Background. This study was done to assess the maternal and sociodemographic factors associated with low birth weight (LBW) babies. Methods. An unmatched case control study was done involving 159 cases (mothers having LBW singleton babies) and 159 controls (mothers having normal birth weight singleton babies). Results. More than 50% of LBW babies were from the mothers with height ≤145 cm while only 9.43% of NBW babies were from the mothers with that height. Finally, after multivariate logistic regression analysis, maternal height, time of first antenatal care (ANC) visit, number of ANC visits, iron supplementation, calcium supplementation, maternal education, any illness during pregnancy, and hypertension were found as the significant predictors of LBW. However, maternal blood group AB, normal maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), mother's age of 30 or more years, and starting ANC visit earlier were found to be protective for LBW. Conclusion. Study findings suggest that selectively targeted interventions such as delay age at first pregnancy, improving maternal education and nutrition, and iron and calcium supplementation can prevent LBW in Nepal.

Patients with lung cancer are often misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis leading to delay in the correct diagnosis as well as exposure to inappropriate medication. Several factors are responsible for this situation in developing countries, including lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure and socio-economic factors. This article outlines the differences between the two diseases as well as features that would make a clinician suspect the right diagnosis early.

BackgroundWorld Health Organization recommends at least four pregnancy check-ups for normal pregnancies. Ministry of Health and Population Nepal has introduced various strategies to promote prenatal care and institutional delivery to reduce maternal and child deaths. However, maternal health service utilization is low in some selected socio-economic and ethnic groups. Hence, this study aims to assess barriers to the recommended four antenatal care (4ANC) visits in eastern Nepal.MethodsA cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in Sunsari district. A total of 372 randomly selected women who delivered in the last year preceding the survey were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify barriers associated with 4ANC visits.ResultsMore than two-third women (69%) attended at least 4ANC visits. The study revealed that women exposed to media had higher chance of receiving four or more ANC visits with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.2–10.1) in comparison to women who did not. Women from an advantaged ethnic group had more chance of having 4ANC visits than respondents from a disadvantaged ethnic group (aOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 2.1–6.9). Similarly, women having a higher level of autonomy were nearly three times more likely (aOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5–5.6) and richer women were twice (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1–5.3) as likely to have at least 4ANC visits compared to women who had a lower level of autonomy and were economically poor.ConclusionBeing from disadvantaged ethnicity, lower women’s autonomy, poor knowledge of maternal health service and incentive upon completion of ANC, less media exposure related to maternal health service, and lower wealth rank were significantly associated with fewer than the recommended 4ANC visits. Thus, maternal health programs need to address such socio-cultural barriers for effective health care utilization.

BackgroundAdolescent students are vulnerable group for tobacco addiction. Tobacco use among school children is becoming a serious problem in developing countries. This study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use and to determine associated factors among adolescent students of Kalaiya municipality.MethodsA cross sectional survey was carried out by self-administered questionnaire adapted from Global Youth Tobacco Survey to assess tobacco use among the representative sample of 1540 adolescent students selected by stratified random sampling from December 2014 to May 2015.ResultOverall prevalence of ‘ever users’ of tobacco products was 25.3 %. Prevalence among boys and girls was 31 and 14.4 % respectively. Mean age at initiation of using tobacco was 13.38 ± 1.62 years. The correlates of tobacco use were: sex, ethnicity, family members and friends using tobacco products, and students exposed at home and public place.ConclusionSchool based interventions and tobacco education are necessary to prevent initiation and cessation of tobacco use. Legislations related to tobacco control should be enforced to decrease availability, accessibility and affordability of tobacco products. Social norms of tobacco use among parents and others at home as well as at public place should be modified to curb the tobacco use among school students.

Available online on:15.08.2017@http://ijrdpl.com http://dx.doi.org/10.21276/IJRDPL.227 8-0238.2017.6(5).2773-2778 ABSTRACT:Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important global health problems. The prevalence of TB is high among the developing world. This retrospective study was carried out to find the incidence and clinical profiles of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients in North Indian population.Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of 552 patients having EPTB and PTB was undertaken from the Dept. of Respiratory Medicine, King George's Medical University, U.P., Lucknow, out of which 300 were of pulmonary tuberculosis and 252 of EPTB. Demographic characteristics, clinical features and apparent risk factors of disease were obtained from medical case records of all patients visiting the hospital from. The Study included only the confirmed cases of EPTB and PTB with or without other co-infections.Results: Results were tabulated and statistically studied. The prevalence of EPTB was higher among females than males as compared to PTB and this was statistically significant (p=0.001). No significant (p>0.05) association was found between EPTB and PTB according to the place of residence. However, the tobacco habit, smoking habit, alcohol use and family history were found to be significantly (p<0.01) associated with the type of TB. Pleural (62.3%) site of EPTB was a most common site in EPTB patients. The study shows a significant (p=0.04) association between age distribution and disease condition (both EPTB and PTB) among males. A similar observation was found among female patients. The prevalence of EPTB was 1.80 times significantly higher among smokers. The prevalence of EPTB was also higher among those who had a family history of tuberculosis infection in comparison with new cases. Diabetes was present in 16.7% of the EPTB patients and MDR-TB was present in 12.7%. HIV was present in 8%. Most of the patients of EPTB were new cases (88.1) in comparison with the retreatment cases (11.9).Conclusion: Among evaluated tuberculosis patients, maximum had EPTB. Pleural tuberculosis was the most common presentation of EPTB. Both pulmonary, as well as extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis, affected the younger population, between 20-40 years of age, more commonly. The study shows female preponderance among EPTB cases as compared to PTB cases. In female population, EPTB affected younger age group as compared to male patients where PTB was found to be more common. A Higher proportion of EPTB cases were found to be HIV positive and suffering from diabetes as compared to PTB.