Effect of gender preference on fertility: cross-sectional study among women of Tharu community from rural area of eastern region of Nepal

BACKGROUND: Son preference is predominant in developing countries especially South Asian countries and its effect is most visible when the fertility is on transition. Nepal is a country in South Asia where the fertility has declined and son is valued highly. This study examines the parent’s gender preference for children and its effect on fertility and reproductive behaviors. METHODS: Study was conducted in Sonapur village development committee of Sunsari district among women of Tharu community of reproductive age (15–49) currently in union and having at least one child. Data was collected by house to house survey. Data was analyzed with IBM SPSS 20 version. Multinomial and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship among variables. RESULTS: Three hundred women of reproductive age were included in the study. Current average age of the respondents was 31.97 years and mean age at marriage was 18.87 (SD +/-2.615). Child Sex ratio (male: female) of the respondents who didn’t want any more children was 1.41. The birth spacing following male baby was 3.09 years whereas the average birth spacing following female baby was 2.71 years. Age of the respondents and education status of the respondents were also significantly associated with contraceptive practice. Presence of only female children in family significantly increased the desire of other children (AOR = 10.153, 95% CI = 2.357-43.732). CONCLUSION: This study finds that the gender preference affects the fertility and reproductive behavior of the respondents and it is necessary to reduce son preference for the health and well being of children and women

Tobacco Use among Women in Dharan, Eastern Nepal

The study was undertaken to assess the prevalence and patterns of tobacco use and also assess the factors affecting tobacco use among the female population of Dharan. A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 2,340 female participants aged 15 years and above was conducted in Dharan municipality in 2001. Cluster sampling with probability proportionate to size technique was used. Of the 2,340 subjects, 12.9% were cigarette smokers and 14.1% were smokeless tobacco users. The smoking habit had a significant relationship with the habit of tobacco chewing. About 50% of the smokers had been continuously smoking for more than 20 years. Smokers aged 50 years and above were more likely to smoke more than 10 cigarettes per day than those at the reproductive age (15-49 years). Health problems among females did not have any significant relationship with tobacco-chewing, but smokers were nearly twice as likely to suffer from any health problem than non-smokers. Gastrointestinal problems were the most common complaint among the tobacco users. An effective awareness programme is required to discourage the use of tobacco and encourage women to take regular health check-ups

A review of research process, data collection and analysis

Research is the process of searching for knowledge. It is systematic search pertinent information on specific topic of interest. It is a careful investigation or inquiry especially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge [1]. It is a scientific way of getting answers for research questions and testing hypothesis. The research question is based on uncertainty about something in the population. This can be formulated by searching different literatures from index and non index journals, books, internet, and different unpublished research work etc. A good research question should follow the FINER criteria i.e. Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical and Relevant [2]

Probability Sampling in Matched Case-Control Study in Drug Abuse

Although random sampling is generally considered to be the gold standard for population-based research, the majority of drug abuse research is based on non-random sampling despite the well-known limitations of this kind of sampling. We compared the statistical properties of two surveys of drug abuse in the same community: one using snowball sampling of drug users who then identified “friend controls†and the other using a random sample of non-drug users (controls) who then identified "friend cases". Models to predict drug abuse based on risk factors were developed for each data set using conditional logistic regression. Bootstrap analysis of the random-sample data set showed less variation, and did not change the significance of the predictors when compared to the non-bootstrap analysis. Comparison of ROC curves using the model derived from the random-sample data set was similar when fitted to either data set (0.93 for random-sample data vs. 0.91 for snowball-sample data (p=0.35)); however, when the model derived from the snowball-sample data set was fitted to each of the data sets, the areas under the curve were significantly different (0.98 vs. 0.83, p<.001). The proposed method of random sampling of controls appears to be superior from a statistical perspective to snowball sampling and may represent a viable alternative to snowball sampling

Probability Sampling in Matched Case-Control Study in Drug Abuse

Although random sampling is generally considered to be the gold standard for population-based research, the majority of drug abuse research is based on non-random sampling despite the well-known limitations of this kind of sampling. We compared the statistical properties of two surveys of drug abuse in the same community: one using snowball sampling of drug users who then identified “friend controls” and the other using a random sample of non-drug users (controls) who then identified “friend cases”. Models to predict drug abuse based on risk factors were developed for each data set using conditional logistic regression. Bootstrap analysis of the random-sample data set showed less variation, and did not change the significance of the predictors when compared to the non-bootstrap analysis. Comparison of ROC curves using the model derived from the random-sample data set was similar when fitted to either data set (0.93 for random-sample data vs. 0.91 for snowball-sample data (p=0.35)); however, when the model derived from the snowball-sample data set was fitted to each of the data sets, the areas under the curve were significantly different (0.98 vs. 0.83, p<.001). The proposed method of random sampling of controls appears to be superior from a statistical perspective to snowball sampling and may represent a viable alternative to snowball sampling

Perceived risk and associated factors of healthcare waste in selected hospitals of Kathmandu, Nepal.

BackgroundHealthcare waste management is the subject of a neglected issue in many developing countries. Health care facilities are facing a major challenge in handling healthcare wastes and reducing their potential risks to human health and the environment. Insufficient understanding of the risk associated with healthcare waste by health workforce can contribute to poor waste management practices. The main aim of this study is to assess risk perception towards healthcare waste among hospital attendants and to identify associated factors.MethodologyWe carried out a cross-sectional hospital-based study among 120 attendants of a private and public hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. We used two-stage random sampling for the selection of hospital and participants. We conducted a face-to-face interview with the participants using semi-structured questionnaires. Based on the mean score, we classified risk perception as good and poor. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was carried out to determine associates of risk perception towards healthcare waste.ResultsApproximately 51.0% of hospital attendants had poor risk perception of healthcare waste. Nearly half of the participants (49.2%) had inadequate knowledge and 43.0% had a negative attitude. Factors such as healthcare waste management training (p = 0.028), housekeeping department (p = 0.036) and attitude (p = 0.001) were associated with risk perception of healthcare waste.ConclusionHospital attendants had a poor understanding of risk perception of healthcare waste. Periodic training on healthcare waste management and edification on the risk associated with healthcare waste is essential to boost awareness among all healthcare workers. Communication on behavioral improvements for appropriate waste management must be prioritized to change the perception of health workers

Panoramic Radiographic Assessment of Status of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars: A Tertiary Care Centre Based Study in Eastern Nepal

ABSTRACTBackground: Mandibular third molar (M3M) is the most posterior of the three molars present in each quadrant. Racial variation, genetic inheritance etc can affect the jaw size, size of tooth and ultimately the eruption state of M3M. So, studies of impacted M3Ms have been carried out in various populations. But data relating to these are not evident from most of the parts of Nepal. Hence, this study was done to assess the status of impacted M3Ms in a tertiary care center in eastern Nepal. Materials &amp; Methods: Total of 220 patients’ M3Ms (i.e 440 sites of M3Ms) were assessed with Panoramic Radiographs, in Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. The impaction status was divided as class of impaction (I, II, III), level of eruption (A, B, C) and angulation (mesioangular, vertical, distoangular and horizontal). Data were entered in Microsoft excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS software version 11.5. Results: Class II impaction state wasmost commonly present in this population group, in 345 sites (85.18%) while none of the patients had class III impaction. Level A eruption was most prevalent, 315 sites (77.78%). The least prevalent was level C eruption, 14 sites (3.46%). Majority 18 sites (46.67%) had vertical inclination while only 32 sites (7.9%) had horizontal inclination. Conclusion: The most prevalent impaction state of M3M in this populationgroup is Class II, Level A with vertical angulation. Keywords: impacted teeth; mandible; panoramic radiography; third molar. </p

Risk perception towards healthcare waste among community people in Kathmandu, Nepal.

BackgroundHealthcare waste management is a serious issue in context of developing countries. Better assessment of both risks and effects of exposure would permit improvements in the management of healthcare waste. However, there is not yet clear understanding of risks, and as consequences, inadequate management practices are often implemented.ObjectivesThis study primarily aims to assess risk perception towards healthcare waste and secondly to assess knowledge, attitude and identify the factors associated with risk perception.ResultsA cross-sectional community based study was carried out among 270 respondents selected through multistage sampling technique. Face-to-face interview was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires. Risk perception was classified as good and poor based on mean score. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to determine the associates of risk perception. More than half, 52% of the sampled population had a poor risk perception towards healthcare waste. More than a quarter 26.3% had inadequate knowledge and forty percent (40%) had a negative attitude towards health care waste management. Having knowledge (OR = 3.31; CI = 1.67-6.58) was a strong predictor of risk perception towards healthcare waste. The perception of risk towards healthcare waste among community people was poor. This highlights the need for extensive awareness programs. Promoting knowledge on healthcare waste is a way to change the perception in Nepal. Community engaged research approach is needed to address environmental health concerns among public residents

Preferred Source and Perceived Need of More Information about Dental Implants by the Undergraduate Dental Students of Nepal: All Nepal Survey

Objectives. This study was conducted to know the preferred source and perceived need of more information about dental implants by the undergraduate students of Nepal and their association with academic levels and gender. Materials and Methods. It was conducted in all the dental colleges of Nepal from June 2016 to June 2017 after taking ethical clearance and approval from the research committee of BPKIHS. It included all those who were present at the time of survey. Data collection was done through a cross-sectional questionnaire survey during the academic schedule of the colleges, supervised and monitored by the investigators themselves. The collected data were coded and entered in Microsoft excel 2013, and statistical analysis was done by SPSS 20 version. Result. A majority of the respondents agreed that they were not provided with sufficient information about implant treatment procedures during their BDS program (65.3%), would like more to be provided in the curriculum (95.1%), and would like to get additional reliable information from dental consultants and specialists (40.7%) and training on it from fellowship programs conducted by universities (39.2%). Significant association was seen between the responses and academic levels. Conclusion. Undergraduate dental students of Nepal want more information about dental implants through various means