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Background: Depression among adolescents is often undetected because of lack of awareness in mental health. Schools are the best place to study, analyze and report adolescent depression. The objective of this survey is to find out the prevalence of possible depression and associated bio-social risk factors among high school going adolescents aged 15 and 16 years. This can help reform school curriculum based on the prevalence of depression.Methods: A school based cross-sectional study done by randomly selecting 10 classrooms from the 11th standard high school compartment in a private school. Data was collected using a pre-designed and structured questionnaire based on Kutcher's Adolescent Depression Scale. The results were analyzed using R Studio software with Pearson Chi-square test and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 486 students included in the study, 164(33.7%) have 'possible depression' and adolescents aged 16 years(39.5%) has higher proportion of possible depression than adolescents aged 15 years(29.2%), which is statistically significant(p=0.016). About 46.2% of adolescents having illiterate mothers had a possibility of depression. With regards to physical activity 28.1% who played for 3 hours and more had depressive signs and adolescents who played less had 37.2%. This difference is statistically significant (p=0.039).Conclusions: Being a dormant and hidden disease, depression is one such disease that must be probed by regular health screening. Mother's literacy status and a modifiable factor 'physical activity' have shown promising statistical significance. Adequate physical activity must be included in school curriculum to reduce the risk of depression.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Menstruation is an important milestone event in a girl's life with the beginning of reproductive life. Still, menstruation and menstrual practices are clouded by taboos and socio-cultural restrictions, particularly in rural areas leading to ignorance of adolescent girls regarding menstrual hygiene practices and its scientific facts. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:1. To find out status of menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls. 2.To find out association between different socio-demographic factors and menstrual hygiene. MATERIALANDMETHOD:Across sectional study was conducted between March 2017 to September 2017 among 400 adolescent girls (10-19 years) of rural area of Katihar. Data were collected from 273 girls, who have achieved menarche, on a pre tested and pre designed questionnaire after taking parental consent and was analysed using MS Excel and Epi info 7. RESULT:Menarche was found to be achieved by the girls in age group 10-16 years, mostly in the age group 12-13 years (69.59%). Among 273 respondents, 82(30.04%) girls were aware about menstruation prior to menarche and the source of information was mostly sister (54.95%) followed by friends (19.05%) and mothers (15.75%). In my study, only 31 (11.36%) girls used sanitary pads during menstruation. Majority of them (95.24%) were using soap and water to clean external genitalia while more than half of girls (69.60%) did not possess a covered toilet. Menstrual hygiene was taken care mostly by those girls, whose mothers were literate (77.42%). Around 260 (95.23%) of the participants followed one or the other cultural restrictions and majority (76.15%) were avoiding religious functions. CONCLUSION:In our study, hygiene during menstruation is not satisfactory hence there is a need to educate the adolescent girls about healthy and hygienic practices during menstruation to prevent the reproductive tract infections.
RESUMO
For last few years in the early spring bird flu poses a threat to India. The causative agent H5N1 virus is also getting robust day by day acquiring an ability to cross the species barrier. It is now known as (H5N1) which is emerging as killer virus to man. Although human casualty is yet to be recorded from India, but the threat is not over. The present study had been undertaken in the village of Hakimpur of Singur Block of District Hooghly, West Bengal, with a population 862 of 215 families. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of the study population regarding bird flu and to study their practice regarding poultry maintenance. The head of the family from each family was interviewed. A house to house survey in the census method on a pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured schedule was done. Information regarding socio-demographic profile, poultry keeping, correct knowledge about bird flu, mode of transmission, culling, etc was recorded. The data were collected and analyzed by relevant statistical methods. The results showed that 46% respondents knew what bird flu is, 62.8% knew the mode of transmission, and 35.3% knew the procedure of culling. Out of literates about 53% and out of the illiterates only 0.93% were aware of the transmission of the virus through body fluids. The predominant source of information was mass media. 57.14% of the families rearing poultry, kept the birds in shed, 40.48% in cage, and 2.38% in living room.