Thiruvananthapuram District Research Articles

Economically Important Medicinal Plants in Traditional Polyherbal Formulations Prepared by Local Physicians of Rural Travancore

In Ayurveda, polyherbal preparations appear to be an unavoidable medicinal approach. Many polyherbal medicines are prepared by local medical practitioners from rural regions of Thiruvananthapuram district, who follow their ethnic customs. The current study was an investigation of their medical system in order to determine the types of plants and plant parts that are used as main components in medicinal compositions. In this study, fifty plants from 34 distinct families were found to be used in the preparation of various Ayurvedic medicines. Solanaceae, Fabaceae, Zingiberaceae, and Piperaceae were the most important among the 34 families studied in terms of the number of herbal medications produced. The most prevalent constituent in 66 percent of currently investigated formulations is Zingiber officinale, followed by Piper longum and Aegle marmelos. The root was found to be the most commonly used plant portion, and harvesting the entire plant could lead to the natural depletion of supply materials. Many of the plants are also becoming threatened. This leads to drug adulteration, necessitating the development of procedures for detecting contaminated products.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Periodontal Disease among Rural and Urban Residents of a South Indian City: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The prevalence of oral diseases has been increasing alarmingly in the state of Kerala. Screening for periodontal disease (PD) is crucial due to its negative impact on oral and overall health. Since the occurrence and severity of PD depend on its risk factors, a structured survey in randomly selected districts in the state can be a valuable tool for policymakers to envisage strategies to enhance oral health care and control shared systemic illnesses. Data on the prevalence and risk factors of PD among the residents of the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala is not currently available in the public domain. This data could also be representative of the other 13 districts with more or less similar topographical, cultural, and lifestyle characteristics. To study the prevalence of PD and its risk factors among the residents of the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala and to compare the urban-rural differences. In this community-based cross-sectional study, a multistage cluster random sampling method was used to select the participants. Among the 1285 participants, 560 were from urban areas, and 725 were from rural areas. A modification of the Ramfjord PD index was used to assess periodontal health. The epidemiological risk factors were evaluated using sociodemographic data, personal histories, and physical and biochemical parameters. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the relationship of PD with independent variables. Mediation analysis was performed to examine the mediating effects of independent factors. The rural population (61.4%) had a higher frequency of PD than the urban (35.5%) and an overall prevalence of 50%. Aging, poor oral hygiene, and low educational level (EL) were significant risk factors for PD in urban and rural settings, with hypertension only being significant in the latter. A higher odds ratio (9.07-29.68) with a confidence interval of (5.45-48.94) for poor oral hygiene was noted. Poor oral hygiene and tobacco use had mediating effects between low EL and PD. In this study, the overall prevalence of PD was 50%, with the rural population being more afflicted. Poor oral hygiene has been identified as a modifiable risk factor for PD in urban and rural populations. Poor oral hygiene and tobacco use have been demonstrated to be mediators of the strong link between low EL and PD. Therefore, this study reiterates the need for better oral health awareness and treatment facilities to minimize the impact of the above risk factors on the periodontium. A shared risk relationship between PD and hypertension in the rural population emphasizes the need for an integrated approach to public health by including oral health as part of noncommunicable disease prevention and intervention programs.

Smart Farming for Smart Future of Agriculture

The domestication of animals and plant cultivation through the adoption of systematic farming practices, as well as the green revolution brought on by the invention of chemical fertilizers and the introduction of hybrid varieties a few decades ago, are just a few of the revolutions that have occurred in agriculture. Now it is the phase of agriculture revolution 4.0 triggered by the exponentially increased use of ICT in agriculture. The smart farming with the help of ICT technologies could bring out possible solution to the challenges faced in agriculture sector that includes lack of resources, climate change etc. The objective of the present investigation was to compare the yield and nutrient requirement (NPK) for cultivating sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) under smart farming and farmer’s practice as a field trial in a farmer’s plot at Nedumangad block of Thiruvananthapuram district. Under smart farming practice, the agro advisory for cultivating the crop was given through SMS to the farmers in every ten days’ interval. The advisory was generated based on the field’s real-time weather parameters, crop stage, and initial soil analysis. Results revealed that smart farming plots recorded higher yields with lower nutrient application. This technology can be replicated in any crop including rice.

Facilitators And Barriers to Hypertension Control, Fol-lowing the Implementation of India Hypertension Con-trol Initiative (IHCI) In Thiruvananthapuram District – A Qualitative Study

Background: India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) was launched in 2017 to improve the control rate of hypertensive patients on treatment. Thiruvananthapuram was one among the 26 districts in the country where the program was initially rolled out. Methods: A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted among stakeholders involved in the implementation of IHCI of Thiruvananthapuram district. Purposive sampling method was used for selection of samples. A total of 25 in-depth interviews were carried out. Results: The major facilitators which propelled hypertension control were uniformity in drug prescription, proper documentation of patient data along with indicators for measuring control rates and defaulter tracking mechanism. Clinical inertia among doctors, increased workload and sending of bystanders for monthly follow-up are the major barriers that affected hypertension control. Conclusions: Replication of good practices performed under IHCI into similar health settings or programs can be encouraged. Apart from the few barriers seen at the program level, the already existing barriers at the health system level need to be addressed immediately through efforts such as e-Health incorporation, trainings .

Establishment and spread of the invasive mite, Tetranychus gloveri Banks (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) in Kerala, India

Tetranychus gloveri Banks was first recorded as Tetranychus okinawanus Ehara in India on an ornamental plant, Adenium obesum from Thrissur district, Kerala state, during 2016 (Zeity et al. 2016). Recently, Sharkey et al. (2022) synonymized T. okinawanus with T. gloveri based on morphological and molecular data. In Kerala, T. gloveri has emerged as a predominant species of mite infesting major agricultural and horticultural crops in the district (Arunima et al. 2018). In order to investigate the distribution and host range of the mite species in Kerala, periodical surveys were conducted in different agricultural ecosystems across the state during March 2020 to June 2022. Spider mite infested samples were collected from fruit crops, vegetables, ornamental plants, medicinal plants and other non-crop plants from different localities, kept in polythene bags. The GPS data of the locality and host plants were recorded. In the laboratory, a single gravid female from each sample was used to establish isoline culture providing unique accession number. Male and female specimens from each isoline culture were slide mounted on Hoyer’s medium and morphological characterization of the slide mounted mite specimens were carried to establish the species identity. Characters such as chaetotaxy of hysterosoma and legs, structure of empodium and pattern of dorsal striae between e1 and f1 of female were used for genus level identification, while the shape of male genitalia, aedeagus, was used for species level identification. In this study, T. gloveri was recorded from a wide host range of 35 host plants in 24 plant families viz., Malvaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Rutaceae, Solanaceae, Musaceae, Moraceae, Anacardiaceae, Caricaceae, Adoxaceae, Rosaceae, Compositae, Gentianaceae, Convolvulaceae, Balsaminaceae, Orchidaceae, Asparagaceae, Goodeniaceae, Apocyanaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Oxalidaceae, Lamiaceae and Pontederiaceae. The mite species was distributed in seven districts covering northern, central and southern regions viz., Wayanad, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala. Curry leaf, country kreat (Exacum bicolor), sunflower, Victoria corn plant (Dracaena sp.), Calotropis gigantea, little tree plant (Biophytum sensitivum), holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) and the aquatic pickerel weed (Monochoria vaginalis) are new host records for T. gloveri. The study confirms that the mite species has established and spread across Kerala by widening its host range and expanding its geographical area of distribution, within a short span after its introduction into the state.

State led social security and inclusion of marine fisherfolk: Analyzing the case of Kerala, India

Among Indian states, Kerala always stands out with its unparalleled achievements in social sector development. However, the fisherfolk, which accounts for almost 3.5% of the total population of Kerala, still suffers the scourge of exclusion from their material deprivation and employment-related insecurities. To ensure their inclusivity, the state, over the past decades, has introduced several social security initiatives such as welfare schemes, subsidies, direct benefit transfers, etc. Despite these efforts, a commensurate improvement is not visible in their standard of living. In this context, an attempt has been made to analyse the nature and role of the state-led social security measures in ensuring inclusivity based on data collected from various government sources and selected fisherfolk households in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The study assessed different aspects of welfare schemes like nature, level of awareness, and the number of beneficiaries. Among the rolled-out schemes, a paucity of promotional schemes is observed. Likewise, the fisherfolk has lesser awareness about these schemes, and resultantly their enrolment rates are also low. These findings mirror the failures in state action in permeating the targeted community, and it points to the need for more strategic intervention on the part of the government. Formulating more capacity-building initiatives that can offer sustainable social protection and reaching out to coastal communities through innovative awareness campaigns are some of the means by which the state can reiterate its commitment to the inclusive development of marine fisherfolk.

Mapping Multi-Dimensional Poverty Learning Among Fisherfolk in Thiruvananthapurum District in Kerala, India

Kerala has received worldwide attention for its remarkable achievements in social sector. However, marine fisherfolk is an ‘outlier' community in the state. Many studies identified fisherfolk in Thiruvananthapuram district as the most vulnerable among them. As poverty is a cause and consequence of vulnerability, this paper analyses the incidence and intensity of multidimensional poverty among fisherfolk in Thiruvananthapuram. The study employs cross-sectional research design and primary data was collected from 600 fisher households in three coastal villages. Multidimensional poverty index (MPI) was constructed by using Alkire-Foster methodology. Results indicate that MPI of marine fisher-folk households is 0.1 and 26 percent of these households are MPI poor. As per estimates of OPHI,MPIof Kerala is 0.004 and only one percent of people in Kerala are MPI poor. This reveals that incidence of multidimensional poverty is higher among fisherfolk as compared to general population in Kerala. Average intensity of deprivation among the poor is almost 40 percent.

Entrepreneurial Effectiveness of Agripreneurs in Kerala, India

The study to measure the entrepreneurial effectiveness of agripreneurs in Kerala was undertaken in the Kasargod, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram districts of the state. A total of 180 agripreneurs, consisting of 20 on-farm agripreneurs, 20 off-farm agripreneurs and 20 commercial farmers each belonging to each of the three selected districts, constituted the sample for the study. The data collected was statistically analyzed using arithmetic mean, percentage, correlation and analysis of variance. The study revealed that the off-farm agripreneurs were entrepreneurially the most effective category followed by the on-farm agripreneurs and the commercial farmers who were found to be on almost on par in their effectiveness. The on-farm agripreneurs, off-farm agripreneurs and commercial farmers exhibited significant differences in their effectiveness only in case of marketing management effectiveness and risk management effectiveness where as significant difference was observed between the agripreneurs belonging to the three districts in case of the possession all the six sub-dimensions of entrepreneurial effectiveness viz. production management effectiveness, finance management effectiveness, marketing management effectiveness, labour management effectiveness, risk management effectiveness and time management effectiveness.

A community-based cross-sectional survey of orthostatic hypotension among elderly from south India

BackgroundOrthostatic hypotension (OH) increases the risk of falls and associated morbidity and mortality in elderly. Hence, determining the prevalence of OH and its associated factors is important, especially in understudied LMIC settings. MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 240 community-dwelling elderly from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The OH symptoms were assessed by standard clinical measurements and frailty was assessed by modified Fried frailty phenotype. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the factors associated with OH. ResultsThe prevalence of OH and frailty among participants was 9.6 and 29.2 percent respectively. In the first minute, OH was associated with increased odds of falls (OR = 1.97 [95%CI = 1.05, 3.72]). Increase in number of co-morbidities (ORadj = 1.82 [95%CI = 1.36, 2.48]), number of medicines used (ORadj = 1.73 [95%CI = 1.28, 2.34]), and orthostatic intolerance (ORadj = 3.67 [95%CI = 1.13, 11.94]) increased the odds of having OH. Elderly with diabetes (ORadj = 4.81 [95%CI = 1.57, 14.77]), hypertension (ORadj = 4.97 [95%CI = 1.01, 24.46]) and cognitive impairment (ORadj = 5.01 [95%CI = 1.40, 18.51]) were at a higher odds of having OH. ConclusionsOH and frailty are prevalent in community dwelling elderly in Thiruvananthapuram district. Frailty may be a risk factor for OH in the first minute. The number of co-morbidities may be an independent risk factor for OH. Hence, elderly people with comorbidities and cognitive impairment may be actively assessed for OH to prevent falls and associated injuries.

Role of biological characteristics in the success of invasive alien plant species in tropical ecosystems of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India

Biological invasion is a leading threat to the abiotic and biotic equilibrium of natural landscapes and ecosystems through competition and habitat alteration in many countries, including India. The Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS)11IAPS, Invasive Alien Plant Species have become an important biological and ecological component in Kerala, south-west tropical province of the Indian Union. These alien plant species were deliberately or accidentally introduced to the state from different biogeographical realms and are persisting. The characteristics of IAPS, as well as their preferences and advantages in invasion, have received little attention. This article provides a summary of the identifying characteristics of 69 IAPS reported from the study area, with an emphasis on botanical passport data, nativity, ecosystem preference, life form, sociability pattern, reproductive phenology, mode of dispersal, and period of introduction. Phytosociological research was conducted using a random sampling survey and line transect technique. The ecological performance of IAPS was statistically assessed according to seven concepts of invasion success. The findings show that 25 IAPS are considerably more aggressive as a result of their reproductive advantage and generally adhere to the concepts of invasion success for characteristics such as residence time, dispersal strategy, and ecosystem preference. Thus, reproductive characteristics appear to be a key determinant of aggressiveness in IAPS. The characteristic similarities of IAPS frequently result in niche overlap, and those with structural and functional differences will be more adaptable in ecosystems. This information describing the relevant characteristics serves as an essential tool for early detection and rapid response in the systematic management of biological invasion in the state of Kerala and specifically in the district of Thiruvananthapuram.

Dengue risk zone mapping of Thiruvananthapuram district, India: a comparison of the AHP and F-AHP methods.

Dengue fever, which is spread by Aedes mosquitoes, has claimed many lives in Kerala, with the Thiruvananthapuram district bearing the brunt of the toll. This study aims to demarcate the dengue risk zones in Thiruvananthapuram district using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the fuzzy-AHP (F-AHP) methods. For the risk modelling, geo-environmental factors (normalized difference vegetation index, land surface temperature, topographic wetness index, land use/land cover types, elevation, normalized difference built-up index) and demographic factors (household density, population density) have been utilized. The ArcGIS 10.8 and ERDAS Imagine 8.4 software tools have been used to derive the risk zone maps. The area of the risk maps is classified into five zones. The dengue risk zone maps were validated using dengue case data collected from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme portal. From the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values, it is proved that the F-AHP method (AUC value of 0.971) has comparatively more prediction capability than the AHP method (AUC value of 0.954) in demarcating the dengue risk zones. Also, based on the comparison of the risk zone map with actual case data, it was confirmed that around 82.87% of the dengue cases occurred in the very high and high-risk zones, thus proving the efficacy of the model. According to the dengue risk map prepared using the F-AHP model, 9.09% of the area of Thiruvananthapuram district is categorized as very high risk. The prepared dengue risk maps will be helpful for decision-makers, staff with the health, and disaster management departments in adopting effective measures to prevent the risks of dengue spread and thereby minimize loss of life.

Assessment of fear factors and practice related modifications in response to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak among dental practitioners in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala

Dentists are more vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection as they work close to the patient and viral transmission by saliva has proven to be the commonest source of disease transmission. In this scenario, it is natural for dental practitioners to be afraid of getting infected with COVID-19. As a strategy to continue dental practice in the pandemic, it is also pertinent to assess the dentist’s knowledge of practice modifications in the dental setting. A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental practitioners registered with the Indian Dental Association local branch to assess the fear, anxiety, and knowledge regarding practice modifications. Data collection was done through google forms and commenced after obtaining informed consent from the study participants. Eight factors each corresponding to fear and knowledge on practice modifications pretested and validated were administered to the dental practitioners. Anxiety was assessed using the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS).: Nearly 46 percent of dental practitioners presented with moderate fear. Fear related to transmitting the infection to family (84.4%), treating patients with symptoms (76.6%), and getting infected from patients or co-workers (53.1%) were the common fear factors reported by the dental practitioners. Increased fear was significantly associated with females, specialist dentists, and those working in the government sector. CAS score >9 was reported only by 1.3% of dental practitioners, indicative of probable dysfunctional corona-related anxiety. Good knowledge of practice-related modifications in COVID times was reported by 47.4% of dental practitioners. The study highlighted a considerable amount of fear among dental practitioners. Psychological support mechanisms to facilitate the mental health of dental practitioners such as regular counseling sessions till the wane of the pandemic, followed by a few years post-pandemic, and implementing periodic mental health screening need to be implemented by the Government and concerned health authorities.

Decomposing socioeconomic inequality in blood pressure and blood glucose testing: evidence from four districts in Kerala, India

BackgroundNon-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) constitute a significant danger to the nation’s public health system, both in terms of morbidity and mortality, as well as the financial burden they inflict. Kerala is undergoing an epidemiologic transition, which has significantly impacted the state’s morbidity and mortality figures. For decades, the state has been putting in place myriad programs to reduce the burden of NCDs across population groups. Socioeconomic inequalities in NCD testing have been documented in India, although they are understudied in Kerala. The study aimed to estimate and characterize districtwise socioeconomic inequality in Blood Pressure (BP) and Blood Glucose (BG) testing.MethodsA cross-sectional household survey was conducted between July–October 2019 in Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala, India. A total of 6383 participants aged 30 years and above were interviewed using multistage random sampling. Descriptive statistics were derived district-wise. We computed ratios, differences, equiplots, and Erreygers concentration indices for each district to measure socioeconomic inequality in BP and BG testing. Erreygers decomposition techniques were used to estimate the relative contribution of covariates to socioeconomic inequality.ResultsThere was a significant concentration of BP and BG testing favouring wealthier quintiles in Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The inequality in BP and BG testing was highest in Thiruvananthapuram (0.087 and 0.110), followed by Kollam (0.077 and 0.090), Alappuzha (0.083 and 0.073) and Kasaragod (0.026 and 0.056). Decomposition analysis revealed that wealth quintile and education contributed substantially to socioeconomic inequality in BP and BG testing in all four districts. It was also found that family history of NCDs significantly contributed to observed socioeconomic inequality in BP testing (29, 11, 16, and 27% in Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram, respectively). Similarly, in BG testing, family history of NCDs substantially contributed to observed socioeconomic inequality, explaining 16–17% in Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram respectively of the total inequality.ConclusionWhile the magnitude of socioeconomic inequality in NCD risk factor testing did not appear to be very high in four Kerala districts, although levels were statistically significant in three of them. Greater exploration is needed on how education and caste contribute to these inequalities and their relationship to NCD risk factors such as family history. From such analyses, we may be able to identify entry points to mitigate inequalities in testing access, as well as burden.

Validation of the Ayurvedic construct, Rasadhatudushti, in adults at risk of cardiovascular diseases – A mixed-method study

BackgroundRasadhatudushti (RD), the deranged state of Rasadhatu, is a construct in Ayurveda mentioned as the cause of diseases affecting the circulatory channels and the heart, collectively called cardiovascular diseases (CVD). It is a morbid condition generic to some other disorders, hence is non-specific to CVD. It was observed that RD was present in majority of acute coronary artery disease in a cross-sectional, descriptive study in 250 patients stabilized after an acute episode. ObjectivesTo validate the available scale for assessing RD in the context of CVD risk.To study the prevalence of RD in participants at risk of cardiovascular diseases. MethodIn the first part, validation of the scale for assessing RD, as mentioned in the texts, was done through standard steps for scale validation in the context of CVD risk. Psychometric analysis was done after administering the draft scale of 39 items in 218 participants above the age of 40 years who were not yet diagnosed with overt CVD conditions. Construct validation was done by comparing mean score of Framingham global risk score in high and low RD scores and comparing the reduction in CVD risk score assessed by Qrisk®2–2017 by life style modification and a conventional RD correction as add on. Second part was a cross sectional survey study to estimate the prevalence of RD in a specific population vulnerable to CVD. This was done in a sample of 160 sedentary government employees of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, aged above 40, using the validated RD assessment scale. Result–The final scale to assess RD, ‘RAS-RCVD’, with 25 symptoms was found to have concurrent validity using WHO/ISH risk prediction as the reference standard. Framingham global risk score also showed significant but low positive correlation with eight as the cut off for RD score. The reduction in mean (SD) Qrisk score was 2.53 (3.22) in the trial group receiving RD correction drug and 0.30 (3.43) in the control with statistical significance (p < 0.05). The prevalence of RD as assessed by RD score above the cut off in the second part of the study was 49.4%. The prevalence of RD was significantly high in participants with moderate to high risk for CVD (61.3%). Conclusion– The construct RD was observed to be valid in pre-clinical states of CVD. There was a high prevalence of this morbid construct in moderate to high-risk individuals. Ayurvedic CVD prevention strategies need to target on correction of RD along with individual risk factor management.

Impact of agromet advisory services on farmers’ operational decisions related todairy farming in Thiruvananthapuram

Climate factors has an impact on numerous aspects of productivity, reproduction, health, and adaptation in dairy animals. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the impact of the agromet advisory services on farmers' decision making for different farm operations related to dairy farming. The study was conducted in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala state. Two blocks were selected randomly from the district and from each block two experimental and two control villages selected after verifying that villages were not receiving any kind of agromet advisory services from Agromet Field Unit (AMFU) in Thiruvananthapuram. From each experimental village 15 beneficiary farmers were selected and provided with treatment i.e. Agromet Advisory Bulletins were disseminated twice a week (Tuesday and Friday) regularly for 6 months through Whatsapp group and from each control village 15 non-beneficiary farmers were selected. To assess the impact Difference in difference design and regression models were used. The findings revealed that most of the agromet advices were only relevant for crop farmers and the advices relevant for dairy farmers were included less frequently. Hence advisory services pertinent to dairy farmers must be appropriately included in the agromet advisory services disseminated from AMFUs.

Land Conversion and Its Effect on Land Surface Temperature in the Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala

Land Conversion and Its Effect on Land Surface Temperature in the Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala

A Study on the Impact of Organizational Climate on Emotional Intelligence of Employees in Public and Private Sector Banks Special Reference with Thiruvananthapuram District

In latest years, the personal banks in India have passed through several transformations in each widespread (ATM, software program networking, bodily growth in branches, etc.,) and non-substantial areas (product and services). All variations will work viably considering the crucial essential wellspring of the association, the human asset. The good-sized transformations can be executed via employees with common knowledge. But the non-substantial transformation wishes expert labours for its effective performance, these ability sets cannot be in basic terms bought from experience. Subsequently Emotional Intelligence winds up one of the key factors to develop required set of abilities in workers. Because of the rapidly altering situation in Service industry, the banking zone must furnish itself with the knowledgeable and proficient body of workers to maintain in uncommon undertakings and market competitions. Applied aptitudes and specialized abilities can be developed and assessed efficaciously in personnel thru the corporation’s knowledge and guidance. But the behavioural compatibility which is an essential employee fantastic in carrier region cannot be cultivated in personnel thru everyday education and evaluation procedures. These can be done via specialized behavioural coaching for employees, one such coaching that is extra important in the modern-day situation is Emotional Intelligence. This exploration facilities for most phase round the emotional competence of workers and its importance and importance on different behavioural expertise such as organizational climate of a firm. This examinations core goal is to exhibit that people with great EI are greater nice than employees with low emotional intelligence. This learns about no longer solely tries to assess the benefit of emotional Genius on employee by myself however also its contribution to the betterment of organizational climate and Emotional Intelligence.

Sighting of Palm King &lt;I&gt;Amathusia phidippus&lt;/i&gt;, A Rare Species of Butterfly from The Coastal Region of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India

Sighting of Palm King &lt;I&gt;Amathusia phidippus&lt;/i&gt;, A Rare Species of Butterfly from The Coastal Region of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, India

PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF MALNUTRITION AMONG SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN AGED 13-17 YEARS IN A SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF KERALA

Background: Malnutrition can be divided into two broad groups, undernutrition and overweight or obesity. Malnutrition in early childhood and adolescence can lead to a large number of complications in later life. This study is intended to nd out the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among school going children aged 13-17 years in a southern district in Kerala and to assess the factors associated with malnutrition among the study population. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 340 school going children in the age group of 13-17 years in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala during October to November 2019. The children were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire including sociodemographic details, questions on dietary habits, pattern of physical activity, self-awareness and family history. Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight of the students were taken and BMI was calculated. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed by SPSS software version 21. Results And Conclusion: 53.8% of the study participants were underweight, 5.9% were overweight and 2.1% belonged to the obese category. The factors such as grade of the student (p value:0.004), mother's occupation (p value:0.001), practice of skipping breakfast (p value:0.008), physical inactivity (p value:0.033), use of online food delivery facilities (p value:0.022), lack of awareness on self-health (p value:0.018), family history of obesity (p value:&lt;0.001) and family history of non-communicable diseases (p value:0.002) were found to have a statistically signicant association with malnutrition. Therefore, it is important to take initiatives to tackle the problem of malnutrition among adolescents to bring up a healthy future generation.

High screen time and associated factors among high-school students in an urban setting of Kerala: a cross sectional study

Background: Screen time (ST) is the time spent in sedentary behaviors involving screen based media (SBM) like watching television, playing games, using computers and mobile phones. This situation is a matter of concern because excessive screen time is associated with the risk of excess weight gain, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, low cardiorespiratory fitness. In a study conducted in urban resettlement in New Delhi, 68% of adolescents engage in using SBM for more than 2 hours. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of excess screen time and factors associated with it among school going adolescents in Kerala.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 130 students of age group 12-15 years studying in schools located in urban area of Thiruvananthapuram district from August 2019 to October 2019. Stratified sampling technique was used. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was entered in MS Excel and was analyzed using appropriate statistical software.Results: The proportion of students who had high screen time was 87.7%. Mobile phones were the most frequently used gadget. Male gender OR-8.3 (95% CI- 1.7-40.3), less duration of sleep OR-0.34 (95% CI- 0.15-3.12), and low socio-economic status OR-0.21 (95% CI- 0.21-0.96) were found to be associated with high screen time among high school students in Kerala.Conclusions: The study observed that 87.7% of high school students engage in using Screen based media for more than 2 hours. In this study male gender and short sleep duration were found to be associated with excess screen time.