ABSTRACT
Background: Internet addiction disorder is identified as a matter of grave concern likely to cause physical, psychological, and social issues. Hence, this survey was designed to study its degree and impact on second MBBS students of a medical college in India. Aims and Objectives: Objectives were to determine the degree of internet addiction, its effect on personal relationships, academics, psychological and physical health along with commonly accessed applications, and monthly expenditure. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out wherein each participant was provided with a pre-validated questionnaire of which Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was a part. Results: Of 108 participants, the ratio of males to females was 1:1. According to the IAT score, regular use was noted in 28 students whereas mild and moderate addiction was observed in 53 and 27 students, respectively. Academic performance was most affected (3.71 ± 2.03 vs. 6.53 ± 2.49 vs. 9.15 ± 1.59) while personal relationships were least affected (1.43 ± 1.45 vs. 2.07 ± 1.59 vs. 2.96 ± 2.63) across all grades. Deleterious effect on physical and psychological health was seen with increasing grades of addiction which was statistically significant. Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Google were commonly accessed with majority (n = 94) of participants spending <500 INR monthly. Conclusion: Our study inferred that mild and moderate addiction was commonly seen in students and can be a potential cause for physical and psychosocial issues. Nonetheless, the situation can be managed by employing a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and support group therapy.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Research has demonstrated that there are multiple strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis with varying potency to cause periodontal disease. The current study aims at using heteroduplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the strain diversity of P. gingivalis in periodontitis lesions of varying severity in a sample of the Indian population. Materials and Methods: Subgingival plaque samples were collected from 60 individuals with varying severity of chronic periodontitis and 30 individuals with a clinically healthy periodontium. The samples were subjected to PCR analysis to identify P. gingivalis, followed by heteroduplex analysis to identify the strain diversity in a given sample. Bacterial culture was carried out as a comparative standard. Results: Of the 56 samples that were positive for P. gingivalis by PCR, 54 samples yielded eight different heteroduplex patterns. Analysis of these patterns indicated that two strains of P. gingivalis were present in 41 individuals (45.6%) and three strains were present in 13 individuals (14.4%). Detection of P. gingivalis by PCR was significantly more in the periodontitis group as compared to the healthy group. Conclusions: Species-specific PCR and heteroduplex analysis provide a simple and accurate method to analyse the strain diversity of P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis was detected in both healthy periodontal sites as well as sites with periodontitis. The presence of two or three P. gingivalis strains was seen in 60% of the samples.