Knowledge, awareness, and risk prevention among hepatitis patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Delhi

Introduction: People living with chronic viral hepatitis in India often lack awareness on risk factors and prevention. Moreover, due to fear of stigma and discrimination, they often delay appropriate and timely treatment, resulting in chronic treatment and impoverishment. The objective of this study is to assess knowledge, awareness, and prevention regarding risk factors among viral hepatitis-infected patients attending a super-specialty hospital in Delhi. Material and Methods: Data were collected from 389 patients using systematically random sampling using a pretested, structured interview schedule from patients attending Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi. Results: Findings revealed that 90.7% of the respondents believed that hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus (HBV/HCV) can be transmitted through sexual contact with a person who is infected, 94.3% said that it can be transmitted by transfusion of infected blood, 90% reported that it can be spread from infected mother to child during child birth, 93.8% responded that it can be transmitted if a person uses a razor, pierced ear ring, needle, or syringe used by an infected person, 83% believed that HBV/HCV can cause cancer in 90% of the respondents in long run, and more than 35% believed that HBV/HCV is curable. Results also show that 7.2% of the respondents have been vaccinated for HBV infection in the past, 20.8% of the respondents have screened their families for hepatitis B infections, and 77.9% of the respondents have received antiviral medications. Conclusion: HBV/HCV-infected patients had less knowledge about various facts regarding disease and continue to experience emotional disturbances, stigma, and discrimination.

Awareness, Knowledge and Adaptation Practices of Farm Women in Relation to Climate Change in Northern Transitional Zone of Karnataka

Anthropogenic climate change is the topmost contemporary global issue. Climate change can potentially upset the rhythm of nature threatening the very existence of life on earth. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the pre-industrial era, driven largely by economic and population growth, and are now higher than ever. Their effects, together with those of other anthropogenic drivers, have been detected throughout the climate system and are extremely likely to have been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. Further, relative to 1986-2015, warming is projected between 2.6 to 4.8°C under RCP8.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway) by the end of 21st century. So, climate change is the biggest threat to agriculture in countries around the globe as well as in India. Farmers in India are not fully aware of climate change and its indicators, causes, and impacts. Therefore, this study was conducted to know the awareness level, knowledge and adaptation practices of farm women regarding climate change. This study was conducted during 2018-19 under All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Home Science in Sulla village of Dharwad district. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 100 farm women in the village. A pre tested interview schedule was used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of the data. The study revealed that all of the respondents were not aware about the increase in melting of glacier, cold wave and frequent flood. It was observed from the study that, 36 per cent of the farm women belonged to low category of awareness on indicators on climate change. It was also noticed that all of the women were not aware about changes in farming system in present climate condition. Results show that women were not aware about rapid urbanization, use of pesticides, natural disaster, burning of fossils and farm waste, use of electrical appliances and global warming as the causes of climate change. Moreover, all of the women adopted change in planting calendar, adoption of crop rotation and adoption of intercropping.

Human papillomavirus infection and vaccination / 中华预防医学杂志

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an infection that can be sexually transmitted and result in health consequences. Persistent high-risk HPV infection can lead to various cancers and is the essential cause of cervical cancer. HPV vaccine can prevent the HPV infection and thus the incidence of cervical cancer. In this review we introduced the prevalence of HPV infection and vaccination, and the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. We also introduced the present knowledge and awareness of HPV infection and HPV vaccine in Chinese. Propaganda all over China should be performed on HPV vaccination to improve the vaccination rate, thus preventing the incidence of cervical cancer.