Health status of hotel workers with special reference to high risk practices and STDs.

A cross sectional study was conducted on health status of hotel workers of Pune city. Out of estimated 1000 hotel workers 516 were selected by stratified random sampling technique. The study revealed that 71.5% hotel workers were suffering from one or other type of morbid condition. Anemia was the commonest morbidity with prevalence of 40.3%. 187 (36.2%) of hotel workers had extramarital sexual relations. A total of 77 (14.9%) hotel workers were having STDs at the time of study.

Rapid assessment survey of earthquake affected Bhuj block of Kachchh District, Gujarat, India.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: How much human loss would have caused by the earthquake in Bhuj block? What is the environmental sanitation status? OBJECTIVES: (1) To assess human loss and injuries after the earthquake in Bhuj block.(2) To study the status of some relief activities.(3) To study the environmental sanitation status of the earthquake affected Bhuj block. Study design: Cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Bhuj block. Participants: All villages excluding Bhuj city of Bhuj block. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Proportions, chi-square test, chi-square for trend. RESULTS: Survey was done in 144 villages; there were total 541 deaths with death rate of 3.18 per 1000 population. Death rate was significantly associated with distance of village from epicenter (chi-square for trend significant, P < 0.001). Among victims, majority were children 171 (45.4%) and women 107 (28.4%). Relief work was significantly associated with accessibility of village (P < 0.001) and few interior pockets were deprived of help. Total 56 (38.9%) villages were entirely dependent on water tanker for water supply and in 61 (42.4%) villages drinking water was used without chlorination. In 142 (98.6%) villages open-air defecation was practiced. Diseases such as URTIs, diarrheal diseases, fever and conjunctivitis were commonly observed in the field area.

The role of hearing aids in providing environmental feedback for the profoundly hearing impaired.

A number of studies have brought out the limitations of hearing aids in the rehabilitation of hearing impaired. This study was undertaken to assess the use of hearing aids in improving the ability of the hearing impaired to hear vehicular horns. The students of a school for the hearing impaired were interviewed with the help of their teachers. Out of total 102 study subjects, 47 (46%) said that they drove vehicles. None of them used hearing aid while driving vehicles. However, 56 (55%) students possessed functional box type hearing aids. Their ability to hear the sound of vehicular horns with and without hearing aids in the presence of background noise under experimental set up was assessed. None of the 36 study subjects could hear the horns (< 85 dB and > 85 dB) without hearing aid. Only 5 (16.6%) of the 30 profoundly hearing impaired students could hear the sound of horns (> 85 dB) with the hearing aid. The hearing aid was found to be more beneficial to subjects with severe hearing impairment. There is a need to bring forth newer and better varieties of hearing aids and other technologies e.g. Cochlear implant within the reach of those in need.