Diss. (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2009. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Masteropgave. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Masteropgave. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

No description available.

The objectives of the present study in rural Nepali pregnant women living in the terai were: 1) to identify the risk factors of severe anemia and investigate whether risk factors for anemia without iron deficiency, iron deficiency without anemia and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) were different; 2) to examine the effect of vitamin A supplementation, alone or combined with iron, on hemoglobin (Hb) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR); and 3) to identify the risk factors of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm delivery, focusing on maternal Hb concentrations. The prevalence of severe anemia (Hb < 8.0 g/dl) in this population (n = 3531) was 4.2% and that of iron deficiency was 31%. Logistic regression analyses indicated that risk factors of severe anemia included hookworm infestation, impaired dark adaptation, lack of iron supplement intake, a diet low in heme iron and malnutrition manifested by thinness and short stature. These same factors differed among non-iron-deficient anemic, iron deficient non-anemic, and iron-deficient anemic pregnant women. We found a significant positive correlation between Hb and retinol concentrations (Pearson r = 0.212, P < 0.0001) and one fourth of our anemic subjects were also vitamin A deficient. There was no evidence that vitamin A alone significantly increased Hb and decreased the prevalence of anemia (n = 498). However, vitamin A, when given together with iron, had an added beneficial effect on Hb but not sTfR. In addition, women with initially compromised iron status benefited more from iron and vitamin A supplementation. The prevalence of LBW and preterm delivery was 22% and 20%, respectively (n = 915). There was an increased risk of LBW associated with short stature, thinness and impaired dark adaptation. The association between Hb measured during the second trimester and risk of LBW had a U-shaped distribution, with risk increasing significantly with Hb < 8.0 g/dl. Based on our findings, we recommend that Hb is evaluated during the second trimester as an indicator of increased LBW risk. While vitamin A supplementation to all pregnant women is recommended, routine supplementation of iron and deworming during pregnancy are essential.

Across the southern slope of the Nepal Himalaya lie large areas of upper-elevation broadleaf evergreen forest. Resources extracted by subsistence villagers include hand-cut tree-leaf fodder for livestock, fuelwood, and poles for construction of herders’ shelters. Indigenous use of forest products may be altering forest structure and resource availability in Nepal. This research examined forest structure and its relationships with human use of forest products near the upper-elevation village of Chimkhola in west-central Nepal. In the 150-ha forest study area, mean density and standard error (SE) of trees >10 cm dbh was 817 (30) stems ha⁻¹ and mean (SE) total basal area was 44 (3.2) m² ha⁻¹. Cluster analysis of density data for 32 tree species suggested three forest communities: a Symplocos-Quercus community, a Symplocos-mixed evergreen community, and a Rhododendron-Symplocos community. Ordination by principal components analysis of tree species densities indicated a relationship between community structure and a cutting index that increases with harvest intensity. Size-class distributions of important fodder-resource oak species suggested Quercus lamellosa is in decline, but Q. oxyodon and Q. semecarpifolia may be reproducing successfully. Age-diameter regression equations of three evergreen tree species showed growth rate of Symplocos ramosissima to be approximately twice that of Machilus duthei or that of Lindera pulcherrima. The fast growth rate and shade tolerance of S. ramosissima appear to confer a successional advantage. I assessed sustainability of harvest of pole-size (5-10 cm dbh) S. ramosissima used in herders’ shelters, by comparison of harvest and replenishment rates. Mean (SE) density of pole-size S. ramosissima was 375 (32) stems ha⁻¹ in the study area. If the total harvest was distributed evenly across the forest area, it would be 34 stems ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and would not exceed the replenishment rate. However, harvest was concentrated in the Symplocos-Quercus community, closest to the village and agricultural fields. Using stump counts as a proxy of relative harvest intensity, harvest rates were sustainable in the Symplocos-mixed evergreen and Rhododendron-Symplocos communities, but not sustainable in the Symplocos-Quercus community.

This study consists of three main parts. Part I contains introductory matter and a presentation of the manuscript material which contains stories about Kavikumāra, one of the Buddha’s earlier lives, and a rough classification of the material. Part II contains editions and translations of some of the texts containing this story and in addition one text which is the source of a part of one text. Part III contains summaries and analyses of the main texts. Part I begins with a characterization of the avadāna literature genre followed by definitions of some terms used and a characterization of the texts treated in this study. All the known texts containing a story about Kavikumāra and their manuscript sources are enumerated. In Part II editions of some of the texts mentioned in Part I are found. Different types of editions and the relations of those types with my editions are treated. The characteristics of some of the manuscripts are described. The edition of the Tibetan translation of a part of the Sanghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivādavinaya is used as a check on Gnoli’s edition of the Sanskrit text, which is translated. The central part of this study is the synoptic editions of chapter 26 of Kalpadrumāvadānamālā and a prose paraphrase of the text and their translations. Critical editions of two more Tibetan texts and a diplomatic edition of two Sanskrit texts are also given. In Part III summaries of and comparisons between three of the main texts containing stories about Kavikumāra are made. The structure of the text in Kalpadrumāvadānamālā is described and the sources for the different parts are indicated. This text has been chosen for analysis because it is the earliest text which incorporates all the parts which are found in later texts containing the story. The relations of an extremely fragmentary text with the other texts are treated. A comparison of the stories about Kavikumāra and the Hero Story is made. The conclusion summarizes the main findings.

This thesis examines the gendered work experiences and labour migration aspirations of Tamang women in Nepal. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the various factors that encourage and discourage Tamang women from travelling in search of paid work. I investigated these factors by conducting a qualitative study of Tamang women’s gender roles, economic opportunities, economic contributions, physical mobility, as well as cultural attitudes regarding women’s mobility. I found that participants wish to migrate in order to seek better employment opportunities, improve the financial status of their households, acquire prestige, as well as to experience adventure, modernity and independence. Although many participants wish to migrate, discourses about appropriate gender roles, women’s sexuality, human trafficking, travel and safety are all influential in discouraging Tamang women from travelling in search of paid work. In this thesis, I argue that anti-trafficking campaigns contribute to propagating these discourses and discouraging women’s independent travel. / Richard and Sophia Hungerford Graduate Scholarship and the Richard and Sophia Hungerford Research Travel Grant

Aim: Our goal with this study was to see the well-being index among adolescents in Kathmandu, Nepal. But also to investigate the factors that contribute to well-being and what the adolescents believe is the most important thing.  Method: The method used in this study was a questionnaire, it included eight questions with 44 adolescents participating. Group interviews were used by help with mindmap, groups of  3-4 adolescents to investigate their perspective of well-being used. We chose to do both because we wanted the results of the index and the adolescents thoughts about well-being to emerge.  Results: The results from the questionnaire showed that 34,1 percent among the adolescents have 80-90% well-being according to the PWI scale we applied. According to the adolescents’ own estimated level of well-being, about 68 percent of them have good well-being and 30 percent of them have a really good well-being. However the PWI scale shows that only 9 percent have a really good well-being. The results of the group interviews showed the most important thing for well-being according to the adolescents are satisfaction, quality of life, happiness, love (friends, family, relationship), education, health and social service.