RESUMO
The Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to achieve adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and ending open defecation by 2030. Construction of household toilets does not always translate into its usage in rural areas, as open defecation has become a long-ingrained habit. The Swachta Status Report 2016 states that the majority of people in India (52.1%) practiced open defecation, 24.4% of households disposed of garbage in the nearby agricultural field, while 15.1% threw garbage around the house.METHODSIt was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in four villages of a selected block of the district. A total of 150 households were included in the study. Data was collected using a pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire and information was collected regarding their background characteristics, awareness, practices of sanitary latrine usage, and environmental cleanliness.RESULTSOut of a total of 150 participants, 54% practiced open-air defecation. The drainage system of most households was an open pucca type (73.3%), while garbage was disposed of at a common spot outside the homes in 48.7%. Most respondents were unaware that diseases can be caused by inadequate sanitation (55.3%). A higher age group was found to be significantly associated with the usage of sanitary latrines. (p=0.016). Sanitation practice was found to be significantly related to awareness of the mode of spread of disease (p<0.001).CONCLUSIONSBehavioural change communication is required to motivate people to break the habit of open defecation and remove the barriers which limit the use of sanitary latrines.
RESUMO
Background: More than 1.2 million deaths occur each year on the world's roads. In India, the number of motor vehicles on the road is increasing with the population and economic growth. It has been estimated that if effective and immediate action is not taken, deaths due to road traffic accidents will become the fifth leading cause of deaths by 2020. Objectives was to assess the level of awareness and behavior regarding road safety rules among undergraduate medical students.Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in a Medical College of western Uttar Pradesh. In the present study 200 final and pre-final year, undergraduate medical students were selected with the help of simple random selection, who drive/use vehicles either of their own or others. The study period was from June 2019 to August 2019.Results: About 29 percent of participants responded that they do not follow lane rules while driving. Study showed that 72.1% and 42.0% were aware that what documents to be carried with them while driving among those who attend and did not attend any program on road safety measures respectively. About 58.1 % and 38.2% were aware that penalty for driving without a helmet can be imposed among those who attend and did not attend any program on road safety measures.Conclusions: Awareness of road safety measures among participants was satisfactory, but the gap was also seen between awareness and behavior patterns regarding road safety measures.