Medhi G K, Hazarika N C, Shah B, Mahanta J
Regional Medical Research Centre, N. E. Region (ICMR), Dibrugarh, Assam, India.
Indian J Med Sci. 2006 Dec;60(12):496-505.
Assam is the highest tea producer state in the country. There is scarcity of reliable information on health and nutritional status among tea garden population of Assam to enable initiating public health response to their health needs.
To describe health problems and nutritional status among tea garden population of Assam.
Community-based cross-sectional survey in eight randomly selected tea gardens of Dibrugarh district of Assam.
Socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of participants were recorded. Health problems and nutritional status were assessed through medical examination, evaluation of medical records, anthropometry and laboratory investigations.
Percentage prevalence; Chi-square test was applied wherever applicable.
Out of 4,016 participants, 1,863 were male and 2,153 were female. They were mostly illiterate and nearly 52.9% (1,197 of 2,264) of adults were manual workers in the garden. Alcohol and oral tobacco use were common. Prevalence of underweight among children was 59.9% (357 of 596) and thinness among adults was 69.9% (1,213 of 1,735). Anemia was widespread. Worm infection (65.4%, 217 of 332); skin problems; respiratory infections, including tuberculosis; filariasis were present in a significant way. Children suffered more in various diseases. Major noncommunicable diseases like hypertension, stroke were emerging in the community and were associated with modifiable risk factors like alcohol and tobacco use.
Health status of the population can be ameliorated through better hygienic practices, environmental sanitation, creating health awareness, nutritional intervention and overall improvement of socioeconomic conditions of the population.
阿萨姆邦是印度茶叶产量最高的邦。目前缺乏关于阿萨姆邦茶园人口健康和营养状况的可靠信息，无法针对他们的健康需求启动公共卫生应对措施。
描述阿萨姆邦茶园人口的健康问题和营养状况。
在阿萨姆邦迪布鲁格尔区随机选取的8个茶园进行基于社区的横断面调查。
记录参与者的社会人口学和行为特征。通过医学检查、病历评估、人体测量和实验室检查评估健康问题和营养状况。
患病率百分比；在适用的情况下应用卡方检验。
在4016名参与者中，男性1863人，女性2153人。他们大多是文盲，近52.9%（2264人中的1197人）的成年人是茶园体力劳动者。饮酒和使用口嚼烟草很常见。儿童体重不足患病率为59.9%（596人中的357人），成年人消瘦患病率为69.9%（1735人中的1213人）。贫血普遍存在。蠕虫感染（65.4%，332人中的217人）；皮肤问题；包括结核病在内的呼吸道感染；丝虫病都很显著。儿童在各种疾病中受苦更多。高血压、中风等主要非传染性疾病在该社区中正在出现，并且与饮酒和吸烟等可改变的风险因素有关。
通过改善卫生习惯、环境卫生、提高健康意识、营养干预以及全面改善人群的社会经济状况，可以改善人群的健康状况。
