Biostatistics

Research‑oriented medical education (ROME) in India is very much important in undergraduate (UG) medical education. This type of training is very much essential and useful for UG medical students. Then, only their research knowledge will be increased at MBBS level, and they definitely participated in the research activities, in their future also. By this, medical educators have to improve the medical education. For this, medical educators have enough and updated knowledge to teach to the medical students. Nowadays, this type of training will be encouraged is essential and very important to medical research, and to our nation viz., 48th World Health Assembly recommended need of medical schools for their contribution in health care delivery, research, and its implications, preventive and promotional activities in community level. Research is very much essential for the UG medical students. Then only they will become a good physician and a good research in the India. By continuous treatment given by a doctor for a long period, then only they will come to know the technique of the line of treatment and the details of the diseases like H1N1, dengue and other vector borne diseases. Due to lack of faculties and time (working days), the research activities are very less in medical colleges in India. This is to be a change in future; they only good and efficient physicians would come out from each and every medical college in India. Some faculties only motivated their students for doing research. This mentality would also to be changed in due course. The present syllabus of medical education curriculum is very limited, and this is not sufficient to the present scenario of medical UG students. Hence, I request to revise the present curriculum of medical education and add more portions related to biostatistics in the UG medical education curriculum. Then only, they will learn about all the quantitative, qualitative and other high‑level methods and techniques in their UG level studies. That is very much useful to their PG or higher level studies. So, I have to conclude that the biostatistics is very important and necessary subject in the medical education curriculum.

Background: India is contributing to around 20% of world total under five children deaths. Major cause of under five children deaths is malnutrition and multiple factors are involved in determining the nutritional status of the children. Therefore the objective of the study is to measure the prevalence of underweight and to study the selected factors associated with underweight among children under five years of age residing in a rural area. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted. We have interviewed 563 parents/guardians of under five children using a structured questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic factors, natal history, feeding practices etc. The weight (in kg) was measured using Bathroom weighing scale (> 1 year of age) and infant weighing scale and grading was done as per Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) classification.Results: The prevalence of underweight among under five children was 52.9%. Around 7% of children were severely malnourished. The prevalence of underweight among children under the age of one year was 62.4%. Females (62.6%) were more malnourished than males (44.0%). Children belonging to higher socio-economic status (40.0%) were less malnourished than lower socioeconomic status (47.2%). Conclusion: The burden of underweight was very high and some important risk factors for underweight were age, females and lower socio-economic status. Therefore, any interventions to prevent and solve the problem of undernutrition should focus on these high risk groups.

The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of domestic accidents, describe the factors associated with domestic accidents and assess the medical and economical consequences of domestic accidents. Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a semi-urban area of Tamil Nadu during February 2013. A total of 3947 study participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Study variables included were socio-demography, housing conditions, epidemiological factors, medical and economical consequences of domestic accidents. Means and proportions were calculated. The prevalence of domestic accidents was 12.7%. Out of 500 domestic accidents, falls (54.4%) was the most common type of domestic accident. Females and the respondents in age group of 21-40 years were more commonly affected. About 60% of victims received treatment. Mean duration of hospital stay, mean amount of money spent for treatment and mean number of days away from routine work for falls category were 16 days, US$25 and 8 days, respectively, which are higher than other types of accidents. The burden and impact of domestic accidents was high. Therefore, in order to prevent and control domestic accidents, promotion of house safety measures and creation of awareness among the community using IEC programmes have to be undertaken.

Background: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are emerging as a serious public health problem in India and other countries of the South-East Asia Region. The use of personal protection (PP) methods has been advocated as an effective tool against VBDs. The study aimed to determine the attitude and practices regarding mosquito borne diseases and socio-demographic determinants for use of PP methods among adults in coastal Pondicherry.

Objectives: To study the knowledge and practice of handwashing after critical moments among mothers of under five children and to recommend measures for improvement of handwashing practices based on the study findings Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was undertaken during February 2010 covering 28 villages around coastal South India. The EPI 30-cluster sampling method was used and 1898 mothers of under five children were interviewed about their knowledge and practice regarding handwashing after critical moments. Results: 83.41% mothers stated handwashing was important for prevention of communicable diseases. 77.82% opined that washing hands with only water was sufficient. 38.88% and 24.92% stated handwashing could prevent diarrhoea and ARI respectively. 80.08% mothers thought handwashing was crucial before eating meals; 56.90%, 41.73% and 40.73% respectively felt that it was important to wash hands after defeacation, before preparing food and feeding child. 73.18% mothers washed hands with soap and water after defeacation and 63.91% after cleaning the child who had defeacated. Majority wash their hands with only water before preparing food (71.86%) and feeding the child (67.39%). Mothers with per capita monthly family income of Rs.1001-2000 and more, education of 5-7 standard and above, belonging to a joint family and Christian background had better handwashing practices. However, daily labourer mothers were at highest risk of not washing hands at all critical moments. Conclusion: Knowledge and practice of handwashing is low among rural mothers. Hence there is a need to spread importance of proper and regular handwashing in rural areas through available evidence based bcc strategies and multiple dissemination channels.

Research question: What is the prevalence of anaemia among young adult female medical and nursing students and strategies required for intervention? Methodology: A cross-sectional medical institution based study was carried out between May-July 2009. Information about background characteristics, anthropometric parameters and menstrual history was obtained. Haemoglobin level was measured by Sahli's method and diet history was taken by 24-hour recall method.

Diabetics Mellitus (DM) is a condition which is the causative factor for many other impairment of the human system. One such physiological impairment is the Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). It affects the retina of the human eyes which results in the vision itself. Not only the duration of the diabetes is the cause but also many other co-factors which includes the progression of the impairment. The quantitative factors are the duration of the diabetes. The qualitative factors of binary type also contribute to this impairment.

The mosquito borne diseases of public health importance are complex and their occurrence depends on the interaction of various biological, ecological, social and economic factors. Though several measures for their prevention and control are followed, yet the problem density is too high with 300–500 million cases and 1.1–2.7 million deaths due to malaria alone globally per year1. Puducherry (earstwhile Pondicherry) has 64 species of mosquitoes causing severe mosquito nuisance2. The burden of vectorborne diseases (malaria, dengue, chikungunya and filaria) is low while Japanese encephalitis and kalaazar have not been reported from Puducherry3. The mosquito-borne diseases result in avoidable ill-health and death which also has been emphasized in National Health Policy4 and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)5. National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP)6 under the aegis of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)7 is one of the most comprehensive and multifaceted public health ...