Southern Indian City Research Articles

Factors influencing customers preference and satisfaction in online shopping-a study with reference to Chennai city

Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller over the internet without an intermediary service. It is defined as, the process by consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the internet. The pros of online shopping are shop 24/7, comfort of own home, privacy, save on gas, comparison shopping easier and discount coupons available online. The cons of online shopping are cannot touch the product, credit card insecurity, shipping/handling cost, returns more difficult and errors in billing. Even though the pros and cons are the two sides of online shopping, the retailing is an attractive business emerging out of shadows in the past two years. Even as loose ends of retailing plans are being tied up, online shopping has begun catching the attention of many entrepreneurs. Apart from online shopping, certain online services like matchmaking, job searching, auctions, share trading and banking are becoming increasingly popular. This could well be the beginning of an e-tail revolution. This paper attempts to understand how this strategy frames its origin in Chennai city in southern India. A questionnaire survey was handled out to evaluate the preference of internet shopping by the consumers.

Comparison of Flow and Volume Incentive Spirometry on Pulmonary Function and Exercise Tolerance in Open Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Surgical procedures in abdominal area lead to changes in pulmonary function, respiratory mechanics and impaired physical capacity leading to postoperative pulmonary complications, which can affect up to 80% of upper abdominal surgery. To evaluate the effects of flow and volume incentive spirometry on pulmonary function and exercise tolerance in patients undergoing open abdominal surgery. A randomized clinical trial was conducted in a hospital of Mangalore city in Southern India. Thirty-seven males and thirteen females who were undergoing abdominal surgeries were included and allocated into flow and volume incentive spirometry groups by block randomization. All subjects underwent evaluations of pulmonary function with measurement of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1), Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF). Preoperative and postoperative measurements were taken up to day 5 for both groups. Exercise tolerance measured by Six- Minute Walk Test during preoperative period and measured again at the time of discharge for both groups. Pulmonary function was analysed by post-hoc analysis and carried out using Bonferroni's 't'-test. Exercise tolerance was analysed by Paired 'T'-test. Pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, and PEFR) was found to be significantly decreased in 1(st), 2(nd) and 3(rd) postoperative day when compared with preoperative day. On 4(th) and 5(th) postoperative day the pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, and PEFR) was found to be better preserved in both flow and volume incentive spirometry groups. The Six-Minute Walk Test showed a statistically significant improvement in pulmonary function on the day of discharge than in the preoperative period. In terms of distance covered, the volume- incentive spirometry group showed a greater statistically significant improvement from the preoperative period to the time of discharge than was exhibited by the flow incentive spirometry group. Flow and volume incentive spirometry can be safely recommended to patients undergoing open abdominal surgery as there have been no adverse events recorded. Also, these led to a demonstrable improvement in pulmonary function and exercise tolerance.

Bottling Up Discontent

World Policy Institute fellow and author Kavitha Rajagopalan investigates the informal water economy of Chennai, a city in southern India. She finds that the government’s failure to dependably distribute clean water has made black-market dealings a necessity. But in such a poorly regulated environment, “clean” water is often dirty, putting millions at risk of falling ill. She puts forward a number of possible plans, including pani panchayats, or citizen-led water councils inspired by institutions in rural India.

Air quality simulation of NOX over the tropical coastal city Chennai in southern India with FLEXPART-WRF

Chennai is a rapidly growing metropolitan coastal city in southern India with several major sources of pollution. The complex coastal meteorology influences the pollutant transport in different seasons. In this study, the air quality pattern in Chennai with respect of NOX over different seasons are simulated with FLEXPART-WRF Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM) considering release inventory of industrial, vehicular and domestic sources of pollution from seven different locations in Chennai. The meteorological fields for dispersion calculation are simulated using Advanced Research WRF (ARW) mesoscale model at a high resolution (3 km). Air quality data in the study region available at six different places are used for comparing model outputs over 12 days in each season (winter, pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon). The Hanna diffusion scheme in FLEXPART-WRF is modified with new seasonal empirical turbulent intensity relationships derived as a function of atmospheric stability from turbulence data. Simulated concentrations are evaluated by varying the diffusion schemes (Hanna, modified Hanna) in FLEXPART and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes [YSU, ACM2 and MYNN2] in ARW. Simulations revealed distinct seasonal variation of dispersion patterns of NOX due to seasonal flow-field variation in the study region. It is found that, the new turbulence intensity relationships provide better comparisons for concentrations of NOX relative to the default Hanna relationship. Further, simulations using ACM2 PBL significantly reduced the negative bias and errors in concentration due to capturing the flow-field and other meteorological variables well. The study demonstrates the utility of FLEXPART for air quality modeling in the coastal city.

Significance of Boundary Conditions Towards Sustainable Housing Strategies: A Case Study of Mysore, India

Background : For developing nations the development of sustainable communities has to go hand in hand with the achievement of wider goals, where emphasis has to be given to the importance of lifestyle and social change. This inter- disciplinary research draws understanding from the social, cultural and economic studies to define the values and aspirations of the middle class and the associated implications for sustainable housing. Middle class mores are aspirational and aim to achieve Western living standards, moving away from a traditional communitarian social model. Methods and Results : This research presents the results of extensive field work in the Southern-Indian city of Mysore that defines the values held by the emergent middle class in respect to the built environment. Common areas and shared spaces have traditionally been very actively used and have played a crucial role in both passive cooling strategies and the maintenance of socially sustainable commu- nities. Fieldwork shows that attitudes to the built environment are polarised between well-maintained and protected housing interiors and poorly organised and main- tained external spaces and examines how these transition spaces are used to reflect these values and concerns. Possible options for the external boundary conditions are tested by generating 3D models and applying an environmental design method, Inte- grated Environmental Solutions (IES). Conclusion : The paper reflects on whether earlier traditions in sustainable building design in South Asia (Mysore) have rele- vance in a contemporary context and the importance of understanding the changing preferences and values of the newly affluent demographic..

Immunization practices of pediatricians for children younger than five years in coastal South India.

Immunization helps in controlling infectious diseases. Child immunization is an important component of child survival programs in India, which mainly follows the National Immunization Schedule. Also, many of the injection practices followed are not safe. To study the practices of pediatricians toward the immunization of children younger than 5 years and injection-related waste management. Cross-sectional study carried out in the city of Mangalore, a rapidly developing city in southern India. All the practicing pediatricians were included in the study and an interview was done on prior appointment using pretested interview schedule in March 2012, after obtaining clearance from the institutional ethics committee. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 11.5. Among the 54 practicing pediatricians in Mangalore, 42 were included in this study after exclusion criteria were applied. Among them, 71.4% were following the National Immunization Schedule, 5% did not prefer to give combination vaccines, 17% reported vaccine failure at least once in their practice, and 85.7% motivated the parents for future doses. Distance to the clinic and affordability were the major reasons for loss of follow-up. Only 38.1% used auto-disabled syringes, 11.9% did not observe the children following the immunization, and 45.2% did not use color coding for disposal of injection-related wastes. Mechanical hub cutters were preferred by 41% of the respondents. The study showed the diversity in immunization practices. The National Immunization Schedule is the most commonly followed schedule. However, the safety of the injection practices was limited.

Depression among AIDS-orphaned children higher than among other orphaned children in southern India

BackgroundSystematic data on mental health issues among orphaned children are not readily available in India. This study explored depression and its associated risk factors among orphaned children in Hyderabad city in south India.Methods400 orphaned children drawn equally from AIDS and non-AIDS orphan groups aged 12–16 years residing in orphanages in and around Hyderabad city in southern India were recruited to assess depression and associated risk factors using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-DC). Variation in the intensity of depression was assessed using multiple classification analysis (MCA).Results397 (99%) orphans provided complete interviews in the study of whom 306 (76.5%) were aged 12 to 14 years, and 206 (51.8%) were paternal orphans. Children orphaned by AIDS were significantly more likely to report being bullied by friends or relatives (50.3%) and report experiencing discrimination (12.6%) than those orphaned due to other reasons (p < 0.001). The overall prevalence of depression score >15 with CES-DC was 74.1% (95% CI 69.7-78.4) with this being significantly higher for children orphaned by AIDS (84.4%, 95% CI 79.4 – 89.5) than those due to other reasons (63.6%, 95% CI 56.9 – 70.4). Mean depression score was significantly higher for children orphaned by AIDS (34.6) than the other group (20.6; p < 0.001). Among the children orphaned by AIDS, the bulk of depression score was clustered in 12–14 years age groups whereas in the children orphaned by other reasons it was clustered in the 15–16 years age group (p = 0.001). MCA analysis showed being a child orphaned by AIDS had the highest effect on the intensity of depression (Beta = 0.473).ConclusionsChildren orphaned by AIDS had significantly higher depressive symptoms than the other orphaned children. These findings could be used for further planning of mental health interventions to meet the mental health needs of orphaned children, that could include preventive, diagnostic and treatment services.

Celebrating the prophet: religious nationalism and the politics ofMilad‐un‐Nabi festivals inIndia

AbstractThe traditional honoring of the birth of theProphetMohammed (Milad‐un‐Nabi) has shifted in numerous Indian cities from private prayer and ritual meals in the home to grand public festivals that bear resemblances toHindu religious processions. In 2010 in the southernIndian city ofHyderabad, large‐scaleMilad‐un‐Nabi festivals became implicated inHindu–Muslim nationalist riots that erupted weeks later at the commencement of aHindu festival forHanumanJayanthi. This paper explores the political production ofMuslim ethno‐nationalism and the intra‐community debates over the legitimacy and piety ofMilad‐un‐Nabi celebrations. It argues thatMilad‐un‐Nabi as a public performance is a (re)invented tradition that is part of the struggle for material, political and symbolic goods of the nation‐state. It is shaped by local party politics and history of anti‐Muslim discrimination. However, as the festivals highlight community divisions and religious ambiguities, they ultimately reveal the fragility of ethnic groups.

Barriers and Facilitators to Family-centred Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice in the Home setting: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Family-centred paediatric physiotherapy practice is a new and emerging concept in India. This study aimed to understand paediatric physiotherapists’ perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to such practice in home settings in Salem city in southern India. Methods: A phenomenological research design was employed in this study. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 5 paediatric physiotherapists who offer treatment in the home setting. Open coding analysis revealed themes that were broadly categorised into barriers and facilitators to family-centred paediatric physiotherapy practice in these settings. Results: Physiotherapists identified several barriers such as educational status, frustrated family members, protective family members, cultural beliefs and external influences. Active participation of family members was perceived as a facilitator to family-centred practice. Limitations: This pilot study has a number of limitations. As the sample size was small and the participants were selected from a small city, the results may not be generalised to larger areas of India. Also, since the interviews were conducted in English, which was not the physiotherapists’ first language, some nuances of their perceptions may not have been reflected. Implications: The study suggests that paediatric physiotherapists need to have better understanding of parental attitudes, and family culture and beliefs, in order to improve the physiotherapist-family relationship and maximise the outcome for children.

Effectiveness of progressive resistance strength training versus traditional balance exercise in improving balance among the elderly - a randomised controlled trial.

Falls are important health issues among the elderly people. Most falls in elderly result from abnormal balance control mechanisms. Balance and muscle force generation are directly related, and are associated with age related muscular changes. Studies addressing fall prevention have focused on various group and individualised strength training. However, evidence on strengthening of key muscles necessary for maintaining balance and postural control is lacking. To evaluate the effectiveness of individualised progressive resistance strength training (PRT) programme in improving balance for forward limits of stability in elderly with balance impairment, compared to traditional balance exercise (TBE), and combination of both (COMBI). This randomised controlled trial included three groups; 18 subjects in each aged ≥ 65 years, from the elderly care centres of Mangalore city in Southern India (between June 2008 and December 2012). Block randomisation technique was used and allocation concealment was done using sequentially arranged sealed opaque envelopes. The TBE group received 8 component traditional balance exercise; 4 times a week for 6 months. The PRT group received resistance training for the key muscles of lower extremities, using DeLormes and Watkins protocol. The COMBI group received PRT and TBE alternately (2 days of PRT and 2 days of TBE per week). Functional reach test (FRT) was used for measurement of forward limits of stability. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15. For functional reach, PRT group had steady progression from baseline to 6 months (p<0.001). The TBE and COMBI groups showed considerable initial improvement; beyond 3 months, moderate improvement was seen. The changes in scores of FRT were significantly better for PRT than TBE. Individualised PRT intervention targeting the key muscles of lower limbs is more effective than TBE in improving forward limits of stability among non-frail elderly aged ≥65 years.

Comparison of Characteristics Between Nonobese and Overweight/Obese Subjects with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a South Indian Population

This study was designed to compare the characteristics of nonobese and overweight/obese subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in an urban South Indian population. The study group comprises 541 subjects drawn from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES), which was carried out on a representative sample of Chennai city in southern India. NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography. Subjects with NAFLD were classified as nonobese (body mass index of ≤22.9 kg/m(2)) and overweight/obese (body mass index of ≥23 kg/m(2)) based on World Health Organization Asia Pacific guidelines. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was assessed by a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram that was Minnesota-coded. Insulin resistance was assessed by using the homeostasis assessment model (HOMA-IR) using the following formula: fasting insulin (μIU/mL)×fasting glucose (mmol/L)/22.5. In total, 173 of 541 (32%) subjects had NAFLD, of whom 48 (27.7%) had nonobese NAFLD and 125 (72.3%) had overweight/obese NAFLD. Compared with overweight/obese NAFLD patients, fasting blood glucose (104±29 vs. 119±45 mg/dL; P<0.05) and HOMA-IR (2.1±1.8 vs. 2.9±1.8; P<0.001) were lower and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (43±9 vs. 39±8 mg/dL; P<0.001) was higher among nonobese NAFLD subjects. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between nonobese NAFLD and CAD (P=0.013) even after adjusting for age, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, HOMA-IR, and hypertension. This study suggests that even nonobese NAFLD subjects have an association with CAD.

Burden of childhood diseases and malnutrition in a semi-urban slum in southern India

BackgroundIndia has seen rapid unorganized urbanization in the past few decades. However, the burden of childhood diseases and malnutrition in such populations is difficult to quantify. The morbidity experience of children living in semi-urban slums of a southern Indian city is described.MethodsA total of 176 children were recruited pre-weaning from four geographically adjacent, semi-urban slums located in the western outskirts of Vellore, Tamil Nadu for a study on water safety and enteric infections and received either bottled or municipal drinking water based on their area of residence. Children were visited weekly at home and had anthropometry measured monthly until their second birthday.ResultsA total of 3932 episodes of illness were recorded during the follow-up period, resulting in an incidence of 12.5 illnesses/child-year, with more illness during infancy than in the second year of life. Respiratory, mostly upper respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses were most common. Approximately one-third of children were stunted at two years of age, and two-thirds had at least one episode of growth failure during the two years of follow up. No differences in morbidity were seen between children who received bottled and municipal water.ConclusionsOur study found a high burden of childhood diseases and malnutrition among urban slum dwellers in southern India. Frequent illnesses may adversely impact children’s health and development, besides placing an additional burden on families who need to seek healthcare and find resources to manage illness.

‘Exist, endure, erase the city’ (Sheher mein jiye, is ko sahe, ya ise mitaye?): Child vigilantes and micro-cultures of urban violence in a riot-affected Hyderabad slum

Hyderabad, a city in southern India, has witnessed a saga of religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims, the first large-scale riot being recorded in 1939. As recently as March 2010, paramilitary forces were deployed to rein in extensive clashes over the appropriate placing of religious flags across the city. Along with this convoluted history of religious discord, the rapidly growing slum areas of Hyderabad became receptacles not just of poverty but of radical politics and unrest. This essay interrogates the violent identity politics embraced by riot-affected Muslim male children in a communally volatile slum in Hyderabad, and explores why these boys turned to armed and collective vigilantism to position themselves in a landscape of death, destruction and urban displacement.

Kochi, India case study of climate adaptation to floods: Ranking local government investment options

Climate adaptation is uniquely linked to location, making it predominantly a local government and community responsibility. Despite the obligation to act, local governments are hindered by the absence of applicable guides to adaptation decision-making, especially adaptation to extreme events. In this paper, we describe a framework for prioritising adaptation options that could be locally implemented and illustrate it with a study of flooding in Kochi: a city in southern India. Unlike many demand driven, economics based studies, our new framework also incorporates non-economic dimensions of the extremes and potential adaptation options. Local knowledge is used to tackle data gaps and uncertainty related to extreme events: local experts select adaptation options that offer additional benefits besides those related to climate change. These co-benefits aid decision making under uncertainty by giving weight to community priorities. The Indian case study reveals that, risk evaluation and reduction need to be locally contextualised based on resources available, immediate community requirements, planning periods and local expert knowledge. Although there will be residual damage even after implementing selected options, we argue that, climate response will be most likely to be accepted when it also supports pressing needs.

Perceptions about Varieties of Brown Rice: A Qualitative Study from Southern India

Consumption of whole grains, such as brown rice, compared to white rice can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This qualitative study conducted in 2009 sought to identify factors that can act as barriers to or promote acceptance of brown rice as a staple food among South Indian adults (n=65). Using purposeful sampling, eight focus groups were conducted among adults with normal body mass index and adults who were overweight, aged 24 to 47 years, living in slum and non-slum sites in Chennai, a city in Southern India. These focus groups, conducted in Tamil, the local language of Chennai, were homogenous by sex. The focus groups were audiotaped after obtaining consent. Results were transcribed and coded according to four major themes that emerged during the focus group discussions, including culture and dietary practices, factors influencing rice preferences, awareness and perceptions of brown rice, and barriers to and factors influencing acceptance of brown rice. Overall, the majority of participants favored eating rice and rice-based foods. Tradition largely dictated the specific form of rice that people consumed. Awareness about the nutritive properties of brown rice was poor and was cited as a major barrier to its acceptance. In addition, participants tended to consider cooked rice that was neither white nor long-grained to be inferior. However, they believed that although convincing people to switch to brown rice would be a slow process, promoting its healthful benefits could serve to popularize it.

Surviving Violence, Contesting Victimhood: Communal Politics and the Creation of Child-Men in an Urban Indian Slum

This paper explores the emergence of violent child identity politics in a communally sensitive urban slum in Hyderabad, a city in southern India. My ethnographic landscape is Sultanpur, a Muslim-dominated ghetto in the northern quarters of Hyderabad, which has been marked by decades of hostilities between local Hindus and Muslims. These tensions had everyday and extreme manifestations (ranging from quotidian expressions of symbolic violence to rioting, looting and bomb blasts) which increased the vulnerabilities of Muslim male children in the slums; the latter being humiliated by ordinary passers-by in times of peace, and at other times being attacked by rioting mobs. To counter their victimhood and organise their own retribution, sections of local boys in Sultanpur, aged between 9 and 14 years, co-ordinated themselves into child squads (bacchon ke fauj). These child vigilantes patrolled the slum borders and common public places, constantly establishing a disciplinary control over fragile aspects of ghetto life. For example, the male child squads not only aggressively prevented members of other communities from entering the slum, they also monitored the movement of Sultanpur-wallahs, often physically assaulting local women who were caught having affairs with Hindu men. In my paper I show how the power, presence and practices of these child squads upturned traditional structures of male and female authority, contested conventional notions of male childhood in a volatile urban space, and sustained nascent masculinities within the moral and social economy of impoverished Muslim male children.

A Protective Effect of Circumcision Among Receptive Male Sex Partners of Indian Men Who Have Sex with Men

The role of circumcision in the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in resource restricted regions is poorly understood. This study explored the association of circumcision with HIV seroprevalence, in conjunction with other risk factors such as marriage and sex position, for a population of MSM in India. Participants (n = 387) were recruited from six drop-in centers in a large city in southern India. The overall HIV prevalence in this sample was high, at 18.6%. Bivariate and multivariable analyses revealed a concentration of risk among receptive only, married, and uncircumcised MSM, with HIV prevalence in this group reaching nearly 50%. The adjusted odds of HIV infection amongst circumcised men was less than one fifth that of uncircumcised men [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.17; 95% CI 0.07-0.46; P < 0.001]. Within the group of receptive only MSM, infection was found to be lower among circumcised individuals (AOR, 0.30, 95% CI 0.12-0.76; P < 0.05) in the context of circumcised MSM engaging in more UAI, having a more recent same sex encounter and less lubricant use when compared to uncircumcised receptive men. To further explain these results, future studies should focus on epidemiologic analyses of risk, augmented by social and sexual network analyses of MSM mixing.

Association of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 gene single nucleotide polymorphism with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Madurai population of Southern India

Type 1 diabetes mellitus formerly called juvenile diabetes, is an organ specific T-cell mediated autoimmune disease characterized by the progressive loss of function of the insulin producing beta–cells of the islets of Langerhans. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 gene (CTLA-4) has been proposed as a candidate gene for conferring susceptibility to autoimmunity. Association of CTLA-4 gene polymorphism is well established in autoimmune endocrinopathies across world population. The present study was conducted to investigate the association of CTLA-4 exon 1 49A/G polymorphism with TIDM in Madurai, a city in Southern India. Fifty three clinically proven T1DM patients and 53 control subjects with no history of autoimmune disease were recruited for the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. CTLA-4 exon 1 49 A/G polymorphism was assessed using PCR-RFLP methods. Our findings revealed a significant association of CTLA-4 exon 1 49 A/G polymorphism with T1DM in Madurai population.

Prevalence of Depression in Relation to Glucose Intolerance in Urban South Indians—The Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES-76)

This study investigated the association between depression and glucose intolerance in urban residents of southern India. Subjects were recruited from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study, carried out on a representative sample of 26,001 subjects recruited from Chennai city in southern India. Subjects with known diabetes were excluded (n = 1,498). Of the remaining 24,503 subjects, fasting capillary blood glucose (FBG) estimation were available for 23,787 subjects (response rate, 97.1%) in whom depression was assessed using a validated instrument, the Patient Health Questionnaire-12. Subjects with FBG values ≥126 mg/dL were termed as subjects with newly diagnosed diabetes (NDD), those with values between 100 and 125 mg/dL as having impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and those with <100 mg/dL as having normal fasting glucose (NFG). The overall prevalence of depression was 14.3% (3391 of 23,787 subjects), and an increasing prevalence of depression was seen with increasing grades of glucose intolerance: NFG (13.1%), IFG (15.7%), and NDD (19.7%) (trend χ(2) = 57.1, P < 0.001). The prevalence of depression was higher in females at all grades of glucose intolerance. Risk for depression was higher among NDD subjects compared to NFG subjects (odds ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.22, P = 0.01) and IFG subjects (odds ratio 1.21, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.44, P = 0.03) and also for IFG compared to NFG subjects (odds ratio = 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.21, P = 0.01) after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, and socioeconomic status. The prevalence of depression increases with increasing grades of glucose intolerance and is highest among those with diabetes.

Risk and Protective Factors to Depressive Symptoms in School-Going Adolescents

Aim: The study aimed to explore the risk and protective factors for depressive symptomsin adolescents aged 14-18, studying in schools. Method: A cross-sectional school based survey was carried out in a metropolitan city inSouthern India. A total of 964 boys and girls studying in 21 schools completed a batteryof questionnaires. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to measure depressivesymptoms. The psychosocial variables measured were self-esteem, family relationships,social support, school environment, life events and daily hassles. Odds ratio werecalculated for risk and protective factors using logistic regression. Results: Mild depression was reported by 37% adolescents, moderate depression by19.4% and severe depression by 4.3%. Adjusted odds ratio calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that adolescents who perceived stressful life eventsand daily hassles were at increased risk for depression. High self-esteem, good familyrelationships and peer acceptance acted as protective buffers against depression. Boysand girls differed in some of the psycho-social variables, and girls had more protectivefactors like ‘better family relationships’ and ‘better peer acceptance’. Conclusions: The findings provide some evidence of risk and protective factors ofdepressive symptoms in urban adolescents. Adolescents who experience such risk factorsmust be monitored as they make their transition into adulthood; we also must focus onprevention and gender sensitive early intervention strategies to prevent mortality andmorbidity in this population.