Assessment Of Socioeconomic Status And Livelihood Index Among Small-Scale Fishermen Along The Kakinada Coast, Andhra Pradesh, India.

This present study provides an overview of the socio-economic characteristics and livelihood capitals of small-scale fishermen (SSF) in Kakinada Coast, Andhra Pradesh, India. It highlights key parameters such as age, sex, household structure, occupational status, income, and expenditure. The study also examines the five central capitals that influence the livelihoods of SSF: human, natural, financial, physical, and social capital. The majority of SSF in Kakinada Coast are in the prime working age group (25-54), with fishing being their primary occupation. The average household size is 4.81, with an average of 2.51 male members and 2.30 female members. Male SSF dominate the community, accounting for 96% of respondents, while females make up only 4%. The physical assets of SSF include large and small boats, fishing gears, drying racks, spades, radios, cooking pots, and jars. Access to natural capital, such as land, open water, usable forest, and aquatic resources, is limited for floating fishers. SSF have a limited level of human capital, including knowledge, skills, education, mental health, disease frequency, and access to training. The livelihood assessment index indicates that SSF possess a moderate level of human, financial, physical, natural, and social capital

Unravelling Seasonal Shifts: Exploring Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Signatures in Zooplankton of Kakinada Bay, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The present study focused on the seasonal variability of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic signatures in zooplankton collected from Kakinada Bay. Physiochemical parameters of the bay, such as temperature, salinity, nitrates, nitrites, dissolved nutrients, phosphates, and chlorophyll a, were evaluated. The isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen in zooplankton and POM were determined using an isotope-ratio mass spectrophotometer. The δ13C values of zooplankton and POM were higher in Kakinada Bay, indicating enrichment of δ13C in primary production. The δ15N values of zooplankton ranged from 8.17 to 9.58, with the highest values observed during the monsoon season. The study provides insights into the trophic structure and anthropogenic influences on the marine ecosystem in Kakinada Ba

Comparative Study of Prevalence of type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in Various Demographic Regions of Andhra Pradesh, India: A Population-Based Study

Background and Introduction: Diabetes is increasing at alarming rate among Indians especially South Indians with prevalence of diabetes mellitus (PODM) varying in populations of different regions. This study assesses PODM in three geographical areas, namely: tribal, semi-urban, and urban, and to compare the diabetes risk in northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh state in India. Methodology: A random sampling method was followed to study the prevalence of diabetes in about 3,000 individuals of age group between 15-68 years, selecting 1,000 individuals from each area. As per 1988 World Health Organization criteria and norms, diabetes mellitus was diagnosed on the basis of 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGT). Statistical analyses were conducted using Microsoft Excel 2007. Results: The analysis of the study indicates that 35.5% individuals were identified to be diabetic, especially 7.8% from Tribal area, 12.5% from semi-urban and 15.1% from urban area. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: The study indicates that people in urban area were more prone to type-2 diabetes than those in Tribal and semi-urban area. New cases of diabetes were reported in tribal areas when compared to semi-urban and urban areas indicating that rural people were not spared from diabetes. The study also indicates that there is an increase in the prevalence of diabetes in tribal area of Andhra Pradesh State of India when compared to previous studies. Key words: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) • Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus (PODM) • Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGT) Copyright © 2016 Nirmala et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.