A cross sectional study of behavioral problems of secondary school children and related socio-demographic factors

Background: School-going children form an important vulnerable segment of the nation’s population. Children in the school-going age group of 5 to 16 years constitute a total of 30% of the total population. School age is a dynamic period of physical growth and development, when the child undergoes rapid mental, emotional, and social changes. Therefore, school-going children are susceptible groups for psychiatric disorders especially behavioural problems. The present research was carried out with an objective to study the behavioural problems of secondary school children and its relation to the various socio-demographic and socio-economic factors.Methods: This cross sectional observational study was conducted on 304 secondary school children studying in 8th and 9th standard in the regarding socio-demographic profile and Strength and difficulties questionnaire. The analysis was done using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software.Results: In this study, the prevalence of abnormal behavioral according to self-rated SDQ was found to be 1.6% while prevalence of borderline abnormal behavior was 11.2% and majority 87.2% of study subjects were normal having no behavioral problem. The combined borderline and abnormal behavioral problems were more prevalent in the age group of 12-13year (64.1%) and 13-14 years (30.8%), also more prevalent among girls (69.2%) compared to boys (30.8%). The prevalence of behavioral problems was higher among students studying in 9th standard (74.4%, 29/39) and studying in Hindi medium (61.5%). The incidence was found to be more in students who belongs to nuclear families (79.5%) and also was more among those who were first born compared to middle born and last born children. Majority of fathers were working as semiskilled (41.4%) and skilled (32.9%) workers, among the father’s alcohol users (45.06%) were high compared to the tobacco users (31.9%).Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors and occupation of father and alcohol consumption among them was found to be significantly associated with the behavioural problems of the study subjects

A randomized comparison between intravenous iron sucrose and oral iron in treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy at a rural health training centre of a teaching medical institution

Background: Iron deficiency is a leading cause of anemia in pregnancy. The standard treatment in majority of the institutions is oral iron, with blood transfusion reserved for severe or emergency cases. However, it is unreliable in the treatment of severe anemia. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous iron sucrose and oral iron administration for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy. Methods: Hundred women with gestational age between 30 and 34 weeks with established iron deficiency anaemia with hemoglobin between 6-8g/dL were randomized to receive either oral ferrous sulphate 200 mg thrice daily or required dose of intravenous iron sucrose 200 mg in 200 ml NS on alternate days. Hemoglobin was measured at recruitment and on 2nd week, 4th week and at 37 weeks. Adverse drug reactions were also noted in both the groups. Results were analyzed by student’s t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Haemoglobin values varied significantly with time between the two groups at second week, 4th week and at term (p<0.005). When compared to iron sucrose group, the oral iron group had significant gastro-intestinal adverse effects. Conclusions: Intravenous iron sucrose treated iron deficiency anaemia of pregnancy faster, and more effectively than oral iron therapy, with no serious adverse drug reactions

A study of epidemiological co-relates of low birth weight babies born in tertiary care hospital

Background: To study the Epidemiological Factors related with the low Birth weight Babies born in tertiary care Hospital of teaching Medical Institution.Methods: The present study was a cross sectional observational study carried out in the Post Natal ward of Obstetric department of a tertiary care hospital of a metropolitan city, data collection was done from the Mothers of low birth weight babies by conducting face to face interview in the post-natal ward with a predesigned, structured Performa. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social science program.Results: The study showed that most of mothers of the babies were between the age group of 22 to 30 years 87 (58.3%) while 49 (32.8%) were below the age of 21 years and 13(8.7%) were above 30 years of age. Most of the study subjects 70 (47.0%) belongs to the lower socioeconomic status where as 62 (41.6%) and 17 (11.4%) belong to upper lower and middle socioeconomic class respectively. It was observed in the present study that maternal education, socioeconomic status, parity, maternal weight gain during pregnancy, height of the mother, tobacco habits either chewing or smoking, birth order of the baby are the factors, significantly associated with low birth weight of the baby.Conclusions: Socioeconomic development, maternal nutrition, and increasing the use of health services during pregnancy, are all important for reducing LBW. There is need to strengthen the existing maternal services at the basic level of community