Sociodemographic and environmental factors influencing acute respiratory infections among under-five children of chars (riverine islands) of Tinsukia District, Assam: A community-based cross-sectional study.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in under-five children worldwide. Assam has around 2500 river islands (locally called Chars/Chaporis) in the Brahmaputra River with socioeconomically deprived inhabitants lacking access to basic health-care facilities. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 380 under-five children living in the Char areas of Tinsukia District to estimate the prevalence of ARI and determine the associated risk factors. The prevalence of ARI among under-five children was found to be 56.32%. Prevalence was significantly higher among children living in Dibru-Saikhowa island, with families having >2 children, belonging to socioeconomic class 5 (modified BG Prasad scale), having a positive history of smoking or ARI in family members, having homes with attached kitchens or using wood for cooking, inadequate ventilation or overcrowding and residences of katcha ghars.

Risk Factors of Childhood Asthma Among Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Centre in North-East India.

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic lung illness marked by a reversible airway blockage. Both genetic and environmental factors influence higher asthma rates. The present study aims to assess the various socio-demographic and environmental factors influencing the causation of childhood asthma among patients attending the Paediatric Department of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 clinically diagnosed asthma patients of 3-12 years as cases and patients of the same age group free from respiratory diseases with no history of asthma in a 1:1 ratio as controls were selected. A predesigned and pretested proforma was used to collect data, and written informed consent was obtained from all the legal guardians of the participants. Data were analyzed by chi-square test and binary logistic regression using SPSS V20, considering a p-value <0.05 significant. Results: Urban and male children were found to be at higher risk of developing asthma. Children belonging to the urban locality (OR= 4.53; 95% CI: 1.57-13.09; p<0.05), damp environment (OR= 5.21; 95% CI: 1.23-22.10; p<0.05), lower socioeconomic status (OR= 3.48; 95% CI: 1.34-9.01; p<0.05), presence of pets (OR= 6.77; 95% CI: 1.76-25.99; p<0.05), family history of atopy/ allergy (OR= 43.29; 95% CI: 5.80-323.15 p<0.05), smoking/passive smoking (OR=23.54; 95% CI: 1.41-394.21 p<0.05) and mixed feeding (OR= 4.47; 95% CI: 1.46-13.63 p<0.05) were the significant risk factors of childhood asthma. Conclusion: Children are vulnerable to environmental-induced asthma. Awareness and preventive measures are necessary to control and reduce the burden of childhood asthma.

Body mass index and body fat percentage in assessing obesity: An analytical study among the adolescents of Dibrugarh, Assam.

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) is one of the most commonly used indices to measure the weight status of an individual. However, it takes only height and weight of individual into account. The relative body composition can be calculated regardless of height and weight by body fat percentage (BF%). OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study are (1) To assess the prevalence of obesity using BMI and BF% among early adolescents studying in schools of Dibrugarh. (2) To assess the relationship between BMI and BF%. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 1200 school going adolescents of 10-14 years in Dibrugarh town for 1 year. Weight status was assessed using the World Health Organization-2007 reference for BMI and the McCarthy's body fat reference. Data were presented using percentages and mean with standard deviation. The correlation between the anthropometric variables was calculated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Kappa statistics was used to analyze the agreement. RESULTS: Total participants included in the analysis were 1096 with a response rate of 91.3%. The prevalence of overweight and obesity by BMI was 20.9% and 10.2%, respectively. According to BF%, overweight was present in 16.4% participants and 10.9% were obese. Of the 625 normal weight participants (according to their BMI), 9.0% were overweight and 1% were obese under BF% criteria. Again, of 682 participants who were normal by BF%, 15.2% were categorized as obese by BMI criteria. BMI and BF% had a significant high positive correlation (r = 0.70 and P < 0.001). The measurement of agreement by Kappa statistics was 0.621 which was significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BMI and BF% positively correlate with each other. BMI accompanied by BF% in the studies might give a better picture of the adiposity of an adolescent.

Risk factors of diabetes mellitus amongst the executives of an industrial area of North East India: A community based cross sectional study.

AIM: To assess risk factors of diabetes mellitus amongst the executives of an industrial area of North East India. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Executive the aged 20 to 60 years were selected by simple random sampling in a community based cross-sectional study. The sample size was 340. Data was collected by a predesigned pretested proforma to know about different risk factors. Fasting capillary blood glucose and 2h capillary blood glucose were taken to assess diabetes mellitus. RESULTS AND OBSERVATION: 30.7% of the male and 18.4% of the female participants had family history of DM. 29.3% of the male and 39.5% of the female had family history of hypertension. 24.7%, 0.6% and 2.9% smoked regularly, occasionally and in the past respectively. 2.9% subjects consumed chewed tobacco regularly, 0.3% consumed occasionally and 1.6% consumed tobacco in the past. 44.5%, 10.7%, 2.3% of the study subjects took alcohol regularly, occasionally, in the past respectively. 44.5%, 47.4% and 8.1% of the participants were involved in sedentary work, active work and heavy work respectively. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with advancement of age, family history of diabetes mellitus, family history of hypertension and sedentary life style. No significant association of diabetes mellitus with gender, tobacco consumption and alcohol intake. CONCLUSION: A package for the early diagnosis and management of diabetes may be initiated to bring down the morbidity and mortality in industrial population.