The objective of this study was to understand the experience of parents of children with intellectual difficulties. In the context of a developing country where social services are minimal, the onus of a child’s development lies squarely with the parents. A total of 32 parents from Mumbai were asked to describe their experience of raising a special child. The narratives were analysed using the grounded theory method and the dominant themes with respect to resilience that emerged were acceptance, cognitive adaptation, positive affect (PA), social support and self-efficacy. Based on these themes a theoretical model, linking perception, cognition, emotion and behaviour in the development of resilience, has been proposed.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of neighbourhoods, psychological characteristics and health behaviours on actual health outcomes and perceived health for a lower income urban Indian sample. A cross-sectional design was used with a community sample of 491 adults in two neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood and perceived stress played a role in predicitng risk of chronic conditions as well as perceived health. Positive emotional style was associated with decreased perception of poor health. Results support the importance of combining contextual as well as individual level characteristics in understanding health outcomes.

One of the leading risk factors for an escalating obesity burden in India is non-nutritious choices. Underpinned by the nutrition transition theory, this qualitative inquiry was designed to understand the urban middle-class Indian consumers’ views about processed foods and rapidly changing food choices. The study consisted of two phases, the first phase consisted of focus group discussions pertaining to the definition and conception of processed foods and the second phase consisted of interviews regarding the changing food environment. A convenience sample of Indian consumers aged 40–65 years were recruited from Mumbai and Kochi to participate in focus group discussions (FGD1 – nine participants and FGD2 – seven participants) and semi-structured face-to-face interviews (N = 22). Both discussions and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. Features of processed foods mentioned were chemical and physical processing, prolonged shelf life and poor nutritional quality. Factors influencing food choices and consumption of processed foods reported by participants could be categorized into changes in the socio-cultural environment and changes in the food environment. Changes in the socio-cultural environment included globalization and urbanization, long work days and sedentary living, rise in income levels and decrease in household cooking. Changes in the food environment included increased availability and accessibility of processed foods, replacement of traditional Indian diet with Western food, food as indicators of status, food advertisements and convenience. These results are consistent with nutrition transition theory and provide useful direction for public health policies aimed at promoting healthy diets.

No abstract

In India, a growing middle class and rising lifestyle diseases put prevention in the spotlight. This study assesses the impact of health behaviors (tobacco use and exercise) as well as psychological states (positive emotional style, hope, and perceived stress) on the health of 314 middle class participants from Mumbai. Logistic regression predicting objective health revealed that positive emotional style was a protective factor. Linear regression predicting perceived health indicated perceived stress and positive emotional style as the significant factors. An intersectional approach focusing on psychological factors and health behaviors, nested within class and gender, will lead to effective preventive strategies.