Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract BACKGROUND: Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over their
own health. Community involvement in social and environmental interventions tends to improve
people’s health and quality of life. Self‑help groups (SHGs) primarily focus on microfinancing, thereby
acting as a catalyst in bringing backward society to the mainstream. They possess huge potential
to influence the health of the community.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to assess the willingness among SHGs for the involvement
in health promotion activities and to assess their health information needs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community‑based, cross‑sectional study was conducted during
September 2017 in rural Puducherry. All 86 SHGs in four selected villages were covered, and their
leaders were interviewed using a structured questionnaire on functioning of SHGs and their health
information needs. Willingness for health promotion activities was rated on an interest scale (1–100).
RESULTS: Among the 86 heads of SHGs interviewed, 81 SHGs (94.1%) were registered. They were
mainly involved in microfinancing. Health information needs expressed were cancer detection (45%),
diabetes (60%), hypertension (56%) and vector‑borne diseases (63%). When asked to rate
their willingness on an interest scale for health promotion activities, nearly 64% showed a great
interest (i.e., score > 60). Majority were willing to work for noncommunicable disease‑related activities
such as provision of drugs (86%) and for screening of various cancers (84%).
CONCLUSION: This study has shown that majority of SHG members have expressed willingness
for the involvement in health‑related activities, thereby can be utilized as an important resource for
health promotion in rural areas.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer often delay seeking medical advice in developing
countries. In India, only 20%–30% of cancers are being diagnosed in Stages I and II.
Screening for red flag symptoms of cancer can be used to identify high‑risk individuals in the
community.
METHODOLOGY: A community‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted in February 2017
among 302 participants in one of the service areas of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical
Education and Research urban health center selected by universal sampling. Data on the presence
of red flag symptoms of cancer (persistent cough, persistent change in bowel/bladder habits,
nonhealing ulcer, persistent difficulty in swallowing, unexplained weight loss, unexplained lump,
persistent unexplained pain, unexplained bleeding, and change in the appearance of mole) and
presence of risk factors were collected through interviews. The collected data were entered using
EpiData version 3.0.
RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age of the study participants was 44 (11) years and 50.6%
of them were male. At least one red flag symptom of cancer was present in 22 (7.3%) individuals;
9 (2.8%) had unexplained pain, 4 (1.3%) had change in bowel habits, 4 (1.3%) had change in bladder
habits, 3 (1%) had cough, 3 (1%) had nonhealing ulcer, 2 (0.6%) had unexplained bleeding, 1 (0.3%)
had difficulty in swallowing, 1 (0.3%) had weight loss, 1 (0.3%) had lump, and 1 (0.3%) had change
in the appearance of mole.
CONCLUSION: Screening for red flag symptoms of cancer is an easy tool that can be used in the community
to identify high‑risk individuals, which will facilitate early diagnosis of cancer.