Anima Haldar

A study on performance, response and outcome of treatment under RNTCP in a tuberculosis unit of Howrah district, West Bengal

Objectives: To evaluate the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) through assessment of performance, response and outcome of treatment of patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Materials and Methods: In Domjur Tuberculosis Unit of Howrah district, West Bengal. Two hundred and eighty-six cases registered in the first two quarters (1 January to 30 June 2001) were selected for the study. Data were collected by review of records from all peripheral health units with a pre-designed and pre-tested schedule. Results: Sputum-positive among chest symptomatic were 89 (11.5%). Overall 78.3% were new cases and among them 67.1% were pulmonary, 48.4% were sputum-positive among new pulmonary cases detected. Sputum conversion rate of new sputum-positive cases at 2 or 3 months was 74.2%. Cure rate for new sputum-positive pulmonary TB cases was 53.8% and out of all smear-positive cases was 56.5%. Default among new smear-positive cases was 24.7%. Conclusion: Low sputum conversion rate after intensive phase of treatment, high defaulter rate and low cure rate among new sputum-positive cases in comparison to RNTCP norm have been reflected in this study.

Musculoskeletal and Other Health Problems in Workers of Small Scale Garment Industry - An Experience from An Urban Slum, Kolkata

The small scale garment industries have provided a good number of employment opportunities to both men and women of low socio-economic group although occupational health problems among them are not much explored. An observational, descriptive, cross sectional epidemiological study was carried out primarily to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal and other health problems, to find out the association between musculoskeletal problems with occupational and socio demographic factors. Two slum areas of Kolkata were selected randomly from a total of 6 slums of Chetla region, Kolkata. Data were collected from 172 workers of garment industry at household level. Interviewing and examination was done with help of pretested, predesigned, semi structured schedule after obtaining informed verbal consent. Focus group discussions were arranged to assess their felt needs. 63.4% were in 15-44 years age group, 70.3% were literate. Addiction was noted in 73.8%. Musculoskeletal disorders were most prevalent (78.5%) followed by hyperacidity and heartburn (23.3%).Neck (60.7%) most commonly involved. Education, income and years, hours and nature of work had significant (P<.05) association with musculoskeletal problem. Regular home visit of the health functionaries along with medicine and improved referral services emerged as important felt need. Patient hearing and genuine will power through participatory health program is the need of the hour for tackling different morbidities and related felt needs. Keywords - Felt needs, Small scale garment industry, musculoskeletal problems, FGD.

The Level of Unmet Need & Social Correlates: An Experience from a District in West Bengal

Background: The rampant population growth has been viewed as the greatest obstacle to the economic and social advancement to the majority of people in the underdeveloped world. Objectives: To determine the social correlates of unmet need in a Community setting. Study Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive type of observational study. Methods and Materials: The sampling technique used was a Multistage stratified random sampling. One district was chosen randomly from the 19 in the state of West Bengal, India. Out of total 29 blocks in the district, 3 were selected randomly from different subdivision. From these blocks, 12 villages (4 villages from each block) and 4 urban wards were selected from municipality areas, so total 16 areas selected from the district. In West Bengal unmet need for family planning was 8% as per NFHS-3 (2005-2006), and considering maximum allowable error (20%), so minimum sample size works out to be 1150. From each village/ward, 125 eligible couples were covered, so (16 × 125) total 2000 currently married women of reproductive age constitutes the study population. Statistical Analysis: Proportions and Chi-square test. Results: 13.6% of currently married women of reproductive age group (15-49 yrs.) experienced unmet need for contraception. Unmet need was more in rural area than urban, lower age group than higher, Muslims than Hindus, lower level of literacy (including illiterates) than higher and also increase of joint families than nuclear families. Conclusion: Social correlates like age, religion, literacy status of respondent, type of family, age at marriage, even literacy status of husband also influenced the unmet need of family planning. Sustained and coherent Behavior Change Communication campaign is required to reduce unmet need.

“Socio-Epidemiological Co-Relates Of Age At Marriage: A Comparative Study From West Bengal”.

Background: A substantial proportion of marriages continue to take place when the girl is below18 years of age in different states of India especially in rural area. Different socio-epidemiological factors are influencing the age at marriage of women. So this study was conducted to assess the current status of early marriage and teenage pregnancy and also to compare influence of socio-epidemiological co-relates over such situation in Howrah and Paschim Midnapur districts of West Bengal. Materials& Methods: A total of 4000 eligible couples were selected by stratified multistage random sampling from two districts of West Bengal. Data were collected by interview technique from the female member of the eligible couples by house to house survey and was analyzed both manually and by computer using EPIINFO. Results: In both districts more than half of the women were married below 18 years. But it was significantly higher in Paschim Midnapur (rural-58.8%, urban-61.8%) than Howrah (rural-54.5%, urban-56.8%).The intra district rural-urban variation was minimum. In both districts marriage below 18 years was higher among Muslims and among women with lower educational and social status. The differences were statistically significant. The range of teenage pregnancy varied from 60% to68.8% among other religion to Muslim in Howrah district where as it was varied from 50% to 71.1% in Paschim Midnapur.