Malappuram District Research Articles

Prevalence of multimorbidity and associated treatment burden in primary care settings in Kerala: a cross-sectional study in Malappuram District, Kerala, India.

Background: Multimorbidity or co-existence of two or more chronic conditions is common and associated with reduced quality of life and increased risk of death. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and pattern of multimorbidity in primary care settings in Kerala and the associated treatment burden, and quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 540 adult participants in Malappuram District, Kerala. A multi-stage cluster sampling method was employed. Hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and anxiety screening were done by trained medical professionals. The remaining medical conditions were self-reported by the respondent and verified with patient held health records. The health-related quality of life [HRQoL] was measured using the EQ-5D-5L tool. The MTBQ tool was used for measuring the multimorbidity treatment burden. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with multi-morbidity. Results: Overall, the prevalence of multimorbidity was 39.8% (35.7 - 44.1). The prevalence of multimorbidity among men (42.6%) was relatively higher than that in women (38.1%). Lower educational attainment, higher age group, and overweight or obesity status were independently associated with higher prevalence of multimorbidity. The most common pairs of coexisting chronic conditions reported in the study were hypertension and diabetes in males (66.7%) and females (70.8%). All domains of quality of life were impaired in individuals with multimorbidity. Conclusion: Multimorbidity is a norm and affects two of five participants seeking care in primary care settings in Kerala. The social gradient in the prevalence of multimorbidity was evident with higher prevalence in individuals with low educational attainment. Multimorbidity seriously impairs quality of life and increases treatment burden. The focus of management should move beyond individual diseases, and pivot towards interventions targeting multi-morbidity management, with a specific focus for people living in lower socio-economic strata.

Emotional maturity, trust and forgiveness in relation to psychological well-being among adults

The purpose of this research was to discover how psychological well-being influences emotional maturity, trust and forgiveness in adults. Adults between the ages of 18 and 40 were recruited for the research. The study's overall sample included 100 people from Kerala's Malappuram District. Psychological well-being is a multi-faceted concept that refers to people's ability to successfully carry out psychological activities. Adults who can forgive others for hurting their sentiments might have a positive psychological influence. Trust is needed to balance every relationship thereby promoting psychological well-being. Individuals who have acquired emotional maturity have the capacity to manage their emotions, think rationally, comprehend themselves, and express emotions when and when they are appropriate. Results showed that emotional maturity and forgiveness and trust are needed to foster psychological well-being among adults. Gender disparities in psychological well-being, emotional maturity, forgiveness, and trust were also discovered in the study.

Prevalence of multimorbidity and associated treatment burden in primary care settings in Kerala: a cross-sectional study in Malappuram District, Kerala, India

Background: Multimorbidity or co-existence of two or more chronic conditions is common and associated with reduced quality of life and increased risk of death. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and pattern of multimorbidity in primary care settings in Kerala and the associated treatment burden, and quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 540 adult participants in Malappuram District, Kerala. A multi-stage cluster sampling method was employed. Hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and anxiety screening were done by trained medical professionals. The remaining medical conditions were self-reported by the respondent and verified with patient held health records. The health-related quality of life [HRQoL] was measured using the EQ-5D-5L tool. The MTBQ tool was used for measuring the multimorbidity treatment burden. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with multi-morbidity. Results: Overall, the prevalence of multimorbidity was 39.8% (35.7 – 44.1). The prevalence of multimorbidity among men (42.6%) was relatively higher than that in women (38.1%). Lower educational attainment, higher age group, and overweight or obesity status were independently associated with higher prevalence of multimorbidity. The most common pairs of coexisting chronic conditions reported in the study were hypertension and diabetes in males (66.7%) and females (70.8%). All domains of quality of life were impaired in individuals with multimorbidity. Conclusion: Multimorbidity is a norm and affects two of five participants seeking care in primary care settings in Kerala. The social gradient in the prevalence of multimorbidity was evident with higher prevalence in individuals with low educational attainment. Multimorbidity seriously impairs quality of life and increases treatment burden. The focus of management should move beyond individual diseases, and pivot towards interventions targeting multi-morbidity management, with a specific focus for people living in lower socio-economic strata.

Anticidence of Buying Behaviour of Parents Towards Educational Mobile Applications

UNICEF says that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems around the world. In India, more than 15 million schools were closed, affecting 286 million children from pre-primary level to secondary level. The purpose of study is to analyses the factors that affect the parents for buying an educational mobile apps during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.A descriptive type of research is followed by the researcher. The sample size is 174 parents in Kerala with special reference to Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram district. To analyse the researcher uses statistical tools such as percentage analysis, Arithmetic Mean, Standard Deviation, ANOVA, Independent Samples Test, Regression analysis etc. The researcher identified seven factors such as Easy Access, Convenience,Highly Qualified Teachers,Price of the Apps.,Personal Development of Children, Teachers Influence, Social Status of Parentsthat influence the parents for the purchase of educational mobile apps.

Spatial distribution and seasonal variation of heavy metal contaminants and pollution indices in a coastal landmass of Kerala, peninsular India

ABSTRACT Heavy metal contamination in groundwater is a global health concern and its gravity is higher in India, as more than 80% of the rural and 50% of the urban population rely on it for drinking purposes. The present study comprehensively analysed the source, distribution pattern, and seasonal flux of heavy metals in the groundwater sources of Malappuram district, a coastal landmass in peninsular India, using multivariate statistics, pollution indices, and interpolation models in GIS. In three seasons, higher incidences of Pb, Ni and Cd and lower persistence of Zn and Cu were observed during the study period. Heavy metal Pollution Index (HPI) was highest during the pre-monsoon season as 57.57% of the samples were above the critical value. The Metal Index (MI) was higher in coastal areas and is linked to fluvial deposits. More than 77% of the samples were noted to be acidic in all the seasons due to geogenic influxes that accelerated the dissolution of toxic metals upon contact. The HPI interpolation model reveals less heavy metal contamination in the coastal plains, compared to midland and highland urban centres, indicating the least influence of terrain characteristics in the translocation of heavy metals in the groundwater sources.

Coping with COVID-19 Isolation in Kerala, India: A Qualitative Analysis

COVID-19 has had a negative impact on all areas of human life. Populations both directly and indirectly affected faced similar challenges to a certain extent. This article explores the emergent attitudes and healthcare practices of COVID-19-affected people during the period of their isolation after positive infection, following a qualitative research design. A total of ten participants from Malappuram District, Kerala State, India were selected for the study by the convenience sampling method. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to understand their emergent attitudes and health care practices. The results show that the attitudes and vulnerabilities of the individual during quarantine, environmental factors, and access and availability of resources, are the individual and social factors leading to major psychological impacts on participants during COVID-19 quarantines. Coping strategies and healthcare practices, mental health related practices, social connectivity, socioeconomic status and social support are individual and social factors that helped participants to overcome negative psychological impacts. Keywords: Emergent attitudes, Healthcare practices, COVID-19 survivors

Prevalence of multimorbidity and associated treatment burden in primary care settings in Kerala: a cross-sectional study in Malappuram District, Kerala, India

Background: Multimorbidity or co-existence of two or more chronic conditions is common and associated with reduced quality of life and increased risk of death. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and pattern of multimorbidity in primary care settings in Kerala and the associated treatment burden, and quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 540 adult participants in Malappuram District, Kerala. A multi-stage cluster sampling method was employed. Hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression and anxiety screening were done by trained medical professionals. The remaining medical conditions were self-reported by the respondent and verified with patient held health records. The health-related quality of life [HRQoL] was measured using the EQ-5D-5L tool. The MTBQ tool was used for measuring the multimorbidity treatment burden. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with multi-morbidity. Results: Overall, the prevalence of multi-morbidity was 39.8% (35.7 – 44.1). The prevalence of multi-morbidity among men (42.6%) was relatively higher than that in women (38.1%). Lower educational attainment, higher age group, and overweight or obesity status were independently associated with higher prevalence of multimorbidity. The most common pairs of coexisting chronic conditions reported in the study were hypertension and diabetes in males (66.7%) and females (70.8%). All domains of quality of life were impaired in individuals with multimorbidity. Conclusion: Multimorbidity is a norm and affects two of five participants seeking care in primary care settings in Kerala. The social gradient in the prevalence of multimorbidity was evident with higher prevalence in individuals with low educational attainment. Multimorbidity seriously impairs quality of life and increases treatment burden. The focus of management should move beyond individual diseases, and pivot towards interventions targeting multi-morbidity management, with a specific focus for people living in lower socio-economic strata.

RESILIENCE, REJECTION SENSITIVITY AND ANGER AMONG ADULTS WITH MIDLIFE CRISIS

BACKGROUND: The midlife period can be considered an important phase of transition in a person's life course. This phase is characterized by an identiable change in personal circumstances. The midlife period has an important preparatory role in the transition to the next stage of development, that is, to old age. The midlife period is characterized by losses and readjustments. This period covers a large portion of an individual's life span. A woman may go through multiple social, psychological, and biological challenges during this midlife transition. Effective management of these challenges is essential for a healthy midlife period among women. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to assess the resilience, rejection sensitivity and anger among adults with Midlife Crisis in selected community areas in Malappuram District, Kerala. METHODS:Adescriptive study was conducted among 61 female adults with Mid Life Crisis in different community areas at Malappuram district, Kerala. The data collection was done in January 2021. The Resilience In Midlife scale, the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire-Adult version (A-RSQ), and the Clinical Anger Scale were used for the data collection. Using descriptive statistics, the collected data was analyzed. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the mean Resilience score among the sample was 46.67, the mean Rejection Sensitivity score was 20.05, and the mean Anger score was 39.51. CONCLUSION: Resilience building, rejection sensitivity management, and anger management are essential in the management of Mid Life Crisis among women.

Design and Analysis of Flood Resisting Residential Building: A Case Study in Malappuram-KERALA

Structural analysis and design are the backbone or the crucial aspects in civil engineering. The foremost important requirement in civil engineering is to design all of the members related to a building such as slabs, beams, columns and footings. The residential building is situated in Malappuram district of Kerala state. Flooding and its adverse effects on the structure has been a cause of concern affecting the safety of humans for a major cause of time. This paves way for the sustainability constraint and the concerns over climatic change and the worry of environmental causes are also taken as a major concern in people's minds. Flood resistant buildings must comply with all major health and safety constraints and must begin from the primary planning and must continue in each of the upcoming stages. Structural analysis and designing of the building is done according to the relevant IS codes and STAAD.Pro software. There are higher chances and risks embarking greater polls for the structure to fail due to waterlogging or the pressure imbibed due to the movement of course of water thus paving out the environmental constraint. Proper height must be allowed for the retaining walls, taking into account the future floods of greater magnitude and higher flow. Manufacturability constraint accounts to improper design of structural elements. Taking into account all these constraints proper designing must be done as per IS 456:2000 and modelling using REVIT Architecture.

Finite Element and Vulnerability Analyses of a Building Failure due to Landslide in Kaithakunda, Kerala, India

Rainfall‐induced landslide is one of the major natural disasters in the Western Ghats of India. Kerala state in southern India received unprecedented heavy rainfall from July to August 2018. The rainfall received was higher than the average for the past 100 years. The present study discusses the investigation of vertical cut failure at Kaithakunda, located in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It was due to the series of medium rainfall followed by a short period of extremely heavy rainfall. The heavy rainfall triggered the slope failure, which led to the damage of the building and the death of three residents of the building. The index and engineering properties of the soil were evaluated from the laboratory tests. The tests revealed that the soil was silty sand (SM) with low permeability. Tests on the mineral composition and microstructure fabric nature of the soil revealed that the soil was formed due to the weathering action of the parent charnockite rock. The finite element analysis of the slope was carried out using PLAXIS 3D. The analysis was carried out in two stages. The original slope before the vertical cut was modelled as the first stage. The vertical cut was modelled in the second stage to study the actual site condition before failure. The failure occurs due to the increase in pore water pressure in the soil, thereby reducing the matric suction and shear strength of the soil. The vulnerability of the building located near the cut slope is studied using the Support Vector Method to investigate the effect of material on the failure. The results showed the importance of the material properties in the increase of building resistance to 20%.

Diphtheria in Children- A Clinical Profile of Cases during an Outbreak in Kerala, India

Introduction: Diphtheria is an acute potentially fatal infectious disease caused by the toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Acute respiratory obstruction, toxic myocarditis and neurologic weakness are the most important complications of diphtheria. The clinical presentation and severity of diphtheria vary in immunized and non-immunized children. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment including administration of diphtheria antitoxin and antibiotics minimize mortality. Aim: To observe the changing trends in the clinical presentation of diphtheria during the 2016 outbreak and its association with immunization status and antitoxin administration. Materials and Methods: This Longitudinal prospective study conducted among children admitted to Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, a tertiary care centre with a diagnosis of diphtheria during January 2016 to December 2016. Details of socio-demographic data, clinical presentation, investigations, immunization status, treatment and complications were collected using a semi-structured performa. These children were managed by an interim guideline provided by the state authorities. They were followed-up for 3 months. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 18.0. Results: Among 76 children, 62(82%) were from Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, which have relatively low immunization coverage. Most admissions were in July 2016. Majority (58, 76.3%) of children belonged to Muslim community. The mean age was 8.1 years with male to female ratio 1.53:1. Most of the children (47, 62%) were unimmunized or partially immunized. Cultures were positive for C. diphtheriae in 20 children. Complications were noted in 36 children, which included asymptomatic myocarditis in 31, symptomatic myocarditis in one, palatal palsy in nine, loss of accommodation in four and distal weakness in five. Only one child who received antitoxin within 72 hours of disease onset developed neurological complications. Complications were common in children who received less than minimum three doses of diphtheria vaccines compared to those who received three or more doses (54% vs. 44%). There was no mortality. Conclusion: There was an upward shift in age of affected children. Neurological complications were significantly less in those who received antitoxin within 72 hours of disease onset. Regular monitoring helped to detect asymptomatic myocarditis. The outbreak highlighted the need to improve awareness about diphtheria and better vaccination coverage, especially in older children.

Fresh and Dried Fish Consumption and its Contributory Factors: A Study of Malappuram, Kerala

The study investigates fresh and dried fish consumption patterns and factors determining fish purchase among the people of Malappuram district, Kerala. 200 fish consumer households belonging to varied socio-economic backgrounds were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Garret ranking identified ‘convenience perception’ (14.92), ‘provision of home delivery’ (8.62), ‘availability of dressing facility’ (8.61), ‘sensory perception’ (7.75) and ‘information on fish sold in market’ (7.26) as the most important factors influencing fish purchase among the households. The factors identified will guide in preparation of strategies for modern fish business aiding the emerging digital fish market ecosystem in our country. The per capita fish consumption estimated at 2.6 kg/person/month is far higher than the national average. Sardine and mackerel were the two most important species preferred by the respondents. Majority of the families were found to consume dried fishes 1-2 times a week. The study indicated a healthy level of per capita fresh fish consumption while further efforts can be made to improve the dried fish consumption among the households. The results will aid policy makers in designing strategies aimed at bringing fish consumption to recommended dietary intake levels in poorly faring states and territories of the country.

Quarantine and COVID-19 pandemic: Multidimensional perception of people in quarantine in North Kerala.

Proper hand hygiene, face masks, social distancing, maintaining appropriate social distancing, and quarantine are the major strategies for the prevention of transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. The aim of the study was to determine and asses the knowledge, perceptions, health practices of quarantine and COVID-19 and to determine the psychosocial profile of people in quarantine. A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in quarantined individuals in a rural and urban setting in Malappuram district of Kerala from February 2021 to June 2021 by telephonic interview. Mental health status was assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire 9. Only half (49.6%) of the population has satisfactory knowledge about COVID-19 disease. Only 53.9% has satisfactory knowledge on preventive measures and this is significantly more in rural (62.9%) compared to urban (44.4%). Only 45.3% has satisfactory adherence on practice of preventive measures. Also nearly half (44.9%) of the participants were affected by factors such as fear of infection, frustration, inadequate supplies, inadequate communication and financial insecurity. Urban population (53.2%) were more affected compared to rural (37.1%). 31.6% of the participants were having any form of depression with PHQ 9. Pearson's correlation test revealed significant correlations between different factors and outcome variables. Predictors of 'Satisfactory Practice on preventive measures' and 'Any depression' were determined. Only half of the population has satisfactory knowledge and practice on preventive measures. Ensure health intervention programs to improve knowledge and adherence to practices. Strengthening of system to support their needs and psychosocial support should be provided.

A SWOT analysis of rabbit farming in Kerala

A survey was undertaken for SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) analysis of rabbit production system in Thrissur and Malappuram districts of Kerala. Sixty rabbit units were selected randomly from the rabbit farmers of the two districts. The rabbit units were classified as small (1-10 doe unit) and medium (>10 doe unit). Thirty farms from each category were selected for SWOT analysis to assess internal and external factors affecting the viability and sustainability of rabbit farms in Kerala. The SWOT factors had Kendall’s ‘W’ value ranging from 0.005 to 0.017 and 0.006 to 0.069 respectively for the small and medium rabbit farms. Based upon outcomes, most important strengths and opportunities could be combined to formulate a functional strategy that can vitalize the rabbit production systems

Comparison of Open Source DEM’s for Morphometric Analysis of Micro Watersheds: A Case Study from the Midlands of Kerala

Morphometric analysis with the help of remote sensing and GIS is now widely used to prioritise micro watersheds for planning interventions for soil and water conservation. DEM is the main digital data used to perform the morphometric analysis. There are different types of DEMs available to perform morphometric analysis using GIS techniques. But, no authentic information is available on the degree of accuracy levels of these DEMs to quantitatively determine various morphometric parameters for the watersheds in Kerala, with typical undulating and sloping terrain features. Hence, this research has been initiated to evaluate the quality of three popular DEMs viz. SRTM(Shuttle Radar Topography Mission), CARTOSAT(Cartography and satellite) and ASTER(Advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection Radiometer), each with 30 m spatial resolution. Two small sub watershed of Bharathapuzha river basin have been chosen for the study which are lying near to Valanchery town in Malappuram district. More than 21 morphometric parameters including drainage network, basin geometry, basin texture and basin relief characteristics were computed using these three types of DEMs and the outputs compared with google earth map. The results shows that the SRTM 30m DEM is characterized by higher accuracy compared to CARTOSAT and ASTER and has got better matching with google earth map data sources.

Species distribution and ecological suitability analysis for potential tick vectors of Kyasanur forest disease in the Western Ghats of Kerala

Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease with an estimated case fatality rate of 3% to 5% in humans. The KFD virus is transmitted to both humans and animals by infected ticks, primarily the Haemaphysalis species. Our study was undertaken following reports of five confirmed cases and three deaths due to KFD in Malappuram district of Kerala in 2014 to determine the diversity of Ixodidae ticks on vegetation and their possible infection with the KFD virus. Overall, 3502 hard ticks belonging to three genera and eight species were collected from two forest divisions. Haemaphysalis was the predominant tick species (92.72%). Tick positivity for the KFD virus was 4 (5.33%) of 75 pools of ticks tested. Kyasanur forest disease viral RNA was detected from the genera Haemaphysalis and Amblyomma. The KFD virus was detected in 2 of 35 pools (5.71%) of Haemaphysalis spinigera, 1 of 30 pools (3.33%) of Haemaphysalis turturis, and 1 of 3 pools (3.33%) of Amblyomma integrum from the south forest division. The ticks reached their peak density between December and February and then decreased from the end of May. The temperature in the area ranges from 28°C to 30°C, which is suitable for tick survival.

A STUDY ON CORRELATION AND ASSOCIATION OF CHARACTERS OF EXACUM TETRAGONUM ROXB. IN NORTH KERALA, INDIA

Western Ghats provide asylum to several endemic plants. Exacum tetragonum Roxb. is one of the important endemic herbs inhabiting the hilly tracts and midlands of Kerala, the state of India located towards the south-western side of the Western Ghats. The plant is used for treating fever, stomach disorders, gout, diabetics, and eye diseases. It is also found associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-helminthic and anti-hyperglycemic activities. Correlation and association of characters of this important medicinal plant was analyzed based on the observations on thirteen salient morphological characters recorded from twenty three populations of the species distributed across Malappuram, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Palakkad Districts of Kerala State of India. All the characters studied such as plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, number of inflorescences, leaf length, leaf breadth, peduncle length, pedicel length, internodal length, leaf area, mean stem girth, number of branches and fresh weight of plants showed statistically significant variations between the populations. Number of flowers showed significant positive correlation with the maximum number of characters (ten characters) whereas number of leaves showed significant positive correlation with the minimum number of characters (two characters). By factor analysis, two factors could be extracted and fresh weight of plant was found to be the lead character. Significant variability with regard to morphological characters indicates the strong genetic base of the plant species in the field. However, drastic changes in its habitat for various reasons can certainly cause severe threats to its continued existence and hence appropriate actions to conserve the natural habitats of this species are vital.

Constraints faced by the Respondents in Cultivation of Betel Vine in Malappuram District of Kerala

Betel vine (Piper betel L. ) in India is grown as an important cash crop across the states, of, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tripura ,Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A study was undertaken in Malappuram district of Kerala for analysis of constraints faced by the farmers in betel vine cultivation covering Tanur block taking six villages selected purposively where the crop is grown as a major crop. A total 120 betel vine growers were selected randomly from six villages. It is observed that nearly half of the respondents felt the constraints were severe (45%) in betel vine cultivation, followed by not severe (31.66%) and very severe (23.33%). Most of the respondents experienced labour shortage or high labour cost as the most problematic constraint, the study further indicated that the second most important constraint found was price fluctuation followed by water scarcity, transportation and insects and diseases.

Social media, vaccine hesitancy and trust deficit in immunization programs: a qualitative enquiry in Malappuram District of Kerala, India

BackgroundWith increased penetration of the internet and social media, there are concerns regarding its negative role in influencing parents’ decisions regarding vaccination for their children. It is perceived that a mix of religious reasons and propaganda by anti-vaccination groups on social media are lowering the vaccination coverage in Malappuram district of Kerala. We undertook a qualitative study to understand the factors responsible for generating and perpetuating vaccine hesitancy, the pathways of trust deficit in immunization programs and the interaction between various social media actors.MethodsIn-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among parents/caregivers, physicians, public sector health staff, alternative system medical practitioners, field healthcare workers and teachers in areas with highest and lowest vaccination coverage in the district, as well as with communication experts.ResultsThe trust deficit between parents/caregivers and healthcare providers is created by multiple factors, such as providers’ lack of technical knowledge, existing patriarchal societal norms and critical views of vaccine by naturopaths and homeopaths. Anti-vaccine groups use social media to influence caregivers' perceptions and beliefs. Religion does not appear to play a major role in creating vaccine resistance in this setting.ConclusionsA long-term, multipronged strategy should be adopted to address the trust deficit. In the short to medium term, the health sector can focus on appropriate and targeted vaccine-related communication strategies, including the use of infographics, soft skills training for healthcare workers, technical competency improvement through a mobile application-based repository of information and creation of a media cell to monitor vaccine-related conversations in social media and to intervene if needed.

A new species of Riccia (Ricciaceae: Marchantiophyta) from the Western Ghats of Kerala

A new species of Riccia, R. keralensis sp. nov. of the subgenus Riccia of section Riccia and group Squamatae is described from the disturbed low land areas of Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala, India. Riccia keralensis resembles species in the group Squamatae such as R. billardieri Mont & Nees., R. gangetica Ahmad ex L.Soderstr. and R. treubiana Steph. in external appearance and internal structure of the thallus, but distinctly differs in the spores which have a distinct triradiate mark in almost all spores, prominent wing and fewer areolae across the diameter. Riccia keralensis is also similar to R. pandei Udar of the subgenus Ricciella and section Spongodes and group Crystallina in its external thallus morphology, monoicous sexuality and form and number of areolae in the spores, which are 5–6 across diameter. But it differs from R. pandei Udar in the internal anatomy of thallus, the spore size and the smooth-vermiculose texture of the spores.