of undernutrition were significantly more common among TBP, in both men (56.5%) as well as women (51.6%). This study provided evidence that there was significant differential amount of loss in fat and muscle measures in tuberculosis patients.