Mangalore City Research Articles

Tobacco - Use Prevalence, Exposure, Attitudes, Behaviour/Cessation, Curriculum among Health Professional Students in Mangalore City, Karnataka, India.

BackgroundTobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of premature death, disease and disability around the world. Medical and Dental graduates have an important role to play in tobacco cessation and prevention. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the tobacco use prevalence, practice, attitudes towards policy making and curriculum in medical and dental interns (house surgeons).MethodsA cross sectional questionnaire based survey was carried out among interns in all the medical and dental colleges of Mangalore city. Global Health Professional Students Survey (GHPSS) questionnaire given by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was modified and adopted.ResultsIn the present study among 512 interns, 263 and 249 interns belonged to dental and medical fraternity respectively The prevalence of current smokers of cigarette was significantly higher among medical interns (32.1%) than the dental interns (20.2%), whereas no significant difference was evident amongst the dental (44.9%) and medical (41.8%) interns under the ever smokers category. A significant difference (p < 0.001) in the attitude of dental and medical college interns was observed towards tobacco use, policy making and their knowledge about the curriculum.ConclusionThis study shows health professionals lacking specific training in tobacco counseling, all of which indicate a need for including a standardized syllabus to train health professionals in medical and dental schools related to tobacco its ill-effects, cessation and policy making.

Assessment of pet attachment and its relationship with stress and social support among residents in Mangalore city of south India

Pets are known to play a supportive role in people's lives. However, their role in helping individuals to cope with stress and in enhancement of their social connectedness needs to be established. This case-control study was performed to compare the stress levels between pet owners and non–pet owners, to correlate the stress levels with the extent of pet attachment and to assess the relationship between pet attachment and social support among pet owners. Data were collected using an interview schedule among urban residents aged more than 12 years. The stress levels, social support, and the extent of pet attachment were assessed using standard questionnaires. A total of 122 pet owners from 108 houses and an equivalent number of non–pet owners from 82 houses took part in this study. The mean perceived stress score among pet owners (n = 122) was 24.8 ± 6.7 compared with 23.0 ± 7.0 among non–pet owners (n = 122) (t = 2.064, P = 0.04). The mean pet attachment score among married (n = 77) and unmarried/divorced/widow (n = 42) pet owners was 49.1 ± 7.7 and 55 ± 8.2, respectively (t = 3.954, P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the time (in hours) spent with the pet in a day and with the pet attachment score (r = 0.272, P = 0.003). The mean of the emotional component of the social support survey mean score was 3.6 ± 0.8 and 3.8 ± 1.0 among pet owners (n = 120) and non–pet owners (n = 122), respectively (t = 2.19, P = 0.029). There was a significant correlation between pet attachment scores and mean of the emotional component of the social support survey scores among pet owners (r = 0.211, P = 0.022). There was no association between pet/dog ownership status and frequency of morning/evening walks among participants. Pet attachment was greater among participants who were not married. Among pet owners, those with greater pet attachment were found to have higher mean of the mean scores of the emotional component of the social support survey. In other aspects, however, no benefits were associated with pet ownership.

Seismic Hazard Assessment and Land Use Analysis of Mangalore City, Karnataka, India

ABSTRACT This article presents a combined seismic risk assessment of Mangalore city, considering seismic hazard and Land Use (LU) patterns. Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis was carried out considering different source models and attenuation relations to predict Peak Ground Acceleration at every square kilometer. LU of the area was assessed using GIS tools with the built-in supervised Gaussian maximum likelihood algorithm on processed remote sensing data from temporal Landsat images. The risk map showed the concentration of built-up area South-West, toward the sea and the seismic hazard following an increasing trend from the coast to further inland.

Universal hearing screening in newborns: experience in a tertiary care hospital of Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Background: The aim of the study was to do universal hearing screening of all newborns using otoacoustic emission (OAE), to know the incidence and risk factors of hearing loss in neonates.Methods: This was a prospective observational study done in a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore city in Karnataka. 950 neonates were screened with distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) during the study period of one year from 2017 to 2018. A repeat test was done at one and a half months of age if the first test failed. Auditory brain stem evoked response (ABER) was performed at 3 months of age if both the tests failed. Babies with hearing loss were referred to ENT specialist for further management. Comparison of the variables was done by student’s t test and Chi-square test. P-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of the 950 newborns screened with DPOAE test, 204 (21.4 %) babies had abnormal screen either in single or both ears. 7 out of 204 (3.43%) babies had abnormal OAE on repeat testing at one and half months. 2 out of 7 babies (0.96 %) had significant hearing loss ABER was performed at 3 months of age.Conclusions: Early identification by screening of hearing loss prevents a significant public health concern. Early recognition and intervention prior to 6 months have a significant positive impact on development.

Maxillofacial Injuries in Motorcyclists Following the Implementation of Helmet.

Background:It has been reported that 20%–60% of all people injured in road traffic accidents (RTAs) tend to have some form of maxillofacial injury. Mangalore city, Karnataka State, India, traffic police has enforced the law to wear helmets to tackle the problem. The outcome of the initiative till date was not measured. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of maxillofacial injuries among the victims of motorized two-wheeler RTAs, following the passing of the helmet law.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted at the Accident and Emergency Department of K.S. Hegde Medical College and Hospital and at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India. The inclusion criteria were the patients who had two-wheeler accidents during the time period of 2016–2017 was collected. The data related to age, gender, helmet wearing, diagnosis, and type of orthopedic injuries was included. A descriptive statistics was calculated along with 95% confidence interval; correlation coefficient and odds ratio using STATA software.Results:A total of N = 347 individuals were included in the study. The mean age of the individuals was 33.7 (2–85) years, and the median age was 32 years. 81.55% (N = 283) were male and 18.44% (N = 64) were female. Among the individuals, 51.5% (N = 179) were not wearing helmets and 44.38% (N = 154) of them were males. A total of 25.07 (N = 87) individuals had orthopedic injuries and 16.42% (N = 57) individuals had orthopedic injuries who were not wearing helmets.Conclusion:Under the limitations of the study, we conclude that majority of the two-wheelers are not wearing helmets. This study has demonstrated that the impact of wearing helmet on occurrence of craniofacial and orthopedic injuries is less.

Factors Influencing Dental Avoidance Behavior among Adolescents in India-Application of Contemplation Ladder

Health workers are incessantly in dilemma as to why people healthy or otherwise avoid health professionals. This study aimed at establishing an association between the dental ladder and numerous psychosocial factors associated with dental avoidance in an adolescent population using a Contemplation Ladder. This study is an analytical cross-sectional study which evaluates attitudes of subjects towards their oral health and future intentions to go to a dentist in the coastal city of Mangalore. The Dental Contemplation Ladder is based on the ladder developed by Biener and Abrams. The questionnaires used in the study included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS, the Dental Neglect Scale (DNS) and the Revised Dental Beliefs Survey (R-DBS). The Pearson chi square association between the ladder scores and gender showed high statistical significance (p <0.001) with females having higher ladder scores than males. A one-way ANOVA demonstrated a significant difference between the variables with (p<0.05) for all three psychosocial variables. The regression models showed a statistically significant relation between the ladder scores and psycho social variables. The study provides an important link between dental absenteeism and different psychological and social parameters and the interrelation and association of these to the differing stages of change in adolescent population.

Insignificance of Stock Market Among Teaching Faculty-A Study With Reference to Mangalore City

Insignificance of Stock Market Among Teaching Faculty-A Study With Reference to Mangalore City

Morbidity Profile and Self-medication Practice among the Non-Medical Workers Employed at a Private Health Care Institute in Mangaluru: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Self medication is a public health concern at global level considering the rise of drug resistance cases. There are no published studies in India regarding the burden of self medication among Non medical workers employed at a private health care institute. So this study was undertaken with the following objectives: (1) To know morbidity profile and to find out preferential condition for self medication, (2) To identify the portal of access to drugs for self medication among the Non medical workers employed at a private health care institute. Materials and Methods: An interview based descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among the Non medical workers employed at a prominent private health care institute of Mangalore city. Non-medical workers were assessed for their: (1) Morbidity (health condition suffered in last one year) status, (2) Preferential health condition for self-medication and (3) Portal of access to drugs for self medication. The data was analysed using SPSS Software for windows, version 16.0. The results are presented as frequencies and proportions in appropriate tables. Results: Three hundred twenty Non medical workers had participated in the study. More than half (53.8%) of the respondents were between 25 to Key words: Non-medical workers, Self-medication, Morbidity, Private health care institute.

Bacteriological Assessment of Bottled Drinking Water Available at Major Transit Places in Mangalore City of South India.

Introduction Safe drinking water is essential for human life. It is generally considered that bottled water is safe for usage by people. For long-distance travelers, it serves as the only source of reliable drinking water. But, several studies have reported that bottled water does not always meet the acceptability standards. Objectives To assess the bacteriological and physical quality of bottled water marketed in major transit areas and to check its compliance with national standards. Methods The investigating team visited retail shops at three main transit sites for long-distance travelers in Mangalore city. A total of 24 water bottles of 12 brands were randomly selected. The analysis of total viable count (TVC) was done to assess the bacteriological quality of samples. Results In 3(12.5%) samples, all of which were of local brands, batch number, the period of manufacture, and the period of expiry were not mentioned. Odor and floating bodies were present in one sample each. Five (20.8%) water bottles had been enriched with minerals. Ozone treatment was the most commonly 22(91.7%) used method for disinfection of water. In only 15(62.5%) samples, the bacterial contamination was within acceptable limits certified for drinking purposes. Water samples manufactured by multinational companies (p=0.018), those with batch number mentioned (p=0.042), the best period of manufacture (p=0.036), and long expiry dates (p=0.028) were acceptable for usage. Conclusion Surveillance of bottled water manufacturing industries in the settings on a regular basis needs to be done by regulatory agencies. These measures will ensure safe and wholesome bottled water for public usage.

Internet Use Patterns, Internet Addiction, and Psychological Distress Among Engineering University Students: A Study from India

Background:Internet addiction (IA) among university engineering students and its association with psychological distress can impact their educational progress, academic competence, and long-term career goals. Thus, there is a need to investigate the IA among engineering students.Objectives:This study was a first such attempt to explore internet use behaviors, IA, among a large group of engineering students from India, and its association with psychological distress primarily depressive symptoms.Methods:One thousand eighty six engineering students aged 18–21 years pursuing bachelors in engineering from the south Indian city of Mangalore participated in the study. The socio-educational and internet use behaviors data sheet was used to gather demographic information and patterns of internet use, Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was utilized to assess IA, and Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20) assessed psychological distress primarily depressive symptoms.Results:Among the total N = 1086, 27.1% of engineering students met criterion for mild addictive internet use, 9.7% for moderate addictive internet use, and 0.4% for severe addiction to internet. IA was higher among engineering students who were male, staying in rented accommodations, accessed internet several times a day, spent more than 3 h per day on internet, and had psychological distress. Gender, duration of use, time spent per day, frequency of internet use, and psychological distress (depressive symptoms) predicted IA.Conclusions:A substantial proportion of engineering students have IA which can be detrimental for their educational progress in university studies and long-term career goals. Early identification and management of IA and psychological distress among engineering students is crucial.

Patterns of physical activity among government and private school children in coastal Karnataka

Background: Higher level of physical activity is associated with low mortality rates for both adults and children. Those who are moderately active on a regular basis have lower mortality rates than those who are least active.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in private and government schools of Mangalore city from October 2015 to July 2017, study population was between 13 and 15 years adolescents. Sample size of 1000 was been obtained by using Proportional probability sampling. A pretested validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel and data analysis was done in SPSS version 22.Results: Out of 1000 students, 130 was from government school and 870 from private schools. Physical activity level among government school children was found to be more than private school children (p&lt;0.005). Government school children had more number of underweight students (70%) compared to private school children (37.5%).Conclusions: This study showed that more research is necessary to evaluate intermediate factors and to determine which interventions are likely to be most effective to prevent childhood and adolescent obesity.

A Study on The Prevalence of ABO Blood Groups in Malaria Infection

Objectives: To analyse the distribution of blood groups in malaria positive patients in and around the city of Mangalore. Materials and methods: This study was conducted from January 2015-December 2015. The study group consisted of malaria positive patients diagnosed by MPFT or MP Smear. Blood grouping, complete blood counts and peripheral smear examinations were done in these patients. Results: During the 1 year period of our study, there were 278 malaria positive patients. Of the 278 malaria positive cases, 262 (94.24%) cases were P.vivax, 2 (0.72%) were P.falciparum & 14 (5.04%) were mixed infections. The vast majority of the patients were male (83.5%) and the largest number of cases were seen in the 20-29 age group (39.9%). The most common peripheral smear finding was thrombocytopenia. 256 (92.1%) of the patients were Rh positive and only 22 (7.9%) of cases were Rh negative. The most common ABO blood group seen was O in 38.13% followed by B in 28.78%. A blood group had 26.6% and AB had only 6.83%. Overall, the most common of the 8 ABO-Rh groups seen was O positive (35.6%) followed by B positive (26.3%). Conclusions: In our study, malaria is found to be more prevalent in males, the most common species is P.vivax and most common age group is 20-29yrs. The most common haematological abnormality seen was thrombocytopenia and overall, malaria is seen to occur most in the O positive blood group which is in concordance with most other studies.

Highly acidic pH values of carbonated sweet drinks, fruit juices, mineral waters and unregulated fluoride levels in oral care products and drinks in India: a public health concern.

The objective of this study was to quantify and assess the concentrations of fluoride in commonly used oral care products, fruit juices, bottled waters, soft drinks, favoured bottled milk and milkshakes and to determine the pH of carbonated sweet drinks and drinks marketed in India. Various commercial brands of dentifrices, toothpowders, mouthwashes, bottled waters, sweet carbonated drinks and fruit juices were collected randomly from different outlets in Mangalore city, Karnataka, India. A fluoride ion-selective electrode was employed to estimate the fluoride concentrations. A standardised pH meter was used to detect pH in the drinks. The fluoride level in toothpastes ranged between 96 and 1397 mg/l, whereas in toothpowder the fluoride content ranged from 35 to 1380 mg/l and mouthwash fluoride concentrations varied from 6 to 228 mg/l. The fluoride level in bottled waters ranged between 0.10 and 0.12 mg/l, and that in fruit juices between 0.09 and 0.21 mg/l. Most of the carbonated sweet drinks and fruit juices had highly acidic pH values which ranged between 2.62 and 4.26. Of the wide variety of dentifrices and toothpowders available in India, most brands do not indicate the fluoride levels on their packaging or inserts. Similarly, the unregulated acidic pH values of carbonated sweet drinks are not only potentially contributing to non-carious tooth loss (enamel erosion and dentine erosion), but are also a contributing factor to the weight gain observed in Indian adolescents.

The Impact of Loyalty Cards in Retaining Customers: A Study with Reference to Mega Mart Retail Outlet in Mangalore City

Fierce competition and complexity of modern business has prompted organizations to strive for creative and innovating strategies to retain customers. As attracting new customers in the business is far more costly than retaining existing customers; business organizations have started offering lucrative loyalty programmes to retain existing customers. The current study is empirical research that focuses on the effect of loyalty programs on customer retention with reference to Mega Mart Retail outlet. The data for the study was collected from Mangalore region from the customers who physically visited Mega Mart retail outlet for buying their products. The results indicated that loyalty card programme has resulted in an increase in their purchases from the outlet and customers use loyalty cards most of the time while making their purchases.

Are workers in construction sites of Mangalore city healthy? a cross-sectional study

Background: Construction site workers are prone to develop health problems due to poor living conditions. This is magnified by lack of timely access to health care. Thus, we sought to explore the health status of construction site workers.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in construction sites located in an urban area of Mangalore, from September to November, 2015 among workers aged ≥18 years, with consent. Information was obtained through a pre-designed, pre-tested interview schedule.Results: A total of 178 individuals participated in the study, which included 160 (89.80%) males. Majority, (80.80%), stated that they had experienced fever at least once in the past one year. Other major complaints were blocked nose (17.40%), followed by skin diseases (12.70%) and cough which was present in 12.30%. When the study participants had an illness, 65.70% visited a health facility. Majority (82.50%) preferred private doctors, 62.50% visited the doctor so that they could work better and earn more, and 37.0% were unable to afford the treatment due to high treatment cost.Conclusions: The most common health complaint was found to be fever. Nearly half of the study participants had illness which required treatment in the last one year. More than half visited a health facility when ill. A high proportion (82.50%) preferred private health facility.

Road Safety in Mangalore-An Observation

Introduction: Road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of increased morbidity and mortality in Mangalore City. As per statistics for road traffic accidents collected from Mangalore traffic police for a period of 2 years i.e. 2015 and 2016, there were 327 fatal accidents, 2847 non-fatal accidents, 2653 vehicular accidents, 3245 cases of drunken driving and 3,88,525 cases of traffic rules violations. This alarmingly high incidence of road traffic accidents in a small coastal town motivated us to conduct this study. Methodology: This questionnaire based study was conducted on 400 randomly picked participants including traffic police persons, commuters, and drivers (bus, auto, car, and bike). The questionnaire contained both open ended and closed ended questions. Opinions and suggestions received from the participants for various questions were compiled in MS excel sheet and were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0 programme. Institutional Ethics Committee Clearance was obtained before starting the study. Results & Discussion: The data collected from the participants was listed in form of tables and graphs. The study showed that public is well aware of traffic rules and regulations; and the traffic police is well aware of their responsibilities. In spite of this and the fact that, Mangalore, being a modern and educated city with good infrastructure and well-informed residents, the cases of accidents and traffic violations are quite high. The results of this study list the opinions and suggestions of residents and police regarding increasing accidents and suggestions to control them. The results and suggestions obtained by this study can be used further to spread more awareness among police and public along with familiarizing them with expectations of the other stakeholders. We hope that in long run this exercise can result in increasing awareness, improving the road infrastructure of the city and thus reducing road traffic accidents.

Knowledge on Heart smart Diet among Hypertensive Clients in selected Urban Areas of Mangalore City

Cardiac disease alone causes 17 million deaths per year globally. Sixty percent of world’s cardiac disease cases are from India. Hypertension is one among the risk factor for cardiac disease, which cannot be cured,but can be controlled through diet and healthy life style. Many of the clients with hypertension are not following healthy diet, which will lead them to the risk of getting serious health problems. The present study aimed to measure the knowledge of clients with Hypertension on Heart Smart Diet by using Structured Knowledge Questionnaire(r= 0.87). Quantitative survey approach was adopted to accomplish the objectives.By using non-probability purposive sampling 500 samples were selected for the study. The study was conducted in various urban areas under Mangalore City Corporation. The knowledge was measured by using a structured knowledge questionnaire. The overall mean knowledge score was 20.5±1.43, with a mean percent of 60.3% revealing that the overall knowledge of the clients regarding healthy diet to prevent heart disease is moderate. So the study concluded that there is a need of interventional programmes in order to improve the knowledge of clients with hypertension regarding Heart Smart Diet

Social determinants of dental anxiety and utilization of oral health services among young adults in Mangalore City, India

Social determinants of dental anxiety and utilization of oral health services among young adults in Mangalore City, India

Validation of Malaria Antigen Detecting Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit: A Study from Highly Endemic Area in Coastal India

Introduction: Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (MRDT) is widely used for diagnostic purposes in endemic areas and resource-constrained settings. However, concern about the accuracy of RDTs has made its wide-scale usage a debatable issue. Aim: To assess the validity of antigen detecting MRDT kits by comparing the test results with that of conventional Peripheral Smear (PS) examination used for diagnosis of malaria. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was done in Mangalore city which is highly endemic for Plasmodium vivax and falciparum malaria. It was conducted from May to September 2017 which corresponds to the peak season of malaria in Mangalore. The validity of antigen detecting MRDT kit namely SD Bioline Malaria Antigen test kit (Standard Diagnostics Inc., India) as a screening test was compared with a gold standard test namely Giemsa stained thick and thin blood film microscopy. Results: Out of the total 309 cases, 210 (68%) tested positive by PS examination. MRDT showed a sensitivity of 98.6%, specificity of 86.9%, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 94.1% and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 96.6%. False Positive (FP) rate of the test was 13.1% and False Negative (FN) rate was 1.4%. The accuracy rate of the screening test was 94.8%, positive likelihood ratio was 7.53, negative likelihood ratio was 0.016 and Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) was 470.6. Sensitivity and specificity of the screening test were higher in the age group of less than 18 years compared to higher age groups. Sensitivity and NPV of the screening test were higher while PPV was lesser for diagnosing Plasmodium falciparum malaria compared to Plasmodium vivax malaria. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve for MRDT was 0.927 when compared with the gold standard test. Conclusion: Antigen detecting MRDT showed good performance as a screening test and hence can be recommended for wide-scale usage at this settings.

Employee Engagement in the Insurance Sector in Mangalore City of Dakshina Kannada

Employee Engagement in the Insurance Sector in Mangalore City of Dakshina Kannada