Role of living conditions and socioenvironmental factors on chronotype in adolescents

An individual's chronotype, defined as the preference for rest and activity at different times of the day, is linked to several physiological and psychological outcomes. Research on environmental determinants of chronotype has focussed mostly on geographic location, whereas other socioenvironmental determinants have been neglected. We aimed to investigate the association between other previously unrecognized socioenvironmental factors and chronotypes in adolescents. We analysed data of 1916 Bengali adolescents (aged between 13-14 years, 47% girls). Chronotype was determined by the reduced morningness-eveningness questionnaire (rMEQ), and socioenvironmental factors were identified through a structured questionnaire. Associations were analysed using multinomial logistic regression models. Our findings demonstrated that living in urban areas, the presence of a smoker at home, and higher parental education were associated with a higher evening activity (eveningness), while the use of biomass cooking media (compared to liquefied petroleum gas) and assisting parents in farming were associated with higher morningness in adolescents. This is the first study to identify the association between previously unrecognized socioenvironmental factors and chronotypes delineating the interaction between environment and sleep in adolescents and might help the parents to understand the importance of a proper sleep-activity rhythm of their kids through a comprehensive understanding of their surrounding environment and other factors

Evaluation of the musculoskeletal problems related to Occupational health of sweet makers of West Bengal

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate work related musculosketal problems of the sweet-makers and to identify causative working postures leads to stress. Background: Informal sweet making sectors spread over the entire country. Many people are involved in the industry. However, no reports so far, as per our knowledge, are available concerning the assessment of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of the sweet-makers of India. Methods: The working postures were captured by still photography and were evaluated using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Modified Nordic musculoskeletal disorder questionnaire was used to get information about discomfort of the workers and BPD scale was used to evaluate the degree of discomfort. Result: The results indicated that the working postures of the sweet-makers were very strenuous. The regions of maximum discomfort were head, neck, shoulder, wrists, upper and lower back and mild discomforts were felt at waist, knees and ankles. Although intensity of discomfort varies in workers based on their predominant working postures. Conclusion: The strenuous postures were associated with WMSDs of the sweet-makes, which could lead to physiological hazards and ultimately the productivity. Implementation of proper workstation is recommended for the betterment of the workers

Chronotype assessment of the Bengalese adolescents: an observational study using a Bengali version of the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ)

Chronotype or morningness orientation is an interpersonal characteristic that influence human physiology and psychology and less is known about the chronotype of the Bengalese adolescents in India. We aimed to study the chronotype of this population by using a translated version of a previously established questionnaire. 471 Bengali-speaking adolescents (13–14 years) (boys = 268, girls = 203) of West Bengal, India were included in this study and their chronotype was assessed using an interviewer-administered Bengali version of the reduced Morningness–eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ). The reliability of the translated instrument was assessed using Cronbach’s α. Chi-squared test was used to observe the chronotype distribution between the boys and girls. rMEQ scores of all the participants ranged between 5 and 25 with a median value of 17 (25–75th percentile: 15–20). Cronbach’s α was 0.751. Using cut off scores, we found 47% of our study participants were of morning chronotype, whereas the intermediate and evening types were of 50% and 3%, respectively. Chi-squared test demonstrated a significantly higher morningness among boys than the girls. The study describes the morningness orientation pattern of the Bengalese adolescents that may have some defined influence on their physiological and psychological characteristics including health and disease.This study was partially supported by the unrestricted internal research grant of the Allergy & Asthma Research Centre, Kolkat

Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergy-related diseases among adolescents (PERFORMANCE) study: rationale and methods

Despite a considerable number of international reports on allergic diseases among children, information about the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergy-related diseases among Indian adolescents is relatively sparse. The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Asthma and Allergy-Related Diseases among Adolescents (PERFORMANCE) study has been conceived to study the aetiology of asthma and allergic diseases including rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic eczema and food allergies among adolescents in West Bengal, India, using standardised methods and collaborations. The aims of the study are: 1) to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of asthma and allergic diseases among the adolescents residing in rural, suburban and urban areas of West Bengal; 2) to obtain information about the possible role of lifestyle factors (smoking, diet and physical activity) on the disease prevalence; and 3) to create a network for further investigation on social, environmental and genetic factors affecting the diseases. The PERFORMANCE study comprises two phases. The phase I study will investigate the prevalence and possible contributing factors of asthma and allergic diseases in a defined population. The phase II study will be performed as a follow-up of phase I to assess the incidence of asthma and allergic diseases