Awareness about Reproductive Tract Infections among Rural Adolescent Girls in Haryana

Introduction: There are about 350 million adolescents comprising about 22% of the population in the countries of the South- East Asia Region (SEAR). Hygiene related practices of adolescent girls have health impact in terms of increased susceptibility to reproductive tract infections (RTIs) which affects productivity of young adolescents.Objective: The study was conducted to find out the magnitude and awareness of reproductive tract infections among adolescent girls in villages under the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project (CRHSP), Ballabgarh, Haryana.Methodology: A community based cross sectional study was done among adolescent girls aged 14-19 years. Using simple random sampling technique, 274 girls were interviewed using semi structured interview schedule. Analysis was carried out in Stata version 11.Results: All 274 participants had attained menarche and the mean age at attainment of menarche was 14.2 ±1.4 years. Almost half of the participants (47.1%) were not aware about the causes of RTIs. Seventy one girls (25.9%) reported symptoms of reproductive tract infections. Also, almost half of them did not seek any treatment for RTI.Conclusions: There is a concern that prevalence of untreated reproductive tract infections among adolescent girls is significant especially in rural India. Therefore, proper menstrual hygiene and correct perceptions and beliefs can protect the women from this suffering

Sex myths prevalence and gender discrepancies among college-going students in Bangalore, Karnataka, South India

Abstract Sex-myths could impact sexual wellness. Hence, the present study explores the prevalence and describes gender disparities in sex myths among 230 male and female college students recruited using convenient and purposive sampling . After using Sex Myth Scale, Descriptive statistics and Independent sample t-test were applied. The most prevalent sexual myth among males was, ‘Most men lose their sexual drive around the age of 50’ (26.9 percent); among females was, ‘Woman ejaculates like a man when she experiences orgasm’(44.78 percent).When considering genderspecific myth responses, females were more prevalent than male students. Results showed substantial gender difference (p<0.01). Overall, sex myth scores ( including items score related to both gender) was high among male compared to their counterparts. This study indicates the need to develop a culturally sensitive and effective educational program to eradicate myths related to sex

The Mysuru stUdies of Determinants of Health in Rural Adults (MUDHRA), India

Between 2006 and 2010, in 16 randomly selected villages in rural areas of Mysore district, in south India, 8,457 subjects aged 30 and above were screened for symptoms of chronic respiratory disease. Of the 8,457 subjects, 1,692 were randomly invited for further evaluation of lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by spirometry, and 1,085 of these subjects underwent lung function assessments for prevalent COPD and its risk factors. These 1,085 subjects, who were then aged between 35 and 80 years, constituted the Mysuru stUdies of Determinants of Health in Rural Adults (MUDHRA) cohort. Among other findings, threshold of biomass fuel smoke exposure suitable for use as a dichotomous risk factor for the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis was established, with a minimum biomass smoke exposure index of 60 found to be significantly associated with an elevated risk of developing chronic bronchitis. Five years later (between 2014 and 2016), 869 of the 1,085 participants were followed up with repeat lung function assessments for incident COPD and all-cause mortality. A subset of these participants (n=200) underwent blood tests for vitamin D levels, antioxidant activity, an assessment for anxiety and depression, and another subset (n=98) underwent a bioplex assay for 40 serum cytokines

Bronchiectasis in India:results from the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) and Respiratory Research Network of India Registry

BACKGROUND: Bronchiectasis is a common but neglected chronic lung disease. Most epidemiological data are limited to cohorts from Europe and the USA, with few data from low-income and middle-income countries. We therefore aimed to describe the characteristics, severity of disease, microbiology, and treatment of patients with bronchiectasis in India. METHODS: The Indian bronchiectasis registry is a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study. Adult patients ( 6518 years) with CT-confirmed bronchiectasis were enrolled from 31 centres across India. Patients with bronchiectasis due to cystic fibrosis or traction bronchiectasis associated with another respiratory disorder were excluded. Data were collected at baseline (recruitment) with follow-up visits taking place once per year. Comprehensive clinical data were collected through the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration registry platform. Underlying aetiology of bronchiectasis, as well as treatment and risk factors for bronchiectasis were analysed in the Indian bronchiectasis registry. Comparisons of demographics were made with published European and US registries, and quality of care was benchmarked against the 2017 European Respiratory Society guidelines. FINDINGS: From June 1, 2015, to Sept 1, 2017, 2195 patients were enrolled. Marked differences were observed between India, Europe, and the USA. Patients in India were younger (median age 56 years [IQR 41-66] vs the European and US registries; p&lt;0\ub70001]) and more likely to be men (1249 [56\ub79%] of 2195). Previous tuberculosis (780 [35\ub75%] of 2195) was the most frequent underlying cause of bronchiectasis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism in sputum culture (301 [13\ub77%]) in India. Risk factors for exacerbations included being of the male sex (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1\ub717, 95% CI 1\ub703-1\ub732; p=0\ub7015), P aeruginosa infection (1\ub729, 1\ub710-1\ub750; p=0\ub7001), a history of pulmonary tuberculosis (1\ub720, 1\ub707-1\ub734; p=0\ub7002), modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea score (1\ub732, 1\ub725-1\ub739; p&lt;0\ub70001), daily sputum production (1\ub716, 1\ub703-1\ub730; p=0\ub7013), and radiological severity of disease (1\ub703, 1\ub701-1\ub704; p&lt;0\ub70001). Low adherence to guideline-recommended care was observed; only 388 patients were tested for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and 82 patients had been tested for immunoglobulins. INTERPRETATION: Patients with bronchiectasis in India have more severe disease and have distinct characteristics from those reported in other countries. This study provides a benchmark to improve quality of care for patients with bronchiectasis in India. FUNDING: EU/European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Innovative Medicines Initiative inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis Consortium, European Respiratory Society, and the British Lung Foundation

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and exacerbation of COPD

Introduction Low Vitamin D levels have been associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and acute exacerbations. Objectives There is a paucity of data on Vitamin D and COPD, its severity and exacerbations in populations that are exposed to sunlight regularly with high levels of physical activity most of their lives. Methods Serum levels of 25-OH-Vitamin-D were assessed in 100 COPD subjects and 100 age- and gender-matched controls from the rural community-based MUDHRA cohort in South India. Levels of <20 ng/mL were defined as Vitamin D deficiency. Smoking habits, occupation, Charlson co-morbidity index, Standard of living index(SLI), body mass index(BMI), 6-minute walking distance were examined for associations with logistic regression between controls and COPD subjects. Unconditional logistic regression was used to examine the association with exacerbation of COPD. Results Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 64.5% (95%CI 57.7-70.8) of the subjects in spite of regular exposure to sunlight. Subjects with COPD had higher risk of Vitamin D deficiency (Adjusted OR: 5.05; 95%CI 1.4-17.8) as compared to controls. Amongst subjects with COPD, Vitamin D deficient subjects were three times more likely to have exacerbations in the previous year (Adjusted OR:3.51; 95%CI 1.27-9.67) as compared to COPD subjects without Vitamin D deficiency. Levels of Vitamin D <20.81 ng/mL and <18.45 ng/mL had the highest levels of combined sensitivity and specificity for COPD and acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) respectively. Conclusion In a rural population exposed to sunlight many hours a day throughout their lives, low Vitamin D levels were associated with COPD and exacerbations of COPD

An examination of candidate gene SNPs for dyslexia in an Indian sample

Developmental Dyslexia (DD) is a complex neuro-genetic disorder associated with difficulty in learning to read despite adequate intelligence and educational opportunities. Studies in different populations have established associations between DD and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in a number of candidate genes, including DYX1C1, KIAA0319 and DCDC2. In an ongoing DD study in India, we screened twenty SNPs located within the coding region of these three candidate genes by massARRAY technique. At this point, there is no statistical evidence of association between the allelic variation in the three candidate genes and DD in our sample, although there might be some promising leads for future research that should involve a large and a better characterized sample

Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Hospital Admissions among Children Due to Asthma and Wheezing-Associated Lower Respiratory Infections in Mysore, India: A Time Series Study

Air pollutants are known to trigger asthma and wheezing-associated lower respiratory infections in children, but evidence regarding their effect on hospital admissions in India is limited. We conducted a time-series study over a period of five years to assess the role of ambient air pollutants in daily asthma-related hospital admissions in children in Mysore, India. Daily asthma and wheeze (associated with lower respiratory infections) admissions were modelled using a generalised additive model (GAM) to examine the non-linear effects and generalised linear models (GLM) for linear effects, if any. Models were adjusted by day of the week and lag days, with smooth terms for time, maximum temperature, and relative humidity, and they were stratified by sex and age group. Of the 362 children admitted, more than 50% were boys, and the mean age was 5.34 years (±4.66). The GAMs showed non-linear associations between NO2, PM2.5, and NH3. For example, a 10 µgm−3 (or 10%) increase in NO2 increased admissions by 2.42. These non-linear effects were more pronounced in boys. A linear effect was detected for PM10 with a relative risk (95% CI) of 1.028, 1.013, and 1.043 with admission. Further research is needed to explore whether these findings can be replicated in different cities in India. Air pollution needs to be controlled, and policies that focus on lower cut-off levels for vulnerable populations are necessary

Association of Serum Albumin and Copeptin with Early Clinical Deterioration and Instability in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Background: There is a paucity of data on biomarkers for the early deterioration and clinical instability of patients in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), as treatment failure occurs in the first seven days in 90% of patients. Aim: To evaluate serum albumin and copeptin with CURB-65, PSI scoring and ATS/IDSA minor criteria for the prediction of early mortality or ICU-admission (7 days) and clinical instability after 72 h. Methods: In 100 consecutive hospitalized adult CAP patients, PSI-scores, CURB-65 scores, ATS/IDSA 2007 minor criteria, copeptin and albumin on admission were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to assess independent risk factors for early combined mortality or ICU admission. Predictive powers of albumin and copeptin were tested with ROC curves and ICU-free survival probability was tested using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results: Albumin was lower and copeptin higher in patients with short-term adverse outcomes (p &lt; 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that albumin [HR (95% CI): 0.41 (0.18–0.94, p = 0.034)] and copeptin [HR (95% CI): 1.94 (1.03–3.67, p = 0.042)] were independent risk factors for early combined mortality or ICU admission (7 days). The Kaplan–Meier analysis observed that high copeptin (&gt;27.12 ng/mL) and low albumin levels (&lt;2.85 g/dL) had a lower (p &lt; 0.001) survival probability. The diagnostic accuracy of albumin was better than copeptin. The inclusion of albumin and copeptin into ATS/IDSA minor criteria significantly improved their predictive power. Conclusions: Both biomarkers serum albumin and copeptin can predict early deterioration and clinical instability in hospitalized CAP patients and increase the prognostic power of the traditional clinical scoring systems