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INTRODUCTIONAnaemia in pregnancy is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the world including India.1 Many factors predispose to develop anaemia during pregnancy. Most important factors are nutritional (i.e., inhibitors of iron absorption, dietary deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B 12 in diet), pre-pregnancy iron deficiency anaemia, teenage pregnancy, lack of appropriate spacing between pregnancies, parasitic infestations (e.g. malaria, hookworm), open defecation, poor environmental and personal hygiene.2 Anaemia during pregnancy can cause premature labour, postpartum haemorrhage, puerperial sepsis and thromboembolic phenomena in the mother, and can cause prematurity, IUGR, perinatal death and decreased iron stores in the foetus and subsequently in the neonate. The status of anaemia can be assessed by haemoglobin (Hb) levels in blood. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined anaemia when the Hb levels are less than 12 g/dL in non-pregnant women and less than 11 ABSTRACT Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is one of the major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in India and the world. Determining the status and factors influencing anaemia among pregnant women in rural areas is essential to treat as well as prevent the same. The objective was to estimate the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women of rural areas of Mysuru, India and to determine the factors influencing anaemia among the study participants. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the villages under PHCs of Hadinaru and Suttur of Nanjangud Taluk, Mysuru district, India for a period of 18 months. A total of 300 pregnant women residing in these villages, and consenting to participate were included in the study. A structured proforma was used to collect sociodemographic details. Haemoglobin was estimated using Sahli's haemoglobinometer and type of anaemia was determined by peripheral blood smear. The data was entered using Epi Data v3.1 software, and analyzed using R statistical Software v3.0.2. Results: The prevalence of anaemia was 51%, majority had mild anaemia (37%). 79% of the study participants were aged 20-29 years, 85% studied upto High school, 83% belonged to lower Socioeconomic class and 66% lived in joint families. The important factors influencing anaemia were poor nutrition (49%), low socioeconomic status (39%) and open defecation (51%). Conclusions: More than half of the pregnant women were anaemic. Also, majority of the anaemic women had mild anaemia, which showed the positive impact of MCH services. The factors influencing anaemia which have been identified in this study need to be addressed to reduce the burden of anaemia among pregnant women in our country.

Background: Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet patterns increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Estimating the magnitude of behavioural risk factors is vital for planners and policy makers to formulate appropriate and locally suitable interventions. The objective of this study was to estimate the magnitude and pattern of behavioural risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among college students (medical, dental, pharmacy, engineering and arts and science colleges) in Mysuru. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among students of medical, dental, pharmacy, engineering and arts and science colleges in Mysuru using snow-balling technique. Based on CDC-BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Questionnaire developed by Metagenics, New Zealand, a self-administered questionnaire was developed according to the local cultural and food practices , which was used to collect information on dietary pattern, exercise pattern, tobacco and alcohol consumption. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 22) and P value of <0.05 was considered as significant. Results: In the study, 45.8% of 970 study participants lead a sedentary lifestyle and 13.1% exercise in the gym regularly. Majority of students from Arts and Science College lead a sedentary lifestyle. Dietary pattern assessment revealed that 71% of the students consumed fried food frequently (highest among medical students -82.4%). Medical and dental students also consumed the maximum amount of sweets i.e. 60.9% and 67.1% respectively. Nonvegetarian food was frequently consumed by 30% of medical and dental students. 47% of the current smokers were MBBS students. 37.8% of the students who consumed alcohol admitted to binge drinking. Conclusions: Unhealthy behavioural risk factors for CVDs are higher among medical students, despite the fact that they know most about the detrimental effects of these practices. Developing strategies targeting these behavioural risk factors to improve the health status of college students play a crucial role in protecting the youth from cardiovascular diseases in future.