Preferences and Practices regarding Delivery Place: A community-based cross-sectional study in Agra city, Uttar Pradesh

Background: Understanding preferences and practices for delivery place among women would assist in better resource utilization for skilled attendants. Objectives: To study factors influencing women’s preference and practice regarding their place of delivery. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Agra from 1st October 2018 to 31st October 2020. Multi-stage random sampling was used. Data was collected using semi-structured interview schedule. Both bivariate and multivariate analysis was done. Result: Majority (72.67%) of women had preference for delivery at government hospital while 19.67% for private hospital and only 7.67% for home. In actual practice, 58.33% had delivered at government hospital and 32.33% delivered at private hospital while 9.33 % at home. On multiple-logistic regression analysis, parity found to have significant association with preference of delivery at government hospital. Preference for delivery in private hospital was found to be significant with OBC caste and in women whose husband has skilled/highly-skilled occupation. In actual practice, Government hospital as delivery place found to have significant association with parity and presence of ASHA. Private hospital as a delivery place found significant with literate mothers and parity. Conclusion: Majority had preferred and practiced institutional delivery, preferring government hospital over private hospital. In actual practice, delivery at private hospital as well as home delivery out-numbered the preferred proportion.

Association of socio-demographic characteristics with knowledge and perception about disease among newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients in western Utter Pradesh: a cross-sectional study

Background: TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. The risk of TB is high among populations living in poverty, low socioeconomic groups, low income, immune-suppressed (including AIDS), and extreme age (old age and children) groups, etc. Methods: The study was conducted in TB and chest department of Sarojini Naidu medical college Agra city. The total number of patients registered during the period of July to September 2017 was 518; out of these 288 were new pulmonary and extrapulmonary patients. Out of 288 subjects, 123 were pulmonary patients. All the 123 new pulmonary tuberculosis patients (both smear +ve and smear -ve) were included in the study. 18 patients were loss to follow up after registration thus final effective sample size was 105 for further follow-up study. Results: Overwhelming (84.76%) patients belonged to a lower socioeconomic class. The maximum number (85.33%) of the study subjects among upper lower socioeconomic status had no knowledge regarding causative microbes of the disease (p=0.001). Conclusions: The majority of patients belong to illiterate, lower socioeconomic group, married and other than general cast, living in a joint, overcrowded family with more than four family members. About half of the subjects not knowing the method of prevention & consequence of treatment interruption. Most of them felt that quality of life affected after disease and about 1/4th of them felt hurtful behaviour of family members.

Overweight and Obesity among Primary School Going Children in Urban Agra

Introduction: Childhood obesity is global nutritional concern. It is precursor of various non- communicable diseases and metabolic disorders in adulthood. Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school students in urban Agra. Method: This cross-sectional study was done among 200 children studying in grades 1st to 5th in government and private school of Agra. List of all schools in Agra city having 1 to 5 classes was obtained from official website of Agra District Authorities. One government and one private school were selected. 100 students were selected from each selected school. A pre-designed and pre-tested administered questionnaire was used to collect information and anthropometric measurement; height and weight of the student measured to calculate Basal Metabolic Index (BMI). Overweight/obesity was defined using age and sex specific body mass index cut off points. Result: Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 16.5% and 7% respectively. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was more in boys as compared to girls. Obesity is seen only in private school students. Conclusion:In the present study, the magnitude of overweight and obesity is high among boys and children studying in private school. Health education should be given in the schools so as to educate children as well as parents regarding risk factors, preventive measures and the consequences of overweight and obesity.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of polycystic ovarian disease in professional college going girls of Agra City: a cross-sectional study

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Disease is the most common endocrine disorder among females of reproductive age group. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of PCOS and its associated risk factors in girls of 18-30 years of age, studying in various professional colleges of Agra city.Methods: Sample size for this study was calculated as 1108. Girls from various professional colleges in Agra were approached (n=1280), 36 girls disagreed to give consent and 64 forms were incomplete. 1200 agreed to participate. They were asked to fill up a questionnaire asking details of menstrual cycle and features of hyperandrogenism. Anthropometric measurements like height, weight, waist and hip circumference were taken. Blood pressure was measured. A probable case was defined as a girl with menstrual irregularity or hirsutism or both. All the probable cases were asked for detailed examination, hormone estimation, and ovarian ultrasonography.Results: Of the 1200 girls, 220(18.30%) had menstrual irregularity, 101(8.40%) had hirsutism, and 65(5.40%) had both menstrual irregularity and hirsutism. After hormonal evaluation and ultrasonography, prevalence of PCOS according to Rotterdam’s criteria was found to be 16.60% .PCOS was found to be significantly associated with socioeconomic status I and II, non-vegetarian diet, snacking, inadequate physical activity, obesity and overweight, central obesity, prehypertension and hypertension, family history of PCOS and self-perceived feeling of disturbed emotional health in girls.Conclusions: An early lifestyle modification and health education among girls is required to reduce PCOS and its complications in girls.

Nomophobia: An emerging fear

In the current time, the use of technologies has become propensity more than necessity. Nobody has gotten away from them nor left youth or old. It's totally relying upon us How to utilize it? One such live innovation is a Smartphone. At only one touch we approach any data about the entire world. It is very easy to carry in our pocket so everyone can use it anytime whenever. Smartphone has some constructive as well as some cynical aspects too. Nomophobia is a negative face of the smartphone. Nomophobia is the irrational dread of being without cell phones or being not able to utilize phones (situational phobia) for some reason such as some signal or battery issues. Theprimary point of the current research is to find out the proportion of Nomophobia among understudies with regardof gender and age in Agra city. For this purpose, a total number of 300 students were selected by randomization (150 males and 150 females) from the age scope of 15-20 years. The data was taken by using a self-administered questionnaire NMP-Q developed by Yilidirim and Correia. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mean and Chi-square. Results revealed that there is a significant difference between male and female score on nomophobia. The other result indicates that early adolescents positively related to Nomophobia as compare to late adolescents. In India, one person can use multiple cell phones. There is no minimum age to use mobile phones. It is adding fuel to the pre-existing problem of Nomophobia. Telecom Administrative Authority of India (TRAI) should assume a functioning job by making an arrangement/law that "setting based methodology" on cell phone limitations among individuals ought to be followed. A demonstration will be detailed, under this demonstration. There ought to choose the least age for portable use. It will assist a great deal with curbing the circumstance.