Adult Population In India Research Articles

Prevalence of Hypertension Among the Rural Adult Population in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide. Studies have shown that the rural adult population in India is also experiencing this burden. To determine the overall pooled prevalence of primary hypertension in the adult rural population of India, an extensive search was conducted in various databases such as MEDLINE/PubMed, IndMED, EBSCO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar from 01/01/2014 to 16/05/2024. The studies were reviewed by two authors independently, assessing their quality and extracted data using pre-coded spreadsheets. The pooled estimates of hypertension prevalence were calculated using the Der Simonian-Laird random effects model, and subgroup, sensitivity analyses, and meta-regression were performed. In the final review, a total of 10 studies involving 30757 subjects were included. The combined pooled estimate of hypertension prevalence was 24% (95% CI: 19, 29) and there was a significant level of heterogeneity observed among the studies (I2=98%, Q=572.07, df=9, p<0.01). Subgroup analyses found that factors such as the year of study, region, type of BP apparatus used, sampling strategy, and BP measurement techniques had a significant impact on the prevalence of hypertension. Further analysis by meta-regression revealed that none of these covariates had a substantial influence on the prevalence (R2=0.21, Q=572.07, df=9, p-value<0.01). The prevalence of hypertension in adult rural populations exhibited a consistent upward trend over a period of 10 years from 2014 to 2024. Concerned policymakers should focus on the changing health needs of the rural adult population of India.

Measuring the Prevalence, Treatment, and Associated Treatment Costs of Injury for Older Adults in India: Insights from the National Longitudinal Aging Study

This cross-sectional analysis of secondary data aimed to examine the injury prevalence, treatment, and associated healthcare expenditure among older adults in India. Longitudinal Aging Study India Wave 1 data for those aged 60+ years comprising sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported major injury, injury mechanism, falls and joint/bone fractures, treatment sought, and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) were analyzed. Descriptive, relative risk, bivariate, and two-part regression model analyses were conducted. Fifteen percent of the 31,464 older adults surveyed had experienced a major injury, 13% a fall and 5% a bone/joint fracture. The risk of injury increased with age and income and was higher for urban residents and females. Seventy-eight percent of those who experienced injury sought medical treatment, 56% needing treatment for a serious fall and 3% undergoing surgery. Higher proportions of females than males required medical treatment for falls and injury-related surgery, yet on average, females were spending less than males for public or private hospital treatment. Injury-related OOPE increased with age and decreased with lower education. Scaling up injury prevention efforts specifically focused on older adults will be vital given the projected growth in the older adult population in India in coming years. Such efforts will prevent unnecessary health impacts and reduce health system utilization and associated individual and family economic burden.

Assessing the Role of Financial Literacy in Personal Financial Management

Financial Literacy is essential for people to make wise financial decisions affecting society's well-being and economic prosperity. Through a thorough survey, this study evaluates the level of financial literacy among Indian adults between the ages of 20 and 50. One hundred eighty-six adult respondents from a range of demographics provided primary data. The study investigates how well they comprehend financial management ideas such as tracking expenses, creating a budget, and using financial tools. It also looks at perspectives on the value of financial literacy and the perceived results of educational programs. The analysis aims to pinpoint the differences in financial literacy, routines, expertise, and conduct between various age groups, educational backgrounds, and work situations. The results are anticipated to shed light on the advantages, disadvantages, and necessity of specific laws, initiatives, and technical advancements to improve financial inclusion and literacy. The study emphasizes the potential for wise financial decisions, economic stability, resilience against obstacles, and adopting digital financial services by arming adults with financial knowledge. It acts as a manual for developing an adult population in India that is robust, financially smart, and tech-aware.

Prosthetic status and Treatment need in Indian population:A Systematic Review

Introduction To examine the prevalence of partial or complete edentulousness in different geographic areas of the Indian population. Materials and Methods An electronic search in PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar was conducted to find relevant papers that had been written in English exclusively and published before May 2022. Based on the PICO, the primary research question for this study was ‘What are the prosthetic status and treatment needs of the adult population in India?’ By evaluating the title, abstract, and full text of the articles, if they met the inclusion criteria, the relevance of the articles was verified. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool for analytical cross-sectional studies. Result The database search yielded 278 items, of which 123 were discarded due to being irrelevant, duplicates, or lacking data. The remaining 155 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility 20 articles were yielded by manual search and 9 articles were added through a search of a reference list of relevant articles. A total of 151 full-text papers were evaluated for eligibility, with 5 articles being excluded. The current systematic review includes a total of 35 studies. Conclusion The current systematic review states the prevalence of complete edentulousness is comparatively less than partial edentulism, ranging between 0.8% to 14%, except for the tribal population where it is around 42-43%. On the other hand, figures depicting partial edentulism are between 15 to 98% distributed in the different geographical regions. The prosthetic status reported in the studies involved ranges between 3% to 100% with a mean of approximately 35%. Prosthetic treatment need reported overall was between 14% to 100%, in which requirement was found to be more in the maxilla in maximum of the studies included while only a few studies predicted more treatment need in the mandible. The requirement and correlation with gender cannot be established as the figures vary in all the studies included. This research establishes a baseline reference and highlights the lack of attention given to oral health. Key Words: Geographic areas, Population, Prosthetic treatment

Contribution of the age-friendly communities in the well-being of the older adults: a study of Pune City

ABSTRACT This research investigates the contribution of age-friendly communities to Pune people’s well-being. This study assesses the relation between the eight dimensions of age-friendly communities, as the WHO suggested, and the life satisfaction of older adults. The dimensions studied include outdoor spaces and buildings, social participation, transportation, respect and social inclusion, housing, civic participation and employment, community support and health services, and communication and information. The research methodology involved primary data collection through a survey, and analysis was done using structural equation modelling. The findings of this study suggest that age-friendly communities significantly impact the life satisfaction of the older adult population in Pune. Specifically, the dimensions of social participation, community support and health services, and respect and social inclusion had the greatest impact on life satisfaction among older adults. These findings highlight the significance of developing age-friendly communities to promote the well-being of the older adult population in India. This study offers insightful results for policymakers, community leaders, and individuals advocating active and healthy ageing among older adults.

Vaccination coverage against COVID-19 among rural population in Haryana, India: A cross-sectional study.

Conducting a study in rural pre-dominant areas will help to understand the penetration of the vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 health crisis. This study aimed to investigate vaccination coverage against COVID-19 among the rural adult population in India and to identify factors associated with vaccination coverage. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the rural population in one district of north India from January to February 2023. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed on the SurveyMonkey digital platform for interviewing the participants, which consisted of questions related to socio-demographic profile, health problems, vaccination status, types of vaccine, re-infection after vaccination, and functional difficulties. The data regarding infection with COVID-19 was collected based on self-reported positive testing for SARS-CoV 2 on RT-PCR. A total of 3700 eligible individuals were enumerated for the survey, out of which 2954 (79.8%) were interviewed. The infection rate of past COVID-19 infection, based on self-report of testing positive, was 6.2% (95%CI: 5.3-7.1). Covishield vaccine was received by most participants (81.3%, 2380) followed by Covaxin (12.3%, 361) and Pfizer manufactured vaccine (0.03,1). The coverage for first, second, and booster doses of the vaccine was 98.2% (2902), 94.8% (2802), and 10.7% (315) respectively. The risk of reinfection at 12 months or more among participants with two doses of vaccine was 1.6% (46/2802, 95%CI: 1.2-2.1). The coverage among those with severe functional difficulties was lesser as compared to those with some or no difficulties. Vaccination coverage against COVID-19 in rural Haryana, India is not dependent on factors like gender or occupation but is dependent on age and education. Although the full and partial vaccination coverage is high, the booster dose coverage is poor. In addition, the presence of severe disability was significantly associated with reduced vaccination coverage.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Addiction in India as Assessed by Young's Internet Addiction Test: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Earlier research on internet addiction (IA) in the adult population in India has concentrated on isolated prevalence surveys conducted nationwide. A systematic grasp of pooled prevalence necessitates a meta-level evaluation of all prior literature. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of IA and its correlates among adults in India. We searched EBSCOhost, PubMed, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, and ProQuest for the studies published from 1990 to 2022 and included studies using Young's Internet Addiction Test criteria (age range 18-40 years). The authors obtained a total of 358 non-duplicate records after a thorough search, and they found 10 pertinent epidemiological studies involving 12,286 adults. The pooled prevalence for mild, moderate, severe, and any level of IA was 36.33% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.72%-42.13%), 18.04% (95% CI: 13.49%-23.08%), 0.88% (95% CI:0.50%-1.36%), and 58.34% (95% CI:49.34%-67.07%), respectively. The review of correlates suggested psychosocial factors like male gender, single-parent families, co-morbidities like depression, stress, anxiety, interpersonal issues, andmediating factors like loneliness. Based on the synthesis of findings, this review underlines the common factors of IA and emphasizes the significance of psycho-social factors in IA; thus, to promote healthy use of technology and to manage IA, a multi-modal psychotherapeutic intervention module for mental health practitioners needs to be developed in line with this review.

Effectiveness of comprehensive nursing intervention program (CNIP) on knowledge and practice regarding the prevention of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) among adults.

There are estimated 72.96 million cases of diabetes in the adult population of India. The prevalence in urban areas ranges between 10.9% and 14.2%, and the prevalence in rural India ranges between 3.0% and 7.8% among the population aged 20 years and above with a much higher prevalence among individuals aged over 50 years. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of comprehensive nursing intervention program (CNIP) on knowledge and practice regarding the prevention of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) among adults. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was chosen for the study. Adults were selected using a simple random sampling technique by the lottery method; of 120 eligible adults, 60 were selected to participate in the study. The study was conducted in an urban community, Bangalore, and data were collected from March 25, 2022, to April 23, 2022. CNIP consisted of education, demonstration of exercise, and information booklet. The pretest and posttest were collected using the structured knowledge questionnaire for assessing the level of knowledge and non-observational checklist for assessing the level of practice among adults. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. There was significant improvement in the mean scores of knowledge from 52.3 to 82.2 and practice mean score from 45.5 to 68.4. The paired t-test value of knowledge was 3.88, and practice was 2.97, which was significant at P < 0.05 level. The study concluded that CNIP had a great role in increasing the level of knowledge and practice among adults in the prevention of NIDDM.

PREVALENCE OF GENERALIZED LIGAMENT LAXITY IN ADULT INDIAN POPULATION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Objective: Generalized ligament laxity (GLL) is defined as increased range of motion across multiple joints in an individual. Its prevalence has been reported to be between 5% and 15%. Although there has been implication of increased prevalence in Indian population, there are relatively few studies related to the prevalence of GLL in adult Indian population. There is also a dearth of literature on, which specialty outpatient department (OPD), these patients commonly present to, with their complaints. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of GLL in adult Indian population. Methods: 5400 patients were selected from various OPDs of a tertiary care hospital after informed consent. After stratification for age and sex, Beighton’s score assessment was done. Results: Using the Beighton’s score of four or more, to assess the prevalence of generalized ligament laxity, a total of 735 (13.61%) participants had GLL in the entire study population of 5400. Significantly higher number of patients were found to have GLL from the sample recruited from orthopedic OPD (p=0.013) as compared to other OPDs. The highest Beighton’s score was 8/9, recorded in a 29-year female in the orthopedic OPD. It was observed that in all OPDs, the mean Beighton’s scores were higher in female than in male participants in each subgroup; also, there was a decline in mean scores with increase in age in all OPDs which can be inferred as a decrease in GLL with age. Conclusion: This study is the largest Indian study to investigate the prevalence of GLL in the adult population in India. The study found that there was a significant prevalence of GLL in the adult population especially in females compared to males in all ages, though prevalence of GLL reduced with age. This study has implications of prevention of injuries in people with GLL. Although orthopedic surgeons generally primarily manage the people with GLL, they do not have a high index of suspicion toward the same. Identifying these individuals and making a diagnosis regarding the same is problematic but doing so will help these individuals live a pain-free life.

Factors Influencing Tobacco Cessation in India: Findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2.

The study aimed to assess the socio-demographic and other correlates of cessation behavior across tobacco products among the adult population in India. We used data of adults (aged ≥15 years) who were current or former tobacco users (smoking and/or smokeless tobacco) from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India, conducted during 2016-17. The detailed analysis was done for current daily smokers (N=7,647), former daily smokers (N=1,353), and current daily smokeless tobacco users (N=1,2721). Multivariate logistic regression was separately performed to find the associated factors with attempts to quit, successful quitting, different cessation methods of smoking, and smokeless tobacco use. The findings of the study indicated that daily smokers, higher educated, urban residents and employed were more likely to quit smoking compared to their counterparts. Successful quitting of smoking was higher for employed, higher educated, current users of smokeless tobacco and older adults. For smokeless tobacco users, non-daily users, highly educated, urban residents, and employed were more likely to attempt to quit compared to their counterparts. Successful quitting of smokeless tobacco was higher for unemployed, highly educated, urban residents and current non-smokers, and higher age group adults. The findings of this study suggest a need for professionally channelized cessation interventions to reduce the prevalence and relapse of tobacco use and increase the quit rate. Well-designed, large-scale research into specific tobacco cessation methods is needed to establish the association between different tobacco cessation methods and increased quit rates.

33 Title: Examining memory performances in a sample of cognitively healthy illiterate older adult population in India

Objective:Despite the rise in literacy, 773 million of the global population is estimated to be illiterate. The rate of illiteracy is even higher among women and older adults (OA). Literacy has been well documented to impact cognitive skills, and most neuropsychological tests developed are for individuals with higher education. Moreover, there is sparse research on cognitive process and performance of illiterate individuals across cognitive domains.Per a 2011 census, the illiteracy rate in the Indian older adult population was as high as 56%, and within this group, women and older adults in rural regions were especially vulnerable. Thus, it is important to understand cognitive performance of illiterate Indian older adult population, especially when they are being assessed for neurodegenerative disorders.Participants and Methods:This study used subset of data from Harmonized Longitudinal Aging Study of India, Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI DAD), which was developed by the Gateway to Global Aging Data. A sample of cognitive healthy OA (n = 715) was selected based on Hindi Mental Status Exam score of &gt;19 and a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale of 0 (literate = 419, illiterate = 296). Given the heterogeneity of the population, adapted cognitive instruments were used. This study compared memory performances, using word list and constructional praxis with delayed recall tasks, of OA based on their literacy status (illiterate vs. literate).Results:Literate cognitive healthy OA (M = 15.27, SD = 3.9) learned more words over three trials than illiterate OA (M = 12.17, SD = 3.7) on a world list task, a statistically significant difference (M = 3.1, 95% CI [2.5, 3.6], t (713) = 10.62, p&lt;0.05. Literate OA (M = 8.7, SD = 2.2) had higher scores on task of copy of simple geometrical figures than illiterate OA (M = 5.3, SD = 2.8), a statistically significant difference (M = 3.3, 95% CI [2.9, 3.7], t (713) = 7.1, p&lt;0.05. Literate OA (M = 4.5, SD = 1.8) also recalled more words than illiterate OA (M = 3.6, SD = 2.1) after a delay. Recall of geometric figures after a delay was higher for literate OA (M = 5, SD = 2.9) as well compared to illiterate OA (M = 2.4, SD = 2.5).Conclusions:Conclusion: In a sample of cognitively healthy Indian older adults, literate OA consistently performed better than illiterate OA on both verbal and nonverbal memory measures. This is consistent with past literature which shows that illiterate individuals take longer to learn verbal information and have lower recall. Additionally, use of geometric figure may be complicated for these individuals. These are important considerations when assessing an OA for memory problems with low or no education. Next steps would be to look at differences across other cognitive domains and also examining if cognitive differences exist in illiterate OA based on gender.

Neutralizing antibodies from prior exposure to dengue virus negatively correlate with viremia on re-infection

BackgroundIndia is hyperendemic to dengue and over 50% of adults are seropositive. There is limited information on the association between neutralizing antibody profiles from prior exposure and viral RNA levels during subsequent infection.MethodsSamples collected from patients with febrile illness was used to assess seropositivity by indirect ELISA. Dengue virus (DENV) RNA copy numbers were estimated by quantitative RT-PCR and serotype of the infecting DENV was determined by nested PCR. Focus reduction neutralizing antibody titer (FRNT) assay was established using Indian isolates to measure the levels of neutralizing antibodies and also to assess the cross-reactivity to related flaviviruses namely Zika virus (ZIKV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and West Nile virus (WNV).ResultsIn this cross-sectional study, we show that dengue seropositivity increased from 52% in the 0–15 years group to 89% in >45 years group. Antibody levels negatively correlate with dengue RNAemia on the day of sample collection and higher RNAemia is observed in primary dengue as compared to secondary dengue. The geometric mean FRNT50 titers for DENV-2 is significantly higher as compared to the other three DENV serotypes. We observe cross-reactivity with ZIKV and significantly lower or no neutralizing antibodies against JEV and WNV. The FRNT50 values for international isolates of DENV-1, DENV-3 and DENV-4 is significantly lower as compared to Indian isolates.ConclusionsMajority of the adult population in India have neutralizing antibodies to all the four DENV serotypes which correlates with reduced RNAemia during subsequent infection suggesting that antibodies can be considered as a good correlate of protection.

Cost of acute respiratory illness episode and its determinants among community-dwelling older adults: a four-site cohort study from India

IntroductionAdvocacy for the provision of public health resources, including vaccine for the prevention of acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) among older adults in India, needs evidence on costs and benefits. Using...

Young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots in India: effort expectancy moderated model

PurposeThis study aims to recognize the role of information system (IS) model on young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots. This model of IS takes into account the quality of information, the quality of system and the quality of service.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a sample frame for analysis which comprises young adult population in India, i.e. between the ages of 18 and 35. A questionnaire consisting of five components was used to collect information in a structured manner. The 386 responses thus collected were analysed using the structural equation model.FindingsIt was found that there is a significant influence of the quality of information, quality of system and quality of service on young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots. The findings also showed that there is moderation role of effort expectancy between the quality parameters and young adults’ user experience of housing and real estate chatbots.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focusses exclusively on the young adults from various parts of India. Future research can consider larger population categories across age groups and across sectors employing chatbots.Practical implicationsThis study will enable in-depth understanding of IS model – quality dimensions’ relation with the user experience. In particular, housing and real estate organisations will profit from the expanded usage of artificial intelligence through chatbots for user correspondence and communication.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is first of its kind, as it investigates how IS model – quality dimensions affect the young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots in India. This study also ventures into identifying the moderation role of effort expectancy between the quality dimensions as per IS model and young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots. This study will be useful for the stakeholders of housing and real estate industry.

Prevalence, Metabolic Profile, and Associated Risk Factors of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in an Adult Population of India.

Introduction Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the main cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. NAFLD refers to a group of diseases that includes simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Unfortunately, there aren't many studies on NAFLD conducted in India. The majority of research involved specific populations, such as diabetics, pregnant women with gestational diabetes, and obese or non-obese people. When the current study was being planned, there were few population-based studies available. In almost all of the research, ultrasound was employed to identify NAFLD, and the whole spectrum of NAFLD was not assessed. The full spectrum of NAFLD in India must have been considered, including all stages of steatosis as well as hepatic damage as shown by high alanine aminotransferase levels and fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, spectrum, and metabolic determinants of NAFLD as assessed by FibroScan® (FibroScan® expert 630 machine; Echosens, Paris, France) in adults of Central India. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 236 adults aged 18 years and above in three localities of Bhopal, India from March 2022 to October 2022. The study included males and females who provided informed consent and fulfilled inclusion criteria. One research assistant and one staff nurse solicited people to participate in the FibroScan® test during the community screening and shared information about the programme. All participants were subjected to the FibroScan® test. Results A total of 322 healthy adults were approached for possible inclusion in the study. Data from 236 subjects were available for analysis after meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. According to this study, 43.6% of the study population had NAFLD as detected by FibroScan®. Out of the total, 12.7% of subjects had steatosis grade 1 (S1), 12.3% of subjects had steatosis grade 2 (S2), and 18.6% of subjects had steatosis grade 3 (S3). High body weight, high waist circumference, high waist-to-hip ratio, high fasting sugar, high serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), high triglyceride levels and high very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels were significantly associated with NAFLD. Conclusion In conclusion, 43.6% of the adult population of Bhopal, India is suffering from NAFLD. NAFLD is a severe burden in the Indian community despite being historically associated with the western world. Obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia are significantly associated with NAFLD.

Barriers for regular yoga practice among adult population of India: A cross-sectional study

Barriers for regular yoga practice among adult population of India: A cross-sectional study

Comparison of Generic Dasatinib Versus Imatinib in Newly Diagnosed Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia with Reference to Early Molecular Response: Results from a Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Study from India

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the commonest leukemia in adult population in India. The advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting BCR-ABL1 fusion transcript in CML has dramatically improved survival of CML patients. Generic formulations of imatinib mesylate have been the mainstay of TKI therapy in Indian CML patients for more than a decade, due to prohibitive costs of 2nd generation TKIs and poor socio-economic status of majority of patients. However, with the availability of generic dasatinib in India since March 2021, the cost of dasatinib therapy has become comparable to that of generic imatinib treatment, thereby enabling more extensive use of dasatinib as first-line TKI therapy in CML patients in India. Achievement of early molecular response (EMR) after 3 months of first-line TKI therapy, defined as blood BCR-ABL1 transcript level ≤ 10% [international scale (IS)], has emerged as an important predictor of favorable long-term outcome in CML-CP. There is scarcity of data on efficacy & safety of generic formulations of dasatinib vis-à-vis generic imatinib in CML-CP patients in India, which the present study has attempted to explore at a tertiary care hospital in India. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to compare early molecular response (EMR) [defined as BCR-ABL1 transcript level ≤ 10%, I.S.] at 3 months of therapy with generic dasatinib versus generic imatinib in newly diagnosed CML-CP patients and to compare treatment-related adverse effects in the two groups. Methods: This randomized controlled study enrolled newly diagnosed CML-CP patients after obtaining institutional ethics committee approval & informed consent. Inclusion Criteria:Newly diagnosed patients with chronic phase CML.Age ≥ 12 years. Exclusion Criteria:Patients with de novo accelerated phase or blast phase CML.Pregnancy & lactation.Patients with pre-existing pleural effusion, grade ≥ 3 lung disease, or pulmonary arterial hypertension.Patients with angina, or grade ≥ 3 cardiac disease [as defined by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) criteria] at diagnosis.Patients with prolonged QTc interval (> 480 msec) at baseline. The EUTOS long-term survival (ELTS) risk score was calculated at diagnosis. Patients were randomized to one of the two following treatment groups: Group A: Dasatinib 100 mg p.o. once daily (60 mg/m2/day for age <18 years). Group B: Imatinib 400 mg p.o. once daily (340 mg/m2/day for age < 18 years). Follow up & monitoring of patients was done every 2 weekly till completion of 3 months of TKI therapy, followed by assessment of hematological response & molecular response as per standard criteria. Results: A total of 61 consecutive CML patients were screened between June 2021 and March 2022, out of which 54 patients with confirmed diagnosis of CML-CP were enrolled in the study and were randomized to receive generic dasatinib or generic imatinib as first-line therapy and were followed up for 3 months for EMR and complete hematological response (CHR). Four patients were lost to follow up and data was analyzed for 50 patients for whom EMR results at 3 months was available. Out of these 50 patients, 24 patients received dasatinib & 26 patients received imatinib. The median age of patients was 33 years (range 18-64 years), with male: female ratio of 1.3: 1. Achievement of CHR was documented in 96% of patients in both dasatinib & imatinib treatment arms. EMR at 3 months was achieved in overall 72% patients in study [19/24 patients (79%) in dasatinib arm & 17/26 patients (65%) in imatinib arm]. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.27). Notably, EMR rates in ELTS intermediate-risk group was 86% in dasatinib arm versus 42% in imatinib arm, and EMR rates in ELTS high-risk group was 82% in dasatinib arm versus 57% in imatinib arm (p = 0.33). The incidence of grade 3-4 adverse events was not significantly different in the two treatment groups. The patient characteristics & treatment results are summarized in Table 1 & Figure 1. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggested that generic formulations of dasatinib were well-tolerated and were associated with improved early molecular response rates compared to generic imatinib in CML-CP patients in India. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Factors affecting entrepreneurial intention among the rural population in India

PurposeThis paper aims at examining the factors affecting entrepreneurial intention (EI) among the rural adult population in India using the social cognitive theory (SCT).Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on the Adult Population Survey of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor of 2017, covering 1,397 rural respondents from India. The data has been analysed using simple techniques such as Chi-square statistics, correlation and logistics regression.FindingsAbout 16% of the rural adults have reported EI in India. A significant relationship emerged between the demographics of rural adults with and without intention towards entrepreneurship. Finally, the regression model representing two components of the SCT, that is, confidence towards entrepreneurship and outcome expectations from entrepreneurship, showed a significant impact on EI among the rural population when controlled by family size and working status.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insights on factors affecting EI among rural adults, which can help in developing a policy framework for promoting new ventures among rural entrepreneurs. The result of the analysis indicates that the rural population need to be imparted the necessary skills to gain confidence in entrepreneurship, which should be aligned with the outcome expectations of the entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThis piece of research can be valuable for different stakeholders in adopting inclusive entrepreneurial initiatives. Moreover, entrepreneurship in rural areas has not gained much attention among scholars, and this study is intended to provide future research motivation.

Tame the chronic pain with Homoeopathy

The most frequent cause for people to seek medical guidance is pain. One study revealed that the adult population in India has chronic pain (CP) at a rate of 19.3%. According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people who experience acute pain never get sufficient care. It is a difficult issue as a consequence of low priority, underreporting, and under treatment in developing nations.Homoeopathy is a kind of alternative medicine that focuses on enhancing a person's overall health and is based on the theories of individualization and symptom similarity. The goal of homoeopathy is to cure chronic pain while simultaneously addressing its underlying cause while taking into account the patient's susceptibility. Clear instructions regarding the method of enquiry are found in books of Homoeopathic philosophy, and Homoeopathic Material Medical contains a huge armamentarium of medicines with a complete description of pain and its various modalities. Various studies also suggest the effective role of Homoeopathy in the management of chronic pain. Thus, Homoeopathy can be considered a viable treatment option to relieve chronic pain.

The COVID-19 Clinical Spectrum and the Effect of Associated Comorbidities on Illness Severity in the North Indian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The activity level of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as it is now called, is considered low. Despite early preventive lockdown measures and a massive vaccination drive, almost the entire adult population in India will have been vaccinated at least once by the beginning of 2022 (2,072,946,593 till 11 August 2022). There is still concern about a pan-India outbreak and threat due to newly emerging pathogenic strains. The goal of this study is to find out how common various presenting complaints are in COVID-19 patients as well as how comorbidities affect the severity of the illness.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted from December 2020 to January 2021 at a tertiary care hospital's department of internal medicine in North India. The study included 237 patients who were COVID-19-positive and were admitted to our hospital after providing informed consent. They were classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe.Results: Fever was the most common presenting symptom, affecting 84.4% of the population, while diarrhoea was the least common, affecting only 3.4% of the population. Fever, cough, sore throat, headache, and breathlessness were significantly correlated with the severity of the illness. Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhoea did not have any significant correlation with the severity of the illness. The severity of illness was statistically related to comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Conclusion: Males were more likely to develop more serious illnesses. However, the correlation was not statistically significant. The number of comorbid conditions and the severity of the illness were found to have a fair and significant relationship. None of the diarrhoea symptoms were related to the severity of the illness.