Prevalence and Assessment of Factors Associated With Malnutrition in Children Residing in Slums of Mumbai: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Malnutrition in children continues to be a serious public health problem in India. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and assess factors contributing to it in children of the marginalized slum population of India, masked in the metropolitan cities.  Methods A retrospective data analysis with a cross-sectional model was conducted by medical volunteers affiliated with the Rotaract Club of Medicrew who had organized a free pediatric health check-up camp in the Dharavi village of Mumbai, India for children under five. Children under five years of age group of either sex residing in the slums of Dharavi and whose parents consented are included in the study. Neonates, children older than five years of age, and children whose parents did not consent for them to be included in the study were excluded. A pretested, pre-validated questionnaire was administered, and statistical analysis was done with p-values <0.05 considered to be statistically significant. Results  A total of 126 children were included. Out of these children, 109 of them (86.50%) had a mid-arm circumference of more than 12.5 cm (normal), 11 (8.73%) were between 11.5 cm and 12.5 cm (moderate acute malnutrition), and five (4.77%) were less than 11.5 cm (severe acute malnutrition). Among the 126 kids, 86 kids were above the age of two and their BMI was assessed, 36 (44.19%) were found to be underweight (<5th percentile) while 14 (16.3%) were obese (>95th percentile), and four (4.65%) were overweight (85th-95th percentile). For 106 (84.13%) of these children, the caregivers were mothers while others were fathers (n=4; 3.18%), grandmothers (n=5; 3.97%), sisters (n=5; 3.97%), and aunts (n=6; 4.76%). Out of those who had commenced receiving formal education, only 39 (55.71%) were in an appropriate grade for their age. The mean expenditure on food as a proportion of the total household income was 36.40% (standard deviation (SD) 15.0%). On the single-item sleep quality scale, the sleep of only 36 kids (28.58%) was reported by their caregivers as excellent. A high proportion of other medical problems were reported in the children. Conclusion Our study reports a substantial burden of malnutrition among children residing in the slums of Dharavi. Rigorous strengthening and conceptualization of on-ground nutritional programs targeted toward slum children should be done by Indian healthcare policymakers.

A rapid assessment scorecard to identify informal settlements at higher maternal and child health risk in Mumbai

The communities who live in urban informal settlements are diverse, as are their environmental conditions. Characteristics include inadequate access to safe water and sanitation, poor quality of housing, overcrowding, and insecure residential status. Interventions to improve health should be equity-driven and target those at higher risk, but it is not clear how to prioritise informal settlements for health action. In implementing a maternal and child health programme in Mumbai, India, we had conducted a detailed vulnerability assessment which, though important, was time-consuming and may have included collection of redundant information. Subsequent data collection allowed us to examine three issues: whether community environmental characteristics were associated with maternal and newborn healthcare and outcomes; whether it was possible to develop a triage scorecard to rank the health vulnerability of informal settlements based on a few rapidly observable characteristics; and whether the scorecard might be useful for future prioritisation. The City Initiative for Newborn Health documented births in 48 urban slum areas over 2 years. Information was collected on maternal and newborn care and mortality, and also on household and community environment. We selected three outcomes-less than three antenatal care visits, home delivery, and neonatal mortality-and used logistic regression and classification and regression tree analysis to test their association with rapidly observable environmental characteristics. We developed a simple triage scorecard and tested its utility as a means of assessing maternal and newborn health risk. In analyses on a sample of 10,754 births, we found associations of health vulnerability with inadequate access to water, toilets, and electricity; non-durable housing; hazardous location; and rental tenancy. A simple scorecard based on these had limited sensitivity and positive predictive value, but relatively high specificity and negative predictive value. The scorecard needs further testing in a range of urban contexts, but we intend to use it to identify informal settlements in particular need of family health interventions in a subsequent program.

Characteristics, immunological response & treatment outcomes of HIV-2 compared with HIV-1 & dual infections (HIV 1/2) in Mumbai

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Information available on HIV-2 and dual infection (HIV-1/2) is limited. This study was carried out among HIV positive individuals in an urban referral clinic in Khar, Mumbai, India, to report on relative proportions of HIV-1, HIV-2 and HIV-1/2 and baseline characteristics, response to and outcomes on antiretroviral treatment (ART).

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of programme data (May 2006-May 2009) at Khar HIV/AIDS clinic at Mumbai, India was done. Three test algorithm was used to diagnose HIV-1 and -2 infection. Standard ART was given to infected individuals. Information was collected on standardized forms.

RESULTS

A total of 524 individuals (male=51%; median age=37 yr) were included in the analysis over a 3 year period (2006-2009) - 489 (93%) with HIV-1, 28 (6%) with HIV-2 and 7(1%) with dual HIV-1/2 infection. HIV-2 individuals were significantly older than HIV-1 individuals (P<0.001). A significantly higher proportion of HIV-2 patients and those with dual infections had CD4 counts <200 cells/μl compared to HIV-1. HIV-2 individuals were more likely to present in WHO Clinical Stage 4. Of the 443 patients who were started on ART, 358 (81%) were still alive and on ART, 38 (8.5%) died and 3 were transferred out. CD4 count recovery at 6 and 12 months was satisfactory for HIV-1 and HIV-2 patients on protease inhibitor based regimens while this was significantly lower in HIV-2 individuals receiving 3 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS

In an urban HIV clinic in Mumbai, India, HIV-2 and dual infections are not uncommon. Adaptation of the current national diagnostic and management protocols to include discriminatory testing for HIV types and providing access to appropriate and effective ART regimens will prevent the development of viral resistance and preserve future therapeutic options.

Bisexuality, sexual risk taking, and HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men accessing voluntary counseling and testing services in Mumbai, India

OBJECTIVES

To describe sociodemographics, sexual risk behavior, and estimate HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Mumbai, India.

METHODS

Eight hundred thirty-one MSM attending voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at the Humsafar Trust, answered a behavioral questionnaire and consented for Venereal Disease Research Laboratory and HIV testing from January 2003 through December 2004. Multivariate logistic regression was performed for sociodemographics, sexual risk behavior, and STIs with HIV result as an outcome.

RESULTS

HIV prevalence among MSM was 12.5%. MSM who were illiterate [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 to 4.84], married (AOR 2.70; 95% CI: 1,56 to 4.76), preferred male partners (AOR 4.68; 95% CI: 1.90 to 11.51), had partners of both genders (AOR 2.73; 95% CI: 1.03 to 7.23), presented with an STI (AOR 3.31; 95% CI: 1.96 to 5.61); or presented with a reactive venereal disease research laboratory test (AOR 4.92; 95% CI: 2.55 to 9.53) at their VCT visit were more likely to be HIV infected.

CONCLUSIONS

MSM accessing VCT services in Mumbai have a high risk of STI and HIV acquisition. Culturally appropriate interventions that focus on sexual risk behavior and promote condom use among MSM, particularly the bridge population of bisexual men, are needed to slow the urban Indian AIDS epidemic.