Medical students' and doctors' knowledge about influenza disease and its vaccine

Background: Influenza is a common disease affecting people of all age groups. Generally considered to be a mild disease, it can however, cause devastating effects in the very young, elderly and immunocompromised people

Objective: To assess and compare the knowledge of influenza and its vaccine amongst medical students and practicing physicians

Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted on medical students and doctors at a tertiary care hospital. The participants were asked to fill out a structured questionnaire regarding knowledge and beliefs about influenza disease and its vaccine. Information thus obtained was tabulated and analysed and the two groups compared. Knowledge scores were calculated and the respondents were considered to have adequate knowledge if they scored> 60% on the knowledge part of the questionnaire

Results: There were 179 participants in the study, of which 79 were medical students and 100 were practicing doctors. Majority of the respondents in both the groups knew the causative agent, mode of transmission and preventative measures of influenza. However, they lacked knowledge about complications of influenza. Respondents' knowledge was significantly deficient regarding many aspects of the influenza vaccine. Analysis of the knowledge scores revealed that only 49% of the physicians and 31.6% of the medical students had adequate knowledge about influenza disease and its vaccine

Conclusion: Medical students and practicing physicians lack adequate knowledge about influenza and its vaccine. More emphasis needs to be placed on educating health care professionals about influenza and the importance of its vaccination program

Frequency of and factors leading to obesity and overweight in school children

Obesity is considered as a global epidemic. Obesity in childhood and adolescent is an issue of concern because it is an important predictor of adult obesity. Identifying individuals who are physically inactive, overweight or obese in school going age is very important. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and factors leading to obesity in school children. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on children aged 13-16 years. It was a questionnaire based survey with measurement of height and weight. Total 431 children were included in the study. Three hundred and nine [71.7%] of the students were in the normal category, i.e., less than 85[th] centile while 122 [28.3%] had weight greater than 85[th] centile and were overweight and obese. Positive association was found between eating out and weight categories, eating breakfast, intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and soft drinks, low physical activity, and increased screen time. Frequency of overweight and obese children was high in children from higher socioeconomic status. There is strong association between strong determinants of obesity and overweight. Health education of students for known risk factors should be integrated with curriculum of science from elementary classes.