ABSTRACT
Background: Iron deficiency is responsible for most of the nutritional anemia. Hemoglobin concentration is a reliable indicator of anemia at the population level, as opposed to clinical measures which are subjective and therefore have more room for error. Measuring Hemoglobin concentration is relatively easy and inexpensive, and this measurement is frequently used as a proxy indicator of iron deficiency. To study the association of certain risk factors with the prevalence of anemia in school children in the age group of 8-14 years.Methods: The study was conducted from April 2017 to March 2018 in Department of Paediatrics, Government Thiruvarur Medical College, Thiruvarur. The study population consisted of school children in the age group of 8 to 14 years fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The sample size was 250. Complete hematological investigations was done to each child for differential diagnosis of anemia.Results: Majority of the children studied had a normal BMI 38.4% (n=96), 16.8% (n=42) were classified as overweight, 9.2% (n=23) were classified as obese. 22.8% (n=57) were classified as having thinness. 12.8% (n=32) were classified as having severe thinness. Of the 132 children with anemia, majority had mild anemia 64.39% (n=85) followed by moderate 28.03% (n=37) and severe anemia 7.58% (n=10). Of the 132 children with anemia, majority had mild anemia 64.39% (n=85) followed by moderate 28.03% (n=37) and severe anemia 7.58% (n=10).Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia was significantly higher in female children (64.91%) compared to male children (42.65%). The prevalence of anemia is highest in children with severe thinness (78.13%) followed by children with obesity (73.91%). The most common type of anemia in our study was iron deficiency anemia. Majority of the children were suffering from anemia of mild severity. There was no statistically significant correlation between the prevalence of anemia in children and age and socioeconomic status.
ABSTRACT
Background: Childhood asthma has a major impact on a child's quality of life and that of their parents. To assess the level of understanding and beliefs by parents of asthmatic children about causation, pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis.Methods: The study was conducted in Kovai medical centre and hospital Coimbatore in 2017. Totally 101 asthmatic children were included in the study. Asthmatic children aged 6 years to 15 years. A total of 101 parents participated in this study. The sex and age of the informant, mother's literacy and mother's occupation were noted. The socio-economic status of the family was computed using modified Kuppuswamy scale 2016.Results: In present study among the 101 children, 38.61% are in the school age (5-8 years), 38.61% are in the tweens (9-12 years) and 22.78% are teenagers. 45.54% of the children are from the rural area. Half of the children are experiencing the disease for more than 6 years now, the other half less than 6 years. 5.94% of the parents interviewed were not aware of the diagnosis. 71.29% thought that asthma is a hereditary condition.Conclusions: A wide gap exists between recommendations and the actual practice. Hence by improving parents' knowledge about asthma, their attitude and practice can be positively affected.
ABSTRACT
Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of gastrointestinal tract with unclear aetiology and no reliable biomarkers like other chronic and functional disorders. Majority of the patients of IBS suffer from various forms of psychosomatic disorders as comorbidity that further exaggerate the complexity of diagnosis and management of IBS. The aim of the present study was to find the prevalence of commonly associated psychosomatic symptoms associated with IBS in the patients of lower socioeconomic strata.Methods: This is a prospective observational study carried out over a period of 10years from November-2007 till October-2017, in HAHC hospital attached to Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. A structured questionnaire comprising of a total of 36 closed ended questions was designed. Eleven questions were about the demographic characteristics and twenty-five were pertaining to IBS symptoms according to Manning and Rome III criteria with some necessary modifications. Various psychosomatic illnesses were recorded separately after ruling out the organic cause with appropriate investigations.Results: In the present study out of 4000 patients with IBS symptoms, 70.8% were having some form of psychosomatic symptoms, Patients with psychosomatic disorders were significantly more often young in age and females (53.28%), showing highest number of patients belonging to the age group 26-35years (51.44%). 34% patient had two or more psychosomatic illnesses. Headache (62.26%) and insomnia (63.03%) were the commonest followed by chest pain (36.54%). Chest pain (77.68%), headache (62.26%) and insomnia (56.07%) was more common in male whereas palpitation (60.58%) and breathlessness (57.68%) was more common in female.Conclusions: There is significantly high prevalence of psychosomatic illness in the patients of IBS in the low socio-economic strata. The young patients (productive age group) are more affected which may be responsible for further deteriorating their social and economic condition.
ABSTRACT
En este trabajo analizamos los significados que los jóvenes y las jóvenes de Chile de bajos recursos atribuyen a la compra, uso y tenencia de un celular. La investigación cualitativa utilizada no sólo nos permitió descubrir las necesidades que los sujetos jóvenes buscan satisfacer con la compra y/o uso de un celular, sino también los factores socioculturales que determinan este comportamiento de compra. La importancia del presente no es sólo por la pretensión de ser un estudio sociológico sobre la conducta de compra, uso y tenencia de celular por parte de los jóvenes y las jóvenes de Chile de menores recursos, sino también porque constituye una poderosa herramienta para comprender los problemas sociales relacionados con este hecho.
This study examines the value that Chilean teenagers low socio-economic status give to the purchase, use and possession of a cell phone. The qualitative approach used in this paper doesn't just allow an understanding of the needs that teenager are trying to satisfy, but also allows the identification of the socio-cultural factors behind their purchasing behavior. This paper is worthy because it is not just a sociological characterization of the purchasing behavior of teenagers of low socio-economic status in Chile, but it also provides a powerful tool to understand the social problems related to this issue.
Este trabalho analisaos significados que os jovens chilenos de baixa renda atribuem à compra, uso e possede um celular. A pesquisa qualitativa realizada, não só permitiu descobriras necessidades que os jovens buscam satisfazer com a compra e/ou uso de um celular, mas também os fatores socioculturais que determinam o seu comportamento de compra. A importância da presente pesquisa não está somente naintenção de ser um estudo sociológico sobre o comportamento de compra, uso e possede celular pelos jovens chilenos de baixa renda, mas também consiste em uma poderosa ferramenta para compreender os problemas sociais relacionados a esse fato.