Nutritional Status of Married Tribal Women in Jharkhand, India

The article explores the socio-economic and nutritional status of tribal married women in East Singhbum district, Jharkhand, by using mixed methods of enquiry. Dietary and anthropometric methods of nutritional assessment were supported by qualitative data. It was found that the most potent reason for undernourishment among tribal women is household food insecurity and low calorific intake. To enhance the nutritional status of tribal women, it is suggested that the issue of malnutrition be addressed with a life cycle approach, along with sustained behaviour change communication with the help of public–private partnerships and the efficient implementation of existing and new programmes to increase purchasing power and food security.

Exclusion of Tribal Women from Property Inheritance Rights: A Study of Tripuri Women of India

The Tripuri tribe from the state of Tripura constitutes around 50 percent of the total tribal population and can be found in all eight districts of the state. The tribe follows its own culture and tradition in terms of marriage and other customary practices. This study investigates the role of gender in inheritance of property among the Tripuri tribe and how Tripuri women are excluded from ownership of property. It also attempts to discover how property ownership affects their income and position in the household. The study has been conducted in the districts of West Tripura and Dhalai. Focus Group Discussion and interview schedules are employed as methods for collection of data. Results show that while 20 out of 54 married women from rural areas of West Tripura have inherited property, only 2 out of 13 married women have inherited property in the urban area. In comparison with West Tripura, Dhalai features a low ratio among women in inheriting property (only 4 out of 38 married women). A few causes include low level of literacy, slow urbanization and less inter-community marriages. The reasons for not inheriting property include: a woman failing to live up to the concept of a ‘good sister’ in the brother’s eyes, son needs property to care for parents, cost of marriage is borne by brother or parents so no right to claim, and to avoid unnecessary conflict in the family. In this manner, societal perceptions prevent women from claiming the legitimate share of their ancestral property.

“COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CALCIUM LEVEL IN PREECLEMPTIC AND NORMAL PREGNANT TRIBAL & NON-TRIBAL WOMEN IN JHARKHAND”

Introduction- Pregnancy is a physiological stress in which many biochemical changes changes occur in the body. Preeclampsia, the complication of pregnancy, refers to a syndrome of new onset of hypertension proteinurea after 20 weeks of gestation in previously normotensive women, is due to rise in blood pressure,which is related with calcium change in blood. Recent study, implicated alterations in calcium metabolism in the pathogenesis of hypertension in pregnancy. Serum calcium level of 75 Material & Methodnd rd normal pregnant and 75 preeclemptic Tribal & non-tribal women at 2 & 3 trimesters were estimated by using Arsenazo 3 method, one of the most standard method used for estimation of serum calcium based on colorimetric principle and compared.Observation & Result- The Mean serum calcium level in cases of normal pregnant women in Jharkhand 9.65±0.58mg/dl while mean total serum calcium level of pre-eclamptic was 6.97mg/dl is lesser in comparison to normal pregnancy. There is signicant Conclusion- decrease in total serum calcium level in preeclemptic as compare to normal pregnant women in Jharkhand.

Community Based Prospective Study of Miscarriages in Context of Biomass Fuel Use by Tribal Women of Rural Remote Region

OBJECTIVE Community based prospective study was carried out to know about the occurrence of miscarriages in context of Biomass fuel use by rural tribal, pregnant women. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING Villages and Dr. Sushila Nayar Hospital, Utavali, Melghat, Amravati Maharashtra. POPULATION Study in 100 villages, all pregnancies included. METHODS After approval of the institute’s ethics committee, study was conducted in 100 villages. After base information, villages were divided into 50 study, 50 controls, subdivided into 40 study villages with advocacy for protection from ill effects of Biomass fuel, 40 non-advocacy controls and 10 study villages where in addition to advocacy Chimneys were fixed on roofs of huts with no windows, for exit of smoke and 10 controls where neither advocacy was done nor Chimneys were fixed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Change in occurrence of miscarriage with Biomass fuel use. RESULTS In 50 study villages, of 1005 pregnancies, 2.8% reported miscarriages and in 50 controls, of 1097 pregnancies 3.1% had miscarriage. Of 2700 pregnancies in 40 Advocacy study villages 6.6%, of 40 controls of 2700 pregnancies, 10.5% had miscarriages. In 10 villages with Advocacy as well as Chimneys, of 700 pregnancies, 2.4% had miscarriages in 10 controls, of 700 pregnancies 5.6% ended in miscarriages. In first year it could have been underreporting. CONCLUSION In rural tribal women miscarriages were not more than globally known, but Biomass fuel did affect occurrence of miscarriages.

Anthropometry of Tribal Farm Women to Improvise Hand Tool Designs for Bastar District of Chhattisgarh

Bastar district is a cultural heritage of Chhattisgarh and tribal dominated (66.3%) area. The population comprises of 42 tribes, the prominent tribes being Muria, Abhujmaria, Dandami, Gond, Maria, Dorla, Bhattra, Halba, Dhurwa, and Kawar. The economy of this region is primarily agriculture based, followed by forest-produces. Use of traditional tools like wooden mallet (khotla), indigenous plough and sickle are overwhelming while improved tools and equipment are negligible. Traditional equipment generates early fatigue, callus in hands, and drudgery for tribal women largely involved in farming. Anthropometric data of 100 tribal women between the age group of 18-45 years were measured. Statistically analysed data revealed that tribal women of Bastar had maximum stature of 1,870 mm and 1,400 mm as minimum with a mean of 1,523 mm. The standard deviation and CV were 80.6 mm and 5.29%, respectively. The maximum hand (right) pull strength for 5th and 95th percentile was 36.6 N and 117.6 N, respectively. Anthropometric data was utilized to improvise the design of khotla and indigenous plough. The maximum length of khotla handle was decided to be 2,105 mm, while that of minimum length was 1,620 mm. The total weight of khotla could be reduced by 23 per cent. Consequently, ΔHR reduced by 20-25 bpm from earlier value of 40 bpm. The weight of indigenous plough could also be reduced by 16% (3.8 kg) by shortening the length of the handle and the beam