Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences
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Observational Survey Study on Association of Primary Dysmenorrhea with Sharira Prakriti (Body Constitution)
Get PDFBackground: Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common health issue. Reported prevalence of dysmenorrhea is 84% in young girls. Primary dysmenorrhea is correlated with Udavartini yonivyapad from Ayurveda. There are limitations for the management by Western medicine to this issue. Hence, there is a need of comprehensive and holistic approach. Ayurveda has termed this uniqueness of body as Prakriti (body constitution). Knowledge of Prakriti is very important to maintain health as well as for planning of the treatment in Ayurveda. The knowledge of the relationship between Prakriti (body constitution) with primary dysmenorrhea may be beneficial for the management of primary dysmenorrhea. Objectives: The aim of the study was to study the association of primary dysmenorrhea with Sharira Prakriti (body constitution). Methods: This was a exploratory observational clinical study by interview method. Results: Regarding Sharira Prakriti (body constitution), it has observed that the maximum subjects of Vata, Vata-Pitta, and Vata-Kapha Prakriti(s) were suffering from Grade 1 and Grade 2 type of pain of primary dysmenorrhea as well Vata dosha provoking food, incompatible food, and non-vegetarian food are responsible for Vata vitiation which was responsible for pain in primary dysmenorrhea. Conclusions: The present study has revealed that maximum subjects having Sharira Prakriti (body constitution) of Vata dominance and Vata associated Prakriti are suffering from pain in primary dysmenorrhea. It has also revealed that Vata dosha provoking food, opposite food, and non-vegetarian food does Vata vitiation which is responsible for pain in primary dysmenorrhea. Hence, knowledge of Prakriti (body constitution) is beneficial in the management of primary dysmenorrhea
Cost Burden of the Disease on the Indian Health Sector and the Healthcare Utilization Patterns among Households in Goa
Get PDFThere has been an alarmingly increasing trend in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Indian economy. These transformations pose great challenges to the country in terms of the rising healthcare costs which further impact the rate of savings and investment for an individual as well as the capital formation of the country at large. This paper uses a sample of 400 goan HH to evaluate disease-specific direct and indirect costs attributable to the NCDs-Diabetes, Cancer, Cardiovascular, and Chronic Kidney Disorder (CKD). Apart from analyzing the cost burden associated with these chronic and long-term illnesses the paper also analyses healthcare utilization patterns, i.e., Public Sector versus the private sector and the quality factors that drive individuals and households to make their choices. In terms of direct cost, the highest burden was found to be for CKD followed by cancer, diabetes, and lastly cardiovascular disease (CVD). For the indirect cost, the highest burden was posed by cancer followed by CVD, diabetes, and lastly CKD. The study finds that the choice of government healthcare is driven by factors such as proximity, cost, and efficiency. The choice of private healthcare is mainly driven by factors – privacy, less waiting hours, and timely treatment. When the sampled respondents choose, a combination of both private and public health care the main factor that drove this choice were that of clean environment, proximity, and less waiting hours
A study on level of adversity quotient of adolescents across age and gender
Get PDFAdversity Quotient (AQ) is one of the probable indicators of a person’s success in life. It is useful to predict attitude, mental stress, perseverance, longevity, learning, and response to changes in the environment. An AQ measures the ability of a person to deal with adversities in his or her life. This study assess the level of AQ of adolescents of Lucknow city. The study was conducted among 150 adolescents (10–19 years), out of which 79 were boys and 71 were girls. Adversity Response Profile by Paul Stoltz (2001) was used to assess the level of AQ of the respondents. Result reveals that a significant proportion (42.0%) of adolescents has a low level of AQ. At the same time, only 2% of them fall under the high AQ level. Further probing, the data reveal that, in the 10–14 years age group, significant proportion (47.1%) of respondents falls under a low level of AQ. At the same time, 2.3% of adolescents have above average level of AQ. The level of AQ in 15–19 years reveals that a major proportion (39.8%) of the respondents falls at low level of AQ, and 2.7% of them have a high AQ. The level of AQ of adolescents across gender showed that a major proportion (43.6%) of girls have a low AQ and 1.4% have a high AQ. Similarly, a major proportion (40.5%) of boys falls under the low level of AQ and 2.5% high level of AQ
Determination of Lactose Intolerance and Effect of Supplementing Lactose Hydrolyzed Milk among Elderly Population of Urban Vadodara
Get PDFLactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose which may lead to gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms hinder nutrient absorption and cause discomfort. The objective of the study was to determine lactose intolerance and determine the effect of lactose hydrolyzed milk supplementation to lactose intolerants among geriatric population. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to assess gastrointestinal symptoms post-consumption of various foods. Hydrogen breath analyser test (HBT) was conducted to determine lactose intolerance and further divided into mild, moderate, and severe categories of lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerants are supplemented with lactose hydrolyzed milk (LHM) for 6 weeks. The highest gastrointestinal symptoms were observed in 37.4% of the subjects’ post-milk and milk products consumption whereas cereal products exhibited the least (2.73%). HBT revealed that 55.5% of the subjects were lactose intolerant. A significant improvement (P < 0.05) in energy, protein, calcium, and fat intakes was observed post-supplementation by 3%, 3.30%, 43.62%, and 4.19%, respectively. There was an increase in normal category body weight by 6.7% post-LHM supplementation. No significant changes (P < 0.05) were observed in quality of life before and after intervention. Conclusion: Lactose-intolerance was 55.5% among the studied geriatric population. All the elderlies (100%) were able to tolerate LHM without experiencing any gastrointestinal disturbances for 45 days
Identification of Novel Coixol-Based Derivatives as the Potential Anti-diabetic Agents Through Molecular Docking Studies
Get PDFObjective: The objective of this study was to design and identify the novel promising anti-diabetic agents based on the naturally existing potent insulin secretagogue coixol that can improve the potency overcome the adverse effects of existing medicines. Methods: The Auto Dock Vina (ADT) 1.5.6 and PyMOL software were used for molecular docking and visualization purposes. The molecular structures were drawn in Chem Draw 16.0 and by the help of Chem Bio draw three dimensions, all structures were energy minimized by MM2 method and converted to PDB extension file which is readable at the ADT interface. Result: Total 254 designed molecules from each series 1–4 were checked for binding score with the receptor 5yw7. Out of that total 12 molecules from each series were selected on the basis of their binding affinity in each series. Among these coixol (Natural product), DP322, DP330, and DP422 were studied in-depth. Conclusion: Coixol-based derivatives which scored best binding affinity such as DP332, DP330, and DP422 were shown promising result on the interaction with the K+ ATP sensitive Potassium channel protein (5yw7). The entire study suggests that these novel coixol-based derived molecules could be a promising lead for the further discovery and investigation of insulin sensitizing agents for the treatment of diabetes
A Study on Status of Mental Health among Male and Female Senior Secondary Level Students of Uttarakhand State
Get PDFMental health of the student has been a big concern for parents in the academic world in recent times. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic made huge contributions in it by forcing the school to adopt online teaching and subsequently confining the young generation to their homes and endless hours of screen time. Although online teaching has made academic activities possible at least during this pandemic situation, it has also caused significant stress on the mental health of school children. The present study has been conducted to find out the status of mental health among male and female senior secondary level students of Uttarakhand state. Total of four hundred (400) Senior secondary level Male and female students studying in different schools and Boards of Uttarakhand State were selected as subjects by using random sampling method. The subjects were Aged between 14-19 years and were studying in 9th-12th classes at different schools in Uttarakhand state. Mental Health Status was assessed using the Mental Health Scale developed by Dr. Shushma Talesara and Dr. Akhtar Banao [2017]. The collected data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and independent t-test. The level of significance was fixed at 0.05. The result revealed that there was a significant difference in the total mental health status between male and female students. Female students were better on mental health status than male students. In subcategories of mental health status, there was a significant difference found for home-related causes, whereas, in the other two subcategories, there was no significant difference between male and female students of Uttarakhand state
Oral Bioavailability of Curcumin Enhanced Using Different Surfactant for Preparing Proniosomal Gel
Get PDFPurpose: The aim of the present study was to enhance the oral bioavailability of curcumin using different surfactant and vehicle for preparing proniosomal gel. Methods: Curcumin comes under BCS Class IV which is having low solubility and low permeability and poor bioavailability. Buccal drug delivery can bypass such problems and leads to increase in bioavailability. Proniosomes offer excellent potential for improved drug delivery through versatile routes, by overcome the permeation barriers. Trial batches of proniosomal gel are prepared by coacervation phase separation method using different concentration of surfactant (Span 20, Span 40, Span 60, and Span 80) with cholesterol, soyalecithin, and vehicles such as 0.1% glycerol solution or pH 6.8. The formulated systems were characterized to find out the effects of surfactant on vesicle size, % entrapment efficiency, and % drug release and permeation at 6 h. Stability studies for proniosomal gel were carried out for 4 weeks. Results and Conclusion: It suggested that formulation (F2) containing Span 20 and phosphate buffer pH 6.8 has high entrapment efficiency, drug release, and permeation as compare to the other formulations and it can enhance the delivery of curcumin through oral route and can improve the bioavailability of drug
To Assess Postural Discomfort of School Students using Virtual Pedagogy
Get PDFPosture is usually defined as the relative arrangement of the parts of the body. It was observed that school teachers worked continuously in one posture for long hours. Constantly, they suffered from discomfort in different parts of their body, especially in the shoulders, knees, back, lower back, and upper back, which mainly prevent them from continuing their work. Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the postural discomfort of the teachers using virtual pedagogy. With this background, this study was carried out with the objectives to assess. Objective: The postural discomfort faced by school teachers across gender. Methods: The sample size was 100 school students and sample was collected from Lucknow city using interview schedule along with a technique for measuring postural discomfort scale prepared by Corlett, E.N. and Bishop, R.P. (1976). The collected data were coded, scored, tabulated, and analyzed using relevant descriptive statistics frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, and relational statistics like correlation. The sample was collected through random and purposive random sampling technique. The data calculated were analyzed using frequency, percentage, and correlation. Results: There is no significant difference between gender and postural discomfort of respondents
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: Usage in Households during COVID-19 Pandemic, Boon, or Bane?
Get PDFQuaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) have been used as disinfectants and as components in various household items since long. The furore and panic created during the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented increase in their usage in health-care facilities as well as in households. This narrative attempts to explore the usage of various QACs in households during the pandemic and delve into the increased exposure and consequent health outcomes. A comprehensive literature search was performed on various databases to include the studies conducted on QACs since 2019. Multiple studies reported an increase in the exposure to QACs during the pandemic and this surge was reflected as adverse effects in human beings as well as the environment – cytological aberrations, intoxication, and damage to aquatic life being the main-stays
Effect of Prolonged Use of Face Masks in Dental Professionals during COVID-19
Get PDFObjective: The study was undertaken to understand the long-term effect of using non-pharmaceutical intervention like face mask for protection against COVID-19. The dental professionals are at high risk as mostly all procedures generate aerosols and thus they were using the face masks with PPE for long hours. This study evaluated the various symptoms which were experienced by the professionals when the masks were worn for <4 h, 4 h, and >4 h. Methods: A cross-sectional and observational study was carried out online by circulating a Google form among dental professionals practicing in Delhi NCR Region. The form was circulated using social platform. The survey included MCQ questions enquiring about the symptoms that were experienced by professionals after using face masks. The data were assembled and analyzed using SPSS (Version 16, IBM). Results: The Google form was distributed to 150 professionals and we received responses from 99. Our study showed that the symptoms were more pronounced when the mask was worn for 4 h or >4 h. The symptoms such as sweating around mask, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, feeling of nasal discomfort, and other symptoms were seen around in 11.1% cases when worn <4 h whereas other symptoms were not presented at all during this time period. Conclusion: This study showed that whenever face masks were worn for 4 or more h, it leads to significant discomfort. This would, in turn, affect the efficiency of the face mask, breach the PPE protocol, and hamper the quality of work