Sociodemographic status and health profile of scheduled tribes in West Tripura and Sepahijala district of Tripura, India: an observational study

Niral Sojeetra; Rohit Kumar Ravte; Shantanu Deb; Kalpana Kachare; Aparna Manathottathil; Deepa Makhija; Narayanam Srikanth

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20253243

Authors

Niral Sojeetra Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Rohit Kumar Ravte Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Shantanu Deb Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Kalpana Kachare Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, New Delhi, India
Aparna Manathottathil Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, New Delhi, India
Deepa Makhija Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, New Delhi, India
Narayanam Srikanth Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, New Delhi, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20253243

Keywords:

Demographic profile, Health problems, Scheduled tribe population, Survey, Tripura

Abstract

Background: The scheduled tribe (ST) population of Tripura constitutes 31.76% of the total population of the state and is one of the most vulnerable groups in India. Despite various kinds of policies and programmes, they remain the most excluded and live in miserable conditions due to various factors such as geographical isolation, poor healthcare delivery systems, beliefs, and customs. The main aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic status, living conditions, educational status, dietetic habits, lifestyles, prevalence of non-communicable diseases and other information of the scheduled tribe (ST) population.

Methods: The study was conducted in the four ST populated villages of west Tripura and Sepahijala district of Tripura from April 2020 to March 2021. Essential information was collected through door-to-door visits using a structured close-ended questionnaire format.

Results: A total of 1,299 households were surveyed, covering 7,014 individuals, including 2,639 males, 2,584 females, and 1,791 children. The survey revealed that 73.52% of the houses were Kutcha (temporary or semi-permanent structures). A significant proportion, 77.37% of households, relied on hand pumps as their primary source of drinking water. Open drainage systems were present in most households, while toilet facilities were available in the majority. Additionally, 38.74% of the population reported alcohol consumption.

Conclusions: Survey data indicates the need for improvements in basic infrastructure, sanitation, and access to safe drinking water, along with focused public health interventions to address the high rate of alcohol consumption within the surveyed population.

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