Community In Tamil Nadu Research Articles

Narrowing the Credit Divide: Strategies to Bridge Credit Gap among the Dairy Farming Community of Tamil Nadu, India

Access to institutional credit is essential for sustaining and enhancing the growth of dairy farming, particularly in state like Tamil Nadu where majority of farmers belongs to the marginal and small categories. The study was conducted in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, which categorized the state into high and low institutional credit disbursal districts, selecting Coimbatore and Perambalur as representative districts to propose tailored strategies for improving various aspects of institutional credit among dairy farmers. Strategic statements were developed using insights from previous literature, experiences from various credit programs in India and abroad, and expert recommendations. These strategies were organized into hierarchies and stages, and then compared pairwise. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed as a decision-making tool to identify the most effective strategies for bridging the credit gap, enhancing credit adoption, reducing credit diversion, and improving access to institutional credit among the dairy farming community in Tamil Nadu.

Dynamics of change among traditional pastoral communities in Tamil Nadu, India: A case study

Dynamics of change among traditional pastoral communities in Tamil Nadu, India: A case study

Investigating tooth morbidity risks, prevalence, and interventions in tribal setting: a study protocol focused on the Irula community in Tamil Nadu.

Dentistry is uniquely positioned as a healthcare profession, distinguished from allied health or paramedical fields. It operates within a university-based structure, maintaining primary care responsibilities. Oral diseases impose a substantial worldwide health and economic burden, profoundly affecting the well-being of those affected. This cross-sectional study is centered on the Irula tribes in Tamil Nadu, India. Investigating the extent of tooth morbidity and loss, identifying possible risk factors, looking at oral hygiene habits, and evaluating the oral health-associated quality of life (OHRQoL) in this population are the main goals. As this population is at high risk for dental issues, promoting good oral hygiene becomes crucial. Indigenous populations, including the Irula tribes, have been underrepresented in research studies. The vulnerability of the Irula tribes is exacerbated by their remote locations, resulting in limited access to fundamental healthcare facilities. This study employs a cluster sampling approach, aiming to include 880 individuals aged 60 and above from Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts. The methodology encompasses a community-based questionnaire, clinical assessments utilizing standardized indices, and the assessment of the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). The Statistical Package for Social Services, version 20, will be used to analyze all of the data that has been gathered (SPSS).Categorical variables will undergo analysis, with descriptive statistics and frequency percentages computed. This study evaluates tooth morbidity and dentistry's role in screening chronic diseases like diabetes among the Irula tribes. It explores risk factors, oral hygiene practices, treatment seeking behavior, and oral health-related quality of life to gain a comprehensive understanding.

CONTEXTUALIZING THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND TRAINING: MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES (MSMEs) IN THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA

ABSTRACT Given the size and diversity of India in terms of multiple languages, religions, ethnicity, and caste system, it is a step challenge to implement coordinated policies and programs with a top down approach. Among the 28 states and 8 union territories, there exist significant differences between the urban and rural areas. Widespread inequality of wealth and income, gender bias, and unemployment impede the country’s growth in numerous ways. In view of the unique nature of India’s diversity it is relevant to use a contextualized approach to study the impact of entrepreneurship education, training, and mentoring programs that are meant to meet the demands of diverse communities in Tamil Nadu. Keywords Contextual Analysis, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Self Help Groups (SHG), Street Vendors, Incubators and Accelerators, and Startups

Effects of coastal erosion due to climate change on fishermen communities in Tamil Nadu

One of the consequences of climate change is coastal erosion which weakens and destabilizes foundations, habitat loss, infrastructure, loss of tourism etc. These damages result in the failure of business for fishing communities leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and contributes to psycho-socio and economic problems. The objectives of the study are to understand the socioeconomic status of the fishermen's community and to check their awareness about coastal erosion and its impact on their livelihoods. The descriptive design was adopted for this study and semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect the data from 150 family involved in fishing industry. Quota sampling method was used where 30 samples were randomly collected from each of the five targeted areas in Besanth Nagar, Chennai based on the household member’s availability. The findings show that all (100%) of the respondents are aware of the term coastal erosion and what it is. 66.7% of the respondents felt that over the period of time, a coastline has been eroding. Fish depletion is found to be one of the major challenges they faced and due to vulnerabilities they faced, majority (51%) of them do not want their children to continue fishing profession. All (100%) the respondents do not know any policy or program related to coastal erosion and the fishermen community and also confirmed that there has been no intervention from the State or Central Government, to address the issue of coastal erosion.

Dropout rate of anti-rabies vaccination among rural and urban communities in Tamil Nadu: A comparative cross-sectional study

Background: Rabies is a vaccine preventable deadly disease. There is a lack of organized surveillance system on animal bite victims to ensure completion of full course of post-exposure prophylaxis. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate the dropout rate of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) post-exposure regimen among rural and urban communities of Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. To interpret the association between category of bite and vaccination outcome among rural and urban communities of Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A retrospective hospital record based study (ARV REGISTER) was done in urban primary health center (PHC) Haridosspuram and rural PHC, Kelambakkam during January 2021. Collected data were entered into MS Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Total dropout rates of ARV regimen among rural and urban communities were compared by Chi-square test. Results: A total of 5262 animal bite victims were vaccinated during the past 2 years. The majority (37.4%) of victims belonged to 21–40 years of age. The total dropout rate observed among both rural and urban communities was 51.2% with the higher proportion (72.8%) of dropouts seen among victims of category I bite. Wound washing practice was observed among the victims. Higher dropout rate (61.3%) of ARV regimen was observed among urban communities compared to rural communities (50.2%). Significant association was found between the category of animal bite and the vaccination outcome in both rural and urban communities. Conclusion: The animal bite victims should be educated and counseled about the importance of complete vaccination. The health workers should ensure proper follow-up of the victims to complete the vaccination schedule and thus prevent drop outs.

Nutritional Anemia in a Rural Community in Tamil Nadu

Background: The prevalence of anemia in India is moderately high, leading to a thrust toward iron fortification of commonly used dietary cereals. We undertook a study to determine the prevalence of anemia in a rural population in Tamil Nadu and to evaluate its association with social, cultural, and dietary practices. Methods: Four hundred and twenty-three adults living in 39 villages comprising the Kattankulathur block of Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu were recruited for this study. Data regarding social, cultural, and dietary practices were recorded and hemoglobin estimated using capillary blood samples. Anemia was classified according to the criteria specified by the World Health Organization. Results: Anemia was found in 91 of 244 (37.3%) female respondents and in 17 of 179 (9.5%) male respondents. In univariate analysis, anemia exhibited associations with marital status, level of education, occupation, and socioeconomic status. The prevalence of anemia was higher in diabetics, and in those who had no awareness of anemia. Anemia was less prevalent in those who frequently consumed milk, fish, beef, or dates. In multivariate analysis, when gender was eliminated, consumption of dates, socioeconomic class, frequent milk consumption, and alcohol consumption were independently associated with anemia. Conclusions: Socioeconomic class and dietary practices were the strongest determinants of anemia in a rural South Indian community and should inform interventions in the community.

Begging and Stigma: Life and Experiences of Children From the Boom Boom Maatukarar Community in Tamil Nadu

The experiences of people from marginalised communities have always been different in all shared social spaces. This article attempts to unpack the experiences of children from marginalised Boom Boom Maatukarar community of Tamil Nadu inside the classroom. It sheds light on the stigma and discrimination faced by children from this community in order to access school and attain education, which is supposed to have an equalising effect on unequal societies. It also explores the power of stigma and how it acts as an abstract and concrete factor that affects the life and experiences of children from this community.

Vaccine Hesitancy Narratives

Vaccine Hesitancy Narratives

Mortality among Patients with Severe Mental Disorders from a Rural Community in South India

Background: Even though excess mortality in patients with severe mental disorders (SMD) has been established in many high-income countries, literature on this from the low- and middle-income countries including India is rather scant. Our study seeks to estimate the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of patients with SMD from a rural community in Tamil Nadu for the years 2011–2015. Materials and Methods: We included patients with SMD from four taluks of Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu, during the years 2011–2015. We collected information on a total number of patients with SMD registered, their sociodemographic details, alive/dead status, and cause of death from the clinic registers and patient case records. We used the crude death rates for rural Tamil Nadu for the years 2011–2015 for the calculation of SMR, which is calculated by the formula observed deaths/expected deaths. Results: The SMR of patients with SMD was 3.33, 2.76, 2.11, 1.91, and 1.89 in the years 2011–2015. Of the 74 total deaths in these 5 years, 62 (83.7%) were due to natural causes, while 12.2% died by suicide. Statistically significant differences were observed in age, education, and marital status between patients with SMD who were alive and dead. Conclusion: We observed nearly two-times higher mortality among patients with SMD in rural Tamil Nadu. Further research is needed to examine the reasons for increased mortality among patients with SMD and interventions to reduce this excess mortality.

Attitude towards COVID 19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy in urban and rural communities in Tamil Nadu, India \u2013 a community based survey

BackgroundEffective and safe COVID 19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use since the end of 2020 and countries are actively vaccinating their people. Nevertheless, hesitancy towards the vaccines exist globally.ObjectivesWe conducted this study to understand the attitudes towards COVID 19 vaccines and hesitancy to accept it among urban and rural communities in Tamil Nadu, India.MethodsWe conducted a community based cross sectional study in urban and rural communities among 564 persons who had not been vaccinated yet, selected through multistage random sampling. The vaccine attitude scale (VAX) was used to measure attitudes towards the vaccines and their acceptance of the vaccine was captured by responses to a direct question.ResultsMore than 50% of the respondents had positive attitudes towards the COVID 19 vaccines. Based on their attitudes, they were segmented into four clusters, first with preference for natural immunity compared to vaccines and low concern regarding adverse effects. Second with high level of trust in vaccines and low mistrust. The third cluster members had high level of concern regarding the adverse effects and low levels of mistrust in vaccines and the fourth had high trust in vaccines and low preference for natural immunity. Older individuals with higher education and occupation were more likely to belong to cluster four with high trust in the vaccines. Younger individuals, women, rural residents, belonging to low income labourer class were highly mistrusting of the vaccines. The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was 40.7% (95% CI – 36.67 - 44.73%), while 19.5% (95% CI = 16.23 - 22.77%) of the respondents were vaccine deniers. While vaccine acceptance was greatest in cluster 1, it was least in cluster 3.ConclusionsVaccine hesitancy was high in urban and rural Tamil Nadu. The population could be effectively segmented into groups based on their attitudes and this understanding can be used to develop targeted behaviour change communication campaigns.

Considering time in climate justice

Abstract. Time shapes every single human–environment relationship and is inherent in 21st-century global challenges such as climate change and the urgent move towards global sustainability. Nonetheless, the concept of time is still insufficiently addressed in climate justice debates. This paper aims to help fill this gap by presenting empirical results about experiences of climate change in farming communities in Tamil Nadu, South India, and fishing communities on the Lofoten Islands, Norway. With the help of the five dimensions of affectedness, rhythms and rituals, slow motion, care, and health and well-being, it exemplifies how time matters to issues of climate injustices faced by the communities. The paper promotes a qualitative understanding of time and climate change. Thereby, it may stimulate greater relatability to climate change, as well as discussion likely to lead to conceptual advances.

Traditional Knowledge on Indigenous Foods in the Communities of Tamilnadu- An Exploratory Cross- Sectional Study

<i>Introduction</i>: Traditional food knowledge is the knowledge passed from one generation to another generation. Ancient Tamil peoples believes “<i>Unavemarundhu</i>” which means <i>“Let’s food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”</i>. Indigenous food system helps to improve the quality of life. <i>Objective</i>: This study was conducted to assess, collect and document the traditional knowledge on indigenous foods followed in the Communities of Tamilnadu. <i>Methods</i>: A cross sectional study was conducted through Focus group discussion and one on one interview method among the 202 selected women Respondents in the age group 30-90 years old. <i>Results</i>: Knowledge assessment of the selected Respondents reveals that the majority of the people from the age group above 80 (71.6%) possess more traditional knowledge. People in the age group of 30-39 (10.5%) years possess least traditional knowledge. Even though we have plenty of awareness about exclusive breast feeding, still most of the Respondents prefer to include the sugar syrup as first food for infants due to superstitious belief. <i>Conclusion</i>: The above study concluded that the traditional knowledge to indigenous food was decreasing gradually, if this situation persists, we may lose our precious traditional knowledge on food in future. Indigenous food preparations are rich in nutraceutical compound which aids for better well being and improve immunity. So it is important to document the indigenous food in order to protect and preserve our traditional knowledge.

Spatial and communication practices of Chettiar women in their ancestral homes

The Chettiars are a mercantile community in Tamil Nadu who built large palatial houses called the Valavu Veedu (ancestral homes). Applying Lefebvre’s theory of space, this study documents spatial and communication practices of Chettiar women belonging to three different generations from three families and how their use of space in their ancestral homes have changed with time. From the data collected through direct observation, in-depth interviews and auto-ethnography, it was found that women who live(d) in the ancestral home are able to relate to spatial norms within the domestic space whereas the younger generations women experience alienation. While Chettiar women suffered from curtailed interpersonal communication, limited access to media, and access to knowledge within the ancestral space, their rights within the domestic space have drastically improved due to change in spatial practices, which include enhanced socialization and exposure to other cultures afforded by modern houses in cities. Appropriation of space occurs when changes in social space affect the perceived space, conceived space, and lived space. When these families lived in modern houses in other towns and cities, the design and architecture affected the lived experience and spatial practices. This change has helped women in appropriating space in the ancestral home.

Awareness, Risk Perception, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Communities of Tamil Nadu, India.

The health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to disproportionately impact residents of lower-middle income countries. Understanding the psychological impact of the pandemic is important to guide outreach interventions. In this study, we examined people’s awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, risk perception, and changes in behaviors and stress levels during the lockdown in peri-urban Tamil Nadu India. Field workers conducted phone call surveys (included n = 2044) in 26 communities from 20–25 May 2020. The majority perceived no (60%) or low (23%) level of risk of personally contracting coronavirus. Common fears were related to health and economic concerns, including loss of income (62%), inability to travel freely (46%), and becoming sick (46%). Residents were well aware of the common symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever (66%) and dry cough (57%), but not the asymptomatic transmission (24%). The majority experienced increased stress about finance (79%) and the lockdown (51%). Our findings emphasize the need to develop context-adequate education and communication programs to raise vigilance about asymptomatic transmission and to sustain preventative behaviors. The evidence on fear and changes in stress levels could inform designing coping strategies and programs focused on mental well-being.

Sanitation Practices during Early Phases of COVID-19 Lockdown in Peri-Urban Communities in Tamil Nadu, India.

.In countries without adequate access to improved sanitation, government-imposed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic can impact toilet usage. In India, where millions have recently transitioned to using a toilet, pandemic-related barriers to use might increase open defecation practices. We assessed changes in reported defecation practices in peri-urban communities in Tamil Nadu. Field assistants conducted phone surveys in 26 communities in two districts from May 20, 2020 to May 25, 2020. They asked respondents about their access to a toilet, whether they or a family member left their house to defecate in the past week, and whether specific practices had changed since the lockdown. Among 2,044 respondents, 60% had access to a private toilet, 11% to a public or community toilet, whereas 29% lacked access to any toilet facility. In our study, 92% of the respondents did not change their defecation behaviors in the 2 months following the pandemic-related lockdown. About a third (27%) reported that they or a family member left their house daily to defecate amid lockdown measures. A majority of those with private toilets (91%) or with public toilets (69%) continued using them. Respondents with private toilet access were more likely to report an increased frequency of handwashing with soap (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.04–3.05) since the lockdown. The lack of private toilets contributes to the need to leave the house amid a lockdown. Maintaining shared toilets require disinfection protocols and behavioral precautions to limit the risk of fomite transmission. Robust urban COVID-19 control strategies should include enhanced sanitation facility management and safe usage messaging.

Indian Concept of Entrepreneurship – Evolution and Impact of Business Communities in Tamilnadu

Thousands of years ago, before the world invented the term Entrepreneurship; India had coined the term “Vaishya” to represent the business community as a part of varnashradharma. Despite the fact that Indian system of division of society, based on the concept of “Division of Labour” degenerated into a caste system often described as the “Crime against Humanity”, the fundamental tenet of this system needs a fresh look from the modern management concepts especially entrepreneurship lens. This paper is a conceptual study to understand how entrepreneurship in ancient times evolved as a societal arm to create entrepreneurial communities otherwise called business communities in India which are still existing and vibrant. To name a few of these business communities:Chettiars, Shettys,Nadars and Mudaliars in the South, and Marwaris, Sindhis, Gujatahis, Parsis, and Bhoaras in the Northern part of India. This paper is an attempt to understand those business communities of Tamilnadu, interms of their characteristics and contributions towards entrepreneurial development in India.

Challenges and Issues in Health Care Utilization among Transgender Community in Tamil Nadu

Transgender is a wide-ranging expression functional to a diversity of individuals, behaviors, and groups concerning tendencies to deviate from the normative gender roles. In India, till very recently, transgender was not recognized as human beings. This is a huge violation of Human Rights. The lack of recognition has segregated them from society, and above all, in the matter of Civil Rights, they have been destitute from many rights and privileges that the common Indian people enjoy. Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex. Some transgender people who desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another identify as third gender person. Transgender peoples normally prone to health hazards, and they undergo many physical and mental difficulties or problems in obtaining medical treatments and general medical treatment in hospitals. The Medical Council of India should issue guidelines to the medical professionals and avoid discrimination in the medical treatment of the transgender community. The medical curricula in various medical colleges should be reformed to prevent seeing transgenderism as a disease and deviance.

At What Extent Does cardiospermum Halicacabum relieves chronic Joint Pain among Elderly? An Experiment in Urban community of Tamilnadu, India

At What Extent Does cardiospermum Halicacabum relieves chronic Joint Pain among Elderly? An Experiment in Urban community of Tamilnadu, India

Functional traits of exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing lactic flora from feces of Irula and Urban community of Tamil Nadu

Functional traits of exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing lactic flora from feces of Irula and Urban community of Tamil Nadu