Background and aimIn the last few decades, the prevalence of hypertension has been drastically increased in India. The present study estimates the current prevalence of hypertension and its correlates in the state of Maharashtra. The variation in the prevalence of hypertension associated with individual-level characteristics is explained at the community and district level.MethodsData is used from the recent round of District Level Household & Facility Survey (DLHS-4), 2012–13. The DLHS-4 has used the nationally representative sample, collected through multistage stratified sampling procedure. A similar sampling frame, used in NSSO-2007-08, has been followed. The chi-square test is used to show the significance level of the association between the estimated prevalence of hypertension and its correlates. Multilevel regression analysis is carried out to investigate the effects of individual and community level factors on the prevalence of hypertension.ResultsThe overall prevalence of hypertension is 25% in Maharashtra, and a huge variation in the prevalence of hypertension is found across the districts. Dhule, Gadchiroli (with a low HDI rank), Mumbai and Satara (with higher HDI rank) are the districts with the higher (above 30%) prevalence of high blood pressure. The prevalence also significantly varies according to different correlates. The prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among elderly population (40%), among males (28%), in the urban areas (27%) and in the richest wealth quintile (28%). The prevalence is also higher among cigarette smokers (31%), alcohol consumers (30%) and people with obesity (38%) as compared to their counterparts. The results of the multilevel analysis show that the older and obese persons are at four-time higher risk of hypertension. Again, age, sex, marital status, place of residence, wealth status, unhealthy habits (i.e. smoking and alcohol consumption) and BMI are significantly associated with hypertension. The results of VPC statistics show that 14% of hypertension prevalence could be attributed to differences at the community level.ConclusionThe prevalence of hypertension largely varies in the districts of Maharashtra irrespective of their level of socio-economic development (i.e. HDI rank). The variation in the rate of prevalence of hypertension is higher in the community (PSU) level as compared to the variation in the prevalence rate at the district level. Hypertension is attributable to the modifiable factors like risky lifestyle practices.

BackgroundIn India, due to the high prevalence of child marriage, most adolescent pregnancies occur within marriage. Pregnancy and childbirth complications are among the leading causes of death in girls aged 15 to 19 years. Hence, adolescent pregnancy is a serious health threat to young women in India.MethodsThe study focuses on the level and trends of adolescent pregnancy rate (per thousand currently married adolescent women) in India in the last two decades, based on cross-sectional data from three different periods, DLHS-1 (1998–99), DLHS-2 (2002–04) and DLHS-3 (2007–08). Further, the determinants of adolescent pregnancy and its effects are analyzed using the DLHS-3 data, which used a multi-stage stratified systematic sampling design. The sample size of this study was 18,709 pregnancies that occurred to 14,006 currently married adolescent (15–19 years) women. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to examine the association between pregnancy outcomes (live birth vs. abortion/stillbirth) and health complications with socioeconomic variables and maternal-child health (MCH) service utilization.ResultsDuring the periods of 1998–99, 2002–04 and 2007–08, the rate of adolescent pregnancy was 427, 467 and 438 respectively. In 2007–08, the proportion of live births (vs. stillbirth or abortion) was significantly higher among older adolescents aged 18–19 years (OR = 1.25, 95 % CI (1.08–1.44), p < 0.001) than among younger adolescent women of 15–17 years. The proportion of live births was also higher among women having 10 years or more education (OR = 1.26, 95 % CI (1.01–1.56), p < 0.01). The prevalence of live birth was significantly higher among women who had received some delivery advices (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI (0.96–1.95), p < 0.01), had consumed iron/folic acid tablets, (OR = 1.37, 95 % CI (0.89–2.11), p < 0.05), had received Tetanus Toxoid injection (OR = 2.29, 95 % CI (1.25–4.19), p < 0.001), while those with assisted vaginal delivery were significantly less likely to have a live birth (OR = 0.38,95 % CI (0.21–0.68), p < 0.001). Adolescent women had 66.6 % delivery complications (i.e. any one problem) vs. 62.5 % among adult women (20–24 years), (p < 0.001).ConclusionStillbirth and abortion are more prevalent among younger adolescents than among older adolescents, and among all adolescents than among adult women. Delaying the first birth until age 20 appears to benefit both mothers and babies. Access to reproductive health services; timely and quality family planning services and safe abortion and delivery advice; tetanus toxoid and iron/folic acid for those married adolescents who do become pregnant could improve health outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Tanzania is the country hit the hardest by the HIV epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. The present study was carried out to examine the factors of HIV infection among women who lived in an urban area in Tanzania. METHODS: The Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey (2011-12) data was used. The sample size for urban and rural women who had been tested for HIV and ever had sex was 2227 and 6210 respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. RESULTS: The present study found that rural women were significantly less likely to be HIV-infected compared to urban women (OR = 0.612, p<0.00). About 10% urban women were HIV-infected whereas 5.8% women in rural areas were HIV positive. Women who had more than five sex partners were significantly four times more likely to be HIV-infected as compared to women who had one sex partner (OR = 4.49, p<0.00). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that less-educated women, women belonging to poor or poorer quintile, women spending nights outside and women having more than one sex partner were significantly more likely to have HIV infection among urban women as compared to rural women. There is an urgent need for a short and effective program to control the HIV epidemic in urban areas of Tanzania especially for less-educated urban women.

Background. India is the highest contributor to child anemia. About 89 million children in India are anemic. The study determines the factors that contributed to child anemia and examines the role of the existing programs in reducing the prevalence of child anemia particularly in the EAG states. Methods. The data from the latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) is used. Simple bivariate and multinomial logistics regression analyses are used. Results. About 70% children are anemic in all the EAG states. The prevalence of severe anemia is the highest (6.7%) in Rajasthan followed by Uttar Pradesh (3.6%) and Madhya Pradesh (3.4%). Children aged 12 to 17 months are significantly seven times (RR = 7.99, P < 0.001) more likely to be severely anemic compared to children of 36 to 59 months. Children of severely anemic mothers are also found to be more severely anemic (RR = 15.97, P < 0.001) than the children of not anemic mothers. Conclusions. The study reveals that the existing government program fails to control anemia among preschool children in the backward states of India. Therefore, there is an urgent need for monitoring of program in regular interval, particularly for EAG states to reduce the prevalence of anemia among preschool children.

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