Middle Socioeconomic Class Research Articles

Vitamin D status of patients visiting a private endocrinology clinic: a retrospective analysis from Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: To estimate the burden of vitamin D deficiency and its association with chronic diseases in patients visiting a private endocrinology clinic in an urban setting. Method: The retrospective study was conducted at the Medicell Institute of Diabetes Endocrinology & Metabolism, Karachi, and comprised medical records of adult patients of either gender between January 2000 and December 2019.Vitamin D status of the patients and its association with various chronic disorders were investigated. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Results: Of the 2,854 patients with mean age 40.87±15.1 years, 2,302(80.7%) were females, and 552(19.3%) were males. There were 1055(37%) patients with vitamin D deficiency, 1,040(36.7%) with severe deficiency, 462(16.2%) with insufficiency, 295(10.3%) with normal status, and 2(0.1%) with vitamin D toxicity. Vitamin D deficiency was observed more frequently in those aged<40 years, and the deficiency was significantly related to type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia and autoimmune disorders (p<0.05). Conclusion: The burden of vitamin Deficiency was found to be alarmingly high at a private endocrine and medicine clinic serving a middle and upper socioeconomic class population in an urban setting. Key Words: Vitamin D deficiency, Metabolic disorder, Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension.

A Study On The Health Seeking Behavior Among Caregivers Of Under-Five Children In A Rural Area Of West Bengal

Background- Children are most vulnerable and dependent groups on others in the society other than geriatric person .So appropriate healthcare seeking behavior of their caregivers are very much important to reduce morbidity & mortality and improve healthy life . Materials & Methods-This was a cross-sectional study was conducted at rural area of West Bengal among 180 caregivers of under 5 yr children with the help of predesigned pretested semistructured schedule. Study subject selected by systematic random sampling and data compilation were done MS Office Excel-2010 and data analysis were done by chi sq test in IBM SPSS version 2019 Results: Among 180 caregivers majority were 20-30yrs age gr(65%), joint family(64.4%), OBC(39.4%), Hindu(86.1%),Literate(71.1%), Homemaker(82.8%), having health insurance(76.1%),lower middle socio economic class(45%). Among children majority were 3-5yrs age gr(47.8%),female(50.6%), vaccinated not at par age (60.6%), second or more order child(59.4%). 20.6% caregivers had in appropriate healthcare seeking behavior for their children.Appropriate health seeking behavior among caregivers significantly associated with≤30yrs (ꭕ2=20.33,,df=1,p=.000007 ),nuclear family(ꭕ2=4.74, df=1,p=.029, )literate(ꭕ2=71.72,df=1,p=<.000001), homemaker(ꭕ2=28.19,df=1, p=.0000012), upper middle & upper lower SES(ꭕ2=4.44,df=1, p=.035),having insurance(ꭕ2=34.91,df=1, p=<.00001) but not significantly associate with religion(ꭕ2=1.58 ,df=1,p=.2) & gender of children(ꭕ2=.0058, df=1, p=.939). The majority of caregivers for children (71.7%) were depending generally on Govt health facility and a sizeable portion of caregivers(42.2%) collected medicine over the counter without consultation of medical professional and 35% caregivers generally approached AYUSH system of medicine. Conclusion- From this study it was concluded that appropriate health care seeking behavior among caregivers are significantly influenced by with ≤30yrs age gr , joint family ,occupation ,education , socio economic scale, health insurance In rural bengal primarily dependent on Govt health facility and a sizeable population still collected medicine over the counter with consultation of medical supervision

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and Digital Health among hospital patients

ABSTRACT Aim: The Government of India launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to digitize the national healthcare system. The aim of this study was to estimate the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the ABDM and benefits of digital health among urban patients, who are likely to be early adopters of digital technologies. Methods: We interviewed 150 outpatients above 18 years of age, in a hospital in urban Bengaluru, India. Our questionnaire captured the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding ABDM and Digital Health, including open-ended questions to evaluate perceptions of the benefits and concerns regarding digital health. Results: Most of the participants belonged to the upper and upper middle socioeconomic classes. Only 8% of participants knew about the ABDM, although their knowledge and practice related to other Government digital services, like National Teleconsultation services (eSanjeevani), Arogya Setu and DigiLocker, were high. Many participants perceived digital health to be beneficial, but there were serious concerns regarding data safety, data privacy and misuse of health data by insurance companies. Conclusion: We established a baseline survey for assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of ABDM and digital health among urban patients. The results suggest that implementation agencies of ABDM should increase the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and devise new strategies to create awareness, disseminate correct information and address the concerns of citizens.

Quality of Life before and after Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Patients Measured Using an Updated Head-Neck Specific EORTC QLQ-H&N43 at a Rural Tertiary Cancer Care Center

Background Quality of life (QOL) in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients from rural area is sparsely studied. Aim of this study was to evaluate the QOL before (pre-) and at first follow-up after radiotherapy (RT) (post-RT) in patients of HNSCC at a rural tertiary cancer care center (RTCCC). Materials and Methods This analytical study commenced after an institutional ethics committee approval included HSCCC patients registered at a RTCCC from June 2019 to January 2022. Marathi version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ), EORTC QLQ-C30 (v3.0), and an updated head-neck specific EORTC QLQ-H&N43 were served to the eligible patients pre- and post-RT. Clinicodemographic details were collected from prospectively maintained hospital records. Graph-Pad, Instat-3 (California Inc) was used for statistical analysis. Effect size and minimal important change were noted. Results A total of 100 patients completed both the pre- and post-RT (6–18 weeks post-RT) QLQ. Median age was 53 years (range: 30–78 years) and man to woman gender ratio was 4.56:1. Majority of the patients were farmer (46%), tobacco users (92%), and from middle socioeconomic class (57%). Oral cavity was the most common subsite involved (62%) and majority presented in locally advanced stage (82%) of disease.Global health status improved significantly after treatment with a large effect size (ES = –0.84). QOL was significantly improved after treatment except for parameters depicting treatment-related toxicities, that is, dryness of mouth and sticky saliva (ES = –1.75), problem with senses (ES = –1.31), and skin (ES = –1.38).Coronavirus disease pandemic and limitations of QLQ were few shortcomings of this study. Conclusion There is considerable improvement in QOL in HNSCC patients post-RT except for the treatment-related toxicity domains.

Familial aggregation of traffic risky behaviours among pedestrians: a cross-sectional study in northwestern Iran

ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the familial aggregation of traffic risky behaviours among pedestrians and describe the sociodemographic profile of pedestrians in northwestern Iran.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 933...

Adolescent Morbidity Pattern in Nigeria: Is the Pattern Changing?

Background: Adolescents make up a large and growing percentage of populations in the world, especially in the developing nations. They have peculiar health needs which are often neglected due to paucity of data from our health institutions and non-implementation of existing adolescent health policies. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the morbidity pattern among adolescents attending the Paediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary health facility. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 10-17 years seen at the Paediatric Outpatient Clinic (POPC) from first of July to 31st of December 2022. Consent was obtained from parents/caregivers and assent from the adolescents. The socio-demographic data obtained from them as well as the clinical details and diagnoses made by attending physicians were recorded in the study proforma. Data was analyzed with IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 and data presented in tables and charts. Results: A total of 136 adolescents were enrolled in the study with a male: female ratio of 1:1.6. Most 90 (66.2%) were early adolescents, attended private secondary schools and belonged to the middle socioeconomic class. The commonest presenting complaints were body pains 24 (17.6%), convulsion 22 (16.2%) and cough 17 (12.5%). The three commonest diagnoses made were epilepsy 25(18.4%), respiratory tract infections 15 (11%), and sickle cell disease (9.6%). Non-communicable diseases (61%) were more prevalent, but there was no statistical difference in its prevalence among their socio-demographic characteristics. Eleven (8.1%) had surgical diagnoses such as appendicitis, inguino-scrotal hernia and ganglion. Conclusion: The morbidity pattern of adolescents in the study consisted of medical and surgical diagnoses. There appears to be a shift in morbidity pattern from communicable to non-communicable diseases among adolescents in the locality and this may be put into consideration in policy formulation for adolescents.

Health-care-seeking behaviour in patients with hypertension: experience from a dedicated hypertension centre in Bangladesh

Objective: The study aimed to assess health-seeking behaviour (HSB) and associated factors among hypertensive patients in Bangladesh.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hypertension & Research Centre, Rangpur, Bangladesh, between January 2022 and June 2022. A total of 497 hypertensive adults were recruited consecutively. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was deployed by the research team for data collection. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore the predictors of HSB.Results: The mean age of the hypertensive patients was 52 ± 11 (SD) years. Most of them were aged between 51 and 60 years (33%), female (55%), came from rural areas (57%), and belonged to middle socioeconomic class (68%). One-fourth of the patients (27%) had chosen informal healthcare providers for their first consultation. Fear of stroke (244, 45%), headache (170, 36%), and neck pain (81, 17%) were the three most common compelling causes of their visit to the hypertension centre. Age (aOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68 − 0.89), male sex (aOR: 1.79, 95% CI 1.05 − 3.10), living in semi-urban (aOR 4.68, 95% CI 1.45 − 15.10) and rural area (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.01 − 2.80), farmers as occupation (aOR: 3.24, 95%CI: 1.31 − 8.06) and belonging to lower social economic class (aOR 4.24, 95% CI 1.68 − 10.69) were predictors of visiting informal providers of hypertensive patient. One-fourth of the hypertensive patients received consultation from informal healthcare providers.Conclusions: Raising awareness among patients and proper referral to specialised hypertension centres could promulgate the patients towards appropriate behaviour.

Mask Usage and Handling of Face Mask in Rural Health and Training Center

Background: The mask is defined as a cloth mask, medical mask, and N95 respiratory worn over the face, covering the bridge of the nose, mouth, and chin. Correct use of masks is essential. Mask usage is an important concern when visiting high-risk area as hospitals where the risk of cross-contamination is predominant. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of mask usage among patients attending the Rural Health and Training Center (RHTC). The aim of this study was to assess the association of mask usage with sociodemographic factors among patients attending RHTC and to determine the handling of face masks among patients attending RHTC. Methods: The study was directed to 287 patients in the outpatients. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, sociodemographic characteristics and mask usage details were collected from the study participants. Results: The prevalence of mask usage was 68.3%. The usage of mask was significantly higher among females (OD = 1.383, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.836–2.286, P = 0.206), younger individuals (OD = 2.569, 95% CI = 1.423–4.636, P = 0.206), literate individuals (OD = 4.073, 95% CI = 2.040–6.892), employed (OD = 2.256, 95% CI = 1.292–3.940, P = 0.013), and upper and middle socioeconomic class (OD = 3.764, 95% CI = 2.219–6.385, P = 2.219–6.385). Handling of face mask with proper wearing and disposal were 18.5% and 25.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of mask usage was observed to be 68.3%. The study results emphasize that mask usage is a primordial prevention and mode of intervention as health education and specific protection in the general population would necessarily improve compliance and flatten the epidemiological curve.

Henna Tattoo: From Cosmetic Purposes to Dermatological Reactions

Abstract Introduction: Henna, commonly used as a hair dye, is also used for temporary tattoos. It is commonly mixed with para-phenylenediamine (PPD) to enhance color intensity, which may induce cutaneous sensitization. Aim: This study aimed to describe the clinicodemographic features of patients with dermatological reactions to henna tattoos. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, included patients with dermatological reactions to henna tattoos. All the patients were subjected to entire medical history including clinicodemographic data and general and dermatological examinations. Results: This study included 17 female patients with a mean age of 26.88 ± 6.6 years. Of these 17 patients; 41.2% were suburban residents, 58.8% were housewives, 70.6% were married, and 47.1% were middle socioeconomic class and 53% had type IV Fitzpatrick skin. All used black color and commercial henna for cosmetic purposes, 41.2% used market henna, and 35.3% used coiffeur henna. Many (70.6%) had localized reactions with 23.5% presenting with reaction of hands, 64.7% had acute eczematous reactions, and all had a progressive course. The mean duration of the reaction was 6.76 ± 2.6 days. The mean latency time of the reaction was 2.7 ± 0.85 days. Conclusion: This study concluded that public awareness of possible cutaneous reactions to henna tattoos should be increased. The health authority legislation should control the use of black henna to minimize the consequences.

IMPACT OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF PATIENTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Introduction: Cerebral palsy is disorder of movement and posture caused by non-progressive disturbances in developing brain caused by number of factors. (1,2) Prevalence of malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy is higher than that in normal children (4-7). Some studies suggest an association between socioeconomic status and cerebral palsy whereas others refute it. Our study will discuss the impact of socioeconomic status on various anthropometric indices. Objectives: To study the relation between socioeconomic status and anthropometric indices in patients with cerebral palsy. Materials And Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of Srinagar from January 2021 to November 2022 which enrolled inpatient cerebral palsy children aged 1-18 years old. Height for age (stunting), weight for age (underweight), weight for height (wasting), BMI for age were derived and z scores were assessed through WHO Anthroplus and WHO anthro 3.2 softwares. Socioeconomic status was assessed by modified kuppuswamy scale updated for the year 2019. The data was analyzed with Jamovi 2.3.21. Nutritional status of children was classified as per WHO standards for z scores (i.e., -2 SD to +2 SD : Normal -2 SD to -3 SD : Moderately undernourished and <-3 SD : Severely undernourished). Relation between categorical variables was analyzed by chi square test. Statistical significance was assessed and p values < 0.05 were considered significant. The study was approved by ethical committee of our institute Results: 35 out of 102 participants (34.3%) belong to upper lower socioeconomic class. 25 out of 102 participants (24.5%) patients belong to lower middle socioeconomic class. 19 out of 102 participants (18.6%) belong to upper middle class. 14 out of 102 participants (13.7%) belong to lower class and 9 out of 102 participants (8.8%) belong to upper class.

Tree-Based Machine Learning to Identify Predictors of Psoriasis Incidence at the Neighborhood Level: A Populational Study from Quebec, Canada.

Psoriasis is a major global health burden affecting ~ 60 million people worldwide. Existing studies on psoriasis focused on individual-level health behaviors (e.g. diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise) and characteristics as drivers of psoriasis risk. However, it is increasingly recognized that health behavior arises in the context of larger social, cultural, economic and environmental determinants of health. We aimed to identify the top risk factors that significantly impact the incidence of psoriasis at the neighborhood level using populational data from the province of Quebec (Canada) and advanced tree-based machine learning (ML) techniques. Adult psoriasis patients were identified using International Classification of Disease (ICD)-9/10 codes from Quebec (Canada) populational databases for years 1997-2015. Data on environmental and socioeconomic factors 1year prior to psoriasis onset were obtained from the Canadian Urban Environment Health Consortium (CANUE) and Statistics Canada (StatCan) and were input as predictors into the gradient boosting ML. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). Parsimonious models and partial dependence plots were determined to assess directionality of the relationship. The incidence of psoriasis varied geographically from 1.6 to 325.6/100,000 person-years in Quebec. The parsimonious model (top 9 predictors) had an AUC of 0.77 to predict high psoriasis incidence. Amongst top predictors, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, maximum daily temperature, proportion of females, soil moisture, urbanization, and distance to expressways had a negative association with psoriasis incidence. Nighttime light brightness had a positive association, whereas social and material deprivation indices suggested a higher psoriasis incidence in the middle socioeconomic class neighborhoods. This is the first study to highlight highly variable psoriasis incidence rates on a jurisdictional level and suggests that living environment, notably climate, vegetation, urbanization and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics may have an association with psoriasis incidence.

A prospective study on health seeking behaviour and post exposure prophylaxis received by animal bite victims at the anti-rabies clinic in a tertiary care centre of urban Bangalore.

Rabies is 100% preventable by administering early and complete post exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Animal bite victims must have the knowledge and attitude necessary to seek appropriate medical care at the earliest to receive the required PEP. The present study sought to ascertain the health-seeking behavior of animal bite victims, their knowledge and attitude regarding rabies prophylaxis, the PEP they received, and their level of compliance with the full course of anti-rabies vaccination. The study included animal bite cases that presented to the anti-rabies clinic and matched the eligibility criteria. All the required details were recorded using an internally validated structured questionnaire. All participants were followed up for six months to ensure their health conditions and compliance with the vaccination schedule. Out of 1058 respondents, 57.9% were adults, with 46.6% belonging to middle socioeconomic class. 91.1% of them were informed biting animals as dogs. Before arriving at the anti-rabies clinic, 93.3% of the study subjects washed their wounds, and 62.4% visited to another health facility. Rabies knowledge was inadequate among the study participants, only 54.8% being mindful about the disease and its prevention. The compliance with the full course of antirabies vaccination was found to be 77.9%. All subjects were healthy, confirming that PEP is safe and effective. Regular social and behavioral change communication (SBCC) needs to be implemented with regard to health-seeking behavior.

Burden and predictors of distress among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Excerpts of an observational study from Eastern India.

Diabetes distress (DD) is a common psychological condition distinct from depression. This is a unique, hidden emotional burden and worry that the patient experiences under ongoing treatment. To assess the prevalence and predictors of DD among adult diabetics attending a tertiary healthcare facility. This hospital-based observational, analytical, cross-sectional study recruited 152 adult patients with type 2 diabetes. The sociodemographic and diabetes-related information was collected with the help of a predesigned, structured proforma. Clinical and anthropometric examinations were conducted. Distress was determined by the standardized Diabetic Distress Scale (DDS). Statistical Analysis Used: The mean (SE) value was calculated for quantitative variables. The mean item score in DDS of ≥2 is taken as the presence of distress. Fisher's exact Chi-square test was done to check for association. Two-tailed significance test with a P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Majority of study participants were literate, married, and from the lower middle socioeconomic class. High blood pressure was the most common co-morbidity and tobacco use was the most prevalent addiction. The prevalence of diabetes distress was 77.0%. Emotional DD was found to be more common than regimen, interpersonal, and physician-related DD. The major determinants that emerged were young age, low socioeconomic class, physical inactivity, longer time duration to reach the hospital, associated known co-morbidities, and poor glycaemic control. A target-specific and routine counseling sessions merged with pronged strategic services are essential to improve the mental health of respondents.

Influence of environmental risk factors on the development of wounds associated with squamous cell carcinoma.

The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is on the rise, making it a significant global health concern. Environmental risk factors are crucial to the development of SCC. This study sought to examine comprehensively the impact of these factors on the onset of SCC. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 480 participants at Beijing tertiary care hospital. Utilizing structured questionnaires, data on demographics, environmental exposures, medical history and clinical characteristics were collected. The cohort was composed of 272 men (56.67%) and 208 women (43.33%). The majority (44.38%) were between ages of 41 and 60, and Type III skin predominated (34.79%). Most of the participants belonged to the middle socioeconomic class (60.83%). 'Vegetarian' dietary habits (46.67%) were prevalent, as was the 'Sedentary' lifestyle (49.79%). Regarding environmental exposures, moderate sun exposure of 3 to 5 h per day (54.58%) and UV protective eyewear (30.83%) were prevalent. The majority (69.58%) of respondents indicated 'Never' exposure to carcinogens. A variety of wound characteristics were observed, with 'non-smokers' (64.17%) dominating. Most SCC lesions were located on the extremities (40.21%), lasted less than 6 months (44.38%) and measured 1-3 cm (39.79%). The majority (54.58%) did not have a history of cutaneous injuries. Our research uncovered substantial relationships between SCC and numerous environmental variables, gender, Fitzpatrick skin type, occupation, duration of sun exposure, exposure to carcinogens, dietary practices, history of skin wounds, wound location, duration, size and depth were significantly associated with the onset of SCC. These results highlighted the complexity of SCC aetiology and need for individualized prevention and treatment strategies.

Pattern of Otorhinolaryngolic Diseases in Geriatric Population

Objective- To determine the pattern of otorhinolaryngological disorders in geriatric population and to establish a correlation with socioeconomic factors. Methods- A total of 1020 geriatric patients who attended the otorhinolaryngology department were included in the study. They were subjected to brief history, examination and the socioeconomic status. Results were analyzed by using appropriate statistical tests analyzing percentage and proportion. BG. Prasad’s classification was used to categories patients into classes based on the socioeconomic status of an individual. Investigations pertaining to the system involved were carried out and the diagnosis was made according ly. Results- The most common affected organ was ear (33%) and the most common disease diagnosed among geriatric patient assessed was presbycusis (25.2%). Although epistaxis, chronic pharyngitis and malignancy larynx were also commonly diagnosed. Among all patients’ males was on the lead and the middle-class patients mostly attended the otorhinolaryngology department. Conclusion- In present study the male patients formed the major bulk of geriatric patients. The majority of geriatric patients belonged to age group between 60 to 70years and most of them belonged to middle socioeconomic class. The aim of our study was to find out the pattern of otorhinolaryngological diseases in which we observed that most common affected organs among the geriatric patients was ear. Presbycusis out of all disorder was the most common ear disease among geriatric patients.

Predisposition of sciatica in different socioeconomic classes: a brief clinical survey

Background: Sciatica became the accepted name for pain radiating from the lower back or buttock into the leg after being distinguished from arthritic hip pain in the 18th century. Several studies suggest strong connection of Socioeconomic status with sciatica. Accurate data on the incidence and prevalence of sciatica is still missing. The objective of this study was to observe a relationship of sciatica patients with their socioeconomic status. Methods: Sixty (60) diagnosed cases of sciatica selected randomly were interrogated and assessed according to the modified Kuppuswamy’s socioeconomic status (SES) scale. Results: It was found that 36.6% were belonging to upper-middle class of society, 35% from lower-middle class, 13.8% from upper-lower class, 8.6% from upper class and only 6.9% were belonging to lower socioeconomic class of society. Conclusions: The current study depicted that the sciatica is more common in middle socioeconomic class followed by upper and lower socioeconomic class respectively.

Factors And Determinants Associated With Prevalence Of Anaemia In Adults In Karachi, Pakistan.

To assess the demographic and dietary factors associated with the prevalence of anaemia in multi-ethnic urban settings. The cross-sectional community-based survey study was conducted from August 2020 to May 2021 in Karachi East district, and comprised healthy adults of either gender aged 20-60 years. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Besides, 4ml sample of whole blood was taken from each participant for haematological analysis. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Of the 416 subjects, 269(64.7%) were males and 147(35.3%) were females, while 334(80.3%) were aged <30 years and 82(19.7%) were aged >30 years. Anaemia was found in 92(22.1%) subjects. Female gender, lower and middle socioeconomic class, nuclear family type, habit of meal-skipping, and infrequent consumption of sweets and milk were all linked to anaemia (p<0.05). Less than a quarter of the sample was found to be anaemic. Steps should be taken to address the identified causes of anaemia.

Nutritional Status, Feeding Pattern and Clinical Symptomatology among Healthy Pediatrics Age Group in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Nutritional status is considered the best indicator and a non-clinical approach to optimizing a child’s health care. It does not only directly reflect the socioeconomic status of the family but also, the efficiency of the health care system. The study aimed to assess clinical features and nutritional patterns in an apparently healthy pediatric age group.&#x0D; Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional design carried out among school children aged 6 to 12 years. A multi-stage sampling method was used. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for sociodemographic data. Physical examination for signs of malnutrition and anthropometry was done. Feeding patterns and types of meals were recorded. The WHO growth charts and BMI-for-age charts were used to compute Z-score (weight-for-age, height-for-age and BMI-for-age) and classify children into levels of nutritional status. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and p-value &lt; 0.05.&#x0D; Results: It was observed that forty-seven percent of children were from a &lt;4 family size, with the majority belonging to the middle socio-economic class. The majority had normal height and weight, while 8.8% were stunted and 4.3% were underweight. On a daily basis, 95% of the children feed 3 to 4 times and 91% consume essential nutritional diets. 26.3% of the children had a persistent cough, 14.5% had persistent diarrhea, 14% had a fever, 10.3% had abdominal pain, and 3.8% were on routine medications.&#x0D; Conclusion: This study showed that most of the children had normal height and weight and their feeding pattern was adequate, although some were stunted and underweight and had disease symptoms. The fact that they appear healthy and are not present in the hospital does not suggest the absence of diseases. It is therefore important to do regular checkups for these children so as to monitor their growth, improve their health and prevent diseases.

The Battle Within: Unveiling the Psychological Struggles of Erectile Dysfunction—A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) has a profound impact not only on sexual functioning but also on the well-being and self-esteem of an individual. Men with ED frequently encounter psychological distress in their relationships, including challenges in discussing ED, feelings of guilt, denial, depression, anger, decreased self-confidence, and self-esteem issues. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 60 participants with ED. Basic sociodemographic and clinical profile data were collected using a self-designed performa. The PGI General Well-Being Measure Scale (Hindi version) was used to assess the general well-being of the participants. The Stress Coping Behavior Scale (Hindi adaptation) was applied to measure stress-coping behavior in patients diagnosed with ED. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Hindi version) was used to evaluate individual self-esteem. Results: Majority of the participants fell within the age range of 21 to 40 years. They were predominantly married, employed, with a graduate level of education, and belonged to the middle socioeconomic class. Majority of the individuals experiencing ED exhibited a moderate level of general well-being, a moderate level of self-esteem, and utilized both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Conclusion: A proper and detailed understanding of the psychosocial impact of ED will facilitate holistic treatment and improve mental well-being and overall life satisfaction.

An Epidemiological study on Depression among Rural &amp; Urban Adolescent of Moradabad District, Uttar Pradesh

Introduction: Adolescence is a stressful period due to physical, psychological, sexual changes, and presence of disorder such as depression is a matter of concern. Objectives: To study the prevalence of depression among adolescents in urban and rural areas and its socio-demographic correlates. Materials and methods: The PSU consisted all villages (n=29) and mohallas (n=23) in field-practice area. The required number of villages and mohallas, i.e., 10 each, were chosen using the basic random procedure, wherein each village and Mohalla has been assigned a unique serial number. Results: Overall, depression was observed in 110 participants (27.5%) with similar distribution in urban and rural areas. Low maternal and paternal education was a significant risk factor. Adolescents from the upper middle socioeconomic class (42.9%) and those from the lower middle socioeconomic class (33.3%) experienced the most depression. Burden was more among adolescents with low physical activity. Conclusion: This community based study of 400 adolescents residing in the urban and rural areas of Moradabad observed significant burden of depression in adolescent with poor maternal education, living in nuclear families, leading poor lifestyle and affected by any chronic illness at the time of the interview. Positive family history of mental illness was also an important risk factor.