Health Assessment and Family Adoption Programme: Insights from a Rural Health Camp in Gujarat, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/arf0t465Keywords:
anemia, diabetes mellitus, family adoption programme, malnutrition, rural health servicesAbstract
Background: The Family Adoption Programme (FAP) links medical education to community health in underserved regions. This study assessed participants' socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, anthropometric measurements, cardiometabolic risk factors, and the camp's effectiveness in addressing community health needs.
Methods: A cross-sectional study took place at a multidisciplinary health camp in rural Gujarat, India, involving 141 participants. Data collected included socio-demographic information, medical histories, physical examinations, and anthropometric measurements, analyzed.
Results: The average participant age was 39.9 ± 24 years; 67.4% were female. Most had primary education (42.6%) and came from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The mean BMI was 23.8 ± 6.2 kg/m², with 57.5% at risk based on waist-hip ratio. Diabetes prevalence was 8.3%, hypertension 15.6%, and 51.3% had moderate anemia. Among children under 5, 50% experienced stunting. There were no significant links between anthropometric measures and diabetes or hypertension. Anemia prevalence was 51.3%, with notable gender and pregnancy differences (χ² = 17.3, p = 0.00). Average hemoglobin was 10.6 ± 1.3 g/dL.
Conclusions: The study uncovers elevated prevalence of anemia (80.5%), diabetes risk (23.9%), and childhood malnutrition (50% stunting) in rural Gujarat. Waist-hip ratio indicated 57.5% at risk, uncorrelated with diabetes or hypertension. Results emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions addressing anemia and childhood nutrition, underscoring the value of regular health camps in tackling community health needs and enriching medical education through the FAP.
References
Banerjee B (2022). Innovative Strategies in Medical Education for Addressing Gaps in Health-Care Service in Rural India. MAMC Journal of Medical Sciences, 8(1):11-7.
Beniwal K, Kumar R, Vasthare R (2021). Beneficiary perspectives toward medical health camps in the Himalayan Regions: A new education strategy for medical undergraduates. Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol, (0):1.
Reshmi PS, Lunagariya R, Patel H, Patel N, Chauhan D, Patel R (2024). Qualitative Study to Identify Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Challenges of Family Adoption Programs among Students. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 49(4):610-6.
Sharma V, Arora P, Hossain SR, Budh N (2023). First-year Medical Undergraduate Students' Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Family Adoption Program: Challenges and Lessons. Journal of Medical Academics, 6(2):49-52.
Shikha S, Kumar A, Begum J, Ali SI, Tripathy S (2024). Family Adoption Program for Undergraduate Medical Students at a New Medical School of Jharkhand: An Experience and SWOC Analysis. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 49(1):218-22.
WHO (2003). Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of chronic diseases: report of a WHO-FAO Expert Consultation. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Misra A, Chowbey P, Makkar BM, Vikram NK, Wasir JS, Chadha D, et al. (2009). Consensus statement for diagnosis of obesity, abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome for Asian Indians and recommendations for physical activity, medical and surgical management. J Assoc Physicians India, 57:163-70.
Gupta R (2004). Trends in hypertension epidemiology in India. J Hum Hypertens, 18(2):73-8.
WHO (2011). Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity. WHO.
Anemia-Mukt Bharat (2018). INTENSIFIED NATIONAL IRON PLUS INITIATIVE (I-NIPI) Operational Guidelines for Programme Managers. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Mohan V, Deepa R, Deepa M, Somannavar S, Datta M (2005). A simplified Indian Diabetes Risk Score for screening for undiagnosed diabetic subjects. J Assoc Physicians India, 53:759-63.
Pandey VK, Aggarwal P, Kakkar R (2018). Modified BG Prasads Socio-economic Classification-2018: The need of an update in the present scenario. Indian J Community Health, 30(1):82-4.
James PA, Oparil S, Carter BL, Cushman WC, Dennison-Himmelfarb C, Handler J, et al. (2014). 2014 Evidence-Based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: Report from the Panel Members Appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). JAMA, 311(5):507.
Kandasamy K, Rajagopal SS, Ramalingam K, Krishnan K (2018). Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in a rural community: A home-based screening. Asian J Pharm Clin Res, 11(5):454.
Rajput R, Rajput M, Bairwa M, Singh J, Saini O, Shankar V (2014). Waist height ratio: A universal screening tool for prediction of metabolic syndrome in urban and rural population of Haryana. Indian J Endocr Metab, 18(3):394.
Barker M, Chorghade G, Crozier S, Leary S, Fall C (2006). Gender Differences in Body Mass Index in Rural India Are Determined by Socio-Economic Factors and Lifestyle. The Journal of Nutrition, 136(12):3062-8.
Mohan V, Venkatraman JV, Pradeepa R (2010). Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes: The Indian Scenario. J Diabetes Sci Technol, 4(1):158-70.
Zoukal S, Cordova GZ, Etindele Sosso FA (2023). Economic and social determinants of health disparities in India: A systematic review of sleep literature. medRxiv [Preprint]. doi: 10.1101/2023.03.13.23287175.
Noronha JA, Khasawneh EA, Seshan V, Ramasubramaniam S, Raman S (2012). Anemia in Pregnancy—Consequences and Challenges: A Review of Literature. Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 4(1):64-70.
Kurpad SS, Tandon H, Srinivasan K (2003). Waist circumference correlates better with body mass index than waist-to-hip ratio in Asian Indians. Natl Med J India, 16(4):189-92.
Rao CR, Kulkarni MM, S SN, Kamath VG, Kamath A, Ballala K, et al. (2014). Utility of Indian Diabetic Risk Score (IDRS) in a rural area of coastal Karnataka, India. jemds, 3(13):3272-7.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mitali Solanki, Mudra Mehta , Bhargav Dave, Sheetal Vyas, Urvish Joshi , Mayank Patel
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.