bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sociocultural determinants of place of birth among Sudanese women
Authors: Abdulmageed Samia S. , Elnimeri Mustafa K.
Published: July 2018

Background: Maternal health has been accounted as challenge to the public health policy makers around the globe, which has more commonly been threaten by the cultural and social forces. The aim of this study was to investigate the sociocultural determinants of health-seeking behavior of Sudanese women from Sharq-Alneel Locality regarding the place of delivery.Methods: A cross-sectional community based study was conducted from June 2017- January 2018 using face-to-face structured questionnaire to 576 Sudanese women age of 15-49 years from 4 Administrative Units. A multistage cluster sampling technique was adopted. Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyse the results.Results: Rural women respondents were 329 (57%). A 147 (28.3%) of the studied population gave birth at home at least once. A 110 (20.8%) women respondents preferred delivery at home. Of those home deliveries, complications occurred to 42 (26.9%) compared to the one occurred to women 114 (73.1%) who delivered in health facility. Circumcision among respondents was 80.7% and had insignificant association with complications occurred during delivery. Multinomial analysis showed women with no education were 33.5 times more likely (O.R=33.5, CI=9.8-114.0, p<0.001), primary education (O.R=6.4, CI=2.7-15.2, p<0.001), secondary (O.R=4.9, CI=2.1-11.5, p<0.001) to seek home delivery compared to those who obtained university education. Financial reasons for delivering at home were were 11.5 (O.R=11.5, CI=2.5-53.7, P=0.002) times, while nearby (distance to health facility) as a reason for delivering at home were 3.7 (O.R=3.7, CI=1.1-13.0, P=0.04) times more likely relative to those who reported staff competency as a reason for delivering at health facility.Conclusions: Age, residence area, number of children, education, financial income, distance to health facility, and source of decision for women’s place of delivery were significant determinants of deliveries at home. Special attention is needed at community level for health education towards culture and believes affecting women’s decision on delivery at home. To promote reproductive health of women and improve quality of care giving by health personnel.
Identifying the presence of gastric cancer risk factors in Campbelltown residents aged 50 to 80 years old, and determining the potential for risk factor modification following education
Authors: Aljumah Mohammad I. , Coric Daniel , Sun David , Akhtar Ridha , Arasaratnam Lavanya
Published: July 2018

Background: Gastric cancer remains an important cause of mortality in Australia, with modifiable risk factors playing a prominent preventable part in its development. The primary objective of this study is to identify gastric cancer risk factors in people living in Campbelltown area aged 50-80 years old, and to determine the potential for risk factor modification following education.Methods: This is a post-test only intervention study where data was collected through face to face interviews. The survey consisted of questions gathering general information on demographics and identifying the presence of gastric cancer risk factors. An educational sheet was then provided to educate participants on the risk factors and epidemiological data for gastric cancer. Participants were then asked questions to determine their willingness to modify their risk factors, based on what they had learnt from the educational pamphlet. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.Results: A total of 137 participants were included in the study. The results show participants were likely or highly likely to modify 45% of their gastric cancer risk factors following education. We also found that women were more likely to reduce their intake of pickled and processed food, and that participants in the younger age group were more likely to reduce salted food intake.Conclusions: Our study indicates that education may influence and may have a varying impact on the willingness of participants to modify gastric cancer risk factors. Furthermore, variables such as age and gender have impact on the willingness to modify certain risk factors.
Psychological distress among adult urban population of Puducherry
Authors: N. Murugan , Mishra Amit Kumar , Chauhan Ramesh Chand , A. Velavan
Published: July 2018

Background: A large proportion of population in the community with psychological distress goes unnoticed. This study was done to assess the psychological distress among adult population of an urban area of Puducherry.Methods: The study was conducted among 569 individuals of age 18 years and above. Systematic random sampling method was used to select the households in the study area and from each household one adult was randomly selected. The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) was used to assess the psychological distress among the study participants.Results: Majority of the participants had low psychological distress (60.5%) followed by typical (19.3%), more than typical (10%), evidence of psychological distress (6.2%) & severe distress (4%). One-fifth (20.2%) of the participants had psychological distress which needs attention. The mental health status of the participants was significantly associated with the age, sex, marital status, religion and education (p<0.05).Conclusions: The psychological distress is a major public health problem in the study population. Focused interventions to improve the mental health of population are required to decrease the mental distress in the community.
Evaluation of bone mineral density and its correlation with homocysteine and other biochemical bone markers in postmenopausal women
Authors: P. Gopinath , Ravoof Abdul
Published: July 2018

Background: Osteoporosis is more common in post-menopausal women. Early detection of bone loss by bone mineral density helps to confirm the diagnosis of osteoporosis and assesses the future risk of osteoporotic fractures. Recent studies have revealed the association between increased plasma concentrations of homocysteine (Hcy), and reduced bone mineral density. Nevertheless, inconsistencies persist in the literature. Thus, the need for this study arose to investigate the possible relationship between serum Hcy status and bone mineral density on a group of post-menopausal women. The objective of the study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women and to correlate the same with biochemical bone markers like homocysteine, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), calcium and phosphorous levels.

Methods: One hundred (100) postmenopausal women were recruited to enter this cross-sectional study. Out of which 86 postmenopausal females, were grouped into osteopenic and osteoporotic based on low t –scores. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and serum Hcy, serum ALP, calcium and phosphorus levels were estimated. The relationship of Hcy with BMDand other biochemical markers was estimated using Pearson’s correlation.

Results: Serum Hcy levels were significantly higher in osteoporotic women when compared to other BMD groups, and were inversely correlated with BMD. No statistical difference was seen with other biochemical bone markers like calcium, Phosphorus and ALP.

Conclusions: This study shows that Hcy status is associated with BMD in osteoporotic postmenopausal women. BMD evaluation in postmenopausal women with high Hcy levels may have prognostic and therapeutic potentials, which needs to be explored through further Prospective studies.
Role of zinc in acne: a study of 77 patients
Authors: Thomas Jacob
Published: July 2018

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous unit occurring in adolescent age group. Though not life threatening it can cause physical and psychological scars which can produce social problems in house, school and office. It is a multifactorial disease. Many treatment options are available, but not optimal. Zinc was found to be effective in pustular acne in a patient with acrodermatitis enteropathica. Hence a study on the level serum zinc in acne patients and the effect of zinc on acne is worthwhile. The aim was estimation of serum zinc level in acne patients and correlation of serum zinc level and improvement of acne.

Methods: Pre-treatment serum zinc level was estimated in acne and non-acne patients. Acne patients were given oral zinc 220 mg two times a day and control group was given placebo. Post treatment serum zinc levels were estimated and the serum zinc level and improvement of acne was correlated.

Results: Study subjects attained average serum zinc level of 5.829 µg/ml from 1.33 µg/ml. 59.5% patients on zinc therapy showed more than 50% improvement in acne severity. 10.6% showed >75%, 48.9% showed 50-75%, 36.1% showed 25-50% and 4.25% patients showed less than 25% improvement.

Conclusions: Statistically significant low levels of zinc were not observed in acne. Oral zinc sulphate 220 mg two times a day raised serum level to 5.82 µg/ml Exponential response in acne was noticed as serum zinc level was raised. Inflammatory lesions showed better response than comedo. Oral zinc has definite role in treatment of acne.
Genetic parameter estimates for juvenile body weight in indigenous Uttara chickens
Authors: Singh M. K. , Kumar S. , Sharma R. K. , Singh S. K. , Singh D. V.
Published: July 2018

The aim of the present study was to estimate genetic parameters of juvenile body measurements in indigenous Uttara chickens. Body measurement records at birth of 1907 chicks sired by 25 breeder cocks and 200 breeder hens were used in heritability calculation. Genetic parameters were estimated for Uttara chicken juvenile body weights at hatching, and at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 20 weeks of age. Heritability of all body measurements was estimated by paternal half-sib method. Heritability estimates can be used to improve body measurements of indigenous Uttara hens. The sex dimorphism effects were estimated at 2 weeks of age and were present at later ages. These results indicate that mass selection method based on the individual phenotype of the chickens at different ages can provide genetic improvement in the flock. Thus, early body measurements of the Uttara chickens could be used for prediction of the size of the adult Uttara.