Colleges In Tamil Nadu Research Articles

Effect of students’ seminar as a revision strategy in biochemistry among I MBBS students in a medical college in Tamil Nadu

Background: Small group teaching is one of the components of competency-based medical education which was implemented in 2019 by NMC. Seminar is one of the methods of small group teaching which increases the engagement of students, self-directed learning, communication skills, and peer discussion. Aims and Objectives: The present idea is to study the effect of students’ seminar as a revision strategy in Biochemistry among I MBBS students. Materials and Methods: After obtaining the IEC approval, I MBBS students who are 250 in number will be divided into small groups. Each group will be given a particular seminar topic. All the students in the particular group will be instructed to present the topic on random basis. A total of 15 seminars will be conducted on particular topics. Pre-tests and post-tests (immediately after the seminar) will be conducted after the seminars along with pre-test and post-test questionnaires will be obtained and collated to understand how far the student’s acceptance of students’ seminar and its effectiveness. Results: Our study results showed that that there is an increase in the percentage of marks in the post-evaluation and also more than 70% of the students responded positively to most of the queries in the feedback questionnaire. Conclusion: Our study results showed that there is an increase in the percentage of marks in the post-evaluation and also more than 70% of the students responded positively to most of the queries in the feedback questionnaire.

Social Media Addiction and its Association with Sleep Quality Among Medical Students in A Medical College In Tamil Nadu, India

Background: Medical students' social media addiction disrupts and lowers sleep quality, hurting their everyday life and academic performance, stressing the need for effective ways to promote their well-being and achievement. The study aims to estimate the prevalence of social media addiction and to find out the association with sleep quality among medical students in private medical college. Methodology: A cross-sectional study involving 792 MBBS students from a private medical college in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, utilized the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to assess social media addiction and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep quality. Data were collected through a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 25. Results: The study revealed a 17.7% prevalence of social media addiction among medical students, significantly associated with poor sleep quality, female gender, and morning social media use. Other factors included dependence on social media for updates, more than three hours of daily use, eye discomfort, Snapchat use, compulsion to post at least six photos and subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, duration, disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and Daytime dysfunction. Conclusions: Research demonstrates a significant correlation between social media addiction and poor sleep quality among medical students, highlighting the need for focused interventions and awareness activities to counteract its harmful influence.

A study to assess the health care utilization and the activities of the daily living status amongst the geriatric population residing in urban and rural field practice areas of a medical college in Tamil Nadu

Background: The prevalence of disability in the activities of daily living (ADL), could probably have a significant impact on the healthcare utilization amongst the geriatric population with disability. Methods: A cross-sectional study in the urban and rural field practice areas of a medical college in Tamil Nadu, using a sample size of 402 elderly individuals. Using the pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire; the socio-demographic variables, healthcare utilization variables and a comprehensive Katz ADL assessment were used. Results: The overall prevalence of ADL limitation amongst the elderly was seen in 49 (12.2%) elderly individuals mostly with a score of 5 (mildest form) was found in 36 (74%) of the elderly. There was an association found between the follow-up care at health centres, frequency of visits, distance from home to health centres and the ADL limitation with a P- value less than 0.05 (C.I.-95%) using the Pearson chi-square test using SPSS v.26.0. Conclusions: The association between ADL limitation and healthcare utilization calls for initiatives at the family and community level.

Infant Care Practices Adapted by Mothers Attending Medical College in Tamilnadu: A Cross –Sectional Descriptive Study

Context/Background: Rearing practices are a major determinant of nutritional and health status of infants. Infant Care Practices has more impact on Child Survival. Therefore these practices need to be better understood.Aims/Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess the feeding and child rearing practices among mothers in the study area.Methodology: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 110 mothers of 6 months to two year children attending Government Medical College in Thiruvannamalai using a Semi structured Questionnaire.Analysis of collected data was done using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software.Results: Only 43.6% of mothers exclusively breastfeed their child and 33.6% of mothers had given prelacteal feeds to the newborn. Bottle feeding was practiced by 71.7% of mothers. About 68.2% of mothers applied kajal to the eyes of children. All the mothers utilised Health care services during illness of the children. Maternal education improves the weaning and immunisation practices and found statistically significant (p < 0.05)Conclusions: Faulty child rearing practices need to be corrected either through health education, hands on training of mothers and counselling by healthcare professionals in order to improve the health status of infants.

Assessment of awareness regarding rhinocerebral mucormycosis among undergraduate and postgraduate dental students: A cross-sectional survey

Objectives: The incidence of rhinocerebral mucormycosis (RCM), a fungal disease seen in immunocompromised individuals have drastically increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of the study was to assess the awareness of dental students regarding RCM. Material and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among students pursuing BDS/MDS from various dental colleges in Tamil Nadu from August 2021 to October 2021. The questionnaire of 13 questions assessing awareness regarding RCM was administered using Google Forms. List-based random sampling method was used to sample the participants through e-mail and phone numbers of the students from college registries. Reminder calls were made every week to increase the response rate of the study. At the end of 2 months, the final data collected was organized using Google spreadsheets and subjected to statistical analysis through SPSS 22.0. Results: There were 597 respondents from 10 dental colleges, of which 172 were males, and 417 were females. Overall knowledge score for the disease ranged from 0.39 to 12.77 with a mean of 6.37. Postgraduates had greater knowledge in all categories of questions, except for causative micro-organisms, other forms of mucormycosis, its sources in the environment, and symptoms of RCM where there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between preclinical, clinical undergraduates, and postgraduates. Conclusion: Awareness of dental students regarding RCM was found to be poor to average. Among the three study groups, postgraduates were most aware of the disease. Education and training programs on RCM are necessary for dental students to help them keep an eye out for features of rhinocerebral mucormycosis among the immunocompromised.

A study on prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients attending a rural health and training centre.

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication, affecting up to half the diabetics. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) predominantly affects the hands and lower limbs. It leads to loss of protective sensation, resulting in continuous injury to insensitive feet. The early detection of DPN using an objective screening test followed by its appropriate management is important, as up to 50% of diabetic peripheral neuropathies may be asymptomatic. To screen diabetic patients attending a Rural Health and Training Centre of a medical college in Tamil Nadu for DPN. To assess the association between DPN and sociodemographic factors, duration of diabetes, glycemic control, physical activity, body mass index, smoking and habit of alcohol consumption. The study was conducted among 206 diabetic patients attending a Rural Health and Training Centre. Participants were assessed using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI), which involves using a questionnaire followed by a physical examination. Of the 206 patients, 61.2% were male, and 38.8% were female. The mean age was 50.86 years (standard deviation [SD] = 12.26 years). The mean duration of diabetes was 8.3 years (SD = 5.5 years). The proportion of diabetics who were screened positive for peripheral neuropathy was 16.5% and 21.8% using the MNSI questionnaire and examination, respectively. Age of 60 years and above was significantly associated with DPN.(OR = 3.982, P value = 0.0001). Duration of more than 5 years of diabetes was also significantly associated with DPN.(OR = 6.01, P value = 0.003). A high proportion of diabetics were screened positive for peripheral neuropathy, and many of them were unaware of having the complication. Many risk factors associated with DPN were reported in this study. Thus, early diagnosis and management with MNSI or any other validated screening tool in health care institutions is essential.

An experimental study on the influence of instructional mobile applications in enhancing listening comprehension of rural students in India

IntroductionMobile learning (M-learning) is integral to language education, offering accessibility, portability, and diverse resources. It offers real-life language use with synchronous learning, flexibility, and an opportunity to engage with the global community. It allows learners to practice language skills from anywhere. This study aims to evaluate linguistic instructional mobile applications' effectiveness on listening comprehension among Indian rural students.MethodsPedagogic mobile applications were employed in an experimental study with 149 tertiary-level students from rural colleges in Tamil Nadu, India. Participants were divided into control (n = 75) and experimental (n = 74) groups. Pre and post-tests assessed listening comprehension levels, considering demographic variables. Different types of audio files were used in the intervention to improve the listening skills of the experimental group.ResultsStatistical analyses, including paired t-tests, independent t-tests, and ANOVA, revealed significant improvement in listening skills for the experimental group. Gender, locality, and parental income were considered as significant variables, showing that students from diverse backgrounds benefited from mobile applications.DiscussionThe results indicate that M-learning effectively aids rural students in overcoming language barriers, emphasizing the potential of mobile applications in language education.

Work Stress Among Selected Engineering College Faculty Of Southern Districts Of Tamil Nadu

There is stress in many kinds of organisations, but it is particularly prevalent in colleges and schools. Stress will always be a part of life. Eustress, a healthy form of stress, is beneficial for both individual and organisational growth. The amount of stress experienced by school teachers has been the subject of numerous studies, but not many have looked at college teachers. Research has demonstrated that educators experience moderate to high levels of stress, while those employed by private schools report significant levels of depersonalisation and emotional weariness. The purpose of the study is to establish the stress levels of college instructors at independently Self-Financing engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu's southern districts. The researcher was identified that four group factors adopted the factor analysis technique and the factors are named as “Social norms, perceived behavioural control, pro-environmental behaviour and push towards to sickness”. The researcher concluded that emotional imbalance causes female instructors to experience higher levels of stress, whereas college teachers often experience moderate to high levels of stress owing to a variety of stresses. The elements that contributed to classroom stress were procrastination, work overload, student issues, classroom management, participative issues, and teaching issues. The researcher were identified that four group factors adopted in the study and the factors are named as “classroom related statement”.

Stress management intervention program for teaching staff at private engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu to improve their job performance and well-being

PurposeStress at workplace is quite common in all sorts of environment. It can be occurring when the demand in the job does not match with the requirements; thereby, it affects their performance. The study was conducted with the aim to identify the major factors that induce stress for teaching professionals in private engineering colleges and its impact towards job performance. From the observation and discussion, it was found that Workload, Working Hour, Salary, Role Ambiguity and Lack of Social Support are the major factors for stress.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was framed with the help of stress-causing factors and their effect on job performance. In addition to this, a few questions were asked related to stress management intervention program. The survey was conducted with 370 respondents, while further analysis was carried out with the filled 260 respondent’s data using descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, ANOVA and SEM.FindingsThe study reveals that workload plays a significant role in stress whereas other factors are consequently lower than that. Also, the primary-level intervention programs are more effective than secondary-level intervention programs to reduce the stress level of stressors.Originality/valueThe paper was originally done by collecting data from the staff.

A study to assess the pattern of alcohol and tobacco usage in the rural field practice area of a medical college in Tamil Nadu

Background: Tobacco usage and alcohol consumption is a serious health issue to the society for ages. The consumption of alcohol and tobacco usage leads to medical and societal issues. An assessment of the pattern of tobacco usage and alcohol consumption in adult population is important to estimate the burden, and the risk factors associated with the same on the rural communities. There is a strong impact on the prevalence of NCDs by reduction in the usage of tobacco and alcohol products in the forthcoming decades. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural field practice area of a medical college, using pre-validated, semi-structured questionnaire amongst 275 study participants a rural area. The adults aged 18 years and above who were currently using tobacco products and consuming alcohol were selected by simple random sampling using the tobacco assessment and AUDIT questionnaire for alcohol consumption. Results: The results showed a significant association between all the socio-demographic variables (except for gender) in the usage of tobacco products; the study found higher literacy levels in using the products more frequently. The age distribution, family arrangement and socio-economic status were associated with alcohol consumption as well. In the multivariate regression the socio-economic class were associated with alcohol consumption. Conclusions: The interventions should be targeted at the family and community level. There is a need for health education programs and de-addiction camps.

A Cross-Sectional Clinical Investigation of Organisms Causing Vaginal Discharge in Patients in Rural Tamil Nadu, India.

Background and aims Abnormal vaginal discharge is a prevailing gynecological problem among women in the reproductive age group. Vaginal discharges have multiple etiologies, and the present study was conducted with the objective of determining the prevalence of common organisms causing vaginal discharge and correlating with its various types of clinical presentations in those women attending a rural health centre of a medical college in Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and methods The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted in a rural health center of a teaching hospital in Tamil Nadu, India,from February 2022 to July 2022. All the patients clinically having the symptoms of vaginitis and with a discharge were included in this study, and postmenopausal women and pregnant women were excluded. Data was collected from a total of 175 patients. Results The mean (SD) age of the study population was 34.8 (6.9) years. Almost half, 91 (52%), of the study participants were in the age group of 31-40 years. Bacterial vaginosis was found in 74 (42.3%) and was themost common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in our study participants, followed by vulvovaginal candidiasis, 34 (19.4%). There were significant associations between high-risk sexual behavior and the presence of co-morbidities with abnormal vaginal discharge. Conclusion The most common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge were found to be bacterial vaginosis followed by vulvovaginal candidiasis. The study results help to initiate early appropriate treatment for effective management of a community health problem.

A LETTER FROM SPECIAL EDITION EDITOR IN CHIEF - DR. VASANTHAN. R

The Department of English (UAP) has successfully organised a Two-Day International Conference on "Learning Language and Literature for Life (4L)" on the 9th and 10th of September 2022. About 44 colleges participated in the conference, and a total of 270 presenters attended it. Parallel sessions were conducted at four venues with the distinguished keynote speakers, Dr. P.K Patra from Bodoland University, Assam; Dr. Seng Tong Chong, University Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia; Dr. Mohammed Shamsul Hoque, Daffodil International University, Bangladesh; Dr. Pasa Tevfik Cephe, Gazi University, Turkey and Dr. Michael Greaney, Lancaster University, United Kingdom. The presentation sessions were chaired by prominent resource persons from various colleges in Tamil Nadu. The conference's main objective was to encourage scholars to have an insight into the different areas of English language and literature research. The discussions during the paper presentations proved to be a great opportunity for exchanging knowledge among great minds. Among the 270 papers received, 17 papers related to scope were selected to be published in the UGC Care-Listed Journal "ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts" as a special issue titled "Depiction of Women in Artistic Works". I express my sincere thanks to the publisher of Granthaalayah Publications for his noble partnership with the institution to motivate researchers with due recognition. The Department of English (UAP) looks forward to take this partnership to the next level with substantial research contributions to promote art forms in general and literary arts in particular.
 Sincerely,Dr. Vasanthan.R

Assessing English L2 Pronunciation: Perceptions of Select English Teachers from Arts and Engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu

This small-scale study conducted with a group of 20 English teachers from arts and engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu primarily aims at understanding how these teachers rate English pronunciation. In the process, it also throws light on these teachers' awareness of prosodic features and the factors that they consider to be important for intelligibility. The study uses the stimulated recall method to collect data. Results reveal that English teachers from Engineering colleges tend to score slightly lower. The justifications given by them for awarding these bands also reveal that they tend to base their assessment on various other factors rather than focusing exclusively on actual features of pronunciation.

Utilizing Gamification Techniques for English Language Instruction in Tamil Nadu's Engineering Institutions

This study investigates the efficacy of incorporating gamification methodologies to facilitate English language acquisition within the academic setting of engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu. The emphasis lies in addressing the language barriers faced by students pursuing technical education by integrating engaging and interactive game-based approaches into the pedagogical framework. By employing various gamified strategies, such as language-oriented puzzles, simulations, and interactive digital platforms, this research aims to enhance language proficiency, communication skills, and overall engagement among engineering students. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess the impact of gamification on English language learning outcomes. Additionally, the research analyzes the perceptions of students and educators regarding the effectiveness and acceptance of these innovative techniques. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights into the integration of gamification as a supplementary tool for improving English language proficiency in technical educational institutions.

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Medical Students before their Final Examinations at a Private Medical College of Tamil Nadu, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Due to their susceptibility to mental health problems, medical students should have their prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression checked before their final examinations. Aim: To assess the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among medical students at a private medical college in Tamil Nadu, India, four weeks before their final examinations. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a private medical college, Tamil Nadu, India, including 297 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students, using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire in December 2022 The survey was completed independently by the students with verbal agreement obtained; the response rate was 68.2%. The short form and history of usage of the DASS-21 in comparable medical student research led to its selection. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 20.48±1.23 years. The DASS-21 revealed prevalence rates of 60.9% for depression, 72.7% for anxiety, and 40.4% for stress among 297 first- to third-year medical students. There was no discernible effect of gender on these rates. With a depression frequency of 69% and significantly higher rates of severe depression (18.6%), first-year students demonstrated the highest scores, which were statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for preventative actions, such as professional counselling, early detection of mental health problems, and educational programs on healthy coping mechanisms. To support medical students from the start of their academic journey and ultimately promote their resilience and mental health, these interventions should be specially designed.

Current status of usage of ivermectin in the management of COVID.

The antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer properties of ivermectin make it a wonder drug with a wide range of possible applications. It works against a variety of microorganisms, including viruses. Ivermectin has a wide range of antiviral effects, according to in vivo research in animal models. Because ivermectin is involved in a range of biological processes, it could be a promising therapeutic candidate for viruses such as COVID-19 and other positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. The study aims to analyze the awareness about the current status of usage of ivermectin in management of COVID among students studying in a private dental college. A study based on questionnaire was organized among students studying in a private dental college in Tamil Nadu. The subjects were asked a series of structural questions based on the usage of ivermectin in management of COVID. The questionnaire was prepared with 10 questions. 150 individuals completed the questionnaire; all of their answers were tallied in excel and imported into SPSS. For statistical analysis, the Chi-square test was performed. Excel was used to tabulate and enter the data, and the SPSS package software was used to analyze it. The study's threshold for statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. From this study, we found that the students had limited knowledge about the usage of ivermectin for management of COVID. More studies should be conducted to widen the knowledge among the students about the current affairs of the world.

A Study of Obstacles in Plagiarism Software Subscribing by Colleges in Tamil Nadu

This article attempts to comprehend the current issues and hurdles that Indian colleges affiliated with Tamil Nadu State Universities encounter when trying to subscribe to a software that detects plagiarism. The study’s goals are to determine whether colleges employ anti-plagiarism software, whether they ensure that their student-given assignments are free of copyright infringement, whether tutors teach about academic misconduct, and what people seem to think of anti-plagiarism software. We surveyed for this study and distributed the questionnaires among college administrators, principals, and librarians. The study respondents are 15.9 per cent principals, 64.2 per cent library professionals, and 19.9 per cent college administrators. The survey study report shows that 70.9 per cent of the majority of the colleges did not subscribe. 41.7 per cent gave the reason it is too expensive, and 30.5 per cent of respondents thought that for their college, it is unnecessary to subscribe. However, nobody has confirmed whether or not all colleges possess access to plagiarism detection software. Thus, according to this investigation, further Indian states must be involved in this research to understand the specific context fully. This report advises the UGC to enforce the requirement that colleges have plagiarism detection software; they either provide colleges additional money to subscribe to such software, or the university must grant free access to the affiliated colleges.

Career Preferences Among Final Year Medical Students and Interns: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: The increase in the number of undergraduate medical seats in India, suggests the need for faculties trained in specialist fields to ensure adequate education at the university level. Career selection is considered an important aspect of medical course admission and some career options are often overlooked by students. An insight into factors affecting the decision making could aid preparing workforce to prevent the over or under supply of doctors in various specialties. Aim: To determine the career preferences among final year medical students and interns in a private medical college in Tamilnadu, India. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among final year part two MBBS students and CRRI’s who were going to complete their internship in three months, by a pre validated questionnaire consisting of two sections, the first section consisting of demographic details and the second section consisting of fixed response questions about their career choices. A sample of 100 final year students and 140 CRRI’s participated in this study. The primary data is analysed with SPSS software, and chi square test was done. Results: Female students mostly preferred General medicine, Obstetrics &amp; gynaecology and Paediatrics, while male students preferred General medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery and Radiology. Among the students who participated in the study, 20.4% have not decided which speciality to pursue. Conclusion: The medical students career options in our medical college was in favour of a few departments. KEY WORDS: Career preferences, Medical students, CRRI’s.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Associated with Biomedical Waste Management among Students in an Indian Teaching Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: In developing countries, the medical waste management and treatment pose a great deal of concern because of the potential health and environmental hazards presented by this waste. Although India has guidelines on preventing and managing waste, the implementation is still difficult due to technological, economic, and social challenges, as well as insufficient training for the staff, students, in charge. This study aimed to measure the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices among allied health science, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and nursing students about biomedical waste management. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from students of nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and allied health at Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Allied Health Teaching Hospital. Based on the participant responses, statistical analysis was performed to compare the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practices between the study groups. Findings/Results: This study recruited 237 respondents in total, with 59.4% of the female participants and 40.5% of the study respondents representing men. Most (90.8%) of the study population fell within the 21–30 age range. The study analyzed students' knowledge of needle-stick injuries in the allied health sciences, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and nursing fields. Only PhD Scholars from Allied health science and Nursing Students had (&gt;90%) excellent knowledge about this topic. 42 (84%) Nursing, 20 (80%) Pharmacy, 13(26%) Allied health and 35 (70%) Physiotherapy undergraduate’s students had suffered from needle stick injuries in the past 24 months. Originality/Value: According to the study, there is a dearth of knowledge and awareness among students studying allied health sciences, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and nursing at private medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, India, concerning the risks associated with BM waste generation and the related laws and management. Paper Type: Empirical Research

Does EHRM have induced better production and resources utilization in an educational institution

The study aimed to investigate the important domains in production result and resource utilization where EHRM have contributed significantly to educational institutions. For the study, the descriptive research design was utilized. The data was collected from 66 administrative staff belonging to 28 colleges in Tamil Nadu which are using EHRM. From the analysis made it can be interpreted that, There is a significant difference in production results in administrative function at considered educational instructions due to EHRM as per the opinions of the respondents belonging level of experience. Also, it was identified that Ease in Programme (Conference, Workshop, Seminars) management, Effortlessness in student monitoring and Better Administration function of accounts is the important result produced by the EHRM. Similarly, it was found that there is a significant difference in resource utilization at considered educational instructions due to EHRM as per the opinions of the respondents belonging to different Age groups and Levels of Experience. It can be interpreted that; Reduced Paper Works and Reduction of members in organizational structure due to systemization are the important effect of EHRM on resource utilization.