Knowledge and attitude toward human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among ayurveda medical students: A single institute experience

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are global health issue with estimated 21.17 lakhs infected people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in 2015 in India. Ayurveda doctors are working in different health settings especially in rural India. Adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS and positive attitude toward PLHIV are desired in treatment and counseling of HIV/AIDS patients. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and attitude toward PLHIV among Ayurveda medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 151 Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.) students of different years of study. A pretested and validated self-administered questionnaire was used as survey instrument. Responses were recorded in “Yes,” “No,” and “Don't Know” tick box. Responses were scored, analyzed, and expressed in percentage, mean and standard deviation. One-way analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation were used according to necessity with α = 0.05. Results: Survey response rate was 91%. Seventy-four percent students had basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Correct knowledge about disease transmission was found in 66% students. Positive attitude was found in 51% students. Mean knowledge score of four groups of student according to year of the study was significantly (P 0.05, insignificant r) between knowledge and attitude score. Conclusion: B.A.M.S students have basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS with relatively less knowledge about transmission of HIV. Knowledge increases with increase in year of the study. Increase in knowledge is not an indicator of positive attitude toward PLHIV

Comparison of perceived sleep quality among urban and rural adult population by Bengali Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

Background: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assesses perceived quality of sleep. Bengali is the 6th language in the world according to the number of first language speakers. PSQI is presently not available in Bengali. Poor quality of sleep affects work efficiency and health of individual and it is increasing in urban as well as in rural population. Aim: The aim of the study was (1) to adapt PSQI in Bengali Language and (2) to find the prevalence rate of poor quality of sleep among urban and rural populations and to compare the rate. Materials and Methods: First, Bengali PSQI (BPSQI) was adapted by linguistic validation methods. Then, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among sample in a municipal ward and in a village by BPSQI. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among the sample was ascertained. Data were presented in percentage, mean and standard deviation. Chi-square test and unpaired t-test were used according to necessity with α = 0.05. Results: Adapted BPSQI instrument was found of acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.816). The prevalence rate of poor sleep quality in urban adult population was 42.58% and rural population was 35.89% (χ2 = 4.004, P = 0.0454). Adult females in urban area showed more prevalence rate of poor sleep quality (58.74%) than those of adult females in rural area (45.96%). Conclusion: Adapted BPSQI can be used as a self-administered questionnaire among Bengali native speakers. A significant percentage of urban and rural adult population suffers from poor quality of sleep. Adult population in urban area, especially adult females, suffers more from poor quality of sleep than rural population

Conicity index and a body shape index as predictor variable for cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy young adults

Background: Central obesity has been established to be linked with increased cardiometabolic health risks. Waist circumference (WC), conicity index (CI), and A Body Shape Index (ABSI) are anthropometric proxy for central obesity. Maximal aerobic capacity (V̇O2max) provides an estimation of cardiorespiratory fitness of an individual. Decrease in V̇O2maxhas also been established to be associated with increased health risk. Aim: The aim of the study was to find out correlation between central obesity parameters and V̇O2max. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 154 young adults (male = 90 and female = 64) who were in daily exercise. WC, height, and weight were measured to calculate CI and ABSI according to formulae. V̇O2maxwas estimated by submaximal exercise test – 1.5 mile run test. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to find out correlation between central obesity parameters and V̇O2max. Results: Mean age of male and female was 21.89 ± 3.65 years and 21.06 ± 2.92 years, respectively. Correlation coefficient between WC and V̇O2maxwas r = −0.61 (P < 0.001), ABSI and V̇O2maxwas r = −0.46 (P < 0.001), and CI and V̇O2maxwas r = −0.59 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Central obesity anthropometric parameters were negatively associated with V̇O2max. WC showed higher negative correlation with V̇O2maxthan CI and ABSI. Hence, CI and ABSI are not better predictor variable in comparison with simple WC for V̇O2max. Further studies are needed to explore this association for general population

Validity and reliability of adapted Bengali version of self-assessment questionnaire to assess Prakriti

Background: The constitutional type of a human being, the&nbsp;Prakriti, depends on the relativity of three&nbsp;Doshas&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. Assessment of&nbsp;Prakriti&nbsp;requires expertise in inspection, palpation, and interview. There are self-administered questionnaires in English that can assess the&nbsp;Prakriti. Aim: We aimed to adapt an English questionnaire - “self-assessment questionnaire to assess&nbsp;Prakriti” in Bangla and test its validity and reliability in the assessment of&nbsp;Prakriti. Methods: We adapted the questionnaire in Bangla by forward and backward translation. We conducted a pre-test and interview with 36 research participants. An Ayurveda physician assessed the&nbsp;Prakriti&nbsp;by the traditional method. The validity was tested by comparing the expert-assessed and questionnaire-assed&nbsp;Prakriti. The internal consistency was tested by Chronbach’s alpha and reliability by Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: A total of 36 (men 21, women 15) research participants of mean age 36.01± 3.44 participated in the pre-test, interview, and retest. Adapted Bangla “self-assessment questionnaire to assess&nbsp;Prakriti” is found to be valid for the assessment of&nbsp;Prakriti. It is reliable in terms of internal consistency (Chronbach’s alpha 0.64, 0.76, and 0.81 for Kapha, Pitta, and Vata, respectively) and repeatability (test-retest ICC 0.88, 0.91, and 0.79 for Kapha, Pitta, and Vata, respectively). Conclusion: A Bangla questionnaire for self-assessment of&nbsp;Prakriti&nbsp;has been adapted. The questionnaire was found to be valid and reliable. This questionnaire may be used for the assessment of&nbsp;Prakriti&nbsp;of Bangla-speaking people in any mass survey, research, or healthcare settings of Ayurveda for a quick assessment of Prakriti