ABSTRACT
Background: Maternal and child under nutrition remain extensive in low and middle-income population groups. Safe delivery practices and adequate nutrition during infancy is essential to ensure health, growth, and development of a child. Early under nutrition has a long-lasting effect on physical and cognitive growth. So it is essential to assess and promote the healthy child feeding & caring practices in the vulnerable groups. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to enrol 160 mothers of infants by probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling procedure for 5 months in the field practicing areas of GSL Medical College. Primary data was collected through a validated questionnaire with variables of socio-demography, intra-natal, and infant feeding practices. Secondary data was obtained from MCP cards. The analysis was done using SPSS trial version 18, results were expressed as percentages and proportions and Chi-square test was used to assess the association. Results: Majorities (90%) of the deliveries are institutional and the proportion of low birth weight was found to be 12.5%. Breastfeeding was initiated within 1st hour after delivery among 75.6% infants and 79.1% of the infants of 6-11m were reportedly exclusively breast fed. Working status and literacy status of mother are significantly associated with infant feeding practices. Conclusions: In spite of many programmes targeted for promoting safe intra natal and infant feeding practices this study finds a relatively high proportion of faulty practices prevalent in rural areas.
ABSTRACT
Background: Oral health is an integral component of general health. School age, especially younger ages, is a period of overall development. Although enjoying good oral health includes more than just having healthy teeth, many children have inadequate oral and general health because of improper oral hygiene, bad eating habits etc. Oral health affects the general health, well-being, education and development of children and diminishes their quality of life. Objectives were to assess the oral health status and oral hygiene of rural school children and to determine the factors associated with it.Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural field practice area of Rajahmahendravaram for a period of 3 months. All the children between 1st to 5th classes were screened to evaluate the oral health and hygiene status. Findings were documented in a pre-validated proforma and subsequently analyzed.Results: Total 620 students were screened in 4 rural schools. About 165 (26.6%) students were 10 years age and 54.3% were boys. Decayed tooth were present in 294 (47.4%). About 17% had only 1 decayed tooth, six teeth were seen decayed among 4 (0.6%) students. Dental morbidities are seen in 509 (82.1%). Pulp involvement was seen in 11 (1.8%) students, tooth fracture in 4 (0.8%), gingival involvement in 13 (2.1%), calculus in 52 (8.4%) and scaling in 80 (12.9%). Good oral hygiene was seen in 156 (25.2%).Conclusions: Oral health status and oral hygiene among rural school children is not satisfactory and needs attention.