ABSTRACT
Background: Effective communication plays a crucial role in establishing strong Doctor patient relationship which plays a dominant role in the treatment. Since Attitude forms the basis for the behaviour, the attitude of the students towards learning communication skills have major impact on developing effective communication skills. The objective of this study is to assess the level of attitude of medical students towards learning communication skills.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted over 2 months among first to 4th year medical students in Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical College and Research Centre, Kancheepuram using communication skills attitude scale. Data regarding the attitude and various socio demographic profile were collected through self-administered questionnaire. Hierarchical cluster analysis and K mean cluster analysis was done and Chi square test applied to find out association between the attitude and demographic variables.Results: With K mean cluster analysis, 183 students (47.9%) had high and 52.1% had moderate attitude towards learning communication skills. There is no significant association between socio demographic profiles and attitude towards learning communication skills except for the year of study and the gender.Conclusions: Overall all the students showed positive attitude towards learning communication skills, however there was decrease in level of attitude with higher the year of study.
ABSTRACT
Background: Alcohol use is associated with serious public health problems thereby raising the global morbidity and mortality. The main aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of alcoholism and its co morbidity pattern among urban adult population in Salem district, Tamil Nadu.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was carried out among urban adult population in Salem district involving 493 participants. Convenient sampling method was used. Informed consent was obtained from each participant and information was collected by using a predesigned structured questionnaire. Microsoft Excel 2007 was used for data entry and SPSS version 24 was used for data analysis.Results: It was found from the study that the prevalence of alcoholism was high. Alcohol use in any form was found in 38% of the study participants. 8% of the participants confessed that alcohol is an eye opener to them. 6% of the participants lost their job and 15% of the participants were hospitalised due to alcohol.Conclusions: The study showed higher prevalence of alcohol use among urban adult population in Salem district. Awareness about the ill effects of alcoholism among the population and necessary rehabilitation will help to reduce alcoholism consumption and its related disorders.