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D. Anwar Basha ¹, K. S. N. Reddy ¹, J. Lalu Naik ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Anthropology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, IN
2 Department of Anthropology Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, IN

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects quality of life; however, the effect of environmental factors various on MetS is not uniform across the cultures as evinced by the diverse prevalence rates. These risk factors are collectively under the influence of nutrition, lifestyle and consequent to increasing affluence, urbanization, industrialization, mechanization, rural-to-urban migration, habits of smoking, alcoholic consumption, and physically inactive etc. Although many studies have reported an association between self-reported physical activity (PA) and MetS, there is limited information on the optimal levels of PA required to prevent MetS. Present study aimed to assess the association between PA and MetS among urban adult population of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 802 adults (421 men & 381 women). PA levels were categorised by World Health Organisation criteria (2010) and MetS was defined using the modified NCEP ATP III criteria (2002). Of the study participants, 32% had MetS. Mild PA subjects had high percent of MetS (44-49%) compared to heavy PA subjects (19-18%) in both women and men. Subjects with MetS had lesser physical actively levels compared to their counterparts (p<0.05) in both genders. Mean levels of SBP, FBG, and TG were gradually decreased from mild to heavy PAlevels (p<0.05). Heavy PA was characterized by a significant elevation in HDL-c levels when compared to mild activity (p<0.05). The odds ratio of PA showed that moderate subjects were 3 times and mild activity subjects were 8 times at risk in the elevation of MetS risk factors. The majority of the adults who had the habituation of lesser PA were at risk in the elevation of MetS and it was inferred that involving in heavy PA may reduce the burden of developing MetS.

Keywords

Cardiovascular Disease, Adult Treatment Panel III, Body Mass Index, Triglyceride.

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J. Lalu Naik ¹, K. Surendranadha Reddy ¹, M. Surendra ²

Affiliations
1 Department o f Anthropology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh ., IN
2 Department of Sociology & Anthropology, College of Business and Social Sciences, Adi Keih, Eritrea, East Africa ., IN

Abstract

This case study focuses on the participation of women street vendors in the central business area of Asmara, Eritrea, particularly around the chicken market and outlying streets. Women who fail to find jobs in the formal sector engage in alternative work in the informal economy (street vending). Today, many street vendors depend on their illicit business to earn them and rescue themselves from different poverty levels. This case study seeks to examine the involvement of women in street vending activities. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the apparent literature gaps by utilizing qualitative and ethnographic analysis of the cause of their participation and the problems they encounter. This study applied anthropological ethnographic fieldwork methodology. Furthermore, the study involved participant observation, semi-structured and in-depth interviews and photographs as a leading data collection method among the women vendors. Implementing these research methods examined the overall daily routine and livelihood of the street vending women. Additionally, focused on the reasons why they engaged and what practical problems they faced, both during the work in the street and other socio-cultural problems in their home, were examined and described in this literature.

Keywords

women, street vendor, informal economy, anthropology, ethnography

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