abstract:Objectives: Various studies across the globe have emphasised that students undertaking professional courses, such as medical and dental studies, are subjected to higher stress. Excessive stress could lead to psychological problems like depression and anxiety. The objective of the current study was to assess stress among students of various professional colleges and its association with various academic, social and health-related factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2011 to February 2012 among students of medical, dental and engineering colleges from the urban area of Sangli district, Maharashtra, India, using a convenience sampling technique. The calculated total sample size was 1,200. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used for the data collection. Analysis was done using percentage, the chi-square test, binary logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Out of the 1,224 respondents, 299 (24.4%) experienced stress. Among them 115 (38.5%), 102 (34.1%) and 82 (27.4%) were dental, medical and engineering students, respectively. There was a statistically significant association between stress and the field of education. Stress was observed in 187 (27.7%) females and 112 (20.4%) males; the association with gender was statistically significant. By applying binary logistic regression, medical studies, health and lifestyle factors, and academic factors were the significant predictors for stress. Conclusion: Students from all the three fields studied were exposed to stress. Academic factors were one of the most important stressors. The introduction of stress management education into the curriculum could prove useful in combatting this problem. -Similarly, this study highlights the importance of creating positive environments at colleges and hostels to decrease stress among students. Keywords

Context:Breast and cervical cancer are the most common causes of cancer mortality among women worldwide, but actually they are largely preventable diseases. Healthcare providers in developing countries regularly see women with advanced, incurable cancers. Health of a rural Indian women and her access to health facility is compromised due to sociocultural, economical, and environmental factors.Aims:To know the problems associated with early detection of cancers in rural women.Settings and Design:Rural area and cross-sectional.Subjects and Methods:Study subject: Women of 35 years and above. Exclusion criteria: Not willing to participate. Sample size: All eligible women of selected villages.Sampling Technique:Random selection of villages. Study duration: 2 months. Study tools: Pretested questionnaire.Statistical Analysis Used:Percentages, χ2 test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate analysis.Results:Awareness about symptoms, possibility of early detection, available tests, possibility of cure of disease was low. Main barrier for screening was cognitive, that is, ‘don’t know’ answer by 83.99% women for cancer cervix, 84.93%, for cancer breast, and 67.26% for oral cancer. Awareness score was significantly associated with age (χ2 = 17.77, P = 0.001), education (χ2 = 34.62, P = 0.000), and income (χ2 = 16.72, P = 0.002); while attitude score with age (χ2 = 16.27, P = 0.012) and education (χ2 = 25.16, P = 0.003). Practice score was significantly associated with age (χ2 = 11.28, P = 0.023), education (χ2 = 32.27, P = 0.003), and occupation (χ2 = 10.69, P = 0.03). Awareness, attitude, and practice score of women having history of cancer in family or relative was significantly high than women without history.Conclusions:Cognitive barrier was the important barrier which has to be taken care of.

Background:Maternal exposure to kitchen fuel smoke may lead to impaired fetal growth.Objective:To study the effect of exposure to various kitchen fuels on birth weight.Methodology:Study type: Retrospective analytical. Study setting: Hospital based.Study Subjects:Mothers and their newborns.Inclusion Criteria:Mothers registered in first trimester with minimum 3 visits, non-anemic, full-term, and singleton delivery.Exclusion Criteria:History of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), tobacco chewers or mishri users. Sample size: 328 mothers and their new-borne. Study period: Six months. Study tools: Chi-square, Z-test, ANOVA, and binary logistic regression.Results:Effect of confounders on birth weight was tested and found to be non-significant. Mean ± SD of birth weight was 2.669 ± 0.442 in Liquid Petroleium Gas (LPG) users (n = 178), 2.465 ± 0.465 in wood users (n = 94), 2.557 ± 0.603 in LPG + wood users (n = 27) and 2.617 ± 0.470 in kerosene users (n = 29). Infants born to wood users had lowest birth weight and averagely 204 g lighter than LPG users (F = 4.056, P < 0.01). Percentage of newborns with low birth weight (LBW) in wood users was 44.68% which was significantly higher than in LPG users (24.16%), LPG + wood users (40.74%) and in kerosene users (34.48%) (Chi-square = 12.926, P < 0.01). As duration of exposure to wood fuel increases there is significant decline in birth weight (F = 3.825, P < 0.05). By using logistic regression type of fuel is only best predictor.Conclusion:Cooking with wood fuel is a significant risk-factor for LBW, which is modifiable.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcer is the commonest cause of hospitalization in diabetic patients. Amputation is one of its dreaded complications, which deteriorates quality of life and increases mortality. Most of amputations are preventable and it is essential to define standard and efficient approach to treat diabetic foot ulcer in a timely manner. The first step is to define correct grade of diabetic foot ulcer and its risk of developing complications. Aim was to assess the outcome of treatment of diabetic foot ulcer with the given PEDIS score and to find the role of PEDIS score in predicting the outcome.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. PEDIS score was calculated after all variables were categorized for a give patient and documented. PEDIS score was recorded for each patient. Patients followed up for 6 months and outcome was categorized as healed, unhealed, amputed, or death. Study was carried out till adequate sample size was achieved.Results: High PEDIS score in diabetic foot ulcer was associated with peripheral neuropathy. Adverse outcome like amputation and unhealed ulcer were more seen with high PEDIS score. All amputed patients were having high PEDIS score.Conclusions: PEDIS score is more useful in clinical practice for diabetic foot ulcer grading and can be uniformly applied to compare outcome all over the world.

Background: Recorded leprosy case load has come down from to less than one case per 10,000 populations at national level in December 2005. Considerable changes in the epidemiological pattern of the disease have been observed due to the historical trend of the disease; the impact of interventions; the efficacy of chemotherapy and the role of improved health services. This study was planned to know the pattern of leprosy cases attending tertiary care hospital, their treatment & outcome. Methods: It is a retrospective study conducted from Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College & Hospital from 2007 till December 2015. Study-subjects include patients with leprosy and sample size includes all the patients of leprosy from January 2007 to December 2015. The study-tools: records, biopsy tissue blocks. Statistical analysis: percentages. Results: There were total 42 cases. Total 9.5% were children. Male to female ratio was 1.33:1. Two (4.8%) patients gave family history of leprosy, 23 (54.8%) were from rural area. Clinically 16.66% patients had single patch, 50% had nerve involvement. The most common type was borderline tuberculoid leprosy (35.7%). Out of these 42 cases 22 cases had completed the treatment, 14 on treatment. Six patients were defaulted. Conclusions: Early diagnosis & treatment of leprosy is happening as none of the cases had disability. History of contact in study subject was not common & presence of leprosy in paediatric age group indicates continued transmission. However there is a need of strong follow-up system for defaulters.

No abstract

No abstract

Background:Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. Every year, millions of cancer patients could be saved from premature death and and suffering if they had timely access to early detection and treatment. There are two main components of early detection: early diagnosis and screening. In India, cancers of cervix, breast, mouth/oropharynx are the most frequent cancers in women. These cancers are amenable to early detection. More than two third of the cancer patients are already in an advanced and incurable stage at the time of diagnosis.Objectives:This study was designed with the aim to know the reasons for non availment of cancer screening procedures and early diagnostic facilities.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was planned in Sangli, Miraj and Kupwad Corporation area during October 2013 - March 2014 by a pretested questionnaire. Women of 25 years and above were study subjects selected randomly from a cluster sample of ward with estimated sample size of 559 women. Statistical analysis was done with the help of IBM SPSS 22.Results:Nearly 74% of women said that cancer is curable. For awareness about signs and symptoms, risk factors and screening test 82.3% women scored less than 50% of total score. Only 17.7% women had awareness score more than 50%. But their attitude score was > 50% in 85.2% of women. For practice score, 24.4% women scored > 50%. Significant association was found between awareness, attitude and practice scores and education, occupation and history of cancer in family, friends and neighborhood of respondents.Conclusions:Low awareness is the main barrier for undergoing cancer screening and early detection. There is a need of effective health education programme.