Screening for visual impairment: Outcome among schoolchildren in a rural area of Delhi.

Background: Uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of vision impairment in school-aged children. The current study focuses on the effectiveness of school eye screening in correcting refractive errors. Objectives: 1. To study the magnitude of visual impairment among school children. 2. To assess the compliance of students for refraction testing, procurement and use of spectacles. Materials and Methods: An intervention study was conducted in schools of the north- west district of Delhi, in the rural field practice area of a medical college. Students studying in five government schools in the field practice area were chosen as the study subjects. Results: Out of 1123 students enrolled, 1075 (95.7%) students were screened for refractive errors. Low vision (visual acuity < 20/60) in the better eye was observed in 31 (2.9%) children and blindness (visual acuity <20/200) in 10 (0.9%) children. Compliance with referral for refraction was very low as only 51 (41.5%) out of 123 students could be tested for refraction. Out of 48 students, 34 (70.8%) procured spectacles from family resources but its regular use was found among only 10 (29.4%) students. The poor compliance among students stems out of various myths and perceptions regarding use of spectacles prevalent in the community. Conclusion: Refractive error is an important cause of avoidable blindness among rural school children. Behavior change communication among rural masses by spreading awareness about eye health and conducting operational research at school and community level to involve parent's teachers associations and senior students to motivate students for use of spectacles may improve utilization of existing eye health services in rural areas.

Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection in an Urban Slum of Northern India.

A community based cross sectional study was conducted in an urban slum amongst males to assess the magnitude of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among males between 20-50 years of age. All of the 288 males who were contacted had agreed to participate in the study. However, the information could be collected from a total of 260 subjects, using a pretested, pre-coded schedule included socio-demographic characteristics. Serological tests were done for Hepatitis B and C. The data were analyzed using EPI-INFO 3.2.2. Proportion of persons tested serologically positive for Hepatitis B and C in the present study was observed to be 10.38% and 1.15%, respectively. Higher proportion for hepatitis Band C was observed amongst those Muslims, below 35 years of age, stay in the area for less than 5 years, Illiterates, unstable occupation, staying away from home and those with no history of blood transfusion or donation; however the difference was not statistically significant. There is a need to carry out more community based studies amongst such populations at risk in order to assess the true prevalence and risk factors for appropriate intervention.

Prevalence and awareness about sexually transmitted infections among males in urban slums of Delhi.

BACKGROUND: India is at present facing an emergence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus. Community-based studies on the prevalence of STIs among males are scanty. AIM:(i) To study the prevalence of STIs and (ii) to assess the level of awareness about STIs among males belonging to the reproductive age group residing in an urban slum. SETTING AND DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in selected areas of Delhi, using a camp approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred ninety-six males in the reproductive age group were interviewed regarding their awareness about STIs, past history and present complaints of any symptoms suggestive of an STI. This was followed by a clinical examination. Required samples were also collected for microbiological tests. STATISTICAL TESTS: Simple proportions and Chi-square test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: As many as 70% of the study participants were unable to mention even one symptom of an STI. About 73.4% of the study participants stated that staying in a monogamous relationship could help prevent STI, while only 39.2% were aware that condoms could afford protection against an STI. As many as 8.7% complained of urethral discharge, while 5.6% complained of itching, 2.5% reported presence of genital ulcer and 1.0% complained of groin swelling. We found a seroprevalence rate of 1.5% for trichomoniasis and 3.6% for syphilis. Thus the overall awareness level about STIs and their prevention was rather low. Poor treatment-seeking behavior was also observed. The actual prevalence rate in the general population might be higher due to the likelihood of presence of an asymptomatic infection. The present study calls for a multipronged approach which also includes targeted interventions and strategies to be adopted in the reproductive health programs for males who have been neglected by the program managers so far.