Morbidity pattern in tribals and non tribals above the age of 5 years of Gundlupet forest area, Mysore district, India

Abstract

Background and Objectives: According to 2001 census conducted by Government of India, more than 8.2% of the total Indian population constitutes of tribals. Reliable and comprehensive data on disease level, patterns and trends in tribal areas are required to monitor local epidemics and to assess the effectiveness of public health programs to prevent and control diseases. There are very few studies done to assess the health status and morbidity pattern among the tribal and non tribal population and it prompted us to undertake this study. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2010 - January 2012 in the forest areas of Gundlupettaluk, Mysore, India. Of the 33 tribal hamlets present, 18 hamlets were selected at random and the villages adjacent to these hamlets were included in non tribal population constituting intended homogenous population without mix up. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS-I. The standard normal test (Z) was used to compare the equality of proportions having specific type of diseases among tribal and non tribal population. P value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Observations from our study revealed statistically significant proportion of Skin disorders and Dental disorders (P < 0.05) among tribal population compared to non tribal population. Nutritional deficiency, Respiratory infections, Intestinal disorders, Ophthalmic disorders and ENT disorders were also prevalent among both the tribal, as well as non tribal population, however, the difference in proportions between tribal and non tribals were not statistically significant. Conclusion: There was increased prevalence of morbid conditions like skin disorders and dental disorders among tribal population compared to non tribal population. Further research surveys among tribal population, elucidating the health status and insighting the probable reasons behind morbidty and mortality thus highlighting a need for an integrated approach towards reducing the morbidity rates and improving the health, as well as nutritional status in tribal population would be invaluable.