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Background: Oral cancer is a major public health problem faced by mankind today. In India, because of cultural, ethnic, geographic factors and the popularity of addictive habits, the frequency of oral cancer is very high. Thus the present study was undertaken with the objective to determine the level of awareness of oral cancer and the associated risk factors among the general population in a rural community. Methods: The cross sectional study was done among the subjects in 3 villages selected randomly from each primary health centre area covering a sample size of 479 in assessing their knowledge regarding oral cancer. Results: More than one third of the respondents believed that oral cancer is preventable, 41.8% opined that oral cancer can be treated, 18.6% said that oral cancer is contagious and 35.1% opined that the risk of oral cancer increased with age. More than half of the study subjects in 16 -30 years age group knew that oral cancer is preventable and treatable. Nearly 40% of the respondents in the present study did not know the symptoms of oral cancer. Only 16.1% of the respondents had got their oral cavity examined during the past 6 months and 7.7% had undergone screening for oral cancer. Conclusions: Our study found that the level of awareness among the subjects regarding oral cancer and its risk factors was poor.

Background: Micronutrient malnutrition remains one of the largest nutritional problems worldwide. Monotonous diets based on starchy staples lack essential micronutrients and contribute to the burden of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Intake of diverse diet is a cost-effective strategy to overcome this problem. The objective of the study was to assess the dietary diversity among women in reproductive age group in a rural field practice area and to determine the nutritional status of the women in the reproductive age group. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of 3months in the rural area. Women in reproductive age group were included in the present study. A pretested questionnaire was used to obtain the information regarding their socio-demographic profile and food consumed. Dietary diversity score was measured using the food and agricultural organization (FAO) guidelines. Weight, height and waist circumference of the participants were measured to determine their nutritional status. Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 33.68±9.27 years. Majority of them had dietary diversity score (DDS) and food variety score (FVS) score above 5 and 4 respectively. Mean BMI was 23.26±4.31 kg/mt 2 .Fifty percent of them had a Normal BMI range. One third (28.6% ±6.5%) of them were malnourished. The mean waist circumference was 79.31±10.58cms. On application of logistic regression, those aged between 15-30 years had better odds of having DDS of 5 and above (aOR 2.348 CI 0.743-7.424). Subjects with normal BMI range also had better odds of having DDS of 5 and above (aOR 0.861 CI 0.154-4.799). Conclusions: The study found most of the women in the reproductive age group were consuming a diverse diet and those subjects with better dietary diversity score had their body mass index in the normal range.

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health issue in developing countries like India. LBW leads to an impaired growth of the infant resulting in a higher mortality rate and increased morbidity. LBW is also an important indicator of maternal and child health. Objective is to find the prevalence of low birth weight in a rural area and to study maternal factors associated with occurrence of low birth weight. Methods: This community based cross sectional study was undertaken in block Chiri, a rural field practice area attached to PGIMS, Rohtak. All the births which had occurred during the period from 1 st January to 31 st December, 2012 under one Primary health care center were included in the study. The list of deliveries during the study period was prepared with the help of ANMs, anganwadi workers and ASHAs. Details regarding antenatal, intranatal and post natal events were collected from the mothers using a pre-tested semistructured questionnaire after obtaining written informed consent. The data obtained were analysed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: The prevalence of low birth weight was found to be 18% in the study area. In the present study nearly 70% of the mothers with low birth weight babies were less than 19 years of age at the time of delivery, 80% of them were educated up to class 12, 78% were house wife’s, 40% of them belonged to class 3 socio economic status, only 40% of them had got 3 or more antenatal checkup. Conclusion: The prevalence of low birth weight was 18% in the present study. Majority of them were aged

Background: Geriatric health care has been considered as an emerging issue due to the increase in life expectancy. Cutaneous lesions are more common among the elderly due to aging, which causes decline in the function of skin. Additional factors such as medical conditions, drugs, and environmental irritants also lead to the compromised skin. Objective: To determine the spectrum of cutaneous manifestations among the elderly. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 patients aged 60 years and above reporting to the private clinic in Mandya between July 2013 and June 2014 were evaluated. Skin changes in all the patients were recorded and were classified into physiological and pathological changes. Data were entered in an Excel sheet and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Among 300 patients studied, 68% were men and 32% were women. Eczema (40%) was the most common pathological condition followed by pruritus (32%), and xerosis was common among the physiological changes. Conclusion: Elderly people are one of the more vulnerable sections of our society. Majority of the elderly in this study had xerosis and eczema. Increased prevalence of psychodermatosis in this study emphasizes the need of psychological support in addition to the medical care.