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. 2025 Oct 31;25(1):3726.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-24957-6.

Prevalence, pattern, and factors associated with self-reported disability among the tribal population in Jawadhi Hills, Tamil Nadu: a census

Jackwin Sam Paul G  1   1 , Sarah Sunil Joseph  2 , Prathibha Obed  3 , Anuradha Rose  2 , Venkata Raghava Mohan  2 , John Paul D  2 , Samuel Prasanna J Vinothkumar  2 , Amala Vinodh  4 , Anika Amritanand  3 , Padma Paul  3 , Vinod Joseph Abraham  2
Affiliations

Prevalence, pattern, and factors associated with self-reported disability among the tribal population in Jawadhi Hills, Tamil Nadu: a census

Jackwin Sam Paul G et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The Jawadhi Hills region in Tamil Nadu, India, is home to predominantly tribal communities facing severe health challenges, including high infant and maternal mortality. Data on disability within these populations are limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of disability and examine associated factors in this region.

Methods: A census was conducted across 395 hamlets in the Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts. Trained field workers collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and living conditions using a structured questionnaire. Disability was assessed in individuals aged five years and above using the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning (WG-SS).

Results: Among 58,598 individuals aged ≥ 5 years, the prevalence of perceived functional disability, defined as "a lot of difficulty" or "unable to do" in ≥ 1 domain, or "some difficulty" in ≥ 2 domains, was 2.89% (95% CI: 2.75%-3.03%). Moderate to severe disability was most commonly reported in the domains of mobility (1.64%, 95% CI: 1.54% - 1.75%.), vision (0.89%, 95% CI: 0.81% - 0.96%), and hearing (0.70%, 95% CI: 0.63% - 0.77%). The highest prevalence of disability was observed in the ≥ 85 years age group (33.59%). Logistic regression showed that increasing age, lower educational attainment, unemployment, chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension), caste, and poor housing conditions were significantly associated with higher odds of disability.

Conclusions: This is the first census-based estimate of disability in a tribal population in the Jawadhi Hills. The findings reveal a notable burden of mobility-related impairments and strong links between disability and social disadvantage. The results support the integration of disability assessment into existing health programs, particularly those addressing non-communicable diseases, and call for expanded access to rehabilitation services in tribal areas.

Keywords: Census; Perceived disability; Tribal population; Washington group short set (WG-SS).

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board and Ethics Committee, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India (Registration No. ECR/326/Inst/TN/2013/RR-24, IRB Min No: 14637 dated 27/04/2022). As per the approved protocol, the IRB waived the requirement for individual consent. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Population pyramid of Jawadhi Hills tribal inhabitants (N = 64,419), based on data collected in the present study
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of responses indicating perceived disability across the six functional domains by age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. LokurCommitteeReport.pdf. Available from: https://tribal.nic.in/downloads/Statistics/OtherReport/LokurCommitteeRep.... Cited 12 Aug 2024.
    1. Jawadhi Hills Campaign – Background Information. Scudder Association Foundation. 2021. Available from: https://scudder.org/jawadhi-hills-campaign-background-information/. Cited 13 Aug 2024.

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