Indian Journal of Community Health
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Towards Healthy Tribal Communities: A Comprehensive Commentary on Initiatives in India
No full textBackground:Tribal people also called as Indigenous people have diverse languages, cultures, traditional practices or rituals, and customs that distinguish them from the rest of the civic world. Although there are around 104 million tribal people in India they have remained socio-demographically and geographically distant and suffer from various health ailments from communicable diseases like Malaria Tuberculosis and malnutrition to increasing burden of Hypertension and Diabetes. The various health parameters and indicators remain below the National average. The detailed report of Expert committee on tribal health has led the way for various Government ministries and departments to work on addressing the disparity in Tribal health. Aim & Objectives: To summarize and collate all the existing measures for improving tribal health parameters Methodology: We included all the National and International policies and programs along with some examples from Non Government sectors and recent updates. Results: This article summarizes all the initiatives and efforts being undertaken in India by all the stakeholders along with updates on some recent initiatives to understand the holistic efforts towards achieving Holistic Tribal development and how medical colleges can complement these efforts. Conclusion: We collated the overall evidence for creating a comprehensive commentary on Tribal Health initiatives
Sexual Violence Through Public Health Lens
No full textSexual violence is a major public health issue with substantial personal and societal repercussions. We don\u27t fully understand the factors that contribute to sexual assault in different contexts because there is a dearth of evidence. Sexuality in India\u27s medical curriculum is taught in a fragmented manner and in a non-standardized manner across several various disciplines. Gender inequity, income inequity, pathological families, emotional abuse are few of the associated factors with sexual violence. This article provides an in depth understanding of the various factors associated with sexual violence. We have proposed certain public health interventions to tackle the issue
Breastfeeding and postpartum depression among women in urban field practice areas of Belagavi – A cross-sectional study
No full textIntroduction: Postpartum depression is an important medical issue and a common problem of women which also has a significant impact on the emotional and cognitive development of the baby. Studies in India have noted the prevalence of postnatal depression ranging between 11%-26.3%. Methodology: The present study was carried out among 506 postnatal women registered in two urban field practice areas of Belagavi. A pre-tested, standard, structured questionnaire was provided to them. After obtaining informed consent, the participants were asked to fill in the questionnaire. The collected data was entered and analyzed in SPSS Version 26. Results: Most women belonged to the age group 25-29 years (33.20%). Majority were Muslim by religion (62.45%) and housewife by occupation (66.60%). Most of them initiated breast feeding within 30 minutes to 4 hours, majority of them practiced exclusive breast feeding, around 70% of them faced some difficulty in breast feeding. Around 11.07% of the women had Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale score ? 10. Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale was found to be statistically significant with age, educational status, socio economic status, pregnancy planning, history of previous miscarriage/abortion, and difficulty in breast feeding. Conclusion: Many factors including breastfeeding is associated with postpartum depression. Early detection of mental health diseases is needed by training grassroot level staff with tools like Edinburgh scale to identify risk factors and integrating mental health activities into the routine antenatal care at primary level
Patient Satisfaction Survey: Qualitative Evaluation Tool for Health Care Services
Get PDFBackground: A paradigm shift has been noticed by employing patient satisfaction survey as a tool for improvement of quality of patient care services in the hospital and more recently the same has been utilized as a market-driven approach to enhance the overall organizational performance of various health care establishments across the countries all over the world. Present study is aimed to study the satisfaction level of patients, various factors associated with such satisfactory outcome as well as to examine the root causes of dissatisfaction among patients availing the health care services. This in turn will enable us to improve the quality of health care delivery services in a tertiary care health facility owned by the government in Northern India. Material & Methods: Data was captured from admitted patients as well as from the clientele visiting various OPDs of the hospital with necessary randomization & with the aid of utilizing patient’s satisfaction survey questionnaire in the time period from July to the month of December of the year of 2023. A total of 102 patients visiting the hospital for OPD services or for admission were included in the present study. Analysis of the study findings were done using SPSS software version 20. Results: A total of 37 patients visiting various OPDs were interviewed and various parameters were captured using the questionnaire survey feedback forms. It was found that mean score of overall satisfaction rate of visitors of hospital was 4.6 as found by the users towards satisfaction score of communication by doctors. Mean score towards hospital cleanliness, amenities of waiting area, availability of prescribed medicines, waiting period in registration desk and behavior of hospital staffs were also found to be above ‘Very Good’ ratings. Conclusion: Good practices towards patient satisfaction are needed to be adhered on long run to ensure the delivery of quality health care to clientele
Poor glycemic control and associated factors among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients at a Tertiary Health Care facility
No full textBackground: Poor glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients is a major concern, as it can lead to serious complications. Understanding the factors contributing to poor glycemic control is essential for developing interventions to improve diabetes management and patient outcomes. Aim and Objective: This study aims to identify the factors associated with poor glycemic control among T2DM patients attending a tertiary health care facility. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Medicine Outpatient Department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital. The study included 179 T2DM patients, selected using systematic random sampling. Material & Methods : Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, dietary habits, physical activity, medication adherence, and clinical parameters, including HbA1c levels. The study evaluated how these factors influenced glycemic control among the participants. Result: Factors such as lower educational attainment, non-vegetarian diet, high fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels, and elevated BMI were associated with poor glycemic control. Multivariate analysis revealed that a non-vegetarian diet (aOR: 2.35), random blood sugar >140 mg/dl (aOR: 3.91), postprandial blood sugar >140 mg/dl (aOR: 5.13), and education up to junior school level (aOR: 7.04) were independently linked to poor glycemic control. Conclusion: Addressing these factors through targeted interventions, such as educational programs and dietary adjustments, is essential for improving glycemic control and overall patient outcomes
Influence of Social Support on Treatment Adherence and Self-care among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Field Practice Areas of a Tertiary Medical College in Bangalore- A Cross-sectional Study
No full textBackground: As a chronic illness, type 2 diabetes necessitates regular self-care. In this context, the social assistance provided is crucial. Aim and Objective: To evaluate the levels of social support in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients and to identify the influence of social support on treatment adherence and self-care activities. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 T2DM patients in the medical college\u27s field practice areas. Data regarding the sociodemographic details, clinical and treatment history, social support level (Social Support Rating Scale), and management of self-care activities (Summary of Diabetes Self-care activities) were collected. Compiled data was analyzed using IBM SPSS software. Data was interpreted as frequencies, percentages, and means. Association was tested using the Chi-square test and Spearman’s correlation. A p-value less than 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: There were 53% females and 47% males. Most participants (83.25%) had a moderate level of social support. Medication adherence and blood glucose monitoring were the most practiced self-care practices. Support level was significantly associated with activities of self-care (proper dietary practice, regular physical activity, and foot hygiene). Conclusion: More than two-thirds of the patients had a moderate to high social support level, which significantly correlated with self-care activities
Bagasse dust related morbidities and its determinants among workers at sugarcane factory of District Saharanpur
Get PDFIntroduction: India’s sugarcane factories are growing by creating job opportunities for thousands of workers with varying educational, professional and socioeconomic backgrounds. These factories are a source of several hazards that severely harm the workers’ health. Aims & objectives: To find prevalence of morbidities due to bagasse dust exposure among sugarcane factory workers and various factors associated with them. Material and methods: Cross sectional study was conducted in randomly selected Government sugarcane factory of District Saharanpur, among 343 factory workers for a period of one year. Pretested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Collected data was analysed using appropriate statistical tests. Result: Overall prevalence of bagasse dust related morbidities was 29.2%. Maximum workers suffered from chronic cough (21.6%), chronic cough with breathlessness (2.3%), and chronic cough with phlegm (1.7%), chronic phlegm (1.5%), breathlessness (1.2%), wheeze (0.9%). These morbidities were significantly higher among those belonging to socioeconomic class III (37.4%)., working in processing section (68.4%) and those working for > 8 hours/day (38.7%). Conclusion: Occupational hazards have deleterious effect on the individual health and safety, and on organizational effectiveness. These are preventable to a larger extent. Regular training should be conducted to educate workers to adopt proper safety measures
Prevalence and Patterns of self-medication practices in the urban areas of Belagavi, Karnataka; A Community Based Study
Get PDFBackground: Self-medication, the use of drugs without professional supervision for self-diagnosed ailments, is a global public health concern. In India, high prevalence stems from easy OTC drug access, economic constraints, and limited healthcare services. The WHO highlights the need to understand self-medication to address risks like adverse drug reactions and antimicrobial resistance. Aim & Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and patterns of self-medication practices among the urban population of Belagavi, Karnataka. Methods and Material: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2022 to September 2023, involving 400 systematically selected participants from two urban health centres. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a validated questionnaire and analysed using SPSS 25.0 with descriptive statistics. Results: The study found that 62.3% of participants practiced self-medication in the last three months. The sample included 51.8% females and 48.2% males, with the highest prevalence in the 21–30 age group (24.0%). Most were married (80.5%) and graduates (26.5%). Key reasons were time-saving (54.5%) and previous prescriptions (24.3%). Common symptoms were headache (79.5%) and fever (47.8%), with paracetamol (98%) being the most used medication. Conclusions: The high prevalence of self-medication in urban Belagavi underscores the urgent need for targeted public health interventions. We recommend measures to improve healthcare accessibility, implement stricter regulations for over-the-counter medications, and promote health education as a crucial tool to foster responsible medication use and mitigate potential health risks, which can be severe and life-threatening
Determinants of cognitive impairment in elderly population residing in Agra, Uttar Pradesh
No full textBackground: Cognitive impairment is a major global health issue, particularly affecting the elderly and challenging healthcare systems. Aims and Objective: To assess the determinants of cognitive impairment among elderly people of Agra city. Methods and material: Present cross sectional study was carried out among 144 participants residing in Agra city using pretested, predesigned semi structured questionnaire with MMSE. Result: In this study 54.2% were males and 45.8 % females. 78.5 % were Hindus and 12.5% were Muslims, 56.3% participants were married and 42.4% were either widowed or divorced, 24% particiants had higher education, 42.4% school education, 33.3% illitrate. Pevalence of cognitive impairment in elderly was 61.8% that was significantly associated with female gender and lower socioeconomic status. Conclusion: This study elucidated that cognitive impairment in elderly was significantly higher in female gender and lower socioeconomic status participants
Epidemiology and Management for Health Care
Get PDFEpidemiology and Management for Health Care by Sathe P. V. and Doke P. P. is an essential textbook that bridges the fields of epidemiology and healthcare management. The book aims to provide students, public health professionals, and healthcare administrators with a deep understanding of epidemiological principles and their applications in healthcare planning, decision-making, and policy implementation. Written in a clear and structured manner, it serves as a valuable resource for both academic and practical applications in the healthcare field.
The 7th Edition of this textbook is published this year (2025) by Vora Medical Publication, Mumbai. When the first edition arrived in 1991, the distinctiveness of this book was immediately noticed and the book became popular as Dr. Sathe’s book among the post graduate students of Preventive & Social Medicine and medical officers in Public Health as it has correctly filled up the gap. Attention was paid up to the requirements of non-medical health and hospital administrators by the author who is former Director of Medical Education & Research, Maharashtra. There was no such guidance about the management principles and techniques in the health sector through lucid discussions easily available then. The fourth edition released in 2014 has seen much needed transition with joining of second author Dr Doke, former Director of Health Services, Maharashtra, which continued in successive editions. This seventh edition is successful in maintaining its uniqueness of giving anecdotes and real-life examples to illustrate the point under description making the book reading more interesting. The objective of this book is to briefly state the basics of epidemiology and management sciences and illustrate their application in the health field making the health care services more effective and efficient and health service provider more competent and assertive