Prevalence of reproductive tract infections and their determinants in married women residing in an urban slum of North-East Delhi, India
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Authors
Bhilwar, Meenakshi
Lal, Panna
Sharma, Nandini
Bhalla, Preena
Kumar, Ashok
Issue Date
2015-08
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Delhi , Married Women , Reproductive Tract Infections , Risk Factors , Sexually Transmitted Infections , Urban Slum
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background:
Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) have adverse implications on the health of the women. Community-based studies in India have shown a high prevalence of RTIs but here is a lack of sizeable literature from urban slums and resettlement areas.
Aims and Objectives:
The objective was to document the prevalence and determinants of RTIs in married women (15-49 years) residing in an urban slum in Delhi, India.
Materials and Methods:
The study was conducted in an urban resettlement colony of Gokulpuri in the North-East district of Delhi. Systematic random sampling method was adopted to choose the study subjects, that is, married and non-pregnant women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years) residing in the study area. Data were collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire, through the house to house visits. The diagnosis of RTIs was made as per the World Health Organization syndromic approach. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 16 (Chicago, IL, USA).
Results:
A total of 802 women were interviewed. The mean age of study subjects was 30.79 ± 7 years. A total of 352 (43.9%) women currently had symptoms of RTIs. The most frequently reported symptoms included abdominal pain (68.2%), back pain (69.6%), and vaginal discharge (59.3%). Older women (≥25 years) (odds ratio [OR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.4-3.5), those belonging to the lower socioeconomic status (OR 2.1, 95% CI; 1.5-2.9), those using cloth during menses (OR 2.6, 95% CI; 1.6-4.3), those having more than three pregnancies (OR 1.8, 95% CI; 1.2-2.6) and those using an intrauterine contraceptive device (OR 11.8, 95% CI; 4.3-32.0) had higher odds of having RTIs.
Conclusions:
A high case load was found based on the syndromic approach. Generating community awareness, ensuring proper menstrual hygiene, and improving the socioeconomic status would help in reducing the cases of RTI.
Description
Citation
Bhilwar, M., Lal, P., Sharma, N., Bhalla, P., & Kumar, A. (2015). Prevalence of reproductive tract infections and their determinants in married women residing in an urban slum of North-East Delhi, India. Journal of natural science, biology, and medicine, 6(Suppl 1), S29–S34. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-9668.166059
Publisher
Journal of Natural Science, Biology, and Medicine