Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Blood Donation among Health Science Students in a University campus, South India

Background: The major part of demand for blood in India has been meeting through voluntary blood donations. The healthy, active and receptive huge student population is potential blood donors to meet safe blood requirements. However, there is a paucity of studies on awareness and attitude among health science students on voluntary blood donation. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude about blood donation among health science students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 health sciences students from different streams in a University campus of South India through a structured survey questionnaire in the year 2009. Results: The overall knowledge on blood donation was good, but majority (62%) of students never donated blood. Knowledge level was found highest among allied health science (53.1%) and lowest among pharmacy students (20.7%). ‘Feeling of medically unfit’ and ‘never thought of blood donation’ were the major reasons for not donating blood. A significant association was observed between different streams of students and levels of knowledge and attitude about blood donation. Conclusion: This study elicits the importance of adopting effective measures in our campuses to motivate about voluntary blood donation among students

Infant feeding practices of mothers in an urban area in Nepal

Abstract Background: Child health in developing countries including Nepal is a matter of serious concern as the prevalence of malnutrition among children continues to be high with 48.6% of children under five in Nepal being underweight. Since infant feeding practices adopted by mothers play a major role in influencing health of these children, there is a need to study the infant feeding practices prevalent in different areas in order to have pragmatic approaches to solve this problem. Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among mothers who attended the immunization clinics of 18 wards of Pokhara municipality area. They were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire on various aspects of infant feeding. Result: A total of 168 mothers were interviewed and prevalence of breastfeeding was 99.4% (167). Only 43.5% of the mothers initiated breastfeeding within one hour of birth and 60.5% were practicing exclusive breastfeeding at 5 months. Almost 40% of the mothers started complementary feeding before the recommended age of 6 months and 22.5 % delayed introduction of complementary feeding beyond the recommended age. Conclusion: Breast feeding practices adopted by mothers of Pokhara urban area are still lacking in terms of late initiation of and early starting of complementary feeding. There is a need to educate the mothers regarding proper infant feeding practices

Prevalence, distribution and correlates of tobacco smoking and chewing in Nepal: a secondary data analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey-2006

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nearly four-fifths of estimated 1.1 million smokers live in low or middle-income countries. We aimed to provide national estimates for Nepal on tobacco use prevalence, its distribution across demographic, socio-economic and spatial variables and correlates of tobacco use.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A secondary data analysis of 2006 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) was done. A representative sample of 9,036 households was selected by two-stage stratified, probability proportional to size (PPS) technique. We constructed three outcome variables 'tobacco smoke', 'tobacco chewer' and 'any tobacco use' based on four questions about tobacco use that were asked in DHS questionnaires. Socio-economic, demographic and spatial predictor variables were used. We computed overall prevalence for 'tobacco smoking', 'tobacco chewing' and 'any tobacco use' i.e. point estimates of prevalence rates, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjustment for strata and clustering at primary sampling unit (PSU) level. For correlates of tobacco use, we used multivariate analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and their 95% CIs. A p-value < 0.05 was considered as significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Total number of households, eligible women and men interviewed was 8707, 10793 and 4397 respectively. The overall prevalence for 'any tobacco use', 'tobacco smoking' and 'tobacco chewing' were 30.3% (95% CI 28.9, 31.7), 20.7% (95% CI 19.5, 22.0) and 14.6% (95% CI 13.5, 15.7) respectively. Prevalence among men was significantly higher than women for 'any tobacco use' (56.5% versus 19.6%), 'tobacco smoking' (32.8% versus 15.8%) and 'tobacco chewing' (38.0% versus 5.0%). By multivariate analysis, older adults, men, lesser educated and those with lower wealth quintiles were more likely to be using all forms of tobacco. Divorced, separated, and widowed were more likely to smoke (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.14, 1.94) and chew tobacco (OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.97, 1.93) as compared to those who were currently married. Prevalence of 'tobacco chewing' was higher in eastern region (19.7%) and terai/plains (16.2%). 'Tobacco smoking' and 'any tobacco use' were higher in rural areas, mid-western and far western and mountainous areas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Prevalence of tobacco use is considerably high among Nepalese people. Demographic and socioeconomic determinants and spatial distribution should be considered while planning tobacco control interventions.</p

Psychological morbidity, sources of stress and coping strategies among undergraduate medical students of Nepal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the issues of quality of life and stresses involved medical training as this may affect their learning and academic performance. However, such studies are lacking in medical schools of Nepal. Therefore, we carried out this study to assess the prevalence of psychological morbidity, sources and severity of stress and coping strategies among medical students in our integrated problem-stimulated undergraduate medical curriculum.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among the undergraduate medical students of Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal during the time period August, 2005 to December, 2006. The psychological morbidity was assessed using General Health Questionnaire. A 24-item questionnaire was used to assess sources of stress and their severity. Coping strategies adopted was assessed using brief COPE inventory.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall response rate was 75.8% (407 out of 525 students). The overall prevalence of psychological morbidity was 20.9% and was higher among students of basic sciences, Indian nationality and whose parents were medical doctors. By logistic regression analysis, GHQ-caseness was associated with occurrence of academic and health-related stressors. The most common sources of stress were related to academic and psychosocial concerns. The most important and severe sources of stress were staying in hostel, high parental expectations, vastness of syllabus, tests/exams, lack of time and facilities for entertainment. The students generally used active coping strategies and alcohol/drug was a least used coping strategy. The coping strategies commonly used by students in our institution were positive reframing, planning, acceptance, active coping, self-distraction and emotional support. The coping strategies showed variation by GHQ-caseness, year of study, gender and parents' occupation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The higher level of psychological morbidity warrants need for interventions like social and psychological support to improve the quality of life for these medical students. Student advisors and counselors may train students about stress management. There is also need to bring about academic changes in quality of teaching and evaluation system. A prospective study is necessary to study the association of psychological morbidity with demographic variables, sources of stress and coping strategies.</p

A 6 year Geohelminth infection profile of children at high altitude in Western Nepal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Geohelminth infections are a major problem of children from the developing countries. Children with these infections suffer from developmental impairments and other serious illnesses. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of geohelminth infection, infection intensity as well as the change in the intensity in children from Western Nepal over years.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This 6-year hospital based prospective study at the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara included children (< 15 years) visiting the hospital from Kaski and 7 surrounding districts. Samples were also collected from children in the community from different medical camps. Three stool samples from every child were processed using direct and concentration methods. The Kato-Katz technique was used for measuring the intensity of infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence in hospital - attending children was 9.2% with 7.6% in preschool (0 – 5 y) and 11.0% in school-age (6 – 15 y) children, and in community 17.7% with 14.8% in pre-school and 20.5% in school-age children. <it>Ascaris lumbricoides</it>, <it>Trichuris trichiura</it>, <it>Ancylostoma deodenale </it>and <it>Strongyloides stercoralis </it>were the common geohelminths with a gradual decrease in worm load over the years. School-age children were found to be significantly more prone to geohelminth infection as compared to preschool children, but no statistical difference was detected by gender, district as well as season.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This heavy infection of geohelminths in children should be corrected by appropriate medication and maintaining strict personal hygiene. Health education, clean water, good sewage management and a congenial environment should be ensured to minimise infection.</p

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Blood Donation among Health Science Students in a University campus, South India

Background: The major part of demand for blood in India has been meeting through voluntary blood donations. The healthy, active and receptive huge student population is potential blood donors to meet safe blood requirements. However, there is a paucity of studies on awareness and attitude among health science students on voluntary blood donation. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude about blood donation among health science students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 health sciences students from different streams in a University campus of South India through a structured survey questionnaire in the year 2009. Results: The overall knowledge on blood donation was good, but majority (62%) of students never donated blood. Knowledge level was found highest among allied health science (53.1%) and lowest among pharmacy students (20.7%). ‘Feeling of medically unfit’ and ‘never thought of blood donation’ were the major reasons for not donating blood. A significant association was observed between different streams of students and levels of knowledge and attitude about blood donation. Conclusion: This study elicits the importance of adopting effective measures in our campuses to motivate about voluntary blood donation among students

Relationship between Visual Motor Integration and Academic Performance in Elementary School Children

Objective: To assess the relationship between visual motor integration and academic performance in elementary school children. Method: A cross sectional study was undertaken on 208 children who were in second standard from government, government aided and private schools. The screening tools for excluding children with visual and auditory deficit, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Childhood psychiatric symptoms, learning disabilities, below average intelligence were administered. The primary measure of visual motor integration was obtained using Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI). The academic performance was calculated from the mean of all the subject marks scored in two consecutive exams and on teacher’s perception on academic performance using a 100-point rating scale. Results & Conclusion: Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient test was used to analyze the correlation. It has shown that there is weak positive correlation found between visual motor integration and academic performance which would recommend the need for longitudinal study

Risk of oral cancer associated with gutka and other tobacco products: A hospital-based case-control study

Background: Although tobacco deaths rarely make headlines, tobacco kills one person every six seconds. Tobacco kills a third to half of all people who use it, on average 15 years prematurely. Aim of the Study: To study the risk of oral cancer associated with gutka consumption and other tobacco products. Objective: (1) To find the association between gutka consumption and oral cancer. (2) To study the association between oral cancer and other tobacco products. Methodology: A case-control study of 134 cases and 268 controls, over a period of 5 months, from March 2013 to July 2013, was carried out at the Kasturba medical hospital in Manipal, India. The participants were personally interviewed by the investigator using a structured questionnaire on consumption of tobacco, poly-ingredient dip products, alcohol, dietary practices, oral hygiene practices and demographic status. Results: Univariate logistic regression followed by multivariate logistic regression was done for identifying the risk factors and adjusted for the confounding variables. Analysis showed that gutka (<0.001, OR = 5.1 95% CI = 2.0-10.3), chewing tobacco (P < 0.001, OR = 6.0 95% CI = 2.3-15.7), supari (P < 0.001, OR = 11.4 95% CI = 3.4,38.2), betel quid (P < 0.001, OR = 6.4 95% CI = 2.6-15.5), bidi (P < 0.05, OR = 2.3 95% CI = 1.1-4.8) and alcohol (P < 0.001, OR = 3.7 95%CI = 1.8-7.5) had strong association with oral cancer upon adjustment. Conclusion: The study provided strong evidence that gutka, supari, chewing tobacco, betel quid, bidi and alcohol are independent risk factors for oral cancer

Learning styles of preclinical students in a medical college in western Nepal

Abstract Objectives: Information on the learning styles of medical students are lacking in medical colleges in Nepal. Learning styles may be associated with student understanding and may predict success in examination. The present study was carried out to obtain information on learning styles and preferences for teaching of fourth semester medical students and note the association, if any, between respondents&apos; personal characteristics and preferences for learning styles and types of teaching. The correlation between preferences for learning styles and types of teaching and performance in the second year university examination was also explored. Methods: The study was carried out during October 2003 at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory (ASSIST) instrument. Information on the respondents&apos; personal characteristics was collected. Respondents had to indicate their degree of agreement with a set of statements using a modified Likert-type scale. The statements were grouped into three main learning styles and two types of teaching. The median scores among different subgroups of respondents were compared using appropriate non-parametric tests (p&lt;0.05). Results: Ninety-two students (92%) participated; fifty-six were male. Thirty-one respondents were Nepalese, 48 were Indians. Majority were educated in English medium schools. The median scores for deep and surface learning styles were 64 and 49 respectively (maximum score=80). The scores for strategic learning was 75.5 (maximum score=100). There was no clear preference for any particular type of teaching. Indian students used more surface apathetic learning strategies compared to others. There was a negative correlation between surface learning and marks obtained in the final examination. Conclusions: The students mainly used deep and strategic learning styles. Differences in preference for learning styles and types of teaching were noted according the respondents&apos; personal characteristics. This was a preliminary study and further studies are required

Do hot-spots of maternal mortality ratio exist in india? A district-level spatial analysis

Background: Hot-spot detection of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) can assist in identifying the exact geographic location of regions that need urgent attention. Aims &Objectives: To detect hot-spots of MMR at district level in the selected nine states of India and the observed pattern was further correlated with hot-spots of certain known risk factors of MMR in the same region. Material &Methods: Data on MMR was obtained from Annual Health Survey 2012-13. Moran’s I was computed for MMR to quantify spatial autocorrelation. The hot-spot analysis of MMR and its potential risk factors were performed using Getis-Ord Gi* statistic, a measure of local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA). The spatial analysis was based on queen’s contiguity weight matrix and analyses were done using ArcGIS 10.3. Results: The Moran’s I value of MMR was found to be 0.69 indicating a positive spatial autocorrelation. Districts with MMR hot-spotting was largely observed in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, followed by Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand. The hot-spot analysis unveiled an inverse relation of MMR with female literacy rate, mothers who received any antenatal check-up (%), mothers who utilized Janani Suraksha Yojana (%), safe delivery (%) and urbanization (%). Marriages among females below 18 years (%), total fertility rate and women with unmet need for spacing (%) had a direct relation with MMR. Conclusion: Information on hot-spots as depicted in this study can help locate the regions vulnerable to MMR and the potential risk factors, which in turn could aid in implementing targeted intervention programs