Background: Considering that poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation has always been a major public health challenge and is responsible for the increased burden of communicable diseases in developing countries, and also the migrant population being a vulnerable community, the present study has been undertaken to evaluate this issue among them.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at a primary healthcare setting, wherein migrant population reporting to the centre were assessed for knowledge, attitude and practices regarding personal hygiene and sanitation. Also, the prevalence of hygiene and sanitation associated communicable diseases was assessed based on history and clinical examination to check for the same.Results: The study revealed that most of the study participants used a shared/community latrine (86%), followed by single household latrine (10%) and 4% participants practiced open defecation. During post defecation handwashing, 42% used water and soap every time, 39% used water and soap sometimes and 19% used water only. The most commonly reported poor hygiene and sanitation associated illness was acute gastro-enteritis (52%), followed by respiratory tract infections (39%), taenia (22%), genitor-urinary infections (12%) and others such as eye infections, dental caries, etc. (15%). 85% practice sanitary disposal of solid and liquid waste and 15% dumped the waste at a dump site or into the gutter.Conclusions: From this study, we can conclude that there is inadequate knowledge regarding good hygiene and sanitation practices, and also that considerable proportion of the study population follow unhygienic and unsanitary practices.
Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a leading cause of disability and the most frequent cause of all health-related absence from work. There is lack of information about MSDs among desk job employees.Methods: A cross sectional study, carried out among desk job employees engaged in administrative work at a tertiary care hospital in Goa involved, data collection on MSDs using Standardised Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and workstation ergonomics assessment using NIH (National Institute of Health) checklist.Results: Among 110 respondents, 50 males and 60 females, majority (42.7%) were from age group 31-40 years. As per the NMQ, one-year prevalence of MSDs was highest in lower back (55.5%), followed by neck (48.2%); and the lowest in ankles (4.5%). Regular postural breaks were not taken by 59 (53.6%) of the total participants, of which 41(37.3%) complained of at least one MSD and the association was statistically significant (p=0.001). On ergonomic assessment, 62 (56.4%) had chairs with poor lower back support, of which 44 (40%) complained of lower backache; 20 (18.2%) were uncomfortable during keyboard use and 18 (16.4%) with desk setup. Of the 40 participants with continuous computer use for 4-5 hours, 27 complained of neck pain and there was a significant association found between continuous computer use and neck pain (p=0.003).Conclusions: Based on the findings, ergonomic training workshops should be conducted, and the workstation design needs to be improved to reduce the burden of work-related MSDs.
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