Background: Two of the most common mental health conditions in the postpartum phase are postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, which frequently impact domestic life, infant attachment, and maternal well-being. According to recent research, non-pharmacologic interventions specifically, structured exercise—are crucial for maintaining maternal mental health. Objective: the main goal of this review is to evaluate how structured postpartum exercise regimens affect women's postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms. Methods: Postnatal exercise, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and maternal mental health were searched in literature using Pub Med, Scopus, and Google Scholar exhaustively. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials of studies from 2015 to 2025 were included. Discussion: Walking, yoga, stretching, and aerobic training are examples of gentle to moderate physical exercise, which are linked with improvement in mood regulation, balance of cortisol and serotonin levels, self-esteem, and social support. Exercise improves the physical and mental recovery of postpartum women when added to routine care. Conclusions: Exercise after childbirth is an innocuous, valuable, and efficient adjunct therapy for decreasing depression and anxiety among mothers. Systematic exercise is able to improve mother screening outcomes, increase the health of families, and provide long-term recuperation when incorporated into daily postpartum care.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as a significant global health challenge, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This review examines the rising burden of NCDs, focusing on global and Indian trends, risk factors, and socioeconomic implications. NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, accounted for 74% of global deaths in 2019, up from 56.75% in 1990. In India, NCD-related deaths increased from 35.87% to 64.93% during the same period. Key risk factors include tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and alcohol consumption, alongside metabolic factors such as hypertension and obesity. The economic impact is substantial, with NCDs projected to cost the global economy over US$30 trillion between 2011-2030. The burden of NCDs, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), has also risen significantly. This review underscores the urgent need for comprehensive prevention and control strategies, emphasizing the importance of multi-sectoral approaches and primary healthcare interventions to address this growing epidemic.

Background: Cardiotocography (CTG) is a vital tool in obstetric practice for real-time fetal monitoring. However, its predictive value in identifying neonatal asphyxia remains underexplored, particularly in the critical hour before delivery. Aim of the Study: This study investigates the association between CTG monitoring in the last hour before delivery and neonatal asphyxia, aiming to evaluate its predictive value. Patients and Methods:This study is a descriptive retrospectivecohort study conducted at Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital between January 2024 and January 2025. The study included 250 pregnant women presented with labourcondition to the mentionedhospital, CTG monitoring was applied continuously. After delivery (whether by vaginal delivery or caesarean section)CTG of last hour before delivery was compared for the neonates who had asphyxia and those without asphyxia. Inclusion criteria were: Term months, no history of taking drug, before delivery that affects the heart rate of the foetus (as magnesium sulphate, narcotics and pain killers), no history of fever, no history of drugs, addition, not smoker, not alcoholic, babies without congenital anomalies. Exclusion criteria: Preterms, mothers with medical disease like diabetes mellitus and hypertension,addiction to smoking and alcohol, mothers taking drugs that affect the heart rate of the focus like (magnesium sulphate, narcotics and pain killers, maternal fever, neonates with congenital anomaly, extremes of reproductive age group and extremes of BMI (<18.5 or ≥ 25 kg/m2). Results: Pathological CTG patterns were observed in 70% of the asphyxia group, compared to 1.6% in the non-asphyxia group. Late decelerations, absent variability, and accelerations were significantly associated with asphyxia. Caesarean delivery was more common in the asphyxia group. The need of NICU admissions further emphasized the poor neonatal outcomes. Conclusion: CTG monitoring in the last hour before delivery shows significant predictive potential for neonatal asphyxia. Specific CTG patterns can guide timely obstetric interventions, which can lead to improve neonatal outcomes.

Background:Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been recognized as significant predictors of long-term physical and mental health outcomes. Household dysfunction, including parental substance use, mental illness, domestic violence, and disrupted family structures, contributes heavily to the burden of ACEs. This study investigates the association between these household-level adversities and ACE prevalence among youth in Madhya Pradesh, India. To examine the prevalence of key ACE domains and assess their association with indicators of family dysfunction—specifically, parental substance use, mental illness, separation/divorce, and incarceration. Methods:A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 203 participants using the WHO ACE-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ). Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine associations between parental alcohol/drug use and specific ACE domains, including neglect, abuse, and domestic violence. Conclusion:Emotional neglect (51.2%) and physical neglect (46.3%) were the most frequently reported ACEs. Parental substance use was significantly associated with increased odds of sexual abuse (OR = 3.019, p = 0.046). Elevated, though non-significant, odds were also observed for emotional abuse (OR = 4.28) and exposure to violence (OR = 2.86). Household dysfunction plays a critical role in shaping childhood adversity. The strong association between parental substance use and sexual abuse, along with high rates of neglect, highlights the need for family-focused intervention strategies. Early identification, routine ACE screening, and integrated mental health support are essential to break intergenerational cycles of trauma.

Objective: This study aims to present the district-level estimates of under-five mortality rate of Assam, with specific emphasis on assessing its progress towards attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3.2.1 target by 2030. The paper additionally presents sex differentials in target achievement and identifying districts' likelihood of meeting or missing the goal by 2030. The under-five mortality rate indirectly offers insight into the overall health, quality of life, welfare, and development of an area. Materials and methods: The study uses the unit-level data from National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-20) and 4 (2015-16). A synthetic cohort probability approach is used to obtain the district-wise estimates of the under-five mortality rate for the state of Assam. Results: The analysis shows that 12 per cent out of all the districts across the state have already attained the target outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 3.2.1. However, nearly 30 per cent of the districts are unlikely to achieve it by 2030. Moreover, there exists a significant difference in attainment of the target across the two sexes. It is seen that female under-five mortality rates fluctuate relatively more across the districts compared to male under-five mortality rate. Additionally, more districts are on track to meet the target in case of female under-five mortality rate by 2030. Conclusion: Strategic adoption of policies, effective implementation, and efficient healthcare interventions is necessary in narrowing the gap and enabling all districts to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 3.2.1 by 2030. It is expected that 20 districts of Assam would attain the target by 2030.

Background Breast and ovarian cancers pose significant health burdens in India, with hereditary cases contributing to disease incidence. Genetic counselling (GC) and genetic testing (GT) are essential for risk assessment and management, yet their utilization remains limited. This study evaluates barriers to GC and GT among breast and ovarian cancer patients in a low-middle-income country (LMIC) referral hospital. Methods A prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in South India. Newly diagnosed breast and ovarian cancer patients were screened for GC and GT eligibility based on modified NCCN guidelines. Patients underwent counseling, testing, or were interviewed regarding barriers to uptake. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0. Results Among 120 eligible patients, 42% underwent GT, while 49% declined both GC and GT. The primary barrier was financial constraints (52%), followed by emotional burden concerns (18%), lack of awareness (16%), and social stigma (9%). Pathogenic mutations were detected in 40% of tested patients, with BRCA mutations being most common. Conclusion Despite decreasing GT costs, financial burden remains a major barrier. Addressing economic, educational, and social factors is crucial to improving genetic service utilization and enhancing cancer management in LMIC settings.

Background Physical activity has enormous health benefits reduces risk of mortality and morbidity due to Non communicable diseases Studies conducted in India provides information about factors affecting activity levels. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have been reported on assessing the knowledge about guidelines in India.Individuals can change their behaviour from considering being active to really participating in the necessary amounts of physical exercise by being aware of the guidelines.This study aimed to know the association between knowledge of the recommended physical activity guidelines and physical activity levels among adults Methods Approval from Institutional review committee obtained for study and an observational cross sectional study design of adult aged 18-44 years residing in Bengaluru, India was conducted. A self -developed questionnaire using modified Delphi process to explore knowledge about recommended guidelines and International physical activity level questionnaire to assess self-reported activity level were sent via social media platform for participants who provided consent for participation in the study. Results Among 398 participants only 48.87% of total participants were able to identify the correctly recommended guidelines. Spearman’ co relation between physical activity level and awareness showed 0.072 indicating no relationship between awareness about guideline and physical activity level among the participants. Conclusion The results provide that future studies should systematically evaluate physical activity level and detail analysis of the factors that affect or influence the knowledge and activity levels to improve communication strategies to enhance awareness about the recommended guidelines and to increase participation of adults in physical activity levels to enhance health benefits.

Background: Assessment of physical factors such as Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) and their association with Physical Activity Levels (PAL) is essential among college student population for assessing their health risk & creating a healthy environment through the implementation of effective strategies by educational institutions.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 202 adult college students (male:105 & female: 97) of Kolkata, West Bengal, India, under the age group 18-23 years. They were randomly selected through Convenient sampling method and their PAL(MET-Min/Week) was estimated and classified using the guideline of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short. Their BMI & WHR were also measured and categorized as per WHO guideline. Co-relation of the BMI & WHR with their PAL has been analysed and the risk of chronic disease was observed. The study wasapproved by the Institutional Human Ethical Committee.Conclusions: Majority (82.18%) of students had ‘High’ physical activity levels, with males showing significantly higher total mean PAL & WHR than females (p < 0.05). Physically inactive were (4.46%) &Obese were 10.40% yet 25.25% of students were found at high cardiovascular & other health risk. While physical activity is crucial for overall health, its impact on BMI & WHR can be inconsistent as individual variability in response to exercise, dietary habits, metabolic rate and genetic predispositions etc. and also some other health matrices or hidden factors which should be explored through further research. While PAL had no significant correlation with BMI or WHR, the PAL-WHR correlation (Beta coefficient = 0.034) was comparatively stronger than PAL-BMI (Beta coefficient = 0.006), suggesting WHR is a more significant health indicator than BMI. This study thus highlighted the need for targeted health interventions in college student’s populationspecially the females to address obesity and the associated risks of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases

Background: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, launched in 2018, is a government-funded health insurancescheme under Ayushman Bharat, targeting 12 crore poor families (~50 crore beneficiaries). It provides ₹5 lakh perfamily per year for cashless hospital care in empanelled hospitals (public & private)(1).Objectives: This study aimed to assess the satisfaction level of beneficiaries utilizing AB-PMJAY services in theBanda district of the Bundelkhand region and to identify factors influencing their healthcare experiences.Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 AB-PMJAY beneficiaries selectedthrough population proportion sampling from government and private empanelled hospitals. Data were collectedusing a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire covering demographics, healthcare utilization, satisfaction levels,and encountered barriers. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential methods.Results: The study in Banda district reveals that AB-PMJAY effectively serves rural, elderly, and economicallyvulnerable populations, with 79% from rural areas and 45.33% unemployed. Satisfaction with services wasgenerally high, especially with doctors (72%) and nursing staff (72.3%). Ayushman Mitras had the highestdissatisfaction (7.3%), indicating scope for improvement. Beneficiaries without treatment issues reported greatersatisfaction (28.3% extremely satisfied). Positive outcomes strongly influenced satisfaction, while dissatisfactionwas higher among those with no improvement. Surgical treatment yielded higher satisfaction despite issues.Interestingly, even those unaware of the scheme reported good experiences, highlighting the impact of servicequality on user perception.Conclusion: The study highlights high overall satisfaction under AB-PMJAY but reveals critical areas needingimprovement, including procedural simplifications and medication coverage enhancements.

Background: Maternal mortality is a great global health issue. Though in past decades there has been goodprogress in bringing down MMR but the progress occurred at slower pace. Many of these deaths can be avoidedif there is increase in utilization of maternal health services by women.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the pattern of utilization of maternalHealth services and the predictors of it among women in the rural areas of Auraiya District.Results: There was a high level of ANC service utilization, with most women adhering to recommended visitschedules, initiating care early, and receiving appropriate supplementation and immunizations. Women had strongpreference for institutional deliveries, particularly at CHCs, and a high prevalence of skilled birth attendance.Women’s education, Husband’s education, Religion, Social class, husband’s occupation, monthly income, age atmarriage, interval between births, status of pregnancy, and history of still birth had significant association withantenatal services utilization. caste, occupation of the mother, age at first pregnancy showed a significant impacton the utilization of intranatal services. Women’s education, social class, monthly family income, family structure,age at the time of marriage, birth order, status of pregnancy, and history of abortion was strongly associated withpostnatal care utilization.Conclusion: Overall, there was a high level of maternal health services utilization indicating that the governmentprogrammes are effective in increasing the utilization of Antenatal and intranatal services utilization.