ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID‑19 pandemic was postulated to affect the infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and their nutritional status. This study was planned to assess IYCF practices and nutritional status of infant and young children residing in slum areas and their association with selected background characteristics. Materials and Methods: Acommunity‑based, cross‑sectional study was conducted in slums of Kolkata Municipal Corporation among 161 mother–child dyads from October to December 2020. After obtaining informed consent, mothers were interviewed to collect information about their socioeconomic status, hardship faced during pandemic, and IYCF practices of their children using indicators proposed by the World Health Organization and Government of India. Weight and height were measured using the standard operating protocol. The proportion was used to express descriptive statistics. Binary logistic regression models were used for calculating the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) using PSPP (v 1.20). Results: Only 64 (39.8%) children received age‑appropriate feeding; 73 (45.3%) had single/multiple anthropometric failure(s). Reduction of family income was reported by 142 (88.2%) respondents. Children aged 6–8 months (AOR = 17.08, 6.43–45.42) were more likely to not have appropriate feeding. Association of female gender (AOR = 2.00, 1.01–4.00), maternal education less than middle class (AOR = 2.58, 1.22–5.46), and lack of appropriate feeding (AOR = 2.57, 1.08–6.12) were statistically significant with the presence of anthropometric failure. Conclusions: The study revealed a dismal scenario of child feeding and nutritional status of young children in the urban slums of Kolkata. Pandemic and imposed restrictions hit the families hard by reducing income and increasing food‑related costs.
ABSTRACT
Background: The word “stress” was defined by different scholars. The word was first defined by Hans Selye in 1936 as “a nonspecific response of the body to any demand of change”. The modern medical workplace is a complex environment, and doctors respond differently to it, some finding it stimulating and exciting, whereas others become stressed and burned. The medical workplace also provides an environment where new skills are continually being learned, both as a result of medical knowledge evolving and because a doctor's work changes. Objective of the present study was to find out the level of stress among the doctors working in CMSDH and to find out the possible sources of stress from their perspective.Methods: The study was an institution-based cross-sectional study conducted from 26th October 2017 to 22nd November 2017 among the enlisted 257 working doctors of CMSDH present during the period of data collection. It was intended to include all the doctors working in this college for this study.Results: A total of 257 doctors including faculty132 (51.4%), interns 80 (31.1%) and house staffs 45 (17.5%) consented and participated in the study of whom 172 (67.0%) were male and 85 (33.0%) female. Interns are the most stressed ones mean 20.4, SD±5.2, followed by house staff mean 17.5, SD±5.1 and faculty mean 16.9, SD±5.3. Unmarried faculty members mean 19.2, SD±5.2 are slightly more stressed than married mean 17.0, SD±5.3. Preclinical faculty has more stress, mean 17.1 ±SD5.2, where the clinical intern has maximum level of stress, mean 20.4 ±SD5.2.Conclusions: Doctors who are in massive stress need counseling and regular psychotherapy to reduce their stress level. A system of monitoring information and communication between administrative and working doctors should be evolved regularly.