Spectrum of psychiatric symptomatology in children in high and low socio-economic groups in Ludhiana.

A door to door survey was conducted to study the spectrum of psychiatric symptomatology in children aged 1-12 years belonging to high and low socio-economic groups. One hundred families in each group were studied. Symptom prevalence rate was comparable in the two groups, i.e., 479/1000 in the high socio-economic (HSE) group and 487/1000 in the low socio-economic (LSE) group. However, there were significant differences in the spectrum of symptomatology. Symptoms like quarrelsomeness, disobedience, abusive language, stealing, truancy, pica, school refusal, enuresis, mental subnormality and poor scholastic performance were significantly more in the LSE group. In the HSE group, symptoms like nail biting, food refusal, food fads and temper tantrums were significantly more.

Skinfolds in affluent Punjabi preschool children.

The skinfold thickness at three different sites (triceps, subscapular and suprailiac) were measured using Holtain Skin Fold Caliper in 941 children of 0-5 years of age. The sample consisted of children from affluent families of Ludhiana (Punjab) in order to include only the optimally growing children. The skinfold thickness at all the three sites showed a progressive rise in mean values upto the age of 1 year and thereafter the trend was downwards till the age of 5 years in both the sexes. The values were higher in girls in all age groups. The mean triceps skinfold thickness was the highest followed by subscapular and suprailiac thickness in both sexes in almost all age groups. There was no correlation between the body weight and skinfold thickness values (mean r value = 0.09). Triceps and suprailiac skinfold thickness were significantly lower than the corresponding British values in both the sexes in all age groups. However, the subscapular values were comparable with British values in the females of all age groups and also in males above three years of age. Larger multicentric studies are recommended to frame the norms for Indian children.