Background:Change in socio-economic status and various health problems adversely affect an individual's way of life during old age.Objectives:To study the health and social problems of the elderly and their attitude towards life.Materials and Methods:Descriptive study carried out in the Field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine in South India. A total of 213 elderly patients (60 years old and above) who attended the outreach clinics were interviewed using a pre-tested schedule. Findings were described in terms of proportions and percentages to study the socio-economic status of the samples and its correlation to social problems.Results:Around 73% of the patients belonged to the age group of 60-69 years old. Nearly half of the respondents were illiterate. Around 48% felt they were not happy in life. A majority of them had health problems such as hypertension followed by arthritis, diabetes, asthma, cataract, and anemia. About 68% of the patients said that the attitude of people towards the elderly was that of neglect.Conclusions:The results of the study showed that there is a need for geriatric counseling centers that can take care of their physical and psychological needs. The stringent rules for eligibility to social security schemes should be made more flexible to cover a larger population.

Background: Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant drug for pregnant women. Studies regarding the teratogenic effect of fluoxetine on human and animal models are mainly concerned with structural malformation (congenital anomalies). Aim: Hence, the present study was planned to evaluate the postnatal behavioral effects of fluoxetine on albino rats. Methods: Three groups of female rats received either distilled water or doses of fluoxetine 8 and 12 mg/kg orally from the 6th to the 20th day of pregnancy. Weaning of the pups was done on the 21st day followed by a battery of behavioral tests to assess for any behavioral effect. The tests included negative geotaxis, open field exploration, rota-rod test, elevated plus maze and passive avoidance test. Results: In the present study there was no change in the gestational length of pregnancy, no premature birth or miscarriage during pregnancy. A high dose of in utero fluoxetine resulted in a decrease in birth weight of the offspring and also reduced weight gain during the preweaning period. No major congenital abnormalities were observed in the offspring exposed to fluoxetine. Prenatal fluoxetine exposure at high dose caused an initial transient delay in motor development and this poor motor activity was transient and not permanent. However, prenatal exposure to fluoxetine at a higher dose showed a favorable effect on learning and memory in water maze and passive avoidance tests. Conclusions: From the present study, it may be concluded that prenatal fluoxetine causes a transient delay in motor development but does not adversely affect the postnatal behavioral consequences.

Background:According to World Oral Health report 2003, the prevalence of periodontitis is 86% in India. Dental care can sometimes be a forgotten part of a healthy life style. While its importance is often underestimated, the need for regular dental care cannot be overstated. Oral health has been neglected for long in India. The scarce literature on dental health awareness, attitude, oral health-related habits and behavior among the adult population in Rajasthan prompted us to assess the preventive oral health awareness and oral hygiene practices in patients attending outpatient department of Vyas Dental College and Hospital (VDCH), Jodhpur through this study.Materials and Methods:A total of 500 patients in the age group 15–50 years were selected using random sampling technique. A self-administered structured questionnaire including 16 multiple choice questions was given to them. The results were analyzed using percentage.Results:The result of this study shows an acute lack of oral hygiene awareness and limited knowledge of oral hygiene practices. In Jodhpur, few people use tooth brush.Conclusions:Hence, there is an urgent need for comprehensive educational programs to promote good oral health and impart education about correct oral hygiene practices.

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