Introduction: Maternal health is essential to ensure the good health of the mother as well as children and by extension, the whole family. Despite the various measures launched by the government to enhance maternal care services, the utilization remains at large. Method: A community-based face to face interview was conducted using a pre-tested structured survey questionnaire to find out maternal health service utilization among mothers in Mahankal Rural Municipality, Lalitpur, Nepal, during Feb-Jun 2020. A probability simple random sampling was used to select mothers having children aged between 1 to 3 y. A score of ≥mean was considered good utilization and below it a poor utilization. The study was approved by the ethical committee. The SPSS 16 was used for descriptive (frequency, mean) and comparative analysis by chi square between demographics and health service utilization. Result: There were a total of 178 mothers surveyed, the mean age of 25.9±4.4 y, 77(43.3%) had completed elementary school, and 147(82.6%) were farmers. Good utilization of maternal health service 98(55%) and poor utilization 80(45%). The majority 153(86%) had ≥4 Antenatal checkups, 55(30.9%) had delivered at home despite the government incentive for institutional delivery, 105(59%) had postnatal visits ≥1, and 18(10%) had 3 postnatal visits. Conclusion: The study revealed that slightly more than half (55%) of mothers surveyed had good utilization of maternal health services.
Introduction: Emergency contraception (EC) is used to prevent pregnancy in the first 5 days after sexual intercourse, mainly unprotected intercourse, contraceptive failure, rape or coerced unprotected sex. This study aims to identify the knowledge and attitude on EC and associated factors among adolescent students. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to find out knowledge and attitude on EC among adolescent students of both sex, grade 11 and 12 at Advanced Academy, a private school in Kumaripati, Lalitpur, Nepal, during 19 January 2018 to 13 February 2018. Non probability convenience sampling and self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Association of demographic variables with knowledge and attitude of EC and further correlation between knowledge and attitude were analysed. The SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. Result: Out of 343 students, 211 (61.5%) had fair knowledge of EC, 125 (36.5%) poor and 7 (2%) good knowledge. Favourable attitude towards EC was found in 285 (83.1%) and unfavourable in 58 (16.9%). The mean age was 17.33 ± 0.98 years, 206 (60.1%) in 15-17 year age group (middle adolescence), female 143 (41.7%), and 160 (46.7%) from within Kathmandu valley. There was significant positive co-relation between knowledge and attitude and no significant association between demographic variables with knowledge and attitude. Conclusion: Majority of adolescence students 15-21 years of age had favourable attitude but less knowledgeable in regard to emergency contraception.
Introduction: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a screening tool that indicates whether a person is underweight, healthy weight or obesity. Fast foods are commercial, ready-to-eat meals with high fat, little fiber, and minimal vitamins or calcium. This study intended to identify baseline BMI and fast foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages intake and expenditure on those foods among school children in an urban government school. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 463 students, studying in grade 8-12 of Tri-Padma Vidyashram Secondary School during 21/02/2021 – 12/04/2021. Non probability convenience sampling and self developed structured questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS 16 was used for analysis. BMI, frequency and amount of fast foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages consumption and their monthly expenditure on those foods were measured using descriptive statistics. Results: The study shows that 382(82.5%) had normal BMI, 38(8.2%) overweight, 10(2.2%) obese, 28(6.0%) were in moderate malnutrition and 5(1.1%) were in severe malnutrition; therefore, the baseline BMI is ≥-2 to ≤ + 1 SD. 458(98.92%) respondents consume fast foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverage. Instant noodles (chowmein and packaged chow-chow) are the highly consumed fast foods 412(89.95%), followed by panipuri 394(86.02%) and samosa 386(84.27%). 263(57.42%) students/participants frequently consume fast foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverage. The mean expenditure on fast foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverage (Mean ± SD) is Rs.2676.82 ± 1363.43. Conclusion: Majority of the respondents have normal BMI. More than half respondents frequently consume fast foods, snacks and non-alcoholic beverage and expense much money though they study in government school. Key words: Body Mass Index (BMI), Fast foods, Non-alcoholic beverages, School children, Snacks.
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