Epidemiology of gastro-intestinal and respiratory tract diseases in rural areas of Varanasi (India).

The pattern of gastro-intestinal (GIT) and Respiratory tract (RTI) diseases in rural areas of the Varanasi district, U.P. (India) was studied from the outpatient (OPD) attendance between July 1985 to June 1986. Out of a total of new patients, 19.71% had respiratory diseases in contrast to 27.9% with GIT disease. A decreasing trend was observed in attendance rates as age advanced. The difference in age distribution of males and females was statistically significant. The attendance rates for GIT diseases were higher in female (29.16%) than in males (25.16%) whereas in RTI, the rates were higher in males (19.39%) than in females (18.77%). The attendance rate was found to be higher in rainy season (23.59%) followed by summer (14.50%). Diarrhoea (15.44%) and upper (URTI) respiratory tract infection (19.93%) occupied the major recorded episodes.