Age In Rural Areas Research Articles

Feeding patterns and influencing factors of infants under 0-6 months of age in rural areas of Nanchong City in 2019

To evaluate the feeding patterns of infants under 6 months of age in rural areas of Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, and to explore the driving factors of different feeding patterns. A total of 837 pairs of infants under 6 months of age(<183 days of age) and their primary caregivers(450 male infants and 387 female infants, with an average age of(2.9±1.8) months, most of the primary caregivers were mothers(95.70%)) were selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling in Nanchong City in 2019.An electronic tablet equipped with a computer assisted system was used to input the face-to-face inquiry questionnaire to collect information, mainly including the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects, infant feeding patterns, mothers' feeding knowledge, mothers' feeding attitudes, family support for breastfeeding, negative support from the surrounding population and other relevant information. Using disordered multi-classification Logistic regression, excluding non-maternal nursing samples, non-lactating mothers and mothers unable to breastfeed due to disease, 789 pairs of infants and their mothers were included in the regression model. After controlling the demographic characteristics of infants and their mothers, the independent influencing factors of exclusive breastfeeding relative to mixed feeding and artificial feeding were analyzed. The rates of exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding and artificial feeding were 35.13%(294/837), 50.30%(421/837) and 14.57%(122/837) in rural areas of Nanchong. Compared with mixed feeding, mothers with high feeding knowledge(OR=2.06, 95%CI 1.47-2.86) were more likely to exclusively breastfeed. Compared with artificial feeding, mothers with high feeding knowledge(OR=2.48, 95%CI 1.36-4.54), positive attitude towards breastfeeding(OR=2.57, 95%CI 1.12-5.87) and high family support for breastfeeding(OR=3.01, 95%CI 1.73-5.24) were more likely to exclusively breastfeed, and mothers with negative support from the surrounding population(OR=0.37, 95%CI 0.14-0.98) were more likely to carry out artificial feeding. In rural areas of Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, three ways of exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding and artificial feeding coexist. Mixed-feeding is the main method, and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding is low. Mothers' feeding knowledge is an important factor influencing feeding patterns, and breastfeeding attitudes and breastfeeding family support are the main drivers of artificial feeding.

Migration, population aging, and income inequality in China

In this study, we examine the effects of four demographic factors, namely, birth, death, natural aging, and net migration, on population aging and income inequality in China. We use the official Chinese data and the China Household Income Project Survey data for the 2007–2013 period and apply a decomposition model based on the Shapley method. Unlike previous studies, we include migration in our decomposition model and find that natural aging is the primary factor contributing to population aging in both urban and rural areas. Further, migration may accelerate population aging in rural areas. Moreover, migration contributes to reducing income inequality in urban areas, while widening income inequality in rural areas. The effect of migration is larger than those of birth, death, and natural aging on income inequality. The robustness checks confirm these conclusions.

A Space-Time Analysis of Rural Older People's Outdoor Mobility and Its Impact on Self-Rated Health: Evidence from a Taiwanese Rural Village.

With the aggravation of rural aging, the well-being and self-rated health level of older people in rural communities are significantly lower than those in urban communities. Past studies hold that mobility is essential to the quality of life of the elderly, and well-being depends on their own adaptation strategies in the built environment. Therefore, this study combines three key factors related to active aging: environment, health and mobility, and assumes that the elderly with good health status will have environmental proactivity and a wider range of daily mobility in a poor rural built environment. This study attempts to track daily mobility by using a space–time path method in time geography and then to explore the relationship between outdoor mobility and older people’s self-rated health. A 1-week mobility path survey for 20 senior citizens of Xishi Village, a typical rural village in Taiwan, was conducted by wearing a GPS sports watch. A questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews were done to provide more information about the seniors’ personal backgrounds and lifestyles. The results show that when the built environment is unfit to the needs of daily activities, half of the participants can make adjustment strategies to go beyond the neighborhoods defined by administrative units. Correlation analysis demonstrated that mental health is associated with daily moving time and distance. In addition, men have higher self-rated health scores than women, and there are significant statistical differences between married and widowed seniors in daily outing time and distance. This exploratory study suggests that in future research on rural health and active aging in rural areas, understanding the daily outdoor mobility of the elderly can help to assess their health status and living demands and quickly find out whether there is a lack of rural living services or environmental planning.

Nutritional Status of Children under Five Years of Age and Factors Associated in Rural Areas of Sana'a Governorate, Yemen

Background: The nutritional status of children determines their health, physical development, educational performance, and progress in life. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and associated factors of children under 5 years of age in rural areas in Sana'a Governorate, Yemen. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at five rural health centers of Sana'a Governorate, from March to May 2018. A convenience sampling method was used in the selection of 150 mothers and their children under five. A semi-structured questionnaire was used in data collection. According to WHO standards, the middle-upper arm circumference tool was used to measure the circumference of the upper part of the arm of the study children. Results: This study results showed that of all the children, 38.7% had Mild Malnutrition, 34% had Moderate Malnutrition, 6.7% had Severe Malnutrition, and 20.7% were normal. Majority of the participants' mothers (81.3%) were not knowledgeable about malnutrition causes. Place of delivery, mothers' education, fathers' education, age of mothers in the first pregnancy, numbers of all children per household, a child's weight at birth, and age of the child at weaning, were associated with the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite the efforts of redressing child malnutrition issues in Yemen, the proportion of malnutrition among children under the age of five still high. Multiple intervention strategies based on risk factors can reduce early malnutrition of the children under the age of five.

Strengthening community in increasing village potential through pentahelix collaboration

Since the implementation of UU no. 6 of 2014, the village has considerable authority to develop its territory according to its potential. To optimize development in the village, community participation and all stakeholders in the village are needed, one of which is the younger generation. The young generation is an important instrument in the development process at various levels, with a fairly large number, and is supported by intellectual qualities that are creative, innovative, and adaptive to change to become capital for development in the village. This paper provides an overview of the new format of the youth movement as a step to optimize the role of the young generation in village development through community-based Penta helix collaboration. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The research was conducted at the Ruang Inovasi Jombang community which was considered successful in implementing the Penta Helix concept between the community, government, private sector, academia, and the media in developing and increasing the competitiveness of the village potential-based SME creative industry, so as to reduce poverty and unemployment in productive age in rural areas.

Study of magnitude of knee osteoarthritis among adult population with age 40 years and above in rural area: a cross sectional study

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease, which mainly affects the articular cartilage. Worldwide estimates are that 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women aged over 60 years have symptomatic osteoarthritis. It affects the daily physical activities like climbing stairs, squatting etc. Pain is the main symptom. Considering this the study was conducted with the objective to find out the magnitude of knee OA among adult population more than 40 years of age in rural area and to study the association between risk factors and knee OA.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in rural health training Centre of study institute. Total 150 patients with knee joint pain were included in the study. Knee OA was diagnosed using American rheumatology criteria (ACR). Analysis was done by using epi info 7. Chi square test and Fischer’s exact test was applied to see the association between risk factors and knee OA.Results: The prevalence of knee OA among study subjects was found to be 34.7%. Study subjects with age >60 years were having prevalence of 32 (43.2%) and this association was statistically significant. The study subjects with history of DM and who are having BMI≥25 were having higher prevalence and the association was statistically significant.Conclusions: The prevalence of knee OA in our study was 34.7%. Factors such as age >60 years, education, occupation, low socioeconomic status, DM, BMI≥25 were having significant association with knee OA.

Prevalence and determinants of Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) among children under five years of age in rural communities of Lahore, Pakistan.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and determinants of Protein energy malnutrition among children under five years of age in rural areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Four Rural Communities (Hussainabad, Shershah Colony, Dubai Town and Bhobtia Pind) of Lahore, Pakistan. Period: September 2016 to March 2017. Material & Methods: Convenient sampling technique was used to collect data. Anthropometric measures were obtained from children under five years of age. Results: Prevalence of PEM was found to be 52.8% in children under five years of age in the rural communities of Lahore, Pakistan. Significant association was found in PEM and number of siblings, mother’s literacy, father’s educational level, socioeconomic status, Knowledge of mother regarding diet, housing condition. So, all these factors are considered as significant determinants of PEM. Conclusion: More children suffer from the burden of PEM. Risk factors like age, sex, type of family, number of siblings, mother’s literacy, father’s educational level, socioeconomic status, Knowledge of mother regarding diet, housing condition contribute greatly to develop PEM. There is a need to take measures to prevent the nation from this suffering. Steps must be taken to implement polices to prevent PEM. Government should launch educational interventions on large scale to alleviate this suffering. Health professional must pay special attention to this debilitating issue.

Rural Aging: Multidisciplinary, Multinational Innovations That Support New Approaches to Address Unmet Needs

The meaning of aging in rural areas is not well explored in the literature. To address this gap each presenter in this multidisciplinary and international group of researchers will address different components of rural ageing. An exact definition of “rural” is essential to forming, implementing or evaluating policies and programs impacting rural populations; however there is no universal definition. Cohen introduces definitional issues, and underscores the heterogeneity and regional variability of “rurality” and how such factors drive rural-urban disparities. Pendergrast, an early career researcher, reports results of in-depth semi-structured interviews that examined institutional influences of social networks on health of rural older adults, with specific focus on support services. Leavey describes lessons learned from the activities of PLACE-EE, a transnational partnership of public health agencies, local authorities, academics and ICT experts dedicated to improving the quality of life for older people. He describes the impacts on relationships of a program of community engagement and intergenerational exchange between younger and older citizens that used an assets-based approach. Żurek explores the potential for reward structures that can be embedded in ‘social games’ to motivate older adults to exercise in the context of research conducted in the rural US (Appalachia) and urban Poland (Krakow), and suggests a new direction that can inform services intended to improve health and happiness of rural adults. Our discussant will reflect on the major themes that emerge from these multidisciplinary perspectives, especially the potential for intersection of rural community-based innovations and learning from different regions of the world. Rural Aging Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

돌봄 수혜 목적의 농촌 남성 노인 재혼에 관한 연구

본 연구는 돌봄 체계로서 농촌 독신 남성 노인의 돌봄 합리적 재혼의 성립 조건, 돌봄 합리적 재혼의 존재 양상 그리고 돌봄 합리적 재혼이 영농지속에 미치는 영향 등을 설명하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 노인들의 재혼 동기는 사례마다 달라서 그것들을 정리하기란 쉬운 일이 아니다. 그러나 돌봄 수혜를 목적으로 하는 노년기 남성의 재혼에 초점을 맞춘다면 연구범위가 좁혀질 뿐만 아니라 행위자의 주관적 동기를 밝히기가 쉬워진다. 본 연구를 위해서 노년기 재혼에 관한 선행 연구를 돌봄의 관점에서 정리하고 돌봄 합리적 재혼이 발생하는 조건에 대한 이상형을 구성하며 재혼 사례에 대한 경험 자료를 이상형과 비교하여 분석하였다. 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 노년기 돌봄 목적의 재혼을 돌봄 합리적 재혼으로 정의하였다. 이 개념은 돌봄 수혜 목적에 대한 수단들을 고려하여 구성한 것이다. 이 결합 관계에서는 도구적 돌봄의 제공자와 수혜자를 구분함으로써 돌봄 노동에 대한 기대와 의무를 확정하게 되며, 돌봄 수혜자가 돌봄 제공자에게 경제적 보상을 한다. 이러한 결합이 성립되려면 경제적 자립이 불가능한 처지에 놓인 여성 노인의 존재가 절대적이다. 둘째, 전통적으로 이 같은 돌봄 합리적 재혼은 가난한 여성 노인의 경제적 궁핍을 해결하는 의미가 있었으나 복지제도나 사적 이전소득에 의해 여성의 자립 생활 가능성을 높임으로써 현재는 찾아보기 어렵게 되었다. 경제적으로 자립 생활을 할 수 있는 여성 노인은 돌봄 합리적이지 않은 재혼을 선호하기 때문이다. 이 경우에 동거 부부나 비동거 부부관계가 전형적인 결합 형태이다. 셋째, 전통적으로 영농활동을 지속하려는 홀로된 남성 노인은 농업노동력을 확보하려고 돌봄 합리적 재혼을 선호하였으나 사회적 환경변화로 인해 그것이 불가능해지자, 부득이 영농규모를 축소하거나 영농을 포기해야 하는 처지가 되었다. 마지막으로 영농을 지속할 수 있도록 독신 남성 노인이 영농을 지속할 수 있도록 사회적 지지가 필요함을 주장하였다.

Knowledge and practices regarding hand-washing among mothers of children less than five years of age in rural areas of District Sialkot.

To assess knowledge and practices regarding hand-washing among mothers of children aged ≤5 years. The cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2015 in rural areas of Union Council Charwa, Tehsil Pasrur in District Sialkot, Pakistan, and comprised mothers of children aged ≤5 years. Data was collected using a pre-tested and validated structured questionnaire developed in line with World health Organisation guidelines on hand-washing technique. Data was analysed using SPSS 17. Of the 422 subjects, 319 (75.4%) had sufficient knowledge and 104 (24.6%) showed good practices regarding hand-washing. However, only 59 (14%) mothers were found adherent to the appropriate technique of hand-washing. Health education and behaviour-changing communication approaches must be implemented to educate the masses about proper hand-washing technique.

Rural health disparities in melanoma staging and prognostic outcomes in Iowa

To the Editor: Melanoma is currently the fifth most common cancer in men and the sixth most common cancer in women, with 91,000 estimated new cases of melanoma and 9300 deaths in the United States in 2018. Presentation at a higher stage and higher mortality rates for multiple cancers1Hashibe M. Kirchhoff A.C. Kepka D. et al.Disparities in cancer survival and incidence by metropolitan versus rural residence in Utah.Cancer Med. 2018; 7: 1490-1497Crossref PubMed Scopus (26) Google Scholar have been found to be comparatively higher in numerous studies of rural populations. Geographic location strongly influences health care education, access to care, and outcomes.2Fennell K.M. Martin K. Wilson C.J. Trenerry C. Sharplin G. Dollman J. Barriers to seeking help for skin cancer detection in rural Australia.J Clin Med. 2017; 6: 19Crossref Scopus (9) Google Scholar Influential factors may include sociodemographic barriers such as access to finances, distance from providers, home environment, and patient cultural background. Of the US population, 14% to 19% (46.2-59 million people) live in rural areas,3Blake K.D. Moss J.L. Gaysynsky A. Srinivasan S. Croyle R.T. Making the case for investment in rural cancer control: an analysis of rural cancer incidence, mortality, and funding trends.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017; 26: 992-997Crossref PubMed Scopus (110) Google Scholar representing a significant area for targeting and improving health care quality. We sought to assess whether disparities existed in stage at diagnosis and mortality between rural and metropolitan patients with melanoma and took advantage of our status as a state with 36% rural residents.4Iowa State Data CenterIowa quick facts.https://www.iowadatacenter.org/quickfactsDate: 2018Google Scholar We accessed the deidentified Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute public use data set for patients in the state of Iowa (Iowa Cancer Registry). Categories available included age, race, sex, marital status, stage at diagnosis (Breslow depth), treatment type, vital status, and site of melanoma. All patients with a first-time diagnosis of nonocular primary cutaneous melanoma between 1996 and 2015 were included. Location was categorized as rural or metropolitan by using the US Office of Management and Budget definition of metropolitan areas as urbanized areas with 50,000 or more people5Parker T. Rural-urban continuum codes. US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/rural-urban-continuum-codes.aspxGoogle Scholar and all other areas as rural. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to assess whether geographic location was associated with metastatic disease or increased mortality. We identified 12,991 diagnosed patients who met these criteria during the 20-year period, of whom 6829 (52.6%) were in metropolitan areas and 6162 (47.4%) were in rural areas. A total of 8550 (65.8%) patients were alive, and 4441 (34.2%) were deceased. The mean age in rural areas was 61 years, and in metropolitan areas it was 58 years. Living in rural areas was associated with decreased odds of being an ethnic minority (odds ratio, 0.36; P < .01; 95% CI, 0.21-0.62). Multivariate analysis of the full population indicated that patients with metastatic disease had increased odds (odds ratio, 1.13; P = .01; 95% CI, 1.03-1.24) of being located in rural areas of Iowa compared to those diagnosed with nonmetastatic disease (Table I). Those diagnosed in rural areas also had increased all-cause mortality when compared to those diagnosed in metropolitan areas (hazard ratio, 1.26; P < .01; 95% CI, 1.19-1.34) (Table II).Table IModeling the probability of a patient living in a rural area: Multivariate resultsCovariateLevelNRural/metropolitanOdds ratio95% CIP valueRaceOther4280.360.21-0.62<.01White12,563———SexFemale59260.940.88-1.01.11Male7065———StageMetastatic19671.131.03-1.24.01Nonmetastatic11,024———SiteNot specified4450.850.70-1.04.12Trunk/limbs96060.840.78-0.92<.01Head/neck2940———Marital statusDivorced/separated/widowed18461.121.01-1.24.03Single12770.730.65-0.82<.01Married7986———SurgeryYes12,2481.140.98-1.33.08No734———ChemotherapyYes150.980.35-2.69.96No12,726———RadiationYes4001.180.97-1.45.10No12,587———Hormone therapyYes150.970.35-2.68.95No12,975———Breslow depth (mm)Stage II (0.77-1.50)19851.040.93-1.15.52Stage III (1.51-2.25)7081.050.90-1.23.52Stage IV (2.26-3.0)4131.100.90-1.34.37Stage V (3.0 or more)9921.221.06-1.40<.01Stage I (0.75 or less)4527———Age12,9911.011.01-1.01<.01Bolded text indicates that statistical significance was noted.CI, Confidence interval. Open table in a new tab Table IIOverall survival on full population: Multivariate overall survivalCovariateLevelNSurvivalHazard ratio95% CIP valueRaceOther4270.080.05-0.14<.01White12,494———SexFemale58880.550.52-0.59<.01Male7033———SiteNot specified4452.882.55-3.25<.01Trunk/limbs95530.470.44-0.51<.01Head/neck2923———StageDistant/regional19623.993.74-4.26<.01Localized10,959———Rural/metropolitanRural61351.261.19-1.34<.01Metropolitan6786———Marital statusDivorced/separated/widowed18362.081.93-2.23<.01Single12700.770.68-0.86<.01Married7942———SurgeryYes12,1790.340.31-0.38<.01No733———ChemotherapyYes156.663.87-11.49<.01No12,656———RadiationYes4005.624.99-6.33<.01No12,517———HormoneYes153.341.80-6.21<.01No12,905———Breslow depth (mm)Stage II (0.77-1.50)19821.181.05-1.33<.01Stage III (1.51-2.25)7082.141.86-2.47<.01Stage IV (2.26-3.0)4123.232.76-3.77<.01Stage V (3.0 or more)9894.954.46-5.51<.01Stage I (0.75 or less)4517———Age12,9211.071.07-1.07<.01Bolded text indicates that statistical significance was noted.CI, Confidence interval. Open table in a new tab Bolded text indicates that statistical significance was noted. CI, Confidence interval. Bolded text indicates that statistical significance was noted. CI, Confidence interval. Here, we report the correlation between location of diagnosis and stage at diagnosis and all-cause mortality. Limitations include that the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data set reports only all-cause mortality. Furthermore, only location of diagnosis was reported; hence, it cannot be definitively said whether patients lived in metropolitan or rural areas. Early staging and treatment of melanoma are crucial to prevent further future morbidity and mortality and to decrease costs. Disparities seen in rural populations may indicate the need for greater focus in these areas.

Sexual behaviors related to HIV infection in Yi women of childbearing age in rural areas of southwest China

ABSTRACT Liangshan Prefecture, the highest HIV-affected epidemic region in China, has more than 2.5 million Yi people. We firstly investigated the sexual behaviors and the related social determinants of health for HIV infection in Yi women of childbearing age in this area. A total of 800 Yi women of childbearing age were enrolled. Path analysis of the risk factors revealed that casual sex (0.152) and number of sex partners (0.152) were directly associated with HIV infection. Furthermore, education level (0.057), out-migrating for work (0.032), sense of self-worth (0.024) and number of sex partners (0.079) were indirectly related to HIV infection and mediated by casual sex and multiple sexual partners. The epidemic of HIV infection among Yi women of childbearing age in Liangshan Prefecture is serious, future promotion should increase their knowledge about condom and modify their perceptions of sexual behaviors.

Prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension and its correlates among rural adult population in district Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh

Background: The prevalence of hypertension is on a rise in India, both in urban and rural areas. Hypertension is reported to be the fourth contributor to premature death in developed countries and the seventh in developing countries. Aims and objectives was to find out the prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension among persons above 18 years of age in rural area of Jhansi and to assess the association of different risk factors with pre-hypertension and hypertension.Methods: Study was conducted in the field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, MLB Medical College, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Total 1100 participants were collected by house to house visit. Chi square and multivariate logistic analysis were used to assess the association.Results: Prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was 24.2% and 19.3% respectively in our study. The factors identified as increasing the risk of developing hypertension were increasing age, family history of hypertension, inadequate physical activity, excess salt intake, tobacco consumption, alcoholism, BMI &gt;25 kg//m2, less consumption of fruits and vegetables.Conclusions: Awareness of the hypertension status among hypertensive cases, counselling of the pre-hypertensives and hypertensives on lifestyle modification as well as regular treatment of antihypertensive medicine were key recommendations to prevent hypertension.

The process of successful aging in rural areas – an analysis of the phenomenon in south-eastern Poland

The process of successful aging in rural areas – an analysis of the phenomenon in south-eastern Poland

Undernutrition and associated factors among children 1-5 years of age in rural area of Haryana, India: A community based cross-sectional study

Background:Children under five years of age are most vulnerable to the vicious cycles of malnutrition, disease/infection and resultant disability all of which influence the present condition of a child at the microlevel and the future human resource development of the nation at the macrolevel.Aim:The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition among under-five children; and to determine the associated factors.Methods:All 112 Anganwadi Centres in block Lakhan Majra were enlisted and 30 Anganwadi Centres were selected by adopting systematic random sampling. From each selected Anganwadi Centre, 20 children of 15 years of age group were selected by simple random sampling, thus, a sample of 600 children was included in the study.Results:Overall prevalence of undernutrition in our study was found as follows: wasted 18.4%; underweight 38.3%; stunted 41.3%. Mothers who had four or more ANC visits and IFA intake for 100 or more days had lower prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight than the mothers with three or less ANC visits and inadequate IFA intake. Children with a history of pre-lacteal feeding had higher prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting than the children with no history of pre-lacteal feeding.Conclusion:Every endeavor should be made to combat the outcomes of undernutrition through multipronged approach such as growth monitoring, nutritional supplementation, etc., Also, present study findings reinforce the importance of proper infant and child feeding practices and appropriate maternal care in prevention of childhood undernutrition.

CRITICAL SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY AND RURAL AGING

This paper examines the extent to which critical gerontology has raised awareness of the heterogeneity of rural ageing in High Income Countries (HICs) and compare this to our knowledge of the issues that are associated with rural ageing in Low to Middle Income Countries (LMICS). We will draw on Nancy Fraser’s social justice framework to summarize key issues around: (1) Demography (such as globalization, urbanization, counter-urbanization and rural population ageing); (2) Resources (individual material and social resources; community resources such as access to services); (3) Recognition (social status, cultural visibility through social participation and cultural worth through valued social roles); (4) Representation (in social, health and rural development policies; and in private sector and NGO approaches). We argue that an intersectional approach that takes into account location and context (structural/economic/political) alongside other dimensions of oppression and/or privilege can provide a better understanding of the experience of ageing in rural areas.

Unmet Need of Family Planning Among Married Women of Reproductive Age in Rural Areas of Manikganj District

Aims: Introduction: Bangladesh has impressive gains in indicators related to population and family planning. Therefore, the unmet need for family planning should be addressed with utmost importance.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted at four villages of Saturia Upazilla of Manikganj district to find out unmet need of family planning among married women of reproductive age including the status of contraceptive use and obstacles toward using family planning methods. The duration of study was from November 2017 to March 2018. The sample size was 480 in number.&#x0D; Results: In the study, 87.5% respondents were Muslims. Regarding level of education 18.75% of the respondents was illiterate, 22.19% of the respondents completed their primary education and 31.35% passed the secondary school certificate Examination. Most of the respondents (92.92%) were housewives. Out of 480 families, 51% belongs to nuclear family. 23.13% of the respondents had income below 10,000 Tk. and about 27.50% had an income more than 20,000 Tk. Among 480 respondents, 42.06% had 2 living children and about 33.78% had a single child. 89.17% of the respondents knew about contraceptive method. OCP was the most preferred method among 57.62% respondents. 61% respondents were using contraceptive method. The reason for not using any contraceptive method were fear of side effects (28.03%), eager to conceive (13.63%), and non-co-operative attitude of the husband (7.58%). In this study 58.13% respondents had the knowledge about permanent method of contraception.&#x0D; Conclusion: Family planning is more of a health necessity than an option. Though family planning program has remarkable success over the past decade, but still there is unmet need.&#x0D; Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 10, No. 1: Jan 2019, P 23-27

Evaluation of farmers’ socio-economic conditions and their influence on agrobiodiversity in Gharaviz area

This study evaluated the effects of farmers’ socio-economic conditions on crop biodiversity in three villages located within the non-hunting region of Gharaviz and four villages in the surrounding area in western Iran. Information used in the study was collected during farm visits and by way of questionnaires and interviews with farmers and agricultural experts in the region. The following parameters were used for evaluations; cultivated species, area under cultivation, farmer’s age, farmers’ level of education, and sources providing a farmer’s income. Results suggested that farmers’ average age in rural areas was 50 years and in terms of gender, men accounted for more than 87% of heads of households. Farmers’ level of education in the region showed that 44% of them were illiterate and the condition was undesirable. An average size of a household in all rural areas was 5.4 persons, indicating moderately sized families. The main source of income for farmers’ families was farming, which accounted for about 75% of their total income. Animal husbandry was identified as the second most important source of income for farmers. The correlation between these parameters and biodiversity indices showed that gender, education level, household size, and the percentage of a farmer’s income from cultivation all had an effect on biodiversity indices in the area.

Nutritional status of children under five year of age: a cross sectional study in rural area of Jhalawar, Rajasthan

Background: Adequate nutrition is essential in early childhood to ensure healthy growth and development, proper organ functions and a strong immunity. Accurate assessment of nutritional status of children is a requisite in appropriate planning and effective implementation of nutrition interventions. The objective of this study is to assess nutritional status of children under five year of age in rural area and to identify the socio-demographic factors associated with under nutrition.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among children aged six months to five years in rural area of Jhalawar, Rajasthan. Nutritional status of the children was assessed by measurement of mid upper arm circumference and information like birth order of children, birth weight and number of siblings was collected using a pre-coded and semi structured questionnaire.Results: Moderate under-nutrition was present in 16.8% children. Under-nutrition was present among 9.9% male and 24.2% female children. 38.1% children with birth weight less than 2.5 kg were under-nourished. Proportion of under-nutrition was 27.7% among children with number of siblings more than 2 while it was only 11.1% among those with 2 or less number of siblings.Conclusions: Gender, number of siblings and birth weight of children were significantly associated with nutrition status of children.

Folate and Vitamin B12 Status in Women of Reproductive Age in Rural Areas in Haryana, Northern India (P10-117-19)

ObjectivesTo conduct a household and biomarker survey to assess the baseline prevalence of folate deficiency and insufficiency and vitamin B12 deficiency in women of reproductive age prior to the start of a wheat flour fortification program in the Ambala District in Haryana, India. MethodsA multistage cluster probability household and biomarker survey was conducted. Participants were women of reproductive age (18–49 y) who were not pregnant and resided in rural areas of two subdistricts in Ambala District in Haryana. Venous blood samples were collected among 866 women. Plasma, serum, and red blood cells (RBC) were separated by centrifugation, processed, and stored at <-80°C until analysis. RBC and serum folate concentrations were measured using microbiologic assay and serum vitamin B12 was measured via chemiluminescence. Serum folate deficiency was defined as serum folate <7 nmol/L and RBC folate deficiency and insufficiency were defined as RBC folate <305 nmol/L and <748 nmol/L, respectively. Vitamin B12 deficiency was defined as vitamin B12 <200 pg/mL and vitamin B12 marginal deficiency was defined as vitamin B12 ≥200 and <300 pg/mL. ResultsThe geometric mean concentrations for serum folate, RBC folate, and serum vitamin B12 were 12.3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.8, 12.9) nmol/L, 544 (95% CI: 516, 573) nmol/L, and 190 (95% CI: 176, 206) pg/mL, respectively. The prevalence of folate deficiency was 11.3% (95% CI: 9.2, 13.9) for serum folate and 9.7% (95% CI: 7.8, 12.0) for RBC folate, and the prevalence of RBC folate insufficiency was 78.6% (95% CI: 74.8, 82.5). A total of 58.3% (95% CI: 54.2, 62.5) of women were vitamin B12 deficient (<200 pg/mL) and an additional 22.9% (95% CI: 19.7, 26.1) were marginally deficient for vitamin B12. ConclusionsThe magnitude of folate insufficiency and vitamin B12 deficiency in this Northern Indian population is a substantial public health concern. The findings from the survey help establish the baseline for a planned wheat flour fortification program aimed at reducing these micronutrient deficiencies. Funding SourcesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.