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Background: The basic product information, health, safety, and nutritional details, as well as food marketing, advertising, and promotion, are all provided on a packed food label. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the shoppers regarding food labels as there are few studies done in India and none in Pune. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 226 participants using a validated semi-structured questionnaire, which consisted of sociodemographic details and questions on their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding food labels while purchasing a packed food item. Quantitative data are presented in the form of mean, standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (CI) of mean, median, and interquartile range (IQR). Qualitative data are in terms of number (N), percentages (%), and 95% CI of percentage. Results: Of the 226 participants, 163 (72.12) were aware of the label on packaged foods. One hundred seventy-seven (78.32%) participants in all read the label on the packaged food. The maximum retail price (MRP) and expiration date were the most frequent labels sought. Although 17.7% of consumers did not consider nutrient composition when making a purchase, energy and protein were the most often considered nutrients. The majority (70.35%) falsely believed that juice was healthy. The packed food label's tiny font made it difficult to read for 30.38% of the customers. Conclusion: Despite the increased awareness about packed food labeling, a fraction of shoppers were not concerned about nutritional information. In contrast to the prevailing knowledge, the majority believes packed food has a positive effect on health.
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Background Out-Of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) directly reflects the burden of health expenses that households bear. Despite the availability of social security schemes providing healthcare benefits, a high proportion of Indian households are still incurring OOPE. In order to recognize the reasons behind OOPE, a comprehensive understanding of people's attitudes and behavior is needed. Methodology By purposive sampling, 16 in-depth interviews were conducted using an interview guide in the catchment area of urban and rural health centers of a tertiary healthcare hospital. Interviews were conducted in Marathi and Hindi and were audio tape-recorded after taking informed consent. The interviews were transcribed and translated into English, followed by a thematic analysis. Results Although most participants knew that government hospitals provide facilities and experienced doctors, inconvenience and unsatisfactory quality deter them from utilizing government facilities. A few had experiences with government schemes; almost all concur that the formality and procedure of claiming insurance are cumbersome and all have had bad experiences. Cost of medications and consultation accounted for the majority of the healthcare expenditures. While some participants had benefitted from insurance, few regretted not enrolling in one. Conclusion The awareness regarding government schemes was derisory. Government-financed health insurance schemes and their utilization are crucial to reducing OOPE. Efforts should be made to increase accessibility to public healthcare services. Nevertheless, there is potential to redress the barriers to improve scheme utilization.
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BACKGROUND: It is believed that all suffer from chickenpox infection in their childhood. Many studies abroad and some in India clearly indicate that many individuals escape the infection in childhood, and thus, remain susceptible in adulthood. Adulthood chickenpox is a more serious infection than childhood. Prior screening of health care workers for the presence of IgG antibodies against Varicella will not only prevent hospital outbreaks but also economic and academic loss faced by the students. This will also have an important implication in terms of patient care as there is a threat of spreading Varicella to immuno-compromised patients. Definite history of prior infection of chickenpox is considered as an indicator for immunity towards the same. However, the reliability of this needs to be tested. AIM: A study to assess the susceptibility of nursing and medical students towards Varicella infection by screening for IgG antibodies against Varicella virus and to identify any risk factors for the same. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A hospital-based cross-sectional study in nursing and medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 78 nursing and medical students participated in the study. They were given prestructured and pretested questionnaires. After obtaining informed consent, blood sample was collected and screened for the presence of IgG antibodies against Varicella by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) by using a commercial kit. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Epi_info 2002 was used for analysis. Age of the study subjects were summarized as mean age and standard deviation. Susceptibility was analyzed as percentage with 95% confidence interval and Chi Square test was used to find association of susceptibility status with sex and region of residence in childhood. Relevance of definite history as an indicator for immunity was assessed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Twenty males (25.6%) and 58 females (74.4%) participated in the study from medical and nursing students. The mean age ± standard deviation of mean was 19.4 ± 1.42 years for female students and 20.8 ± 2.13 years for male students. Total 20 (25.6%) students were found to be susceptible to Varicella with the confidence interval ranging from 15.8% to 35.4%. With respect to the gender of the students, the difference between the susceptibility percentage in female students (32%) and in male students (14.3%) was only a numerical difference and not statistically significant (χ(2) = 2.098, P=0.147, d.f. = 2). Also, the susceptibility was seen significantly more among Keralite students (Pearson Chi-Square=16.736, d.f=6, P=0.008; Likelihood Ratio=15.086, d.f=6, P=0.035; Fisher's Exact Test=13.569, p=0.022). The sensitivity of definite history of prior chickenpox infection as an indicator of immunity was only 55.17%, with C.I ranging from 43.9% to 66.4%, specificity was 80%, with C.I. ranging from 70.9% to 86%, and positive predictive value was 88.8% with C.I of 81.7% to 89% and negative predictive value of history of 66.6% with C.I. of 56% to 77.2%. CONCLUSION: Total 20 (25.6%) students were found to be susceptible to Varicella with the confidence interval ranging from 15.8% to 35.4%. Thus, there is a need for vaccination of all susceptible individuals. Definite history of prior chickenpox infection is not a reliable indicator of immunity against the same. The investigators recommend screening for IgG antibodies against Varicella of all students selected for the M.B.B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) and nursing course, and vaccination for susceptible individuals to prevent institutional outbreak and academic loss.