The final countdown - July 9 2012

Time in India is winding down super quickly now. We have less than two weeks to finish up our research and get the data that we need. Luckily we have made some good connections and are flying through surveys. Nate and I have talked with the principal of Nirmala, an all womens college, and obtained permission to give surveys to a few of their classes. We went in this past Monday and administered 100 surveys to 100 females. We have also made connections with another University in Ettimadi, which is a super nice university of Engineering. He has given us permission to come in this upcomming Thursday and hand out more surveys. Lastly, we talked with another college, Bishop Amrose College, and have obtained permission to come back to it as well next Tuesday. With all of these surveys, we aren't forgetting to still pound the street. We have obtained surveys from many of the villagers, both male and female. We will also continue to obtain surveys of people who sit next to us on bus rides, one by one they add up. As long as we get the necessary information that we need from the surveys and a decent number, we should be okay to compile our data and come to some conclusions. In order to understand the data I will most likely be using statistical analysis of number comparison. I will be using percentages and pie charts to express how Indians within my age range's dental habits are influenced by economics, education, and their family size. I haven't had time to heavily look through my surveys, but I've glanced briefly and I am excited to look at the results.  As far as our post travel of India goes, we are super excited. We will be hitting up a lot of locations and going from one site to another will keep us very busy. The south doesn't have as much to offer when it comes to site to see. We have seen a lot of them, which was fine, but they aren't as recognized and grandeous as the ones up North. We also know that there will be a lot more tourism up there so everything will be super busy which will suck. Were putting together our schedule and getting ready to book our plane and train tickets so that we can for sure make it to the places that we want to go.  Anways, I'm really busy keeping up with friends that we have made here, research that is taking place, fighting off this weird body weakness that my body is battling, and getting my dental job shadow hours completed

Mid semester retreat - June 25 2012

We had the opportunity to go on our midsemester retreat which ended up being way fun after we left the first location we planned to go. We ended up taking a train from Coimbatore to Kanyakumari, the most southern point of India where the three seas meet, at midnight. We didn't end up pulling into the station down there until noon, 12 hours later. We walked towards the main stretch of hotels that Lonely Planet recommended and found a place to stay. We got a room on the top floor of a hotel with decent acoomodations and access to the roof which was sweet for the location. It overlooked the entire city, overlooked the whole sea allowing us to see the sunrises and sunsets, and we could see the nice mountains behind us. It was cheap and when split between us ended up being nothing for a hotel. Things turned south though as the weather wasn't very nice, there were lots of people trying to sell us stuff and they were super persistent and annoying, there was no beach, the sunsets and sunrises didn't end up being too nice since it was overcast, and some guy tried hustling us for what we thought was a free tour of a Gandhi memorial. We met a few Europeans while down there and your just pulled towards them because of their white skin and the ability they have to relate with you. We took a boat to an island where a monk had meditated and received revelation. We were ready to leave Kanyakumari so when the time finally came we were ready at the train station. We then took a sleeper train that night to Rameswaram. We picked up a parcel dinner and left around 1:00AM in the morning. We pulled in to Rameswaram around 6:00AM, walked off the train, and started walking to where we thought the ocean was. We wanted a hotel close to the beach and what we got was quite an adventure. There were hundreds of people dripping with water. We found out that Hindus come to the ocean to bathe and then walk into the temple a hundred yards away and wash from 22 wells. It was exciting seeing all of this going on, the city was very bustling at 7:00AM. We found a guy who was willing to take us around to some of the local sites. This place is actually very popular because of its religious sites. One spot is where Rama is believed to have fought Ravana. They also have Adam's bridge and Rama's foot. The last place that he took us to was the beach. It was beautiful. Blue waters and nice sand. The water was very warm and enjoyable. We layed out in the sand for quite some time and I ended up getting fried after a few hours. A few days later my skin started really peeling and I looked like a monster.  Our last trip was to Madurai. We left Rameswaram at 5:00PM in the evening and pulled into Madurai around 9:00PM that night. Josh and I went out looking for a hotel. We were ready for a place that finally had wifi and a littler nicer accomodations so we forked out a little more for it. We found a boss restaurant that served all of this food that we had never tried before and it ended up being way good. Something that we have found hard to find is customer service and help with the menu, but this place was willing to help and make our experience enjoyable. That next day we woke up, ate our complimentary breakfast, fell back asleep, and then went to the temple later that day. This temple is one of the largest in Southern India and it really is beautiful. We got lots of pictures and ended up doing a lot of sourvenior shopping for friends and family back home. They had some pretty cool stuff. One of the groups favorite parts about the place was that they had a tailors market. You could get anything that you wanted tailored. If we had more time, Josh probably would have gotten a whole new warddrobe. The girls picked up some tailor made purses and then our time was winding down so we had to take off. We went back to the hotel, crashed or emailed for a few hours, packed, and took off to the train station. We ended up leaving around 1:00AM and getting home around 7:30AM. Overall as the trip went on we had more and more fun. It was an enjoyable mid semester retreat. Everything else including job shadowing hours, research, and adapting to the culture is going well!

Blog #4 - June 11 2012

These past few weeks have been lots of fun. We have been able to get a lot of work done as well as enjoy our time here. This week has been a little bit more chill than most because at first I had to run around and get a lot of things set up and started. Now that I am established, I have a little more free time. I go to a dental college M/W/F from 8-1 where I am able to job shadow all sorts of dentists with a wide range of specialties. At the dental college I can also hand out surveys so it helps me knock out two birds with one stone. Those same evenings I job shadow at Dr. Stephen's dental clinic. He does general dentistry. On Tuesday evening I job shadow an implant specialist from 5-8 and that is great as well. In my free time I try to catch up for the week, do homework and read, as well as take time to relax and enjoy everything around me. During my free time I also talk with people on the streets and invite them to take my survey. As far as what I need to accomplish, its all going great. We have been able to try a lot of new restaurants and to me they all seem pretty similar. One night one of the restaurants had the name bbq in it so we were excited. Surprise, all the same items. I am pretty sure I have settled in on my favorite foods now. I am definitely more of a fan of North Indian cuisine than South Indian cuisine, although I have definitely developed a liking for South Indian food since I first came out here. After throwing up a few times and realizing that a few things give you the "motions", your list begins to grow narrower and narrower of what you can eat. I would say in America that we have a wide variety of foods to pick from. One of the Indians here that I was talking with thought that they had a large variety of foods, after thinking and thinking I am still trying to understand this. The people here are great. Nate lost his wallet at one point and a guy held onto it until he saw me, another white guy, at which point he returned it with everything still inside. We have gotten invited to play sports. When we talk with anyone we are treated very courteously. When we have questions that person will drop everything they are doing to help us out. We are offered rides all the time. The other night it was late and pitch black because the power was out and a man offered to take me to Chavadi Pudur which was really nice. Finding places to job shadow and interview have not been a problem because everyone has been so helpful and friendly. If we are on a bus and need to find a place but have no clue what the stop is called, half the bus will chime in to tell the conductor where we want to go. Our neighbors in the village love us. They fill up our water for us with a hose when we are gone. The neighbor boys all around the village love to come and talk with us when we are home. This past Sunday there were 8 or 9 new boys that I had never met before just chilling on our veranda. The women next door offer us food and try to help us out when we need it. However, most of the time we get home late because it takes an hour by bus and then you need to walk home. Plus our appointments and time spent in Coimbatore go a little later into the evening. As of recently I started going to KG Hospital to observe doctors. I have been able to watch a surgery on the kidneys, brain surgery, brachial plexus surgery, and a few other things. It is amazing to be able to watch these since I dont think I would get the opportunity in the states. It doesn't have to do with my research but since I have some extra time it will be very helpful and unique to share these stories as I teach anatomy class. Plus I love the human body so it just fills my heart.

Blog #3 - May 28, 2012

This past week I ran off into the unknown parts of the city that I had never been to. I was searching out specialty dentists. The hard part is that directions are very general. For instance, one of the directions of the dentist was the name of this huge and long street with the adress being "opp old Shanthi Theatre, Shahi Grill". So when I got to what I thought was the right part, I just had to look around and ask people. If I wasn't close to where I needed to be then people often looked confused, had no clue what I was talking about, or would point in different directions. The closer you get to right location, the more people start to recognize the name and when you are pretty much standing on it, the people can finally point you to the clinic. What may be seen as a polite gesture is if they do not know, they will just sort of point or say its a certain way. They may think I am talking about something else, but I have been led the wrong way various times. This process happened for a day, where I would ask for directions and be led all over the street until I could find it myself. It was fun being able to completely find things on my own, but there was also a feeling of uncertainty because I was in areas that I hadn't been to, looking for things I wasn't sure if they were still there. We got our surveys professionally translated and typed. We put together consent forms to help the natives understand our seriousness and professionality. We also purchased business cards to give the informants so that they could feel free to email or get in contact with us if they had questions after taking the survey. We are pretty sure we know where to begin finding informants for our research. The job shadowing is going great. The general dentist is teaching and showing me a lot. They love having me there which is evident from the food they bring into work for me, the regional treats they bring to have me try, and all of the information and help they give me. I am going to try and set up a few other clinics to go to so that I can compare and contrast. It will help me to see if people go to those clinics for the same reason, or if different reasons spring up.  We have made some sweet friends from the local branches. One of the guys speaks great English and he goes around with us helping us so that we don't get hustled and showing us sweet places to go. He is going to sit us down next Friday and go over anything that we want to cover. He will explain culture and customs, religions, history, and anything that we want. It should be good and I'm sure it will help us with answering the questions for our IAS class.  Our neighbors in the village love us, as much as they can. We can't speak to each other but they will fill up our water tank with a hose while we are gone. They say hi and bye to us. Some of the kids that can speak will come up and talk with us. They have tried to teach us as much as they could about how to do things.  The buses are great. You get a good 2 hours each day to read or listen to audio books. We are getting some good reading done. It's a little awkward how close you all are to each other, similar to being thrown into the middle of a mosh pit, but you get more and more used to it. Especially because they try to help you to find a seat when one opens up so that you can sit down. Once you sit down, its easy coasting for the rest of the trip. While standing people are bumping into you, the bus conductor is trying to walk past you to collect tickets, people are going in and out of the bus, so it is just pretty hard to get comfortable.  All is well in India though. We are having lots of fun. As doors keep opening and we keep finding opportunities, it becomes more and more fun.

India - Post #2 - May 15 2012

India is awesome. I'm not going to lie, eating with my hands at first made some of the food unappealing and I even lost interest for eating. I can finally say that those feelings have left. I love eating with my hands. You can pick up exactly the size of bites that you want to put into your mouth, you can mix the rice with the correct amount of curry ratios, you can pick up more chicken or drop chicken depending on how much you want in that bite, it's great. We have had some great food and the more I eat, the more I enjoy it. At first, I despised the style of food and conned myself into thinking that I only like North Indian food, but that is adjusting. I keep trying new things and keep liking them. Aside from the food, we are all settled into the house and it feels great. Although it's not exactly like home, it is pretty darn close. In fact, the change is rather fun and enjoyable because it breaks the routine. I love camping and I am not even joking, it partially feels like we are camping. We have to pump for water, light mosquito coils, sweep the dirt away, cook on a kerosine stove, and squat to use the restroom. The nice features are that we have electricity, a closed brick house, neighbors, etc. I had my research translated by a younger member in the family. After finding an individual who is great at English and Tamil and who writes novels, he said the translation was okay but it could be clearer and more precise so that when people take the survey they don't get frustrated and confused. I agreed and I asked him to retranslate my survey so that I could gather the best results. I am going to pay him for his work and it will be totatlly worth it. He is actually a good friend of ours now and we see him often. Once I get this finalized, I can really begin pounding the streets and malls for individuals to take my survey. I will also ask a lot of the individuals who I have become friends with to help me by taking the survey as well. I hopefully will be able to find a lot of people who are willing to take it. They may be willing to do it for the simple reason that I am white, which is a good enough reason for me, as long as the data that I gather is accurate. It's fun though because we have made a lot of friends without the intention of having them take our survey so they have a friendship with us and trust us. We are staying active and trying not to get burnt by the sun. It scorched my face yesterday so I should probably be a little more careful to wear sunscreen or stay in the shade more. What can I say though, playing sports was totally worth it.  Everything is going great in India and time is flying by. If it weren't for the freezing cold shower that I take right before I go to bed each night, I might go crazy because of the heat. Otherwise, the bugs are finally beginning to leave me alone and my skin is healing from all of the bites!

India - Post #1 - May 7 2012

India! I can't believe we are finally here. As much as it is nice to see pictures of what India is like, there is nothing like actually experiencing it. Taking in each breathe filled with all the fumes from the hundreds of cars, auto rickshaws, and taxis, the piles of trash letting off their rotting smells, the jasmine stands that provide beautiful smells of flowers, and the food stands each competing for your stomachs attention. It truly is an amazing place. At the same time you find it to be an amazing place, you also realize the other side of it. The extreme poverty, the poor conditions, individuals begging for food and money. As far as my courses are concerned they are going well. I am already established in a dental clinic with a great dentist that has agreed to have me shadow him. I have already been able to observe some great things, from root canals to extractions to fillings. I have already clocked in 9 hours and need a total of 90 hours over my stay in india. They are great because they speak great English and are very easy to learn from. They were born and have grown up in India so I can ask them questions about anything and they are great at answering them.  For my research I had to get a footing on the culture before I started to give out surveys. I feel like talking with people and settling down has helped me a lot. I understand a lot of the norms and what people do or do not do. I understand things that are okay to ask and others that are not. I know how to word questions so that they will understand them. I have also gone through and Edwin has helped me to translate key phrases in case I need to use them to help the informant to understand. I haven't done a full translation but I hope to work with people that will be able to help me to explain words.  Once I get my survey finalized it will be easy to find boys to take it. We talk to them all day, every day. I am still trying to figure out how to approach girls or if it is even appropriate for me to do so. If it is appropriate, we have a hard time even finding girls that we could approach to talk to. If anyone knows proper ways to approach girls to take my survey that would be helpful. Maybe I could approach girls in Brookefield Mall and request their assistance.

Learning Journal 35

For class on Monday we went over what would be on the test. It's surprising how much we have covered. Some of the topics apply more to me and my project than other topics that we discussed. While we reviewed interviewing, I realized that there were a lot of good points brought up and they would be very helpful if I was sitting down to interview. I remember reading that article and thought that the interviewer was great at interviewing because the informant was talking away. The interviewer also made it very easy for the informant to talk because their conversation with very easy to understand questions. It was interesting to see how much of the material came back to me and how much seemed foreign because I had forgotten it all. The hard part is that we will talk about something and then it won't come back up again until the final. I have a lot to study for to prepare myself for the final. The cool part is that I'm not only studying for the final, but I am studying and reviewing things that can be helpful for me while in India.
I am putting together the last of my proposal and wrapping up the last of my survey questions. This whole semester of preparation is coming to a close as we get ready to actually go out and apply what we have learned. It will be interesting to note how many things I do in India that I realize came from this prep class. Or it will be interesting to see how all the time I put into study or understanding the culture becomes beneficial when talking with people.
Here we go! India in 17 Days!

Learning Journal 34

This past weekend I was able to work on more of my proposal. I am specifically looking at my survey. It is the most important part of my research. If I do not gather the correct data from my survey, I will go home with results that won't mean anything to me. It is important for me to gear my questions towards answers that I am looking for. The answers that I am looking for deal with the question that I asked in my proposal. How does education, family size, and the economic condition affect oral hygiene habits. My questions needed to be focuses towards four things; the three sociodemographic facts and the hygiene habits of my subjects. So I went through my survey and revamped the questions. They are now a lot more focused and will help me to get the answers that I am looking for.
What I am planning on doing is printing and taking about 20 surveys. Once I get to India, I can hand out a few surveys and see how people respond. If I think that there needs to be clarifications then I can simply fix my survey and print off more copies. I don't want to print off so many copies that I feel obligated to use that survey, even if people aren't answering the questions the right way or are confused about the questions. I want to make sure that when I get to India that most people can understand what the questions are asking and be able to answer them.
I look forward to analyzing my data based on the results I get from my surveys!

Source 38

MUMBAI: Across the world, India is seen as an education powerhouse - based largely on the reputation of a few islands of academic excellence such as the IITs. But scratch the glossy surface of our education system and the picture turns seriously bleak.

Fifteen-year-old Indians who were put, for the first time, on a global stage stood second to last, only beating Kyrgyzstan when tested on their reading, math and science abilities.

India ranked second last among the 73 countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), conducted annually to evaluate education systems worldwide by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Secretariat. The survey is based on two-hour tests that half a million students are put through.

China's Shanghai province, which participated in PISA for the first time, scored the highest in reading. It also topped the charts in mathematics and science.

"More than one-quarter of Shanghai's 15 year olds demonstrated advanced mathematical thinking skills to solve complex problems, compared to an OECD average of just 3%," noted the analysis.

The states of Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh, showpieces for education and development, were selected by the central government to participate in PISA, but their test results were damning.

15-yr-old Indians 200 points behind global topper

Tamil Nadu and Himachal, showpieces of India's education and development, fared miserably at the Programme for International Student Asssment, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Secretariat.

An analysis of the performance of the two states showed:

In math, considered India's strong point, they finished second and third to last, beating only Kyrgyzstan

When the Indian students were asked to read English text, again Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh were better than only Kyrgyzstan. Girls were better than boys

The science results were the worst. Himachal Pradesh stood last, this time behind Kyrgyzstan. Tamil Nadu was slightly better and finished third from the bottom

The average 15-year-old Indian is over 200 points behind the global topper. Comparing scores, experts estimate that an Indian eighth grader is at the level of a South Korean third grader in math abilities or a second-year student from Shanghai when it comes to reading skills.

The report said: "In Himachal, 11% of students are estimated to have a proficiency in reading literacy that is at or above the baseline level needed to participate effectively and productively in life. It follows that 89% of students in Himachal are estimated to be below that baseline level."

Clearly, India will have to ramp up its efforts and get serious about what goes on in its schools. "Better educational outcomes are a strong predictor for future economic growth," OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria told The Times of India.

"While national income and educational achievement are still related, PISA shows that two countries with similar levels of prosperity can produce very different results. This shows that an image of a world divided neatly into rich and well-educated countries and poor and badly-educated countries is now out of date."

In case of scientific literacy levels in TN, students were estimated to have a mean score that was below the means of all OECD countries, but better than Himachal. Experts are unsure if selecting these two states was a good idea.

Shaheen Mistry, CEO of Teach For India programme, said, "I am glad that now there is data that lets people know how far we still have to go."

This is cool because I was able to read about a current issue in India. This is something that was recommended to us by margaret. Plus it shows the poor education level in India.

Learning Journal 33

In class on Wednesday I presented my research proposal. I felt like when you present your idea, you learn a lot about your idea. It helps you to develop what you understand about it and what you want others to understand. It is also beneficial because classmates can comment on your research and help clarify some points. It was nice to be able to present because I have a better idea of what is good to focus on and what I know well. It also shows me what I can work on and develop more so that other people can understand it. I don't want to sound like I am beating a dead horse by saying the same stuff over and and over.
I was the only one that presented in my section on Wednesday so it will be nice to hear other presentations. I think the methods and ideas of others will be interesting to listen to and it may help me to develop my project even further.
It will be interesting to come home and present my project for the inquiry conference. I will not only be explaining my project and the reasoning behind it, but I will also be presenting the results. The results and tying it all together will be a big part of it all. I look forward to making the connections and seeing the results of my project.
I feel like as I travel to India and begin asking my survey questions, that I will really begin to understand what I am looking for. I have a great idea of what I want to see, but I am not quite positive the answers that I will get. I may come to find that certain answers on my survey reveal a lot about why dental care is in its current condition.

Source 37

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics.html

This site is great because it has a lot of data and statistics for India. I will be able to pull valuable data from this site for my project to help back some of my statements.

Learning Journal 32

In class this past Monday we talked about culture shock. I also went through and read the article "Coping with Culture Shock" and learned a great deal. It was actually pretty cool because I was able to go through and think of the culture shock that I felt when I went on my mission. It is important to realize that I didn't even leave the US for my mission. It just goes to show that whenever you are thrown out of your daily routine and put into a new environment, you can experience culture shock. As the author went through the four stages that culture shock occurs. The honeymoon stage was what I felt initially - I met the new assignment with a positive attitude and a lot of adrenaline. I was excited and ready for the new environment and daily life. I only really remember recognizing the similarities and how I would get used to everything else.
The next stage was the irritation and hostility stage. After the initial shock and excitement wore down, I began to think, 'two more years of this?'. The adrenaline was dying and reality was kicking in. Days seemed longer than at first and time seemed to creep by. The town was small, the people were weird, the assignment was tough. I remember it being hard to try and look past these things at the ultimate goal.
The next stage was the gradual adjustment. Looking back now, I can say I love Iowa. When I first arrived in Iowa, I never thought I would grow to like it in the smallest degree. It seemed run down, poor, weird, and boring. But those thoughts would slowly go away. When I could finally look past the negatives and realize what my purpose was, then I could begin to actually enjoy my time there. This can be very similar to a field study experience. From initial excitement, to irritation, to adjusting - when you realize your purpose in India. In Iowa I began to ignore the small things that bothered me and focus on all the positives. My mentality changed and I began to appreciate the area more and more. I adapted to the people, the style of living, the culture, weather, language, and everything. I finally noticed that I was beginning to enjoy myself more and could laugh at simple things.
The last stage, biculturalism, hit me to the point where I really began to feel like I was fitting in. I can't say that I loved it so much that I want to move back and live there forever. But, I did come to understand the state better to the point where I wouldn't be upset if I had to return there for a while. After returning home, you realize the ideas, beliefs, and customs that were unique to Iowa. I began to realize some of those and miss them because I realized that they were things that I grew to like.
I feel like this experience will be similar to the experience that I will have in India. India will be a completely differently lifestyle and culture. Adapting will not be easy and changing will be hard. I look forward to overcoming the irritation and surpassing Stage 2 so that I can make it to Stage 4, biculturalism.

Source 36

http://pdf.wri.org/hammond_india_profile_xls.pdf

This graph shows great statical information regarding the economic condition of India. It breaks it down and compares their condition to the US and then to the world. It will be interesting to relate this data to my study and possibly include some of it into my proposal.

Learning Journal 31

Over the weekend we were supposed to read and look over a classmates paper as well as revise our own. My dad is interested in what I will be doing in India so he wanted to read over my proposal. After reading through my proposal he gave me some good ideas about how to adjust it to make it even better. The big thing that he noticed and that he helped me to realize was that my topic of sociodemographic condition was too broad. I was going to gather statistics on the use of hygiene products and random sociodemographic factors and somehow make a connection between it all. Instead, my father suggested that I focus on two or three sociodemographic factors that could influence oral habits and determine whether they do. I had wanted to do this in my mind the whole time, I had just not connected all of the dots in my proposal and made it exactly clear on what I wanted to do. So I rearranged my paper and am focusing on family size, education, and economic standing of informants and determining how this connects to their oral hygiene habits. I want to know how these conditions affect how people care for their teeth.
I went through and re worded my proposal and am still working on it to make it sound better. I need to adjust my background and significance to fit my idea so that it supports what I am researching. I am excited and I feel like I have more focus now that I have decided to do this. I will be able to put together a sweet paper in the end and go through each of these points and determine whether it does, may, or does not influence oral habits.

Source 35

Tamil Nadu is one of the most urbanized states in the country with 46 percent of the households in urban areas. On average, households in Tamil Nadu are comprised of 3.5 members. Twenty percent of households are headed by women.
The vast majority of households in Tamil Nadu have household heads who are Hindu (89%). Seven percent of household heads are Christians and 4 percent are Muslims. Seventy-five percent of household heads belong to other backward classes (OBC), 22 percent of households belong to scheduled castes, 1 percent belong to scheduled tribes, and only 2 percent of Tamil Nadu’s households do not belong to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, or other backward classes.
A little over one-quarter of Tamil Nadu’s population (27%) is under age 15; only 7 percent is age 65 and over.
Among children under 18 years of age, 5 percent have experienced the death of one or both parents. In all, 82 percent of children under 18 years of age live with both parents, and 14 percent live with one parent.

Housing characteristics
Seventy percent of households in Tamil Nadu live in a pucca house. Eighty-nine percent of households (94% of urban households and 84% of rural households) have electricity, up from 79 percent at the time of NFHS-2. Fifty-seven percent of households have no toilet facilities, down from 66 percent at the time of NFHS-2. In rural areas, 83 percent of households do not have any toilet facilities.
Eighty-nine percent of households in Tamil Nadu have electricity, up from 79 percent at the time of NFHS-2.
Ninety-four percent of households use an improved source of drinking water, but only 25 percent have water piped into their dwelling, yard, or plot. One-third of households treat their drinking water to make it potable. Twenty-six percent of households boil the water, 3 percent strain the water through a cloth, and 4 percent use a ceramic, sand, or other filter. Thirty-nine percent of households use clean fuels (LPG, natural gas, kerosene, or biogas) for cooking (64% in urban areas and 17% in rural areas). More than four-fifths of rural households use solid fuel for cooking.


Tamil_Nadu.indd 2
9/12/2008
6:37:16 PM

Wealth index
The wealth index is constructed by combining information on 33 house- hold assets and housing characteristics such as ownership of consumer items, type of dwelling, source of water, and availability of electricity, into a single index. The household population is divided into five equal groups of 20 percent each (quintiles) at the national level from 1 (lowest, poorest) to 5 (highest, wealthiest). Since the quintiles of the wealth index are defined at the national level, the proportion of the population of a particular state that falls in any specific quintile will vary across states.
According to the wealth index measure, Tamil Nadu has a lower percentage of poor people than India as a whole. Only 12 percent of the households in Tamil Nadu are in the lowest wealth quintile. Thirty-four percent of urban households are in the highest wealth quintile, in contrast to the rural areas, where only 7 percent of the households are in the highest wealth quintile.

EDUCATION
Current school attendance among children
Almost all primary-school age children (6-10 years) attend school (99% in urban areas and 98% in rural areas). School attendance drops to 88 percent for children age 11-14 years and is only 54 percent for children age 15-17 years.
Are there gender differentials in children’s Are there gender differentials in children’s
current school attendance? current school attendance?
Among children age 6-10 years, there is no
gender disparity in school attendance in
urban or rural areas. At older ages (11-14
years), in urban areas, the gender disparity
in school attendance in favour of boys
remains small (3 percentage points); but, in
rural areas, it is more pronounced (7
percentage points). At age 15-17 years, in
urban areas gender disparity in school
attendance is in favour of girls (by 11 percentage points), but in rural areas it is in favour of boys (by 21 percentage points).

Literacy and educational attainment
Twenty-two percent of women and 9 percent of men age 15-49 have never attended school. Two out of five men (39%) have completed 10 or more years of education, but only 32 percent of women have attained that level of education.
In NFHS-3, literate persons are those who have either completed at least standard six or passed a simple literacy test conducted as part of the survey. According to this measure, 69 percent of women and 84 percent of men age 15-49 are literate in Tamil Nadu.

http://www.nfhsindia.org/NFHS-3%20Data/TamilNadu_report.pdf

This will be great for my paper because it breaks down a lot of the sociodemographic conditions that I am looking for. Many of these statistics will be helpful for my paper and for understanding how sociodemographic conditions affect the oral habits.

Learning Journal 30

In class this past Wednesday we talked about current events going on India. We each read an article and then shared current major events going in that region. Mine talked about nuclear reactors that will be beneficial for helping with the growth of India.
I think that staying up to date with current events is very important. Much of what people talk about on a day to day basis are events that are currently going on. If I want to build trust with people, it would be very beneficial to know some of the current events to talk about with people because those are things that matter to them. By knowing current events it shows that you have an interest in and care about the people and culture. It is important to not come across as ignorant, otherwise people are less likely to talk with you and be open. On top of not seeming naive, you can also keep yourself out of hot spots or dangerous zones. As foreigners I think that it is important to stay clear of zones where we could be seen as hostile or anti.
Before flying over to India I want to read up on some major events so that I can be prepared for what is taking place in Coimbatore and Tamil Nadu. I think it will be helpful for finding people to take my survey if I can lay common ground with current events. Overall, I think that the biggest thing about keeping up with current events is that it gives you something to talk about with people.

Source 34

National Consumer Attitudes Survey reveals neglect of oral health
2 out of 3 consumers have never visited a dentist; only 3% visit a dentist regularly
Only 47% of treatments are by dentists, the rest rely on advice from chemists, general practitioners or self-treatment
Highest awareness is for toothache and tooth decay, yet only 50% are concerned
Almost one fifth suffer from tooth sensitivity, yet half of them do not do anything about it
Mumbai, August 20, 2009: A new national consumer usage and attitudes survey (CUAS) conducted across the four geographic zones in India, comprising a total of 11,324 interviews by IMRB and sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited has revealed that dental problems in India are reflected in the low awareness levels and poor oral hygiene habits. The survey showed that 49% associate dental problems with lifestyle related reasons such as ‘improper eating habits’ and ‘not leading a healthy lifestyle’. Almost half of the respondents relate dental problems to lack of a daily oral care regimen such as ‘regular brushing at least twice a day’.

According to the survey, 67% of Indians have never visited a dentist and around 87% of the Indian population does not believe in visiting dentists unless there is a problem. Only 3 out every 100 respondents said they visited dentists at least once a year. By contrast, the global average for people visiting dentists is 57%.

Because a majority of consumers tend to follow a remedial path where they seek professional dental care only at the time of painful toothaches, there is low awareness of the benefit of a low pain, preventive care approach to regular brushing twice a day and preventive care visits to the dentists at least twice a year. This is reflected in the CUAS findings which show that:

Only 47% of total treatments received are by dentists - the rest prefer to rely on advice from chemists, general practitioners or self-treatment using home remedies and brushing

Of 70% who suffer from cavities/ decay, only 58% visit the dentist
Of 53% who suffer from mouth odor, only 11% visit the dentist
Of 64% who suffer from gum bleeding, only 28% visit the dentist
Of 63% who suffer from mouth ulcers, only 21% visit the dentist
Dr. Ashok Dhoble, Hon. Secretary General, Indian Dental Association said, “Oral health is very important and critical for the overall health. Numerous studies over the years investigating the mouth-body connection have suggested an association between oral health and general health. Research has also shown that dental diseases can best be prevented through early detection and primary prevention. Children, right from the age of three should be made aware of basics like the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, cleaning teeth and gums properly and other oral care information. Starting early will make oral hygiene not a practice but a habit with them.”

The survey revealed that the low oral health awareness is reflected in the consumer’s daily habits:

Only 51% brush with a toothpaste and a toothbrush
Only 19% of respondents feel it is essential to brush at night
Only 28% of respondents brush teeth at least twice a day
According to the survey, the most important triggers to brush teeth are to keep breath fresh and remove the food particles.

According to India’s last National Oral Health Survey (2002-2003), a detailed nation-wide epidemiological study, dental caries (tooth decay) is prevalent among 63.1% of 15 year olds and as much as 80.2% among adults in the age group of 35-44 years. Periodontal diseases (gum diseases) are prevalent in 67.7% of 15 year olds and as much as 89.6% of 35-44 year olds. The mean DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) score is 2.4 in 15 year olds and as high as 5.4 among 35-44 year olds.

This survey is interesting because it shows more statistics about oral care and health in India. It will be interesting to see how the statistics from Mumbai compare to Coimbatore.

Source 33

AIM:
To follow-up, one year later, a double-blind, randomised study, which investigated the effect of regular brushing with dentifrices on the oral health of an economically disadvantaged rural population in Andhra Pradesh, India who were primarily users of traditional materials.
SUBJECTS:
150 of the original study population.
METHOD:
Examination to determine whether the improvements in oral health status and oral health behaviour (use of toothbrush and dentifrice), being unsupported, had been sustained since completion of the original study.
RESULTS:
Data analysis showed sustained, statistically significant improvements in gingival health as measured by gingival bleeding and plaque indices (GBI and PI) comparing users and non-users of toothbrushes and dentifrice in the original study (PI: p = 0.04; GBI: p = 0.03) and sustained use of toothbrushes and dentifrice by 60% of the subjects at follow-up one year later.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study shows a beneficial effect on oral hygiene indices following the introduction of toothbrushes and dentifrices to a community using traditional oral hygiene materials and sustainability of use of these materials with motivation and support. It may therefore be concluded that it is feasible to achieve significant use of conventional toothbrushes and toothpastes, with consequent major and sustained improvements in plaque control and gingival health in a disadvantaged population hitherto often considered as not amenable to conventional oral hygiene for cultural or economic reasons.

This article is amazing because this is partly what I will be looking into. It's not my main question, but something that I am more curious about. I wondered what attitude people would have to western care for oral health over their traditional oral hygiene. The other amazing part is that this community is economically disadvantaged, meaning they probably cannot afford other care or have not been instructed on proper oral hygiene. The other part that is outstanding is the modern methods improved oral health far better than traditional care. It shows that many people still use traditional treatment, especially in low income communities, and this in turn affects their oral hygiene habits and care.

Learning Journal 29

For class on Monday we met in our big group and talked about problems that we could run into while on our Field Study. After hearing stories throughout most of the semester, I actually felt like I had heard most of the concerns. I heard that people had problems finding translators and that it always varies. Of course we always hope that it will be easy to find whatever we need. In reality, it may end up being one of the biggest struggles. The hard part is that not too much can be done to prevent or prepare for this before we arrive. Since I will be in the city, especially on universities and colleges, I hope that I can find someone willing to help me. Another problem that people faced was getting access to their site. I addressed this in my proposal as a problem and something that needs to be thought about before I arrive. I have made lots of social triangles to try and figure out where else I could find people for my survey. I have come up with some good places to try, but will ultimately need to look around once I get there to see if the informants I am looking for are there. This just involves brainstorming and hoping for the best once I get there. Another problem I heard was keeping your head up. This is probably something that everyone faces at one point or another so I just need to remind myself why I am doing it and motivate myself to continue. I like to think that I am head strong and will just keep plowing ahead, but we will see. I think that sickness will get the best of me at some points and will be my biggest enemy. Its hard to get the motivation to beat a sickness that is constantly pulling you down. Getting along in our group was another problem that I heard. As much as we love each other and try our best, there may be days where we bug and annoy each other. I guess the best thing to do is to try and work things out so pinned up anger doesn't eventually erupt. We may disagree at some points about certain things, but hopefully they won't be so big that our group falls apart. I hope that I don't get pick pocketed or mugged, I guess I just got the perspective to carry the basics with me and to leave everything else at home. I will be sure to do this with money and identification so that if I get into trouble I can hopefully pull myself or buy myself out of the situation. I hope that we are not vulnerable targets as white Americans in India.
These were some of the main points that I could think of form the lesson today. I guess I just want to make sure that I can apply each one of these to me and what I would do in the situation. It's important to be prepared for these things so that I do not get smacked in the back of the head without knowing.

Learning Journal 28

This week we met in groups to talk about our proposals. First of all, I am a horrible at English. I am bad at reading and even worse at writing. When it comes to writing, I write like I talk and like I am writing a scientific research journal. I have a hard time rereading papers after I have wrote them. I can often go through and notice if something stands out in a sentence, but i have a hard time making sure that the paragraph is fluid and fits within the whole idea. Well in class we took notecards and wrote down the main ideas of each paragraph. As I was doing this, I noticed that some items in my proposal could use a little work. Some of my paragraphs worked great for the topic and represented the idea in a clear matter. Other paragraphs went a little off topic or were irrelevant to what needed to be discussed. It was a good activity for me to be able to determine what to work on next. I still have to read through the rest of my paper but I think that it will be helpful as I do so. Luckily most of the hard work for the project is done, so now it's just typing up the loose ends.
This will all be important when it comes to writing the final paper. Sections from my proposal might go straight into my final project. If I work hard at making this copy good, then I won't have to adjust too much at the end. I look forward to putting together my results to be able to draw some conclusions about my main question. I am hoping to submit my paper to some online dental journal databases to see if they will accept mine. I know that mine will not be the most professional, but I hope that valuable information can be learned from it.