This article serves as a protocol for implementing a Research Society (RS) within a medical school or under a National Medical Body (NMB). The RS Model (based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle) aims to promote research by providing a student-led foundation for budding researchers, enabling collaboration, idea exchange, access to various types of research and innovation opportunities in medicine, and skill development in scientific and research methodology. The RS model in an NMB is designed to facilitate high-quality, closely supervised, and better-monitored research training for students through national-level academic, research, and regulatory bodies in medicine. This protocol provides two frameworks for an RS in a medical school: a stand-alone model and a Students’ Union-embedded model. The first step in creating an RS is constituting an executive team responsible for organizing hands-on activities such as research methodology and manuscript writing workshops, and events that foster research skills and scholarly growth. Other steps include constituting an Advisory Council consisting of faculty enthusiastic-and-well-oriented in research (with publications in PubMed-indexed journals) for guidance on events, projects, and support in problem-solving and overcoming challenges. The next step includes conducting peer-based mentorship programs, journal club meetings, and facilitating research projects. This initiative is expected to significantly increase research output and enhance structured mentorship opportunities. We developed this RS model following educational-psychological and evidence-based learning theories like Near-Peer Mentorship, Self-Determination, and Cognitive Load Reduction. Our model provides a replicable, scalable, and sustainable framework to make research an integral and enjoyable part of medical training.

Optimal glycaemic control is essential for preventing complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), yet a large proportion of patients fail to achieve recommended glycaemic targets even in tertiary care settings. Identifying independent behavioural and treatment-related determinants of glycaemic control is crucial for improving diabetes management. A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 416 adult patients with T2DM attending the diabetic outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire covering sociodemographic profile, lifestyle practices, treatment adherence, and healthcare access. Glycaemic control was assessed using HbA1c values and categorized as optimal (< 7

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease, remains one of the most significant parasitic disease with potential outbreak and high mortality. Despite improvements in living standards and health infrastructure, there has been a territorial expansion in the incidence and lethality of the disease. However, evidence regarding its control, prevention, and eradication remains limited. Given an understanding of the present status of the disease, this study assesses the trends and patterns in the incidence and mortality of this endemic in India from 1990 to 2019. This study obtained Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) incidence and mortality data (1990–2019) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019, provided by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). To capture the overall changes and sex-specific changes in ASIRs and ASMRs of VL, joinpoint regression analysis was employed for all ages by using joinpoint regression programme version 4.5.0.1. Age-period-cohort analysis is used to estimate the net age, period, and cohort effects on the incidence and mortality of VL from observed age-specific incidence and mortality rates. The APC model was implemented using Stata 16.0, and its fit was assessed using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Findings indicate a significant decline in the age-specific incidence and mortality rates for both sex. The highest annual percentage decline in VL incidence and mortality was observed during 2011–2016 for both males and females. (Table 1). Results from the age effect show that the risk of VL incidence and mortality among both genders decreased sharply with advancing age. Period effect indicated a sharp decline in incidence and mortality risk from the period 1990–94 to 2000–04. The cohorts effect showed that compared to earlier birth cohort (1900–04),, the relative risk (RR) of VL incidence increased by 1.5 in male and 1.7 times in females in more recent birth cohort (2015–19), whereas mortality risk decreased by 48

This study evaluates the trends in tuberculosis (TB) incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in India over a 30-year period, from 1990 to 2019. This study leverages data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. We employed Joinpoint regression analysis to determine the average annual percent changes (AAPCs) and their corresponding confidence intervals for age-standardized rates. Our findings reveal a significant reduction in the overall TB burden, with incidence declining from 390.22 to 223.01, prevalence from 707.94 to 390.03, mortality decreasing from 121.72 to 36.11 per 100,000, and DALYs reducing at an average annual rate of 4.01

Rabies remains a significant public health challenge in India, contributing to 35–40

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a group of disorders caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Globally, 1.7 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2019. This study aims to assess trends in HIV burden in India and its states from 1990 to 2019 for tracking the progress of the National AIDS Control Program (NACP). This study assesses the burden of HIV in India and its states from 1990 to 2019, using data on incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. The data are presented as age-standardized rates per 100,000 inhabitants, along with corresponding uncertainty intervals (95% UI) and the relative percentage change. Globally, there was a decrease in the age-standardized incidence rate of HIV from 37.59 cases per 100,000 in 1990 to 25.24 cases per 100,000 in 2019. However, in India, it increased from 3.43 cases per 100,000 to 5.01 cases per 100,000 during the same period. There was an increase in both HIV prevalence and HIV-related death rates in India and globally. The increases in estimates were smaller for the rest of the world compared to India. In India, age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates of HIV were reportedly higher in males vis-à-vis females for all years between 1990 and 2019. Age-standardized HIV prevalence, HIV-associated mortality, and DALYs increased globally and in India from 1990 to 2019. Incidence increased in India, while it decreased globally during the same period. To identify bottlenecks in the current NACP recommendations, a multicentric study is needed.

The National Entrance cum Eligibility Test for postgraduate medical studies (NEET-PG) in India is destined to be replaced by the National Exit Test (NExT). We assessed the perception of Indian medical students towards the change in examination patterns. We undertook a cross-sectional study by collecting responses of students from medical colleges all over India through a pre-validated questionnaire using a Google form. The data were collected through representatives of various national-level medical student organisations and appropriate analytical tests were applied. In total, 729 responses were collected from different parts of the country, with 69

Introduction: The beginning of 2020 flooded with news of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) throughout the world. Many countries have shown higher rates of depression, anxiety, hazardous and harmful alcohol use, and lower mental well-being than usual ratio. Hence, this study was planned to assess the prevalence of depression and its determinants among adults living in Delhi during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during May and June 2020 on adults more than 18 years of age living in Delhi. A total of 267 respondent’s data were collected and analyzed. Data were collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ) scale was used to assess depression. Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to check the association of depression with socio-demographic, behavioral, and COVID-19-related factors. Results: Out of 267 subjects around 61% were males, 61.8% were above 30 years of age and around 88% were living in urban areas. The prevalence of depression among the general population was found to be significantly high at 79.8%. Depression score was significantly higher among females (p=0.024), in the younger age (<30 years) (p <0.001), in the unmarried group (p<0.001), and among non-smokers (p=0.006). Respondents who had undergone COVID-19 testing (p =0.018), been quarantined (p =0.009), come into contact with COVID-19-positive patients (p =0.030) and who were scared of working during the pandemic (p<0.001) reported high levels of depression. Conclusion: The study showed high depression among the adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving mental health screening, counselling sessions, and rehabilitation could be pivotal in addressing this challenging period.

Introduction: The novel coronavirus pandemic is currently a worldwide public health emergency. This study aimed to assess the impact of lockdown on academic studies and behavioral patterns of undergraduate medical students of Delhi and to assess the association of academic studies and behavioral patterns with sex and academic year. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2020 through a prevalidated, semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (version 16.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Mann–Whitney U and the Kruskal–Wallis test were applied to check the significant difference in median of 2 and more than two independent groups, respectively. A P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of 163 students, 109 (66.9%) were male, and 54 (33.1%) were female. Ninety-seven (59.5%) students prefer regular classroom study, and 7 (4.2%) prefer online live classes. There is a statistically significant difference for study hours of males as compared to females before lockdown ( P = 0.024) and for students of 2 nd year and 1 st year also between 3 rd year and 1 st year ( P = 0.015) and for the completion of tests/assignments on time during lockdown ( P = 0.000) for 2 nd year and 3 rd year, also 2 nd year-final year and 1 st year-final year students. Conclusion: Medical education is highly skilled and practical; thus, it cannot be learned through online lectures, and students are losing interest in online lectures. Students’ behavioral patterns altered in lockdown as sitting idle at home increased social media usage and food intake.

Background:Depression is a major public health concern among Indian adolescents. Pre- and post-natal depression can often alter fetal development and have negative consequences on the physical and mental health of the mother. This paper aims to draw attention to the prevalence of depression and its correlates among currently married, ever-pregnant adolescents from two Indian States, i.e. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.Methods:This study utilizes data from a subsample (n = 3116) of the prospective cohort study Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA) among 10 to 19 year-old adolescents. Bivariate analysis was performed to assess the prevalence of depression by sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. To further access the predictors associated with depression a logistic regression model was applied.Results:Around one-tenth (9%) of pregnant adolescents had depression. Regression analysis indicated that substance use, religion, autonomy, considering attempting suicide, premarital relationship, violence, dowry, adverse pregnancy outcome, menstrual problem, and parental pressure for the child immediately after marriage were significantly associated with depression.Conclusions:This study confirms the pre-existing annotation that teen pregnancy is linked with depression. Findings indicate that Adolescent mothers experiencing violence, and a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes are at increased risk of developing depression. These study findings call for an urgent need to address depression among adolescent mothers.

A BSTRACT Objective: This study sought to assess the prevalence of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) and factors associated with AEFI of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (Covishield) among healthcare workers (HCW) of a medicine-teaching institution of North India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the months of June and July 2021 among HCW ( N = 203) of 18 years and above, vaccinated with at least the first dose of Covishield. A semi-structured, prevalidated, and pretested questionnaire was used to collect information through an interview schedule. The questionnaire was divided into five sections: the sociodemographic profile, behavioral characteristics, past medical history, COVID-19 awareness, and past infection and COVID-19 vaccine related information. Chi-squared test was applied to check the association of different factors with AEFI. Results: In our study, 73.89% of participants suffered from at least one AEFI after the first dose of the vaccine, while 48.66% had at least one AEFI after the second dose. Females reported significantly high AEFI for both doses ( P = 0.001, 0.000). We found a significant association between the occurrence of AEFI and occupation (first dose P = 0.015), substance abuse (first dose P = 0.002), diet (first dose P = 0.016), and allergy (first dose P = 0.027). Other significant findings were headaches among HCW ≥40 years of age (dose P = 0.034) and systemic AEFI in participants with comorbidity (first dose P = 0.020). Conclusion: More AEFI were reported after the first dose as compared to the second dose. AEFI were more among females after both the doses. Occupation, substance use, diet, and history of allergy were significantly associated with AEFI.

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently an international public health crisis. The Indian government had announced the suspension of colleges indefinitely across India. Students of medical colleges are facing distress due to the abrupt disruption of academic routine. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of stress, anxiety, and depression among undergraduate medical students of a medical college of North India during COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students of a medical college in North India. Data were collected via a prevalidated, semi-structured questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic and behavioral questions and three standard psychometric scales, i.e., Perceived Stress Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and Major Depression Inventory Scale for assessing stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 27.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: We reported that majority of students (86.5%) have increased social media usage. The level of stress is moderate (72.5%) to high (19%), and depression is also reported in many students from moderate (11%) to severe (17.8%) levels. A small proportion of students showed anxiety though anxiety scores are significantly higher for males than females and for 1st- and 2nd-year subjects than final-year subjects. More than 60% of students are physically active who also showed a low level of stress, depression, and anxiety than sedentary subjects. Conclusion: Our results show that stress, anxiety, and depression were high in medical students during lockdown. Increased food intake and social media usage were risk factors for developing stress, anxiety, and depression. Physical activity has a positive impact on mental health of the students.

Introduction: Research in the medical discipline significantly impacts society by improving the general well-being of the population, through improvements in diagnostic and treatment modalities. However, of 579 Indian medical colleges, 332 (57.3%) did not publish a single paper from the year 2005 to 2014," indicating a limited contribution from medical fraternity In order to probe in to the cause of this a study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP) and perceived barriers to research among students of a medical school in Delhi, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students and the data on academic-cum-demographic information, assessment of knowledge, attitude, practices and barriers to research was collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to check the association of various factors with the KAP of research. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 402 (N) subjects were enrolled in the study. Majority were male (79.6%) and from clinical professional years (57%). Majority (266, 66.2%) of the subjects had adequate knowledge. Of the study subjects (61,15%) having inadequate knowledge of research, sixty percent were from pre- and para- clinical years, while around 70 % of those having good knowledge were from clinical professional years. However, only 16.9% of the participants had participated in a research project, and only 4.72% had authored a publication. Sixty one percent of study subjects having a positive attitude towards research, were from pre- and para- clinical years. Among the study subjects having a positive attitude towards research, over 60% were from pre- and para- clinical years. The barriers for conducting research were mostly; lack of funds/laboratory equipment/infrastructure (85.1%), lack of exposure to opportunities for research in the medical (MBBS) curriculum (83.8%), and lack of time (83.3%). There was a statistically significant association between knowledge and attitude towards research with a professional year of study. Conclusions: The study revealed that while most of the students had a positive attitude towards research as well as an adequate knowledge of research, there was a poor level of participation in research. These challenges can be overcome by incorporating research as a part of the medical school curriculum from early years on, setting aside separate time for research, and establishing student research societies that can actively promote research.### Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.### Funding StatementThis study did not receive any funding.### Author DeclarationsI confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.YesThe details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:The ethics committee of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, New Delhi gave ethical approval for this work.I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.YesI understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).YesI have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.YesAll data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.

•This study shows that overall incidence, prevalence, death and DALY of tuberculosis decreased from 1990 to 2019 in India.•The Incidence of TB was higher in females up to 24 years of age whereas it was higher in males thereafter.•TB affects all the age groups but deaths were higher in older age groups.•The burden of TB was higher among males as compared to females during the study period.•Though the prevalence of TB was high in Kerala and Karnataka however they have reported the lowest deaths and DALY.

The World Health Organization (WHO), on March 11, 2020, has declared the n ovel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic.COVID-19 originated from Wuhan; China spread to 218 Countries and Territories around the world.We planned this study to assess the correlation between COVID 19 and selected risk factors.An ecological study was conducted in December 2020.Data regarding the COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths per million populations were retrieved using Our World in Data until 28 th November 2020.Data regarding socio-demographic related factors of countries and health-related factors were also extracted from the same database.We categorized countries into a) seven Global Burden of Disease (GBD) super regions and World Bank income levels.We have applied Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to assess the correlation between COVID-19 cases and deaths with various sociodemographic related and health-related factors.Statistical analysis has been performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 27.0 (Trial Version).A p-value of <0.05 is considered significant.In this study, highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths were reported in World Bank high -income groups.Globally, we found significant positive correlations between COVID-19 deaths per million with various socio-demographic related and health related factors like median age (r=0.543,p<0.001),percentage of population aged ≥65 years (r=0.546,p<0.001),GDP per capita (r=0.531,p<0.001),HDI (r=0.567,p<0.001),female smoking (r=0.509,p<0.001),availability of hand-washing facilities (r=0.608,p<0.001),diabetes (r=0.166,p<0.05)and hospital beds per 1000 population (r=0.383,p<0.001),whereas extreme poverty is negatively correlated (r= -0.490,p<0.001).Extra emphasis on high-income countries is required to reduce the burden of COVID 19 cases and deaths.A multi -centric study should be planned to know the reasons for the high burden of cases and deaths in high -income countries.

Background Monitoring the transmission patterns of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a population is fundamental for identifying the key population and designing prevention interventions. In the present study, we aimed to estimate the gender disparities in HIV incidence and the age, period, and cohort effects on the incidence of HIV in India for identifying the predictors that might have led to changes in the last three decades. Data and methods This study utilizes data from the Global Burden of Disease Study for the period 1990–2019. The joinpoint regression analysis was employed to identify the magnitude of the changes in age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of HIV. The average annual percentage changes in the incidence were computed, and the age–period–cohort analysis was performed. Results A decreasing trend in the overall estimates of age-standardized HIV incidence rates were observed in the period 1990–2019. The joinpoint regression analysis showed that the age-standardized incidence significantly declined from its peak in 1997 to 2019 (38.0 and 27.6 among males and females per 100,000 in 1997 to 5.4 and 4.6, respectively, in 2019). The APC was estimated to be 2.12 among males and 1.24 among females for the period 1990–2019. In recent years, although the gender gap in HIV incidence has reduced, females were observed to bear a proportionately higher burden of HIV incidence. Age effect showed a decline in HIV incidence by 91.1 and 70.1% among males and females aged between 15–19 years and 75–79 years. During the entire period from 1990–1994 to 2015–2019, the RR of HIV incidence decreased by 36.2 and 33.7% among males and females, respectively. Conclusion India is experiencing a decline in new HIV infections in recent years. However, the decline is steeper for males than for females. Findings highlight the necessity of providing older women and young women at risk with effective HIV prevention. This study emphasizes the need for large-scale HIV primary prevention efforts for teenage girls and young women.

Abstract Background Vitamin D deficiency and anemia are clinical conditions that coexist during pregnancy. A high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency ranging from 50 to 94% is seen throughout the country. The aim of the study was to discover the association between Vitamin D status and iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy. Improving the vitamin D status of pregnant women is crucial to prevent iron deficiency anemia and can improve maternal and fetal outcomes. Methods A case–control study including 94 primigravida women of age within the age group 18 to 30 years, divided into two groups: a Case Group of 48 patients with already diagnosed iron deficiency anemia (mild to moderate) and a Control Group of 46 antenatal women with normal hemoglobin levels. Data on sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, and the levels of 25(OH) Vitamin D was estimated in both the groups. The association of 25(OH)D levels and anemia was then determined using suitable statistical analysis. Results Among pregnant women affected with anemia, 75% of women had serum Vitamin D concentrations < 20 ng/ml compared to 52.2% of women in the controls. Maternal serum vitamin D level was significantly lower in pregnant women affected with anemia (19.61 ± 13.12) as compared to control (29.43 ± 24.05); (p = 0.024). A positive correlation was found between hemoglobin and vitamin D levels in pregnant women (Pearson’s r = 0.200, p = 0.05). Conclusions These findings provide evidence suggesting that Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency during pregnancy may be a risk factor for anemia and correction of Vitamin D levels can improve hemoglobin levels. Educational efforts should be made to include safe vitamin D intake in antenatal care.

Pregnancy during adolescence is a major risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Further, Motherhood during the adolescent period is identified as a major global health burden. Considering the widely known importance of the negative impact of adolescent pregnancy, motherhood at an early age, and adverse pregnancy outcomes, this paper aims to provide insight into correlates of teen pregnancy, adolescent motherhood and adverse pregnancy outcome. This study utilizes the data from UDAYA survey conducted in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The eligible sample size for the study was 4897 married adolescent girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Bivariate analysis with a chi-square test of association and Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to fulfill the aim of the study. Our study shows that a major proportion of married adolescents (61%) got pregnant before the age of 20 years and around 42% of all adolescent married women gave birth to a child before reaching the age of 20 years. Adolescents who married before the age of 18 years were 1.79 times more likely to experience pregnancy (OR: 1.79; CI: 1.39-2.30) and 3.21 times more likely to experience motherhood (OR: 3.21; CI: 2.33-4.43). In the present study, women who experienced physical violence were at higher risk for having an adverse pregnancy outcome (OR: 1.41; CI: 1.08-1.84) than those who did not experience physical violence. To conclude, regional and national level efforts focused on improving early marriage, education and empowering women and girls can be beneficial.

Objectives Our study aims to re-evaluate the epidemiological profile and treatment outcomes of TB patients enrolled at the chest clinic of a tertiary care center after the third wave of COVID-19 in New Delhi. Patients and methods We have conducted an observational analytical study after taking the IEC approval from October 2022 to February 2022 on the TB patients enrolled from March 2022 to August 2022. The total data of 1114 TB patients was analyzed. The association between various factors and treatment outcomes was assessed using the chi-square test. To identify the independent effects of these factors on treatment outcomes, we did a multiple logistic regression analysis. Results We found that the treatment outcomes were mostly successful (83.9%, n=935), while a few patients lost to follow-up (11.7%, n=130) and died (4.4%, n=49). Deaths were significantly higher among geriatrics (19%, n=15), PTB (4.9%, n=30), and MDR TB (15%, n=3). The treatment success was highest among the new category of patients (85.1%, n=807), followed by retreatment patients (80.1%, n=117) and MDR TB patients (55%, n=11). Adults and geriatrics had a significantly higher risk of death (4.45 times and 27.93 times, respectively) compared to pediatrics. In addition, death risks were higher among males (1.6 times for females), MDR TB patients (17 times for new patients), and HIV-reactive patients (3.05 times for HIV non-reactive patients). Conclusion We found that males, HIV-TB co-infection, the geriatric population, pulmonary TB patients, and MDR TB were at a higher risk of death. By identifying high-risk groups, policymakers can prioritize targeted interventions and allocate resources effectively to address the specific needs of these vulnerable populations.