Behavioral interventions towards knowledge and awareness of reproductive cancer care: A study on select Indians using an online survey

BACKGROUND

The behavioral aspects of human beings influence the incidences of cancer cases directly and indirectly. The factors like positive thinking and motivation were found to change the behavior toward knowledge and awareness of cancer. The main objective of the study is to assess the knowledge and awareness of select Indians about reproductive cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The online survey method assessed various components of knowledge and awareness about reproductive cancer. A Google Form has been distributed through social media platforms such as e-mail, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The coded data has been computed in SPSS (version 25) by IBM (USA) for the analysis. Univariate and bivariate data analysis has been drawn to justify the objective.

RESULTS

Nearly 68 percent of the respondents were aware of reproductive cancer. Among them, 17 percent know about cervical cancer, and 12.5 percent have awareness about breast cancer. Electronic and print media (41.2 percent) were major sources of information about reproductive cancer. Nearly 48 percent of respondents reported that multiple sexual partners and poor sexual hygiene were risk factors for reproductive cancer. Around 57 percent of respondents reported reproductive cancer is preventable, 59 percent knew about cancer screening, and 63.5 percent knew the treatment process. The gender of the respondents was associated (p-value = 0.002) with awareness of reproductive cancer. It has been found that there is a significant association between knowledge of screening tests and the treatment process of reproductive cancer. The marital status of respondents is strongly associated (p-value = 0.000) with the awareness of reproductive cancer.

CONCLUSION

The factors like knowledge of reproductive cancer and awareness proceed as an important role in cancer prevention. A gender-neutral cancer awareness program is needed to increase cancer awareness irrespective of marital status.

Assessment of Workplace Hygiene among Contractual Workers in the Steel and Power Industry of Odisha, India

BACKGROUND

Workplace hygiene is vital in controlling infectious diseases in industries. The factors like unhealthy environment, unhygienic workplace, and contact between healthy and disease-affected employees cause industrial hazards in workplaces.

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed various components of workplace hygiene among industrial workers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A quantitative survey has been conducted in a steel, and power industry limited in Odisha. The study surveyed 425 male contractual workers for primary data on workplace hygiene. Probability proportion to sample technique adopted for justification of the sample. The univariate and bivariate analysis models have been done according to the study's objective.

RESULTS

Nearly 92% of respondents reported proper use of washing facilities, and 97% used toilet and urinal appropriately. One-fourth of respondents use personal disinfected clothing, and 92.2% have access to safe drinking water. The factors such as education, technical education, and occupation are significantly associated with respondents' use of washing facilities, dining hall, personal protective clothing, safe drinking water, proper cleaning, and sanitation at the workplace.

CONCLUSION

Workplace hygiene strengthens the safety measures at the workplace and reduces the incidences of occupational hazards.

Preventive measures and self-protective rights at workplace: A study on steel and power industry workers in Odisha, India

This study aims to assess the preventive measures and self-protective rights of employees at the workplace. A survey has been conducted in a steel and power industry of Angul district of Odisha (India) using a semi-structured interview schedule to assess the determinants of occupational hazards. Occupational health practices among 425 male workers were assessed from the steel and power industry using the population proportion to sample technique (PPS). Respondents from the higher educational background, skilled workers, Hindu religious group, general category, and employees with high-household income were significantly associated (P < 0.05) with self-protective rights at the workplace. Industrial workers are considered a vulnerable group with respect to the power of self-protective rights in the industry. The factors such as job insecurity, financial hardship, less education, and unskilled profession make them vulnerable, which forces them to settle with a lower level of rights at the workplace.

Special Protection and Provision of Rest during Work and Occupational Health Hazards: A Survey among Steel and Power Industry Workers in Odisha, India

Introduction: In India, there are many labour laws implemented for the legal provision of working hours, services, and employment conditions of workers. Special protection and rest provision plays a pivotal role in occupational injuries and illness. Aim: To determine the special protection and various provision of rest at the workplace. Materials and Methods: A survey was conducted among steel and power industry workers in Odisha, India. The study was conducted with 425 male respondents by adopting the population proportion sampling technique. The primary data was taken from a Steel and Power limited industry situated in Angul district of Odisha from February 2019 to October 2019. Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS version 25.0) was used in the analysis process by using the univariate and bivariate models to assess the objectives. Results: The study showed 92.5% of respondents were provided rest, and 59.1% of respondents were in the employment contract. More than 43.3% of respondents reported they received compensation during occupational injury and diseases, whereas 45.6% didn’t get any compensation in the event of occupational diseases. Out of the 393 workers got rest, a vast majority (95.4%) of respondents reported that they were allowed night rest, and 84.5% were allowed for meal breaks during work. More than 59% of respondents receive short breaks during work, and 52.9% were entitled to weekly breaks/rest. Religion, caste, education, technical education, occupation, type of work, and the number of working hours were strongly associated with the respondent's characteristics. Conclusion: Special protection provisions are critical factors for the treatment of occupational health hazards. It has been confirmed that night rest and meal break rest were provided to the workers. Except for the shift work rest and extended workload rest, the provision of rest was sufficiently provided at the workplace. Special protections are expected to strengthen the occupational health of workers and stay away from medical expenses.

Socio-demographic and Morbidity Pattern among Under-Five Children in Rural Areas of Adilabad District of Telangana, India

Introduction: The health and well-being among children is an important parameter for the measurement of the progress of a nation, which is also most precious asset in the community for socio-economic development in long run. It is not wise to neglect the health rights of the children in the process of nation building. The under-five children are the most vulnerable group in a society in which there is lack of guarantee for adequate nutrition and social protection. The lack of essential health services ultimately leads to childhood diseases like diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and measles in various parts of India. Aim: To understand the socio-demographic and morbidity pattern among the children of under five years in a district of Telangana state, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken by interviewing mothers with the help of a predesigned and pretested questionnaire to understand the morbidity pattern of children under five years in the rural areas of Adilabad district, Telangana, India. The study was conducted in March 2015 in 30 villages. The study assessed various determinates of morbidity by applying scientific principles. The sample size was calculated as 210. The data was analysed by using MS Excel spread sheet and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to understand the morbidity pattern. Descriptive statistical tests were done to find out the results. Results: The result confirms that 154 (73.33%) of the children under five years have several forms of morbidities. The most common morbidity was Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) (25.71%), which is followed by worm infestation (8.09%), diarrhoea (20%), fever (7.61%), scabies (7.61%), asthma (2.3%) and seizure (fits) (1.9%) in last three months from the data collection. All these diseases are prevalent in rural areas of high concern due to the impeding morbidity and mortality. Conclusion: The ARI and diarrhoea were found to be the cause of concern among under-five children, which dominate the morbidity pattern. The factors responsible with such precarious situation were deeply entrenched conditions like illiteracy, poor socio-economic conditions, poor environmental sanitation, and increased birth order among the population.

How Does the Largely Unregulated Private Health Sector Impact the Indian Mass?

Private hospitals in India are least monitored by the government, which leads to violation of the roles and responsibility they have to offer for the community. Indeed, it is a more serious issue in a country like India where people are forced below poverty line (BPL) after every hospitalization. Of the four different models of health expenditure, India and, in fact, many developing countries follow the out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure model rampantly. This is very evident from the recent working article (2015) published by NITI Aayog-Health Division, which reveals that OOP expenditures are high in India accounting for 69.5 per cent of total health expenditure. These are catastrophic economic damages for the poor and push an estimated 37 million into poverty each year. Furthermore, 66.4 per cent of the total expenditure is on medicines. A major part of these expenditures are invariably the money spent by a huge section of the community, both rich–poor and rural–urban, on healthcare services availed from the privately run corporate hospitals in India. The sector needs to be sensitive for an inclusive healthcare. However, the situation appears to be the opposite in India and the private health sector creates a divide in the society by virtue of which the rich get medical care and the poor stay sick or die. This article discusses various ethical concerns and remedial measures relating to the functionality of private hospitals which poses serious pressure on the community and marginalized sections of the society.

Birth Preparedness among Women and Factors Associated with Antenatal Care

Reducing maternal mortality is the fifth goal among the millennium development goals and subsequent sustainable development goals. Complete antenatal care (ANC) and institutional delivery are two process indicators advised in all interventions related to reduction of maternal mortality. A study is conducted to know the ANC profile of the women and factors associated with it and their birth preparedness for delivery in a rural tribal area of Vikramgad taluka in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

 A community-level descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the women those who recently experienced delivery of baby. Simple random sampling method was used to select the respondents.

 The result of the study shows women follow specific practices related to diet, personal hygiene, physical activity and rest with neonatal feeding and care practices in the month following delivery, to keep themselves and their baby healthy. The significant factors found to be associated with ANC visits were the age of the women ( p = 0.001), education ( p = 0.03), husband’s education ( p = 0.002), monthly household income ( p = 0.11) and distance of site of ANC from home in time measured in minutes ( p = 0.047).