BackgroundAddressing family planning (FP) needs of people living with HIV is an effective response to HIV prevention. Healthy timing and spacing of births help ensure the health and well-being of all women and infants, regardless of their HIV-infection. In addition, preventing unintended pregnancies is an important strategy for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. The main purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of family planning methods and identify factors affecting the utilization of such methods among HIV infected men and women attending two Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) sites of Kathmandu, Nepal.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Two ART sites of Kathmandu were purposively chosen and a sample of 265 respondents (both men and women) was selected based on proportionate probability random sampling. A structured questionnaire was administered face to face to all of the eligible participants.ResultsThe mean ± SD age of the participants was 36.62 ± 7.58 years. Sixty five percent of the respondents’ spouses were HIV positive. A majority of the respondents (72%) had heard of seven modern family planning methods. Considerably high number (72%) of the respondents or their spouses were using at least one of the method of family planning. The most common method was condom (83%) and the least common was IUCD (0.50%). The use of short acting (pills, depo-provera) and long acting (implant, IUCD) family planning methods other than condom dropped from 56.6 to 2% after diagnosis. Utilization of family planning methods was significantly associated with gender, education and HIV status of spouse. Males (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.20–5.07, p = 0.01) educated respondents (AOR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.41–7.54, p = < 0.01) and individuals whose spouse were not infected with HIV (AOR = 4.70, 95% CI = 1.41–15.67, p = 0.01) were more likely to use FP methods.ConclusionThe tendency for HIV infected men and women to avoid additional child bearing in Nepal is higher compared to sub-Saharan Africa. However, the use of effective methods of family planning is low. Therefore, more effective counselling sessions by service providers regarding the availability and use of alternative family planning methods besides condom is necessary.
Amaranth (Amaranthus), a member of amaranthaceous group of plants, is classified as a pseudo cereal and grown either as a grain crop or as a leafy vegetable. It is one of the few multi-purpose crops which can supply grains and tasty leafy vegetables. The grain has ability to grow in the dry and semi-dry lands due to its drought tolerant characteristics. It is rich in protein, lysine, carotenoids, dietary fiber, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid, calcium etc. Amaranth contain substantial amount of bioactive components such as tocopherol (α, β and γ), DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), anthocyanins, lutein and other phenolic compounds. The fat in amaranth seed is low but composed of essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic). Grain amaranth can be used as a flour ingredient for pancakes, bread, muffins, dumplings, crackers, cookies, puddings, porridge, cakes and as a roasted puffed snack. Vegetable types amaranth (also leaves of grain amaranth) are used to make curry, vegetable salads, steamed salad, boiled soups, stir fried, or baked to taste. The seeds and leaves of amaranth are used as herbal remedies and have nutraceutical value. Because of no gluten content, grain amaranth is valuable carbohydrate source for person having glutin intolerance problem. Seed or leaf of amaranths contains some antinutritional factors, such as saponins, tannins, phytic acid, oxalates, protease inhibitors, nitrates and phytohemagglutinins. Thermal processing in moist environment, prior to food use inactivates the antinutritional factors. The present paper briefly describes crop introduction, botany, chemical and nutritive composition, functional and bioactive components, antinutritional factors and food uses including new findings on functional properties of grain amaranth.
Akabare chilli (Capsicum chinese) is a high-value crop in the eastern hills of Nepal. Akabare growers faced the problem of its value decrement during transportation and marketing because of immediate post-harvest losses. This study was targeted for finding cheap post-harvest treatment to extend freshness and shelf life of fresh Akabare by applying post-harvest treatments like hydrocooling, refrigerated temperature storage, and perforation mediated plastic packaging. The chemical qualities (moisture, vitamin C and chlorophyll content) were studied on a regular interval of 4 days along with visual inspection for 20 days. The package modification included unperforated as well as perforated polypropylene bags having 2, 4 and 6 perforations of 2.5 mm diameter. Samples without any treatment remained fresh only for 2 days, while only hydrocooled samples retained moisture, vitamin C and chlorophyll content significantly (p < .05) higher than untreated, in both storage temperatures. None of the samples stored at room temperature retained freshness beyond 4 days. Thus, based on the better retention of moisture and vitamin C content, hydrocooling followed by packaging in polypropylene bag (four perforations) and storage at refrigerated temperature could be considered the best post-harvest treatment and packaging.
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