Incidence of summer associated symptoms, host susceptibility and their effect on quality of life among women 18 to 40 years of age in an urban slum of Delhi.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To study whether individual susceptibility plays a role in the occurrence of summer associated symptoms (dizziness, giddiness, fainting and weakness) among women 18-40 years of age and their effect on the quality of life. METHODS: It was a prospective community based study carried out in an urban slum of Delhi as a follow up of an earlier study. All women who had "given symptoms" during summer in the earlier study and a sample of those who were asymptomatic were included in the current study. Both the groups were studied for the occurrence of "given symptoms" and quality of life during next summer and winter using a pre structured questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF. RESULTS: Incidence of "given symptoms" during summer was more than three times among women who were symptomatic earlier compared to women who were asymptomatic. The incidence of these symptoms was significantly higher among the former across different age groups and BMI categories. Their physical domain of quality of life was also adversely affected. CONCLUSIONS: Continued high incidence of summer associated symptoms with adverse effect on their physical quality of life, among women who were symptomatic earlier too, points to individual susceptibility rather than random occurrence. This aspect requires for further studies.