Abstract:Background:
Motorcycles account for a large proportion of road traffic accidents in India and the riders of these vehicles run a high risk of injuries or death. This study aims to explore the determinants of helmet use among motorcyclists in Kerala, India.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study conducted in Kerala, India, over a period of six months. 309 motorcyclists in Kerala were interviewed for this study using a pretested structured questionnaire.
Results:
Among 309 motorcyclists, 80% were less than 40 years of age, and only 24% were females. Among the total, only 31.4% used a helmet. There was a statistically significant association between the use of helmet and gender, marital status, drunken driving, use of alcohol and attitude towards implementing legislative measures. Odds Ratios observed were 5.3 for female gender compared to male, 4.5 for those with a positive attitude towards the implementation of legislative measures on helmet use, 3.7 for those who were not drunk while driving and 2.3 for unmarried compared to married persons.
Conclusions:
The study concludes that the determinants associated with the practice of helmet use were gender, drunken driving, marital status and positive attitude towards legal measures.
The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence and type of tobacco use among adolescents and also the reasons for the initiation of tobacco use amongst them. It was conducted in ten randomly selected schools in the Kannur district of Kerala state, India. A total of 3,000 school children participated. The study observed an overall prevalence of 5.5%. The prevalence observed among boys was 12% and none of the girls were tobacco users. Association between father's and friend's tobacco habits were observed.
Background: Adolescence is a transitional stage extending from 10-19 years characterized by rapid physical, mental and sexual changes. It is also characterized by hormonal changes. As girls attain puberty at this age, they have various problems associated with menstruation. Menstruation is a natural phenomenon and an important indicator of women's health reflecting their reproductive function. However data on experiences of menstruation and it's impact on the health status, quality of life and social integration among women in developing countries is scanty. 75% of girls have one or more problems associated with menstruation.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of menstrual problems among school going students in the age group of 12-17 years. 510 adolescent girls of randomly selected government schools in Thiruvananthapuram district were studied by a pretested semi structured questionnaire.Results: Mean age of menarche is 12.2. Out of 510 students 352 have normal menstrual cycles (50.1%). 10% have scanty menstruation, 31% have menorrhagia. Majority of girls (84.8%) has one or other menstrual problems. 33% of girls suffer from dysmenorrhea. Among 510 participants 31.6% reported that menstrual problems affects their daily life activities. 14.7% could not attend the class and 12.8% attend the class without taking medication but not participating in any outdoor activities.Conclusions: Menstrual problems are present in majority of girls in the study group which has some effect on the academic performance and other extracurricular activities in school.
Background:
The health issues and social problems associated with alcohol use are well known. This study seeks to identify the prevalence of alcohol consumption and dependence among alcohol users in a rural area of Trivandrum district.
Objectives:
To assess the prevalence of alcohol use among adults of Nellanad Panchayat, a rural area in Trivandrum, Kerala, to find out the interventions required among the alcohol users, and to identify persons with harmful and hazardous use of alcohol using AUDIT.
Settings and Design:
Cross-sectional study in Nellanad Panchayat, Trivandrum district, Kerala.
Methods and Materials:
A cross-sectional study was carried out among 1545 residents in Nellanad Panchayat, a rural area in Kerala, by interviewing adults with the help of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS.
Results:
The overall prevalence of current alcohol use was 146 (9.5%). The prevalence among males was 143 (18.3%) and females was 3 (0.4%). ASSIST scores showed that 99 (50%) of ever users required health education, 74 (37.8%) required counseling, whereas 23 (11.7%) required de-addiction.
Conclusions:
Among males, the alcohol consumption is still as high as 18.3%. The most important factor affecting alcohol use is peer pressure. Health education is the most required intervention to reduce burden of alcohol use.
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