Sweta Singh

Knowledge of dental decay and associated factors among pregnant women: a study from rural India.

PURPOSEnTo assess the knowledge of dental decay among pregnant women and its relationship with sociodemographic characteristics and caries experience in rural India.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnA cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 pregnant women in southern India. Variables and knowledge of dental decay were recorded using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Dental caries was recorded by a calibrated examiner as per WHO guidelines.nnnRESULTSnThe majority of the respondents were under 30 years of age (91.6%), utilised a public health-care delivery system (57.2%), were primigravid (63%), had a pre-universtiy diploma (64.8%) and were in the 3rd trimester (63%). Overall, poor knowledge was expressed by 12% to 37% of the women. The mean (±SD) DT (decayed teeth), MT (missing teeth), FT (filled teeth) and DMFT (decayed, missing and filled teeth) were 3.08 (±2.6), 0.93 (±2.23), 0.39 (±1.14) and 4.4 (±3.56), respectively. There were no significant differences in the responses to the knowledge of caries with respect to age and trimester. Educational status, health-care delivery system and number of pregnancies had a significant association with knowledge of caries.nnnCONCLUSIONnThis study highlighted the limited knowledge of dental decay among pregnant, rural, southern Indian women. Preventive programmes for pregnant women should be designed based upon a thorough interview including an informative session on the specific risks during this period, in order to motivate the patient towards oral health and implement the needed prophylactic measures.

Diagnostic Study of Farmers in Context of Cost and Return Analysis, Price Spread Analysis and Marketing Pattern in Mantalai Village of Udhampur District

The study on Diagnostic Study of Farmers in context of cost and return analysis, the price spread analysis and marketing pattern in Mantalai village of Udhampur district is conducted during the year 2015. Cereal crops do not provide much return to the farmers of the area. Moreover, vegetables are most profitable crops in the area and farmers are getting better returns from these. Farmers of the area are also trying to get returns from the growing of fruit crops. The climate of the area is also suitable for growing walnut, bei, apricot, plum, apple etc. It is the cumbersome and little bit difficult for them to market the produce to Jammu. Farmers are facing a specific problem that is road connectivity from their fields to the roadside. The fields are not well connected to the road and the link is in dilapidated conditions which force them to transport the produce through human labor which in turn increases their marketing cost resulting in a decline in their profit. They are demanding proper road connectivity from their fields to the road.

Resource Use Efficiency of Major Field Crops in Reasi District of Jammu Region of Jammu and Kashmir State

The present investigation conducted in the Reasi district of J&K state during the year 2015 has observed that the sample holding under study area comprise maize-wheat cropping system. By using Cobb-Douglas production function it is predicted that resource used in maize and wheat production like human labour, farmyard manure + fertilizer are underutilized indicating that there is further scope to increase their quantity which in turn will boost the returns. On the basis of regression analysis the value of regression coefficient of wheat for human labour, seed, FYM, urea, DAP and plant protection measures was 0.859, -0.321, 0.002, 0.067, 0.009 and 0.004 and for maize it was 0.522, -0.046, 0.095, 0.046, 0.016 and -0.015, respectively, which were found to be statistically significant. The positive sign indicated that one percent increase in the use of these inputs could increase the returns from crop. The negative sign shows that one percent additional expenditure on these inputs would reduce the return of crops. The marginal value productivity of farmyard manure and human labour of dry land wheat was positive and it was 0.312 and 1.231, respectively. This indicates that there still existed a scope to invest more on farmyard manure and human labour. The negative marginal value productivity estimated for seed at ` -5.150 showed that use of seed was more than optimum leading to fall in returns with each additional unit of this input. As far as maize is concerned, positive marginal value productivity of FYM, human labour, urea, DAP and pesticide indicates that there still existed a scope to invest more on these inputs. The negative marginal value productivity estimated for seed at ` -1.192 showed that use of seed was more than optimum leading to fall in returns with each additional unit of this input. The crop production function for wheat and maize with R2 value at 0.74 and 0.87, respectively was statistically significant meaning thereby that 74% of wheat and 87% of maize production of this area was being explained by the mentioned variables in the study.

Cause Importance and Cause Familiarity of the “Aashirvaad-Boond Se Sagar Initiative” of ITC in Jammu City

The present study is an investigation of cause related marketing initiative “Aashirvaad-Boond Se Sagar” of Indian Tobacco Company Ltd. The Agri-business companies are increasingly undertaking the CRM initiatives (a type of CSR), wherein these companies have a scope of undertaking social causes along with achievement of their marketing objectives. Therefore, through this study an attempt has been made to understand consumer perception towards such campaigns. For the same, it was undertaken to study the cause familiarity and cause importance of ITCs-“Aashirvaad-Boond Se Sagar” initiative. The second objective undertaken was to analyze the input of cause familiarity and cause importance on attitude towards the brand and further in the third objective the impact of attitude on purchase intentions was studied. The present study was undertaken in the Jammu City and the data was collected from 200 consumers of Aashirvaad brand. Sequential Sampling was used to collect the data through survey method. The data collected was analyzed using Descriptive Statistics and Regression Analysis. The result of the study indicated that the respondents were of the opinion that ITC has promoted an important cause, but the familiarity to the same was somewhat low. There was a clear indication from the analysis that cause familiarity and cause importance have a significant impact on the attitude towards the brand and also the attitude thus formed through CRM initiative further leads to enhanced purchase intentions. Thus signaling the overall effectiveness of the CRM initiative of ITCs Aashirvaad brand.

Marketing costs and Price Spread Analysis for Citrus in Samba district of Jammu region

The present study made a detailed analysis of citrus fruit by studying its marketing costs and price spread which is the important researchable issue for the said crop in Samba district. The marketing chain of three types mainly Producer → Forwarding/Commission agent → Retailer → Consumer, Producer → Retailer → Consumer and Producer → Consumer were followed in the sample area. The average per quintal marketing cost at producers’ level varied to the extent of 438.65, 264.00 and 226.67 per quintal for channel I, II and III, respectively. The average per quintal marketing cost borne by the retailer was found to be 30.95 and 19.40 in channel I and II, respectively whereas in channel III whole of the marketing cost i.e., 226.67 was borne by the producer as there was the direct marketing of produce. As far as the price spread analysis is concerned, the per quintal net price received by the producer was about 945.90, 1036.00 and 1073.33 which was about 44.00 per cent, 51.29 per cent and 82.56 per cent of the price paid by the consumer for channel I, II and III, respectively. A comparison of different channels thus showed that producers’ share in the consumers’ rupee was the highest in case of channel III as compared to other channels. Where in the consumer also paid the lowest price i.e., 1300.00 per quintal in channel III as compared to 2150.00 per quintal and 2020.00 per quintal in channel I and II, respectively which revealed that direct sale from producer to ultimate consumer was beneficial for both producer and consumer. The channel-III with marketing efficiency 4.74 was most efficient followed by Channel-II (1.05) and channel-I (0.79).