SenthilKumar Sri Varsha, Ravichandhiran Gowthamkarthic, Agadi Soumya, Wali Abhinandan R, Dhongadi Prashant
Post Graduate, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India.
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, KLE JGMMMC, Hubli, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Hubballi, Karnataka, India.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2024 Apr;13(4):1278-1283. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1188_23. Epub 2024 Apr 22.
According to the 2011 census in Tamil Nadu, out of a total population of 721.47 lakhs, 7.95 lakhs were scheduled tribes (STs), which constitutes about 1.1% of ST in Tamil Nadu and 0.8% of ST compared to the total ST population in India. A brief understanding of India's caste system and its evolution over time was required to determine caste-based discrimination. Hence, they are vulnerable and isolated due to this untouchability in the caste system. This study focuses on the quality of life (QOL) and caste discrimination among the tribal population of Chengalpattu district. Further, it provides suggestions to improve the QOL and to put an end to discrimination.
It is a community-based cross-sectional study, conducted among 300 participants among the tribal population in Chengalpattu district by a systematic random sampling technique.
The QOL scores were further converted into categorical variables by obtaining the mean score and dividing the group into those who got a score above the mean and those below the mean. They were labeled as good and poor QOL. More than half of them (52.7%) had poor QOL. Almost two-third of the workers had poor QOL in the social relationship (60.7%) and psychological (64%) domains, and nearly half in the physical (52.7%) and environmental (52.7%) domains. Out of 300 participants included in the analyses, 141 (47%) participants reported experiencing discrimination a few times a year/a few times a month.
This study found that the tribal population in Chengalpattu district has poor social and psychological QOL compared to QOL in the environmental and physical domains. In spite of many government initiatives, a wide range of issues and problems are being faced by the tribals in India. Hence, we recommend strategies to improve the physical, social, and psychological well-being of this vulnerable population through strict legislation. The other component regarding discrimination concluded that caste but not socio-economic class is closely linked with perceived discrimination among the tribal population in Chengalpattu district and their responses to unfair treatment.
根据2011年泰米尔纳德邦的人口普查，在7214.7万的总人口中，有79.5万属于在册部落民，约占泰米尔纳德邦在册部落民的1.1%，占印度在册部落民总人口的0.8%。为了确定基于种姓的歧视，需要对印度的种姓制度及其随时间的演变有一个简要的了解。因此，由于种姓制度中的这种不可接触性，他们很脆弱且被孤立。本研究关注金奈区部落人口的生活质量（QOL）和种姓歧视。此外，它还提供了改善生活质量和消除歧视的建议。
这是一项基于社区的横断面研究，通过系统随机抽样技术，在金奈区的300名部落人口参与者中进行。
通过获取平均得分并将群体分为得分高于平均和低于平均的两类，将生活质量得分进一步转换为分类变量。他们被标记为生活质量良好和较差。其中超过一半（52.7%）的人生活质量较差。几乎三分之二的劳动者在社会关系领域（60.7%）和心理领域（64%）生活质量较差，在身体领域（52.7%）和环境领域（52.7%）近一半的人生活质量较差。在纳入分析的300名参与者中，141名（47%）参与者报告每年/每月经历几次歧视。
本研究发现，与环境和身体领域的生活质量相比，金奈区的部落人口社会和心理生活质量较差。尽管政府采取了许多举措，但印度的部落民仍面临广泛的问题。因此，我们建议通过严格立法来改善这一弱势群体的身体、社会和心理健康的策略。关于歧视的另一个结论是，种姓而非社会经济阶层与金奈区部落人口中感知到的歧视及其对不公平待遇的反应密切相关。
