An epidemiological study on risk factors of diabetes mellitus among patients attending a medical college hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Two hundred and thirty cases of diabetes mellitus were selected in a case-control fashion by applying systemic random sampling technique taking 20% of the patients attending the diabetic clinic of Calcutta National Medical College during the period from January to June, 2003 to find out association and risks of some socio-economic and demographic factors with the occurrence of diabetes mellitus. Controls were selected from the patients admitted in the department of surgery in the same period. Factors like physical activity, socio-economic status, residential status, family history and obesity have shown statistically significant association with diabetes. For physical activity the estimated relative risk is maximum in case of sedentary worker where the odd's ratio was 9.4. So far other factors are concerned the estimated relative risk of diabetes was 5.1 in case of urban population, 6.2 in case of positive family history, 2.5 in case of upper and upper middle classes, and 2.4 in case of obesity in comparison to their respective reference category.

Syndromic approach for determination of reproductive tract infections among adolescent girls.

The present study shows overall prevalence (64%) of reproductive tract infection among adolescent girls, based on self-perceived symptoms. Mean age of respondents were found to be 17.8 +/- 0.82 years and mean age at marriage and mean age at first pregnancy were 17.2 years and 17.5 years respectively; 35.35% of girls in the present study were married. In addition, no significant difference was observed between unmarried (60.10%) and married (71.17%) reproductive tract infection groups. Moreover, no significant association was present in prevalence of reproductive tract infection between the Muslim (67%) and the Hindu (60%). Highest prevalence (84.06%) of reproductive tract infection was observed among illiterate girls and with improvement of educational status there was decrease in the prevalence and the association was found highly significant. Significantly, higher prevalence (72%) was observed among members of family size 7 and above.