Indian Journal of Community Health
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An Assessment of Skin Diseases in People and Their Quality of Life in Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh
Get PDFBackground: Skin diseases occur in all age groups in developed and developing countries. Various types of skin diseases are found worldwide and depend on factors like environment, surrounding ecology, dietary habits, socioeconomic status, mental health, and literacy. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) improves after treatment or cure of the diseases.
Objectives: To estimate the pattern of skin disease. To find out the quality of life and association of skin disease with sociodemographic factors among patients.
Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was done in skin OPD at the tertiary care center, Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, India from May 2022 to July 2022. All patients who attended to skin OPD during study period were included in the study after taking informed verbal consent.
Results: Skin diseases had further divided in subcategories which were infectious conditions, pigmentary disorders, inflammatory dermatoses, miscellaneous skin conditions, benign tumor and other lesions with their percentage 44.8, 10.5, 28.6, 7.1, 2.9 and 6.2%, respectively in this study Classes of DQLI where major portion of patients (49.52%) were in ‘Small effect on patient’s life’ category. The relation of
age, religion, education and member of household with history of skin disease were found to be highly statistically significant. Conclusion: Infectious skin diseases were found more common in study area. Male populations were more commonly affected. Skin diseases were more common in age group of 18–60 years. Study participants showed no predominant effect on quality of life. But small effect class had major effect on participant’s quality of life
Upsurge in Firearm related Deaths among Children and Adolescents in the United States: An Alarming Trend
Get PDFFirearm-related violence is a leading cause of death, disproportionately affecting adolescents and young adults across the world, especially in the Americas. It is one of the most common forms of suicide and homicide across the globe. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an alarming increase in firearm-related mortality among children and Adolescents which is a cause of concern and requires strict gun licensing regulation in countries like the U.S
Study on Menstrual Hygiene Management among Urban and Rural Adolescent Girls in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India
Get PDFIntroduction: Adolescence is a significant period in the life of a woman. Menstruation is a naturally occurring physiological phenomenon in adolescent girls and premenopausal women. Menstrual hygiene and management is an insufficiently acknowledged issue and has not received adequate attention. The lack of menstrual hygiene among rural population is alarming, and there is a need for policy-making and awareness programs to be initiated.
Aim: Hence the present study was aimed to compare the status of menstrual hygiene among rural and urban adolescent girls. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 250 adolescent girls (rural & urban), aged between 13 to 19 years residing the in field practice area of IIMSR Medical College, Badnapur, Jalna. Data was analyzed by using MS
Excel 2010.
Results: Out of 250 participants, 48.8% girls from rural area and 51.2% from urban area. The mean age of the menarche was
12.3 ± 1.4 and 12.34 ± 1.43 in rural and urban girls, respectively. Knowledge of menstruation prior to menarche was found to be less in rural girls compared with urban girls. Regarding menstrual hygiene practices during menstruation, out of the total girls residing in rural area 49.18% girl and out of the total girls residing in urban area 62.5% girls were using sanitary pads. Restriction during menstruation was observed more in rural girls than in urban areas.
Conclusion: More awareness regarding menarche and menstruation was among urban girls than. Hygienic practices observed by girls were also more satisfactory in the urban area as compared with rural ones
Influenza outbreak in India: A course ahead
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“Influenza” is commonly known as “flu” caused by a single-stranded RNA virus. There are four types of Influenza viruses A, B, C and D, of which type A and B are mainly known to cause respiratory tract infection in humans, especially during the winter and post-monsoon season. It is transmitted rapidly through infectious droplets in crowded places, including schools and hospitals.[1] The incubation period of influenza ranges from1 to 4 days with its period of communicability ranges from one day before the onset of symptoms to 7 days after the symptoms begin.[2] It has already caused multiple pandemics in the past, with a recent one in year 2009 was caused by the Influenza subtype A H1N1 variant (pdm09). Millions of deaths have occurred during these pandemics. The vulnerable population like under-five children, elderly people (? 65years of age), pregnant women, and people with comorbidity like diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart disease, chronic liver disease and immunocompromised conditions (i.e., HIV/ AIDS, malignancy, individuals on chemotherapy or steroid) are at higher risk of developing severe illness due to infection by Influenza viruses
Vitamin D and Calcium Levels among Women of Reproductive Age Group from Northern India
Get PDFBackground: Vitamin D deficiency has been related to poor bone health, increased risk of PIH, obstructed labour, vaginosis and LBW baby among women of reproductive age. Aims &Objectives: To evaluate the serum calcium and vitamin D levels of reproductive age group women and their relation with sociodemographic parameters. Material &Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among non-pregnant and non-lactating women aged 15-49 years, attending the OPD for any musculoskeletal complaints. The study participants were subjected to a pretested questionnaire for capturing information regarding their sociodemographic parameters. Non fasting blood samples were obtained for biochemical analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium. Results: The mean serum vitamin D and calcium levels were 20.94±10.61 ng/ml and 4.82±0.87 mg/dl respectively. The median serum vitamin D levels were 18.1 ng/ml with IQR of 12.43-28.00 ng/ml. The median serum vitamin D levels were significantly less among women residing in rural area and those who were unmarried/separated. Vitamin D level were highest in middle and lowest in upper socioeconomic status (p=0.007). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is more pronounced among women from rural background and those who were unmarried/separated. These women are susceptible to development of osteoporosis and pregnancy related complications in later age
Legal Framework for Implementation of Trans-fat Regulations in India
Get PDFBackground: The widespread consumption of trans-fats across the world represents a worrying scenario, as it is directly responsible for coronary heart disease and related mortality. Recognizing its dangers, the WHO has set an agenda to eliminate trans-fats by 2023. In India, the Food Safety And Standards Authority ensures safe and wholesome food consumption. In light of the WHO’s standards for the elimination of trans-fats, the FSSAI recently notified limits of trans-fatty acids to not more than 3% in all fats and oils by January 2021 and 2% by January 2022, as well as a limitation on all food products in which edible oils and fats are ingredients to not contain trans-fatty acids of more than 2% mass of total oils/fats in the product by January 2022.
Objective: Given the need to eliminate the consumption of trans-fats, it is necessary to assess the implementation of trans-fat regulations in India in order to determine the current status of enforcement and suggest measures for improvement.
Methods: Empirical research was conducted through a questionnaire to analyze India’s current status and difficulties in enforcing
trans-fat regulations.
Results: Although all states have included compliance of trans-fat regulation in the agenda of the State Surveillance Plan but are facing some implementation challenges such as lack of lab infrastructure, lack of trained manpower, unsupportive FBOs, insufficient budget, lack of testing kits, and excluding proprietary food from compliance with trans-fat regulations. Further, all states have felt the need to develop a guideline/manual to facilitate enforcement of the trans-fat regulations.
In light of this, the article has critically analyzed the Legal framework for implementing Trans-fat Regulations in India to identify specific implementation challenges due to scattered regulations and recommend suggestive measures for developing the guidelines/manual to facilitate effective implementation of the said regulation
Prevalence of Depression and its determinants among undergraduate Medical college students in Salem, Tamil Nadu
Get PDFBackground: Stress is an essential determinant of depression, leading to a greater prevalence of depression among medical students than the general population; a vulnerable subgroup. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among undergraduate medical students. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted among medical college students in Salem, Tamil Nadu between October 2021, and December 2022. Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) was used. Results: The prevalence of depression among undergraduate medial students was 27.0%; 10.2% had mild depression, 5.4% had borderline clinical depression, 8.5% had moderate depression, 2.4% had severe depression, and 0.5% had extreme depression. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that presence of separated or divorced or single parent, being in Phase II, without satisfactory academic performance, presence of active or chief complaints, conflicts in the family, and recent failures were independent predictors of depression among undergraduate medical students (p<0.05). Conclusion: It is crucial that medical schools prioritize the mental health of their students and provide appropriate resources and support
Impact of COVID -19 on Healthy Life of People in India
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic is not the first, and certainly not the last, to strike the world. COVID-19 has conjointly been a serious concern in higher-income countries, with several European countries and over eleven million individuals in the Republic of India had been infected with COVID-19. Though some countries and regions are seeing improvements in hospitalization and death rates, COVID-19 remains a significant concern for vulnerable and underserved populations globally. The COVID-19 pandemic is unexampled and heavy, and numerous of the policy measures taken to mitigate and contain it were necessary and comprehensible. Factors associated with difficulty in accessing medicine due to the COVID-19 situation With the diversion of human resources to COVID-19 work, active case finding for TB has been postponed by a number of states in India. Though regulative authorities in many countries have approved one or a lot of COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, necessary challenges remain in mass manufacturing and distributing vaccines in developing countries. The national authorities need to arrange for the challenges associated with the health of their population coincidental with combating the COVID-19 pandemic. It\u27s unclear, however, whether the twin impacts of COVID-19 and also the health care disruptions have an effect on these people within the semi-permanent
Missed and Lost to Follow-up Cases in HIV Positive Patients and the Impact of Lockdown During COVID-19 Pandemic on Adherence to Anti-retroviral Therapy at ART Center, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
Get PDFBackground: Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for HIV has changed a highly fatal disease to a chronic manageable condition. National technical guidelines by NACO say that adherence of >95%(optimal) is required for optimal viral load suppression which is a challenge both for the patient and the health system.
Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the reasons for missed and lost to follow-up (LFU) cases and to assess the impact of the COVID pandemic on ART adherence.
Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at ART center, Jhansi.
Methods and Material: 357 patients were administered a self-designed questionnaire after taking informed consent to enquire about the reasons for missing doses and LFU and whether they missed treatment during the lockdown.
Statistical analysis used: the results were expressed in frequencies and percentages and appropriate statistical tests were applied.
Results: 72% HIV patients had optimal adherence and 6.7% were on second-line treatment. Out of 357 patients, 56 had missed treatment and 10 were LFU. The main reasons for the missing were run out of pills, busy with other things and being away from home. The number of episodes of missed and LFU increased during the pandemic. The main problems faced were lack of transport (24), fear of catching the disease (7), no money to hire a vehicle (5).
Conclusions: Constant monitoring and handholding of those with suboptimal adherence is required. Travel allowance to such patients and regular counseling will help to ensure adherence. Long-term solutions include vocational rehabilitation and awareness programs to reduce stigma and discrimination
Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Pregnant and Recently Delivered Women in Gandhinagar District, Gujarat, India: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study
Get PDFBackground: Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) helps in improving the effective utilization of available maternal and newborn health care services through knowledge of danger sign, identifying birth place and attendant, means of transportation, managing fund for an emergency, birth companion and identification of blood donor.
Aim: To find the association between socio-demographic characteristics and BPCR index indicators.
Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the recently delivered and pregnant women in urban and
rural areas of the Gandhinagar district of Gujarat.
Methods and Material: Total 420 pregnant and recently delivered women from urban and rural areas were interviewed for study. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview women at household setting. BPCR index is estimated by set of 7 quantifiable indicators and expressed in the percentage of women with specific characteristics.
Results: Regarding ANC registration within 12th weeks of pregnancy and skilled birth attendant for delivery. Significant difference was observed with variable like APL/BPL status, education of women and their husband, parity and type of family. Conclusions: Hindu religion, APL economic status, higher education level, joint family, high parity and joint family were found important predictor of better BPCR practice