Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices among residents of different slum settlements in a ward of Kolkata: A mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is the most basic need for mankind. Poor WASH practices are associated with various waterborne diseases, especially in developing countries such as India. The aim of the study was to assess WASH practices among residents of different slum settlements in a ward of Kolkata, identify the factors associated with WASH practice, and explore the barriers faced by the families and municipal staff in providing adequate WASH services to the community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational study, cross-sectional in design with a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, was conducted in different slum settlements in a ward of Kolkata. Quantitative data were collected by face-to-face interview, spot observation, and measuring the living area, door, and window spaces. Key informant interviews were conducted with the medical officer, ward vector-control coordinator, and municipal waste handlers, in addition to in-depth interviews with respondents who had unsatisfactory WASH practices. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti 22. RESULTS: The overall WASH practices were considered satisfactory in 58.8% of the households. Education of the respondents up to the secondary level, presence of overcrowding, and inadequate ventilation in the house had statistically significantly higher odds of unsatisfactory practice. Poor living conditions, difficulty in collecting and storing water, waterlogging, blocked sewage drains, common toilets for men and women, and lack of motivation were the primary obstacles identified by the residents. CONCLUSION: Unsatisfactory WASH practices were observed among a high proportion of the slum population. Community engagement and education regarding WASH in communities is strongly recommended along with improvement of infrastructure and capacity building.

A cross-sectional study on anxiety due to COVID-19 and its predictors among undergraduate medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Kolkata, West Bengal.

Background: Medical education is recognized as stressful globally. COVID-19 pandemic is an additional source of anxiety to the medical students. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and to identify the factors associated with anxiety due to COVID-19 among undergraduate medical students in a teaching hospital of Kolkata, West Bengal. . Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among 363 undergraduate medical students using the stratified random sampling of a medical college from June to July 2021. Data were collected using a predesigned, pretested, and structured online questionnaire, including "Coronavirus Anxiety Scale." Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of anxiety. Pearson's Chi-square test was performed to find out the factors associated with anxiety due to COVID-19. Results: About 25.6% of the medical students were found to have anxiety due to COVID-19. About 28.9% of them reported COVID-19 infection in family in recent past and 11.0% had themselves tested positive. Nearly 20% reported loss of family members, relatives, and close friends due to COVID-19. The factors associated with anxiety due to pandemic were socioeconomic status, social stigma, sleep disturbances, history of COVID-19 in family, loss of job. and vaccination status of family members missing practical classes and exam-related anxiety. Conclusion: The study found that one-fourth of the medical students had anxiety due to COVID-19. Social stigma due to COVID-19 and loss of job of parents were the most significant predictors. It is recommended that targeted psychological and clinical interventions need to be taken to alleviate students' anxiety due to COVID.

Job Satisfaction among Doctors of a Government Medical College and Hospital of Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction expresses the extent of congruence between an individual’s expectation of the job and the reward that the job provides.Job satisfaction among doctors is an issue that is of utmost importance because offactors like patient relationships and time pressures associated with managed care. The current study was done to determine the level of job satisfaction in doctors posted in a tertiary care hospital of eastern India and to find out the factors associated with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 255 doctors posted in a tertiary care hospital of eastern India. Data werecollected using a self-reported questionnaire consisting of 49 items addressing the seven domains of job satisfaction, where higher values indicated higher level of satisfaction. The average scores of items were computed to construct factor scores for each individual. Two stage cluster analysis was performed to get the proportion of satisfied doctors and binary logistic regression was used for comparison of predictors of job satisfaction. RESULTS: The proportion of job satisfaction was found to be 59.6% and the most important factor was found to be working space. On adjustment, the odds of being satisfied were found to be higher in the older age groups, among males, doctors posted in preclinical or paraclinical departments and those staying in present setting for 5 years or more. CONCLUSION: More than half of the doctors were found to be satisfied with their job which can help the policy makers to make necessary strategies to increase the level of satisfaction of the employees. .

Nutrient adequacy and its correlation in a sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal, India.

INTRODUCTION: Nutrient adequacy is the level of intake of an essential nutrient in relation to the nutrient requirement for adequate health, which is expressed as the percentage of recommended dietary allowance. To develop an effective nationwide preventive program to combat malnutrition, it is necessary not only to assess the nature and magnitude of the problem of nutrient inadequacy but to identify factors affecting it especially at the household level. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of nutrient adequacy in a sample of households in a rural area of Darjeeling district and to find out the factors associated with nutrient adequacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2014 to December 2014 in 821 households of Darjeeling district, India. The major dependent variable used in this study was the mean nutrient adequacy ratio of a household and the independent variables were number of family members, number of under-five children in the family, literacy of head of the family, literacy of the wife of the head of the family, income of the family, and percentage expenditure on food. RESULTS: The prevalence of nutrient adequate households was found to be 35.3% among the study households. It was observed that the percentage expenditure on food had the highest contribution toward nutrient adequacy, followed by number of under-five children in the family and literacy of the wife of the head of the family. Undernutrition was found to be prevalent in 56.6% of the households. CONCLUSION: Majority of the study population had a diet less than the required amount and expectedly, undernutrition was also present in huge proportions.

Safe Injection Practices in Primary Health Care Settings of Naxalbari Block, Darjeeling District, West Bengal.

INTRODUCTION: Unsafe injection can transmit many diseases to patients, injection providers and healthy people of community. AIM: To find out critical steps whether executed according to recommended best practice methods, availability of equipments in health facilities for safe injection practices and some important steps of waste disposal methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This facility-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 30 Auxiliary nurse midwives (ANM) & 27 nursing staffs (NS) to assess certain aspects of their practice while administrating injection and disposal of the disposables. Health facilities were also observed to asses necessary equipments of safe injection and waste disposal methods. RESULTS: Among the health workers 93.3% ANM and 100% NS took sterile syringe from sterile unopened packet, all of the study subjects washed hand before giving injection, 13.3% of ANMs and 8% of NS are fully vaccinated against Hep B, 53.3% of ANM and all NS are practices non recapping. Only 13.33% sub centres along with PHC & BPHC had at least one puncture resistant leak proof container, 86.7% sub centres, PHC are free from loose needles. Transport for off side treatment is the method of waste disposal in case of 73.3% cases sub centres, PHC & BPHC. CONCLUSION: There is need to educate, train and motivate service providers in proper methods of giving injection along with improve the adequacy of supply of required equipments.

A case of bilaterally elongated styloid process differing in osseo-morphology.

In a cranium of a male cadaver styloid processes have been found to be unusually long with different lengths. Elongation of styloid process involvethe entire 'Stylohyoid complex/chain', though not rare as reported in earlier literatures, but the osseomorphological and radiological analysis of present case brings out a unique variety as its described in the article.

Physical injury: a profile among the municipal primary school children of Siliguri, Darjeeling District.

A cross sectional study was conducted from February - May 2009 with the objectives to find out profile of injuries among municipal primary school children in Siliguri, West Bengal and to identify the related factor associated with injury. 20% of total primary schools under municipal corporation of the town were selected and a pre-designed, pre-tested schedule was used to assess the profile of injury and associated factors. The Chi square test was usedto determine statistical significance at the 0.05 significance level. Out of 956 participants, a significantly higher injury was observed among males (68%). Open wound injuries were commonest (59.6%) occurring mainly at the extremities. Falls were mainly responsible for overall injuries. Injury at home (41.8%) was also found to be more. Mother education, number of siblings and presence of caregiver were significant related factors to injury.