Indian journal of public health最新文献

Summary: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally and the prevention and control of these diseases tend to entail longer and larger social and economic commitments on the part of governments. This systematic review (SR) aims to understand the quantum, diversity, and quality of implementation research (IR) done in the field of CVDs in India with a view to maximizing the utility of the efforts made by the government. The evidence was collated on IR on CVDs in India conducted in the past 20 years (2001-2021) using a SR approach. The SR was drafted using Preferred Reporting Items for SRs and Meta-analyses guidelines. Academic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Science Direct) and nonacademic databases (Google Scholar and ProQuest) were chosen, along with repositories of gray literature. Retrieved articles were screened for titles and abstracts and assessed by two independent reviewers. The articles also underwent a concomitant risk of bias assessment utilizing checklists (STARI, STROBE, CONSORT, etc.,) and a narrative summary was drafted using SwiM guidelines. In the final analysis, 10 articles that fitted the inclusion criteria of IR for CVD in India were included, of which seven were directed at IR on hypertension, and three were related to coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Acceptability, adoption, and feasibility were the only attributes of IR that were explored in these studies.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) management continues to be a challenge globally; weakened immunity plays a significant role in the reactivation of TB. There is limited information on hematological parameters in patients with pulmonary TB and its association with outcome.

Objectives: We present hematological parameters of newly diagnosed sputum-positive pulmonary TB patients enrolled in a randomized, clinical trial that assessed the efficacy and safety of 3 and 4 regimens using moxifloxacin.

Materials and methods: Blood hematological parameters at baseline, comparison of the baseline and end of treatment values, including the monocytes by lymphocytes ratio (M/L), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (N/L), and platelet lymphocyte ratio (P/L) between the patients with favorable and unfavorable TB treatment outcome, and among different age group and sex presented in this paper.

Results: Among the total 1059 patients, 782 were males, the mean hemoglobin (HB) ± standard deviation (SD) was 11.5 g/dL ± 2.0, the mean white blood cell (WBC) count ± SD was 9800 ± 3009 and the mean platelet count (in lakhs) ± SD was 4.24 ± 1.42 cells/uL. There was an increase from baseline in the mean hemoglobin, eosinophil, and lymphocyte count and a decrease in mean neutrophil, monocyte counts to the end of treatment. There was a decrease in baseline mean total WBC count posttreatment, both in favorable (10,271 cells/uL ± 3007 SD to 6689 cells/uL ± 1837 SD, [P ≤ 0.001]), and unfavorable TB outcome patients.

Conclusion: An increase in HB, and a decrease in WBC count, M/L, N/L, and P/L ratio is possible at the end of TB treatment and future studies to correlate blood hematology parameters with TB treatment outcome.

Background: Despite genetic testing being recommended by international guidelines for the selection of targeted therapy for prostate cancer (PCa), limited data are available on genetic testing for PCa in India.

Objectives: The objective is to understand the current genetic testing practice pattern for PCa in India.

Materials and methods: A panel of 9 experts developed and validated a premeeting online questionnaire comprising 12 objective questions. The questionnaire was circulated from February 2022 to May 2022 among medical oncologists and uro-oncologists across pan-India, followed by response collection over 3 months. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results and concluding statements were formulated on current genetic testing practice patterns for PCa.

Results: A total of 103 responses were received. Genetic testing was advised by 35.9% of the participants in <5% of patients with PCa. Patients with a family history of PCa (88.3%) were most commonly referred for genetic testing. Nearly half (50.2%) of the participants routinely tested for homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes; 52% used blood and tissue as the most preferred specimen for performing genetic testing and 44.7% followed the testing sequence of tumor tissue followed by blood. Major barriers to genetic testing were affordability and scarcity of genetic counselors, while a major change could be brought by making it cost-effective and improving access to medication.

Conclusions: We observed a lower prescription frequency of genetic testing for the HRR gene across pan-India. Improving the quality and access to genetic testing and the availability of cost-effective-targeted therapies will aid in delivering personalized care to patients with metastatic PCa.

Summary: In Asian cultures, discussing sexual matters with adolescents is often considered taboo and culturally or religiously sensitive. Due to a lack of knowledge and skills, many parents find approaching such a topic with their children challenging, fearing that raising such an issue will bring concerns about encouraging promiscuity. This systematic review aims to assess evidence on Asian parents' perspectives and practices regarding delivering sexuality information to adolescents. It also seeks to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder the effective delivery of such knowledge. The electronic databases EBSCO-CINAHL, Scopus, and Science Direct were searched using keywords and synonyms such as "sexuality information," "sexuality education," "parent-child," "communication," and "Asian." The studies' quality was assessed using the Mixed-Method Assessment Tool. A comprehensive database search identified 1392 potentially relevant literature sources for this review. Following the application of inclusion criteria, a final set of 16 eligible full-text research articles was selected for inclusion in the review. In most quantitative literature, parents were found to have a good level of knowledge, whereas most qualitative studies reported the opposite, indicating inadequate knowledge. Seven studies highlighted the cultural denial of delivering regarding sexuality, whereas six studies emphasized the need for parental support. Negative experiences, including discomfort, shyness, embarrassment, fear of intimidation, and fearful encounters, were reported in the literature. In conclusion, this review aims to pinpoint gaps and challenges in the delivery of sexuality education among Asian parents, offering valuable insights for public health practitioners and policymakers.

Summary: Arbovirus-borne dengue fever remains a global public health threat. The actual burden of dengue infection may be underestimated due to undiagnosed or misdiagnosed fever cases. The distribution of dengue is influenced by both climatic and nonclimatic factors, including global warming, which affects the vector population and transmission period. Other factors, such as serotype evolution and host immunity, also contribute to the spread of the virus. Different serotypes of the dengue virus show different clinical manifestations. The prevalence of serotypes varies geographically and over time. Early diagnosis and characterization of circulating viruses at the genomic level are important for disease prevention and control.

Summary: In adolescence, dating behavior may escalate into sexual contact which has implications for unwanted pregnancies followed by various negative effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of self-efficacy on adolescent motivation and analyze the influence of motivation on the adoption of Sexual Abstinence. This study is an observational analytic with a cross-sectional approach, sampling using the Multistage Cluster Random technique with a total of 299 respondents. The data analysis used is Structural Equation Model test at a significance of 0.05. The results showed that there was an influence of self-efficacy variable on motivation with a P value of 0.010 and there was no influence of the motivation variable on the adoption of sexual abstinence with a P value of 0.225. High self-efficacy in adolescents can increase adolescent motivation in adopting sexual abstinence behavior. It takes effort to increase self-efficacy in adolescents which can affect the motivation in adopting sexual abstinence.

Background: At the beginning of the pandemic, quarantine was thought to be the most effective way to contain the spread of the virus among international travelers and any potential carriers.

Objectives: This study assessed the type of quarantine, compliance to quarantine measures (QM), mood, and any social stigma faced during that period.

Materials and methods: After approval from the institutional ethics committee, a telephonic interview survey was conducted. Individuals above 18 years of age visiting the only functioning COVID-19 screening outpatient department at Kasturba Hospital between March 1, 2020, and March 10, 2020 were included in the study. A total of 263 individuals were interviewed.

Results: Out of 263 respondents, 71% and 34% of individuals had a history of international travel and contact history, respectively. Only 63% had read the guidelines on home QM. Among individuals quarantined, 127 that living alone in their apartments, 60 were in a single room with relatives outside, 37 were living with family members because they did not have another room, and 39 were staying in a facility quarantine center. On assessing the QM followed, wearing a mask was the least followed (46%). The average score of compliance to QM was 82.6%. Seventy-two per cent rated their mood as "5" on a scale of 1-10. Social stigma was reported by 7.6% of respondents.

Conclusion: Among the early set of quarantined individuals in the city during the first wave of the pandemic, average score of compliance to QM was high even though lesser people recalled reading the guideline on home QM.