Insecticide-treated bednets as an environment friendly method for malaria control

Malaria is a mosquito borne public health problem in some ninety countries worldwide affecting at least 300 million people. It imposes economic burden on families, businesses, health systems, government budgets and is associated with poverty, poor health and malnutrition among children. Among various methods of mosquito control, mosquito nets specially when they are treated with insecticides provide safest, cheapest, effective, free of side effects, environmental friendly and easy to use method which provide both individual and community benefits. Other methods of personal protection like mosquito coils, mats, repellents, liquid vaporisers and insecticides like DDT are associated with hazards to human health or environment. Therefore strategies like social marketing are required to promote the large scale use of insecticide treated bednets.

Key words: Malaria, insecticide treated bednets (ITN), hazards, mosquito repellents

Insecticide-treated Bednets Use as an Environment Friendly Method for
Malaria Control. Authiors: Charu Kohli, Jugal Kishore

http://www.stmjournals.com/index.php?journal=JoEECC&page=issue&op=view&path%5B%5D=109

Question bank in Community Medicine

The book provides all previous ten years question papers of various universities of India which are arranged chapter-wise and logically and focusing on must know and nice to know areas. Each question has been labeled with year and university in which it has appeared. The book contains more than 3700 questions and also frame of answers for few questions.

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Practical and Viva in Community Medicine

This book consists of socio-clinical history taking in the family and community setting, clinical case presentation, statistical and epidemiological exercise, spots, and short question answers and viva questions. This is very useful book for practical examination in community medicine/preventive and social medicine/public health/community nursing/family medicine both for undergraduate and post graduate students.

A textbook of health worker & Auxiliary Nurse Midwife

This book is meant for auxiliary nurse midwife, health workers, sanitary inspector, TB health visitors, NGO workers. It covers-Introduction of human body, home nursing, first aid, concept of health, fundamentals of epidemiology, immunity, hygiene, oral health, environmental health, biomedical waste management, airborne diseases, contact diseases, blood borne diseases, water borne diseases, zoonoses, vector borne diseases, emerging and re-emerging diseases, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, home visiting, population health, RCH, nutrition, mental health, school health, communication and health education, social welfare.

PREVALENCE OF TOBACCO USE IN GROUP C AND D EMPLOYEES IN A MEDICAL COLLEGE OF DELHI

One in three adults worldwide smokes tobacco and smoking is characterized by chemical dependence which falls into a model of chronic disease. Consumption of tobacco is a public health problem, which involves all age groups and all strata of people. This study aims to find out the prevalence of tobacco use and smoking and nicotine dependence among Group C and D employees of a medical college. We carried out a cross sectional study among 115 Group C and D employees of a Medical College, New Delhi, using predesigned and pretested questionnaire to describe the tobacco consumption and the Fagerstrom test to screen the patients with nicotine dependence. The data were collected and analyzed using EPI- INFO 3.5.1 version. Results showed that the prevalence of tobacco use in Groups C & D was 38% with significant male preponderance and out of these daily user group accounts for 28.7%. Prevalence of tobacco use was significantly higher in Group D being 51% as compared to 24% in Group C. Very high nicotine dependency was seen in age group 31–40 years, which was 57.1%. Around 58% of employees with middle school education were tobacco users and as education level increased, the proportion of tobacco users declined. With rising income level, the tobacco use decreased. To conclude, tobacco use among Group C and D workers in a medical college is high and the major concern is nicotine dependence. This also highlights the need of an educational package to decrease the use of tobacco and motivation for accepting treatment for nicotine dependence.

Authors: Aayushi Jain, Jugal Kishore, Jyotiranjan Sahoo. Research & Review: A Journal of Health Professionals 2011; 2-3 (1): 24-30

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice for tobacco control among dental professionals in the city of Delhi

To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of dental practitioners in Delhi concerning use of tobacco in their patients, a self-administered questionnaire was administered to conveniently selected 100 subjects consisted of students, interns, institutional, and private dental practitioners. Although knowledge about harmful effects of tobacco was high but only some advocate tobacco cessation practices actively, maintain records on tobacco use and follow-up on advice to patients to quit. However, all felt that there is a need to include tobacco cessation in their daily practice. Lack of formal training in tobacco prevention and cessation, lack of time, lack of resources and skills, not optimistic about the effectiveness of their counseling, and thought that it was not their role are most often cited to explain the reluctance of dentists and hygienists to provide tobacco cessation interventions. This is considered a lost opportunity for them which can be better utilized if they are trained for this important task.

Authors: Neha Gupta, P Jain, Jugal Kishore. Research & Review: A Journal of Health Professionals 2011; 2-3(1): 16-23.

http://www.stmjournals.com/index.php?journal=RRJoHP&page=article&op=viewFile&path%5B%5D=1440&path%5B%5D=277

Myths, beliefs and perceptions about mental disorders and health-seeking behavior in Delhi, India

Objectives: To assess the perceptions, myths and beliefs about mental disorders and health seeking behavior in the India. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out with a sample of 436 subjects (360 subjects from urban and rural communities of Delhi; 76 medical professionals working in different organizations in Delhi). Pre-tested interview schedule consisting items on perceptions, myths and beliefs about causes, treatment and health seeking behavior for mental disorders was used. The collected data was statistically analyzed using computer software package Epi-info. Appropriate tests of significance were applied to detect any significant association. Results: The mental disorders could be because of loss of semen or vaginal secretion (Rural=33.9%; Urban=8.6%, professional 1.3%), less sexual desire (Rural =23.7%; Urban = 18%), excessive masturbation (Rural=15.3%; Urban=9.8%), gods punishment for their past sins (Rural=39.6%; Urban=20.7%; professional 5.2%), and polluted air (Rural=51.5%; Urban=11.5%; professional 5.2%). More people (37.7%) living in joint families than nuclear families (26.5%) believed that sadness and unhappiness cause mental disorders. 34.8% of rural and 18% of the urban subjects believed that children do not get mental disorders that means they have conception of adult oriented mental disorders. 40.2% in rural, 33.3% in urban areas and 7.9% professional believed that mental illnesses are untreatable. Many believed that psychiatrists whom they think are eccentric (Rural=46.1%; urban 18.4%; professional 37.9%), tend to know nothing and do nothing (Rural=21.5%; Urban 13.7%; professional 3.9) while 74.4% of rural, 37.1% of urban and 17.6% professional subjects do not know that the psychiatry is a branch of medicine. More people in rural areas than urban area think that keeping fasting or a faith healer can cure them from mental illnesses where as 11.8% of medical professional believed it. Most of the people like to go to someone close who can listens to their problems when they are said and anxious. Only 25.3 in rural and 34.7% in rural population would like to go to psychiatrist when they or their family members are suffering from mental illness. Conclusion: This study concluded that the myths and misconceptions are prevalent significantly more in rural areas than urban and medical professionals and need to be communicated to change their behavior for positive attitude to mental disorders so that health seeking behavior can improve.

Available from: http://www.indianjpsychiatry.org/text.asp?2011/53/4/324/91906