Water and sanitation hygiene knowledge, attitude, and practices among household members living in rural setting of India

Background: Rural population in developing countries face water, sanitation, and hygiene-related health issues. To objectively highlight these issues, we studied the knowledge, attitude, and practices-related to drinking water and sanitation facilities among the rural population of Chennai, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed involving individuals over 18 years of age living in Thandalam village, Chennai, India. Basic information about sociodemographic profile and existing drinking water and sanitation related knowledge, attitude, and practices was collected using a modified version of previously validated questionnaire and analyzed. Results: Forty-five percent of the participants were not following any methods of water treatment and among them half of the participants felt that water available to them was clean and did not require any additional treatment. Twenty-five percent of the participants surveyed did not have access to toilets inside their household. Conclusion: There is a need for intervention to educate individuals about drinking water treatment methods, sanitation, and hand washing practices

Water and sanitation hygiene knowledge, attitudes and practices among school settings in rural Chennai

This pilot cross-sectional study was conducted to assess water and sanitation hygiene-related knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) among rural school students in Chennai, South India in September 2013. A convenient sample of 80 participants (70 children and 10 staff members) was enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria included participants residing in rural areas and studying in a government school. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographic and school characteristics and water and sanitation hygiene (WASH)-related KAP. The mean age of the students was 14 years (SD= 2) and half of them were females. The school had a government drinking water supply and did not use any water treatment/purification method. The majority of the participants had correct WASH-related knowledge. However, one-third of the students reported diarrheal episodes in the school due to unsafe drinking water. There was disparity in the response of the students compared to the staff about toilet facilities in the school. This study concluded that there is a need for multifaceted intervention that will facilitate adequate water and sanitation hygiene practices among school children through the availability of proper sanitation infrastructure and family-centered education

Urban Rural Comparisons of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Burden among Adolescent Girls in a Hospital Setting in India

Background. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a multifaceted disorder characterized by varying clinical presentations. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine urban and rural differences in the burden of polycystic ovarian syndrome among Indian adolescent females aged 12 to 19 years. Methods. A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one month (August-September 2013) at Balaji Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. The final sample included 126 study participants located in various urban (50%, n=63) and rural (50%, n=63) settings. Information was gathered on sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, clinical history, occurrence of acne and hirsutism, serum testosterone levels, obstetric history, family history of chronic diseases, menstrual history, physical activity, and dietary intake. Results. Eighteen percent of the participants were confirmed of having PCOS by recent guidelines of Rotterdam Consensus for adolescent diagnosis of PCOS (presence of all three elements). Majority of the individuals with PCOS had an average age of 16 (SD = 2) (P=.02) years with an average age of menarche 12 years (SD = 1). Conclusion. The proportion of participants diagnosed with PCOS was higher among urban participants in comparison to rural participants