ABSTRACT
Background: In India, more than two thirds of adolescents aged 11-17 years have insufficient physical activity. Though data on prevalence of physical activity among adolescents with reference to WHO criteria are available, very few studies have assessed the magnitude of physical activity. Hence, the study was conducted to assess the magnitude of physical activity among rural high school children of Nelamangala Taluk, Bengaluru.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 200 high school students from 6 co-education schools. Magnitude of physical activity was assessed using physical activity questionnaire for adolescents (PAQ-A), a self-reported, validated questionnaire.Results: Mean age of the study participants was 14.35 years. 112 (56%) of them were female and 123 (61.5%) of them were studying in 10th standard. 100 (50%) of them were from government or aided school. Final Physical activity score of study participants was 2.39±0.64. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in the final physical activity score between males and females. Government or aided school participants had a better final score than those of private school and the difference was statistically significant. Final physical activity score decreased with their promotion to higher class. There was no significant difference between activity levels during physical education class across variables like sex, class studying and type of school.Conclusions: Physical activity was better among males, government school participants and those studying in lower class in comparison to their counterparts. Majority of this difference can be attributed to activities happening beyond the school hou
ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescent girls are often less informed and less comfortable in accessing reproductive health care and information. Due to taboos and socio-cultural restrictions associated with menstruation and its issues, a culture of silence surrounds it. Every stage of women’s life influences next stage, thus present menstrual health will help the girls to have good reproductive, sexual and maternal health later. Good knowledge and better health care seeking behaviour will help in managing menstruation hygienically and with dignity. Hence the present study was undertaken with the objectives, to assess knowledge about menstruation and to determine health care seeking behaviour for menstrual health among adolescent girls in urban slums.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge about menstruation and determine health seeking behaviour for menstrual health among 150 adolescent school girls. Multi stage random sampling with probability proportionate to size sampling technique was used. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was self administered to assess socio-demographic factors, knowledge and health care seeking behaviour for menstrual health.Results: Among 150 adolescent girls, 102(68.0%) of them had good knowledge. Among girls who had excessive bleeding and irregular menses only half of them sought medical treatment (p<0.05) and though 59.5% had more than one symptoms in a cycle, only 37.3% sought treatment.Conclusions: Health care seeking behaviour for menstrual health among adolescent girls was marginally low, only 34(37.4%) sought treatment.
ABSTRACT
Background: Anganwadi centres under integrated child development services is the largest Project in India to improve not only child health but reproductive, maternal and adolescent health. The aim of the present study is to compare the infrastructure of urban and rural anganwadi which is one of the basic need to provide quality services.Methods: A total of 30 anganwadi centres are involved in our study in which 20 are from rural and 10 are from urban field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore. This study employed interview method with anganwadi worker’s and observation of anganwadi centre using pre-designed, semi structured questionnaire and checklist.Results: 85% of rural and 60% urban anganwadi centres have their own buildings to carry out the services. 20% of rural anganwadi centres lack fixed name boards compared to urban anganwadi centres. 55% of rural anganwadi centres and 90% of urban anganwadi centres lack separate storage for raw food materials. 15% of rural anganwadi centres lack functional toilet facility. 40% of rural anganwadi centres lack functional weighing machine.Conclusions: Anganwadi centres are remote contact point of health care system within the community. The infrastructure of anganwadi centre such as type of building, space for cooking and activities, availability of functional equipments ensure the quality service deliveries which in turn are enhanced by timely supervision from higher authorities.
ABSTRACT
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a top infectious disease killer worldwide. In India although Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) has seen significant success in TB treatment, patient non-adherence or lost to follow up continue to persist and are influenced by various factors. The present study aims to know the influence of adherence factors on TB treatment outcome among new sputum smear positive (NSSP) pulmonary TB patients under RNTCP. The objectives of the present study were to describe the distribution of socio-demographic factors, outcome patterns among NSSP patients and to assess the association of various adherence factors on TB-treatment outcome among NSSP patients.Methods: A prospective longitudinal study among 149 NSSP patients from selected TU’s of Bengaluru.Results: Among the 149 NSSP patients 107 (72%) were males and 42 (28%) were females. Treatment outcome is categorized as cured (120) and other treatment outcomes (defaulted-17 or treatment failure-3 or died-9). Among the various socio-demographic and adherence-factors: age >50years, illiteracy, male-gender, Hindu-religion, lower socioeconomic-status, poor-patient knowledge about TB, disbelief in TB-treatment, unwillingness to continue treatment with subsiding symptoms, smoking, alcohol intake, presence of diabetes or hypertension or COPD or HIV, patient’s un-satisfaction with treatment-availability or accessibility or contact-timings, no-encouragement from family members, other marital status and absence of stigma showed lower cure rates. Of these factors illiteracy, lower socioeconomic-status, poor patient’s knowledge on tuberculosis, smoking, alcohol intake, HIV positive status, un-satisfaction with TB-treatment availability and other marital-status showed statistical significance on the TB treatment outcome.Conclusions: With the observed associations of the above factors on TB-treatment outcome, Further measures like improving patient’s knowledge on tuberculosis, health-services and patient-provider relationship; appropriate TB-HIV care and encouragement to quit smoking or alcohol intake, could improve TB-treatment cure rates.