ABSTRACT
Background: The era of 21st century is burdened with internet usage worldwide specially in the developing countries such as India. Internet addiction has been related to physical, social, psychological impairment. Aim& Objectives: To find out the prevalence of internet addiction among the medical students and the effect of internet addiction on health status among them. Settings and Design: This was an observational descriptive study of cross-sectional design conducted in a tertiary medical college of West Bengal. Material & Methods: All the undergraduate medical students were approached and interview was done using interview schedule consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, Young’s criteria of internet addiction test and Duke’s health profile screening test. Statistical analysis used: Data was analysed using SPSS version 20&presented in percentages, mean with standard deviation, ANOVA with Tukey’s Post-hoc test. Results: Total of 201 participants responded giving a response rate of about 50%. The distribution of respondents as per Young’s criteria of internet addiction which showed that majority of the respondents were mild addicted (58.7%) & moderate addicted (15%).Comparison of Duke health profile score across various internet addicts where physical health score differs significantly among the non-addicted (81.42+20.02) vs mildly addicted (67+20.36)& moderately addicted (63.31+ 20.15) participants (p=0.00). Mental health score also differs considerably among the non-addicts (78.16+18.36) vs mildly addicts (67+18.28) & moderately addicts (61.87+18.33) (p= 0.00). Conclusions: A good number of medical students were addicted to internet that requires timely remedial action. Educational institutions had to formulate strategies so that proper action could be taken.
ABSTRACT
An investigation was carried out in a periurban slum colony in Chandigarh in September 1999 following a report of two microscopically confirmed cases of cholera admitted in Govt. Medical College Hospital, Chandigarh. Rapid survey in the colony covering a population of 1404 found that there were 14 cases of diarrhoea in the colony with attack rate of 9.97/1000 population. Majority (70%) of cases were females and 62% cases were under five years of age. Health education, ORS packets and medications were distributed to cases. Water sampling was also done and it was found that water from one of the hand pump was positive for V. cholerae 01 biotype El Tor serotype Ogawa. Closing of that hand pump and chlorination of drinking water in other parts of slum was recommended to higher health authorities, which was done immediately. Surveillance for diarrhoeal diseases was found to be poor. Provision of safe drinking water, improving sanitation and strengthening of disease surveillance is necessary for control of cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases in slum areas.