ABSTRACT
Background: Rapid, unplanned, and unsustainable patterns of urban development can result in many emerging environmental and health hazards. One of the important public health problems of urban environment is regular exposure to dust and pollutants and consequence of such exposure in the form of changes in the pulmonary function. Being the immediate environment, indoor pollution poses a higher risk to human health than the ambient environment. Realistic personal exposure assessment gives the actual idea about the exposure status. Objectives: This study determined the household principal environmental exposures (Dust, SO2 , NO2 , and total volatile organic compound) among urban slum dwellers and assessment of the respiratory function to determine any possible relationship between those exposures and outcomes. The study also described the knowledge, attitude, and practice of these urban slum people regarding air pollution and its effect. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 442 urban slum people residing in the slums of the Kolkata Municipal area. Household environmental exposures were collected by standardized methods and outcome was observed by conducting a pulmonary function test. Finally, knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding air pollution were carried out with the help of a questionnaire-based survey. Results and Discussion: Almost all the pollutants exposure was associated with impairment of lung function. Younger age and female gender were statistically associated protective factors for the development of any lung disease. Those who had an overall good awareness regarding the means and effects of air pollution were found to be protected from developing lung disease. Using exhaust ventilation, relocation to inner side of slums, using personal protective measures, and adequate pollution awareness can help the slum citizens to overcome the problem.
ABSTRACT
Background: Snake bite is a neglected public health problem in India. Very few community based epidemiological studies in India have been published so far on this issue. Most of the studies were carried out on hospital data. Previous community-based survey in the state revealed that only 22% snake bite victims attended hospitals. Objectives: The objective of the present study is to fi nd out the epidemiological profi le of snake bite in eight blocks of the South 24-Paraganas district of West Bengal and to explore the under reporting of snake bite deaths in health facilities in that area during the study period. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of snake bite data was carried out from a community-based epidemiological survey on 1.9 million populations. This survey was done door-to-door from January 2009 to October 2010 to get epidemiological profi le of snake bite of the previous 2 years. The data of direct survey was compared with the offi cial report of the same area to evaluate the hospital-based data with focus on underreporting of snakebite deaths. Results: A total number of snake bite cases as found in the survey in the study area was 4871. There was a huge gap between the two data (direct survey and offi cial data). Only 7.23% snake bite deaths were offi cially reported. Only 22.19% of the snake bite victims attended the hospitals. Nearly 65.7% of the snake bite deaths were due to common krait bite, most of them occurring in the months of June to September. Conclusions: Offi cial reporting system is still having a huge defi ciency in India. Snake bite needs to get more attention from the health authority.
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B, is one of the major public health problems can be controlled with the active participation of the community. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the immunization clinic of Burdwan Medical College to identify the level of people's perception on the diseases Hepatitis B. A total of 210 individuals accompanying the children for routine immunization were interviewed. The study result showed that majority (65.3%) of the respondents were unaware that the diseases is caused by virus and 46.2% were unaware on transmission of disease. 38% of the respondents were unaware regarding the future consequences of the diseases. The knowledge on the preventive measures against Hepatitis B was high (76.2%) among the respondents. Incorrect knowledge in relation to vaccination like interval of vaccination, necessity of re-vaccination was 88.6%, 86.7% respectively. 49% had no idea about ideal age for vaccination. Significant difference of knowledge was found between illiterate and just-literate group with primary, secondary & above group (p< 0.05). Receipt of vaccine (15.6%) also significantly more (p< 0.05) in case of higher income group.