ABSTRACT
Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. In India and other developing countries, breast carcinoma ranks second only to cervical carcinoma among women. Although studies have been done globally, to find the association between breastfeeding and breast cancer, very few studies in India document such a benefit. A case-control study was done from August 2009 to July 2010 in the wards of General Surgery and Oncosurgery at Pt. B. D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, India. A total of 128 histopathologically confirmed new cases of breast cancer during the study period were taken as cases. Equal numbers of controls were selected by simple random sampling. Controls were matched for age with a range of +/- 2 years. Subjects were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire after obtaining written informed consent. The categorical data were analyzed statistically using the Chi-square test and odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Continuous variables were analyzed using an independent t-test. All the analysis was done using SPSS, version 17. The age group of the cases was 25-78 years, while that of the controls was 24-79 years. The proportions of cases [56.3%] and controls [63.3%] living in rural areas were more than those living in urban areas. A significant association of breast cancer cases was found with caste, age at marriage, age at the first pregnancy, number of live births, and lifetime duration of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding has a significant role in reducing breast cancer, and so information, education, and communication activities for the promotion of breastfeeding and creating awareness about this fatal disease are the need of the hour
ABSTRACT
To determine level of HIV/AIDS knowledge among first-year MBBS, nursing and pharmacy students of a health university. A pre-designed, pre-tested, anonymous self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was circulated among available 129, 53 and 55 first-year MBBS, nursing and pharmacy students during Oct' 09. Data entry, management and analysis were carried out using MS excel and software statistical package. Out of the total 237 students, there were 123 [51.9%] female and 103 [44.0%] students from rural native place. A majority of students were able to correctly write the full form of AIDS [95.8%] in comparison to HIV [72.6%] and the difference between two terminologies were known to 87.6%, 81.1% and 70.9% of MBBS, nursing and pharmacy students, respectively. All four common routes of transmission of infection and methods of prevention were known to majority of the lot. However, injecting drug users [IDU] and truck driver as a risk category was correctly reported by 67.5% and 55.3% students, whereas 35.9% incorrectly mentioned that smoking is a risk factor for acquiring infection. A statistically significant [P <0.05] proportion of MBBS followed by nursing and pharmacy students were aware that infection neither spreads by social activities like handshake/playing nor by mosquito bite. However, low level was ascertained with regard to items related to non-curability of infection [57.4%] and availability of anti-retro viral therapy [27.4%]. Overall high level of knowledge was recorded in the present study with a difference noted among students in three professional streams