Hygienic Study. of Afghanistan Life in Afghanistan

Abstract

The writer studied and reports herewith the following items in Afghartsitan on. the base of the informations given by Afghan, foreign, and Japanese people and got by herself.1. Living conditions, 2. Constitution3. Medical conditions, and4. Population problem.1. Living conditions : five social classes are given temporarily, for present study. Number of family member is bigger in upper classes. Living co., st_ of family increases sharply from the lower classes to the upper. Engel's coefficient is clearly seen, being 100% in the lower classes. Conditions of inhabitation differ so much by social class.Afghan people takes much more quantity of fat and protein than Japanese. Their food condition is entirely adapted to the climate and altitude of the country.2. Constitution: Afghans show superior value of stature height, body weight, girth of chest, and sitting height than Japanese. Of mean first menstruation age, Afghan case is earlier by ca. 2 years than Japanese. The uppermost class has earlier first menstruation by 11 monthes than the lowest. Physical development after first menstruation is little. Specific gravity of blood is nearly same in both of Afghans and Japanese, the former approaching to the maximum value already at 12 years and showing smaller variation by age.Among Afghan social classes, specific gravity of blood and serum, and hemoglobin increase to the upper class. High blood pressure case occupies more percentage in the upper classes than in the lower.Physical marasmus in the month of fast, an Islamic custom, is clearly seen with no difference by age.3. Medical situation : Kabul, the capital, has several national well-equipped hospitals and public and private clinics to be enough facilities for the citizens. Kabul University sends out about 40 Afghan physicians every year. Some local cities have well-equipped hospitals, national and/or private. A training school for nurses is attached to a maternity hospital, training several ten nurses every year. No medical charge is requested for patients in all national hospitals and cilnics.4. Population problems; the country has very small density of population at present. However, high birth ratio and mortality which is decreasing very sharply with popularizing national healthiness and new medicines of cheap price may suggest remarkable increase in population in near future. Mean value of marriage, age is 17.0 years. Birth frequency is 7.1 at mean value. Mean number of children per a couple is 6.8.