Background: In many areas of the world, including India, open defecation still remains the predominant norm and poses one of the biggest threats to the health of the people particularly in rural areas.Objectives were to study the prevalence and socio-cultural determinants of open defecation in rural area of Perambalur district.Methods: The present cross-sectional was done in a three randomly selected villages falling under rural field practice area of Department of Community Medicine of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital in Perambalur district (Tamil Nadu). Data was collected on 330 houses using pre-tested interview schedule developed using SBM-G questionnaire/schedule for ODF verification for household surveys which was modified for present study. Statistical analysis was done using Epi Info version 7 software.Results: Most (89.1%) of the study participants were above 30 years of age. Majority of respondents (39.4%) were illiterate. Prevalence of open defecation was 78.8%. Only 70 (21.2%) houses were using household sanitary latrines. Various reasons reported for open defecation were unawareness about availability of public latrine (41.5%), inadequate water (15.3%), insufficient space for latrine construction (16.9%), inadequate money (10%), considering open defecation better (16.6%) and caste based discrimination (0.4%). The study found sex, education and occupation of head of family to be significantly associated with open defecation.Conclusions: This study highlights the need for implementation well planned behavior change communication strategy to stop the menace of open defecation.

No abstract

No abstract

Tribal malaria is a cause of high morbidity in India. Lack of affordable and accessible health care leads to out of pocket expenditure on malaria which is easily treatable under the NVBDCP. Lack of knowledge about causation and preventive measures about malaria predisposes to high incidence among Tribal. OBJECTIVES: 1) To study the prevalence of malaria like illness in the population 2) To study the health seeking behavior of the respondents 3) Study the health care spending on malaria like illness 4) Awareness among cases about malaria causation, prevention and control. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out during the month of September 2009 in three villages which fell under the Rural Health training center of a tertiary care medical .A Semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data from only those who had suffered from Malaria like illness with investigator visiting each household to enquire about malaria like illness in past 3 months. All the respondents who gave a positive history were included in the study. RESULTS: The study findings include (11%) of people suffered Malaria like illness, 80% of patients took treatment other than sub center and PHC, mean cost of spending per visit was 62 rs, 62% had no knowledge of malaria causation while 52% used cow dung smoke to drive out the mosquitoes. CONCLUSION: Health seeking behavior of tribal people in malaria like illness is inclined more towards the Private physicians and faith healers. Out of pocket expenditure was high on diseases which can be treated free of cost under government sponsored programme. There was a general lack of knowledge about modes of transmission of malaria and methods of mosquito control. Inadequate active surveillance by the health worker was noted.