ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is an emerging global health problem. It is a chronic, noncommunicable, and expensive public health disease. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and the risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus among the adult population of Puducherry, South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a population-based cross-sectional study carried out during 1(st) May 2007-30(th) November 2007 in the rural and urban field practice area of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry. Simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of 1370 adult 20 years of age and above. Main outcome measures were the assessment of the prevalence of prevalence and correlates of diabetes among the adult population. Predesigned and pretested questionnaire was used to elicit the information on family and individual sociodemographic variables. Height, weight, waist, and hip circumference, blood pressure was measured and venous blood was also collected to measure fasting blood glucose, blood cholesterol. RESULTS: Overall, 8.47% study subjects were diagnosed as diabetic. The univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the important correlates of diabetes mellitus were age, blood cholesterol, and family history of diabetes. The findings were found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In our study we observed that adults having increased age, hypercholesterolemia, and family history of diabetes mellitus are more likely to develop diabetes mellitus.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The geriatric health problems are related to chronic disease as a result of increasing life expectancy. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess the health problems of the elderly in Puducherry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 214 elderly persons from the age group of 60 years and above using a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire that addressed the disease magnitude in comparison with the socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: Overall, 43% of the participants were diabetic, 47.7% hypertensive, 86% anemic and 68.2% visually impaired. All the morbidities were noted to be higher in the 70-79 years age group. Diabetes was significantly higher in participants from urban areas, with family history and increasing waist-hip ratio, but significantly lower in the below poverty line areas. Hypertension risk was significantly higher among females, among those leading sedentary life, those eating vegetarian food, those addicted to tobacco and with abdominal obesity. Anemia was significantly lower among urban vegetarians. Overweight and obese were noted in 31% of the participants, and were higher in females (87.5%). Rural residence, female sex, living in joint family, literacy, sedentary life style, decreasing per capita income and decreasing body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with visual impairment. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the burden of health problems of elderly individuals in South India.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Job stress has been linked to a wide range of adverse effects on mental, physical and organizational health. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the impact of job stress on mental, physical and social health of the underground construction workers in Sikkim. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population comprised of tunnel workers and a comparable group of controls. Using the interview technique, data was collected using the SF-36 General Health Survey Questionnaire. RESULTS: The study population comprised of individuals of whom more than half were below 40 years of age and was comparable to the group of controls. Majority reported good health, while poor health was reported by 22 % of the subjects under study Compared to their health status last year, 52% rated their health as somewhat worse. Majority reported that their physical health problems limited them in activities of daily life, viz., running, lifting heavy objects, participation in strenuous sports, climbing several flights of stairs, bending, stooping or kneeling and walking more than a mile, during the past four weeks. More than half of them had severe body ache in the past four weeks that interfered with both work outside home and housework. This was true for emotional problems also, which interfered with their normal social activities involving family, friends, neighbors or groups. The associations of occupational stress with physical, emotional and social life and with limitation of day-to-day activities among tunnel workers were found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize the importance of assessment of the effects of job stress and of fulfilling the need of underground workers for optimum preventive measures.
