50% physically inactive girls in rural areas of Patiala district don’t have normal BMI: Study

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 30

A research published by professors and assistant professors of Punjabi University have found that around 50 per cent of young girls of the rural areas in Patiala district don’t have a normal body mass index (BMI). According to research they are not driven towards any physical activity, which could affect their overall life and reproductive activity.

A four-member team, including Dr Ritu Lehal, Dr Naina Sharma, Dr Shivani Thakkar and Dr Parveen Balgir, carried out study under a project granted by Impress ICSSR to the Women’s Studies Centre of the university. The study has been published in The International Journal of Indian Psychology.

The researchers collected data of 320 college and school students with a mean age of 20 years from rural parts of the district through a self-administered and close ended questionnaire.

They found that over half of the respondents were obese, overweight or underweight. Similarly, 55 per cent of the total respondents led a physically inactive life. Overall, 75 per cent girls reported lack of awareness on reproductive health, a percentage which was much higher among school-going girls, who responded to specific questions. Importantly, as for reproductive tract infections (RTIs), 53 per cent girls reported vaginal discharge while 27 per cent experienced a burning sensation while urinating.

The professors said, “Prevalence of such symptoms is high among girls.”

Dr Naina said, “We found that despite programmes initiated by the government, there are still taboos regarding menstruation. India has a plethora of policies that are designed to influence reproductive health, but unfortunately gaps exist.”

“There is a need to set goals and identify strategies to reach out to everyone. Education related to reproductive health improves general behaviour. Education is necessary for young rural girls as it will reduce RTIs and improve their long-term health,” she added.

Dr Ritu Lehal, director, Women Studies Centre, said, “Education of youths, parents and teachers is vital to allow accurate information dissemination related to reproductive health. ASHA, health and Anganwari workers can be used to improve the knowledge on STI/RTI through door-to-door visits.”