RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nutritional anemia has its prevalence at a global level. Unfortunately, the developing countries are at more risk due to the unavailability of resources and poor socio-economic conditions. According to the WHO, India has >40% prevalence of anemia, which is a severe public health concern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to assess the dietary pattern according to their haemoglobin levels. This cross-sectional study was designed to assess the prevalence of anemia in Garhwal population, which contained total 520 individuals (344 females and 176 males). For this a food frequency questionnaire is administered to elicit information on dietary consumption pattern. The frequency of consumption was divided into three levels: ≥ 3 days/wk., 1-2 days/wk. & no or rare consumption. Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the level of haemoglobin. RESULTS: In the present study, an overall prevalence of anemia was found 34.23% (38.06% in females and 27.61% in males). Results were expressed as Chi-square test and considered significant at 5% level of significance (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The overall status of anaemic individuals in the Garhwal region is of vital concern and should be paid due attention for the improvement of nutritional requirements to reduce the prevalence of anemia in this region. The effective measures include awareness about the essential nutrients to be included in diet along with the knowledge of anemia.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study tried to find out the prevalence of menstrual abnormalities in adolescent girls and their association with dietary and exercise pattern in Garhwal region of India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, cross-sectional questionnaires survey was conducted in different schools of Garhwal. These questionnaires were based on socioeconomic data, dietary and physical activities, and menstrual abnormalities. RESULTS: The age of menarche was 13.5 ± 0.64 years. Dysmenorrhea (62.75%), premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (40.42%), and irregular cycle (28.72%) were observed common problems among adolescent girls. The result showed that dysmenorrhea, PMS, and menstrual irregularities were directly associated with dietary habits and physical activities. Dysmenorrhea was associated with eating junk food (66.10%), and PMS was associated with lacking of physical activities (78.94%). CONCLUSION: The result suggests that feeding habit and physical activities directly affecting the menstrual health of adolescent girls.
RESUMO
A significant number of "marginalized" population groups are denied their health rights, healthcare access, benefits of government health programs, and other health-related social security benefits. These population groups, particularly the rickshaw pullers of India, are vulnerable because of their poor social and economic status, migration history, lack of permanent settlements, lack of social capital, and so on. These reasons, coupled with other social-political reasons, lead to no or limited access to health services and poor health conditions. This study intends to explore and understand the context and health seeking behavior of rickshaw pullers in Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand state in India, with special reference to wider social determinants of health such as, access, affordability, and delivery of health services. The data was collected from 1,000 rickshaw pullers from 40 "rickshaw garages" in Ranchi. The findings of the study show that rickshaw pullers can't afford to "attach" much importance to their health due to various reasons and suffer from a variety of occupational and other illnesses. The health conditions of the rickshaw pullers are affected by poverty, negligence, illiteracy, lack of awareness and unavailability of affordable, quality health services. These are only a symptom of the larger structural issues affecting health. The study suggests that rickshaw pullers, being a marginalized and excluded population group, require special health and social security programs that include safe, affordable, and accessible services along with a special focus on health education, behavior change, and promotion of appropriate health-seeking behavior.
