Background: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - 7 aimed to reduce by half the proportion of population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015. Without access to clean water and basic toilets, and without good hygiene practices, a child’s survival, growth and development are at risk. This study was conducted to assess the drinking water management and handling practices at household level of Sullia Taluk of Karnataka which would give an insight into drinking water management and handling practices in this area.  Also the present study is planned to determine the sanitary practices in the households of Sullia Taluk. Methods: 260 houses were sampled using a probability proportionate to sampling size . A cross sectional study was done using a semistructured questionnaire to assess water handling, water management and sanitary practices. Free chlorine in the water was assessed by O- Toluidine. Results: Main source of drinking water was protected dug well in 31.5% and 75.3% did not have any alternate source of drinking water. 92% of those who stored water in overhead tanks and sumps did not clean them within seven days. 14% of the households did not use any of the water treatment methods before drinking. There was no free chlorine in the water of any of the households . 4% did not wash their hands with soap post-defecation. 28% of the households threw their waste indiscriminately around their house. 92% had cattle in close proximity to their house. None of the households practiced open field defecation. Conclusions: Health education is very important to prevent the incidences of water and sanitation related diseases. Emphasis needs to be given to behavioural change communication to create awareness among the households regarding the importance of water and sanitation practices.

Introduction: Industrial workers are a captive group and can be considered ideal for increasing awareness, adopting preventive strategies and thus to the control of cardiovascular diseases. However, there are limited numbers of studies which are carried out to estimate the coronary heart disease risk burden in factory settings of India. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors among the workers of a nylon yarn manufacturing factory in South India. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among all employees aged 20 -59 years employing a clinical examination and biochemical estimation. Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, Fasting Blood sugar and Lipid profile were measured. Patients known to have coronary heart disease, those aged less than 20 years and those aged more than 59 years were excluded. Results: 320 workers were evaluated. Their mean age was 32 years. Among the study population, 6.25% were obese and 21.8% were current smokers. 14.7% of them were found to be hypertensives and 61.87% were pre-hypertensives. 5.9% of the workers were diabetic and 14.6% had impaired fasting glucose. 55.93% of them had an increased Total cholesterol / High Density Lipoprotein ratio. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a high prevalence of risk factors for coronary heart disease among a comparatively young population in a South Indian industrial setting.

Introduction: Menstrual-related problems are one of the most common problems among adolescent girls and might adversely affect their performance in academic and other activities of daily life. Aims & Objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of school absenteeism among adolescent school girls during menstruation. 2. To assess the restrictions which are imposed on adolescent school girls during menstruation. 3. To evaluate the various factors associated with school absenteeism during menstruation. Methods: A study was conducted by carrying out a questionnaire and focus group discussion between October 2019-January 2020 in seven schools of Bangalore city after obtaining the assent and informed consent signed by their parents. Result: The mean age of the girls was 14.45 ± 1.71. The proportion of school absenteeism during menstruation was (30.25%). The majority (89.25%) of the students among the school absentees missed one day of school during menstruation. Among the school absentees, pain/discomfort was one of the main reasons for missing school, accounting for (69.42%). (46.25%) of the students were restricted from any kind of religious activities. Pain during menstruation, shame, fear of leakage, lack of toilet or water supply, lack of a place to dispose of sanitary pads and absence of a private place to manage periods were some factors that were associated with school absenteeism during menstruation. Conclusion: Considerably high school absenteeism among adolescent girls due to menstruation was noted in this study, highlighting the need for improved interventions that reach girls at a young age.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common non-communicable diseases in India. Self-care practices in diabetes are essential for the control of the disease and improvement of quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the proportion of study subjects practicing self-care practices and to study their influence on glycemic control. Materials and Methods: This is a community-based cross-sectional study on 400 diabetic patients selected by probability proportionate to sample size to assess the self-care practices with the help of a semistructured questionnaire after obtaining institutional ethical clearance. Results: Majority of the study population were males (62.75%) and belonged to the age group of 40–60 years (60.25%). About 51% of the respondents were diabetic for less than 6 years; 24% and 16% followed a healthful eating plan and exercised regularly, respectively. About 46% were regular in taking medications and 71% checked their blood sugars regularly. Only 0.5% checked their foot and inside of their foot wear regularly. Conclusion: Self-care practices were found to be unsatisfactory in most of the domains that were studied. As these practices are essential for the prevention of complications and to provide a better quality of life, more efforts are needed to educate the people about self-care practices.