Schools In Delhi Research Articles

A Correlational Study to Assess the Relationship Between Eating Pattern and Self-Esteem among Adolescents in a Selected School of Delhi

Introduction: It has been known that gender, self-esteem, body image, and perceived self-worth seem to be related to dietary habits and eating disorders. The study aimed to assess eating pattern and self-esteem of adolescents, determine the correlation between eating pattern and self-esteem among adolescent students and also to find the association between eating pattern and background variables of the participants. The study also sought to determine the association between self-esteem and background variables such as gender and body mass index. Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used to synthesize research findings concerning the relationship between eating pattern and self-esteem of adolescent students. The data was collected from 100 students at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Tughlaqabad, New Delhi. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results revealed that 47% of the students had unhealthy eating pattern and 53% had healthy eating pattern, while 48% of students had low self-esteem and 52% had high self-esteem. It was also found that there was statistically non-significant relationship between eating pattern and self-esteem, as the r value was lower than the table value of 0.197 at df (98). Further, no significant association was found between eating pattern and selected background variables, and self-esteem and selected background variables. Conclusion: The major conclusions drawn were: Approximately half of the study subjects had unhealthy eating pattern and as well as low self-esteem, there was statistically non-significant correlation between eating pattern and self-esteem, no significant statistical relationship was found between eating pattern of the adolescent students and their gender and BMI, and no significant statistical association was found between self-esteem of the adolescent students and their gender and BMI.

A cross sectional study to evaluate the oral health status of children with intellectual disabilities in the National Capital Region of India (Delhi‐NCR)

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) have usually been reported to have poorer levels of oral hygiene and higher prevalence of dental caries than their compeers. The present study was conducted to assess the status of dental caries and oral hygiene in different categories of institutionalised children with ID (syndromic and non-syndromic) registered in various special schools of Delhi (National Capital Region, India). The present cross sectional study was conducted on 269 children [52 with cerebral palsy (CP), 35 with Down syndrome (DS), 30 with autism and 152 with non-syndromic intellectual disability] attending nine special schools who were examined for dental caries [Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth index for permanent teeth (DMFT); decayed, missing/indicated for extraction, filled index for primary teeth (dmft) and prevalence of caries] and oral hygiene status [Oral Hygiene Index-simplified (OHI-S)]. The levels of disability were classified according to Stanford Binet scale as severe (IQ≤35), moderate (IQ = 36-51) and mild (IQ=52-67). Statistical analysis was performed using one way analysis of variance and post hoc test to compare the levels between groups at a significance level of P<0.05. Mean DMFT, dmft and OHI-S indices scores for all the children irrespective of the category and the level of ID were 2.12±1.95, 0.97±1.60 and 2.05±1.07, respectively. As the level of ID increased among these children, the mean DMFT index and OHI-S index increased with no significant effect on dmft. However, children with severe ID had higher OHI-S and DMFT scores than children with mild or moderate ID. The dental caries prevalence was 86.53%, 68.57%, 76% and 86.18% in children with CP, DS, autism and non-syndromic intellectual disability, respectively. The level of caries in permanent teeth and oral hygiene deteriorated with the increasing severity of ID as indicated by DMFT and OHI-S scores (severe>mild, moderate). However, the level of caries (dmft) was not affected by the level of ID in primary dentition. The prevalence of dental caries was highest among children with CP and least among children with DS.

Gender Understandings Among Teachers and Students: Discourses From Delhi

Gender issues are of paramount interest in school education in India, but questions remain about what girls and boys actually learn about gender once they are in school. Are schools really places where teachers effectively combat traditional gender stereotypes among students? Relying on primary research in schools in Delhi, this article examines teachers’ biases and stereotypes regarding gender issues. Comparing this grassroots reality to the opinions on masculinity and femininity held by children in the same schools, the article identifies a need for more focused teacher education. The persistent gaps between tall claims about improved gender awareness, ambitious promises in policies and existing ground realities pose significant educational challenges for India, especially with regard to methods of promoting consciousness about gender-related issues in all domains of education.

A training program on first aid and basic life support skills among teachers of a school in South Delhi: a feasibility assessment

Background: There is a need for training teachers in first aid skills as they are the primary contact for most commonly encountered emergency situations in school scenario. The objective of the study was to assess the feasibility of a training program on first aid and basic life support skills among teachers of a school in south Delhi, India.Methods: We identified topics and prepared a training module (6-hour duration on a single day) for teachers and conducted the training in the Centre for Community Medicine department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.Results: 40 teachers were involved in this study. The mean (SD) score before and after the training was 5.55 (1.88) and 12.4 (1.66) respectively. A significant improvement in the scores pertaining to knowledge on first aid skill was observed after the training (p&lt;0.01).Conclusions: We conclude that training program is feasible and acceptable by teachers and improves their immediate knowledge and skills.

AWARENESS ABOUT LIFESTYLE DISEASES AMONGST THE SCHOOL GOING ADOLESCENTS OF DELHI

Objective: This study aims to assess the awareness about lifestyle diseases amongst the school going adolescents of different Gov. Schools of Delhi&#x0D; Material and Methods: An interventional, quasi experimental pre-post design study was conducted in two Govt. schools of Delhi; Simple randomization technique was adopted to select the school from a list of school from west zone. Total number of students enrolled in the study was 110 at the time of Pre-test out of which 6 were drop outs and 104 students completed the study and was considered as the sample size. A self-designed questionnaire was used to assess the awareness about the lifestyle diseases.&#x0D; Results: The study highlights the awareness level of adolescents about different lifestyle diseases and the effectiveness of the education program for improving the knowledge on lifestyle diseases among adolescents and thereby in prevention of lifestyle disorders. &#x0D; Conclusion: School based interventions are required to improve the knowledge about lifestyle diseases in order to prevent these diseases correct practices can also be adopted.&#x0D; Keywords: Lifestyle Diseases, Adolescents, Healthy lifestyle habits

Innovative educational program based on banduras social cognitive theory for food label understanding in early adolescents

Adolescence offers an intervention opportunity to prevent the onset of health damaging behavior, and establish healthy eating habits. In the current scenario, when there are shifts from homemade to prepackaged foods, food labeling could serve as a population-based approach to help consumers make healthy choices. The food label is direct means of communication of product information between buyer and sellers. It enables the consumer to differentiate between foods and brands to make informed purchasing choices. Food labeling represents a valuable tool to help consumers make informed decisions about their diet, life-style and plays an important role by disseminating important nutrition information to consumers. The present study is a school based educational intervention study, designed to measure changes in nutrition related knowledge, understanding and use of nutrition facts on food label by obtaining pre and posttest intervention scores using questionnaire technique. The research work was conducted in four phases. Phase me with objective to assess eating habits, nutrition status of early adolescents and their existing nutrition knowledge, attitude, and understanding of food labels. Phase II to develop an educational program based on Banduras social cognitive theory. Phase III to impart education on food label through the developed educational program and Phase IV to assess the understanding of the adolescents regarding food label. The sample of the study was 490 early adolescent children from seven government schools of Delhi. The experimental group was of 250 and control group comprised of 240 students. The average pretest scores in experimental group for nutrition knowledge were 2.62 which significantly increased to 8.24, for attitude towards information on food label scores significantly increased from 20.41 to 29.92, scores of practice of using information on food label significantly increased from 20.63 to 28.24 and scores for understanding the nutrition facts on food label too significantly increased from 1.24 which to 3.75, whereas no significant improvement in scores were observed in control group. The results thus demonstrate that children participating in this study successfully learned how to read and compare information on food label. The research also, demonstrates that innovative teaching session, on food labels with emphasis on understanding the nutrition facts table can enable children to select foods which are healthy after carefully reading the food label.

Predictors of Recycling Intentions among the Youth: A Developing Country Perspective

India is currently facing a mounting challenge related to municipal waste management, due to an increasing urban population, and their high consumption lifestyles. India also has the world’s highest number of young people in the 10–24 years age group. The study applied the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model to predict school students’ recycling intentions in Delhi, the capital of India and one of the highest producers of municipal solid wastes in the country. Data were collected from a school in New Delhi and the sample size consisted of 272 students from 9th and 10th grades. The TPB model explained 56% of the variance in the students’ intentions to recycling. The predictor ‘subjective norm’ appeared to have the strongest impact on the students’ recycling intentions, followed by ‘attitude’ and ‘perceived behavioural control’. It indicated that social factors are driving the Indian youth’s recycling intentions. It is important that the policymakers promote recycling as a social trend in India and provide adequate facilities to the public so that they can participate in recycling activities without facing difficulties. Schools also have a role in increasing students’ awareness of recycling and motivating them to participate in household waste management practices.

Socioeconomic differences in prevalence of biochemical, physiological, and metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases among urban youth in Delhi, India.

This study examined whether the distribution of biochemical, physiological, and metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among children and youth in urban India vary by socioeconomic status (SES). Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of students enrolled in the 2nd and 11th grades in 19 randomly selected schools in Delhi (N = 1329) in 2014–15. Mixed-effect regression models were used to determine the prevalence of risk factors for NCDs among private (higher SES) and government (lower SES) school students. After adjusting for age, gender, and grade we found the percentage of overweight (13.16% vs. 3.1%, p value < 0.01) and obese (8.7% vs. 0.3%, p value < 0.01) students was significantly higher among private relative to government school students. Similarly, significantly higher percentage of private school students had higher waist circumference values (7.72% vs. 0.58%, p value < 0.01) than government school students. Furthermore, similar trend was observed across schools in the distribution of other NCD risk factors: raised blood pressure, raised total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein. Surprisingly, despite a higher prevalence of all risk factors, significantly higher percentage of private school students had adequate/ideal levels of high-density lipoprotein. Overall, the risk profile of private school students suggests they are more vulnerable to future NCDs.

Beliefs Supporting Violence, Attitudes and Aggressive Behavior Among School Adolescents in Rural Delhi.

Violence and aggression amongst adolescents is increasing across the globe. However, the research on adolescent violence in India is limited. The present study was undertaken to study aggressive beliefs, attitudes, behavior rural schools in north district of Delhi. It was a cross-sectional study conducted among adolescents studying in grade VIII-X in three rural schools in Delhi, selected by non-probability sampling. The data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from CDC Compendium of tools measuring aggression. Out of the total 270 adolescents, there were 119 boys (44.1%) and 151 (55.9%) girls. The mean score of beliefs, attitude aggressive behaviour for private co-ed school was highest while all girls' school had lowest (p < 0.001). Being male (p < 0.001), studying in private co-ed school (p < 0.001) and having attitude towards violence (p = 0.02) contributed significantly to total aggression score. The study highlighted that type of school, gender and attitudes influence adolescents' behavior towards aggression.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Impact of Internet Usage on the Psychosocial Health and Academic Performance of Adolescents in a Selected School of Delhi, NCR

Adolescence is a crucial phase in an individual’s life. Adolescence is a time when we are honing our skills for sound mental and social health, and wisdom and a lack of opportunity to engage in this skill-building behavior could impede development. Internet’s importance in the life of an adolescent, as a boon or a bane needs to be analyzed to ensure that not one is lost in this race of growth. Keeping this in mind, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the impact of internet usage on the psychosocial health and academic performance among adolescents in a selected school of Delhi NCR. A survey was conducted among 200 adolescents, aged between 14 years to 17 years studying in 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th standards, selected through purposive sampling technique from Delhi Public School, Indirapuram, New Delhi. A structured rating scale to assess the psychosocial health and academic performance was used for data collection and the data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings revealed that a substantial number of adolescents had fairly significant impact of internet use on their psychosocial health and academic performance with favorable impact of internet users exceeding the number of adolescents with unfavorable impact of internet use. It was found that the average time of internet usage daily had a significant association with the impact of internet use on psychosocial health. It was also seen that the impact of internet use was more on psychosocial health rather than on academic performance. The results inferred that the internet splurge in the life of adolescents is keeping them at pace with the fast-growing world bringing out a productive generation who is well exposed and wise to face the challenges. Risks and dangers are not been overlooked but rather internet use in moderation is the need of the hour.

Physical Activity Among Adolescents in India: A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Enablers.

Inadequate physical activity (PA) levels are reported in Indian youth, with lowest levels among adolescents, particularly girls. We aimed to identify barriers to and enablers of PA among school children in New Delhi and examine potential differences by gender and school type (government vs. private). A total of 174 students (private school students = 88, 47% girls; government school students = 86, 48% girls) aged 12 to 16 years from two Delhi schools participated in 16 focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted by bilingual moderators. We conducted FGDs separately for girls and boys, for students in Grades VIII and IX, and for private and government schools. We conducted FGDs among government school students in Hindi and translated the transcriptions to English for analysis. We coded transcriptions using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches, guided by the "youth physical activity promotion model." We identified various personal, social, and environmental barriers and enablers. Personal barriers: Private school girls cited body image-related negative consequences of PA participation. Social barriers: Girls from both schools faced more social censure for participating in PA. Environmental barriers: Reduced opportunity for PA in schools was commonly reported across all participants. Personal enablers: All participants reported perceived health benefits of PA. Social enablers: Several participants mentioned active parents and sports role models as motivators for increasing PA. Few environmental enablers were identified. This study highlights the need for further investment in physical activity within schools and for gender-sensitive policies for encouraging PA participation among adolescents in India.

Changing Food Patterns in Indian Children

Introduction: Change in food patterns has played an important role in making children overweight and obese as seen in the recent years. It has become a matter of concern since one in five children studying in schools of Delhi, have been reported obese or overweight. These overweight and obese children have 70% risk of becoming over-weight/obese adults. Methods: We conducted a study to observe the effect of food habits on children in 8 schools in Delhi. In this study 1155 children studying in class 3rd, 4th and 5th were included and a regular follow-up was done. A questionnaire was prepared to know about food habits, choice and change in food habits. Results: The analysis of data revealed some disturbing facts about eating patterns and preferences for fast foods. It was observed, 39% of children preferred fast foods like burgers, pizzas, french-fries as compared to 11% who liked eating fruits. 44% of the children drink 1 soft drink per day. Class 3rd children, only 11% preferred fast food Class 4th children -the percentage remarkable increased to 39% preference for fast food. Class 5th children, alarming observation was that in Class 5th the percentage rose to 66% in these children for preference to fast food. Discussion: The present study indicated that a lot of preventable factors like family members, television and media ads plays and important in increasing this preference for fast food in children. Children started developing preference for fast food from class 3rd and by the time they reached class 5th majority of them had developed a preference for the fast food. Conclusions: Recommendations since the above category children have the highest incidence to become overweight / obese and this can lead to diabetes and it’s complications in adult years Intervention should be initiated from class 3rd onwards by family, schools authorities and media to create an environment so that children get inclined towards healthy food habits. Disclosure A. Jhingan: None.

Sleep Pattern of Adolescents in a School in Delhi, India: Impact on their Mood and Academic Performance.

To examine the sleep pattern and observe differences in sleep routines, phase preferences, mood, attendance, and academic performance among different adolescent age students. Secondly, to observe the age at which sleep phase transition and changes in sleep requirement become evident. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 501 students (aged 11-15 y) of a school in Delhi, India. Students were evaluated for their sleep patterns, sleep duration, habits of napping, quality of sleep, sleepiness, depression, phase preferences by self-reported school sleep habits survey questionnaire along with school performance and attendance. Significant differences were found in sleep pattern of students aged 11-12 y and 13-15 y. Bedtime shifted to a later time with increasing age but early morning schools kept the wake time same, leading to a decline in total sleep duration of older adolescents. Older adolescents had higher depression but poor attendance and academic performance. Prevalence of sleep deprivation increased with age, from 83.7% to 87.1% in 11-12 y to 90.5% to 92.5% in 13-15 y. The study clearly identifies 12-13 y as age of transition of sleep pattern among adolescents. Though significant differences were found in the academic performance, mood and attendance among preteens and teens but no direct association was seen between academic performances and sleep pattern. A complex multifactorial association between sleep patterns, attendance, mood and academic performance which may change over days, months, or years should be explored further in a longitudinal follow up study.

Book Reviews

Surender Kumar of Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi reviews “New Directions in Productivity Measurement and Efficiency Analysis: Counting the Environment and Natural Resources,” edited by Tihomir Ancev, M. A. Samad Azad, and Francesc Hernández-Sancho. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Eleven papers explore novel research perspectives at the intersection of environmental/natural-resource economics and productivity analysis, emphasizing the link between productivity and efficiency measurement and environmental impacts.”

Prevalence of obesity and awareness about diabetes among adolescents of schools of Delhi

BackgroundDiabetes is an epidemic of the present century and its growing prevalence among adolescents is a genuine concern. Therefore, awareness about the disease prior to its occurrence is the need of the hour. The present study addresses this issue at length based on a data pertaining to diabetes awareness, type of schooling and mothers’ literacy etc. collected from a large number of adolescents of various schools of Delhi. ObjectivesTo assess i) the status of obesity, and awareness of diabetes ii) the effectiveness of ‘structured teaching program on management of diabetes mellitus’ in generating awareness. MethodsWe conducted the study on 1785 students – 950 from twelve government schools and 835 from ten private schools. The level of awareness of students was measured through a validated questionnaire. Data was analyzed using primarily nonparametric statistical methods ResultsWilcoxon signed rank test indicated a significant rise in awareness following the structured teaching program. Private schools performed significantly better than those of government ones (p = 0.005) in pre-teaching. Chi Square showed significant association of BMI with type of schooling (p < 0.001). Over 23 percent of private school students were found to have above normal weight. Whereas, this figure was found to be less than half in case of government school students. Pre-teaching score was found to be positively associated with mother literacy (0.189). ConclusionsHigh prevalence of obesity among the adolescents is alarming, particularly in private schools. Gravity of the situation demands generating awareness about the management of the disease at the right stage.

Drivers of Student Performance: Evidence from Higher Secondary Public Schools in Delhi

We examine the role of teachers and students in the formation of grade 12 test scores in public schools in Delhi. There is substantial variation in teacher and student quality within schools. Over the period spanning grades 11 and 12, being taught by a standard deviation better than average teacher raises test scores by 0.373 standard deviation; being a standard deviation better than average student raises it by 0.799 standard deviation. Being tenured positively predicts teacher effectiveness, while educational qualifications, training, experience and personality traits have no predictive power. Relative to families where only fathers earn, those where both parents earn negatively predict student effectiveness, while religion, caste and parents’ education have no predictive power. There is some evidence that principals’ rating of teachers and value added measures of teacher quality are positively correlated. We recommend teacher compensation be based in-part on ex-post evaluation of value-added measures and principal ratings.

Special care with special child-oral health status of differently abled children attending special schools in Delhi: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Oral health is an essential component of overall health. Oral health maintenance is more complex for the physically challenged children; the essential problem is lack of cooperation and coordination because of their physical or mental inability. Thus, physically challenged children are considered as a high-risk group for having dental problems. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess dental caries experience, oral hygiene status, periodontal status, and prevalence of malocclusion among differently abled children attending special schools in Delhi. Materials and Methods: A total of 1060 (610 males and 450 females), differently abled children were included in the study. The children were grouped into visually impaired, hearing and speech impaired, and orthopedic physically challenged only. Clinical examination was recorded using Dentition Status and Treatment Need Index and periodontal status recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), 2013 and examination for malocclusion was made according to the Dental Aesthetic Index as described by the WHO Oral Health Survey 1997. The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index introduced by John C Greene and Jack R Vermillion in 1964 was used to assess the oral hygiene status. Results: Out of 1060 physically challenged children, 56.4% (598) had dental caries with the mean index or decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) being 1.10 (standard deviation ±1.26). It was observed that prevalence of dental caries was high in visually impaired group (63.2%) and least in hearing and speech impaired group (51.7%). The overall oral hygiene status recorded was good in 58.5%, fair in 40.8%, and poor in 0.7% of the study population. Conclusion: The cumulative neglect of oral health was seen among the physically challenged children. Children with visual impairment had much more poorer oral health when compared to the hearing and speech impairment and orthopedically physically challenged group. An improved accessibility to dental services as well as dental health education is necessary to ensure that optimum dental care should reach this special group.

Perception about use of comics in medical and nursing education among students in health professions' schools in New Delhi.

Graphic narratives can give medical and nursing students a broader concept of health and illness. However, graphic texts are not yet integrated into medical education in India. The present study was undertaken to assess the perception of medical and nursing undergraduate students about the use of comics in health professions' education. This study was an institution-based cross-sectional study conducted among 130 medical and 108 nursing students of a medical and nursing college, respectively, in Central Delhi. A pretested self-administered questionnaire containing items to assess knowledge and perception about graphic medicine in medical education was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0. The mean age of students was 20.82 ± 1.51 years. Out of the 238 students, only 21.8% had heard about graphic medicine. However, 76.9% (n = 183) of students agreed that comics should be used in health professions' education. When asked about the subjects in which comic strips can be useful, the majority of medical students wanted them to be used in teaching community medicine (n = 95; 73.1%), while nursing students more often indicated their use in anatomy (n = 59; 54.6%). Overall large proportion of both nursing and medical students opined that comics aid in better understanding (58.8%) and memorization of concepts and content (57.6%). The majority of respondents felt that comic designing requires expertise (67.6%). Students also stated that comic strips on communicable diseases and reproductive and child health could be developed and used in teaching the subject of community medicine/public health. Majority of students felt that comics should be used in medical education in India, preferably for teaching community medicine. Further, maternal and child health are important topics that can be taught using comics in public health. There is a need to explore ways for integrating graphic medicine into health professions' education.

Can Digital Technologies Play a Role in Improving Children’s Learning Outcomes in India?

In this study, we explore the effects of an educational intervention in the form of digital games targeted towards improving the learning outcomes in mathematics and Hindi language among first, second and third graders in four government schools in southern New Delhi. In addition to administering these games in the classroom, we randomly recruited 40 households from a low-income community, where children play the games as an extra-curricular activity. We measure the improvement in aptitude in math and Hindi pre- and post-intervention, using various demographic controls and find that the community intervention had some impact in boosting aptitude. In contrast, the school intervention did not show the desired results though it did register some improvement in children’s knowledge. Using qualitative observation coupled with the quantitative assessment of impact, we attempt to deconstruct the various infrastructural challenges and sampling issues posed in our school intervention, and identify key features that need to be adhered to for future researchers who may want to assess the impact of educational interventions on young children from underprivileged backgrounds in India.

Caste in Legal Education: A Survey of Law Schools in Delhi

This article considers the connection between legal education and imparting of justice vis-à-vis caste crimes in India. It argues that failure of law to offer justice to survivors of caste crimes is linked with the failure of legal education to offer an understanding of caste and gender to its students. From a survey of three law schools in Delhi NCR, this article raises questions about the knowledge of caste that law students possess. It examines this data in the light of what must be known and taught to the future lawyers to prepare them as unbiased and effective officers of law. The article begins with an anthology of caste crimes in the past few decades, setting off a detailed discussion on why understanding caste is imperative to justice machinery in India and hence to legal education.