Background: Awareness of obstetric danger signs reduces delays in seeking care and forms a crucial part of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR), an evidence-based strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess awareness of obstetric danger signs and its determinants among rural women in South Karnataka. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study in 17 villages of South Karnataka was conducted, with simple random sample of 100 mothers who delivered in the past 1 year. Awareness of 18 obstetric danger signs by JHPIEGO-BPCR Tools and Indicators was assessed under four domains: Pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and newborn period. Each correct response given a score of 1. Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank correlation test done. Results: Median awareness score was 4 (IQR = 1.6) with 24% of subjects unable to state even one danger sign across any domain. The most common danger sign mentioned was vaginal bleeding. Most were unaware of danger signs such as blurred vision and convulsions. Awareness was significantly higher among older ( P = 0.019) and educated mothers ( P = 0.044), of higher income ( P = 0.041), with more frequent antenatal care (ANC) visits ( P = 0.001), and higher parity ( P = 0.013). Conclusion: The abysmally low awareness of obstetric danger signs has far-reaching public health implications as it affects timely care seeking. Health-care providers should use opportunities during regular ANC visits to counsel women and families regarding danger signs, in addition to community engagement, utilizing existing platforms such as women’s groups, village-level workers, and Village Health and Nutrition Days, focusing more on younger women who are educationally and economically challenged to improve awareness regarding obstetric danger signs. Key words: Birth preparedness, complication readiness, danger signs, rural women
Introduction : Diabetics have a higher risk of having depression when compared to normal population. India has the one of the largest diabetic populations many of the treating physicians fail to recognize the underlying depression of patients with diabetes mellitus . The objective of the study was to find out the prevalence of depression in patients with established Type II diabetes mellitus patients. Materials and Methods : The present study is a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study. The study was undertaken in patients attending outpatient department of tertiary care hospital. A total of 150 patients with established T2DM were evaluated for depression by administering the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale. Results : In the present study, 54.4% of the participants were found to be having depression, which ranged from mild to severe, most of the them had only mild symptoms. Most of the study participants, that is, about 22% belonged to the age group of 51–60 years followed by 18% in 41–50 years. In the present study, depression was found more in females (30.66%) than in males (24.66%). In this study, majority of the patients (33.3%) on OHA were not depressed, whereas 15.2% of patients on insulin and OHAs were depressed. A total of 48% of the patients with comorbidities were depressed in the present study. Conclusion : The diabetic patients are more prone to have depression, therefore, it is necessary for the well-being of diabetic patients that the patients are assessed for the presence or development of depression. Key words: Becks Depression Inventory, depression, diabetes
Background: Junk foods seem to have engulfed every age and the newest entrants are adolescents. This is a time of rapid growth; good nutrition is a high priority. Junk food consumption has both direct and indirect relationship in the chain of natural history of most of the non-communicable diseases thereby giving us a window of opportunity to break these weak links to arrest the disease processes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in schools and colleges of urban field practice area of medical college. Stratified random sampling technique was adapted to select schools/colleges. From selected school/college, all students from one section of 7th–12th class were enrolled for the study after taking consent. Data were collected using pretested and validated, close- and open-ended, and self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 700 adolescent students were included in the study. About 60.14% adolescents consumed junk food more than 3 times/week. Cakes (males-32.5% and females-26.2%) and chocolates (males-27.4% and females-38.4%); and Chips (males-17.9% and females-18.8%) and street foods (males-17.5% and females-23.9%) were the most preferred sweet and salted junk food respectively. Influence of friends (odds ratio [OR]: 5.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.79–8.03), family members (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.12–2.23), advertisements (OR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.87–3.81), and easy accessibility (OR: 17.35; CI: 11.2–27.3) had a statistically significant association with consumption of junk foods. Conclusions: To conclude nearly two-third adolescent students consumed junk food on regular basis. Factors such as friends, family members, and easy accessibility nearer to schools or colleges were associated with junk food consumption. Even having adequate knowledge did not prevent them from having junk foods. Key words: Adolescent students, Junk foods, patterns, prevalence
Background: Bacterial meningitis is one of the most feared infectious diseases, being an important cause of death and long-term neurological disability. Various studies have observed seasonality of occurrence of bacterial meningitis most commonly in dry and cold seasons. Studies of seasonal variation contribute to understanding the etiology of infections, health-care planning for prevention, and rational use of hospital resources. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to know the seasonal variations and trend in the admissions of community-acquired acute bacterial meningitis in Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital. Methods: A time series analysis by compiling monthly data of bacterial meningitis cases admitted in KIMS, Hubli, from the reports of medical records department for a period of 5 years from January 2014 to December 2018. Results: The peaks for hospitalizations were predominantly in March–May and even the seasonality for aggregate years occurs as peak effect in summer. Hospitalizations for bacterial meningitis showed a periodicity of 3–4 months in each year along with cyclical trend over the years studied. Conclusion: This study found evidence of seasonality for bacterial meningitis, thereby suggesting that hospitals should be prepared for providing clinical services round the year; however, more resources may be required during the peak months of March–May. Key words: Bacterial meningitis, seasonal variation, tertiary care hospital, time series analysis, wavelet transform
Background: Protein-energy malnutrition is an important public health problem which contributes to a significant number of under-five deaths. About 7.6 million under-five deaths occur globally among which 35% deaths are due to nutrition-related factors. Apart from the social and environmental factors, the clinical profile of the children with severe acute malnutrition also plays a role in morbidity and mortality of SAM. Thus, the following study was conducted in the nutritional rehabilitation center. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the nutritional rehabilitation center, Chigateri General Hospital, Davanagere, among the SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) cases who were admitted during the study period. Data were collected using a pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire, and analyzed using SPSS software version 16. Results: The study population comprised 75 (48.4%) males and 80 (51.6%) females. Mean age of the children was 22.32 ± 13.52 months and majority of the children 65 (41%) belonged to 13–24 months age group. Most of mothers 73 (43.09%) were illiterate and were unemployed (homemakers) 123 (79.3%). Majority of the children belonged to lower socio-economic class 72 (46.5%). Majority of 64 (41.3%) children were of second birth order—70 (45.16%) children presented with not gaining weight as the presenting complaint. The most common associated comorbidity in SAM children was an acute respiratory infection. Interpretation and Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors such as lower education of parents, Hindu by religion, lower socioeconomic status, and satisfactory living conditions were the profile of the majority of children. Majority of children presented with not gaining weight. The most common comorbidity associated was ARI. Key words: Clinical profile, comorbidities, NRC, SAM children
Introduction: Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) is the most important cadre in the health sector of India. They serve as the first point contact between the population and health facility. Hence, proper training of ASHAs is an absolute necessary factor for carrying out their assigned activities efficiently. It should also be acknowledged that ASHAs are facing a lot of problems in carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Addressing those problems and providing suitable solutions to them are the need of the hour. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the training details of the ASHAs working in Vijayapura district and to know problems faced by them in carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Methods: A Cross sectional study was conducted with inclusion of 617 ASHAs. A pre-designed, semi-structured questionnaire was prepared in accordance with the study objectives. The questionnaire was prepared in English and the interview was conducted in Kannada language by explaining them questions one by one. Data were collected by interview technique. Results: Details of the training session showed that majority (86.1%) of ASHAs had 23 days of training with (5.2%) of ASHAs opined that the training session was over crowded. About 84.6% of ASHAs said that the teacher was able to explain clearly; with 72.8% of ASHAs informed that content of training was appropriate and 18.5% replied that there was a need of refresher training. The main problem faced by ASHAs was delay in their payments (32%), followed by their expenses incurred are more than the incentives (26%) that they get. Key words: Accredited Social Health Activists, problems, training quality
Background: A significant proportion of Indian under-five population is jeopardized by inappropriate breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices which impede growth and cognitive development. Status of infant and young child feeding can be assessed by 15 population-level indicators described by WHO. The study was conducted to assess the status of IYCF indicators among children aged 0-23months, to identify correlates of suboptimal feeding and to document the relationship between suboptimal feeding and other biological variables with the nutritional status of the participants. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five wards of Berhampore municipality in urban Murshidabad, West Bengal, among 212 children aged 0–23 months, obtained through multistage sampling. Data collection was done by interviewing the caregivers and anthropometry of the study participants. Variables related to feeding practice were translated to WHO IYCF indicators. Correlates of suboptimal feeding and under -nutrition were expressed as Odds ratio with 95% CI. Results: Median time for initiation of breastfeeding was 2 h (IQR 1–10) with only 45.9% of the subjects having early initiation of breastfeeding, 55.4% of infants were exclusively breastfed, and over 50% were bottle-fed. Only 37.4% (95% CI: 29.6–45.2) of children in the age group of 6–23 months received a minimum acceptable diet. Nearly half of the subjects were suboptimally fed. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was 26%, 11.8%, and 10.8%, respectively. The major correlate of suboptimal feeding was age >6 months. The most important factor influencing stunting was episodes of illness (AOR= 3.7), while that for underweight and wasting was maternal illiteracy (AOR 3.8 and 5.4 respectively). Conclusion: The IYCF practices, especially complementary feeding indicators were far from satisfactory in urban Berhampur, although it has ameliorated compared to NFHS 4 and DLHS 4 in West Bengal. This underscores the importance of targeted communication for behavior change as a major mitigation strategy. Key words: Breastfeeding, complementary feeding, infant and young child feeding indicators, under-nutrition, urban
Background: Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originating from China has rapidly crossed borders, infecting people throughout the whole world. As COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented human health consequences – Knowledge, attitude, and perception of the general population of India toward transmission and prevention play vital role for effective control measures. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the general public of India on COVID-19 and its socioeconomic impact. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 6, 2020, and June 6, 2020, among the general public of Hubli, Karnataka. A semi-structured questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, practice, and socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 was generated and randomly distributed among the public using Google forms through social media networks. Using MS Excel and SPSS version 21.0, the responses have been analyzed. Results: Among 201 participants, 77.6% of them have adequate knowledge and 71.1% of them have good practice and good attitude. From the study, it could be seen that 80% of them faced difficulties in getting food or essential things, 59% of them had their family income affected due to this pandemic. About 68.1% agreed that online education has a good impact on children. There is a statistical and positive correlation between Knowledge and Practice scores regarding COVID-19. Conclusion: The study suggests that there is a need for more stringent measures to increase the knowledge levels and practice for controlling the pandemic more effectively and also create awareness among the people regarding safety measures. Key words: Attitude, COVID-19, knowledge, pandemic, practice
Background: There is rapid growth in the usage of internet globally mainly in urban areas. Usage has been rising exponentially. Students are particularly at risk because of their unique personal, social and academic needs. This study aims at estimating the prevalence of internet addiction among the medical students and to determine the factors associated with internet addiction. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 undergraduate medical students of Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, during the period of October 2019 to February 2020 . A total of 210 medical undergraduate students were interviewed for internet addiction using the young’s internet addiction scale. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic profile. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version-19. Results: We found the prevalence of internet addiction among medical students to be 93.9% (mild-68.5%, moderate-21.9%, and severe-3.3%). Mobiles were the most common gadget used for internet access. Gender, staying in home and private accommodation, parent’s education, and the year of study were significantly associated with internet addiction. Conclusion: The study concludes that the vulnerability of medical students to internet addiction and efforts should be taken to increase awareness and prevent the problem of internet addiction in them. Key words: Internet addiction, medical college, undergraduate medical students
Background : Maternal and infant mortality still remains very high in developing countries like India. Good quality antenatal care is the key for a healthy pregnancy which ultimately leads to a healthy mother and healthy child. Utilization of antenatal care again depends on various sociodemographic factors and the following study was done with the objective to find out the sociodemographic determinants of utilization of antenatal care services. Materials and Methods : A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in the obstetrics inpatient ward of KPC Medical College and Hospital from May to August 2019. The study population included 289 full-term antenatal mothers and recently delivered women. A pre-designed and pre-tested schedule was used for data collection. Information were collected regarding various sociodemographic characteristics and antenatal care components. The data collected were analyzed using proportions and Chi-square tests. Statistical software SPSS 16 was used for analysis. Results : About 58.5% of the women had their pregnancies registered in the first trimester (≤12 weeks), 38.8% had 4 or more antenatal visits, 79.2% had complete immunization with tetanus toxoid vaccine, 64.7% of women had taken iron folic acid tablets for 6 months or more, and only 23.5% of women received full antenatal care. Full antenatal care was received more in 20–24 years age group, mothers belonging to Muslim religion, mothers from joint family, mothers belonging to Class 5 socioeconomic status, mothers who have studied up to higher secondary level and above, and housewives and women with parity ≥3. Significant association was found between full antenatal care and age, religion, socioeconomic status, education, and parity ( P < 0.005). Conclusions : Full utilization of antenatal services is quite low. Health education and IEC activities regarding the importance of antenatal care is of utmost importance for addressing this problem. Key words : Antenatal visits, full antenatal care, IEC, iron folic acid, tetanus toxoid
Introduction: Occupational stress is a common workplace problem experienced by all professionals, irrespective of their nature of work. Stress is an important health area of concern among bank employees. The study aims to assess the stress level and its associated factors among bank employees. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess occupational stress affecting the health of bank employees. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 bank employees from the banks which were selected using random number technique in Belgaum district. Stress level was assessed by occupational stress index and classified into distress and severe stress based on mean and standard deviation of stress scores (mean score =143.71, SD =7.73). Results: Majority (68.91%) of them had distress, 16.72% of employees had severe stress. The variables that include age group, sex, category of work, smoking, and alcohol use were not found to be significantly associated with the stress level ( P > 0.05). There was a significant association (Chi-square =9.43, P < 0.05) seen between diabetes and stress levels. Conclusion: Stress level among bank employees is high, which necessitates intervention measures for this vulnerable group. Key words: Bank employees, prevalence, stress levels
Introduction: On March 13, 2020, the World Health Organization announced the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as Pandemic. This study investigates the adult patients attending urban health center knowledge, risk perception, and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in Rajasthan, India. Aims: To aim of the study was to study the knowledge, risk perception, preventive behaviors, and practices regarding COVID-19 among adult patients attending the urban health center of Rajasthan, India. Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among adult patients attending urban health center, Pali (Rajasthan) India in April 2020–September 2020 among patients of Urban Health Training Centre, attached to Government Medical College Pali, Rajasthan. The sample size was 250 with a convenience sampling method. Results: The public was more cautious about their behavior during the Outbreak, Media (TV, News channels, and advertisements) were found the common source of information. 176 respondents (70.4%) knew that covering mouth/nose when sneezing/coughing as a preventive measure against COVID-19. One hundred and eighty-seven (74.8%) respondents said that it can be prevented by washing hands with soap and water. Participants correctly identified the individuals at higher risk of serious complications due to COVID-19 disease. Subsequently, 181 (72.4%), respondents showed a good practice on washing hands frequently and 172 respondents (68.8%) avoiding touching nose, eyes, and mouth without sterilizing hands. Conclusion: This study provides a baseline to help local authorities in their pandemic preparatory plans, and campaign. The continuous education to adopt appropriate personal hygiene and socially responsible habits is needed. Key words: Coronavirus disease 2019 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), knowledge, media, pandemic
Introduction: Traffic injuries are among the leading causes of death and disability in many countries. The knowledge, attitude, and practice of general population toward traffic laws are key factors in decreasing traffic injuries and deaths. The objectives of this research were to study the knowledge, attitude, and practice of general population toward traffic laws and to determine the relationships between demographic features and knowledge, attitude, and practice. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 380 young adults (above 18 years) from four areas of Indore city as study subjects for a duration of 6 months. All persons were interviewed by a pretested predesigned semi-structured questionnaire which included demographic questions and questions related to knowledge, attitude, and practice of traffic laws. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 trial version, Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Kruskal–Wallis test. Ethical clearance from the college committee was taken and written informed consent was taken from the participants. Results: Among the total participants, 91.1% had good knowledge about road traffic light. About 46.4% were very convinced in using seat belt. About 45.5% people agreed that regular maintenance of vehicle was necessary. While driving, 45.7% occasionally were using phone and 25.5% were using seat belt always. About 42.4% were alcoholic while driving. Males were having more knowledge than females regarding traffic lights and traffic signs (Chi-square test; P < 0.05). Literates had more positive attitude than illiterates (Mann–Whitney U-test; P < 0.05). Age significantly affected the practices (Kruskal– Wallis test; P < 0.05). Conclusion: Inadequate knowledge, less positive attitude, and risky practice toward traffic laws were the main cause of road traffic injuries. Overall findings of this study will be useful for planning accident prevention programs in the future. Measures imposed on violators of traffic rules, checks on driving vehicles without license, and focus on drunk driving should be strengthened. Key words: Attitude, knowledge, practice, traffic laws
Introduction: COVID-19 is a global pandemic which has affected the whole world. The first confirmed case of coronavirus in India was reported on January 30, 2020, and has now rapidly spread all over the country. India has taken preventive measures such as the national lockdown, mass-scale screening, health education through mass media, and social platforms. The study aims to estimate the awareness levels in the area (village) regarding COVID-19 and to assess the strategies adopted by the area to combat the challenges posed by COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the outreach villages of the Rural Health Center, Nere, Panvel, of Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. Results: A total of 350 individuals were interviewed during the study. More than 75% of the population was aware that there is a pandemic. All the people surveyed were aware of the fact that the virus was spread by coughing, sneezing, and fomites. The whole surveyed population was aware that wearing of a mask and handwashing were ways to prevent transmission of the disease and more than 80% of the population was aware that sanitizer use and social distancing were also helpful in preventing spread. Special strategies like home quarantine of the suspected COVID 19 cases and sanitization of the villages were adopted by the village administration to control the spread of the disease. Conclusions: Overall, the majority of the surveyed population had good knowledge about the pandemic and the measures to prevent it. Key words: Awareness, COVID-19, impact, pandemic, rural area
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) consist of a large group of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancer which are in progress in India which needs change in lifestyle for reducing their incidence. This study was conducted to measure the prevalence of NCD risk factors and their association with prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in an Urban Health Centre of a Medical College of Mangaluru. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study wherein the data were obtained from NCD registers of patients in an urban health and training centre who were screened for NCD risk factors. Data on risk factors of all adult patients attending the NCD desk were included in the study. Results: Total data of 921 patients were included in the study. Mean age of the patients was 47 (±14.4) years. Males constituted the majority (80.8%) and the proportions of known cases of hypertension and diabetes were 28.2% and 16.1%, respectively. Associations of age groups, history of alcohol use, and family histories of hypertension and diabetes with presence of hypertension were found to be statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Similarly association between the presence of diabetes with age groups, history of tobacco, and alcohol use were found to be statistically significant ( P <0.05). Conclusion: Present study emphasizes the upward trend of the presence of NCD risk factors. Screening of risk factors and NCDs with comprehensive health education needs to be provided to reduce the NCD morbidity and mortality. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, non-communicable diseases, risk factors
Background: There is an increasing global prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in the adult population. This is associated with rapid urbanization, the combination of overweight and obesity, poor lifestyle behaviors, and limited opportunity for improving health status. Close to half of the people with diabetes in India are not aware of their disease status, and a large subset of these people is at risk of poor detection. Hence, this study aims at using the Indian Diabetic Risk Score (IDRS) to assess the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the urban field practicing area of Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, Telangana. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in Ursu, in the urban field practice area of Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, during the period of January to September 2020. A total of 220 study participants were interviewed for the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes using IDRS. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic profile. Data were entered in MS-Excel sheet and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software version-19. Results: We found that most of the study participants had a moderate risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (low risk-29%, moderate risk-50%, and high risk-21%). Age, body mass index, occupation, physical activity throughout the day, and family history of diabetes were significantly associated with increasing risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future. Conclusion: The results show that urban population is more prone to sedentary occupation, increased BMI and decreased physical activity. Early identification of high-risk individuals by screening and early interventions would help in the prevention of diabetes and its complications. Key words: Indian diabetes risk score, Type-2 diabetes mellitus, urban population
Ever since a novel corona virus designated as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 achieving pandemic proportions and subsequently spreading rapidly across major continents by international air traffic causing acute respiratory infection and death, there has been another storm brewing simultaneously. This storm is nothing but the huge amount of information being in circulation through the omnipresent social media. Most of this unverified and unreliable information reaching a large section of people is creating various myths and misconceptions regarding the cause, management and prevention of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Background: The quality nutrition in the elderly may significantly influence the overall condition and severe deficiencies contribute to multiple morbidities and this is found to be more common in resource-poor countries. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly aged 65 years and above in a rural area in Datia district, Madhya Pradesh, and to assess the possible risk factors (covariates) of malnutrition among the elderly. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study conducted within a radius of 10 km from Government Medical College, Datia, from August 2018 to August 2020 (2 years). A sample size of 1000 was taken using cluster sampling technique. Mini Nutritional Assessment scale (MNA) was used as study tool (IBM SPSS version 20.0 software). Categorical variables are expressed using frequency and percentage. Results: Most of the participants 754 (75.4%) were in the age group between 65 and 74 years. The mean age of the study population was 71.94. The study population consisted of 591 (59.1%) females and 409 (40.9%) males. The prevalence of malnutrition in the study population between the year 2016 and 2018 showed 173 (17.3%) of the study population was malnourished according to MNA. About 93.7% were independent in activities of daily living (ADL) like dress or wash himself independently while 63 (6.3%) were dependent. Conclusion: Participants dependent on instrumental ADL and ADL and those using a walking aid had higher rates of malnutrition. Lifestyle characteristics such as smoking and alcohol were associated with increased risk of malnutrition. Key words: Activities of daily living, geriatric, malnutrition, Mini Nutritional Assessment scale, obesity, underweight
Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to cause a large burden of disease in the world. Both diagnosis delay and non-completion of treatment are two central behavioral challenges in the National TB Elimination Program. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine challenges faced during sputum collection and drug distribution by the health-care providers (ANM/ASHA) at rural and urban field practice area of SSIMS and RC, Davangere. Materials and Methods: Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted: Two groups with ANM’s and ASHA’s each from rural and urban field practice area of SSIMS and RC in Davangere during July and August 2018, respectively. Each group consisted of six participants, and a total of 24 health-care providers participated. The sample was stratified by professional role (ANM and ASHA) and by geographical area (urban and rural) to explore and compare views regarding challenges faced during sputum collection and drug distribution by different professional groups working in different settings. FGDs were video recorded and transcribed, and a second researcher took notes recording group dynamics. Results: Most of the ASHA and ANM knew about the guidelines for sputum collection and also would instruct the patient regarding sputum collection. However, still many of them had faced difficulty in collecting sputum. Every ANM reported no difficulties in procuring anti-TB drugs from the main store and patient did not collect drugs regularly. Conclusion: Most of the ANM and ASHA workers reported difficulty in sputum collection and drug distribution which implies subsequent reinforcement to be done by health-care providers to TB patients to complete their treatment. Key words: Challenges, Drug distribution, Health-care providers, Knowledge, Sputum collection, Tuberculosis
Introduction: Menopausal symptoms vary in severity and may decrease health related quality of life, because majority still do not take treatment for these symptoms as most Indian women have a history of self-denial and neglect. In view of increasing burden, this study was done to assess the pattern of health-care seeking behavior among postmenopausal women. Methodology: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 334 postmenopausal women (45–60 years) residing in urban slums. Menopause rating scale (MRS) was used to assess the postmenopausal symptoms and pre-designed, pre-tested pro forma was used for collecting data regarding health-care seeking behavior. General physical examination was carried out and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test was used to find the association between two attributes. Results: Of the 334 women, majority 34.73% were in the age group of 45–49 years. About 69.76% had mild symptoms, 23.95% moderate symptoms, and only 2.1% had suffered from severe symptoms as per MRS. About 85.93% women had received treatment, but only 71.43% were satisfied about the treatment they received. One hundred and ninety-four (69.29%) women who had mild symptoms had received the healthcare treatment compared to 79 (28.21%) women who had moderate symptoms (χ2 = 87.134, df = 3, P < 0.001). Health-care facilities were maximum utilized by 90.91% women who were employed, 89.55% of widows, 88.17% of women belonging to three generation family and 97.67% of Class II SESwomen. Conclusion: There was high prevalence of mild symptoms than moderate and severe. About 85.93% women had taken treatment and only 71.43% were satisfied about the treatment they received. Behavior change communication is required among postmenopausal women for seeking healthcare. Components related to specific health needs of postmenopausal women should be incorporated in the National Health Mission. Key words: Behavior, healthcare, postmenopause
