Contraceptive use among illiterate women in India: does proximate illiteracy matter?

Illiterate women comprise a particularly vulnerable section of the community. They lack empowerment, are unable to voice their choice with respect to contraceptive use, and also lack access to health services. However, their lack of literacy may be compensated if their partners are literate. Contraceptive use of such illiterate women (proximate literates), may be higher than that of illiterate women whose partners too are illiterates (isolate illiterates). The study uses the third wave of the Demographic Health Survey data for India (2005-2006).The 34,108 currently married illiterate women for whom data is available in the Individual file was divided into two groups, based on whether their partners were literate. Current use of modern contraceptives was compared between these two groups for socio-economic and demographic correlates. This was followed by multivariate analysis based on a logit model. Current use of modern methods was regressed on a dummy representing whether the partner was literate, along with relevant control variables. The results of the All-India (Rural+Urban) and All-India (Rural) models indicated that literacy of partners did lead to a significantly higher level of use of modern contraceptive methods. For the urban sub-sample, however, the study failed to find any significant transmission of information from the literate partner to the respondents. Disaggregate-level analysis also revealed that such transmission was restricted to only specific situations and communities. The study argued that the results may be explained by: [a] Reluctance of the male partner to share information; [b] Lack of information about family planning methods, even when there is communication; and [c] Presence of alternative channels of information reducing dependence of illiterate women on her partner. There should be an attempt to increase information of both partners through face to face interaction, rather than relying solely on public media. Simultaneously, women should be encouraged to develop contacts outside her household as this can reduce her dependence of partner for family planning related knowledge.Contraceptives, Literacy, Reproductive Health, India

Spontaneous uterine rupture in primigravida at 15 weeks

This is a very rare and interesting case of primigravida with sonographic evidence of intrauterine pregnancy presenting with acute abdomen at 15 weeks. With the diagnosis of uterine rupture, emergency laparotomy was done. The defect was repaired and post-operative recovery was good. This shows that spontaneous uterine rupture can occur in primigravida and should be kept in mind during diagnosis of acute abdomen

Application of SWAT Model to Assess the Impact of Land Use Changes on Daily and Monthly Streamflow of Subarnarekha River Basin

Quantifying the impacts of land use change and land cover practices on the hydrological response of a watershed has been an area of interest for the hydrologists in recent years as this information could serve as a basis for developing sound watershed management interventions. The degree and type of land cover influences the rate of infiltration, runoff, and consequently the volumes of surface runoff and total sediment loads transported from a watershed.However very few studies in India, have used the physically based hydrological models along with the land use / land cover change conditions. Hence in this current work SWAT model has been used to assess the impact of LU/LC changes on daily and monthly streamflow of Subarnarekha River Basin. The SWAT model has been calibrated and validated against the daily and monthly streamflow for the gauging station of Govindpur in NH5 road situated along the Budhabalanga river. The results depict that SWAT model usually performs well in simulating runoff according to Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Coefficient of determination(R2) and Percentage bias (PBIAS) values. For daily stream flow the NSE, R2 and PBIAS values were 0.61, 0.64 and -12 during calibration period and 0.57, 0.60 and 14.2 during validation period respectively. For monthly stream flows the efficiency increased due to smoothening of curves and the NSE, R2 and PBIAS values were 0.76, 0.81 and 9.2 during calibration period and 0.79, 0.83 and 10.4 during validation period respectively. The results of the study indicated that the though land use patterns have changed resulting in increase in agricultural, barren and buildup land and decrease in forest cover leading to increase in runoff but changes have not occurred as significantly as the changes in annual streamflow. However the number of days of high intensity rainfall has increased over decade which along with the land use changes explains for the increase in streamflow

Maternal and foetal outcome of eclampsia in a referral hospital

Background: Eclampsia is a life-threatening condition, common in developing countries with high fatality rate. It is a cause of maternal and foetal mortality and morbidity. The aim of the study is to determine the maternal and foetal outcome in Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India.Methods: All cases of eclampsia were analysed from January 2012 to December 2014 from admission to discharge or death of the patient.  Age, parity, antenatal care, interval between attack and admission, blood pressure on admission, gestational age and mode of delivery were  taken into account. There were 135 cases of eclampsia out of 14572 deliveries. Only singleton pregnancies were analysed.Results: The incidence of antepartum eclampsia was 84.4%, intrapartum 3% and postpartum 12.5 %. 83% patients were primigravida, 33% less than 20 yrs,42% had no antenatal checkup and 45% had < 4 visits. Only 15% patients received magnesium sulphate before referral to the hospital. There were four maternal deaths and twenty-one perinatal deaths. Eleven patients needed ventilatory support, four developed pulmonary oedema,  two patients had respiratory depression and three patients had renal failure.Conclusions: Hypertensive disease in pregnancy requires proper antenatal care, early recognition and referral, adequate treatment and timely delivery

SIMILE BETWEEN THE MODUS OPERANDI OF ANALGESIA OF TRAMADOL AND POISON OAK (RHUS TOXICODENDRON) ON FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. The disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3-6% of the world population. While it is most prevalent in women - 75-90 percent of the people who have fibromyalgia are women - it also occurs in men and children of all ethnic groups. The disorder is often seen in families, among siblings or mothers and their children. The diagnosis is usually made between the ages of 20 to 50 years, but the incidence rises with age so that by age 80, approximately 8% of adults meet the American College of Rheumatology classification of fibromyalgia.While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications can help control symptoms. In general, treatments for fibromyalgia include both medication and self-care. The emphasis is on minimizing symptoms and improving general health. Medications can help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and improve sleep. Common choices include: Analgesics (Tramadol). In this article we like to discuss on the similarity of action between the analgesic medicine (Tramadol) and the homoeopathic medicine Poison oak (Rhus toxicodendron) on fibromyalgia from the aetiopathogenetic point of view. Poison oak, a wild growing plant of the anacardiacea family is widely distributed and easily accessible and also a very common Homoeopathic remedy as Rhus toxicodendron

Contraceptive use among illiterate women in India: does proximate illiteracy matter?

Illiterate women comprise a particularly vulnerable section of the community. They lack empowerment, are unable to voice their choice with respect to contraceptive use, and also lack access to health services. However, their lack of literacy may be compensated if their partners are literate. Contraceptive use of such illiterate women (proximate literates), may be higher than that of illiterate women whose partners too are illiterates (isolate illiterates). The study uses the third wave of the Demographic Health Survey data for India (2005-2006).The 34,108 currently married illiterate women for whom data is available in the Individual file was divided into two groups, based on whether their partners were literate. Current use of modern contraceptives was compared between these two groups for socio-economic and demographic correlates. This was followed by multivariate analysis based on a logit model. Current use of modern methods was regressed on a dummy representing whether the partner was literate, along with relevant control variables. The results of the All-India (Rural+Urban) and All-India (Rural) models indicated that literacy of partners did lead to a significantly higher level of use of modern contraceptive methods. For the urban sub-sample, however, the study failed to find any significant transmission of information from the literate partner to the respondents. Disaggregate-level analysis also revealed that such transmission was restricted to only specific situations and communities. The study argued that the results may be explained by: [a] Reluctance of the male partner to share information; [b] Lack of information about family planning methods, even when there is communication; and [c] Presence of alternative channels of information reducing dependence of illiterate women on her partner. There should be an attempt to increase information of both partners through face to face interaction, rather than relying solely on public media. Simultaneously, women should be encouraged to develop contacts outside her household as this can reduce her dependence of partner for family planning related knowledge

‘Ultramodern contraception’ re-examined: cultural dissent, or son preference?

Literature on family planning considers natural (also called traditional) contraceptives to be ‘ineffective’ because its users are not motivated to control their fertility. While this is true for initial stages of fertility transition, studies have reported that it is women belonging to urban, educated and affluent households - propelled by a reaction against Western technology – who are the main users of natural contraceptives. This elite group has both the skill and knowledge to use such methods effectively. This has led to the coining of the term ‘ultramodern contraception’. This paper critically re-examines the ‘ultramodern contraception’ theory, and argues that it has certain limitations. Analyzing of three rounds of National Family Health Survey data for India, we argue that reliance on such methods may be a transient phase in the reproductive cycle of women, specifically before the desired gender parity of children is attained. Moreover, it is a manifestation of son preference

‘Ultramodern contraception’ re-examined: cultural dissent, or son preference?

Literature on family planning considers natural (also called traditional) contraceptives to be ‘ineffective’ because its users are not motivated to control their fertility. While this is true for initial stages of fertility transition, studies have reported that it is women belonging to urban, educated and affluent households - propelled by a reaction against Western technology – who are the main users of natural contraceptives. This elite group has both the skill and knowledge to use such methods effectively. This has led to the coining of the term ‘ultramodern contraception’. This paper critically re-examines the ‘ultramodern contraception’ theory, and argues that it has certain limitations. Analyzing of three rounds of National Family Health Survey data for India, we argue that reliance on such methods may be a transient phase in the reproductive cycle of women, specifically before the desired gender parity of children is attained. Moreover, it is a manifestation of son preference

Outsourcing: State-of-the-Art in India and an Insight to Coal Mining Industry

In the present era of globalization, outsourcing proves to be one of the prominent and emerging business practices widely adopted by the firms around the world in order to stay competitive. The academic literature on outsourcing in the Indian context mostly deals with the outsourcing of information technology/information systems (IT/IS) and business process outsourcing (BPO) that are outsourced to Indian IT firms by the multinational companies (MNCs) located abroad. However, studies on outsourcing practices followed by the Indian firms may be inadequate in the extant literature. It was observed that the decision of outsourcing is often taken in an aggressive manner with an emphasis on short-term cost advantage rather than giving due consideration in realizing the significant contribution of such decisions over the long-term competitiveness of the organization. The present study provides a structured approach to analyze the suitability of outsourcing in line with the organizational strategy for performance improvement for the coal mining organization in India