Factors associated With the development of motor proficiency in school children of Kolkata: A cross-sectional study to assess the role of chronic nutritional and socio-economic status

Background: Socioeconomic factors are known to affect health quality, disease occurrence as well as health-seeking behaviors in several ways.Objectives: To determine the influence of socio-economic factors on awareness of cancer, healthseeking behaviors among parents of children with cancer in a developing country and occurrence of cancer using Burkitt lymphoma as index malignancy.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that involved children with cancer seen over a 2-year period in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Information was obtained by interview through administration of a questionnaire and retrieval of clinical data from patients’ case notes.Results: The caregivers of 91 children (46 boys, 45 girls) were interviewed including 86 biological parents. Majority (84.6%) of the children belonged to the low socio -economic classes 3-5; 45 of 86 parents (52.3%), more likely in parents from higher socioeconomic classes, were aware of cancer but only 7 (8.1%) knew it could occur in children. There was no association between Burkitt lymphoma and socio-economic class. Twenty-eight (30.8%) parents of the 91 children visited alternate sources of health care, most commonly traditional healers, followed by religious centers. There was no association between visits to such centers and the parents’ socio-economic status or with presentation with metastatic disease.Conclusions: Awareness of childhood cancer is low among this cohort of parents; their socioeconomic status seems to impact on this level of awareness but not on their health-seeking behaviors for their affected children. Focused health education is needed to increase childhood cancer awareness and appropriate healthseeking behavior among the population studied.Key words: socio-economic; childhood; cancer; health-seeking; behaviour; awareness

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Cross-sectional study reveals a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy school children in central Kerala, India

International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics ◽

10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20190745 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 867

Author(s):

Ayyappan Anitha ◽

Suresh A. Poovathinal ◽

Vijitha Viswambharan ◽

Ismail Thanseem ◽

Mahesh M. Vasu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

School Children ◽

Skin Color ◽

Economic Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

High Prevalence

Background: Authors examined serum vitamin D status among the healthy school children belonging to the south Indian state of Kerala.Methods: A cross-sectional study, participants were recruited through medical camps organized in Thrissur and Palakkad districts of central Kerala during the months of March and April 2017. A 174 healthy school children (98 males and 76 females) aged 5-13 years were recruited for the study. The children were found to be healthy on the basis of physical examination by a Paediatrician. None of the children had any symptoms of skeletal deformities. All the children were drug-naive. Data on height, weight, skin color, food habits, physical activities and socio-economic status were recorded. A 2ml of peripheral blood samples were collected from the participants. Total vitamin D in the serum was estimated by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA).Results: VDD was observed in 60.92% and insufficiency in 30.46% of the participants. Only 8.62% of the participants had normal vitamin D levels. The mean vitamin D level was 19.93 ng/ml. Males had significantly higher vitamin D levels compared to females. Factors such as age, height, weight, diet, skin color and socio-economic status did not influence vitamin D levels.Conclusions: This is the first study of vitamin D status among the school-age children of Kerala. This paper adds further evidence to the reports indicating high prevalence of subclinical VDD among children across India and calls for action.

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Association between socio-economic status indicators and adoption of preventive measures for influenza among Beijing residents: a cross-sectional study

Public Health ◽

10.1016/j.puhe.2016.05.022 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 140 ◽

pp. 282-285

Author(s):

Y. Zhang ◽

S.S. Wu ◽

P. Yang ◽

C. Li ◽

Y.H. Chu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preventive Measures ◽

Economic Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Socio Economic Status

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Uptake of routine vitamin A supplementation for children in Humbo district, southern Ethiopia: community-based cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09617-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Getnet Kassa ◽

Addisalem Mesfin ◽

Samson Gebremedhin

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Economic Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vitamin A Supplementation ◽

Socio Economic Status

Abstract Background In low- and middle-income countries routine vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is a key strategy for reducing vitamin A deficiency and mortality and morbidity of preschool children. However, in Ethiopia, there is paucity of evidence regarding the level and determinants of the uptake of the supplement. This study was designed to assess the coverage and predictors of VAS among preschool children in Humbo district, Southern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2016. A total of 840 mothers/caregivers having children 6–59 months of age were selected using multistage cluster sampling technique from six rural villages implementing routine VAS program. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire. Possible predictors considered in the study include distance from the nearby health facility, household socio-economic status, type of the household (model vs non-model), maternal access to health education on VAS, and knowledge on vitamin A and VAS. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of uptake of VAS. The outputs are presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The coverage of VAS was 75.0% (95% CI: 72.1–77.9). Better knowledge of mothers about the importance of the supplement (AOR: 1.49, 1.02–2.17), obtaining VAS related information from frontline community health workers (AOR: 1.51, 1.34–2.72) than health professionals and being from households in the “rich” wealth tertile (AOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.07–3.03) were positively associated with uptake VAS. Conclusion The VAS coverage of the area was approaching the expected national target of 80%. However, the uptake can be enhanced though awareness creation and improving socio-economic status of the community.

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Oral health and socio-economic status among children during Syrian crisis: a cross-sectional study

BMC Oral Health ◽

10.1186/s12903-019-0856-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bahaa Aldin Alhaffar ◽

Raeed Alawabdi ◽

Leen Barakat ◽

Chaza Kouchaji

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Economic Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Syrian Crisis ◽

Socio Economic Status

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Factors related to the role of programme directors in association with quality in postgraduate medical education – a cross-sectional study

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-019-1885-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hanna Wijk ◽

Sari Ponzer ◽

Hans Järnbert-Pettersson ◽

Lars Kihlström ◽

Jonas Nordquist

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Postgraduate Medical Education ◽

Classification Tree ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

High Quality ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Programme Director ◽

Factors Associated

Abstract Background Educational leaders have been pointed out as being important for quality of medical education. However, their actual influence on the education can be limited. At the postgraduate level, educational leadership and its connection with quality is underexplored and knowledge about how to increase its impact is lacking. An increased understanding could be used in order to prioritize actions for strengthening the role. The aim of this study was to investigate factors related to the role of programme director associated with quality in postgraduate medical education. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out. A questionnaire was sent to programme directors in Sweden (n = 519) comprising questions about background factors, work characteristics, work tasks, hindering and enabling factors, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. A logistic regression and classification tree were used to identify factors associated with high qualitative education, defined as compliance with national regulations. Results The response rate was 54% (n = 279). In total, 62% of the programme directors reported high quality and factors associated with high quality included experiences of communication with residents, superiors and supervisors, and support from the supervisors. Other factors were consensus regarding postgraduate medical education at the workplace, adequate financial resources, the programme directors’ competence, and their perceived impact on education. Factors of particular importance seemed to differ depending on whether the programme directors were responsible for one or for multiple units. Most high-quality education was found in cases where programme directors were responsible for a single unit and perceived sufficient impact on education. Conclusions These results indicated that there was an association between factors related to programme director and quality in postgraduate medical education. The findings pointed out the importance of combining activities at both individual, group and organizational levels. Relational aspects should not be underestimated; faculty development and involvement are crucial.

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