Indian Journal of Community Health
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Exploring Quality of Life and Caregiver Burden in Palliative care
No full textBackground: The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases in India has led to a growing need for palliative care. This study aimed to explore and analyse the factors contributing to the quality of life and burden experienced by caregivers of palliative patients in a metropolitan setting. Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed, grounded in the interpretivist paradigm. Seven in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary caregivers of palliative patients at a tertiary care hospital and Palliative Care Hospital. Purposive sampling was used, and data saturation determined the sample size. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated. Data analysis followed a hybrid approach, combining inductive and deductive methods. Results: Seven major themes emerged from the analysis. Caregivers reported significant deterioration in their quality of life, disruption of daily routines, and emotional distress. They faced challenges including physical and mental exhaustion, lack of respite, and financial constraints. Coping mechanisms included seeking emotional support and spiritual practices. Despite hardships, caregivers found satisfaction in witnessing improvements in their loved ones\u27 conditions. They expressed concerns about future care arrangements and suggested better communication with healthcare professionals and respite opportunities. Conclusion: The study revealed that caregiving for palliative patients significantly impacts caregivers\u27 quality of life and emotional well-being. While caregivers experience multiple challenges, they also find satisfaction in their role. To improve the caregiving experience, healthcare systems should focus on enhancing communication between healthcare professionals and patients, and providing respite options for caregivers. These findings can inform strategies to support caregivers and improve palliative care services in metropolitan settings
Relationship between Lifestyle habits and the Indian Diabetes Risk Score in a community based study at Meerut
Full text linkIntroduction: Diabetes mellitus, particularly Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), is a rapidly growing global health concern, with India facing a diabetes epidemic. The Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) is an effective tool for identifying individuals at risk of undiagnosed T2DM by considering factors such as age, abdominal obesity, family history, and physical activity. Lifestyle factors, including diet, screen time, sleep, and stress, are significant contributors to the development of T2DM, making the study of these factors essential for effective prevention strategies. Aim & Objective(s): The study aims to estimate the proportion of the population under different risk categories of IDRS and explore the association between various lifestyle habits and high-risk IDRS scores. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Multan Nagar, Meerut, from September 2022 to August 2023. A sample size of 503 individuals aged 30 and above was selected using a two-stage sampling technique. Data on socio-demographics, family history, dietary habits, physical activity, screen time, addiction history, and stress levels were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the associations, with a p-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The study found that 53.1% of participants were classified as moderate risk, 35.38% as high risk, and 11.53% as low risk based on their IDRS scores. High screen time and shorter sleep duration were significantly associated with higher IDRS scores (p-value < 0.00001). No significant association was found between dietary habits and high-risk IDRS scores. Discussion: Lifestyle factors such as screen time and sleep duration were significantly linked to diabetes risk, aligning with findings from previous studies. Increased screen time and insufficient sleep were associated with a higher risk of T2DM. However, dietary habits did not exhibit a significant correlation with the IDRS, suggesting that other factors may play a more substantial role in the risk of diabetes. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant impact of screen time and sleep duration on the Indian Diabetes Risk Score, suggesting the need for interventions targeting these modifiable lifestyle factors to prevent T2DM. While dietary habits did not show a significant relationship with the risk score, further research is needed to explore other contributing factors
Using the framework of entrustable professional activities to promote reflective practice among medical students
No full textEntrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) have been employed across heterogeneous settings in training medical students and preparing them to provide quality-assured clinical care to patients. In the field of medical education and healthcare delivery, reflective practice refers to the process of critical analysis of own’s experiences and actions in a systemic manner to not only learn from these but even take remedial measures to ameliorate performance in the future. The designed rubrics of milestones for individual EPAs specifically provide clear tasks and expectations from students, and based on their performances, they can reflect and even make efforts to align their progress. The decision to use EPAs to promote reflective practice in any institution has been linked with multiple challenges, nevertheless, there have been some concerns that need to be timely addressed to draw meaningful outcomes and benefit students. In conclusion, reflective writing has been associated with multiple benefits to students and makes them self-directed learners. The need of the hour is to use the framework of entrustable professional activities to promote the practice of reflective writing among medical students
Bridging Education and Emotion: Teachers\u27 Role in Supporting Student Mental Health
No full textDear editor,
I write to express my concern and highlight regarding the mental well-being of children and adolescence which are the key developmental phases with respect to mental health. During this phase of life, the significant role played by school teachers and their literacy levels in shaping students\u27 mental health is remarkable. Children and adolescents acquire cognitive and social-emotional skills at this phase of life, which will help in shaping their future mental health and also for assuming adult roles in society. (1) According to Malhotra et al., the prevalence rate of mental health issues in India among children was determined to be 23.33% and 6.46% in school and community respectively. (2) World Health Organization has reported teenage as the most common age group for mental health disorders to emerge. The developmental changes in the brain during the teen phase makes them vulnerable for the development of mental health problems. Other contributing factors may be academic stress, lack of emotional support, poor nutrition, lack of physical-activity, excessive use of digital devices fluctuations in hormones, environmental influences, and social pressures. (3) A narrative review done by Anderson et al., on factors contributing to adolescent anxiety and associated mental health disorders have indicated that students\u27 ability to learn, contribution in school activities, and their positive relationships with peers and teachers are some the factors contributing for their mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and behavioural disorders.(4) Frontline educators like teachers plays a crucial role in identifying early signs of mental health concerns among school students as they are the first point of contact.(5) Evidence shows that the quality of student-teacher relationship significantly influences students’ psychological well-being. A study by Longobardi et al., 2021found that positive teacher-student relationships are linked with reduced levels of anxiety, depression, and behavioural problems among school-aged children. (6) Without proper training or institutional support, the emotional burdens carried by both teachers and students are often neglected
Social Media Use Among the Elderly: Balancing Benefits and Risks
No full textIn India, a senior citizen is any person who is sixty years of age or older(1). Excessive or compulsive obsession, cravings, or behaviors related to computer use and internet access, together with the accompanying distress or impairment, are characteristics of internet addiction. Over the past few years, as computer and internet access has increased, internet addiction has drawn more attention from researchers, physicians, and the media(2).
With more than 900 million internet users and the second-largest e-market in the world after China, India boasts a sizable user base and a growing trend of internet usage. At over 50%(3), the nation\u27s internet penetration rate still falls short of the global average. Elderly people can also benefit from social media in other ways, such as increased social connectivity, which gives them a sense of belonging by enabling them to reconnect with old acquaintances and family members and lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation. It provides cognitive stimulation through activities such as reading articles, seeing films, and participating in online discussion forums, thereby informing individuals about current events and trends, while facilitating lifelong learning and cognitive engagement. Major advantage of social media is that it helps people connecting with known and unknown people distantly which gives them sense of connected to World. This becomes more significant during illness when people are more restricted to go out and meet people so social media comes for their rescue. As more and more social media platforms are also available to people so elderly wants to spend more time on their mobile operating different sites like facebook, Instagram, twitter, linkedin etc. Irony is that physical activity and warmness in meeting people has subsided due to overuse of this harmful addiction
Climate-Resilient Healthcare Facilities: Time for a National Policy in India
No full textClimate change is no longer a distant threat climate change has emerged as one of the most devastating environmental threat. Climate change is increasingly impacting public health in India, leading to increased prevalence of heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and other climate-sensitive conditions. India needs a national policy for climate-resilient healthcare facilities to address the growing threat of climate change on public health. Various studies have demonstrated that there is an urgent need to address climate related health hazards in the medical education.[1] Climate change is also an immediate and growing risk to public health infrastructure in India. Numerus incidents shown that India\u27s healthcare system is increasingly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, including extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and water scarcity. These environmental shifts threaten the delivery of health services, damage critical infrastructure, and compromise patient safety. Despite this, the concept of climate-resilient healthcare remains largely under-addressed in national health policies. This editorial calls for the urgent development and implementation of a national policy in India to build climate-resilient and low-carbon healthcare facilities. Drawing from global examples and aligning with India\u27s existing public health and environmental frameworks, such a policy would be a significant step toward safeguarding health systems against future climate shocks. The growing frequency of extreme weather events—floods, heatwaves, cyclones, and droughts—poses a dual threat: to public health and the healthcare facilities themselves. Healthcare institutions, meant to be sanctuaries during crises, are increasingly becoming victims of climate-related disasters.
Reaffirming the Scientific Purpose of Medical Journals: Concerns over The Lancet’s Coverage of Indian Medical Education
No full textWe express grave concern over the Editorial "Corruption scandal engulfs Indian medical education" published in The Lancet on July 19, 2025 (1). We hold The Lancet\u27s prestigious global reputation and historical contributions to medical science in high regard. Still, we critically question its editorial judgment and adherence to the journal\u27s core scientific goals in publishing this article.
Our criticisms arise from these five essential and interconnected issues:
Essential Discrepancy with Scientific Purpose: The Lancet\u27s stated goal, according to our understanding and the general global view, is the "promotion and dissemination of advancements in Medical Sciences." However, this article focuses on unsubstantiated criminal accusations against specific individuals (1), rather than presenting scientific research, clinical data, or medical progress. Investigative journalism, particularly on alleged corruption and legal issues, falls clearly within the domain of news organizations, not a leading scientific journal. Publishing such material blurs important disciplinary boundaries, threatens The Lancet\u27s unique scientific credibility, and significantly diverges from the strict standards of evidence-based reporting expected from a scientific journal
Prevalence and psycho-social determinants of anxiety among school going adolescents of Kanpur Nagar
No full textBackground: Adolescence involves critical changes that heighten vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, especially anxiety. In India, limited mental health resources and social stigma hinder early intervention. Addressing adolescent mental health through timely diagnosis and community-based care is essential to improve youth well-being and developmental outcomes. Aim & Objective: The proposed study aims to explore prevalence and psycho-social determinants of anxiety disorders among school-going adolescents in Kanpur Nagar. Methods & Material: Multistage random sampling from eight schools in Kanpur Nagar, selecting one section from each class (IX-XII). Pretested questionnaire, self-report method, with consent and assent obtained from participants and parents. Includes bio-social characteristics, lifestyle and behaviour, and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Data analyzed using SPSS with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Among the participants, 53% are female and 47% are male. The participants are distributed across grades, with 26.1% in 9th, 25.5% in 10th, 25% in 11th, and 23.4% in 12th. Sleep duration also demonstrated a significant correlation (p=0.01), as participants sleeping less than 6 hours per day exhibited higher levels of severe anxiety (20.5%). Conclusions: A nearly equal gender distribution (53% female, 47% male) and wide representation across religion, caste, school type, and socio-economic status strengthen the generalizability of findings. Statistically significant associations were found between anxiety levels and gender, religion and educational class with 12th-grade students and females experiencing higher levels of severe anxiety. Students engaging in regular physical activity reported lower anxiety, while inadequate sleep correlated with higher anxiety levels
Prevalence of Depression and its associated factors among undergraduate students of a private university, Gurugram, Haryana
No full textDepression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is an important health issue among college students. Students are exposed to multiple factors like large workloads, time deadlines, assessments and different learning environments during their academics that have been shown to contribute to high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a private university among 381 undergraduate students. A self-administered questionnaire and PHQ-9were used to collect the information on socio-demographic profile, risk factors and level of depression among the enrolled students respectively. The mean age of the study participants was 21.79+1.69years, and the majority (73%) were females. The overall prevalence of depression was 64% among participants. The high rate of depression among university students is a serious problem, and efforts should be made to raise awareness of it among both students and college administrators
A cross-sectional study to assess the quality of immunization services provided through the Routine Immunization program in both urban and rural areas of Dehradun
No full textBackground: Vaccines are considered as tugboats of preventative health. The availability of the vaccine, as well as the quality of the vaccination at the outreach session site, are critical for improving vaccination coverage and lowering the prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Aims & Objectives: Evaluation of Routine Immunization services provided at outreach session sites. Methodology: The study was conducted in rural and urban field practice areas of the Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun. 32 Routine Immunization session sites (16 each from urban and rural field practice areas) were selected through the Systematic Random Sampling method, with equal representation of best and worst-performing session sites. Results: - Out of the 32 session sites monitored, only 9.37% had their due lists updated, and only 31.24% had a head-count survey completed. ASHA mobilized beneficiaries at all sessions, although AWW mobilized beneficiaries only at 22 session sites. Alternate vaccine delivery services were not functional at any session sites. Vaccines were available at all session sites, while paracetamol was only available at 65.62% of session sites, and zinc was not available at any site. Only 21.87% of the ANMs were following injection safety guidelines. In the majority of cases, the four essential messages following immunization were not delivered. Conclusion: The quality of immunization services can be improved by providing regular training to ANMs and supportive supervision. District health officials must ensure the availability of multiple logistics at the immunization Session site and the implementation of alternate vaccine delivery service