Prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in urban slums: A community based cross sectional study in India.

Hypertension is a global public health issue. Being a silent killer, very rarely symptoms are seen in the early stages till a severe medical crisis (heart attack, stroke, or chronic kidney disease) occurs. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in urban slums and to evaluate the association of hypertension with various modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors. Data were collected by house-to-house visits in the slums. Pro forma created in the Magpi app was used to collect demographic characteristics and record anthropometric findings. SPSS version 25 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 534 participants, 71.91% were female. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 15.36%. The risk of hypertension increased with age >50 years, female gender, and habits such as tobacco and alcohol. Awareness programs to reduce modifiable risk factors such as smoking and alcohol, promoting healthy lifestyles, as well as early diagnosis and treatment, will benefit the community.

Prevalence of excess screen time among secondary school children in rural India.

Introduction: Screen time has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among children and teenagers. This has come at the expense of their healthy eating habits, physical activity and adequate amount of quality sleep. The excessive use of screen-device can lead to addiction which starts during adolescent years. Objectives: Primary Objective: to assess prevalence of excess screen time among secondary school children; Secondary Objective: to correlate Body Mass Index (BMI), sleep duration, duration of physical activity and food habits with screen time duration. Material and Methods: Study settings and design: cross-sectional study was conducted in secondary schools in the rural field practice area of a private medical college in Pune, India. The study included 184 school children from eighth to tenth standard. Data was collected using a self-administered, questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of excess screen time among secondary school children was 83.2%. Mobile phone was the most used device (98.9%). There was a significant association between excess screen time and inadequate sleep. Conclusions: The present study reports high prevalence of excess screen time in rural school going children in rural India. There is a need for strategies to combat this in school health programs on priority.

Living and Working Conditions of Female Domestic Workers in Pune City.

CONTEXT: Female domestic workers (FDWs) comprise a significant part of the global workforce in informal sector. Nature of their workplace is such that the work goes unaccounted for in terms of employment policies or legislation. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess socio-demographic and occupational profile of FDWs. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in one ward of each of the five geographical zones of Pune city. Domestic workers employed in randomly selected residential societies therein were included in the study. Data collected by interview technique during house visit and general examination done. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS 25.0 USA statistical software. Percentage, mean, and standard deviation were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 573 FDWs, 62% were between 20 and 40 years, and 35% were educated up to middle school. Three-fourths were currently married. Fifty-one were sole breadwinners. Most FDWs had their own house with electricity and water supply. Almost half had been employed for 5-10 years, working in 3-4 households. Approximately 50% earned between Rs. 4000-8000 per month. Maximum received annual bonus. CONCLUSIONS: Working and living conditions of these FDWs are not as pitiful as depicted in previous studies. However, benefits accorded to the formal sector workers are lacking here like fixed days off, pension, and maternity leave.