Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asia... more Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asian region has been found to have 36% adults who are hypertensive. Epidemic of hypertension is touching epic proportions today, with even children and adolescents being affected Studies highlight that excess salt consumption is a significant risk factor for development of hypertension. It has been found that consumer knowledge to a large extent influences salt consumption thus; there is a need to clarify the role of salt and beliefs in relation to its usage within the population. With this background it was decided to carry out an assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of salt consumption in a representative sample of individuals in an urban community. Methods: The survey was a descriptive study based on a validated salt knowledge assessment questionnaire administered to 405 individuals. Results: 88.9% individuals felt that high quantities of salt can damage health. 53.3% individuals were aware of the quantity of salt that is considered optimum 57.8% had a habit of sprinkling salt over food and 86.7% got their blood pressure checked regularly. Conclusion: Despite being educated large gaps in knowledge and practice still exist in the society. Until the time when there is widespread availability of food products with lower amounts of salt, active participation from consumers will be required to reduce the salt in their diet Awareness generation is the need of the hour with a holistic approach targeting the children also.
A cross sectional, descriptive interventional study directed by four research questions and three... more A cross sectional, descriptive interventional study directed by four research questions and three hypotheses was used to determine the impact of health education on knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening among secondary school teachers. Population was secondary school teachers in Enugu State. Sample size of 380 teachers in 14 schools in Enugu North Local Government Area was drawn as sample using multi-stage sampling technique. Instrument used was questionnaire. Data were presented in tables and analyzed using measures of central tendencies and percentages. Hypotheses were tested using chi-square. Findings revealed relative good knowledge, positive attitudes, poor practice and significant impact of health education on their knowledge, attitude and practice. Recommendations were made as well as suggestions for further studies.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), 2014
Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the deve... more Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the developing world. This survey was undertaken to find out prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption amongst Armed Forces personnel posted at Mumbai serving in various Ships & Shore establishments. Methods: The survey was a cross sectional descriptive study based on a questionnaire which was answered by 1531 service personnel Results: It was found that the prevalence of alcohol consumption was 55.32% and that of tobacco consumption was 18.61 %. 65.18% individuals were aware that alcohol use is injurious to health and 91.18% felt that tobacco use is injurious to health. Conclusion: Despite the high level of awareness for harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco, the prevalence of consumption was above 50% for alcohol thereby showing that more effort in the form of Behaviour Change Communication is required to be undertaken. This should address issues of hazards pertaining to alcohol consumption: the adverse effect on both the individual and his family leading to loss of man days thus affecting the moral fibre of the Armed Forces.
Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related an... more Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related and psychological (somatoform) problems. (3) In India, surveys on mental morbidity in various parts of the country suggest a prevalence rate of 18-20 per 1000. (4) A substantial number of Indian women suffer from Common Mental Disorders (CMD) which are characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, forgetfulness, insomnia, irritability, difficulty in concentrating, headaches, and psychosomatic complaints. (5) Both community-based studies and studies of treatment seekers indicate that women are, on an average, two to three times, at greater risk to be affected by CMD. (6) Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fl eeting and pass within a couple
Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the deve... more Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the developing world. This survey was undertaken to find out prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption amongst Armed Forces personnel posted at Mumbai serving in various Ships & Shore establishments. Methods: The survey was a cross sectional descriptive study based on a questionnaire which was answered by 1531 service personnel Results: It was found that the prevalence of alcohol consumption was 55.32% and that of tobacco consumption was 18.61 %. 65.18% individuals were aware that alcohol use is injurious to health and 91.18% felt that tobacco use is injurious to health. Conclusion: Despite the high level of awareness for harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco, the prevalence of consumption was above 50% for alcohol thereby showing that more effort in the form of Behaviour Change Communication is required to be undertaken. This should address issues of hazards pertaining to alcohol consumpti...
Introduction: From being declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the tra... more Introduction: From being declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, outbreak control has been the cornerstone of combating COVID-19 cases within communities and clusters. An outbreak investigation of COVID-19 positive cases was conducted in a close community setting at an industrial warehouse which included working and residential areas in the premises, with the aim to break the chain of transmission rapidly and to formulate preventive strategy for dealing with other outbreaks in a community setting. Materials and Methods: This was a study where a rapid outbreak response was carried out after two individuals tested COVID-19 positive. Following the national and local guidelines, immediate decongestion followed by aggressive contact tracing, testing and isolating the cases were done. Results: After the rapid contact tracing exercise, contacts were identified, quarantined and tested. Daily monitoring of the contacts revealed six symptomatic confirmed cases and on testing, 19 asymptomatic contacts were positive. All confirmed cases were immediately admitted to the hospital. Additional two positive cases reported from family contacts. The mean age of the individuals was 46 years. There were 9 individuals with co-morbidities and two individuals developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and expired in the hospital. The secondary attack rate was calculated to be 17.51%. Conclusion: Prompt public health measures by rapid response team, creation of containment zone, contact tracing, early isolation along with daily influenza like illness screening and strict quarantine effectively helped in containment of the outbreak in the population under study.
Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asia... more Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asian region has been found to have 36% adults who are hypertensive. Epidemic of hypertension is touching epic proportions today, with even children and adolescents being affected Studies highlight that excess salt consumption is a significant risk factor for development of hypertension. It has been found that consumer knowledge to a large extent influences salt consumption thus; there is a need to clarify the role of salt and beliefs in relation to its usage within the population. With this background it was decided to carry out an assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of salt consumption in a representative sample of individuals in an urban community. Methods: The survey was a descriptive study based on a validated salt knowledge assessment questionnaire administered to 405 individuals. Results: 88.9% individuals felt that high quantities of salt can damage health. 53.3% individuals were aware of the quantity of salt that is considered optimum 57.8% had a habit of sprinkling salt over food and 86.7% got their blood pressure checked regularly. Conclusion: Despite being educated large gaps in knowledge and practice still exist in the society. Until the time when there is widespread availability of food products with lower amounts of salt, active participation from consumers will be required to reduce the salt in their diet Awareness generation is the need of the hour with a holistic approach targeting the children also.
Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related an... more Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related and psychological (somatoform) problems. (3) In India, surveys on mental morbidity in various parts of the country suggest a prevalence rate of 18-20 per 1000. (4) A substantial number of Indian women suffer from Common Mental Disorders (CMD) which are characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, forgetfulness, insomnia, irritability, difficulty in concentrating, headaches, and psychosomatic complaints. (5) Both community-based studies and studies of treatment seekers indicate that women are, on an average, two to three times, at greater risk to be affected by CMD. (6) Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fl eeting and pass within a couple
Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asia... more Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asian region has been found to have 36% adults who are hypertensive. Epidemic of hypertension is touching epic proportions today, with even children and adolescents being affected Studies highlight that excess salt consumption is a significant risk factor for development of hypertension. It has been found that consumer knowledge to a large extent influences salt consumption thus; there is a need to clarify the role of salt and beliefs in relation to its usage within the population. With this background it was decided to carry out an assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of salt consumption in a representative sample of individuals in an urban community. Methods: The survey was a descriptive study based on a validated salt knowledge assessment questionnaire administered to 405 individuals. Results: 88.9% individuals felt that high quantities of salt can damage health. 53.3% individuals were aware of the quantity of salt that is considered optimum 57.8% had a habit of sprinkling salt over food and 86.7% got their blood pressure checked regularly. Conclusion: Despite being educated large gaps in knowledge and practice still exist in the society. Until the time when there is widespread availability of food products with lower amounts of salt, active participation from consumers will be required to reduce the salt in their diet Awareness generation is the need of the hour with a holistic approach targeting the children also.
A cross sectional, descriptive interventional study directed by four research questions and three... more A cross sectional, descriptive interventional study directed by four research questions and three hypotheses was used to determine the impact of health education on knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening among secondary school teachers. Population was secondary school teachers in Enugu State. Sample size of 380 teachers in 14 schools in Enugu North Local Government Area was drawn as sample using multi-stage sampling technique. Instrument used was questionnaire. Data were presented in tables and analyzed using measures of central tendencies and percentages. Hypotheses were tested using chi-square. Findings revealed relative good knowledge, positive attitudes, poor practice and significant impact of health education on their knowledge, attitude and practice. Recommendations were made as well as suggestions for further studies.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), 2014
Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the deve... more Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the developing world. This survey was undertaken to find out prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption amongst Armed Forces personnel posted at Mumbai serving in various Ships & Shore establishments. Methods: The survey was a cross sectional descriptive study based on a questionnaire which was answered by 1531 service personnel Results: It was found that the prevalence of alcohol consumption was 55.32% and that of tobacco consumption was 18.61 %. 65.18% individuals were aware that alcohol use is injurious to health and 91.18% felt that tobacco use is injurious to health. Conclusion: Despite the high level of awareness for harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco, the prevalence of consumption was above 50% for alcohol thereby showing that more effort in the form of Behaviour Change Communication is required to be undertaken. This should address issues of hazards pertaining to alcohol consumption: the adverse effect on both the individual and his family leading to loss of man days thus affecting the moral fibre of the Armed Forces.
Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related an... more Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related and psychological (somatoform) problems. (3) In India, surveys on mental morbidity in various parts of the country suggest a prevalence rate of 18-20 per 1000. (4) A substantial number of Indian women suffer from Common Mental Disorders (CMD) which are characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, forgetfulness, insomnia, irritability, difficulty in concentrating, headaches, and psychosomatic complaints. (5) Both community-based studies and studies of treatment seekers indicate that women are, on an average, two to three times, at greater risk to be affected by CMD. (6) Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fl eeting and pass within a couple
Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the deve... more Background: The epidemic of non communicable diseases has begun its tragic shift towards the developing world. This survey was undertaken to find out prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption amongst Armed Forces personnel posted at Mumbai serving in various Ships & Shore establishments. Methods: The survey was a cross sectional descriptive study based on a questionnaire which was answered by 1531 service personnel Results: It was found that the prevalence of alcohol consumption was 55.32% and that of tobacco consumption was 18.61 %. 65.18% individuals were aware that alcohol use is injurious to health and 91.18% felt that tobacco use is injurious to health. Conclusion: Despite the high level of awareness for harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco, the prevalence of consumption was above 50% for alcohol thereby showing that more effort in the form of Behaviour Change Communication is required to be undertaken. This should address issues of hazards pertaining to alcohol consumpti...
Introduction: From being declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the tra... more Introduction: From being declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern and the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, outbreak control has been the cornerstone of combating COVID-19 cases within communities and clusters. An outbreak investigation of COVID-19 positive cases was conducted in a close community setting at an industrial warehouse which included working and residential areas in the premises, with the aim to break the chain of transmission rapidly and to formulate preventive strategy for dealing with other outbreaks in a community setting. Materials and Methods: This was a study where a rapid outbreak response was carried out after two individuals tested COVID-19 positive. Following the national and local guidelines, immediate decongestion followed by aggressive contact tracing, testing and isolating the cases were done. Results: After the rapid contact tracing exercise, contacts were identified, quarantined and tested. Daily monitoring of the contacts revealed six symptomatic confirmed cases and on testing, 19 asymptomatic contacts were positive. All confirmed cases were immediately admitted to the hospital. Additional two positive cases reported from family contacts. The mean age of the individuals was 46 years. There were 9 individuals with co-morbidities and two individuals developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and expired in the hospital. The secondary attack rate was calculated to be 17.51%. Conclusion: Prompt public health measures by rapid response team, creation of containment zone, contact tracing, early isolation along with daily influenza like illness screening and strict quarantine effectively helped in containment of the outbreak in the population under study.
Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asia... more Background: As per the WHO global status report on Non Communicable Diseases, the South East Asian region has been found to have 36% adults who are hypertensive. Epidemic of hypertension is touching epic proportions today, with even children and adolescents being affected Studies highlight that excess salt consumption is a significant risk factor for development of hypertension. It has been found that consumer knowledge to a large extent influences salt consumption thus; there is a need to clarify the role of salt and beliefs in relation to its usage within the population. With this background it was decided to carry out an assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of salt consumption in a representative sample of individuals in an urban community. Methods: The survey was a descriptive study based on a validated salt knowledge assessment questionnaire administered to 405 individuals. Results: 88.9% individuals felt that high quantities of salt can damage health. 53.3% individuals were aware of the quantity of salt that is considered optimum 57.8% had a habit of sprinkling salt over food and 86.7% got their blood pressure checked regularly. Conclusion: Despite being educated large gaps in knowledge and practice still exist in the society. Until the time when there is widespread availability of food products with lower amounts of salt, active participation from consumers will be required to reduce the salt in their diet Awareness generation is the need of the hour with a holistic approach targeting the children also.
Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related an... more Worldwide, about 500 million people are believed to be suffering from neurotic, stress-related and psychological (somatoform) problems. (3) In India, surveys on mental morbidity in various parts of the country suggest a prevalence rate of 18-20 per 1000. (4) A substantial number of Indian women suffer from Common Mental Disorders (CMD) which are characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, forgetfulness, insomnia, irritability, difficulty in concentrating, headaches, and psychosomatic complaints. (5) Both community-based studies and studies of treatment seekers indicate that women are, on an average, two to three times, at greater risk to be affected by CMD. (6) Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fl eeting and pass within a couple
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