Association between Smoking and Body Mass Index among Males Aged 20 Years and Above - A Study in Rural Tamil Nadu, South India.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between smoking status and Body Mass Index (BMI) in men aged 20 years and above. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the rural field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research, Coimbatore during June and July 2010. A total of 459 men aged 20 years and above were included in the study. Statistical analyses were done using General Linear Model procedure of SPSS. Results: Cigarette smokers weighed (Kg) less, p<0.01 (age adjusted mean ± standard error = 58.64 ± 0.44) and were leaner, p<0.001 [age adjusted mean BMI (kg/m2) ± standard error = 21.13 ± 0.13] than ex/non-smokers (61.11 ± 0.69 and 22.19 ± 0.2 respectively). Regarding the intensity of smoking and BMI, light smokers (1 to 20 cigarettes per day) were leaner than ex/non smokers (mean ± standard error were 21.13 ± 0.13, 22.19 ± 0.208 respectively, p< 0.001). Regarding the duration of smoking and BMI, a linear diminution in BMI is observed with increasing duration of cigarettes smoking compared to ex/non smokers (mean ± standard error of BMI) for ex/non smokers 22.19 ± 0.208, 1 to 10 years of smoking 21.56 ± 0.221(p<0.05); 11 to 20 years of smoking 21.23 ± 0.256 (p<0.01); 21 to 30 years of smoking 20.30 ± 0.333 (p<0.001); 30 and above years of smoking 20.07 ± 0.501(p<0.001). Conclusion: We found significant results confirming an association between cigarette smoking and lower BMI in men.

Disability adjusted working life years (DAWLYs) of leprosy affected persons in India.

Background & objectives: Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) have been accepted as a useful method to estimate the burden of disease, and can be adapted to determine the number of productive years lost due to the disability. DALY has been reported for many studies but not for leprosy. Hence this study was carried out in three States of India. In view of the fact that in this study, productive working years are used, the term is modified as DAWLY. Methods: A representative random sample of 150 leprosy affected persons, 50 from each States of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, was chosen, and data were collected on detailed work-life history, occupation, time when leprosy was discovered, reported and treatment started, break of job/loss of income due to leprosy. The loss of wages and durations were used to compute the life-years lost due to leprosy, and summarized over the average total duration of 42 years of productive work-life from 18 to 60 years. The percentage losses were determined and differences tested for statistical significance. Results: The overall mean (± SE) disability adjusted working life years was 28.6 (±0.67), a reduction of 13.4 yr from the ideal productive working life period of 42 yr. The youngest patients with disability had a reduction of 41.4 per cent, as compared to the oldest patients. There was a significant increase in loss based on year for those whose disability started earlier (P=0.0024). Interpretation & conclusions: On an average, 30 per cent of the leprosy affected person’s work life is lost due to disability.