International Journal of Innovative Research and Development

Abstract

Background: Menstruation is an important phenomenon of the reproductive cycle of females that starts when the girls mature sexually at the time of puberty.

Methods: A community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years, residing in a rural (village) and urban (slum) of Maharashtra in India.

Results: More number of girls residing in the urban area attained menarche at a younger age compared to the girls from rural area. A variety of restrictions are imposed on the girls during menstruation. A huge gap in the knowledge, attitude and practices of the girls has been observed with respect to menstruation.

Conclusion: Although, on the whole, the girls coming from urban areas have better practices during menstruation, compared to the rural girls, there are lot of misconceptions and superstitions associated with this physiological process in both the communities. School based counselling of the adolescent girls can be useful for their empowerment with various options for managing menstruation and the inconvenience and discomfort that they experience due to this reason. Better reproductive health educational programmes focusing on menstruation are needed for female adolescents.

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Background: Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, it is common throughout the world. An estimated 150 million young people use tobacco. The vast majority of tobacco users worldwide began when they were adolescents. This number is increasing globally, especially amongst those who move away from their families and homes to earn a living.

Methods: This was a community based, cross-sectional descriptive study conducted amongst the migrant labourers in a rural area of north India. All the migrant labourers, 20 to 45 years of age, who were present at the place of study during the period of study and consented to be part of it were included (N=275). The respondents were interviewed with the help of an investigator administered questionnaire. This was a standardized questionnaire based on the Tobacco Use Module of the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) 2013 core questionnaire modules. Data was analysed using EpiInfo.

Results: Only 1.45 per cent (n=4) of the respondents had never smoked consumed tobacco in any other form. Almost one third of the study population, that is, 33.09 per cent (n=91) had started smoking at the age of 14 or 15 years while 28.36 per cent (n=78) had started at 16 or 17 years.

Conclusion: An overwhelming majority of the respondents were influenced by their fathers and took up smoking at a relatively younger age, despite being aware of the harmful effects.

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Background: In most countries, proportion of people more than 60 years of age is growing much faster than that in any other age group. It is an established fact now that the world over, there will be a significant increase in the proportion of people with conditions like dementias and Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study to determine the morbidity pattern of geriatric population residing in a rural area of the state of Punjab in India. All individuals ≥60 years of age, who were permanent residents of this village were included in the study.

Results: Out of the total 265 study subjects who participated in the study, 53.72% were males and 46.28% were females. The most common morbidities found in the study subjects were those pertaining to the musculoskeletal system. Amongst these, the most common was chronic low back ache. An equal percentage of male and female study subjects had ophthalmic morbidities, with the most common findings being refractive errors and cataract followed by glaucoma. Cardiovascular cases had a majority of hypertension cases. There was a significant percentage of psychiatric cases. Amongst them, the common ones were those having depression and dementia.

Conclusion: More number of women neglected their health compared to the males. The health seeking behavior of the menfolk was better than the women. Preventive, curative and rehabilitative programmes for the elderly need to be improved and health education as well as awareness drives need to be undertaken for better dissemination of the facilities provided by the government.

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Background: Immunization is the most cost effective public health interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from vaccine preventable diseases. Urban slums constitute a high risk area for such diseases. To gauge the psychosocial determinants of immunisation status of children, this study was conducted in an urban slum area in Maharashtra, India.

Methods: All children less than the age of five years were included in the study. Data was collected by conducting house to house visits after line listing of the relevant houses, using a pre-tested and pre-validated interview schedule. Statistical method of estimation was used for psychosocial determinants with respect to complete immunization, partial immunized and non-immunization percentages by 95% confidence interval.

The results: No significant difference was found in the immunisation status of boys and girls. Maximum number of first birth order children was found to be fully immunized.

Conclusion: A variety of psychosocial factors influenced the immunisation status of children in this set-up. There is a felt need to educate the community and increase awareness so that the status of immunisation improves. Stress should be laid on the completion of immunisation of every child.

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