ABSTRACT
Background: Hand hygiene is documented as one of the foremost techniques to prevent cross-transmission of germs. Objectives: This paper aims to assess the knowledge of hand cleanliness among medical students and working nurses. Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study, carried over a sample selected by non-probability convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire used here to assess the knowledge and practice on hand hygiene was adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care. The data thus collected were presented in terms of counts and percentages. Chi-square test was used to test the significance of the differences, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Overall, 92.08% of participants have received training in handwashing. Twenty-five (41.60%) medical students believed that the microbes already present with the patient were responsible for hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Medical students had significantly higher knowledge than working nurses regarding dryness of skin due to hand rubbing over handwashing (p<0.05). Medical students also had substantially higher awareness about the performance of handwashing and hand rubbing in sequence (p<0.05), which they think was not right. Knowledge on the colonisation of hands with harmful microbes was more with the nurses. Conclusion: There is a need to increase awareness among medical students and nurses regarding procedural hand hygiene methods to prevent HAI. The current findings can be a basis for conducting a training programme on hand hygiene practices for the medical students, including paramedical staff members.
ABSTRACT
Background: Children are vulnerable to injuries, and childhood injury is a complex phenomenon precipitated by a set of factors. In India, the magnitude and nature of childhood injury are not clearly known owing to the absence of a proper injury surveillance system. However, in recent days few studies demonstrated a substantially high burden of childhood injury. Objectives: To find out the prevalence, pattern, and the factors associated with injury among children of 0� years in the Siliguri city of West Bengal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 780 children aged 0� years residing in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area selected through cluster sampling technique (30 clusters [wards] with a cluster size of 26). Relevant data were collected by interviewing the mothers of children as respondents and was analyzed using SPSS software, binary logistic regression was applied to test the association between injury and other risk factors. Results: Of total 780 children, 165 had reported a total of 220 injury events with an overall period prevalence of 21.2% and a mean of 0.28 injury events per child. Majority of injuries were superficial in nature (53.2%); due to fall (56.4%), extremities were mostly involved (62.3%), and 12.8% cases were moderate-to-severe grade. Under-five children were most vulnerable. Injury was significantly related to socioeconomic status, presence of siblings, outdoor activities, and the presence of supervising person during travelling. Conclusions: Childhood injury is still highly prevalent in the area with its unique pattern and few preventable risk factors requiring a multifaceted comprehensive approach.
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Background: Despite being a sensitive and less explored issue, abortion is a major preventable cause of maternal morbidity and mortality affecting millions of women in developing countries. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the occurrence, nature, and predictors of abortion among women in the reproductive age group in Naxalbari block of Darjeeling district. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Naxalbari block of Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India, from May 2015 to April 2016, among 420 women aged 15–49 years selected from 30 villages by cluster sampling technique. A predesigned, pretested interview schedule validated in the local vernacular was used. Binary logistic regression was used for finding out predictors of abortion among ever-pregnant women. Results: Lifetime occurrence of abortion was 33.6%. Among total 178 events of abortion, 51.7% were spontaneous and 48.3% induced. Majority of spontaneous abortions events were attended by a doctor (73.9%). About 59.3% of induced abortions were illegal, and unwanted pregnancy was major reason (62.4%) for induced abortion. Private facilities and over the counter drugs were preferred. Lower education, nuclear family, number of children <2, not having male child, domestic violence during pregnancy were significant predictors of abortion. Conclusions: Illegal abortions were highly prevalent in the area. Unwanted pregnancies hint toward unmet needs of family planning. Stigma and poor awareness were the root cause of not visiting a health facility in case of abortions. Building up of better infrastructure, better orientation of frontline workers, non-judgemental and confidential services will attract women to in government facilities.
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Leprosy is an infectious disease, which may lead to disability before, during or after treatment. Leprosy is associated with social stigma and discrimination because of disability and disfigurement and recognized as a disease of major public health significance. As factors associated with occurrence and management of disabilities may vary from area to area, it is important to generate this information in affected populations. This study has been carried out to determine the extent and pattern of disabilities among newly diagnosed leprosy cases, factors associated with disability, provision and utilization of disability preventive services. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district, West Bengal. All newly diagnosed and registered leprosy cases in a reference year (April 2013 - March 2014) were included. Detailed medical examination and interviews was carried out to assess the disability and to study the relevant aspects. The entire collected data was analysed using SPSS software and chi-square, binary logistic regression were applied to test association between disability and other epidemiological correlates. It was observed that all the disabilities were in multibacillary (MB) cases only. Child leprosy rates of 5.5% appears to be promising statistics. Among 110 new leprosy cases studied, overall proportion of disability was 15.5%; grade 1 and grade 2 disabilities were 9.1% and 6.4% respectively. Hand was the commonest site of involvement, whereas grade 2 disability was highest in feet (2.7%). Disability status was found to be significantly associated with number of nerve involvement and history of treatment interruption. Utilization of disability preventive services was found very poor. Significantly the proportion of disability was highest among leprosy cases aged 60 years or more (37.5%). As no disability was noted in patients below 15 years, march towards achieving one of the targets of Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-20 appears to be closing to goal. Though the situation may be better comparably to some other parts of country, yet the overall proportion of disabilities as well as grade 1 and grade 2 disabilities among newly diagnosed leprosy cases is unacceptably high in the studied area. Community based studies and appropriate interventions can help in achieving the targets pertaining to leprosy situation in general and access to quality services in particular
ABSTRACT
Background: The increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) urges continuous survey of risk factors in different population groups. Objectives: The study was conducted to assess the prevalence and determinants of behavioral and biological risk factors of NCDs, in rural tribal population. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to May 2015, in rural Siliguri, among 172 tribal people aged 25–64 years selected by multistage cluster random sampling using WHO-STEPS instrument. Study participants were interviewed for sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors, and biological measurements were taken. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the determinants of risk factors. Results: Among the study participants, the prevalence of current tobacco use and alcohol use were 69.8% and 40.7%, respectively; 96.5% consumed unhealthy diet and 2.9% were physically inactive. The prevalence of abdominal obesity and overweight were 26.2% and 12.2%, respectively. Odds of tobacco use were significantly raised among men (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 47.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.1, 203.9]) and increased age of the participants. Men showed higher odds of alcohol consumption (AOR: 13.4 [95% CI 4.6, 38.9]). Odds of abdominal obesity were higher among older participants, whereas lower odds were found among men (AOR: 95% CI 0.11 [0.0, 0.5]) compared to women. Conclusions: Most of the behavioral and biological risk factors of NCDs were quite high among tribal population of rural Siliguri except physical inactivity. Increasing awareness about NCDs through locally accepted and culturally appropriate strategies need to be implemented in the study area.
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Objective:The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of different high risk HPV [HR-HPV] genotypes amongst women residing in Kuwait with epithelial abnormalities in cervical smears and to detect any difference in the distribution of these genotypes between Kuwaiti and Non-Kuwaiti women or between the cytological diagnosis groups
Materials and methods:Thinprep specimens from women with epithelial abnormalities on cervical smears were subjected to Aptima HR-HPV assay and those found to be HR-HPV positive were genotyped using the Aptima HPV genotyping assay into three groups [i] HPV 16, [ii] HPV 18/45 and [iii] others
Results: HR-HPV was found in 229 [30.57%] of the 749 cases with epithelial abnormalities. Of the 116 cases subjected to further genotyping, the non-16, 18, 45 genotype accounted for the most prevalent group accounting for 62.93% of the cases, followed by HR-HPV 16 [31.04%] cases and HPV 18/45 [6.03%] of cases. There was no significant difference between Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti women nor was any difference noted between the various cytological diagnosis group
Conclusion:Most HR-HPV infections amongst women residing in Kuwait with epithelial abnormalities are due to HPV types other than the 16, 18 and 45. As HPVs 16 and 18 are considered to be the most prevalent HR-HPV genotypes worldwide, causing invasive cancer, the findings of this study is significant from an epidemiological standpoint. It should also be taken into account before undertaking any HPV vaccination program since the available HPV vaccines protect against HR-HPVs 16 and 18 only