Barun Mukhopadhyay

Sex Bias in Intrahousehold Food Distribution: Roles of Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Characteristics

A review of literature dealing with intrahousehold food distribution in India indicates that inequality of distribution has probably existed since prehistoric times and is present now as a cultural characteristic of diverse social and ethnic groups. Generally females especially young females are the group most discriminated against. A study was undertaken to determine whether variations exist with respect to sex bias: 1) between a traditional rural Hindu group and several groups of different ethnic ancestries; and 2) among economic occupational religious and rural/urban subgroups of these groups. 1-day semiquantitative data on dietary intakes were collected from the woman running each household using as reference 8 containers decreasing in size from 3000 ml to 100 ml for each of the the following categories of household members: male household head; other male adult; male adolescent (13-18 years); male child; household heads wife other female adult; female adolescent; and female child. Sex and age-specific calorie intakes recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research were used as standards. Null hypotheses tested were that each member of a household received what he or she needs and where the total quantity available was > or < that required by the household members food was shared equitably. Among Lepchas except for urban Christian Lepchas a bias in favor of females is suggested. Among sherpas the relationship is less clear although food intake of the household head and his wife appears lower. Among Oraons no sex bias seems to exist. Mahishyas of high economic status display a bias in favor of males but among those of medium and low income groups intake appears proportional to individual needs. For other groups nutritional intake of most people appears low but small sample sizes may mean differences are insignificant.

DNA Sequence Variation and Haplotype Structure of the ICAM1 and TNF Genes in 12 Ethnic Groups of India Reveal Patterns of Importance in Designing Association Studies

We have examined the patterns of DNA sequence variation in and around the genes coding for ICAM1 and TNF, which play functional and correlated roles in inflammatory processes and immune cell responses, in 12 diverse ethnic groups of India. We aimed to (a) quantify the nature and extent of the variation, and (b) analyse the observed patterns of variation in relation to population history and ethnic background. At the ICAM1 and TNF loci, respectively, the total numbers of SNPs that were detected were 28 and 12. Many of these SNPs are not shared across ethnic groups and are unreported in the dbSNP or TSC databases, including two fairly common non‐synonymous SNPs at positions 13487 and 13542 in the ICAM1 gene. Conversely, the TNF‐376A SNP that is reported to be associated with susceptibility to malaria was not found in our study populations, even though some of the populations inhabit malaria endemic areas. Wide between‐population variation in the frequencies of shared SNPs and coefficients of linkage disequilibrium have been observed. These findings have profound implications in case‐control association studies.

Obstetric morbidity and socio-demographic factors in rural West Bengal, India.

The impact of selected socio-demographic factors on reported obstetric morbidity during antepartum and postpartum periods was studied through a cross-sectional retrospective survey carried out in rural areas of three districts of West Bengal, India. During their most recent live births, 56.6% of mothers reported at least one morbid condition. Mothers with higher levels of education reported fewer overall problems. Factors such as age and pregnancy order affect obstetric morbidity differently in different religious groups. More mothers reported postpartum than antepartum problems, and very few sought treatment. The present study provides an insight into various factors affecting obstetric morbidity in a developing country.

The distribution of transferrin, group-specific component and phosphoglucomutase-1 subtypes among the Lepchas of Darjeeling, Eastern India

SummaryThe distribution of serum transferrin (Tf), group-specific component (Gc), and red cell phosphoglucomutase-1 (PGM1) subtypes has been studied by polyacrylamide gel and starch-gel electrophoresis followed by isoelectric focusing in a group of 213 Lepchas in the Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India. The frequencies of TfC1, TfC2, TfB and TfDChi were found to be 0.804, 0.182, 0.014 and 0.00 respectively, among the Buddhists and 0.741, 0.244, 0.007 and 0.007, respectively, in the Christian Lepchas. The frequencies of Gc alleles were as follows: Gc1F 0.587 and 0.539; Gc1S 0.203 and 0.242; Gc2 0.210 and 0.215 in these two groups, respectively. The allelic frequencies of PGM1 were found to be 0.706 and 0.714 for PGM1+; 0.164 and 0.086 for PGM1−; 0.116 and 0.175 for PGM2− in Buddhists and Christians, respectively. No rare allele of Tf and PGM1 had been detected but one example of a variant from of Gc2 allele has been observed among the Christians.

A comparative microdemographic study of two communities in coastal Midnapore district, West Bengal

The results of a demographic study of two occupationally distinguishable caste communities inhabiting the neighbouring settlements of Balaramchak and Bamanchak in the Geonkhali region coastal Midnapore district West Bengal [India] are reported. Although there is no significant difference in mortality between the two settlements fertility is generally higher in Balaramchak than in Bamanchak. Further fertility seems to have declined over time in both the settlements with the decline commencing earlier in Bamanchak. Possible explanations for the intersettlement and temporal differences in terms of occupation and family planning practices as well as the possible genetic consequences of these differences are discussed. (EXCERPT)

Is Maternal Mortality in India Expecting the “Revised” Millennium Development Goal?

Internationally, the position of India’s maternal mortality is worse still in the early 21 st Century when Millennium Development Goal (MMR) prescribed a level of 109 maternal deaths/ 100,000 live births by 2015 but further revised the goal of 135 on the basis of present position. The background information of the recent figure of 212 of India during 2007-09 (RG, 2011) is not at all encouraging. Naturally, the interest of researchers, in particular grows to study in detail to understand the present situation, differentials, effects of different factors and future trend. Objective of the present study is to investigate the level, trend and differential of maternal mortality among the major states in India. Different percentage changes have been calculated and some important graphs have been presented. The analysis has further been conducted making states into groups as per Government of India’s grouping. A statistical analysis is done by calculating group means and standard error to know the different group level, trend of MMR vis-avis the socio demographic economic and infrastructural variables. The findings show an overall declining trend in MMR in India and a diversified change in the individual states with other indicators. A reducing level of MMR as well as improvement in different indicators particularly in southern group of states and some amount in other group as compared to Empowered Action Group (EAG) including Assam. The implication of the findings reflects while in some states the goal has already been achieved, but in most of the major states the level is too far from the target. To achieve the goal, GOI should give more and more emphasis on the undeveloped states in regard to their development in different socio-economic-health and infrastructural aspects in order to achieve the revised goal of 135.

Selection Intensity in the Lepchas of Kalimpong, West Bengal

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Gender Gap in Most Vulnerable Population in India

Gender bias of some particular section of population is nowadays regarded as an important social issue especially in developing countries. It is overwhelmingly observed mercilessly killing of female fetus even in high societies so on to the extent of young girls where rampant practice of trafficking is happening particularly in some pockets by the so called international agencies. Atrocities of female children starts right from the household level to overall societies where they are considered as economic burden even if they have for long time come under the purview of international bodies like UNICEF, WHO, World Bank and others. The present paper tries to investigate some of the important classifications in regard to the extent and variation of gender issues of population of vulnerable age below 15 years in India. The study analyses the data from the Censuses, National Sample Survey Organization and Sample Registration System of India for various years and tries to see the extent of dissimilarity between male and female children right from their early lives, missing numbers in census, status of health, education and child employment over time. An index of dissimilarity (ID) has been used to facilitate the analysis of the data. The study shows that significant gender difference existed in some cases or did not in others in the past. Presently there seem to exist both balance and imbalance between the two sexes in so far as the present data are concerned. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA

A Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Reporting Error in Age Data of India

Abstract It is now a general concept that education improves the quality of age reporting. However, in the paper an attempt has been made to analysis the age reporting error vis-a-vis different socio economic cultural and developmental factors in addition to literacy factor in order to find out the different unique factors and their commonalities in influencing the variations in the age reporting error in India. The data for this type of analysis have been obtained from the reports of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) for two periods 1992-93 and 1998-99. In those reports a measure of age reporting error separately for male and female populations has been given by Myers’ indices. Since handling with large number of variables which may not be significant or may not be worth at all, at the initial stage of analysis all the variables were undergone through backward regression process where a number of variables were deleted as they were found insignificant at a certain level of significance. The remaining variables then were analyzed through commonality analysis which gave some interesting results. Still literacy of male played a significant role in improving the quality of age data. In female part, scheduled tribe population has some influence on the reporting error. Mean household size also played some role in influencing the age reporting error. Apart from these some commonalities have been found between urban households and mean household size or between household response rate and many other. Apart from these there was some difference between the two periods of 1992-93 and 1998-99.

Anthropological Demography of Populations of the Eastern Himalayas

Between 20 and 30 million people live at altitudes above 2500 m and if all mountain dwellers are considered, the number would increase greatly, but still this number is a small proportion of the total population of the world. However, if mere numbers do not justify detailed study of these populations, the fact that high altitude people—and to a lesser extent all mountain dwellers—inhabit a narrowly specialized environment warrants that their responses to the stress components of this environment be studied comprehensively. The insights gained from such studies, apart from their intrinsic academic interest, may eventually help identify appropriate intervention points for maintenance of fertility at optimal levels, control of mortality and morbidity, and, in general, for promotion of the population health of these generally remote populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) (1971) has defined health in terms of “complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” However, we shall be concerned in this chapter with the demographic variables of population growth, fertility, and mortality, that is, the ultimate indicators of well-being.