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Background: Data on prevalence, pattern of tobacco use, proportion of population dependent on nicotine and their determinants are important for developing and implementing tobacco control strategies. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use and nicotine dependency. Methods: A cross-sectional survey among a representative sample of 18,018 individuals in the age group of >=14 years was conducted in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands during 2007-09. A structured questionnaire, a modified version of an instrument which was used successfully in several multi-country epidemiological studies of the World Health Organisation, was used to survey individual socio-demographic details, known co-morbid conditions, tobacco use and alcohol use. Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) was used to estimate nicotine dependence. Results: The response rate of our survey was 97% (18,018/18,554). Females (n = 8,888) were significantly younger than males (34.3 ± 14.6 Vs 36.2 ± 15.4 years). The prevalence of current tobacco use in any form was 48.9% (95% CI: 48.2-49.6). Tobacco chewing alone was prevalent in 40.9% (95% CI: 40.1-41.6) of the population. While one tenth of males (9.7%, 95% CI: 9.1-10.4) were nicotine dependent, it was only 3% (95% CI: 2.7-3.4) in females. Three fourth of the tobacco users initiated use of tobacco before reaching 21 years of age. Age, current use of alcohol, poor educational status, marital status, social groups, and co-morbidities were the main determinants of tobacco use and nicotine dependence in the population. Conclusion: The high prevalence of tobacco use especially the chewing form of tobacco in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the differences in prevalence and pattern of tobacco use and nicotine dependency observed across subgroups warrants implementation of culturally specific tobacco control activities in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: There are no composite estimates on prevalence of hypertension among indigenous tribes in India. The present study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of hypertension, its association with determinants, and to assess the hypertension related behaviour of the Nicobarese aborigines. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried during 2007 and 2009. Subjects were chosen by two stage design. Total 975 subjects of 1270 (response rate of 76.8%) were investigated (M: 43.5%; F: 56.5%). The data were collected by history, clinical examination (blood pressure), and examination (weight and height). The association of hypertension with age, education, tobacco, alcohol consumption and their dependency status (KF score, QF value, and AUDIT score) and nutritional status was estimated by bivariate regression analysis; the increasing trend in the prevalence of hypertension with increasing age and decreasing educational status was analysed by χsup2; for linear trend. Significant variables in bivariate regression analysis (age, education, alcohol consumption status, and nutritional status) were subjected to multiple logistic regression analysis (MLR). Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 50.5 per cent [95% CI 46.1-54.9 (M: 50.7%; F: 50.3%)]. The prevalence of tobacco, alcohol consumption, and overweight/obesity was 88, 54, and 37 per cent respectively. The bivariate analysis has shown association between hypertension and age, education subcategories, alcohol consumption, and overweight/obesity (P<0.05). The increasing trend in the prevalence of hypertension with increasing age (χ² for linear trend=95.88, P< 0.001) and decreasing educational status (χ² for linear trend=25.55, P< 0.001) was statistically significant. MLR analysis revealed a significant association between hypertension and various age categories and overweight/obesity. Interpretation & conclusions: The findings of the present study highlight high prevalence of hypertension among Nicobarese aborigenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Due to tsunami in 2004 a large proportion of population in Nicobar group of Islands become homeless, and in 2006 large scale labour migration took place to construct the houses. In 2008, a significant increase in malaria incidence was observed in this area. Therefore, in March 2008, the situation of malaria was assessed in Nancowry Islands in Nicobar District to study the reasons for the observed upsurge in the number of cases, and to suggest public health measures to control the infection. Methods: The methods included a retrospective analysis of long term trend in the behaviour of malaria over the years from 2001 to 2008, analysis of the acute malaria situation, and rapid fever and malaria parasitemia survey along with environmental component. Mass radical therapy (MRT) and post- intervention parasitemia survey were carried out. The malaria situation in the aftermath of MRT was analysed. Results: During the post tsunami year (2005) there was a large increase in the incidence of malaria and this trend continued till 2008. The percentage of Plasmodiumfalciparum increased from 23 to 53 per cent from 2006 to 2007 that coincides with the labour influx from mainland. The study showed that Nancowry was highly endemic, with high transmission setting, and high risk area for malaria. Though, more number of migrant labourers suffered fever (75 vs 20%) and sought malaria treatment over past month but parasitemia survey showed higher point prevalence of malaria among native tribes (7.4 vs 6.5%). Post-MRT, there was a decline in the occurrence of malaria, though it did not last long. Interpretation & conclusions: The study findings suggest that the migrant workers hailing from non- endemic or moderately endemic settings became victims of malaria in epidemic proportion in high endemic and high transmission setting. To find out the reasons for deterioration of malaria situation at Nancowry in the aftermath of tsunami requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines study on a possible role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene polymorphism in progression of chikungunya infection into cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and chronic arthropathy (CAR). It says DNA was extracted from the leucocytes of the peripheral blood obtained from three AFP and four CAR cases that presented with a rare complication of chikungunya fever. The findings of the study are noted to give enough reasons for conducting more studies on the role of polymorphisms in such genes.

Background: The household is a potentially important but understudied unit of analysis and intervention in chronic disease research. We sought to estimate the association between living with someone with a chronic condition and one's own chronic condition status.Methods and Findings: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of population-based household- and individual-level data collected in 4 socioculturally and geographically diverse settings across rural and urban India in 2013 and 2014. Of 10,703 adults ages 18 years and older with coresiding household members surveyed, data from 7,522 adults (mean age 39 years) in 2,574 households with complete covariate information were analyzed. The main outcome measures were diabetes (fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL or taking medication), common mental disorder (General Health Questionnaire score ≥ 12), hypertension (blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg or taking medication), obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2), and high cholesterol (total blood cholesterol ≥ 240 mg/dL or taking medication). Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to model associations with adjustment for a participant's age, sex, education, marital status, religion, and study site. Inverse probability weighting was applied to account for missing data. We found that 44% of adults had 1 or more of the chronic conditions examined. Irrespective of familial relationship, adults who resided with another adult with any chronic condition had 29% higher adjusted relative odds of having 1 or more chronic conditions themselves (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.29; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10-1.50). We also observed positive statistically significant associations of diabetes, common mental disorder, and hypertension with any chronic condition (aORs ranging from 1.19 to 1.61) in the analysis of all coresiding household members. Associations, however, were stronger for concordance of certain chronic conditions among coresiding household members. Specifically, we observed positive statistically significant associations between living with another adult with diabetes (aOR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.23-2.07), common mental disorder (aOR = 2.69; 95% CI 2.12-3.42), or obesity (aOR = 1.82; 95% CI 1.33-2.50) and having the same condition. Among separate analyses of dyads of parents and their adult children and dyads of spouses, the concordance between the chronic disease status was striking. The associations between common mental disorder, hypertension, obesity, and high cholesterol in parents and those same conditions in their adult children were aOR = 2.20 (95% CI 1.28-3.77), 1.58 (95% CI 1.15-2.16), 4.99 (95% CI 2.71-9.20), and 2.57 (95% CI 1.15-5.73), respectively. The associations between diabetes and common mental disorder in husbands and those same conditions in their wives were aORs = 2.28 (95% CI 1.52-3.42) and 3.01 (95% CI 2.01-4.52), respectively. Relative odds were raised even across different chronic condition phenotypes; specifically, we observed positive statistically significant associations between hypertension and obesity in the total sample of all coresiding adults (aOR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.02-1.52), high cholesterol and diabetes in the adult-parent sample (aOR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.08-3.78), and hypertension and diabetes in the spousal sample (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.05-2.17). Of all associations examined, only the relationship between hypertension and diabetes in the adult-parent dyads was statistically significantly negative (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.40-0.94). Relatively small samples in the dyadic analysis and site-specific analysis call for caution in interpreting qualitative differences between associations among different dyad types and geographical locations. Because of the cross-sectional nature of the analysis, the findings do not provide information on the etiology of incident chronic conditions among household members.Conclusions: We observed strong concordance of chronic conditions within coresiding adults across diverse settings in India. These data provide early evidence that a household-based approach to chronic disease research may advance public health strategies to prevent and control chronic conditions.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials Registry India CTRI/2013/10/004049; http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/login.php. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Shigeliosis is known to be a major cause of acute childhood diarrhoea in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. Rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance warrants continuous monitoring of sensitivity pattern of bacterial isolates. We repor! here the salient findings of an ongoing study on shigellosis in Andaman Islands, India, with regards to change in drug resistance pattern during the past one decade. Method: During 2006-2009, stools samples from 412 paediatric diarrhoea patients were collected and processed for isolation and identification of Shigeila spp. Susceptibility to 22 antimicrobial drugs was tested and MICs were determined for 3rd generation cephalosporins, quinolones, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination and gentamicin. Drug susceptibility pattern of these isolates were compared with that of 33 isolates obtained during 2000-2002. Results: Shigella isolates were recovered from 50 of 412 stool samples processed. Resistance to ampicillin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin was observed in 100, 96, 94 and 82 per cent of the isolates, respectively. The frequency of resistance to these drugs was significantly (P<0.001) higher than that observed during 2000-2002. Resistance to seven drugs was observed in 2000-2002, whereas resistance to 21 drugs was seen during 2006-2009. The number of drug resistance pattern increased from 13 in 2000-2002 to 43 in 2006-2009. Resistance to newer generation fluoroquinoiones, 3rd generation cephalosporins and augmentin, which was not observed during 2000-2002, appeared during 2006-2009. Interpretation & conclusions: Thc frequency of resistance among Shigeila isolates has increased substantially between 2000-2002 and 2006-2009 and the spectrum of resistance has widened. At present, the option for antimicrobial therapy in shigellosis in Andaman is limited to a small number of drugs. Continuous local monitoring of resistance patterns is necessary for the appropriate selection of empirical antimicrobial therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented about a study on the emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance in Shigella isolated from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India.