7 December, 2012

Mother's values tied to baby's health

The value an expectant mother places on her family can tell how healthy a baby is going to be three years later.

These findings from University of Southern California (USC) suggest that one's culture is a resource that can provide tangible physical health benefits.

"We know that social support has profound health implications. Yet in this case, this is more a story of beliefs than of actual family support," said Cleopatra Abdou, assistant professor at USC Davis School of Gerontology, the journal Social Science & Medicine reports.

Abdou studied 4,633 socio-economically disadvantaged women, gauging their "familism" or, more specifically, their beliefs about familial roles and responsibilities, using a questionnaire, according to an USC statement.

Familism was determined by responses to statements such as, "single moms can do just as well as married parents," or "it is better for children if their parents are married."

Abdou then tracked the health of their children and found that for every one point increase in familism, there was a 71 gram increase in birth weight independent of a whole host of other factors-including the gender of the infant or whether the mother was married.

Average birth weight in the United States is roughly 3.4 kg.

Low birth weight, typically defined as under 2.5 kg, has been linked to health problems later in life. Higher familism also predicted lower rates of asthma in the children up to three years later.

Though one might expect to see healthier children from mothers who reported strong family support, familism is a cultural measure that exists outside of an individual's actual circumstances.

"Cultural beliefs and ideals can be distinct from one's present reality. Familism is about beliefs and ideals within families. That's why familism is referred to as a cultural resource," Abdou said.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

07.12.2012

Heart disease affects country’s economy: Vice President Hamid Ansari

Cardiac diseases not only affect individuals but also the country’s economy and their prevention is not only a medical necessity but a social imperative, Vice President Hamid Ansari said Thursday. ‘Cardio-vascular diseases not only impact physical well-being but can also impact the economy because of expenditure on treatment,’ said Ansari in his address after inaugurating the 64th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) and the SAARC Cardiac Congress here. ‘Prevention and cure of cardio-vascular disease is not just a medical necessity but also a social imperative for sustainable growth and development of developing countries such as India,’ he added.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was also present on the occasion. Ansari also exhorted doctors in the country to increase their operations in rural areas besides commenting on how the number of heart surgeries performed by Indian hospitals annually (90,000) fell short of the required 2.5 million. Doctors pointed to the worrying trends of the disease in India. ‘Heart disease is the biggest killer in India. By 2015, it will supercede any other infection. 50 percent of heart disease cases in the world are currently from India. What is worrying is the fact that 50 percent of the Indian population is young. Heart disease and attacks are more common among Indian youth than others in the world,’ said CSI president Ashok Seth.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cardio-vascular diseases are the number one cause of death annually. Also, 17.3 million people died in 2008 due to heart disease, which accounted for 30 percent of all global deaths. Low and middle-income group countries account for 80 percent of heart disease deaths. By 2030, 25 percent people will die of cardio-vascular diseases.

On the occasion, an edition of the Indian Heart Journal containing new guidelines on the prosthetic valve, pacemakers and contrast nephropathy was released by Ansari and Dikshit. Three books by CSI members M. Khalilullah, I.B. Vijayalakshmi and M. Sathapathy were also released. The conference, which will go on till Dec 9, is being attended by cardiologists from SAARC nations such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives besides cardiologists from across India.

Source: http://health.india.com                          07.12.2012

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