Health status of hotel workers with special reference to high risk practices and STDs.

A cross sectional study was conducted on health status of hotel workers of Pune city. Out of estimated 1000 hotel workers 516 were selected by stratified random sampling technique. The study revealed that 71.5% hotel workers were suffering from one or other type of morbid condition. Anemia was the commonest morbidity with prevalence of 40.3%. 187 (36.2%) of hotel workers had extramarital sexual relations. A total of 77 (14.9%) hotel workers were having STDs at the time of study.

Rapid assessment survey of earthquake affected Bhuj block of Kachchh District, Gujarat, India.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: How much human loss would have caused by the earthquake in Bhuj block? What is the environmental sanitation status? OBJECTIVES: (1) To assess human loss and injuries after the earthquake in Bhuj block.(2) To study the status of some relief activities.(3) To study the environmental sanitation status of the earthquake affected Bhuj block. Study design: Cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Bhuj block. Participants: All villages excluding Bhuj city of Bhuj block. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Proportions, chi-square test, chi-square for trend. RESULTS: Survey was done in 144 villages; there were total 541 deaths with death rate of 3.18 per 1000 population. Death rate was significantly associated with distance of village from epicenter (chi-square for trend significant, P < 0.001). Among victims, majority were children 171 (45.4%) and women 107 (28.4%). Relief work was significantly associated with accessibility of village (P < 0.001) and few interior pockets were deprived of help. Total 56 (38.9%) villages were entirely dependent on water tanker for water supply and in 61 (42.4%) villages drinking water was used without chlorination. In 142 (98.6%) villages open-air defecation was practiced. Diseases such as URTIs, diarrheal diseases, fever and conjunctivitis were commonly observed in the field area.

The role of hearing aids in providing environmental feedback for the profoundly hearing impaired.

A number of studies have brought out the limitations of hearing aids in the rehabilitation of hearing impaired. This study was undertaken to assess the use of hearing aids in improving the ability of the hearing impaired to hear vehicular horns. The students of a school for the hearing impaired were interviewed with the help of their teachers. Out of total 102 study subjects, 47 (46%) said that they drove vehicles. None of them used hearing aid while driving vehicles. However, 56 (55%) students possessed functional box type hearing aids. Their ability to hear the sound of vehicular horns with and without hearing aids in the presence of background noise under experimental set up was assessed. None of the 36 study subjects could hear the horns (< 85 dB and > 85 dB) without hearing aid. Only 5 (16.6%) of the 30 profoundly hearing impaired students could hear the sound of horns (> 85 dB) with the hearing aid. The hearing aid was found to be more beneficial to subjects with severe hearing impairment. There is a need to bring forth newer and better varieties of hearing aids and other technologies e.g. Cochlear implant within the reach of those in need.

Making healthy baby contests more objective.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the objectivity of the criteria chosen to judge a healthy baby contest. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. SETTING: Urban Health Centre, Pune. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 998 children attending twelve anganwadis, who were screened preliminarily, 32 were chosen for the healthy baby contest. The contest was assessed using a specified scoring system in which due weightage was given to personal hygiene, growth, development, immunisation status and mother's knowledge about nutrition and vaccination. RESULTS: There was a significant intraobserver correlation (rs = 0.85, p < 0.05) and intraobserver correlation (rs = 0.92, p < 0.05). The scores were age independent. CONCLUSIONS: The criteria chosen were objective in nature. The objectivity of the criteria can make the assessment of the participants more unbiased, quick and easy. The results of the contests can be explained more easily and are more readily accepted. Thus, the healthy baby contests can be made more successful.

HIV seroprevalence & awareness about AIDS among pregnant women in rural areas of Pune district, Maharashtra, India.

The present unlinked anonymous study was done among sexually active rural women to assess the extent of spread of HIV and its awareness. Peripheral blood samples were collected on filter paper strips from 1251 pregnant women residing in villages in three Primary Health Centres in Pune district of Maharashtra. Elutes were tested for HIV antibodies in two different ELISA systems. Awareness on HIV/AIDS was assessed using a structured questionnaire. Fifteen (1.2%) samples were detected to be HIV seropositive. HIV seroprevalence was significantly higher among villages situated close to highways (P < 0.025). Majority (> 95%) of the participating women were housewives. Although 70 per cent were aware of the existence of AIDS, only 33 per cent knew about all the main modes of HIV transmission. Their main sources of information on AIDS were health camps, health workers (70%) and television (45%). Awareness was associated with higher level of literacy (P < 0.001). Many women had misconceptions about the modes of spread of HIV. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on instituting long-term and sustainable strategies to create awareness among young couples with an emphasis on involvement of health workers in rural areas.