Health care seeking for Childhood Diarrhea in Developing Countries: Evidence from Seven Sites in Africa and Asia

We performed serial Health Care Utilization and Attitudes Surveys (HUASs) among caretakers of children ages 0–59 months randomly selected from demographically defined populations participating in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS), a case-control study of moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in seven developing countries. The surveys aimed to estimate the proportion of children with MSD who would present to sentinel health centers (SHCs) where GEMS case recruitment would occur and provide a basis for adjusting disease incidence rates to include cases not seen at the SHCs. The proportion of children at each site reported to have had an incident episode of MSD during the 7 days preceding the survey ranged from 0.7% to 4.4% for infants (0–11 months of age), from 0.4% to 4.7% for toddlers (12–23 months of age), and from 0.3% to 2.4% for preschoolers (24–59 months of age). The proportion of MSD episodes at each site taken to an SHC within 7 days of diarrhea onset was 15–56%, 17–64%, and 7–33% in the three age strata, respectively. High cost of care and insufficient knowledge about danger signs were associated with lack of any care-seeking outside the home. Most children were not offered recommended fluids and continuing feeds at home. We have shown the utility of serial HUASs as a tool for optimizing operational and methodological issues related to the performance of a large case-control study and deriving population-based incidence rates of MSD. Moreover, the surveys suggest key targets for educational interventions that might improve the outcome of diarrheal diseases in low-resource settings

Jhumpa Lahiri, the Interpreter of the New Indian Diaspora

Ilustración: "Day 248 – Curves", Tyler BrownAcceso: http://ojs.impossibilia.org/index.php/impossibilia/article/view/4Published in 1999, at the turn of a new century and on the threshold of the third millennium, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, among many other awards) is a collection of stories charting the new Indian diaspora, in the aftermath of the 1965 reformation of the American immigration policy. This paper proposes a textual analysis of Lahiri’s debut work through the lens of diasporic discourse, in order to show how the poised and elegant voice of the Indian-American writer significantly sheds new light on diasporic literature, mediating between ethnic and global issues.Pubblicati nel 1999, all’inizio di un nuovo secolo e sulla soglia del terzo millennio, i racconti in Interpreter of Maladies di Jhumpa Lahiri (vincitore del Pulitzer per la narrativa, tra molti altri premi) narrano le vicende della nuova diaspora indiana, nel periodo immediatamente successivo alla riforma del 1965 della politica americana sull’immigrazione. Il presente articolo offre un’analisi testuale del libro di esordio della Lahiri attraverso la lente del diasporic discourse, al fine di mostrare come la voce equilibrata e elegante della scrittrice indiano-americana contribuisca, in modo significativo, a spargere nuova luce sulla letteratura della diaspora, mediando tra questioni etniche e globali

Navigating Generational Frictions Through Bihu Festival Performance in Assam, India

Abstract: Drawing on research conducted during doctoral fieldwork in Assam, India from 2009 to 2016, this article investigates frictions that shape narratives of generational change. In addition to exploring how female performers in rural Assam creatively interpret the narrative themes of Bihu as they transition from youth to adulthood, I situate the work of singer Khagen Mahanta, whose performances contributed to the mass popularity of Bihu, alongside more recent musical innovations of his son, who has become an icon of Assamese youth culture. These discussions intersect with my experiences performing with artists who move between ritual contexts, festival stages, and competitions.Résumé : À partir d ’ un travail de terrain mené dans le cadre d ’ une recherche doctorale dans l ’ État d ’ Assam en Inde, de 2009 à 2016, cet article enquête sur les frictions qui donnent forme aux récits de changement générationnel. En plus d ’ explorer la façon dont les interprètes féminines de l ’ Assam rural recréent les thèmes narratifs du Bihu au moment où elles opèrent leur transition de la jeunesse à l ’ âge adulte, je mets en contexte le travail du chanteur Khagen Mahanta, dont les interprétations ont contribué à donner au Bihu une grande popularité, de pair avec les innovations musicales plus récentes de son fils, qui est devenu une icône culturelle des jeunes assamais. Ces discussions s ’ entrecroisent avec mes propres expériences d ’ interprétation avec des artistes qui se déplacent entre contextes rituels, scènes de festivals et concours

Urban challenges to food and nutrition security

This review of recent literature explores the urban face of food and nutrition security in a more comprehensive, integrated way than most previous efforts. The review is organized around a conceptual framework that identifies food insecurity, inadequate caring behaviors, and poor health as the primary causes of malnutrition. It discusses current knowledge in eight areas that require the special attention of policymakers, development practitioners, and program administrators who wish to improve urban food and nutrition security: the sources and cost of food; incomes and employment; urban agriculture; urban diets; child caregiving practices; childhood mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition; health and environment; and social assistance programs, or safety nets. The review also reports on the magnitude of rural-urban and intra-urban health differences in mortality, morbidity, and malnutrition. In conclusion, the review indicates which policy issues and knowledge gaps remain for future research to address.Urban health. ,Urban poor Services for. ,Food security. ,Malnutrition. ,Child care. ,

Socio-economic and partner relationship factors associated with antenatal depressive morbidity among pregnant women in

Depression during pregnancy may negatively influence social functioning, birth outcomes and postnatal mental health. A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline survey of a prospective study was undertaken with an objective of determining the prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with depressive morbidity during pregnancy in a Tanzanian peri-urban setting. Seven hundred and eighty seven second to third trimester pregnant women were recruited at booking for antenatal care at two primary health care clinics. Prenatal structured interviews assessed socio-economic, quality of partner relationships and selected physical health measures. Depressive symptoms were measured at recruitment and three and eight months postpartum using the Kiswahili version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Completed antenatal measures available for 76.2% participants, showed a 39.5% prevalence of depression. Having a previous depressive episode (OR 4.35,

Spartan Daily November 28, 2012

Volume 139, Issue 46https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/1362/thumbnail.jp

Examining Middle Class Mindset in Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey

The paper examines how the middle class mindset is reflected in Rohinton Mistry’s novel Such a Long Journey, by viewing the pleasures and problems, worries and anxieties of a middle class Parsi family portrayed by Mistry in the novel. The Indian middle class composed of people who are educated, but neither rich nor poor, emerges during the British rule in the mid-nineteenth century and has been offering significant contributions in many fields including nation building. This class of people is enormously swelling with the progress of time and is shaping the society itself. The examination of the mindset of this class of people includes their way of thinking and their opinions, their responses to and interpretations of particular situations, their mental attitude or disposition, and their inclinations or habits. It appears that these people always prefer to take the middle path – they are neither too extravagant nor too miserly, neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic, their hopes and aspirations are neither too high nor too low. They attach importance to moral values and ideals, they are very much conscious of their image and prestige in the society. But it also appears that their idealism or ideology of adhering strictly to some values sometimes puts them in trouble and creates problems seemingly artificial and avoidable

Evaluation of solar disinfection of water intervention delivered through lady health workers in reduction of diarrheal episodes in under five children

Background: Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) is a simple, inexpensive and sustainable means of daily household treatment for drinking and storage of water. Globally, over a billion people lack access to safe drinking water. As many as half million under five children die annually due to diarrheal illnesses. Most of these deaths are concentrated in Africa and South Asia. Unsafe water is one of the most critical risk factors for diarrhoea. Systematic reviews indicate that interventions to improve the microbial quality of drinking water in households are effective at reducing diarrhoea illnesses and thereby contribute significantly in reducing deaths due to communicable diseases in children under 5 years. We evaluated the impact of the SODIS intervention on health outcomes and diarrheal episodes in two districts of Punjab province in Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken to assess the impact of solar water disinfection (SODIS) program in two districts of Punjab province, Pakistan. The program was implemented by the Ministry of Health from April 2010- May 2011 in Faisalabad district. We selected Toba Tek Singh as a comparison district for the survey.Results: Analysis with regression models revealed that children had a lower risk of contracting diarrhoea when they consumed high percentages of safe drinks (SODIS), lived in households with good hygiene, washed hands, and belonged to the richest quintile. Diarrhoea prevalence was 10.1 episodes per child per year in the non-intervention area compared to 5.6 episodes per child per year (\u3c 0.0001) in the intervention area. Similarly the proportion of children with dysentery reported in the intervention was half compared to non-intervention area (6.1% vs. 13.9%). SODIS method for purifying drinking water is acceptable and effective in the developing countries. It should be a part of preventive strategies at health system level to control diarrheal illnesses and reduce under five mortalit