RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a highly dynamic period characterised by rapid growth and development. Adolescents have limited knowledge about sexual and reproduction health, and know little about the natural processes of puberty, sexual health, pregnancy or reproduction. Sex education should be an integral part of the learning process beginning in childhood and continuing into adult life, because it is lifelong process. AIM: This study was carried out to identify the knowledge and attitude of imparting sex education in school going adolescents in rural and urban area of Ambala district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study design was used to study the knowledge of reproductive and sexual health among school going children. A total of 743 adolescents from age group of 13-19 year were studied, using self designed semi-structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge regarding reproductive and sexual health among adolescents. RESULTS: The mean age of study subjects was 15.958±1.61 years, majority of adolescents i.e., 93.5% favour sex education. An 86.3% said sex education can prevent the occurrence of AIDS and 91.5% of adolescents prefer doctors should give them sex education followed by 83.0% school/teacher and least preference was parents 37.3%. CONCLUSION: There were substantial lacunae in the knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. Students felt that sex education is necessary and should be introduced in the school curriculum.
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: A child is future of nation. Malnutrition is a big public health problem in India as it can be attributed for more than half (54 percent) of all under five mortality in India. AIM: To assess prevalence of malnutrition among urban and rural population of Haryana using newly developed WHO growth standards. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in children of 3-60 months age living in the urban and rural field practice areas of Department of Community Medicine MMIMSR, Mullana, Ambala during January 2012 to December 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven hundred and fifty children, aged 3-60 months, were studied for nutritional status, socio-demographic measures were obtained from structured questionnaire and followed by anthropometric assessment using standards methods. Z score for Anthropometric data was calculated by WHO Anthro 2010 software (beta version). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics as well as simple proportion were calculated with SPSS 20. RESULTS: We found that 41.3% children were underweight and 14% were severe underweight. Female children were more nutritionally deprived than males. Among sociodemographic factors maternal educational and working status as well as SES class and rural background of family had greater impact on nutritional status of child. CONCLUSION: We found that almost half of our under five children are underweight, girl child being affected more. For attainment of best possible nutrition and growth in children, targeted short-term strategies addressing underlying risk factors and more long-term poverty alleviation strategies may be needed.
