ABSTRACT
Background: The preference for a son over female offspring continues to be a prevailing norm within the ancient Indian family. Sons are expected to work within the fields, give bigger financial gain and look after parents. Additionally, in Indian patriarchal society, sons are a unit responsible for the preservation of the family name. The preference for a son and female feticide continues to be a prevailing norm in ancient Indian families (urban and rural) leading to declining sex ratio to an alarming level. With this background the following study was conducted in Gautam Buddha Nagar with the objective of finding out gender bias in rural and urban area.Methods: A study was carried out in rural and urban field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine, district Gautam Buddha Nagar of Uttar Pradesh. The study was conducted among 270 married women of reproductive age group. The women were interviewed using a semi structure questionnaire.Results: More than half of the respondents in the rural areas (57.7%) preferred son while in the urban areas, 43% of women preferred a son. The most important reason for preferring a son in the rural area was a support to the parents. While in urban area son was preferred because of the continuation of a family line.Conclusions: Preference for son was found to be high. Further amendments in the existing laws and quality education may help in breaking gender stereotypes and minimizing gender bias.
ABSTRACT
Background: Visual health is both visual function and individual’s perception of vision. This study was conducted to estimate visual function and individual’s perception of vision and to understand the impact of sociodemographic factors and treatment seeking behaviour for eye morbidities among women in our society. The aim of the study was to obtain visual acuity scores and the perceived visual function score and analyse both objective and subjective visual health.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 182 women aged 18-59 years residing in rural practice area of School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida.Results: The most common problem in the study group was moderate visual impairment (23.1%), followed by severe visual impairment (8.2%) and blindness (1%). The common causes being uncorrected refractive errors followed by cataract. Visual impairment was maximum among 49-59 years (47.46%), illiterate (54.24%) and in lower socio-economic status (54.24%).Conclusions: An intersectoral approach involving the PRI, ASHA/ANM at all levels of the health system may be appropriate. Strategies involving the communities, schools, colleges, workplaces and shifting to preventive and curative approach instead of only curative approach may help to create more awareness about common avoidable causes of blindness namely refractive errors and cataract. Comprehensive eye care services from early screening to treatment need to be made accessible, affordable and available at all levels of health system irrespective of gender, literacy, age and socioeconomic status to improve visual health and thus quality of life.