Background: Self-medication includes acquiring medicines without a prescription, resubmitting old prescriptions to purchase medicines, sharing medicines with relatives or members of one's social circle or using leftover medicines stored at home. In developing countries like India, self-medication is a common practice as it provides a low cost alternative for people. Especially, the youth is exposed to media and the increased advertising of pharmaceuticals poses a larger threat to the younger population. Aims & Objective: To determine the prevalence of self-medication among Delhi University students and to identify the sources and reasons for self-medication. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out using a 'semi structured' 'pretested' questionnaire among 350 students selected randomly from north campus of Delhi University during August and September 2012. Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 85.4% among the study population. Principal morbidities for seeking self-medication were headache (86.2%) and common cold (57.8%). 79.3% of them got the medicine from chemist shop and 16.9% used home available medicines. 56.1% of the study subjects were aware about side effects of drugs they were using. Awareness about schedule H-drugs was also present in 39.5% of the study population. Regarding the major reasons for seeking self-medication, 31.0% did not find it necessary to consult a doctor followed by 25.0% who preferred to wait and watch, 21.3% had lack of time and 10.4% felt doctor's fee was too high. Conclusion: Prevalence of self-medication was high in the study population despite majority being aware of its harmful effects. There is an urgent need to enforce the law to prevent over the counter drug sale and to educate the youth to ensure safe practices.
Background: Body image perception is being shaped by unrealistic ideals portrayed in the media. Body dissatisfaction is one of the most consistent and robust risk factors for eating disorders, low self-esteem, depression, and obesity. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to ascertain the body image perception, abnormal eating attitudes and the role of media among undergraduate students of a medical college in Delhi, India.Methods: Cross-sectional study on 370 undergraduate medical students of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India selected using stratified random sampling. India. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire which consist of demographic information, perceived body image, Eating Attitudes test (EAT-26) to assess eating attitudes, Socio Cultural Attitude Towards Appearance Questionnaire 3(SATAQ-3) scale for the role of media on body image perception. Data was analyzed using SPSS v21.Results: A total of 370 students (57.6% males and 42.4% females) aged 17-30 years, mean age of 20.30 years±2.02(SD). Abnormal body image perception was seen in 35.4%, 21.1% had abnormal eating attitude (EAT-26≥20), 36.5%, 40.5% agreed to be influenced by models and athletic figures in media respectively, 42.2% accepted that media was their source of information regarding standards of attractiveness, 27.6% felt pressured to be attractive according to SATAQ-3. Males more than females had disordered eating attitudes and felt media pressure to achieve an ideal body image. Significant association was observed between age and perceived body image (p=0.033), gender and EAT-26 score (p=0.039), EAT 26 and perceived body image (p=0.006), general internalization of media and perceived body image (p=0.003), internalization-general, internalization-athlete, media as source of information and EAT-26 score (<0.001, 0.001, 0.003 respectively).Conclusions: The media should take more responsibility to not represent unrealistic ideals of body image concerning both males and females. Educational and preventive efforts at institutional levels should be made to promote a healthy body image and eating behaviours.
BackgroundThe increasing burden of cancer is a cause of concern worldwide including in India. Cervical cancer is amongst the most common cancers among women associated with high morbidity and mortality. Younger women are at risk of acquiring human papilloma virus (HPV) infection that can lead to cervical cancer later in life. The present study is an attempt to assess awareness about cervical cancer, its prevention and HPV among young women so that future policies can be designed accordingly.MethodologyThis was a cross-sectional study conducted among college-going women students of Delhi. Data was collected using a pre-designed, pretested semi-structured tool followed by descriptive statistical analysis.ResultsAlthough 83% women students had heard of cervical cancer, the signs and symptoms were known to less than half (41.9%) of the students. HPV vaccine availability was known to 56.0% of the students, but very few students were vaccinated (15.0%). Similar disparity was also found in screening knowledge and practices.ConclusionWith poor knowledge about risk factors, and preventive strategies among young women, this study highlights the need for health education programmes related to cervical cancer targeting young women. As most of the risk factors of cervical cancer are modifiable, awareness generation at a young age could bring about a paradigm shift in incidence and the mortality associated with it.
After circumstances at home force these kids to escape, they are caught up in yet another world of exploitation, hunger, violence and abuse.
The similarities and differences between the mortality patterns of the two waves in India remain largely unknown. This was a retrospective study of medical records conducted in the COVID data center of our hospital This study analyzed data of patients who died in the month of August, 2020 to October 2020 (one month before and after the peak of first wave i.e., 16th September, 2020) & April 2021 to June 2021 (one month before and after the peak of second wave i.e., 6th May, 2021), corresponding to an equal part of the pandemic during first (2020) and second (2021) wave. Out of 1893 patients in the study, 764 patients were admitted during the first wave and 1129 patients during the second wave of pandemic. In total, 420 patients died during the entire study period. Of those, 147 (35%) deaths occurred during the first wave and 273 (65%) during the second wave, reflecting a case fatality rate (CFR) of 19.2% during the first wave and a CFR of 24.18%. There were no significant differences in the Age Group, Gender, Presenting Complaints, Duration of Stay and Comorbidities. However, the deceased COVID-19 patients had an increase in Case Fatality Rate, average duration of symptoms from onset to Hospital Admission (DOSHA) and a major shift from MODS to ARDS being the Cause of Death during the second wave of Pandemic. This study demonstrates increased CFR, average DOSHA and a paradigm shift to ARDS as cause of mortality during the second peak of the Pandemic. It is necessary to remain vigilant of newer COVID-19 variants of concern, follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviors and keep emphasizing on care of high-risk groups including patients with comorbidities and elderly population to prevent mortality.
Background: Rapid urbanization has led to the increase in a group of people called ‘Urban poor’ dwelling as a community in ‘Slums’, worldwide. Slums manifest deprivation that transcends income poverty. Hence, we conducted this Community-oriented primary care (COPC) exercise, to give medical students a greater understanding of the situation of individual patients in the slum and to formulate a community diagnosis.Methods: The current study was done at Tyagaraj Nagar Jhuggi in the South district of New Delhi, during Community-oriented primary care (COPC) exercise of undergraduate medical students in their 4th semester over a period of 20 days, using a predesigned proforma for collecting data on health events and determinants of health, from families. 35 households were chosen by systematic random sampling.Results: Out of 179 community members studied, 33 (18.43%) were afflicted with morbidity, which consists of common cold with cough, generalized body pain and joint pain. The sex ratio was found to be 826, literacy rate was 76.9% in the study area, 44.11% of the households were having sanitary latrines owned by them, 68.6% had a closed drainage system 63% of the families used clean fuel for cooking and unmet need of contraception was 85% among eligible couples.Conclusions: Investments in women’s access to various contraceptive preferences are urgently needed to help increase the contraceptive prevalence rate. Health Education and awareness campaigns on prevention of potential mosquito, fly breeding sites, hand hygiene, avoidance of firewood as fuel, establishing smoke outlet and solid waste management should be arranged.
The most common reason for running away was; beating by parents/relatives, followed by a desire for economic independence (28.5%). Other reasons were maltreatment by step parent/s, being both parents dead argument with parent etc. The factors emerging can be useful for identifying high-risk families with children in pre adolescent age and hence for prevention and rehabilitation.
Background: In health care, the rapid proliferation of health information on the internet has resulted in more patients turning to the digital media as their first source of health information and acquiring knowledge. The present study was conducted to assess use of the digital medium as a medical information resource in health-related states and to determine their experience and perceptions about the quality and reliability of the information available among the participants. Methodology: The study was done in an urban settlement of Delhi among adults who use any digital media. A sample of 321 were selected though convenient sampling. The information was collected through a semi-structured, self-administered, pre-tested questionnaire which contained questions on socio-demographic profile, internet usage and awareness about Digital India. Bivariate analysis was done to determine the association between various socio-demographic variables associated with internet usage for health information. Results: In the present study, 88.2% (283/321) were using the internet for health information through digital media. This study found out that younger age group (18-30 years), literate and higher socioeconomic group (upper middle and above) population were more likely to access health information via digital media which was found out to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Access to health information through digitization can improve health literacy among the population and help in promoting a preventive aspect to health problems and disease. They can be the building blocks to build “Swasth Bharat (Healthy India)”.
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