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Parental involvement in educating children remains a crucial first step in building an informed citizen. It becomes a routine matter for children to follow the footsteps of educated parents. However, for the first-generation learners, e.g. particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), it is an arduous task because they belong to the least developed communities in India, with poverty and illiteracy forming the base of their existence. This paper examines the extent of involvement PVTG parents have in educating their daughters and identifies ways for improvement. Findings based on this original study suggest that the parents realise involvement, but their knowledge of involvement differs from the general population and the Western context. Hence, the study proposes four types of Cs to integrate their involvement: Concern, Communication, Condition, and Cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater women's bargaining power and decision‐making within a household have been shown to increase investments in human capital. This study links women's participation in decision‐making in dairy production with household investment in girls and boys in health, nutrition, and education. We survey households in the urbanizing region of Bangalore, India. We utilize a multinomial treatment effects model to analyze the individual and household factors that are associated with women's participation in sole or joint decision‐making. We then assess how the type of decision‐making influences a household's investments. The results first show that female decision‐making households are more disadvantaged on average than other types of decision‐making households. Second, we observe that female decision‐makers for dairy production are more likely to have more children and earn a higher income than their husbands. Third, the main findings show that households in which women engage in joint decision‐making have higher levels of investment across all categories for girls. Conversely, investments decrease in education and nutrition for both girls and boys when the wife is the sole decision‐maker. Lastly, investments are enhanced further for girls when households can sell milk at a higher price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a large administrative dataset of schools in India, we examine the impact of increasing female representation in school management on school performance and children's learning outcomes. Exploiting an education legislation that mandated female representation in school governing committees, we show that participation of females in these committees results in improvement in number of teachers, qualification of teachers and student enrollment. Besides, we provide evidence of positive impact on learning outcomes of children, particularly for girls. We conduct an array of robustness checks to ensure that confounding factors like initial school characteristics, pre-trends are not driving the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses whether living in a locality with high crime against women affects the probability of early marriage—that is, marriage before the legal age of marriage of girls. Using a nationally representative longitudinal data set and tackling the potential endogeneity of local crime rates, we find that perceived crime against women in the locality significantly increases the likelihood of early marriage of girls, while there is no such effect on boys of comparable age group. We also find no such effect of gender-neutral crimes (such as theft and robbery) on the likelihood of early marriage of girls. Moreover, we find that the relationship holds only in conservative households where the purdah system is practised, and also in the northern region of India, where patriarchal culture and gender norms are stronger than in the southern region. A sensitivity analysis assessing the potential impact of unobservable confounders suggests that our estimates are unlikely to be affected by omitted variable bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girls' education has for many decades been central to the global development agenda, due to its positive impact on girls' health and wellbeing. In this paper, the authors revisit boys' attitudes, behaviours and norms related to girls' education, following the Samata intervention to prevent girls' school dropouts in Northern-Karnataka, South India. Data were collected from 20 boys in intervention villages before and after the intervention, and analysis was undertaken using a thematic-framework approach. Findings suggest that while boys did hold some attitudes and beliefs that supported girls' education and delayed-marriage, these remained within the framework of gender-inequitable norms concerning girls' marriageability, respectability/family-honour. Participants criticised peers who sought to jeopardise girls' respectability by teasing and community gossip about girls-boys' communication in public. Boys who rejected prevailing norms of masculinity were subjected to gossip, ridicule and violence by the community. Boys' attitudes and beliefs supported girls' education but were conditional on the maintenance of gendered hierarchies at household and interpersonal levels. Social norms concerning girls' honour, respectability and the role of boys as protectors/aggressors appeared to influence boys' response to girls' school dropouts. Future interventions aiming to address girls' education and marriage must invest time and resources to ensure that intervention components targeting boys are relevant, appropriate and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Anemia poses a significant challenge among Indian adolescent girls due to their heightened vulnerability, resulting from increased micronutrient requirements, rapid physical growth, menstrual blood loss, inadequate nutrition, and socioeconomic disparities. This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of anemia, along with socioeconomic and nutritional statuses among adolescent girls attending rural public schools in Pune, India. METHODS: A sample of 400 girls was selected from 22 villages through Symbiosis International University. Hemoglobin levels were assessed using the HemoCue 201 system, while standardized protocols were employed for height, weight, and BMI-for-age measurements. Socioeconomic status was determined using the Kuppuswamy scale. RESULTS: The findings revealed an overall anemia prevalence of (42.75%), comprising severe (2.5%), moderate (21%) and mild (20.25%) cases. Additionally, a substantial proportion (74.6%) of girls were classified as underweight. Socioeconomic analysis disclosed that 64.25% of families belonged to the lower middle class, and 27% in the upper lower class. Anemia was more prevalent in young adolescent girls (10-14 years) and in the families of adolescents who had low income, were illiterate, unemployed, and belonged to the lower-middle class and upperlower-class socio-economic status (SES) and did not have a bank account. CONCLUSION: Anemia was prevalent in adolescent girls and associated with low SES. This study underscores the limitations of relying solely on the distribution of iron and folic acid tablets to combat anemia. A holistic strategy is imperative, encompassing improvements in SES of families (literacy, employment and income), as well as initiatives aimed at enhancing the nutritional status of adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet global cervical cancer elimination efforts, a wider range of affordable and accessible vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) are needed. We aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a quadrivalent HPV vaccine (targeting HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18), developed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SIIPL). Here we report outcomes in the 9–14 years cohort. This randomised, active-controlled, phase 2/3 trial was conducted at 12 tertiary care hospitals across India. Healthy participants aged 9–14 years or 15–26 years with no history of HPV vaccination were eligible for enrolment. Female participants were randomly assigned (1:1) with an interactive web response system, by use of a central computer-generated schedule and block randomisation (block sizes of 2, 4, 6, and 8), to receive the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Cervavac; SIIPL, Pune, India) or the comparator quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil; Merck Sharp & Dohme, Harleem, the Netherlands). Participants, investigators, laboratory technicians, and sponsors were masked to treatment allocation of female participants. Male participants were given the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine in an open-label manner. Study vaccines were administered intramuscularly with a two-dose schedule (at day 0 and 6 months) in the cohort aged 9–14 years, and with a three-dose schedule (at day 0, month 2, and month 6) in the cohort aged 15–26-years. Immunogenicity was assessed 30 days after the last dose by use of multiplexed ELISA. The primary outcome was the non-inferiority of immune response in terms of the geometric mean titre (GMT) of antibodies against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 generated by the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine in girls and boys (aged 9–14 years) compared with the GMT generated by the comparator quadrivalent HPV vaccine in women aged 15–26 years at month 7 in the modified per-protocol population (ie, all participants who received all doses of study vaccines per assigned treatment group and had both day 0 and 1-month immunogenicity measurements after the last dose following protocol-defined window periods with no major protocol deviations). Non-inferiority was established if the lower bound of the 98·75% CI of the GMT ratio was 0·67 or higher. The co-primary outcome of occurrence of solicited adverse events (within 7 days of each dose) and unsolicited adverse events (up to 30 days after the last dose) was assessed in all participants who were enrolled and received at least one dose of study vaccine. The trial is registered with the Clinical Trials Registry – India (CTRI/2018/06/014601), and long-term follow-up is ongoing. Between Sept 20, 2018, and Feb 9, 2021, 2341 individuals were screened, of whom 2307 eligible individuals were enrolled and vaccinated: 1107 (738 girls and 369 boys) in the cohort aged 9–14 years and 1200 (819 women and 381 men) in the cohort aged 15–26 years. No race or ethnicity data were collected. 350 girls and 349 boys in the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine group and 338 women in the comparator vaccine group were included in the modified per-protocol population for the primary endpoint analysis. The median follow-up for the analyses was 221 days (IQR 215–231) for girls and 222 days (217–230) for boys in the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine group, 223 days (216–232) for girls in the comparator vaccine group, and 222 days (216–230) for women in the comparator vaccine group. GMT ratios were non-inferior in girls and boys receiving the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine compared with women receiving the comparator vaccine: GMT ratios for girls were 1·97 (98·75% CI 1·67–2·32) for HPV type 6, 1·63 (1·38–1·91) for HPV type 11, 1·90 (1·60–2·25) for HPV type 16, and 2·16 (1·79–2·61) for HPV type 18. For boys the GMT ratios were 1·86 (1·57–2·21) for HPV type 6, 1·46 (1·23–1·73) for HPV type 11, 1·62 (1·36–1·94) for HPV type 16, and 1·80 (1·48–2·18) for HPV type 18. The safety population comprised all 1107 participants (369 girls and 369 boys in the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine group, and 369 girls in the comparator group). Solicited adverse events occurred in 176 (48%) of 369 girls and 124 (34%) of 369 boys in the SIIPL vaccine group and 179 (49%) of 369 girls in the comparator vaccine group. No grade 3–4 solicited adverse events occurred within 7 days of each dose. Unsolicited adverse events occurred in 143 (39%) girls and 147 (40%) boys in the SIIPL vaccine group, and 143 (39%) girls in the comparator vaccine group. The most common grade 3 unsolicited adverse event was dengue fever, in one (<1%) girl in the SIIPL vaccine group and three (1%) girls in the comparator group. There were no grade 4 or 5 adverse events. Serious adverse events occurred in three (1%) girls and three (1%) boys in the SIIPL vaccine group, and five (1%) girls in the comparator vaccine group. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported. There were no treatment-related deaths. We observed a non-inferior immune response with the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine in girls and boys aged 9–14 years and an acceptable safety profile compared with the comparator vaccine. These findings support extrapolation of efficacy from the comparator vaccine to the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine in the younger population. The availability of the SIIPL quadrivalent HPV vaccine could help meet the global demand for HPV vaccines, and boost coverage for both girls and boys globally. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and Serum Institute of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Investigate the frequency of psychosocial issues among teenage females residing in tribal welfare hostels. Analyse the person's sociodemographic characteristics. Research the psychiatric morbidity of this group. Look into the issues with adolescent adjusting. Methods: 150 adolescent girls who lived in the tribal area for a year had a descriptive study done to assess their psychological and social difficulties at Department of Psychiatry, Osmania Medical College/Institute of Mental Health, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, between December 2021 to November 2022. Results: Current marital status of the parent's majority are married and living together (80%). Girls adjustment in with hostel, peers of the children majority 55.3% above averagely adjusted. Mother annual income majority (46.0%) being 50,000 mean was 52000.0 with a standard deviation of 42536.995. Relationship between type of family and adolescent adjustment showed chi-square value 2.03 and p value 0.843 statistically not significant. Conclusion: 16% of tribal welfare hostel teenage females had mental problems. Most of the girls were in eighth grade and 13-15 years old. Psychiatric disorder is more common among adolescents from broken houses, according to current marital data. Single-parent children have trouble adjusting. Psychiatric illness and adjustment concerns affected school performance. This research found a high frequency of psychiatric disease among tribal welfare hostel youth, requiring careful surveillance and sufficient mental health care for treatment and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the preventable and curable cancer. India has a high burden of cervical cancer than other South Asian countries. National Cancer Control Program has been implemented for long time still there is not much awareness about prevention and control strategies of cervical cancer in reproductive women as well as adolescent girls. Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine level of knowledge and awareness about screening and vaccination program for cervical cancer among late adolescent girls in a university campus. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Parent University of Medical College (Sakalchand Patel University), in 6-month duration. For study purpose, we had chosen a study population of late adolescent girls studying in various streams inside university campus. A total of 105 girls were enrolled as study participants after taking written consent from the head of the institute and girls' student. Results: All study participants were in the age group of 19-23 years learning in different streams of the university campus, residing in urban area, and upper-middle-class family. Very few were aware about cervical cancer screening test and 16.2% were aware about the correct age for screening. Only one-fourth of girls were aware about the availability of vaccine for cervical cancer and out of them 18.5% could tell correct name of vaccine, 37% correctly answered the age for vaccination. Conclusion: In our study, participants were late adolescents and young girls attending higher education (Graduate) in a university campus still the awareness of cervical cancer screening and vaccination was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, the study has investigated the changing scenario of gender bias in households' education expenditure and the socioeconomic factors responsible for it. Secondly, the study has estimated the inequality in education expenditure for the male and female students and determined the significance of socioeconomic variables in gender discrimination. Design/methodology/approach: To address the above-mentioned issues, this paper has used the unit-level data of NSSO 52nd, 64th, 71st and 75th rounds from 1995–1996 to 2017–2018. The log linear regression model is applied to estimate factor impending average education expenditure dynamics. The Oaxaca–Blinder Decomposition method has been employed to measure gender discrimination, and the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient are used to assess inequality among girls experiencing prejudice. Findings: The study has discovered an gender bias in education expenditure against females during the study period in India. Further, it has been found that gender discrimination against girl students is decreasing. Moreover, the factors such as age, religion, castes, MPCE (income quantile), type of institution, present enrolment and type of education are responsible for this gender differences. Originality/value: This paper uses 20 years of household-level data for study and suggests that discriminatory behaviour of households and credit constraints of the underdeveloped countries prevent investment in girl's education. Therefore, the state must pay for education of girls by offering scholarships and free or heavily subsidized education. In addition to this, awareness programs for gender equality should also be implemented by the government, especially in rural areas. Peer review: The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2022-0537. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health promotion interventions that are developed and evaluated by researchers and other external providers are at risk of not being sustained beyond the initial implementation period. When delivered by a lay school health worker, the SEHER study of a whole-school health promotion intervention in Bihar, India was found to be feasible, acceptable and effective in improving school climate and student health behaviors. The objective of this case study is to describe the decision-making processes, barriers, and enablers to continuing the SEHER intervention following its official closure. Methods: For this exploratory qualitative case study, data were collected from four government-run secondary schools, two of which continued SEHER and two of which discontinued it after official closure. Thirteen school staff were interviewed, and 100 girls and boys (aged 15-18 years old) participated in eight focus groups discussing their experiences of the process of continuing the intervention (or discontinuing) following its official closure. Thematic analysis was conducted in NVivo 12 using grounded theory. Results: No school sustained the intervention as originally delivered in the research trial. In two schools, the intervention was adapted by selecting sustainable components, whereas in two others it was discontinued altogether. We identified four interrelated themes that explained the complex decision-making process, barriers, and enablers related to program continuation: (1) understanding of the intervention philosophy among school staff; (2) school capabilities to continue with intervention activities; (3) school attitudes and motivation about implementing the intervention, and; (4) the education policy environment and governance structures. Suggestions for overcoming barriers included adequate resource allocation; training, supervision, and support from external providers and the Ministry of Education; and formal government approval to continue the intervention. Conclusion: Sustaining this whole-school health promotion intervention in lowresource school settings in India depended on individual, school and government factors as well as external support. These findings suggest that health interventions will not necessarily become embedded in a school's operations merely because they are designed as a whole-school approach or because they are effective. Research should identify the resources and processes required to balance planning for future sustainability while awaiting trial results about an intervention's effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stunting is the impaired growth and development in children caused due to poor nutrition, recurrent infections and lack of psychosocial stimulus. Because stunting affects physical development and inhibits the child from attaining his full cognitive development as an adult, children may never regain the height lost due to stunting. Stunting (Low height-for-age) in infants and young children is a simple, wellknown indicator of undernutrition. The current study sought to determine the effects of socio-economic and demographic factors on the frequency of stunting among Bengalee girls. The study was carried out in the Deshopran block and Haldia municipality area (West Bengal, India). The total number of participants included in the study was 530 Bengalee girls. 53.39% (283) of study participants were urban residents while 46.61% (247) were rural residents. Stunted growth in children was defined as the height for a given age in children less than two standard deviations of the WHO Child Growth Standards. The prevalence of stunting among girls in our study was 11.13%. The predictor variables with substantial associations with stunting in the binary logistic regression (BLR) analyses were further used in the multiple binary logistic regression (MBLR) analyses. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to calculate the stunting risk. Results showed that the risk of stunting was significantly associated with low birth weight, presence of younger brothers, a large number of family members and place of delivery. Improving maternal and child access to nutrient-rich food, decreasing infectious disease, and promoting women empowerment initiatives are the main recommendations for resolving the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a governmentsponsored savings plan launched by the Government of India to promote financial inclusion and empower the girl child. This present study provides a comprehensive analysis of SSY, exploring its objectives, benefits, impact, challenges and prospects. By examining the scheme's implementation and effectiveness, this study evaluates its contribution to enhancing the socioeconomic condition of girls in India and fostering their education and overall development. To evaluate the effectiveness of SSY, a mixed-methods approach was applied that combined qualitative and quantitative research. This Scheme's intention is admirably good and would undoubtedly give the female child and their parents and guardians, a great deal of financial freedom. The strategy also provides the banks with a significant amount of capital. It is seen as a good programme because the government, which has a long-term outlook, started with a beneficial tagline which is "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Anaemia is a serious public health problem. It is the second-commonest contributing factor to years lost by adolescents to disability and death. Targeting adolescent girls will allow a window of opportunity to correct their nutritional health and improve their obstetric outcomes. Studies in India have reported varying prevalence rates of anaemia among adolescent girls. Hence, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis of community-based studies to obtain a comprehensive pooled estimate of the prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls in India. Methods. We did a systematic electronic search in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google scholar to retrieve community-based studies that reported the prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls (10-19 years) in India, without any date or language restriction. To estimate the pooled prevalence and heterogeneity, the random-effects model and I² statistical methods were used. We did subgroup analyses based on geographical region, study setting, method used to measure haemoglobin concentration, and year of publication. Results. We included 35 studies in this meta-analysis comprising 152 640 participants. The pooled prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls was 65.7% (95% CI 59.3%-71.9%). There was significant heterogeneity between the studies (I² 99.6%; p<0.001). Conclusion. There is a high prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls in India. While all regions of the country have a high prevalence, tribal areas need special attention. Targeted actions need to focus on the identification of determinants of anaemia apart from iron supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the last decade, declining son preference in Asia has given rise to gender‐equitable fertility preferences. These include daughter preference, gender indifference, and gender balance. Using five rounds of the India National Family Health Surveys, I investigate the sources of the trends in shifting parental preferences for the gender of their children. Over more than a quarter‐century period (1992–1993 to 2019–2021), I find a significant decline in son preference from 40 to 18 percent and an increase in gender‐equitable preferences among most subpopulations. Multivariate analysis shows that for all survey years, education and frequent exposure to television significantly increased the odds of gender‐equitable preferences. In the last decade, community norms supporting women's employment are also associated with gender‐equitable preferences. In addition, decomposition analysis shows that compared to compositional change, social norm change accounts for two‐thirds of the rise in gender‐equitable preferences. These findings suggest that rising norms of gender equality have the potential to dismantle gender‐biased preferences in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we shall examine some major religious roles for women in West Bengal, India, and the challenges they must face. Among the Santals, an Adivasi group, religious women must avoid being called witches, for women's power is seen as dangerous and religious social roles are traditionally forbidden to them. Some women have been called by deities to become trance mediums, colloquially known as 'bhar ladies', and this role is generally not accepted by family members. Girls have had to undergo exorcisms by male healers to get them to renounce the gods that have called them to this role, while married women must deal with husbands who do not want their wives going into public trances. Many such women have learned tantric practices to control the trance possession. In rural areas, the combination of ascetic practices and stories known as bratas (vratas) are taught to young girls by female leaders called ayes. However, in more urban areas, this role has been taken over by male brahmin priests. We also see women in the bhakti tradition, who run ashrams and lead worship and who must deal with male devotees who question a woman's leadership abilities. All of these involve challenges, and many of these women have developed strategies to deal with the difficulties of being a religious influencer in their societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Growth is a complex process and influenced by genetic back ground, different functions of endocrine system, nutrition, effect of any chronic disease and the level of individual physical activity. Regular height measurement is one of the methods to evaluate growth. Short stature might be the first sign of various pathological conditions. Early recognition of short stature allows early intervention optimising the possibility of achieving good health and normal adult height. Community based studies utilising standard protocols are less from India as many studies are limited to children visiting tertiary care centre with complaints of short stature. Aim: The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and aetiological profile of short stature in urban school children of Bangalore. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted among five schools in Devarajevanahalli, Bangalore from November 2015 to January 2017. Written informed consent was taken from the principal. Children from 6-11 years were recruited into this study till the sample size was reached. Total of 1128 children were chosen for the study. Anthropometric measurements like height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) was done. Height was plotted in Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) growth charts. Those with height <3rd centile were considered of short stature. Children with short stature were followed after one year to see for height velocity. Children with height velocity of <25th centile were evaluated. Detailed history focussing on nutrition and complete physical examination, relevant investigations were done. The cause of short stature in them was assessed and grouped into physiological and pathological short stature. Continuous variables like height, weight, BMI were presented as mean [standard deviation (SD)] and were compared using unpaired t-test. Categorical variable like gender, height velocity were expressed as actual numbers and percentages and association was done using Chi-square test. Height between age categories among boys and girls was compared using ANOVA test. Results: Out of 1128 school children, 62 were found to be short. The prevalence of short stature was 5.50%. Among 62 children, 31 children remained short after one year. Out of 31, only 22 children were investigated as remaining were not willing for investigations. Out of 22 children, pathological short stature was found in 13 (59.1%) and physiological short stature in nine (40.9%). In pathological short stature, chronic malnutrition with Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is in 10 (45.5%). Hypothyroidism, idiopathic short stature, uncontrolled asthma was seen in one each (4.5%). In physiological short stature, familial short stature was found in six (27.3%) and constitutional delay of growth and puberty in three (13.6%). Conclusion: Overall prevalence of short stature was 5.50% and it represents a significant percentage of our society which needs proper attention. Chronic malnutrition with IDA was most common cause of short stature in this study. As significant percentage of children had treatable causes, growth monitoring with standard growth charts should be mandatory in all schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since students must take theory, clinical, and practical courses in a range of subjects, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, community medicine, etc., the MBBS curriculum is more demanding and challenging. In a brief period of time. Students often experience stress as they discover novel ideas and theories that are used in clinical settings. Since they are fresh to the subject, first-year MBBS students are undoubtedly a little stressed. One hundred first-year MBBS students were chosen for the study using a survey. Students studying medicine completed a survey. In this study, we looked at how much more stress female students take on in terms of academic stressors, interpersonal and intrapersonal stressors, teaching and learning stressors, and social stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic and stressful events that occur in childhood. These experiences at home, school, or in the community may damage the cognitive health and emotional skills of children and adolescents. Objective: The present study examines the association between Adverse childhood experiences and risky health behaviour indicators while controlling other background characteristics among boys and girls. This study also assesses outcomes in the aggregate to estimate the impact of cumulative adversity on various risky health behavioural factors among boys and girls among adolescents and young adults (age group 13–23) in India. Data and methods: Data were drawn from the second wave of the "Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (2018–2019)" survey. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis were conducted to fulfill the objective. Results: The findings show that nearly 30% of boys and 10% of girls had violent behaviour. Substance use prevalence was much higher among boys (34.11%) than girls (6.65%). More boys had negative gender attitudes. The majority of the study participants had multiple ACEs. Boys who experienced more than three or more childhood adversity had two times higher odds (OR: 2.04; CI: 1.01–4.16) of the early sexual debut, while the same figure for girls was thirteen times (OR: 13.13; CI: 3.95–43.69) than their male counterparts. Conclusion: The study findings underlined the need for implementing outcome-oriented approaches to adolescents' health care and behavioural risks. Therefore, identifying and intervening with adolescents and young adults who are at the highest risk of engaging in risky behaviors early in life may reduce the risk of these behaviors persisting into adulthood. In order to avoid health risk behavior in later stages among adolescents and young adults, policymakers need to focus on ACEs as risk factors and take action to reduce this burden. A potential model could be to create awareness among family members, caregivers, and communities to be more empathetic toward the children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: India has the largest population of youth in the world, thereby making them important contributors to the "India of Tomorrow". Over 80% of knowledge gained is by the visual sense, thereby making school screening programs a necessity in our country. Data from the pre-COVID era, that is, 2017–18 was collected from close to 19,000 children in Gurugram, Haryana, a tier two city in National Capital Region, India. A similar prospective observational study is planned post COVID-19 (2022–23) for further analysis to depict the impact of COVID-19 in these areas. Methods: The program They See, They Learn was set at government schools in the area of operations (district of Gurgaon, Haryana), where the children and their families were unable to afford eye care services. All children who were screened underwent a comprehensive eye examination at the school premises itself. Results: A total of 18,939 students were screened over a period of 18 months, covering a total of 39 schools in the Gurugram belt, in the first phase of the program. Eleven point eight percent (n = 2254) of all school students had some form of refractive error. Girl students were found to have a higher refractive error rate (13.3%) compared to boy students (10.1%) across the schools screened. Myopia was the most common type of refractive error. Conclusion: School students require perfect vision or else they can be discouraged and may become a major burden to the economy of any developing nation. A school screening program aiming at populations that cannot afford such basic needs like spectacles is a must in all zones of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the attitude of tribal parents regarding the education of girls. This review paper intends to understand the attitudes of tribal parents towards the education of girls in India and West Bengal, according to their gender, educational level, and socioeconomic position. We determined that tribal parents have a positive mindset for their daughters' education. They realize the importance of education, however they cannot control certain situations, such as migration and the negligence of the girls towards their coeducation. The essential point in all these instances is that tribal parents in India desire to educate their daughters; the majority of them face severe challenges due to a lack of schools or lack of basic infrastructure within the area's current schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: India has largest adolescent population in world, every month 1.8 billion people across the world menstruate. The onset of menstruation means new phase and vulnerabilities in the lives of adolescents. Although menstruation is a natural process, it is linked with several perceptions and practices within the community, which sometimes may result in adverse health outcomes. SGD 6.2 acknowledges right to menstrual health and hygiene. Objectives: To assess knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene and myths associated with it among adolescent girls. Methodology: Community based cross sectional study among 298 adolescent girls. Information was collected using semi-structured and pre tested questionnaire. The data analyzed using Epi-info 7.2 and results interpreted in percentages and proportions. Results: Mean age of menarche is 12.7 ± 1.7 years. 68.5% of study participants knew about menstruation before menarche. Mothers (41.6%) were source of information regarding knowledge about menstruation. 94.3% used sanitary napkin as absorbent. Girls had multiple restrictions. Conclusion: Majority knowing about menstruation before menarche and understanding that it is a physiological process. Majority using sanitary napkins as absorbent emphasising the good menstrual hygiene practices. But sill myths associated with it like the age old practice of following certain restriction is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper investigates trends in rape-related crimes against women and girls reported in the Indian administrative data from 2001 to 2018 to assess the burden of crime, describe sub-national variations, and highlight data gaps to address sexual violence effectively in India. Methods: Data on five rape-related crimes were extracted from the annual reports of National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB), and included assault with the intent to outrage modesty of woman, rape, insult to the modesty of women, attempt to commit rape, and murder with rape/gang-rape. Rates for all categories combined, and for each crime were estimated for women and girls for India and its states. Trends for type of offender for rape, mean number of people arrested, and legal status of the cases was also assessed. Results: The rate of all rape-related crime increased from 11.6 in 2001 to 19.8 in 2018 per 100,000 women and girls. Most of the 70.7% increase in rate between 2001 and 2018 was post 2012 following a gang-rape and murder case in India's capital. The largest proportion of crimes was recorded as assault with the intent to outrage modesty of the woman, followed by rape. The cited offender in rape cases was for the majority a close known person (44·3%) or other known person (43·1%). By the end of 2018, only 9·6% of the cases had completed trials, with acquittals in 73% cases. Conclusions: The wide variations in the yearly crime rates at state-level highlighted significant issues in data quality including under-reporting, non-comparability, possible bias in data reporting in NCRB, definition of rape-related crime in India, and access in reporting of crimes. Addressing barriers to reporting, improving quality and scope of administrative data recorded on sexual violence is urgently needed for India to meet SDG targets of eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach, this study explores the lived experiences of thirteen parents having married daughters with disabilities. By doing so, we are focusing on the life experiences of these parents, who were able to share the complete experiences from the birth of their child with disability to her marriage and also the post-marriage experiences. Multiple semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants. Two major themes and five constituent sub-themes emerged after analyzing the data. The analysis of these themes reveals that upbringing a girl child with disability is a different and difficult experience for these parents. The birth of a girl child with disability or a girl child acquiring a disability is seen as a problem keeping in view the future of the child. The parents can go to greater length to get a son with disability treated, but the efforts that they put to get their daughter with disability treated are exceptionally higher. We also report how oppression has been internalized by them as they willingly marry off their daughters by doing compromise. Although there is ample research on the experiences of parenting a child with disability, but the experiences of parents having disabled daughters who are adults and are married are not documented, particularly in the context of Kashmir. Towards this end this study can provide an impetus for an important yet unexplored area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The mental health of adolescent girls in countries of South Asia is related to several social and cultural factors including gender disadvantage, especially in low resource settings such as tribal areas. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased this vulnerability even further. This study assesses the association of gender disadvantage with psychological distress among adolescent girls residing in a tribal area of India and examines the role of resilience. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic first wave in 2020 using telephonic interviews with 102 girls aged 15-20 from one block (65.46% tribal population) of a predominantly tribal area in Central India. Trained interviewers administered translated versions of the Kessler Psychological Distress 10-item scale (K-10), the Checklist for Assessment of Gender Disadvantage (CAGED), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Pair-wise correlation was conducted between gender disadvantage, resilience and psychological distress using CAGED, BRS and K-10 scores. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare mean difference in CAGED domain scores and K-10 severity score groups. Results: The mean age of girls was 17.62 years (standard deviation 1.64). Scores on K-10 indicating moderate to severe psychological distress were seen among 27.5% of the respondents. Girls reported lack of space/privacy (39.2%), lack of freedom to pursue interests (32.4%), opinions not being considered (31.4%), and financial difficulties as hindrance to opportunities (28.4%) as common experiences of gender disadvantage. Gender disadvantage was directly associated with severity of psychological distress and inversely with resilience. Conclusion: This study indicates the importance of decreasing gender disadvantage for improving the mental health of young women and girls in underserved areas. The role of peer group interventions and engaging men and boys using gender transformative interventions in improving mental health needs to be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs long-run estimates of total missing women (including missing girls at birth and excess female deaths) in China and India over seven decades from 1950 to 2020. We find that the number of missing women in India has been higher than in China throughout the seven decades. Over time, missing girls at birth grew faster in China than in India, but China has made more rapid progress in reducing excess female deaths after birth. While the share of missing girls at birth in total missing women has risen since the 1980s, there has also been a shift in excess female mortality from younger to older age groups. Our estimated trends are consistent with key economic, social, demographic and technological events and developments in the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Gender-based discrimination is more predominant in India. In spite of various laws, gender inequality is an evil that plagues society even today. This is an important challenge for meeting our Sustainable Development Goals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in an urban field practice area. Study subjects were married women and their husbands in the age-group of 15–49 years along with their under-five children. Gender egalitarianism was assessed for factors like education, employment and media exposure. Factors which were studied for revealing gender egalitarianism among children included sex ratio, immunization status, nutritional status and health care expenditure. Completed family size and preference for the sex of the child were enquired about to assess the inclination towards male gender of the baby. Anthro software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Gender egalitarianism was found with regards to education. However, significant difference was noted in the employment status of men and women. Overall, sex ratio was in favor of girls. Though gender inequality was evident from the results, it was more in favor of girls. There was no evidence of gender bias for immunization of children. It was observed that more boys were stunted than girls and almost equal proportion of boys and girls were wasted. Conclusions: Factors like high literacy, control over income, access to financial resources made women more empowered and such empowered women were less likely to show son preference. Hence, there was no gender inequality among children in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is a critical phase in the life of woman. At this stage, she would stand at the beginning of adulthood. This stage is in midway between childhood and womanhood and it is the most eventful for mental, emotional, social and psychological health and well-being. The life-cycle approach for holistic development of a child remains unaddressed if adolescent girls are excluded from the nutritional and developmental programmes. Aims/Objectives: To study the awareness, utilization and perception of ICDS scheme by adolescent girls in coastal Karnataka. Methodology: A community based cross sectional study was conducted among 66 adolescent girls in the field practice area of a tertiary care Hospital in South India. Results: All the adolescent girls were registered. But only 2 beneficiaries were given services in rotation basis for the period of 6 months. Among the study subjects, larger proportion were aware of Supplementary Nutrition SN (97%) followed by Iron & Folic Acid supplementation IFA (43.9%) and Nutrition & Health Education NHED (25.8%). Majority were utilizing SN (97%) followed by IFA supplementation (30.3%) and NHED (25.8%). SN food of good quality (60.9%) followed by average quality (37.5%) and of adequate quantity (93.8%). It was also found that 92.4% adolescent girls were satisfied with SN. Conclusions: It is vital to register all the adolescent girls, and ensure that they all avail the ICDS services regularly to improve the nutritional status. There is a necessity to improve the quality and quantity of food provided as per the hope of mothers to ensure better utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender discrimination is a common phenomenon in higher education institutions in many parts of India and in the world. Northeast India is a less developed area of India. In order to promote higher education, substantial numbers of higher education institutions have been established in northeast India periodically. But, how far the northeast India higher education institutions are maintaining gender equality is a serious question facing the researchers and other stakeholders of education. Therefore, this study was designed to study gender discrimination in higher education institutions in northeast India. The study’s objectives were to examine the status of women employees compared to men employees and the status of girls compared to boys in higher education institutions. Six higher education institutions were taken as sample institutions for the study. The study included public relations officers/representatives of the head of the institutions and the head of the departments of the institutions as participants. The study was descriptive survey-type research. Two information schedules were used as tools for the collection of data from participants. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were used for the study. The study revealed that women possessed inferior status in comparison to men in all the administrativ and related positions (i.e., vice chancellor/director, pro-vice-chancellor, registrar, controller of examinations, finance officer, medical officer, deputy registrar, assistant registrar, section officer and clerks), and in all the academic and the related positions (i.e. dean of schools, head of the department, professor, associate professor and assistant professor) in higher education institutions. Further, the study indicated that girls possessed inferior status in comparison to boys in enrolment in different courses. In contrast, girls maintained superior status compared to boys in retention in various courses and completion of the different courses (achievement) in higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, women and racial minorities are underrepresented in leadership. We examined the development of 5–10‐year‐old children's leadership cognition in India, the world's largest democracy. This cultural context offered the opportunity to study the development of attitudes about gender and to extend examinations of children's conceptions of race to include colorism (the privileging of lighter skin). In Experiment 1, children completed a novel Election Task in which they saw a fictional class with 20 students varying in gender (boys, girls) and race/skin tone (darker‐skinned South Asian [Dark‐SA], lighter‐skinned South Asian [Light‐SA], Black, White). Children predicted who would be elected as President, Treasurer, Welcomer, and Notetaker. Children most often chose Light‐SA and White students as President. When choosing Presidents, younger children showed an own‐gender bias, but by age 9, both boys and girls primarily chose boy Presidents. Importantly, children's choices differed for the other class positions. Next, we asked children to draw a "leader." No boys drew a girl, and girls' drawings were mixed (52% drew girls). In Experiment 2, we replicated the drawing task findings and compared children's drawings of a leader to their drawings of a helper and a scientist. Children most often drew boys and men as leaders and scientists, but not as helpers, suggesting specificity of children's pro‐male bias to male‐stereotyped positions. Children's conceptions of leadership reflected a male bias and an association between lighter skin and status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High prevalence of anaemia is a severe public health problem in India. In 2018, India launched the Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy that focuses on six beneficiary groups for coverage, six institutional mechanisms for health system strengthening and six programmatic interventions to accelerate reductions in anaemia prevalence. This paper uses the Health Management Information System data (2017-18 to 2019-20) to examine gains in IFA coverage across Indian states. A coverage-based AMB index is computed to review performance across states. After the launch of AMB strategy, the Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation coverage between 2017-18 and 2019-20 has increased for all beneficiary groups [pregnant women from 78% to 90%; lactating mothers from 34% to 49%; school going adolescent girls (boys) from 23% to 40% (21% to 42%); out-of-school adolescent girls from 6% to 23%; children 5-9 years from 8% to 3% and children 6-59 months from 7% to 15%]. Coverage was relatively low for target groups being served through a multi-departmental convergence mechanism (health and other departments such as education department for schools or women and child development department for Anganwadi centres) than compared to those served by health department alone. However, no major gender disparities are noted in the coverage of IFA supplementation among school-going girls and boys. Bulk of the variations in coverage is attributable to state-specific differences. Training and sensitization workshops for state and district officials are found to be associated with increased coverage across beneficiary groups. The paper argues that despite following international best practices in the field, it is important to harness synergy in programme implementation across line departments to eliminate coverage inefficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders among school-going children and adolescents worldwide. Multiple factors like internalization of the symptoms, lack of proper objective assessment, societal stigmatization, and influence of parental pressure may alter the prevalence and incidence. Aim: The current study is done to identify the prevalence of anxiety disorders in school children and their associated risk factors. Method: A total of 550 students (266 boys and 284 girls), studying in grades 8 to 12 in urban and rural schools chosen by stratified random sampling, were subjected to a questionnaire survey by the team of trained investigators using "Screen for Child Anxiety and Emotion-related Disorder (SCARED)--child Version.". Results: Total prevalence of anxiety assessed using the SCARED scale was 51%. The prevalence of subtypes of anxiety disorders was also identified viz, generalized anxiety disorder--16%, panic disorder--23%, school phobia--17%, separation anxiety--31%, and social phobia--13%. All the disorders showed higher incidence in girls (P < .01). Discussion: The anxiety disorders were associated significantly with students from rural schools, those studying in the Tamil medium, those staying in hostels, students who had mothers who were employed, and living in extended family environments. Students who walked to school and who had neither of their parents as caregivers were more likely to have panic disorder, school phobia, social phobia, and separation anxiety disorder. Conclusion: This study documented a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders and subtypes and highlighted the factors associated with anxiety disorders in school students of the adolescent age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Women undergo menstruation as part of their normal physiological cycle. In Indian society, it is associated with taboos, myths, misbelieves and malpractice. Majority of adolescent girls are unprepared in terms of knowledge, attitude and hygienic practices for managing the menstrual cycle when they enter menarche. A better understanding of the scientific process of menstruation and good menstrual hygiene is very crucial for the health and well-being of adolescent girls. Unsafe practices are associated with unwanted outcomes. Aim: To assess the knowledge, beliefs and sources of information adolescents have about menstruation, along with their management of menstrual hygiene. Materials and Methods: The present school-based crosssectional study was conducted in 2019 in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, among 240 adolescent girls of 14-17 years of age using multistage sampling methods. Data were collected by using pre tested, structured self-administered questionnaire after having informed consent. Results: A total of 98 (40.8%) of girls were aware of menstruation before attaining menarche; 19.58% and 54.17% of girls did not knew about the cause and source of the menstrual bleeding, respectively; 55.42% girls used only sanitary pads whereas 43.33% used both old clothes and sanitary pads as the absorbents. A 46.25% changed absorbent frequently (≥4 times in a day). A 54.17% washed their genitals frequently. The most common method of absorbent disposal was disposal in a dustbin. Mother was the main source of information regarding menstruation. Conclusion: Majority of adolescent girls were not having enough knowledge regarding menstruation and their menstrual practices are inexact. This is requisite for menstrual hygiene programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender norms serve to normalise gender inequalities and constrain girls' agency. This paper examines how girls' agency, along a continuum, is influenced by the interplay between constraining and enabling influences in the girls' environments. We analyse data from a qualitative study nested within a cluster randomised evaluation of Samata, a multi-layered programme supporting adolescent girls to stay in school and delay marriage in Karnataka, South India. Specifically, we compare agency among 22 girls from intervention communities and 9 girls in control communities using data from the final round of interviews in a qualitative cohort. Using the concept of 'thin' and 'thick' agency on a continuum, we identified shocks like mothers' death or illness, poverty stress, gender norms and poor school performance as thinning influences. Good school examination results; norms in support of education; established educational aspirations; supportive parents, siblings and teachers; and strategic government and Samata resources enabled thicker agency. The intervention programme's effect increased in parallel to the gradient from thin to thicker agency among girls in progressively supportive family contexts. Engagement with the programme was however selective; families adhering to harmful gender norms were not receptive to outreach. In line with diffusion theory, late adopters required additional peer encouragement to change norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In India, the majority population lives in rural areas where there is less awareness on the maintenance of oral health. At the rural level, less work has been done among children to determine the incidence of gingival disease and its relation to the cleaning rate. Hence, it is necessary to evaluate the prevalence of gingivitis among these masses. Aims and Objectives: The goal of the study was to determine the prevalence of gingivitis and its relation to the frequency of tooth brushing among school-going children between 3 and 15 years of age group in rural areas of Barabanki district, India. Materials and Methods: The study was done on a sample size of 1200 school-going children, in which 611 boys and 589 girls are there, from rural schools of Barabanki. The sample consisted of four age groups of children from 3 to 5 years, 6-9 years, 10-12 years, and 13-15 years of age. Gingival Index given by Loe and Silness was used to determine the severity of gingivitis. The data were evaluated using the Chi-square test. Results: The overall prevalence of gingivitis obtained was 86.17% and it was highly significant in relation to age groups. On comparing the frequency of brushing and gingivitis in all age groups it was revealed that twice daily brushing was significantly related to healthy gingiva. Conclusions: The study revealed a high prevalence rate of gingivitis among children in these age groups indicating oral health program is highly recommended for both parents and school children in rural areas to maintain oral hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship of Dalits with exclusion is a common scenario in India over several periods of time. Since ancient times, Dalits have faced different social, political, and cultural exclusion in the Indian society. When it comes to education, the exclusion is still prevalent in various part of modern India. Especially in the low-access, caste dominant areas, the situation is worse for the higher education of Dalits. For girls, it becomes more complicated to access the general resources to continue education without hassles. Therefore, the literacy rate (56.6% from census 2011) of Dalit women is still very low in India compared to the general population of this country, which creates a gap in their social, political, and economic engagements in the country. Irrespective of constant governmental efforts, the complexities of the Dalit women's education are still very much persistent in India, after over 74 years of independence. Thus, this paper mainly focuses on factors such as gender- and caste-based discrimination, low enrolment in schools, scholarship issues, violence against them, and so on, based on secondary data, which create exclusion in Dalit girls' education. This paper also tries to highlight the constitutional provisions. It further highlights the history of Dalit girls' exclusion and their struggle for education in India. The ultimate goal of the paper is to underline the current situation of Dalit girls' education and the root cause of the problem, to ensure closing of the gap between governmental efforts and Dalit girls' education in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to prenatal sex-detection technology in India has led to a phenomenal increase in abortion of girls. We find that it has also narrowed the gender gap in under-five mortality, consistent with surviving girls being more wanted than aborted girls. For every three aborted girls, one additional girl survived to age five. Mechanisms include moderation of son-biased fertility stopping and narrowing of gender gaps in parental investments. However, surviving girls are more likely to be born in lower-status families. Our findings have implications not only for counts of missing girls but also for the later life outcomes of girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious and hidden problem in India. Despite being such a huge problem a culture of silence surrounds the subject of CSA. Empowering children to protect themselves and disclose the abuse is the only way to overcome the hidden problem of CSA. Hence the present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of health education. Methodology: Health education through interactive power point discussion and video was imparted to 200 girls of class 6th to 12th in Government higher secondary school, Coimbatore. Baseline data was collected using self-administered questionnaire. A week after the base line assessment, health education was delivered in five sessions with forty students per session. Interactive session lasting for 60 minutes using power point and videos were used to educate children. Follow-up data was collected after two months using the same questionnaire. Results: Initially only 23% of girls were aware about child sex abuse, and then, after intervention witnessed significant improvement to 71.5%. Similarly only 19% of girls were aware of various types of child sex abuse prior to intervention, however significant number of girls became aware post intervention. There was significant improvement in proportion of children (94.5%) who agreed that they will report bad touch to someone they trust until that person believes them. Pre-intervention only 31% of children knew as to what to do if sexually abused, this percentage rose significantly after the intervention. There was a significant improvement in knowledge from 49% to 78% post intervention regarding laws to protect children from sexual offences. Almost 90% of children reported that they knew about the child help line number. Conclusion: In this study has proven that health education imparted to girls has improved their knowledge and empowered them to report the events and protect themselves from such incidents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A randomised trial designed to compare three and two doses of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in adolescent girls in India was converted to a cohort study after suspension of HPV vaccination in trials by the Indian Government. In this Article, the revised aim of the cohort study was to compare vaccine efficacy of single dose to that of three and two doses in protecting against persistent HPV 16 and 18 infection at 10 years post vaccination.Methods: In the randomised trial, unmarried girls aged 10-18 years were recruited from nine centres across India and randomly assigned to either two doses or three doses of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil [Merck Sharp & Dohme, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA]; 0·5 mL administered intramuscularly). After suspension of recruitment and vaccination, the study became a longitudinal, prospective cohort study by default, and participants were allocated to four cohorts on the basis of the number vaccine doses received per protocol: the two-dose cohort (received vaccine on days 1 and 180 or later), three-dose cohort (days 1, 60, and 180 or later), two-dose default cohort (days 1 and 60 or later), and the single-dose default cohort. Participants were followed up yearly. Cervical specimens were collected from participants 18 months after marriage or 6 months after first childbirth, whichever was earlier, to assess incident and persistent HPV infections. Married participants were screened for cervical cancer as they reached 25 years of age. Unvaccinated women age-matched to the married vaccinated participants were recruited to serve as controls. Vaccine efficacy against persistent HPV 16 and 18 infections (the primary endpoint) was analysed for single-dose recipients and compared with that in two-dose and three-dose recipients after adjusting for imbalance in the distribution of potential confounders between the unvaccinated and vaccinated cohorts. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN98283094, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00923702.Findings: Vaccinated participants were recruited between Sept 1, 2009, and April 8, 2010 (date of vaccination suspension), and followed up over a median duration of 9·0 years (IQR 8·2-9·6). 4348 participants had three doses, 4980 had two doses (0 and 6 months), and 4949 had a single dose. Vaccine efficacy against persistent HPV 16 and 18 infection among participants evaluable for the endpoint was 95·4% (95% CI 85·0-99·9) in the single-dose default cohort (2135 women assessed), 93·1% (77·3-99·8) in the two-dose cohort (1452 women assessed), and 93·3% (77·5-99·7) in three-dose recipients (1460 women assessed).Interpretation: A single dose of HPV vaccine provides similar protection against persistent infection from HPV 16 and 18, the genotypes responsible for nearly 70% of cervical cancers, to that provided by two or three doses.Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the knowledge and attitude about vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and factors affecting the practice and compliance with treatment in caregivers of children with VKC. Methods: The study was conducted in a tertiary care pediatric hospital in northern India. It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study in which 65 caregivers (parents or guardians) were interviewed regarding their knowledge about the disease and attitude of caregivers. Results: Of 268 children with VKC visiting the ophthalmology department during the study period, 65 children met the inclusion criteria; 53 (81.54%) were boys and 12 (18.46%) were girls. A total of 69.2% of caregivers were not aware of the symptoms of the disease and 83% of caregivers were unaware of the side effects of eye drops used. A total of 24.61% of caregivers considered VKC affected school hours and other recreational activities of children (P <.001). Compliance with treatment decreases with more episodes of VKC and longer duration of symptoms. Conclusions: The chronic course of the disease affects compliance with treatment and follow-up with an eye specialist. Proper education of caregivers of children with VKC can influence the compliance with treatment. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2021;58(6):390–395.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There appears to be a globally unifying discourse that suggests Muslim communities are not supportive of girls' education12. This paper aims to destabilize such a discourse by inserting the narratives of Muslim parents pursuing girls' education in Assam's Nagaon district. By paying attention to the concepts of bhal suwali (good girlhood) and bhal ghor (good family) articulated by parents in my study, this paper connects the performances of certain types of gender practices with the pursuit of class aspirations. It shows that good girlhood works as symbolic capital that helps Muslim parents to culturally authorize their daughters as legitimate actors in the field of education, while legitimizing themselves as good family. This paper draws attention to three practices of respectable femininity through which good girlhoods are enacted in the field of education, namely: negotiating poverty respectably, prioritizing gendered discipline, and merging career aspirations with marital prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to study the spectrum of scrub typhus meningitis/meningoencephalitis (STM) cases in children. Children ≤14 years of age with acute undifferentiated febrile illness were included. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was done in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children with suspected STM. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory details were expressed as descriptive statistics. Factors associated with neurological involvement were identified on univariate analysis. A total of 76 children had ST during the study period (meningitis/meningoencephalitis = 8 [10.5%], of which 5 [62.5%] had detectable ST IgM antibodies in CSF). The included children were 4 to 12 years of age with boys > girls. Headache and vomiting were common in those with STM, whereas hyponatremia and thrombocytopenia were common in those without STM. All children with STM recovered with sequelae in one child (right lateral rectus palsy). There was no mortality. STM has an incidence of 10.5% in children with ST from Eastern India. Headache and vomiting were significant predictors of STM, whereas hyponatremia and thrombocytopenia were significant predictor of non-STM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There exist several barriers to physical activity (PA) among adolescent girls. We therefore developed a culturally acceptable dance/fitness intervention called THANDAV (Taking High-Intensity Interval Training [HIIT] ANd Dance to Adolescents for Victory over noncommunicable diseases [NCDs]). The main aim of this study was to evaluate the THANDAV protocol among Asian Indian girls aged 10 to 17 years. Materials and Methods: THANDAV consisted of a 10-min routine with high- and low-intensity dance steps that was taught to 23 adolescent girls. Heart rate (HR), energy expenditure, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) were recorded. Focused group discussions (FGDs) were conducted after the quantitative measurements were completed. Results: The average age of the girls was 13.9 ± 2.1 years, and the mean BMI and BP were 19.8 ± 3.3 kg/m2 and 107/68 (±8/7) mm/Hg, respectively. All participants achieved 80% of their maximum HR during the first dance and managed to sustain this HR throughout the 10-min routine. There was a significant increase in the HR (bpm) [88.7 ± 8.4 to 195.6 ± 11.8, P < 0.001] and VO2 (L/min) [0.025 ± 0.0 to 0.395 ± 0.1, P < 0.001] postintervention. The average energy cost of the activity (metabolic equivalent) was 6.3. The FGDs revealed that THANDAV was a socially acceptable, fun, and energetic form of PA. Conclusions: The THANDAV intervention meets HIIT norms and is a novel culturally appropriate form of PA that is enjoyable, takes little time, and can be done at home. It has the potential to be a sustainable intervention to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and prevent NCDs in Asian Indian adolescent girls. Clinical Trials Registry of India: CTRI/2020/02/023384. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been conducted to understand the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) scheme launched by the Government of India (GOI) for the girl child, to take care of their education and marriage. A composite index for measuring the performance of Indian states on SSY scheme investment was developed. It attempts to identify socioeconomic and psychological factors determining the SSY investment. A mixed method approach has been used to conduct the study. Normalized inverse Euclidean distance is applied for computing the composite index. We found that there exist significant regional differences between means of composite index of SSY in India. Male literacy, labor force participation, and women's empowerment are significant positive predictors of composite index of SSY. The various motivating factors driving SSY investment are wealth creation for future of girl child, risk-free guaranteed return, and tax benefits. Based on the qualitative in-depth interviews, we found that the respondents expect a higher rate of interest on their SSY investment. They felt that the maximum limit for the investment should be removed, and there should be provision for premature withdrawal for urgent needs of girl child. Some felt that there should be equitable contribution in the scheme from the side of the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of economic and gender factors on malnutrition among children below 5 years of age by making a comparative study between India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka DESIGN AND SETTING The study uses data and information on economic and gender status parameters taken from the secondary sources for three South Asian Countries between the years 2000 to 2018. The study uses ANOVA, Post Hoc test and Fixed Effects Panel Regression analysis to arrive at the conclusions. RESULTS Comparative analysis between the three countries shows that the extent of malnutrition among children is lowest in Sri Lanka and highest in India. The study finds that economic factors such as domestic government's expenditure of healthcare as percentage of total health expenditure and gender factors measured in terms of female labour force participation, and school enrolment of girls at secondary level significantly impact the level of malnutrition among children. CONCLUSION Malnutrition among children is a complex challenge which cannot be solved by emphasizing on only economic growth. Policies emphasising on gender parity and empowerment integrated in healthcare policies will positively impact nutritional level of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the sphere of education or educational practices in Northeast India, gender issues are particularly noticeable. The entire region of Northeast India is disadvantaged, geographically located in the most remote part India, particularly in terms of socio-economic, educational and communication infrastructure. Because of this, the Indian government and various state governments in Northeast India have set up institutions for rapid improvements in educational standards leading to significant progression in higher education during recent decades. This paper sets out to identify gender issues that exist in educational practices of higher education institutions of Northeast India. The sample area was confined to six higher education institutions in three states of Northeast India. A total of 240 students (i.e., 120 boys and 120 girls) and six public relations officers/representatives of the heads of the six sample institutions took part. Purposive sampling was used for selecting the institutions and participants for the study and two interview schedules were used to collect data from the participants. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that there are gender issues in the educational practices of Northeast India's higher education institutions and highlight different government and state-wide schemes, policies and provisions working to mitigate and eradicate them. We conclude with some policy implications for achieving gender equity in Northeast India's education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity has become a major public health challenge in developing countries including India due to the changes in the lifestyle and food habits of children owing to the influence of urban culture and technological growth. The present study is a cross-sectional, school-based study conducted to assess the prevalence of obesity and to determine the demographic variables influencing the obesity among school children. Methods: The study included 440 students (Boys: 240, Girls: 200) from two randomly selected schools of Mysuru city, Karnataka. WHO Standard Age and Sex specific Growth Reference charts were used for defining overweight and obesity. Modified Kuppuswamy's socioeconomic scale (2019) was adopted to assess the socioeconomic status of the family. Results: Obesity prevalence among the study subjects was 3.86% and overweight was 12.27%. The mean body mass index (BMI) among boys was 18.13 and girls was 18.80. The difference in the distribution of BMI between male and female groups was statistically significant (P = 0.023). Age and obesity status of the children was found to have a significant association (P = 0.022). Prevalence of overweight and obesity was more among children from higher socioeconomic class (P = 0.01). Conclusion: Prevalence of obesity and overweight among school children is comparatively higher. The higher familial income, dietary patterns, parental history of obesity and diabetes and having urban residence were identified as the major factors which influenced the obesity status of the school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender disparities in child undernutrition and mortality in India have been a topic of interest for a long time, but little is known on trends or geographic variability in recent periods. We examined the degree to which historic patterns in gender disparities in child undernutrition and mortality in India have persisted given recent progress in health and nutrition. Using two nationally representative datasets from India between 2006 and 2016, we estimated mortality rates and stunting by gender and by birth order among children under 5 years old. We then tested for differences between boys and girls within each survey round for both national and state levels using bootstrapped standard errors, controlling for cluster and sampling weights. We found striking progress in child mortality and stunting in India between 2006 and 2016 for both boys and girls. Boys were more likely to die than girls during the first year of life. Girls had a higher risk of mortality between age 1 and 5 years than boys in 2006, but the improvements in survival eliminated this gender gap in 2016. For stunting, we found no gender difference in 2006, but girls had higher height‐for‐age Z‐scores (HAZ) and lower stunting than boys in 2016. Trends in gender gaps in mortality and stunting vary substantially by birth order and between states. Our findings indicate that improvements in mortality and nutritional status among girls have started to close gender disparities. Policy efforts to close gaps must stay the course in states that have made progress and be accelerated in states where disparities are still prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anemia is currently one of the most common and intractable nutritional problem globally. In developing countries, the adolescent group is more exposed to nutritional challenges and adolescent girls are more vulnerable to the disease. Adolescent girls are particularly prone to iron deficiency anemia because of the increased demands of iron by the body. It is astonishing to know that 30% of world population suffers from iron deficiency anemia, of which 80 to 90% are in developing countries. In India the prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls is 56% and this amounts to an average 64 million girls at any point in time. Specific actions like encouraging consumption of iron rich foods though dietary change, nutritional education, treatment and prevention of parasitic infections, weekly iron supplementation etc. are implemented to prevent iron deficiency anemia and improve the iron status among adolescent girls, yet the impact of anemia among adolescent girls is still a public health problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]