title: Linking lifestyle of marginalized Gujjar population in Himachal Pradesh with plague outbreaks: a qualitative enquiry.
abstract: It was a qualitative enquiry conducted amongst Gujjar population of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh (HP). The study was carried out to link various lifestyle factors of the Gujjar population with the 2002 outbreak of plague in HP. Focus Group discussions guide was prepared beforehand which had information about education, livelihood, dietary pattern, relationships, personal hygiene and habits and health care utilization. It was emerged out of the study that the population has poor literacy levels, poor personal hygiene, overcrowding in hutments, closely-knit social structure, lack of awareness about common diseases, and frequent visits to forests and living in caves during their visits. Further, government health care facilities are not routinely utilized by the Gujjar community. These factors might lead to increased proximity and exposure to wild rats among Gujjar population, thus increasing their susceptibility to plague. They are, therefore a potential link between any source of infection in forests and in native population of HP and other states. The government agencies should take various measures to increase health care access of such vulnerable population through outreach health care programs.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, Department of Community Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Sonu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gauri
authors.forename: Harvinder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Umesh Singh
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Amarjeet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001364:Awareness; D059552:Caves; D003441:Crowding; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010930:Plague / Q000453:epidemiology*; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D014197:Trees