Sleep quality and sleep hygiene in preclinical medical students of tertiary care center amidst COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional observational study.

Objectives: Due to the long-lasting pandemic measures, such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on higher education. In this study, we aimed to determine sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sleep hygiene, and their association with anxiety, and their correlation in preclinical medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: We included 101 medical students, aged between 17-20 years of both sex from a tertiary care medical institute. Standard questionnaires were used to assess sleep quality, sleep hygiene, daytime sleepiness, and anxiety among medical students. Results: Fifty-one percent of the medical students had good sleep quality, but 35% had borderline poor sleep quality, and 13% had poor sleep quality during the lockdown. Six percent of medical students had alarmingly high daytime sleepiness. The total Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS) score was grouped into poor sleep hygiene (ASHS score ≤ 3.8) and good sleep hygiene (ASHS score ≥ 4.9). Overall, sleep hygiene of medical students was poor due to behavioral arousal and bedtime routine factors, and the scores for anxiety and sleep hygiene were significantly negatively correlated, whereas daytime sleepiness showed a significant positive correlation. Conclusion: Our study revealed a high prevalence of poor sleep quality among medical students during the lockdown. Poor sleep hygiene is an eye-opener for the mostly ignored aspect of altered sleep patterns.

Exploring Physiology Through Working Model Preparation by Undergraduate Students.

BACKGROUND: Physiology is a foundation for studying medicine. Student-centred learning methods are needed for a better understanding of the subject. Preparation of working models by students in Physiology is expected to provide better understanding of the subject since they learn by doing these themselves. The present study was designed to understand the effectiveness of a working model making activity for first-year undergraduate medical students. METHODS: The participants were 97 first-year medical undergraduate students. These students were divided into teams. The topics to prepare working models were chosen by the students according to their interests. The models were prepared by using clay, thermocol, batteries, motors, etc. by the students. These models were displayed in an exhibition organized by the department and marks were awarded to the students according to their performance. A feedback questionnaire form was provided to the students, which they had to complete individually. The questionnaires were analyzed to understand the perception of students regarding the activity. RESULTS: Of the students, 35% strongly agreed and 52% agreed that model making was a useful exercise and helped them in understanding Physiology. Of the students, 27% strongly agreed and 50% agreed that their understanding improved with this assignment and 32% of students strongly agreed and 58% agreed that this activity allowed them to analyze the topic and think logically. Of the students, 36% strongly agreed and 50% agreed that they gained confidence in the topic while they were preparing the model and seeing it functioning. Of the students, 37% strongly agreed and 46% agreed that they had the opportunity to work in a team. Of the students, 39% strongly agreed and 47% agreed that faculty had supported them appropriately. Most of the students agreed that they would recommend such activities to their friends studying in medical colleges elsewhere. CONCLUSION: The students found the activity not only interesting but useful and would encourage their friends studying elsewhere to participate in such activities.

Effect of Organic Dust Exposure on Pulmonary Functions in Workers of Vegetable Market with Special Reference to its Microbial Content.

CONTEXT: Wholesale vegetable market is a rich source of generation of organic dust as loads of fruits and vegetables are loaded and unloaded here daily. Thus, regular workers are exposed to this organic dust for a considerable period of time depending on their work schedule. This study was planned to determine the microbial status of organic dust and to explore its association with pulmonary functions in the workers of wholesale vegetable market in Rishikesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional exploratory/observational study. Thirty-five apparently healthy adult males were selected from vegetable market having no history of any chronic illness. Smokers and alcoholic were excluded from the study. The same number of age- and sex-matched controls with the same exclusion criteria were recruited from workers not working in the vegetable market and also not exposed to any other kinds of organic dust. Microbial culture of air in the vegetable market was done. It was compared with the microbial status of air in the working place of controls. Pulmonary functions of all the workers were performed with the help of digital spirometer (Helios 401). RESULTS: Bacterial and fungal concentration was found to be significantly higher in the air of vegetable market as compared to air in the workplace of controls (such as coagulase-negative staphylococci >25 colony-forming unit (CFU) at incubation temperature vs. 10-12 CFU at incubation temperature, significant growth of Mucor, Aspergillus niger, and Candida nonalbicans in vegetable market as compared to workplace of controls). Pulmonary function parameters (percentage forced expiratory volume in 1st s (FEV1), percentage predicted forced expiratory flow in mid-half of expiration, and FEV1) of workers exposed to organic dust in vegetable market were also significantly lower (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Exposure of organic dust is associated with compromised pulmonary functions and there is a need of formulation of safety guidelines.

Role of yoga and meditation in the context of dysfunctional self: a hypothetico-integrative approach.

Aaron T. Beck describes habitual patterns of schemas (ie, organized patterns of thought or behavior) as vital elements of emotional and behavioral experience, whereas biased processing of information accompanies psychopathological states. In this article, the authors propose a hypothetico-integrative approach to understanding the role of yoga and meditation. This approach is based on the background of Beck's model of the psychopathology of the dysfunctional self. The authors have found that the practices common to most forms of yoga and meditation are (1) focusing of attention; (2) creating a state of relaxation; and (3) developing mindfulness through efferent attenuation, sensory attenuation, and nonanalytic attention. Biological studies of meditation and yoga have found a tendency toward use of the relaxation response, the involvement of the attentional networks, and, likely, the cingulatecortex, particularly in the process of bare attention (ie, awareness without thought). This highest level of nonjudgmental awareness may help in obtaining a better-adjusted resilient self.