Socio Economic Profile of Selected Rickshaw Puller at Hugra Union in Tangail District, Bangladesh

Abstract

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out 50 rickshaw puller (n=50) in selected rural area (Hugra Union) in Tangail District. The major objective of this study was to assess the socioeconomic information, health status and nutritional knowledge of rickshaw pullers. The data analysis the 7% rickshaw pullers were teenager and the socio-economic causes about 61% of unemployment, poverty, low income and small size of land holdings whereas among the social factors, large family size, illiteracy, early marriage, family disintegration and migration pushed to 25% of them to pull rickshaws. Moreover, unskillness, cash payment, debt and uncertainty in production of crops, desire of work/self respect derived 21% of the rickshaw pullers towards the pulling of the rickshaws. The highest income of rickshaw pullers were 72 % earned between BDT 300-400 per a day, but only 6% get more than BDT 500 in a day. About 64% was access electricity of rickshaw pullers & 36% no access electricity. On the other hand about 82% were wrist watches, 46% mobile, 68% television, 14% cycle, 20% radio. The receiving load from 15% trade, 11% treatment, 13% marital purpose, land 3% purchase and 8%.others. About 90% faced lack of rickshaw stands, 20% rickshaw pullers faced the problem like unsatisfactory fare and rude behaviors of passengers with them. Anthropometric indices of weight-for- height (WHZ) and Body Mass Index (BMI) for age were used to estimate the rickshaw pullers nutritional status. It was found for WHZ in rural area that 22% rickshaw pullers were severely underweight & 6% severe overweight and there were no moderately obese and severely obese. About 28% rickshaw pullers were coughed and cold, 22% joint, 21% back and 20% chest pains. In addition, 10% asthma, 4% tuberculosis and only 2% blood pressure. On the other hand about 44% quack/village heath worker, 28% purchase medicine without doctor’s advice, 9% MBBS, 4% NGOs health center, 9% do not take treatment and 5% others. The 50 rickshaw pullers were using about 84% tube well, 12% piped water & 4% other on the other hand 36% sanitary, 32% ring slab, 24% kacha and 8% others. Height and weight are the most commonly used measures, not only because they are rapid and inexpensive to obtain, but also because they are easy to use. The anthropometric data (weight and height), in this study were 22% underweight, 72% normal range & 6% high risk of overweight but no obese persons. In the additional data analysis of 50 rickshaw pullers were 4% educated, 80% not educated & 16% self educated. On the other hand about 94% smokers, 20% drinkers, 22% gamblers and 4% no bad habits of rickshaw pullers. About 28% rickshaw pullers were coughed and cold, 22% joint, 21% back and 20% chest pains. In addition, 10% asthma, 4% tuberculosis and only 2% blood pressure. On the other hand about 44% quack/village heath worker, 28% purchase medicine without doctor’s advice, 9% MBBS, 4% NGOs health center, 9% do not take treatment and 5% others. The 50 rickshaw pullers were using about 84% tube well, 12% piped water & 4% other. About 36% sanitary, 32% ring slab, 24% kacha and 8% others. The rickshaw pullers were suffered from different diseases where were 13% fever (influenza), 18% diarrhea, 10% gastric ulcer, 19% malnutrition, 14% ENT, 11% skin disease, 9% pneumonia & 6% others. For BMI for age (BAZ), the results from this survey. As most of the rickshaw pullers were socio economic condition and health status severely poor, it should be provided community education concerning about nutritional knowledge, environmental sanitation and personal hygienic practices and nutritional deficiency diseases, nutritional value of food and dietary practices would perhaps overturn the trends. The difference results between these studies might be due to average expenditure for food, habit frequency, marital status, nutritional status, socio-economic status and geographical condition.