Level of happiness among medical students in Bihar-An online survey.

BACKGROUND: Happiness is a state of mental well-being and influences the learning and performance of an individual. Medical education due to its academic culture and longer course duration affects the performance and happiness of the students. So, this study was done to assess the level of happiness and the factors associated with it among medical students in Bihar. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 321 medical students of all academic years from various medical colleges in Bihar. This study used a self-administered study tool using the online Google Form platform for data collection and assessed the level of happiness using Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was done to find out the predictors of happiness. RESULTS: A total of 34.6% (95% CI: 29.5-39.9%) medical students were happy. Male (38.2%) students were found to be happier than female (29.2%) students. Age, place of stay, physical activity, meditation and yoga, frequent socialization, absence of psychiatric illness, and stressful situation in the family were the independent predictors of happiness. Around 42.4% of students had another career option, and 32.1% had a second thought about a career due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of any psychiatric illness had a significant effect on the happiness level of the students. CONCLUSION: Only one in three medical students is happy. Promotion of physical activity, meditation and yoga, and socialization will improve the happiness and thereby learning among medical students.

Household-level food insecurity and its correlates in rural Bihar: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Bihar has experienced high nutritional public health problem among children and women over the years. In this background, this study was planned to find the level of food insecurity and identify contributing factors in rural Bihar. Material and Methods: We conducted community-based cross-sectional study among 255 families residing in villages catered by RHTC, Naubatpur. A pretested semi-structured interview schedule and HFIAS were used. Result: A total of 27.8% of the 255 households were food insecure, of which 73.3% were severely food insecure. Kutcha houses, dispossession of agricultural land, and lower SES were found to be predictors. Conclusion: Around one in three families experienced food insecurity, and it was more among families residing in kutcha houses, without possession of agricultural land and belonging to lower socioeconomic status.

Enhancing microstructure and mechanical properties of nickel aluminium bronze alloy through tin addition.

This article describes the changes in the microstructure, cooling curve characteristics and mechanical properties of cast Nickel Aluminium Bronze alloy (NAB) alloy that were produced by the addition of various amounts of Tin (Sn). The solidification parameters were recorded using a computer-aided cooling curve analysis setup, and optical and scanning electron microscopes were utilised to study the evolution of the microstructure. The chemical composition of different phases generated in the NAB alloy with and without Tin was investigated using an X-ray diffraction technique. With the addition of tin, the alloy's microstructure changed from columnar to equiaxed grain structures, and the ideal microstructure was produced at a Tin concentration of roughly 1.0 weight percent. The formation of the high temperature α and the grain boundary Sn rich phases across the alloy microstructure as a result of further addition has a considerable impact on the alloy's increased hardness (upto 69%) and tensile strength (upto 28.4%) compared to untreated NAB alloy. Influence of Sn on microstructure transformation is confirmed by the decline in alloy nucleation temperatures, the reduction in undercooling intensity, and the decrease in cooling rate during solidification. The addition of Tin to the NAB alloy caused morphological changes in the kappa (K) phases, which are also reported in the this article. In addition to this, the research makes an attempt to describe the mechanism underlying the formation of equiaxed grains and phase transformations in Sn-treated NAB alloys.

Internet addiction and nomophobia among medical undergraduates of a tertiary care teaching institute in Patna, Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Excess use of the internet and gadgets for learning, gaming, and socialization has resulted in addictive behavior and nomophobia, especially among college-going students. Thus, this study was designed to find out the proportion and predictors of internet addiction and nomophobia among medical undergraduates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted on 367 medical undergraduates of a teaching hospital was carried out using a standard tool: the Internet Addiction Test Short Form for screening internet addiction and the Nomophobia Questionnaire for nomophobia. Results were tabulated and multivariable binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to find out the predictors of internet addiction and nomophobia. RESULTS: A total of 116 (31.6%, 95% CI: 27%-36.5%) students were addicted to the internet and 247 (67.3%, 95% CI: 62.3%-71.9%) were screened to have moderate-to-severe nomophobia. The age of the student (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.83 [0.69-0.99]), male gender (AOR: 2.24 [1.33-3.79]), screen time (AOR: 1.24 [1.14-1.34]), checking the phone first in the morning (AOR: 1.98 [1.107-3.54]), non-leisure time usage of phone (AOR: 2.07 [1.25-3.4]), and altered reading habit (AOR: 2.51 [1.26-5.01]) were independent predictors of internet addiction. Increased screen time (AOR: 1.103 [1.016-1.23]), checking the phone first in the morning after waking up (AOR: 1.68 [1.05-2.81]), altered academic performance (AOR: 1.99 [1.079-3.68]), and presence of internet addiction (AOR: 8.17 [3.56-18.76]) were independent predictors of moderate-to-severe nomophobia among medical students. CONCLUSION: One and two out of every three medical students were found to have internet addiction and moderate-to-severe nomophobia, respectively. Increased screen time, altered academic performance, and the presence of internet addiction were independent predictors of moderate-to-severe nomophobia.

Prevalence of acute low back pain with risk of long-term disability and its correlates among medical students: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is responsible for the highest number of years lived with disability globally. There is a paucity of data regarding the same among medical students. So, this study was planned to estimate the prevalence of acute LBP having a high propensity to develop into chronic one as well as to determine associated correlates among medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 medical students at a tertiary hospital using an Acute Low Back Pain Screening Questionnaire (ALBPSQ) to identify individuals with LBP and having a high risk of developing a long-term disability. ALBPSQ is a 21-question-based biopsychosocial screening instrument for identifying patients at risk of chronicity. ALBPSQ scores have been found to be significantly associated with pain and functional disability. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multiple binary logistic regression have been performed through SPSS-22 software. RESULTS: The prevalence of LBP having the propensity to develop into a long-term disability was found to be 14.3% (95% CI: 10.6-18.8). In bivariate analysis, higher age, no exercise, higher screen time, mental stress, studying in bed, abnormal posture, alcohol intake, tobacco use, positive family history, greater screen time per day, and more time spent in a sitting posture are significant with LBP. Stress ((adjusted odds ratio) AOR: 4.37, 95% CI: 1.79-10.68)), abnormally bent standing posture (AOR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.3-10.6), and positive family of LBP (AOR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.3-10.1) were found to be independent predictors of LBP among medical students. CONCLUSION: Among medical students, every 15 out of 100 have a low back problem with chances of long-term disability. These students require early intervention to avoid long-term disability. Abnormal stooping posture, psychological stress, and positive family history of low pain might independently lead to LBP.

Awareness of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in the Rural Community: A Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern India.

Background Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is one of the flagship programs intended to provide financial protection to people availing of secondary and tertiary level health care. It's been nearly three years since the implementation of AB-PMJAY in Bihar, yet the level of awareness, especially in rural communities, is unknown. So, this study was planned to explore the awareness and utilization of AB-PMJAY in the selected rural area of Bihar. Methodology This community-based cross-sectional study used a multistage sampling strategy to select 802 households within a radius of 5 Km from the rural health training centre, Naubatpur. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data regarding awareness of AB-PMJAY. The association between category, occupation, education, age group, and ration card with the awareness of AB-PMJAY was assessed using Pearson's chi-square test. Results The awareness of the AB-PMJAY was 68.6% (95% CI: 65.30%-71.7%), while out of 459 eligible study participants, 362 (78.9%) were aware of the AB-PMJAY. Utilization of AB-PMJAY was only 1.3% among the eligible study participants. There was a statistical significance between the category of eligible study, ration card, and employment status with the awareness of the AB-PMJAY. Conclusion Every two out of three rural individuals and three out of every four eligible participants were aware of the AB-PMJAY scheme, while the level of utilization was found to be very low at 1.3%; hence, training of the healthcare workers at the grass-root level, like accredited social health activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers (AWW), should be done regularly to improve the connection in the community and for effective utilization of the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY.

Determinants of awareness on pictorial health warnings on tobacco products in an Eastern state of India.

Background: Pictorial health warnings (PHW) are an effective strategy to deter or reduce tobacco use. This study was conducted to determine the level of awareness of PHWs on tobacco products and their correlates among adults attending the outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care facility in Eastern India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months among 307 patients aged 18 years to 65 years. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used for the collection of data and inferential statistics were performed using JAMOVI version 2.3.21. Results: About 84% (95% CI, 78.9-87.2) of the participants were aware of PHW on tobacco products, 82.4% (95% CI, 77.8-86.3) for smoked forms and 51.8% (95% CI, 46.2-57.3) for smokeless forms. More than half of the participants felt that the current PHW were ineffective. Male [AOR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.33-7.37], being educated [AOR, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.29-8.76], employment [AOR, 5.65; 95% CI, 1.21-26.30] and ever-tobacco use [AOR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.43-7.2] were found to be independent correlates of PHW awareness for smoked tobacco products, whereas as being male [AOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.02-3.95] and being young (18-30 years) [AOR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.08-5.84] were found to be the independent predictors of PHW awareness for smokeless tobacco products (SLT). Conclusion: Four out of every five individuals were aware of pictorial health warnings (PHW) on tobacco products; however, it was much less for SLT compared to smoked tobacco products. Male, being educated, employment and ever-tobacco use were independent correlates of awareness for the smoked form of tobacco products, whereas being young (18-30 years) was an independent predictor of awareness for SLT.

Awareness and Readiness To Implement the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Healthcare Workers of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India.

Background The Indian government announced "Ayushman Bharat" for a New India 2022 during the 2018-19 parliament budget sessions, which includes the national health protection scheme presently known as "Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)" to facilitate access to secondary and tertiary healthcare services. This study aimed to see how well healthcare workers (HCWs) understood the PMJAY and how prepared they were to administer it. Materials and methods With an anticipated sample size of 411, this hospital-based analytical, cross-sectional study was done among treating faculty, resident doctors, and nursing officers as study participants. Participants completed a self-administered, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire to determine their level of awareness and readiness to adopt PMJAY. SPSS Version 22 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used to analyze the data. Results The overall mean (SD) awareness score and mean readiness score among HCWs were found to be 5.52 (1.82) and 18.49 (4.5), respectively. There was a significantly high awareness score among doctors compared to nursing officers. The relation between awareness score and readiness score showed a weak positive significant correlation (r=0.174, p=0.001). The linear regression model demonstrated an increase of 0.432 units in readiness for every unit increase in awareness score. Conclusion The doctor's mean awareness score was little over half of the maximum attainable score. Faculty members were more aware of the scheme than the residents and nursing officers. The readiness to implement PMJAY improves as the awareness grows. Frequent workshops on PMJAY for stakeholders are required for better readiness.

Impact of Lockdown due to COVID-19 on lifestyle and diet pattern of college students of Eastern India: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures to confine it has disrupted the routine of the public. The impact of such long-term confinements on the lifestyle and diet of students are not known and hence this study was designed to assess the impact of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle and diet of university students. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey among 622 university students across various educational institutes of east India using a pre-designed questionnaire about lifestyle-diet before and during the lockdown. Results were tabulated and statistical tests like Paired t-test, Wilcoxon Rank sign test, and Mc-Nemar tests were applied and overall significance was attributed to P<0.05. Results: During the lockdown a total of 2.4% (95% CI: 1.4-3.8%) decrease in prevalence of tobacco use, 8.7% (95% CI: 6.6-11%) decrease in physical activity and a 0.8 hour (95% CI: 0.6-0.9 hour) increase in the mean sleep duration was observed. There was a significant increase in use of fresh fruits consumption [Median(IQR)-before:2(1-5);during:3(1-5) days] and a decrease in meat-poultry[Median(IQR)-before: 2(0-3);during: 1(0-3)days] and junk food[Median(IQR)-before:1(0-2);during:0(0-2)days] consumption during the lockdown. Conclusion: A significant proportion of changes in lifestyle and frequency of consumption of certain food items in the dietary pattern during the lockdown.

Generalized anxiety and sleep quality among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study from a tertiary healthcare institution in Eastern India.

Objectives: With the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare professionals (HCPs) have experienced high levels of stress and anxiety because of the high risk of infection for themselves and their families. This has led to acute sleep problems for HCP. This study was designed to assess the anxiety and sleep quality of HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 370 HCPs employed at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Patna over 3 months, using the standard Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) for suspected GAD and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality. Results were tabulated and multivariable binomial logistic regression analysis was done to determine the predictors of poor sleep. Significance was attributed to p<0.05. RESULTS: Of the 370 HCPs screened, 52 (14.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.8%-18.1%) were found to have GAD and 195 (52.7%; 95% CI, 47.5%-57.9%) were found to be poor sleepers. The presence of any addictive habit (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.833; 95% CI, 1.12-2.8), unprotected contact with COVID-19 cases (AOR, 1.902; 95% CI, 1.1-3.3), and the presence of GAD (AOR, 5.57; 95% CI, 2.5-12.4) were found to be predictors of poor sleep quality among HCPs. Conclusion: A significant proportion of HCPs were found to have suspected GAD and were poor sleepers. This highlights the need for measures to confront this problem.