Socio-Demographic Profile of Schedule Tribes of Five Integrated Tribal Development Agency Spots at Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh in India

Abstract

Background: Tribal population is the second largest in India next to Africa, constituting 8.6% of total India population. Tribal population have unique physical, socio-economic and cultural environment but most deprived from health care facilities and vulnerable to malnutrition and diseases. Objective: To study the living condition of tribal people which includes socio-economic, demographic and health status profile along with providing health care facilities to tribes. Methods: Five Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) spots which belongs to Chenchu tribe of Kurnool district Andhra Pradesh were adopted. Data was collected through house-to-house survey and in Mobile medical camps in a pre-tested questionnaire provided by CCRUM. Results: A total of 3174 patients were screened among them 584 person of 130 families were selected for data collection. Majority (93.07%) were Hindu in the age group 21-30 years (31.6%), with male preponderance. Education status was fair (42.63%) population were illiterate. The basis amenities were good, (93.84%) use piped drinking water, all had open drainage system, (91.53%) use LPG, (89.23%) household surveys have pucca house, and (77.69%) use pit toilet. More than half of them (54.79%) were married, (70.16%) adopted permanent sterilization for family planning, 107 females registered when pregnant, majority delivered at hospital (53.44%), mostly (93.91%) visited family welfare center, 117(90%) household don’t have government health facility other than PHC or MCH. Conclusion: Low-income status, less literacy rate, and unhygienic sanitary conditions were common among Chenchu tribe of Andhra Pradesh. Majority of them (25.87%) suffered from Musculoskeletal diseases reported to OPD of mobile medical camps.