PROFILE STUDY OF 300 KASHMIRI MIGRANT DIABETICS SETTLED IN JAMMU

Jitendra Singh,Post-graduate Dept., Govt.Medical College, JAMMU(J&K)

In the ongoing study of diabetic ‘profile of the migrant Kashmiri community displaced from Kashmir valley due to militancy and presently having taken refuge in Jammu, so far 300 migrant subjects reporting in serial order have been worked up for evaluation of their lifestyles, ethnic character, food as well as drinking and smoking habits, stress related factors and other possible contributory factors.

All the 300 subjects were detected having type 2 diabetes mellitus only during the last ten years, that is, after their migration from their native land in Kashmir.  Of the 300 subjects, 190 were in the age group of 28 to 40 years and the remaining 110 above 40 years of age.  120 of them had a positive family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus.  48 of them had never before even heard about diabetes or any of its symptoms and did not know what was it all about till they were told that they were themselves diabetics.  155 of them were smokers while 84 of them consumed more than 500ml. Of alcohol per week.

However, one factor common to all of them was that each one of them had passed through severe mental stress caused by the shock of being hounded out of their homes and hearths.  Each one of them confessed being involved in serious hassles over insurance claims, loss of property, separation from dear ones, job rehabilitation problems and anxiety regarding disrupted education of children.  192 of them were living in unreasonably small apartments along with the whole family while 36 of them were living in migrant camps.  Stress, particularly mental and also physical, stood out as the single most important contributory factor.