Assessment Anaemia and Hypertension in Relation to Different BMI Categories Among Paddy Threshing Workers

Abstract

As Agriculture workers do the paddy threshing work by manual means as well as using a paddy machine with foot pedal. Threshing activity was very strenuous and physiologically demanding. The main aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the occurrence anaemia and blood pressure in relation to nutritional status of the paddy threshing workers. For the study 352 workers engaged in paddy threshing were selected at random from villages of different districts of West Bengal state. The Socioeconomic Status (SES) was evaluated by modified Kuppuswami Scale. The nutritional status of the workers was determined by cut-off values of Body Mass Index (BMI) as prescribed by WHO. The general health condition of paddy threshing workers was evaluated by the measurement of blood pressure and blood haemoglobin concentration level. The results revealed that most of the paddy threshing workers was belonging to upper lower socioeconomic class (male: 81.33%; female: 84.72 %). The chronic energy deficiency (CED) was prevalent (male: 26.11%; female: 40.71%) among the workers engaged in paddy threshing. In the study population, the prevalence of anaemia was 46.11% in males and 69.19% in females, which was more than the global value. The results indicated that the energy deficiency in paddy workers (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) of both sexes were more likely to be anemic compared to of normal and overweight individuals. The occurrence of hypertension was more in males compared to that of females. The incidence of hypotension in females was higher than that of males. It was concluded that the occurrence of anaemia and abnormalities of blood pressure among paddy threshing workers was linked to their BMI values.