Background: Hypertension is one of the non-communicable diseases, which is an important global public health problem and also the most leading cause for cardiovascular disease in both developed and developing countries. The aim and objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and to assess the associated risk factors among adults of rural population.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was done on 225 study subjects, using systemic random sampling method at Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. Results: The study included 225 participants of which 53% were male and 47% were female. The overall prevalence of hypertension among the study population was 26.2%. Risk among male was greater than female (OR=1.390). Factors like age, body mass index, diet, family history of hypertension had significant association (p<0.05) with hypertension. Conclusions: Regular screening for hypertension among adults should be done in the general OPD as well as in health camps so that they have a knowledge regarding their own blood pressure status. Among those who already have hypertension, anti -hypertensive drugs, timely blood pressure check-up, screening for cardio vascular diseases and self-care management of hypertension need to be promoted.

Background: Mental disorders have got high prevalence and low priority among the elderly in most of the countries worldwide, of which depression being the most common treatable condition. The causes for elderly depression are multifactorial and preventable. Objective: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of depression and to assess the factors associated with depression among the elderly age. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among participants more than 60 years of age residing in tenements under resettlement scheme in Semmenchery, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu with a sample size of 184. Systematic sampling method was adopted to collect data at participants door step. A predesigned, pretested questionnaire was used to assess the factors associated with depression, and the Geriatric depression scale-30 was used to assess depression. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Chi-square <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The overall prevalence of depression was 35.3%. The factors such as female gender, educational status, occupation, type of family, financial dependency, history of depression, smoking and medical factors such as hypertension, cardiac disease, and chronic kidney disease and life events like conflict in family, unemployment, and financial problem were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Loss of spouse, financial dependency, neglected care, lack of awareness about the disease were found to be barriers in reaching basic mental health care for the elderly. Depression remains one of the main causes of DALY, especially among elders. National Program for Health care of elderly provides doorstep services, so incorporation of depression screening into that can impart the effects of depression on quality of life and DALY.

No abstract

Digital addiction among China's rural juveniles escalates and hampers the harmony and stability of families and society. This paper investigates digital addiction among rural juveniles in China. Semi-structured interviews selected six relevant respondents in rural Shaanxi Province as samples. The study explores the degree, characteristics, causes, effects, and prevention and control of rural juveniles' digital addiction. The findings reveal the importance of digital literacy education, parent-child cognitive dislocation, and the complexity of rural juveniles' digital addiction. The study has limitations, including its limited research perspective and the need for more typical cases for analysis and discussion. Keywords: Digital addiction; Rural juveniles; Social work; Digital literacy eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2023. The Authors. Published for AMER & cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia DOI:

Depression is sometimes referred to as the “Black Dog”. Just like a real dog, it needs to be embraced, understood, taught new tricks, and ultimately brought to heel. Depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 300 million people affected; it is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. An increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015 makes depression a real global threat.