Disability and its association with sociodemographic factors among elderly persons residing in an urban resettlement colony, New Delhi, India.

Disability prevents an individual from performing to the fullest potential. It is multidimensional. Disability may be physical, mental, social, personal, and environmental or a combination of these. The elderly experience an increased burden of disability, especially in areas where there are limited resources and rapid urbanization. Comparison of reported disability is difficult because several definitions and scales are in use. We used the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule version 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) to study the prevalence of disability, and its association with sociodemographic factors among elderly persons residing in an urban resettlement colony, New Delhi, India. The WHODAS 2.0 provides continuous summary scores, where higher scores indicate higher disability, and vice versa. Elderly persons aged 60 years and above were selected by simple random sampling in this community-based cross-sectional study. Trained interviewers administered the semi-structured interview schedule and WHODAS 2.0. The prevalence of disability was 7.4% (5.8% - 9.3%) among the 931 participants. The prevalence was higher among females than males. Female sex, elderly aged 70 years and above, and those who were illiterate had increased risk of higher disability scores. Participants who were in government or private service had 50% decreased risk of having higher disability scores. The burden of disability was high among elderly persons residing in this resettlement colony. Community-based holistic interventions are required to mitigate the disability, and to improve the functioning of elderly persons.

Unintentional Childhood Injuries in Urban Delhi: A Community-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood injuries claim around a million lives around the world each year. A community-based study on childhood injuries would provide valuable information on the epidemiology of injuries. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of unintentional childhood injuries in an urban locality and determine various sociodemo graphic factors associated with childhood injuries. METHODS: The study was done in urban Delhi among 1,639 children aged less than 18 years. Information on injuries in the last one year was collected. Only those injury episodes where treatment was sought or the child was left disabled after the injury were included. Treatment seeking behavior and the impact of injury on the child and the household were also assessed. RESULTS: Among 1,639 children, 102 children suffered 116 episodes of various types of injuries in the last one year. Prevalence of injuries was 7.1% (95% CI: 5.9-8.4). Mean age was 8.5 ± 5.1 years. Prevalence was more in boys (8.4%) than girls (5.1%). Accidental falls (37.1%), dog bites (25%), and road traffic injuries (18.9%) were the three most common modes of injury. Two-thirds of children with injuries were taken to the emergency facility for treatment while 40% resorted to home remedies. Treatment expenses in some families led to the need for borrowing money, additional employment by another family member, and selling of household assets. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of childhood injuries in the past one year was 7.1%. Maximum injuries occurred at home and were mostly accidental falls and dog bites. Childhood injuries caused loss of school attendance and financial burden to the family.

Prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections among under-five children of Sugali tribe of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

INTRODUCTION: Over a period, tribal population has migrated to cities in search of livelihood. Data on various health problems of the tribes are sparse. Sugalis constitute the third largest tribe in Andhra Pradesh and have settlements in urban areas. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections (ARI) among under-five children of Sugali tribe living in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state in South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four community blocks/mandals in 2012. A total of 500 Sugali households with under-five were identified. Demographic details, episodes of diarrhea, and ARI among under-five children and treatment/care seeking behavior were collected from mothers/care givers by interview. Nutritional status was assessed using new WHO standards. RESULTS: Of the total 669 children in these 500 households, 343 (51.3%) were girls and 326 (48.7%) were boys. In the last 1 month, 21.4% (18.4-24.6) reported diarrhea and 51.6% (47.7-55.3) reported ARI. The prevalence of underweight, wasting, and stunting among under-five children was 32.7% (29.1-36.4), 18.3% (15.3-21.4), and 38.3% (34.2-41.9), respectively. Majority (70%) sought treatment for illness in modern system of medicine and only few continued with the practice of herbs and traditional medicine. DISCUSSION: Despite living in urban area, the tribal children had high prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhea, and ARI, though lower compared to other tribes in India possibly due to improved access to health care services. Efforts need to be strengthened for social inclusion of tribes into mainstream.

Prevalence of dental caries among adults and elderly in an urban resettlement colony of New Delhi.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries remains the most important dental health problem in developing countries. In India the prevalence of dental caries is reported to be about 50-60%. Most of the Indian studies have been carried out in school children and very few in adults. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dental caries in the adult population (aged 35-44 years) and in the elderly (60 years and above) in an urban resettlement colony in New Delhi. METHODOLOGY: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Dakshinpuri, New Delhi, from January to February 2007. A local adaptation of the WHO questionnaire was used. Oral examination was done and dentition status was recorded by trained investigators and according to the standard procedures. RESULTS: A total of 452 participants were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of dental caries in the 35-44 years age-group was 82.4% and it was 91.9% in those > or =60 years. The DMF index was 5.7 +/- 4.7 in the 35-44 years age-group and 13.8 +/- 9.6 in the > or =60 years age-group. Of the participants, 27.9% were currently using tobacco. A statistically significant association was found between tobacco consumption and dental caries ( P = 0.026). The awareness about good and bad dental practices was found to be low among the study participants. One-fifth of the individuals with dental problems relied on home remedies. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of dental caries among adults is high in this population. There is a need to generate awareness about oral health and the prevention of dental caries and to institute measures for the provision of dental care services at the primary level.