Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the anxiety, depression, and serum cortisol level in OSMF patients.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Outpatient Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Age- and gender-matched 105 patients were divided into three equal groups as follows: Group 1 – those with areca nut chewing habits and OSMF, Group 2 – those with areca nut chewing habits but no OSMF, and Group 3– those without areca nut chewing habits and without OSMF. Anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, respectively. Serum cortisol level was also measured simultaneously.Statistical Analysis:Paired t-test, Chi-square test, and analysis of variance were used.Results:Fifty (47.62%) patients were observed to be in the age group of 25–32 years. Ninety-six (91.4%) patients were males and 9 (8.6%) were females. The mean serum cortisol level was observed to be higher among patients with OSMF-C followed by those with OSMF-D.Conclusion:We conclude that there is a significant association between OSMF, depression, and serum cortisol level.
Objective:Assessment method can influence student learning. Use of objective structured practical examination (OSPE) has been reported in various institutes with great benefits. We evaluated OSPE for the assessment of practical skills in pharmacology examination for undergraduate medical students and compared it with conventional practical examination (CPE).Materials and Methods:After sensitizing the 2nd year MBBS students to OSPE, the students were divided into four batches with twenty students in each batch. Students were assessed by attending five OSPE stations, each for duration of 5 min. The effectiveness was assessed through a student’s feedback questionnaire and was checked for its reliability by Cronbach’s alpha. The result of OSPE was compared with that of CPE of the same batch.Results:Cronbach’s alpha of the feedback questionnaire was 0.71, with high internal consistency. The feedback given was categorized into three domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective, and an assessment was also done for its further use. In cognitive domain, 74% of the students felt that the questions asked and the syllabus taught were well correlated. In psychomotor domain, 81% agreed that it is excellent for assessing the applied part of the subject. Seventy percent of students opined that it was associated with lesser stress than CPE. On overall assessment, 76% rated this methodology as good/satisfactory and 23% as excellent in terms of better scoring. There was a significant difference in the mean score between the results of OSPE and CPE (P < 0.001, df = 158, confidence interval = 95%).Conclusion:OSPE is a feasible and skill enhancing tool for the assessment in pharmacology examinations for undergraduate students.
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