Bobby Paul

Morbidity pattern of low-birth-weight infants in an urban slum of Kolkata, India

BACKGROUND Low birth weight (birth weight<2500 g) is one of the major determinants of neonatal morbidity as well as mortality and these are known to be significantly higher in these infants. OBJECTIVE To study the morbidity pattern of low-birth-weight (LBW) infants in an urban slum in Kolkata, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A follow-up community-based study was undertaken in 2004-2005 in an urban slum of Chetla (Kolkata, West Bengal, India), among 126 singleton live-born babies, who were followed up for 9 months at 15±5 days interval by home visits. RESULTS Incidence of LBW was 28.6%. Morbidity episodes and hospitalization rate were more in LBW than in normal-birth-weight infants. Overall, gastrointestinal infection and acute respiratory infection were predominant in both LBW and normal-birth-weight babies. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Although morbidity episodes as well as hospitalization rate were lower compared with other studied slums of India, there is still room for further improvement of health status of these babies. Adequate care, exclusive breast-feeding, and proper nutrition of the LBW infants must be ensured to have healthy lifestyle free from morbidity.

Research submission: Some technicalities and vital links

Publishing allows the author to share with the world his original findings, reasoning, important breakthroughs and it also creates the avenue for mandates of promotion and career upliftment. In an endeavour to publish an article, the first vital technicality that the authors face is selection of an appropriate journal. There has been steady increase in the number of predatory publishers and journals. Knowledge of the different publication models, websites to check valid open access journals and reliance on certain reputable publishing houses may actually guide the authors in selecting legitimate journals. Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID ID) or Researcher ID is required during submission of articles. ResearchGate, Mendeley or Scholar Universe are useful sites to collaborate and disseminate research publication in an effective manner. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is another vital technicality that needs to be adopted by the authors before submission of the research work for publication to ensure higher visibility of the published research article in the academic community and increase citations. Thorough understanding of the publication process, following simple technicalities of manuscript submission and establishing vital links in the post publication phase is some of the useful guidelines for shaping up the success story of the research.

Mobile phones: Time to rethink and limit usage.

Radiofrequency waves generated from mobile phones cause potential public health problems. Short-term effects like changes in sleep, heart rate, and blood pressure, and long-term effects like carcinoma are well documented. The Government of Indias efforts in laying down regulations regarding the safety limits, manufacture, marketing, and mobile use are still in nascent stage. The need for stringent enforcement of laws for prevention of phone usage while driving and guidelines of medical regulatory bodies regarding rules and regulations of phone usage while at class or attending patients is of utmost importance. This should be supplemented by mass media to raise awareness among people regarding the possible health effects of radiofrequency emissions from mobile phones and the guidelines to minimize its exposure. It is the need of the hour to teach young people to be structured, to know when to have the cell phone on, and to avoid becoming the slave of technology instead of its mastery.

Effectiveness of first-aid training on school students in Singur Block of Hooghly District, West Bengal

Objective: First aid is the helping behavior and initial care provided for an acute illness or injury. Students have the potential for changing the health scenario of the society if properly groomed and educated. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of educational intervention on the first aid among middle school students of a rural school in West Bengal. Materials and Methods: A total of 230, 6th and 7th standard students were given a self-administered questionnaire for assessing their baseline knowledge about management of common injuries followed by educational intervention with a systematically devised teaching module during February to March 2016. Post intervention evaluation of their knowledge acquisition was done after 2 weeks with same questionnaire. Results: The baseline knowledge on the management of selected injuries was found to be insufficient among the study subjects. Paired t-test was performed to compare the pre- and post-test scores of knowledge and attitude of the students about first aid, and there was a significant change in knowledge from pretest score (mean = 1.50, standard deviation [SD] =0.47) to posttest score (mean = 6.53, SD = 1.30). To quantify the effectiveness of health education, effect size (Cohens d) was derived. For knowledge score, Cohens d was 5.14 with large effect size indicating highly effective impact of the training program. Significant change was also noticed regarding attitude regarding first aid as evident from increase in pretest score (mean = 1.19, SD = 0.96) to posttest score (mean = 3.17, SD = 1.03); Cohens d was 1.88 with medium effect size. Conclusion: Inculcating first-aid training in the school curriculum can be a fruitful investment in ensuring proper and timely management of illnesses and injuries not only for the school children but also for the community at large.

Repeated Abuse during Childhood and Adolescence Leading to Suicidal Behavior in an Adolescent: A Case Report

Children in all societies are often neglected, maltreated, abused, intentionally or otherwise by their parents, siblings and in school. One of the most important and preventable long term consequences of childhood abuse is the development of suicidal tendencies in adolescence or adulthood. We report such a case of childhood abuse leading to repeated suicidal attempts in an adolescent. Individual and family therapy, coupled with other specific interventions, has helped the teenager and his family lead a normal life. Thus, proper treatment and counseling will be helpful to cope with difficult family and social situations.

Tobacco-related morbidity and nicotine dependence: An experience in an urban slum of Burdwan district, West Bengal, India

Tobacco use causes many diseases irrespective of age and sex. More the addiction, more is the occurrence of morbidity in terms of frequency and severity. This community-based study was conducted to find out any relationship between the morbidity associated with tobacco use and nicotine dependence. In an urban slum – Alamganj, district Burdwan, West Bengal, India, from January to October 2012 among 128 current adult tobacco users using Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) questionnaire. Tobacco users were maximally suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (27.27%), gastritis (25.45%), and leukoplakia (25.45%). For individual diseases, the difference in FTND score was significantly high in cases of gastritis, hypertension, and COPDs. All types of morbidity were more common in the group of high nicotine dependence. FTND score can be suitably used to assess nicotine dependence of the tobacco users, who can be counseled accordingly to reduce the tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.

Unmet need of family planning among married women of reproductive age: A clinic-based study in rural Bengal

Background: Fecund married women who currently do not practice any family planning (FP) methods are considered to have unmet need for FP. In spite of a longstanding and robust family welfare program in India, the key health indicators like birth rate or maternal mortality ratio are still far from satisfactory for which mitigating unmet need plays a crucial factor. Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the unmet need for FP and its determinants among married women of reproductive age group. Materials and Methods: It was a clinic-based descriptive study conducted among 104 married women of reproductive age group (15–49 years) attending the outpatient Department of Anandangar Primary Health Center, in the rural field practice area of All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata. Data were collected 2 days a week with the help of a pre-tested structured interview schedule from women who attended the clinic and consented to participate during the 1 month study period (September 2016). Results: The mean age of the subjects was 32.4 years, and unmet need was found to be 34.6%. In univariate logistic regression analysis, significant association was found with religion odds ratios (OR) 3.75 (confidence interval [CI] 1.36–10.31), socioeconomic status (as measured by modified B.G Prasad scale 2016) OR 2.51 (CI 1.08–5.75), and who had at least one male child OR 3.73 (CI 1.50–9.23). In multivariable logistic regression, significant association was found with religion OR (CI) 14.22 (3.45–58.60) and socioeconomic status OR (CI) 2.93 (1.06–8.06). Conclusion: Proper counselling by healthcare providers to rectify the misconceptions associated with contraceptive use may reduce their unmet need and increase the acceptance rate of contraceptives.

An epidemiological study on ocular morbidities among school students in an urban area of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Visual impairment is a worldwide challenge that affects all age groups and has a major socio-economic impact. In 2010, an estimated 285 million people worldwide suffered from visual impairment, out of which about 39 million were blind and 246 million were had low vision, with a sumptuous figure of nearly 90 percent of them residing in developing countries. Estimated prevalence of childhood blindness/low vision in India was 0.8 per 1000. According to 2006-07 National Survey on Blindness, the common causes of blindness in India are cataract (62.6%), refractive error (19.7%), glaucoma (5.8%), followed by posterior segment pathology, corneal opacity, surgical complications and posterior capsular opacification. Among the preventable causes of blindness, the priority goes to uncorrected refractive errors which could be easily diagnosed and corrected and xerophthalmia which is largely under control with vitamin A distribution in immunization programmes. ABSTRACT

Menstrual hygiene management in India: The concerns

IntroductIon Menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon that women and adolescent girls experience every month. Ability to manage menstruation hygienically is fundamental to the dignity and well-being of women and constitutes an integral component of basic hygiene, sanitation, and reproductive health services. Poor awareness of the physiology, unscientific attitude, myths, and misconceptions including the notion that menstruating women are “contaminated,” “dirty,” and “impure” adversely affect their health and social lives. Unfortunately, it continues to be treated as a taboo in many societies, shrouded in a culture of silence and shame.

War against tobacco: Where do we stand?

India has launched war against tobacco epidemic for the past few decades but with partial success; hence, challenges are still there which need to be identified and addressed for winning the battle. Targeted approach directed at motivating smoking cessation of female smokers, frequent changing of pictorial warnings depicting variety of health consequences in cigarette packets and devoid of logos and colors in conjunction with plain packaging, and display of toll-free number for quitting are expected to dissuade tobacco consumers to quit and save themselves from the devastating health, social, environmental, and economic consequences of tobacco consumption. Online reporting system for violating legal enforcements can also be implemented easily. Moreover, guidance from success stories of countries/states who have achieved smoke-free status along with concerted efforts such as innovative anti-tobacco campaigns, involvement of religious leaders in anti-tobacco propaganda, strict legislations, and overall strong political commitment would further aid in winning the war.