Planetary Health at Work: Environmental Practices and Health Impacts Among Coffee Estate Workers
Faculty Information
Name:
Dr. Gautam Kalyatanda
Email
Gautam.kalyatanda@medicine.ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 294-5481
Faculty Department/Division
Infectious Diseases & Global Medicine
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Planetary health recognizes that human health is inseparable from the health of natural systems. Coffee plantation ecosystems are heavily influenced by chemical inputs (pesticides and fungicides), plastic use, and land-use change such as deforestation.
Coffee estate workers are frontline communities who experience the direct bodily, social, and environmental consequences of these practices. However, their knowledge, experiences and effect on health are often under-documented
Aim
To explore and document coffee estate workers’ knowledge, experiences, and health impacts related to environmental practices on coffee estates, within a planetary health framework
Study Design
- Qualitative, participatory, and exploratory
Methods - In-depth interviews with workers (men and women)
- Focus group discussions
- Participatory tools, such as:
o Mapping of pain /illness
o Timeline mapping of environmental change
o Community mapping of pollution and risk areas - Observation of work practices and living environments
Role of medical student
Help writing paper
Does this project have an international component or travel?
Potentially
If your project has an international component please give details (where, when, data collection involved, etc.):
Kodagu, Karnataka, South India
June/July for atleast two weeks
Conducting focus group discussions
Entering data and using Nvivo
Navigating Stigma, Symptoms, and Systems: A Qualitative Study of Urinary and Reproductive Health Among Tribal Women in Karnataka
Faculty Information
Name:
Dr. Gautam Kalyatanda
Email
Gautam.kalyatanda@medicine.ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 294-5481
Faculty Department/Division
Infectious Diseases & Global Medicine
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Urinary symptoms and related reproductive health concerns remain under-recognized and under-treated among tribal women in India, particularly due to social stigma, cultural norms, geographic isolation, and health system barriers. As part of a Pfizer-funded Antimicrobial Stewardship project, approximately 900 women from diverse tribal populations accessing three Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across two districts in Karnataka were engaged through a community-based intervention.
Findings from this intervention revealed that many women avoid PHCs due to stigma associated with urinary and reproductive health issues, inadequate transportation, and indirect costs such as loss of wages. Importantly, urine sample analysis and culture indicated a high prevalence of sterile pyuria among participants, suggesting potential non-bacterial etiologies, prior undocumented antibiotic use, or misinterpretation of symptoms. These observations highlighted significant gaps in both access to care and understanding of urinary and reproductive health among tribal women.
Rationale
The presence of urinary symptoms without confirmed bacterial infection, coupled with low utilization of PHC services, underscores the need for a deeper exploration of how tribal women perceive, interpret, and manage urinary and related reproductive health symptoms.
Objectives
Primary Objective
· To assess health insights, perceptions, and lived experiences related to urinary symptoms among tribal women.
Secondary Objectives
· To explore tribal women’s understanding of urinary symptoms, UTIs, STIs, and vaginal discharge, including distinctions between normal and abnormal discharge.
· To document care-seeking pathways and symptom management practices among tribal women, including the use of traditional medicine and self-medication with antibiotics.
Study Design
This study will employ a qualitative research design using focus group discussions (FGDs) to capture in-depth perspectives from multiple stakeholder groups within tribal communities.
Study Population
FGDs will be conducted with the following groups:
- Tribal women currently managing urinary symptoms within their villages.
- Elderly women who traditionally advise and guide younger women on health-related matters.
- Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) residing in the same villages, who serve as a bridge between tribal communities and PHCs.
- Primary Health Care Officers (PHCOs) , the frontline health workers who refer women to PHCs.
Role of Medical Students
- Background literature review
2.conduct Focus Group Disucussions along with local PI and interpreters - Enter data collected and use Nvivo to arrive at themes
- Help with writing the paper Does this project have an international component or travel? Yes If your project has an international component please give details (where, when, data collection involved, etc.):
- Mysore, Karnataka, South India
- June / July for atleast 2 weeks
- Yes , qualitative data
Studying barriers in seeking care for Sexually Transmitted Infections and Urinary Tract infections among women in rural India
Name:
Dr. Gautam Kalyatanda MD
Email
gautam.kalyatanda@medicine.ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 294-5481
Faculty Department/Division
Infectious Diseases & Global Medicine
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Background:
This study is part of an ongoing research project on Anti-Microbial Resistance in rural communities in India. The primary focus ison preventing Anti-Microbial Resistance, particularly through addressing issues related to self-medication from communitypharmacies. The project involves interviewing Last-Mile healthcare workers to identify barriers that prevent women in ruralcommunities and urban slums from seeking care in Primary Health Care Centers.
Hypothesis:
A preliminary study involving interviews with healthcare workers indicated that various factors influence women’s decisions to seekcare. These factors include the gender of the healthcare provider, social stigma, and access to transportation for reachinghealthcare facilities.
Methods:
We will conduct focus group discussions with various participants, including ASHA workers, physicians in government primaryhealth care centers, nurses, and consenting patients.
Role of the Medical Student:
The medical student will be a team member responsible for conducting focus group discussions, transcribing interviews, andassisting with writing the final paper.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
Yes
If your project has an international component please give details (where, when, data collection involved, etc.):
Where: Mysore, Karnataka, India
When: June / July – 2-3 weeks