Background: Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme is an initiative to decrease the burden of anaemia among adolescents studying in Government schools. Objective: To assess the difference in prevalence of anaemia among Government school-going adolescents girls on WIFS as compared to private school girls not on WIFS. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescent girls, 7th to 10th standard in Government schools (on WIFS) and private schools (not on WIFS). The sample size in each group was 104, selected by multi-stage sampling. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire, clinical examination and haemoglobin estimation. Chi-square test and Unpaired t test used to compare the categorical and continuous variables respectively. Results: The prevalence of anaemia among the school children in government schools was 51% and in the private schools it was 64.4%. The mean haemoglobin was 11.77 ± 1.41 and 11.34 ± 1.49 in government and private school girls, respectively, which was statistically significant (p=0.013). Conclusions: The prevalence of anaemia among the government school girls was lesser as compared to the private schools girls, suggesting the role of WIFS in the reduction of prevalence of anemia. WIFS programme may be extended to private schools as well.

Background: Antenatal period is important for identifying pregnancy related threats and antenatal care (ANC) is one of the most effective health interventions during this period. It provides a unique opportunity for screening and diagnosis, health promotion and disease prevention. This study assessed the antenatal service utilization pattern and its determinants among women.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in the field practice area of a teaching hospital in Mangalore. Study included 142 women who had delivered in the last one year in the study area, selected using snowball sampling method. A pretested semi-structured validated questionnaire was used to collect the data. Predictors of full ANC were identified using univariate analysis and explanatory variables were entered into multivariate regression model to obtain the adjusted odds ratios to find the association between full ANC coverage and its determinants.Results: Among the participants, 99.3% registered their pregnancy and 78.9% had early registration. Majority, 91.5% had minimum antenatal visits, 83.1% consumed iron and folic acid supplements for more than three months and tetanus toxoid (TT) coverage was 98.6%. Full ANC coverage was found to be 81% and unadjusted analysis showed higher odds of full ANC coverage among housewives, primiparous, women in joint family and among literates. However, multi variable analysis revealed literacy as the major determinant of full ANC.Conclusions: In the present study, majority of the women had adequate antenatal care utilization. Full antenatal coverage was found to be statistically significant among literate women.

Introduction: Leadership skills among medical students, plays an important role in making them competent and bringing success in their clinical practice. Physician’s professional activities require them to be good team leaders. But there is a leadership crisis among medical doctors in India and leadership skills within their curricula. Objectives: To assess the leadership skills among interns and identify possible influencing factors among them. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted among 110 interns in a medical college. Leadership skills were assessed using Modified Leadership Inventory for Medical Education (LIME). Unpaired t test for association of various factors with mean scores of leadership and Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient for correlation between the scores of subcomponents of leadership skills were used. Results: Among the interns, 77.3% had a chance to be a leader during school/college days but only 20% had undergone leadership training. 87.3% of them had their leadership scores above average, suggesting good leadership skills. Interns who had been a leader in school/college, enrolled in Scouts/ Guides/ NCC and those who underwent leadership training had statistically significant higher mean scores. Majority had positive attitude towards leadership. There was a statistically significant, moderate correlation between the components of leadership skills.Conclusion: Participants had good leadership skills and there was significant association between former leadership experience and current leadership scores. Most of them had positive attitude towards leadership.

Background: Breastfeeding has been a universal practice. A number of factors influence the breastfeeding practices of the mothers. This study was conducted to assess the breast-feeding practices and its association with mother’s education and antenatal counselling.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted among 167 mothers with infants who were residing in field practice area of a medical college. A pretested semi-structured validated questionnaire was administered to assess the breast-feeding practices followed. Towards the end of each interview the investigator observed the mothers as they breast fed their children to assess the appropriateness of positioning and attachment. Chi-square test and Fischer’s exact probability test were used to test the associations.Results: 19.8% of the mothers were illiterate. 64.1% had received antenatal counselling on breast feeding. 62.3% initiated breast feeding within one hour. Colostrum was discarded by 6% of the mothers and 28.7% gave pre-lacteal feeds. 72.3%, 86.1% and 77.3% of them practiced appropriate position of feeding, held their children in the appropriate position and had good attachment to the breast, respectively. Mother’s education had a statistically significant association with pre-lacteal feeds administration, exclusive breastfeeding and breast-feeding position. Antenatal breast-feeding counselling had a statistically significant association with appropriate positioning of the child, attachment and practicing burping.Conclusions: Breast feeding practices in the current study was far from satisfactory. Mother’s education and antenatal breast-feeding counselling had a major role in the feeding practices.

Context: Occupational hazards at the building construction workplace are enormous. Good compliance to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) alongside other safety measures is critical in reducing the hazards. Occupational hearing loss is one such occupational hazard among construction workers. Aims: This study was conducted for determining the awareness of the benefits of PPE and its usage among construction workers along with hearing assessment. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among construction workers in a building project in Mangaluru city in Dakshina Kannada district in South India. Methods and Material: After obtaining informed written consent, 110 construction workers were recruited by simple random sampling method. Basic information, awareness, and use of PPE were collected using a semistructured questionnaire through personal interviews. Hearing assessment was done by pure tone audiometry. Statistical Analysis Used: Data collected was analyzed. Chi-square test and Fischer’s exact probability test were used to test the association between variables. Results: Majority (85.5%) of the construction workers are working for duration of 15 years or less. Difficulty in hearing was reported by 9.6% of them. Awareness regarding benefits of using personal protective devices like helmets, masks, and earplugs/muffs were 58.2%, 56.4%, and 14.5%, respectively. The utilization of at least one PPE among them was 58.1%. The presence of sensory neural hearing loss (SNHL) in both/either ears was detected among 14.5% of the workers. There was a statistically significant association of SNHL among workers and their duration of construction work. Conclusion: The current study highlights that awareness and usage of PPE was low and a proportion of them had a hearing impairment. Occupational health and safety training along with a periodic examination of construction workers need to be focused so as to detect and manage occupational health hazards early.