Study In Urban Slum Research Articles

Do the fathers matter? Paternal perspective of exclusive breastfeeding practices: A community-based cross-sectional study in urban slums of Bhubaneswar, Odisha

ABSTRACT Introduction: Although various policies have been framed to improve exclusive breastfeeding outcomes in India, the father’s role in breastfeeding is grossly ignored. Gender inequalities are still predominant in several parts of India. Fathers’ involvement in breastfeeding decision-making plays a significant role in improving the outcome. However, till now, this domain has been neglected in India. Henceforth, we aimed to see the knowledge and attitudes of fathers regarding breastfeeding in a community setting. Methods: It was a community-based cross-sectional study done in the urban slums of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. One hundred seventy-one fathers with their children between six months and one year were recruited by simple random sampling. Knowledge was assessed with a semi-structured questionnaire, and attitude was measured with the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFA). Results: In the present study, 1.18% of fathers had good knowledge regarding breastfeeding. 46.2% had average knowledge regarding breastfeeding, and 57.3% had positive attitudes toward formula feeding. Discussion: We have found that most fathers had a positive attitude toward formula feeding, and very few fathers had good knowledge of breastfeeding. Henceforth, further focus in this area is required to improve breastfeeding outcomes.

Reasons and types of domestic violence against married women: a community based cross sectional study in urban slums of Pune, India

Background: Worldwide, domestic violence against females is common across religion, culture, socio economic class and ethnicity. Objective was to assess reasons and types of domestic violence against married women in urban slums of Pune. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was undertaken amongst 405 married women above 18 years of age. Chi square test was used to find an association between the different demographic variables with respect to domestic violence. Univariate logistic regression was used to find the Odds ratio between the domestic violence and different risk factors. Results: Prevalence of domestic violence was 37.28%. Commonest reasons reported for domestic violence was ‘not doing household work properly’ (23.47%). Duration of marriage (p<0.05), total number of children (p<0.05), type of family (p<0.05) and alcohol consumption by husband were significantly associated with domestic violence. Conclusions: Present study revealed that duration of marriage, total number of children, type of family and alcohol consumption by husband are the factors significantly associated with domestic violence against married women. Sessions on de -addiction and preventing the family from domestic violence arising due to it can be taken.

Anaemia and its Determinants Among Pregnant Women: A Study in Urban Slums of Kolkata Metro City

Anemia among pregnant women remains a significant public health concern, particularly in urban slum areas where access to healthcare and proper nutrition is often limited. Iron deficiency anemia is a pervasive issue, particularly impacting pregnant women and adolescent girls, considered by the World Health Organization with hemoglobin levels below 11 g/dl. On a global scale, as of 2019, 37% of pregnant women and 30% of women aged 15 to 49 experience anemia. NFHS-5 data reveals that the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in urban areas of India stands at 45.7%. This study explores the multifaceted factors influencing the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women residing in the urban slums of Kolkata, India. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to comprehensively assess the determinants of anemia among pregnant women in the Urban slums of Kolkata. Quantitative data collection involves structured surveys administered to pregnant women, focusing on socio-demographic characteristics, dietary habits, access to healthcare services, and knowledge of anemia prevention and management. Qualitative interviews delve deeper into the experiences and perceptions of pregnant women regarding anemia, exploring cultural beliefs, social norms, and barriers to accessing healthcare services. Additionally, healthcare providers and community health workers contribute insights into the challenges faced in addressing anemia in urban slum settings. Preliminary findings suggest that several interconnected factors contribute to the high prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in urban slum areas of Kolkata. These include inadequate antenatal care, limited availability of iron-rich foods, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, cultural beliefs surrounding pregnancy and nutrition, and socio-economic constraints. The study underscores the importance of multi-sectoral interventions aimed at addressing the complex determinants of anemia among pregnant women in urban slums. Effective strategies may involve improving access to antenatal care services, promoting nutrition education and supplementation, enhancing sanitation infrastructure, and fostering community engagement to challenge harmful cultural norms. By elucidating the nuanced factors influencing anemia in this vulnerable population, this research seeks to inform targeted interventions and policies aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes in urban slum areas of Kolkata and similar settings worldwide.

Review of: "Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) Study for Reducing Invalid Vaccine Doses in Routine Immunization: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Slums of Bangladesh"

Review of: "Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) Study for Reducing Invalid Vaccine Doses in Routine Immunization: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Slums of Bangladesh"

How common is elder abuse? A cross-sectional study in urban slums of Siliguri, India

How common is elder abuse? A cross-sectional study in urban slums of Siliguri, India

Exploring Factors Associated with Women's Willingness to Provide Digital Fingerprints in Accessing Healthcare Services: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Slums of Bangladesh.

Digital fingerprints are increasingly used for patient care and treatment delivery, health system monitoring and evaluation, and maintaining data integrity during health research. Yet, no evidence exists about the use of fingerprinting technologies in maternal healthcare services in urban slum contexts, globally. The present study aimed to explore the recently delivered women’s willingness to give digital fingerprints to community health workers to access healthcare services in the urban slums of Bangladesh and identify the associated factors. Employing a two-stage cluster random sampling procedure, we chose 458 recently delivered women from eight randomly selected urban slums of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Chi-square tests were performed for descriptive analyses, and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the factors associated with willingness to provide fingerprints. Overall, 78% of the participants reported that they were willing to provide digital fingerprints if that eased access to healthcare services. After adjusting for potential confounders, the sex of the household head, family type, and household wealth status were significantly associated with the willingness to provide fingerprints to access healthcare services. The study highlighted the potentials of using fingerprints for making healthcare services accessible. Focus is needed for female-headed households, women from poor families, and engaging husbands and in-laws in mobile health programs.

Health status of primary school children: study in urban slums of Lucknow

Background: Children are the wealth of any nation because they constitute one of the population's essential segments. Through school health services, morbidity patterns and nutritional status deficiencies are detected early and controlled to get a healthy and economically productive future generation. The present study was undertaken to assess the health status of primary school children in slum areas of Lucknow and find the morbidity pattern of the study population.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 760 students of primary schools. A pre-designed, pre-tested, and semi-structured questionnaire was used as a study tool.Results: Most of the subjects 362 (47.7%) were in age group of 7-9 years, and were distributed almost equally in the classes from 1st to 5thstandard. About one fourth (26.8%) school children were underweight, whereas 5.6% school children were found overweight. Girls (34.0%) were found underweight more than the boys (20.8%). In contrast, more boys (8.8%) were overweight than girl students (2.6%).Conclusions: The common infirmities found were underweight (26.8%), dental caries (6.1%), anemia (14.9%), pediculosis (17.2%) and ear discharge (2.2%). Proper knowledge regarding and the creation of awareness amongst the school children, their families, about the causes and ill effects of the various morbidities are essential. Emphasis should be given to school children regarding prevailing morbidities amongst them by class teachers.

Out-of-pocket expenditure and its predictors for illness of under-five children: A cross-sectional study in urban slums of Eastern India

Introduction:Out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure influences the access to the healthcare of the marginalized and vulnerable population including under-five children (U5C). The aim of the study is to estimate the OOP expenditure and its predictors in Bhubaneswar, a region of eastern India.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured interview schedule in 20 urban slums of Bhubaneswar. The survey was carried out by using the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) health consumption schedule 25.0 in which mothers of U5C with illness (n = 530) were interviewed. For data analysis, the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Kruskal–Wallis test were used as tests of significance.Results:The study revealed that the mean OOP expenditure for outpatient department (OPD) care was ₹375.9 (₹219.48). The mean approximated expenditure was ₹1669.8 (₹1131.9) for inpatient department (IPD) care. In OPD care, doctors' fee and medicine cost constituted 65.01% and 50.46% of OOP expenditure, respectively. In IPD care, medicine cost and doctors' fee contributed to 36.62% and 30.54% of OOP expenditure, respectively. The major significant predictors that contributed to increased OOP were gender and delay in approaching the source of treatment in OPD, whereas in IPD no such predictors were observed.Conclusions:This study prominently sheds light on the issue of accessibility and affordability of health services without a comprehensive health insurance scheme for U5C illness among the vulnerable urban slum dwellers to achieve universal health coverage.

Morbidity profile of under-5 slum dwellers of Amritsar city: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

Context:Children living in slums are deprived from basic necessities. Unhygienic environment and deficient nutrition hinder their growth and make them more prone to infectious diseases.Aims:To study morbidity profile of under-5 children and determine social epidemiological factors associated with it.Settings and Design:A descriptive cross-sectional study in urban slums of district Amritsar.Methods and Material:In total, 400 households each from four slums (1600 in total) were randomly selected. One to one interview with mother of each under 5 was conducted and information was recorded on pretested performa. Height and weight with haemoglobin estimation was done for each child.Statistical Analysis Used:Descriptive statistics (frequencies and proportions) and univariate logistic regression was applied to determine factors associated with under nutrition.Results:Out of 1136 under-5, 50, 45 and 8% were stunted, underweight and wasted. Severe malnutrition was seen among 23%. In total, 79% had anaemia. About 69% suffered from one or more infectious disease in last 3 months. Anaemia, birth order >2, lower socio-economic status and suffering from any infectious disease in last 3 months were associated with malnutrition.Conclusions:Severe malnutrition and anaemia was high among under-5 of urban slums and 69% suffered from infectious disease in last 3 months emphasizing on addressal of health needs of under-5 residing in urban slums.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF TEENAGERS IN URBAN AREA IN BAGHPAT, U.P.

The active rising stage of childhood is referred to as school age. Children's malnutrition is one of India's most significant problems. This issue is still being addressed throughout the country. Malnutrition, which is caused by insufficient nutrition, weakens the immune system and causes significant developmental delays. The key metric for determining a child's nutritional and health condition, as well as an indirect indication of well-being for adults, is development assessment. We used a predesigned and pre-tested questionnaire, anthropometric assessments, and clinical analysis to conduct a cross-sectional study in urban slums of Baghpat, U.P. India, from August 2021 to October 2021 to investigate nutritional status in school-age slum children and examine factors associated with malnutrition. The mean height and weight of boys and girls in the sample population were lower below the CDC 2000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines in all age groups. In terms of nutritional status, the age group 11 to 13 years had the highest incidence of stunting and underweight, whereas the age group 5 to 7 years had the highest prevalence of wasting. However, all illnesses are more common in children with refractive defects, although only anaemia and rickets have a statistically significant gender disparity. Malnutrition was shown to be substantially greater among children born in communal homes, infants whose mothers' training was [below or comparable to] 6th grade, and infants of working moms. The majority of our impoverished school-aged children were found malnourished. Food and nutrition knowledge based on skills, nutritional fortification, proactive infection prevention, public healthcare staff preparation, and delivery of comprehensive services are all encouraged.

Health Accessibility and Vulnerability among Marginalized Communities: A Study in Urban Slums in Kerala

The living environments and its direct impact on health and related areas are much significant in the socio- economic and environment studies. The vulnerability of the any marginalized sections of the societies needs to be studied and refereed for a change. As far as concerned, the slums are considerably disadvantaged to inadequate health, contaminated water sources, poor sanitation, unhygienic environment and poor quality of living. The census 2011 defines a slum as “residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation” because they are dilapidated, cramped, poorly ventilated, unclean, or “any combination of these factors which are detrimental to the safety and health” (Census, Govt of India, 2011). Roughly 1.37 crore households, or 17.4% of urban Indian households lived in a slum in 2011, data released by the registrar general and census commissioner’s office showed. The new data is difficult to compare with previous years, because the 2011 Census covers all 4,041 statutory towns in India, as compared to 2001 when only statutory towns with population over 20,000 were covered. The 2001 data had set India’s slum population at 15% of the total population. The objectives of the study are (1) to understand the major health issues existing in the urban slum (2) to understand the involvement of government and other stakeholders in addressing the multiple issues in the slums (3) to find out the major preventive strategies for addressing the various health issues in the urban slums (4) to highlight possible suggestions to improve the health conditions of the people living in the slums. The methodology employed in the study is analytical, based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative data generated through purposive sampling techniques as well as through focus groups discussions and interactions with stakeholders. A descriptive design was adopted for the study. The universe of the study consists of the two slums in Kollam Corporation. The researcher used random sampling method for selecting the samples and the researcher elicited primary data through questionnaire and for secondary data books, magazines and internet facilities were used. The total sample size is 120 respondents from 2 slums in Kollam district. The collected data from the respondents were tabulated and interpreted and later analyzed. The findings highlighted the slum dwellers need to make aware of the need for improvement in living conditions, and they must readily involve themselves with every phase of the rehabilitation. Practical and innovative approaches need to be put into practice to integrate slums within the cities. Governments need to pay more attention to slums and make concerted attempts to address this problem proactively.

Mushrooming of urban slums - A challenge toward population stabilization: A cross-sectional study in urban slums of Ahmedabad city

Mushrooming of urban slums - A challenge toward population stabilization: A cross-sectional study in urban slums of Ahmedabad city

Motivating and demotivating factors for community health workers: A qualitative study in urban slums of Delhi, India.

Background Community health workers play an important role in delivering health-care services, especially to underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries. They have been shown to be successful in providing a range of preventive, promotive and curative services. This qualitative study investigated the factors motivating or demotivating community health workers in urban settings in Delhi, India. Methods In this sub-study of the ANCHUL (Ante Natal and Child Healthcare in Urban Slums) implementation research project, four focus-group discussions and nine in-depth interviews were conducted with community health workers and medical officers. Utilizing a reflexive and inductive qualitative methodology, the data set was coded, to allow categories of motivating and demotivating factors to emerge. Results Motivating factors identified were: support from family members for their work, improved self-identity, job satisfaction and a sense of social responsibility, prior experiences of ill health, the opportunity to acquire new skills and knowledge, social recognition and status conferred by the community, and flexible work and timings. Negative experiences in the community and at health centres, constraints in the local health system in response to the demand generated by the community health workers, and poor pay demotivated community health workers in this study, even causing some to quit their jobs. Conclusion Community-health-worker programmes that focus on ensuring the technical capacity of their staff may not give adequate attention to the factors that motivate or discourage these workers. As efforts get under way to ensure universal access to health care, it is important that these issues are recognized and addressed, to ensure that community health worker programmes are effective and sustainable.

Measurement of overweight and obesity an urban slum setting in sub-Saharan Africa: a comparison of four anthropometric indices.

BackgroundAs a result of both genetic and environmental factors, the body composition and topography of African populations are presumed to be different from western populations. Accordingly, globally accepted anthropometric markers may perform differently in African populations. In the era of rapid emergence of cardio-vascular diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, evidence about the performance of these markers in African settings is essential. The aim of this study was to investigate the inter-relationships among the four main anthropometric indices in measuring overweight and obesity in an urban poor African setting.MethodsData from a cardiovascular disease risk factor assessment study in urban slums of Nairobi were analyzed. In the major study, data were collected from 5190 study participants. We considered four anthropometric markers of overweight and obesity: Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, Waist to Hip Ratio, and Waist to Height Ratio. Pairwise correlations and kappa statistics were used to assess the relationship and agreement among these markers, respectively. Discordances between the indices were also analyzed.ResultsThe weighted prevalence of above normal body composition was 21.6 % by body mass index, 28.9 % by waist circumference, 45.5 % by waist to hip ratio, and 38.9 % by waist to height ratio. The overall inter-index correlation was +0.44. Waist to hip ratio generally had lower correlation with the other anthropometric indices. High level of discordance exists between body mass index and waist to hip ratio. Combining the four indices shows that 791 (16.1 %) respondents had above normal body composition in all four indices. Waist circumference better predicted hypertension and hyperglycemia while waist to height ratio better predicted hypercholesterolemia.ConclusionsThere exists a moderate level of correlation and a remarkable level of discordance among the four anthropometric indices with regard to the ascertainment of abnormal body composition in an urban slum setting in Africa. Waist circumference is a better predictor of cardio-metabolic risk.

Determinants of utilization of maternity benefit schemes among mothers in urban slums of Davangere city, Karnataka, India

Background: Maternal healthcare still a major challenge to the global public health system, especially in developing countries. Globally, every day about 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Many maternity benefit schemes were implemented to improve financial and geographic access to quality care for poor mothers. The objectives of the study were to 1. Utilization of maternity benefit schemes among mothers in urban slums of davangere city. 2. Determinants of utilization of these maternity benefit schemes among mothers in urban slums. Study design was community based cross-sectional study. Methods: This study was conducted among all the mothers who had delivered prior to one year from the start of the study in urban slums. Results: 57% of the mothers had utilised Janani Suraksha Yojana, 29% of mothers had utilized Prasuthi Araike Yojana, 65% of mothers had utilized Madilu Yojana and none of mothers had utilized Thayi Bhagya schemes. The major source of information was health care workers. Major reason for non-utilization of maternity benefit schemes was lack of awareness. Conclusions: Overall the utilization of various maternity benefit schemes is poor among beneficiaries. Mothers and their husband’s literacy status, occupation of mother , type of family, socioeconomic status are the important factors that affect utilization of various schemes.

Circumstances leading to intimate partner violence against women married as children: a qualitative study in Urban Slums of Lahore, Pakistan.

BackgroundChild marriage (<18 years) is prevalent in Pakistan which is associated with negative health outcomes including intimate partner violence (IPV). Our aim is to describe the types and circumstances of IPV against women who were married as children in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan.MethodsWomen of reproductive age (15–49 years) who were married prior to 18 years, for at least 5 years were recruited from most populous slum areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Themes for the interview guide were developed using published literature and everyday observations of the researchers. Interviews were conducted by trained interviewers in Urdu language and were translated into English. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, analyzed and categorized into themes.ResultsAll 19 participants were married between 11 and 17 years. Most respondents were uneducated, poor and were working as housemaids. Majority of participants experienced verbal abuse, and threatened, attempted and completed physical violence by their husbands. A sizeable number of women reported unwanted sexual encounters by their husbands. Family affairs particularly issues with in-laws, poor house management, lack of proper care of children, bringing insufficient dowry, financial problems, an act against the will of husband, and inability to give birth to a male child were some of the reasons narrated by the participants which led to IPV against women.ConclusionsWomen married as children are vulnerable to IPV. Concerted efforts are needed from all sectors of society including academia, public health experts, policy makers and civil society to end the child marriage practice in Pakistan.

Socio economic differentials in utilization of maternal health care services: A study in urban slums of District Dehradun

Background: Health inequity is becoming an emerging issue all over the world. Improving maternal health is one of the UN Millennium Development goals. Pregnant women inhabiting urban slums are a “high risk” group with limited access to health facility. Objective: To study the socio economic profile of the mothers and to study the differentials in utilization of maternal health care by the beneficiaries. Study Design: Descriptive, observational cross-sectional field based study in two purposively selected urban slums of district Dehradun. Results: About 70.9% of mothers belonged to social class II and III and 66% of them belonged to nuclear families. Teenage pregnancy was seen in 8.5%. 93.8% of women received complete antenatal care, majority preferring government hospitals. 93.2% of the women received 100 IFA tablets or more but only 63.7% consumed them for 100 days. Majority of the deliveries were institutional and 79.9% were conducted by trained personnel. About 68.5 % received postnatal care. Conclusion: Although usage of ANC service was high, opportunity to deliver important health services was not fully utilized. Policy and programme to improve the quality and care of antenatal mothers, especially for the poor and under privileged are essential to improve maternal health care. Special interventions should be undertaken on priority basis so as to achieve millennium developmental goals in all population groups.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.14(3) 2015 p.280-285

Knowledge and attitude towards child marriage practice among women married as children-a qualitative study in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan.

BackgroundChild marriage (<18 years) is prevalent in Pakistan which is associated with negative health outcomes. Our aim is to describe women’s knowledge and attitude towards child marriage practice who themselves were married as children.MethodsWomen of reproductive age (15–49 years) who were married prior to 18 years, for at least 5 years and had at least one child birth were recruited from most populous slum areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Themes for the interview were developed using published literature and everyday observations of the researchers. Interviews were conducted by trained interviewers in Urdu language and were translated into English. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, analyzed and categorized into themes.ResultsNineteen of 20 participants who agreed to participate were married between 11–17 years. Most respondents were uneducated, poor and were working as housemaids. The majority participants were unaware of the negative health outcomes of child marriages. They appeared satisfied by the decision of their parents of marrying them before 18 years, and even condemned banning child marriages in Pakistan. Strong influence of culture and community perceptions, varying interpretation of religion, and protecting family honor are some of the reasons that were narrated by the participants, which seems playing a role in continuation of child marriage practice in Pakistan.ConclusionRaising awareness of the negative health outcomes of child marriage, implementing and enforcing strict laws against child marriage practice, promoting civil, sexual and reproductive health rights for women, can help eliminate child marriages in Pakistan.

English

Due to the poor socioeconomic conditions and severe lack of good hygienic living conditions in developing countries of the world, worm infestation has become widely prevalent and is a major public health problem. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of residents of Jos towards worm infestations and de-worming. This involved a cross-sectional study in urban slum of Jos North L.G.A of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. The Yamane method was used to randomly select 399 residents of Jos, which included adults from age 15 to 60 years of both sexes. The results obtained were analyzed using Chi-square test and descriptive statistics. Most respondents (about 50.0%) had moderate level of knowledge about worm infestation, which was only associated with educational level (p-value = 0.034) and age group (p-value = 0.0021). Attitude towards worm infestation was good, while that towards de-worming was very poor. However, since attitude towards de-worming was poor, only knowledge provision is inadequate, hence attitudinal change must be imbibed to reduce risk and incidence of worm infestation. &nbsp; Key words:&nbsp;Assessment, worm infestation, de-worming, knowledge, attitudes.

Pre-lacteal feeding practices among newborn in urban slums of Lucknow city UP, India

Aim: To study the Practices of Pre-lacteal feeding among Newborns in Urban slums of Lucknow city. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study in Urban slums of Lucknow city, UP. Methods and Material: A cross-sectional study in Urban slums of Lucknow city, UP included 524 women who had a live birth during last one year preceding data collection. A pre-desined and pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. Statistical analysis used: The data was tabulated on Microsoft Excel sheet and analyzed using the software SPSS 10.0 for Windows and Discrete data were analyzed using the chisquare test. Results: Study findings showed that Half (50.6%) of the mothers had given pre-lacteal feedings to their newborn. Out of those who had given pre-lacteal feed, 55.1 percent had given mugli ghutti/griipe water and 49.4 percent had given boiled water as pre-lacteal feed Only mother’s education (p < 0.01), father’s education (p < 0.001) and socioeconomic status (p < 0.05) were statistically associated with the practice of giving prelecteal feeding. Conclusion: It was concluded that maternal knowledge and awareness of correct feeding practices is essential for the normal growth, health and well being of the children. We therefore suggested that the primary focus of various nutrition related national programs in India for children should aim at imparting nutrition and health education to the mothers.