Indian Girls Research Articles

P03.24 Effect of media on adolescent girls “hiv/aids comprehensive knowledge” and “stigmatising attitude” towards people living with hiv/aid

Background Mass media is an important educational tool for increasing knowledge of HIV and fighting stigmatisation associated with it in the society. Objectives This study aimed at assessing the “comprehensive knowledge” on HIV/AIDS among the adolescent´s girls in India. The second objective was to understand how mass media influences knowledge and stigmatising attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS. Methods Secondary data analysis was done for the data available from the third round of the National Family Health Survey of India (NFHS-3). “Comprehensive knowledge” was defined as an individual who knew a) using a condom and having just one uninfected partner limits the risk of getting AIDS b) a healthy looking person can have AIDS and rejected the two most common misconceptions about AIDS transmission (transmission by mosquito bites and by sharing food). Stigmatising attitude included questions like, “if a teacher has HIV/AIDS but not sick, should he/she be allowed to continue teaching in school”. Media sources included broadcast media (TV programs/radio), print media (newspapers/display hoardings) and interpersonal sources (family/friends/health workers/community leaders). All data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Descriptive statistics was used to examine the study subject’s exposure to mass media, knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and its sources of knowledge. In the process of analysis, logistic regression model was used to observe how mass media influences knowledge and stigmatising attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS after controlling for confounders. Results 64.3% had ever heard about HIV/AIDS. The most common source of information about HIV/AIDS were broadcast media (88.5%) followed by interpersonal communication (50.7%) and print media (33%). Exposure to sources of HIV information was significantly related to HIV knowledge (OR = 4.5 for broadcast group; OR = 2.9 for print media and OR = 1.2 for interpersonal group) and less stigmatising attitude towards PLWHA (OR = 1.8 for broadcast group; OR = 2.2 for print media and OR = 0.9 for interpersonal group). Conclusions Exposure to mass media can help increase HIV/AIDS knowledge of adolescent girls. Enhancing its penetration in public can be an important strategy in disseminating HIV knowledge and reducing HIV related discrimination in India.

No Female Disadvantage in Anthropometric Status among Children in India

Female disadvantage in child mortality, intra-household allocation of food and coverage of health interventions has been shown to exist in India. At the same time, there has been limited examination of female disadvantage in nutritional status. Using measures of anthropometry and anthropometric failure, we study female disadvantage in child nutritional status from the data collected from the Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS) undertaken in 1992–1993 and 2005–2006. Height and/or weight measurements were available on 70,148 children aged 0–47 months in both survey periods. Child anthropometry (height/length-for-age [HAZ], weight-for-age [WAZ], weight-for-height/length [WHZ]) and anthropometric failure (defined according to the 2006 WHO growth standards as stunting, wasting and underweight) were analysed using linear and logistic regression models. In pooled regression models, boys were more likely to have lower anthropometric scores and higher rates of anthropometric failure. Across survey periods, the change in anthropometric status was greater for boys compared to girls for WAZ/underweight and WHZ/wasting, but was similar for HAZ/stunting. Boy–girl differences in anthropometry (with boys doing worse) were greater at less than 24 months of age and narrowed over time particularly in the 0–5 and 6–11 month age groups, resulting in no gender differences in anthropometric status. Declines in anthropometric status in HAZ/stunting and WAZ/underweight were found among third or higher birth order boys and girls, especially within families with two preceding children of the same sex but also in households with preceding children of mixed genders, suggesting a birth order effect as opposed to a birth order and gender effect. In 1992–1993 and 2005–2006, levels of anthropometric failure were higher among boys compared to girls in a majority of states. Although girls had lower levels of anthropometric failure, the magnitude of the between survey period decline was higher in girls in fewer states compared to boys (5/20, 7/25 and 10/20 states for stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively). In summary, in the most recently available data, using measures of anthropometric status, we did not find consistent evidence for female disadvantage in nutritional status among girls in India.

The impact of differing maternal expectations on the academic achievements of primary school children in Urban Bangalore, South: a comparison between boys and girls

Education of girls in India lags behind that of boys and several communities in India fare worse than others. Because of their secondary status in the society, Indian girls tend to suffer from low self‐esteem. Thus, it is necessary to study the reasons why girls are being discouraged from attending and completing school as well as what are the expectations mothers have from them when compared to their male siblings. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews with the participants. Of 15 mothers, 12 completed the questionnaires; of these, five mothers were interviewed, and their data was used to present the findings of a comparative study on the maternal expectations on academic achievements in primary school children residing in Urban Bangalore, South. This study also throws light on some of the peripheral issues that emerge while considering maternal expectations on academic outcomes. The study examines how maternal expectations might differ in the case of boys versus girls within an Indian context, particularly within an urban setting in Bangalore, Karnataka. No differences were seen in the expectations mothers had of their sons compared to their daughters, but several other issues emerged. The results of this study may not be used conclusively as this is just a small‐scale research project and hence no generalisation can be made to address such prevalent cultural issues in India, particularly in Urban South Bangalore, Karnataka, South India. The results of this study illustrate the need for more literature within the Indian context.

Sixty Girls, Three Nuns, One Home.

This article describes the experience of a nurse volunteer working with girls in India who had been trafficked and/or were children of mothers who were (are) prostitutes. The article describes how nuns who care, provide values and a safe home give the girls opportunities. The article illustrates how, with little recourse, three nuns care for 60 girls living in one home. The girls range in age from 4 to 18 years. The girls are motivated to live happily, work hard, study often, and play together. Lessons learned from the nurse volunteer who worked and lived with the girls are described. This article illustrates how nurses in retirement can still fulfill their passion of helping others.

Making silent voices heard: Using participatory video to address sexual violence

abstract Sexual violence is a worldwide phenomenon; one that surpasses the confines of race, culture, colour, creed, and religion and touches practically every community in the world. Often sanctioned by custom, sexual violence survives and flourishes on gender disparities. Today, as in the past, violence against women still constitutes one of the most unpunished crimes of all. Sexual violence is increasingly recognised as a significant driver of the HIV epidemic, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the frequency of HIV infection is growing at alarming rates among young women in particular. Youth’s vulnerability to HIV is an important reason to focus on how they understand sexual violence in the age of AIDS in order to address it. This article focuses on Indian secondary school youth in Durban, South Africa – where the biggest Indian community outside of India is found - and explores how participatory video, as ‘research as intervention’, is used to not only understand but also address sexual violence in their community. The theory of Triadic Influence (TTI) provided a frame to make meaning of the findings of the study. The participants were 10 Indian boys and 10 Indian girls who were purposively selected from Grade 11 classes from a secondary school in Durban. The findings of the study suggest that Indian youths’ understanding of sexual violence is underpinned by an Indian culture of concealment which perpetuates sexual violence and that the participatory video work – as intervention - opened up opportunities for them to engage critically with issues of Indian culture, peer pressure, and trauma, enabling them to be critically aware of the world around them. In this way, participatory video contributed to the participants empowering themselves in becoming agents of change.

Perceived Stress and Coping among Rural Adolescent Girls in India

A cross sectional study was conducted among 120 adolescent girls from rural area (of Calicut, Kerala), India. Findings showed lesser level of stress but adopted maladaptive coping strategies. Importance of mental health programme in schools and colleges targeting adolescent girls was discussed.

A study of resilience and social problem solving in urban Indian adolescents

This paper investigates the relation between resilience and social problem solving among Indian adolescent boys and girls from a north Indian urban area. With the advent of information technology tools, multinational brands and privatisation of higher education in India, there has been a surge in the ambitions of the millennial Indian youth. This has also resulted in extreme competition, failure and non resilient outcomes for many. This study was conducted to find the level of correlation between resilience and social problem solving skills. The study revealed that adolescents high on resilience were significantly better on social problem solving skills, superior positive orientation towards problems in general and a rational approach towards solving them as well. Since resilience is a dynamic construct, problem solving training can be used to enhance resilience in adolescents facing mental health issues arising out of the typical urban Indian milieu.

Nutritional status among boys and girls of a central Indian Town (Sagar)

The prevalence of undernutrition is a significant area of concern in many developing countries, where it is a major public health problem. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of undernutrition among school-going boys and girls of central Indian city Sagar, MP. A total of 612 individuals (312 girls and 300 boys) aged 5–18 years were examined and compared to the NCHS reference data. The nutritional status was assessed using following anthropometric indicators: body height and weight, body mass index (BMI) and composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF). It was found that girls were heavier (1 kg) and taller (2–5 cm) than boys up to 15 and 13 years of age, respectively. After that, boys became taller with 1 to 13 cm. The mean BMI of boys was higher to girls up to 10 year of age after that the trend was reversed. Comparison of the present findings with NCHS reference data revealed that Indian girls and boys were lagging behind. The difference in body weight between the reference data and the present sample was around 5 to 6 kg. The pattern of difference in body height revealed small amount during early childhood (6.6.cm and 9.6 cm in girls and boys 5 years of age). This difference more than doubled at the age of 14 years in girls 16.7 cm and in boys 17.5 cm (p<0.01). Similar pattern was found for BMI with 6.5 kg/m2 and 6.3 kg/m2 in 14 years old girls and 16 years old boys (p<0.01). Z-score values of weight-for-age, height-for-age and BMI-for-age revealed that that boys were more likely to be stunted than girls whereas girls were more likely to be underweight and undernourished than boys. In terms of CIAF 10.6% girls and 10% boys were undernourished. The results of the present study indicate that there is great need for implementation of health programmes to eliminate gender inequalities and improve children’s health.

Evaluation from inside Out: The Experience of Using Local Knowledge and Practices to Evaluate a Program for Adolescent Girls in India through the Lens of Gender and Equity

This article describes an interesting approach where the evaluators recognised the value of using local community knowledge and experience in evaluating a Government of India program for the development and empowerment of adolescent girls. The evaluators tried to integrate participatory and appreciative approaches and looked at the evaluation process through a gender and equity lens. The evaluators went beyond the mandate of evaluation and focused on building evaluation capacity by fostering ownership of the program among stakeholders and encouraging the community to be the active agents of change. Instead of traditional evaluation where evaluators are outsiders, we engaged the stakeholders in the evaluation. All the stakeholders, including the funding agency, a non-government organisation (NGO), the adolescent girls and the wider community were engaged in varying degrees—from defining the objectives, designing questions, data collection and data analysis in the context of their aspirations and expectations, so that it could be an occasion for recognition and celebration of their strengths. The local project implementers and the adolescent girls themselves re-evaluated their own responses and used them in a particular context to further empower themselves. We used principles of the strength-based approach and framed appreciative questions, which recognised the strengths of the community and NGO staff. This created a non-threatening environment, which stimulated open sharing of experiences. Further, this resulted in reinforcing the evaluation process by improving the quality and richness of data that the community produced itself, which would not have been the case in a traditional evaluation. Additionally, a gender and equity lens was used to conduct the evaluation in six multi-ethnic districts, populated with religious and linguistic minorities, and an indigenous population. The gender and equity lens allows recognising the systematic discrimination based on gender, caste and class. The evaluation was able to probe whether the program assessed time, mobility, poverty and accessibility constraints of girls, and accounted for intersectional discrimination.

Presence of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Adolescent Girls of Jammu District and its Effect in their Physical Performance

Iron deficiency is the commonest cause of anemia in Indian adolescent girls and women and it impairs their work performance and work capacity. The study was carried out on 210 adolescent girls in the age group of 10 to 19 years, selected randomly from schools of Jammu district. Samples of blood were collected from the subjects and analyzed for parameters like haemoglobin concentration, total erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, serum iron and total iron binding capacity. From TEC, PCV and haemoglobin were calculated the blood indices MCV and MCHC. From serum iron and TIBC was calculated the transferrin saturation index. Our findings show that 71.42% adolescent girls were anemic, and they showed significant decrease in physical performance. Hematological parameters and biochemical parameters were significantly lower in moderately anemic adolescent girls as compared to mild anemic adolescent girls. Also the physical fitness index was poor in girls with moderate anemia as compared to mild anemic and non anemic adolescent girls.

Prevalence of Double Nutrition Burden Among Adolescent Girls of Assam, Northeast India

Introduction: Prevalence of the malnutrition is a very common phenomenon in the developing countries leads to high mortality, morbidity and long-lasting physiologic effects. The present study was conducted among adolescent populations residing in rural regions with an aim to determine the prevalence of double nutritional burden (e.g., thinness and overweight) in Karbi-Anglong district of Assam, Northeast India.Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 1228 heterogeneous groups of adolescent girls aged 10- 16 years residing in rural areas of Diphu, Karbi-Anglong, Assam is using simple random sampling method. The anthropometric measurement of height and weight were recorded using the standard procedure. The Body mass index (BMI=weight/height2, kg/m2) was calculated. Recently proposed, the BMI based age sex specific international references and cut-offs of Cole et al. was used to assess the prevalence of thinness and overweight.Results: The overall prevalence of overweight and thinness was found to be 8.13% and 19.14% respectively. The age specific prevalence of overweight and thinness was found to be higher among 11 years (12.00%) and 16 years (31.13%) respectively.Conclusion: The present study shows the magnitude of thinness is a still greater nutritional problem than overweight in rural adolescent girls in India. The results of the present study will be useful for the policy makers in their endeavour to formulate various developmental strategies and health care programmes of the population concern to combat the double burden of nutrition.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v34i2.10447J Nepal Paediatr Soc 2014;34(2):132-137

Making the clean available: Escaping India’s Chulha Trap

Solid cookfuel pollution is the largest energy-related health risk globally and most important cause of ill-health for Indian women and girls. At 700 million cooking with open biomass chulhas, the Indian population exposed has not changed in several decades, in spite of hundreds of programs to make the “available clean”, i.e. to burn biomass cleanly in advanced stoves. While such efforts continue, there is need to open up another front to attack this health hazard. Gas and electric cooking, which are clean at the household, are already the choice for one-third of Indians. Needed is a new agenda to make the “clean available”, i.e., to vigorously extend these clean fuels into populations that are caught in the Chulha Trap. This will require engaging new actors including the power and petroleum ministries as well as the ministry of health, which have not to date been directly engaged in addressing this problem. It will have implications for LPG imports, distribution networks, and electric and gas user technologies, as well as setting new priorities for electrification and biofuels, but at heart needs to be addressed as a health problem, not one of energy access, if it is to be solved effectively.

Sero-surveillance to assess rubella susceptibility and assessment of immunogenicity and reactogenicity of rubella vaccine in Indian girls aged 18-24 years

Rubella infection though a mild infection, may cause foetal death or a variety of congenital anomalies. Multiple sero-surveys confirmed that 5–10% women are unexposed to natural or vaccinated rubella virus and remain susceptible to rubella infection. The current study was conducted in 600 girls, aged 18–24 y from Symbiosis International University (SIU), Pune, India to assess their sero-status against rubella infection and to estimate the immunogenicity of rubella vaccine in achieving sero-protective antibody titres. Prior to administration of a single i.m. dose of rubella vaccine (R-vac®) to eligible participants, blood sample (pre-vaccination) was collected. During the 4–6 weeks observation period, adverse events were noted. Then, a second blood sample (post-vaccination) was collected. Significant increase was noted in sero-protection response, viz., 98.6% (post-vaccination) vis-à-vis 66.5% (pre-vaccination); Geometric mean titer (GMT) was significantly higher post-vaccination. Effective measures to introduce rubella vaccination on a larger scale need to be undertaken. An immunization policy with mandatory rubella vaccination for all girls in the reproductive age group and its inclusion in national immunization schedule is highly desirable.

Body composition in offspring of New Zealand women: ethnic and gender differences at age 1–3 years in 2005–2009

Background: In multi-ethnic New Zealand the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is increasing and varies by ethnic group.Aim: This study explored ethnic and gender differences in body composition in offspring of women treated for gestational diabetes in the metformin in gestational diabetes (MiG) trial.Sample and methods: Total and regional body composition measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry were investigated in European, Indian, Polynesian and “Other” children aged 2 years (48 boys; 56 girls).Results: By ethnicity, boys were not different by height or weight. Compared with European girls, Indian girls weighed less (2.3 ± 0.58 kg) and Polynesian (1.13 ± 0.53 kg) more, but percentage body fat was not different. Adjusted for age, height and weight boys had less total and appendicular fat and higher abdominal fat mass and total bone mineral density than girls (p < 0.001). Adjusted for age, weight and height Indian boys had more fat in the central and abdominal regions and less total lean mass than European boys (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These measurements provide early evidence for gender and ethnic differences in the distribution of fat and might help identify who is most likely to benefit from intervention in the first few years of life to reduce risk of chronic disease including diabetes.

The Importance of Sisters: Indian Girls Reflect on Their Experience in an Orphanage

The literature on children who have lost their parents and have been raised in an orphanage indicates that they are at a developmental disadvantage compared with children who were raised within their own families. The majority of previous research in this field is taken from the barren institutions of Romania and Russia, solely using quantitative research methods. The goal of this article is to introduce the readers to a different way of gathering data about these children. Taken from a larger doctoral dissertation research project, qualitative methods were used, including ethnographic data, observations, conversations and photographic images, providing data of Indian girl's experiences of daily living in an orphanage. Participants included 19 girls, all living together in one orphanage in Jaipur, India. Data analysis was guided by principles of Grounded Theory, which places priority on the participant's narrative and the meaning of their experiences. The data illuminated the daily joys and struggles of growing up parentless. This article will focus on the methodology of the study as a unique way of accessing the girls’ experience in the home. In addition, it will highlight one main theme from the findings, i.e. the girls’ feeling of well-being stemming from a sense of belonging, particularly to the sisterhood of the home. The sibling relationships in the home provided much needed love, acceptance, and intimacy for the girls. The findings of this research, including the method of data collection, contributes to our understanding of a child's experience in an orphanage and what may help foster a sense of resilience and love.

Child Sexual Abuse in Madurai, India: A Literary Review and Empirical Study

This article attempts to explore the cultural and patriarchal relevance of child sexual abuse in a conservative town in India, with a special interest in understanding the current problems experienced by teenage girls in India. A questionnaire was distributed to 100 respondents who belonged to Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Thiruparangundram, Madurai. The questionnaire was developed with special reference to the female protagonist, Lily in Jaishree Misra’s Secrets and Lies. The resulting article also includes an e-interview with Jaishree Misra. The researchers hypothesize that change can be envisioned when the social conscience is awakened to cruel events that happen in the Indian population. Change regarding social events must go even further to allow children to blossom and experience the joys of childhood.

Body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours among Indian urban adolescent girls.

To assess the associations of body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours with actual weight status among urban adolescent girls. In the present cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours. Sociodemographic information was collected using a pre-tested schedule. Weight and height of each girl were measured to assess actual weight status. Twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, West Bengal, India. A total of 1223 adolescent girls aged 14-19 years were selected from nine schools in Kolkata and Howrah in West Bengal. Many overweight girls perceived themselves as overweight and engaged in weight-reducing activities. However, several normal-weight girls also perceived them as overweight and attempted to lose weight. Unhealthy eating practices to reduce weight were followed by both overweight and normal-weight girls and even by a few underweight girls. Multivariate binary logistic regression showed a significant association between actual weight status and use of unhealthy weight-loss measures. The likelihood of adopting unhealthy eating practices was significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight girls. Health education programmes should be introduced at schools to promote effective weight-control practices that help dispel myths about weight loss.

Intergenerational Patterns of Fertility Among Registered Indian Teenage Girls in Canada

In 2004, Registered Indian teenage girls aged 15 to 19 had a 94‰ fertility rate, 7 times the average Canadian rate for the same age group. Despite various general studies on the subject, there has been little interest in the past on the intergenerational character of teenage fertility. Analysis of data from the Indian Register of the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) reveals that, among Registered Indian teenage girls, the fertility of daughters of teenage mothers is systematically higher than for daughters of mothers aged 20 or older. While it is impossible to establish a direct link of causality, the results of this study demonstrate for the first time the intergenerational nature of teenage motherhood among Registered Indian girls.

Urban American Indian Adolescent Girls: Framing Sexual Risk Behavior.

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence urban adolescent American Indian (AI) girls' sexual risk behavior. A qualitative study was conducted with grounded theory methodology to reveal factors and processes that influence sexual risk behavior. Talking circles, individual interviews, and event history calendars were used with 20 urban AI 15- to 19-year-old girls to explore influences on sexual risk behavior. The generated theory-framing sexual risk behavior-describes social and structural factors and processes that influenced the girls' sexual risk behavior. The theory extends Bronfenbrenner's ecological model by identifying microsystem, mesosystem, and macrosystem influences on sexual risk behavior. Urban AI girls reported similar social and structural influences on sexual risk behavior as urban adolescents from other racial and ethnic groups. However, differences were noted in the family structure, cultural heritage, and unique history of AIs. This theory can be used in culturally responsive practice with urban AI girls.

Free Solar Lanterns to Below Poverty Line Girls in India: A Step Toward Achieving Millennium Development Goals

Development sectors like health cannot function in isolation. Intersectoral coordination between various departments helps in bringing a positive change in the health-seeking behavior of society in the long run. The decision by the Government of India to provide free solar lanterns (lamps) to the school-going girls of below poverty line families is a welcome step in this context. This initiative would help in reducing the number of school dropout girls and thus help in improving the health indicators that are directly related to women's education. Thus it is an initiative that will help in attainment of Millennium Development Goals through women's education and empowerment. Along with that, the environment-friendly approach will definitely have an impact on health of the girls by switching from kerosene/wood stoves to solar lantern light. Also this initiative would pave the path of real “intersectoral coordination” in the health sector in India that is marred with watertight functioning of various departments. There is an urgent need to popularize the scheme and involve different stakeholders like corporate houses, media, nongovernment organizations, multinational welfare agencies, and local governing bodies for ensuring the availability and utilization of solar lanterns in India.