Indian Journal of Community Health
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Exploring the Relationship between Environmental Cognition, Pro-Environmental Behavior, and Mental Health among Adolescents: A Narrative Review
Get PDFIntroduction: Adolescents’ cognition, behavior, and attitudes are essential for environmental conservation; hence, the physical environment is inevitable in their mental health. The environment can influence adolescents’ sense of support, freedom, and the stimulation they seek in life. Environmental factors such as pollution, weather, lifestyle changes, and working conditions significantly influence adolescents\u27 mental health. Knowing and learning about environmental cognition and its influence on adolescents is vital. Objective: To understand the relationship between environmental cognition, pro-environmental behavior, and mental health among adolescents with the help of a narrative approach. Methods: The present article ‘employed a narrative review.’ Research articles were taken from four databases, PubMed, Research Gate, Web of Science, and Science Direct, using the PRISMA procedure from 2000 to 2023. The data was collected from various databases and narrowed down for the results. Results: This study proves a strong relationship between environmental cognition, pro-environmental behavior, and adolescents\u27 mental health. Twenty-six selected research studies out of 45 initial studies state that solid environmental cognition may lead to enhanced pro-environmental behavior, which is crucial to adolescents’ mental health and well-being. Furthermore, pro-environmental cognition wholly mediated the relationship between environmental behavior and mental well-being. Conclusion: Implications of this study concentrate on developing focused interventions, creating urban planning policies, and developing adolescent-friendly community designs, which are solid pillars for promoting mental health. Adolescents must be motivated to protect the environment to become pioneers of pro-environmental behavior
Awareness, perception and practices regarding Breast-Feeding and IYCF Practices among mothers of Children Up to 2 Years in Two Districts of Central India: A Cross-Sectional Study
Get PDFBackground: Breastfeeding is an absolute necessary intervention for childhood survival. WHO/UNICEF have given utmost emphasis on first 1000 days of life comprising of 270 days in-utero and the first two years post birth as most vital period for nutritional interventions. [1] Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) is a set of renowned and usual recommendations for appropriate feeding of new-born and children below two years of age. Aims & Objectives: To assess the awareness, perception and practices, regarding breast-feeding and IYCF practices among mothers of children up to 2 years, in two districts of Central India. Settings and Design: Cross Sectional Study. Materials and Methods: This Cross-sectional study was carried out in two districts of Central India from January 2021 to December 2021. The study subjects included 400 mothers of babies less than two years old, who had given consent. Interpersonal interview using a pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire was carried out. Data was collected, compiled and analysed using SPSS 25.0 (Trial Version). Result: Only (58.60%) of respondents were completely knowledgeable about exclusive breastfeeding, the value of colostrum feeding, the advantages of breastfeeding (81.69%), and its early onset (64.75%), duration (71.25%), and frequency (74.50%). However, 50.25% of women lacked understanding about the ideal positioning and attachment of the infant to the breast. Conclusion: All beneficiaries should be shown demonstrations of all IYCF practices. Family members should also be counselled and encouraged to support IYCF practices
Economic violence and its health impacts among married women in an urban slum of Puducherry, South India – An exploratory study
Get PDFBackground: Economic violence prevails to be one of the unexplored domains of intimate partner violence. Objective: To explore the perceived forms of economic violence and its health impacts among married women in Puducherry. Methodology: A community-based exploratory study was conducted in urban slums in Puducherry. All married women aged 18 to 65 years belonging to low socio-economic status residing in two selected slums were included by purposive sampling. A total of seven focus group discussions were conducted till the point of saturation and manual content analysis done. Results: Four major themes emerged, namely: experiences of economic abuse, health impacts of economic abuse, perceived factors influencing economic abuse, and suggested preventive measures for economic abuse. Conclusion: Economic abuse against women in India exists in multiple dimensions. It has profound consequences on the physical and psychological health of women
COVID-19 & Mental Wellbeing of School Enrolled Teens in Foothills of Himalaya
Get PDFIntroduction: COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a national lockdown and physical contact was avoided that substantially changed people’s lives. The overall impact of lockdown during COVID-19 was negative on the general & mental health of adolescents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a 25% massive increase in the global prevalence of anxiety and depression. Aims & Objectives: To assess anxiety & depression and their association with socio-demographic factors during the COVID-19 pandemic among school-going adolescents. Methodology: Using two simple random sampling, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 690 school-age adolescents (14 to 19 years) in four Nagar Palikas of the district of Dehradun. The questionnaire includes sociodemographic section, GAD-7, PHQ-2, Modified version of CoPaQ and coping strategies. Result: In study it’s been found that more than half of the participants were facing symptoms of anxiety and 58.7% of participants had a major depressive disorder likely. 78% participants used phone and internet f/b watching TV (73.8%) and sleeping (68.1%). Conclusion: In order to combat adolescents’ mental illness, we advise the creation of support groups at the family and school levels as well as prompt intervention through the revision of current strategies or formulation of new legislatio
Mapping and vulnerability assessment in urban slums of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand: A Cross-sectional Survey
Get PDFBackground: With increasing urbanization, number of urban slums is also rising. The health facilities and indicators in urban slums are poor as compared to other urban population. The present study presents an analysis of the health problems, utilization of health services and vulnerability of urban slums. Aims & Objectives: To map the slums in urban areas and assess the vulnerability of households. Methodology: The study was conducted in all urban slums of five cities of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts namely Haldwani, Ramnagar, Rudrapur, Jaspur and Kashipur. Group discussions involving community members, ward surveys by ASHA workers and household level vulnerability assessment were done using standard format according to “Guidelines and Tools for Vulnerability Mapping and Assessment of Urban Health, 2017”. Results: Most urban slum dwellers are daily wage laborers with major population suffering mainly from diabetes, hypertension, respiratory infection. Lack of drugs and diagnostic facilities are the major concerns. Infrastructure needs strengthening in most of the slums. Around three fourth of population belonged to vulnerable group with remaining in highly vulnerable group. Conclusion: There are social problems in urban slums like illiteracy, lack of awareness, unemployment which worsen the health problems. So, a holistic approach is needed for the solution
Are Artificial Sweeteners A Public Health Hazard?
Get PDFIt was a shocking news for all of us in India that a 10 year old Patiala girl Manvi died after consuming a cake on her birthday ordered from a local bakery through a food delivery app. Some media reports have blamed high level of saccharine in the cake.(1) According to another media report Health Minister of Punjab has ordered enquiry on her death.
Whatever may have been the reason for this unfortunate event one thing is for sure that there is going to be a review/debate about the safety of these artificial sweeteners which are routinely added to various fast foods to enhance their taste including many soft drinks. Some of the commonly used artificial sweeteners are – aspartame, saccharine, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame-K, and stevia.
Recently a news was published in Times of India - ‘Artificial Sweetener in sodas possibly carcinogenic: WHO’.(2) In this article it was written that – “World Health Organisation agency declared on Thursday that aspartame, an artificial sweetener widely used in diet drinks and low sugar foods could possibly cause cancer. The declaration by WHO agency of a cancer risk associated with aspartame reflects the first time the prominent international body has weighed in publicly on the effects of nearly ubiquitous artificial sweetener. Aspartame has been a contentious ingredient for decades.
Hospital-based surveillance for Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) in a tertiary care hospital
Get PDFRoad traffic accidents (RTAs) lead to significant mortality, morbidity and economic loss in India. The present study aims to characterize epidemiology of Road traffic injuries (RTIs) with information from multiple data sources and to describe factors associated with RTIs. Patients admitted with RTIs in a tertiary care hospital were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Hospital records, case sheets of RTA victims and interview of the participants with a questionnaire were used for collecting data. Majority (29%) of road traffic accidents occurred between 4pm and 8 pm, with 60% self-fall or skid. Around 23.8% consumed alcohol, 63.3% exceeded speed limit, 85% rescued within 30 minutes, 57% transported to hospital by government ambulance, 30% reached tertiary care directly, 6.5% had reduced GCS score. Young adult male were the major victims of RTAs with speed violation as a common risk behavior. The findings suggest a need for implementation of speed violation detection systems to bring down the occurrence of RTAs
A cross-sectional study to assess levels of Activities of daily living (ADLs) among adolescents with disabilities in district Dehradun
Get PDFBackground: Adolescent disability conditions encompass a variety of physical, cognitive, or sensory impairments that affect individuals between ages 10 and 19 years. These conditions can significantly impact educational, social, and emotional development during a critical phase of life. Adequate support, accessibility, and awareness are essential to ensure that adolescents with disabilities can thrive and fulfill their potential. Objective: To assess the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) in adolescents with disabilities Methodology: A School-based cross-sectional descriptive study was done among adolescents with disabilities attending special schools in district Dehradun. Simple random sampling was used as sampling technique. The study measured Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) through Barthel Index. The data was entered in MS Excel and imported to SPSS software version 22 for analysis. Result: A total of 142 study participants were selected for the study, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 14.32 years (± 0.20). 93% of the study subjects had a disability since birth (congenital). 42.3% of study participants had a Moderate dependence level. Conclusion: In conclusion, in this study of 142 participants, the prevalence of congenital disabilities among adolescents was high, and a substantial number demonstrated a moderate level of dependence, emphasizing the importance of tailored interventions for this population
Beyond Observance: The Role of Medical Colleges in Transforming Health Days
Get PDFThe observance of health days, ranging from World Health Day to those dedicated to specific health conditions, serves as a valuable opportunity to improve health literacy among the population and catalyse positive behavioural change. These designated days act as platforms for spreading awareness on a wide range of health issues, from prevention strategies to treatment methods . They encourage us to reflect on the progress we’ve made, recognize the challenges we still face, and inspire collective action to address pressing health concerns
Impact of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) on Quality of Life among adolescent girls of rural area of Gautam Buddh Nagar: A Cross sectional study
Get PDFBackground: PMS causes purposeful impairment in efficiency at school/work, impaired relations with friends, , poor social life activities and home responsibilities affecting quality of life. Aims &Objectives: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in adolescent girls and to assess the impact of premenstrual syndrome on their quality of life. Methodology: A cross?sectional study was done among 380 adolescent girls using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire residing in rural field study areas of Department of Community Medicine of a medical college. Results: The prevalence of PMS was reported to be 65.7 % . Head ache (66%) was the most frequent symptom followed by acne (60%) and generalized body ache (57%). Only 37.8% of the girls take their quality of life to be good followed by 1.8% as very good when they were asked about experiencing any negative feelings prior to menses like blue mood, despair ,anxiety etc .Around one fourth (26%) of them reported that they never experience any kind of negative feeling .Conclusion: The adolescent girls are in greatest need for physical , psychological support as they experience the most severe PMS symptoms