Indian J Med Res
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Globally, mental disorders are rising with increasing urbanization. India has the world's second-largest tribal population and it is critical to appreciate the mental health problems in this population. However, the extent of mental health issues among tribal populations is unknown. Against this background, we systematically reviewed community-based studies on mental health issues among tribal populations in India. ⋯ : This systematic review established that a few community-based primary studies were conducted on mental health issues among tribal populations over the last three decades. Among these, fewer studies focused exclusively on tribal communities. The studies differed in their study design and the tools used. The findings of these investigations highlighted a limited range of mental health issues, primarily alcoholism, anxiety, depression and suicide.
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Undertaking tribe-specific assessment of health status provides the required data for planning appropriate interventions. Hence, a study was conducted to assess the health profile of the Koraga tribe. ⋯ Malnutrition was prevalent among Koraga adults and children, which warrants designing and implementing appropriate social and health interventions in this population.
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Sickle cell disease (SCD) constitutes frequently inherited haemoglobin disorders and poses a significant health burden in India. Hydroxyurea (HU), the most commonly used drug, has shown promising results in the clinical management of SCD. The present systematic review was undertaken to assess the efficacy and toxicity of HU in Indian sickle cell patients. ⋯ The findings of the present review suggest that there is still insufficient information presently to determine the long-term or major adverse effects on organ damage, fertility as well as pregnancy on the use of HU therapy for SCD. Long-term multi-centric studies are thus required to address these problems.
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Contrary to overall declining trend in smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in India, an increase is observed in north-east (NE) India. This study examined the predictors of daily SLT use by gender and assessed the demographic and socio-economic characteristics that contribute to gender differences in SLT use in NE India. ⋯ Increasing prevalence of SLT use amongst women in the NE States necessitates integration of gender-specific messages on harmful effects of SLT in the ongoing tobacco control programmes and development of culturally appropriate community-based interventions for cessation of SLT use.
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Serial national level serosurveys in India have provided valuable information regarding the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the general population, but the impact of the ongoing pandemic on the tribal population in India is not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the seroprevalence of COVID-19 antibodies in the tribal population of Odisha post-second wave (September 2021). ⋯ This study found high seroprevalence against SARS-CoV-2 in the tribal population of Odisha. The vaccination coverage is at par with the general population, and efforts to address some knowledge gaps may be needed to improve the coverage in the future.