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Background: Maternal nutrition is one of the most important health and welfare problems among women in developing countries. Only limited research has been conducted on the prevalence and determinants of maternal nutritional status in Maharashtra. Particularly, data on the nutritional status of pregnant women are lacking. The aim of this was to assess prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among pregnant women attending antenatal care center.Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted during September to December, 2018. Randomly selected 303 pregnant women were included in the study. Nutritional status was estimated using mid-upper-arm circumference. Data on potential determinants of undernutrition were gathered using a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using logistic regression. p<0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant.Results: Overall prevalence of under-nutrition among study participants was 21.8%. Using a logistic regression model, factors significantly associated with the under nutrition were rural residence (AOR=0.675; 95%CI 0.307-1.485), having less than three years duration of marriage (AOR=6.650;95%CI 2.268-19.501), living with joint family (AOR=4.128;95%CI 1.606-10.611), no utilization of family planning methods (AOR=0.319; 95%CI 0.131-0.775), less no. of ANC visit (AOR=3.253; 95%CI 1.342-7.888) and having less frequency of meal (AOR=0.319 (0.149-0.683). Remaining all factors like religion, education, occupation, family size, gravida, parity, consumption of iron and calcium tablet, getting USG done, anti-tetanus vaccination, support from family and husband were not found as significant risk factors for undernutrition.Conclusions: Integrated approach is must to combat malnutrition among pregnant women.
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Introduction: Water borne and communicable diseases:Gastrointestinal disorders, particularly dysentery, diarrhoeaand parasitic infections are very common among tribalregions of Maharashtra, leading to marked morbidity andmalnutrition. The present study was a epidemiologicalsurveillance in the vicinity of Sardar Sarovar HealthProjects and its impact of health and morbidity status of thepopulation.Material and methods: It was a cross sectional, analyticalstudy. The study was conducted in Nandurbar districtMaharashtra. The affected villages by Narmada Sarovar waterkept under active surveillance during study period by the healthstaff and selected local leaders from villages.Results: There were total 872 cases of malnutrition reportedwithin two year. Out of this 85% were from >1 yrs of age groupand 15% were from below one year of age group. Out of 872cases of malnutrition 44% were Male and 56% were females.Majority of malnutrition Cases were from >1 yrs of age groupas compared to the below one years of age group, this data issubjected to statistical analysis the difference is found statisticallynot significant.Conclusions: Strengthening of the existing health servicesand existing infrastructure in the affected and rehabilitatedarea and active involvement of local leaders with someincentives (Pada worker, ASHA). NGOs and CBOs in diseasessurveillance system.
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Background: Malnutrition is widespread in rural, tribal and urban slum areas and it is a significant public health problem described as a silent killer, silent emergency, and invisible enemy affecting those who cannot express their voice and have to depend upon others for their advocacy. Numerous studies showed that education of parent’s, especially maternal education emerges as a key element of an overall strategy to address malnutrition. The best global indicator of children’s wellbeing is growth. Assessment of anthropometry is the single measurement that best defines the nutritional and health status of children, and provides an indirect measurement of the quality of life of the entire population.Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was carried out in an urban slum area of Mumbai city, Maharashtra. Total 300 children of 0-5 years of age were enrolled in the study. A list of all the children below five years of age belonging to study area was taken from the health post situated in premises of UHTC. All mothers or primary care takers of the children were interviewed and weight and height of the children was recorded.Results: Prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 69.33%, 60.33% and 45.66% respectively. Mother’s literacy, low birth weight and morbidities like diarrhoea, fever and cough in previous fifteen days were significantly associated with malnutrition.Conclusions:Chronic malnutrition was more prevalent in this area. Mother’s literacy had a much higher impact on better nutritional status of children. Morbidities like diarrhoea, fever and cough had made the children nutritionally vulnerable as malnutrition was higher in those children.
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Background: Diarrhoeal diseases represent a major health problem in developing countries. Conservative estimates place the global death toll from diarrhoeal diseases at about two million deaths per year (1.7 - 2.5 million deaths), ranking third among all cases of infectious disease death worldwide. The prime purpose of an outbreak investigation is to control the outbreak, limit its spread to other areas and assess how preventive strategies could be further strengthened to reduce or eliminate the risk of such outbreak in future. Methods: It was a descriptive cross sectional study of epidemic occurred in Khetiya village, Dist Barwani (MP), population of 67,500 during 17 October 2016 to 17 November 2016. All the cases reported within last one week around the market place village in Khetiya, presenting with symptoms and signs of AGE (as per standard case definition of IDSP) and willing to participate in the investigation. Results: Males were 56.96%, & female cases were 43.03%. Majority of the study subjects lied between 20-40 years. The mean age was 30.15±5 years. Majority of the cases belonged to lower middle class SES (38%). 87% population was tribal, 48% cases were labourers, 42% were farmers and 10% were others. Conclusions: Males were 56.96%, & female cases were 43.03%. Majority of the study subjects lied between 20-40 years. The mean age was 30.15±5 years. Majority of the cases belonged to lower middle class SES (38%). 87% population was tribal, 48% cases were labourers, 42% were farmers and 10% were others.
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Background: Almost 2.5 billion people don’t have the access to clean toilet globally. In 2011 sanitation coverage globally was 64%. While open defecation is declining across the globe, 15% (one billion) of the global population still defecate outdoors. OFD practices are associated with transmission of variety of infectious diseases. This study was conducted to understand the nature of defecation practices with respect to hygiene in a tribal community.Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted among patients attending out-patient department of a rural health training center from a nearby tribal area, Thane district, Maharashtra which is a field practice area of rural health training centre of Seth GSMC and KEM Hospital, Mumbai.Results: Majority of the subjects practiced open field defecation (67%), followed by 18% subjects used household latrines and 15% used community based latrines. Majority of the study participants practiced open field defecation in agriculture fields (81%), while 44% preferred nearby water source as a site for defecation.Conclusions: The sanitary condition in the study area was poor. Rural areas with better literacy seems to have lower open field defecation prevalence and higher percentages of sanitary latrine usage.