ABSTRACT
Introduction Impulsivity (or impulsiveness) and risk-taking behavior are significant concerns as the adolescent population is at a higher risk of injuries and violence, unhealthy sexual behaviors, and drug- and alcohol-related problems. The early identification of these traits in adolescents can prove beneficial through timely interventions. This study was conducted to assess impulsive behavior and risk-taking behavior among school-going adolescents in New Delhi, India, and to study the association, if any, between the two. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 571 students of classes 9th-10th in three randomly selected schools in a part of Delhi, India. Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - Brief (BIS-Brief) was used to evaluate impulsivity, and risk-taking behavior was assessed using the RT-18 tool. Results The majority (72.3%) of the 571 students were aged 14-15 years. Among the students, 56.0% were males. The impulsivity score obtained ranged from 8 to 30, with a mean score of 15.7 (SD ±4.1). The risk-taking score ranged from 2 to 18, with a mean score of 9.9 (SD ±2.9). Impulsivity was seen to be significantly higher among the female students (p=0.004). The risk-taking behavior was significantly higher among the students from government schools, among the females, and among those who used the internet more. There was a significant direct association between impulsivity and risk-taking behavior among the students (correlation coefficient 0.301, p<0.001). Conclusion The study results showed that the mean impulsivity and risk-taking scores were comparable to other studies in adolescent age groups done internationally using the same tools. Impulsivity and risk-taking behavior were both found to be higher among females. There was a significant direct association between impulsivity and risk-taking.
ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a global public health emergency of profound magnitude, has brought life to an unprecedented near-standstill. The clinical profile of the disease is still emerging and is marked by considerable geographical variability in terms of transmissibility, clinical profile, virulence, and mortality of the disease. As clinical data is being reported from around the globe, it becomes important to focus on local subjects in a global milieu, lest one misses the trees for the forest. Our study is a short retrospective analysis of the demographic and clinical profiles of subjects presenting with a mild flu-like illness to our hospital who were tested for COVID-19. It compares the differences in age and sex of those who tested positive with those negative. In addition, it reviews the length of time it might take for a case testing positive on reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to become negative. Methodology A retrospective analysis of data from adults who presented to our hospital with a mild flu-like illness between the months of March and May 2020 was conducted to understand the disease profile. The nasal/oropharyngeal swabs were collected from each patient and were transported to state-approved laboratories chain for RT-PCR analysis. Information was collected from reports received, clinical information forms, and sample collection forms that were being maintained as a part of the clinical management protocol. Data were analysed using Stata software, version 13 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA). Observations and Results Three thousand twenty-six subjects presented to our hospital with either mild flu-like symptoms or with suspected exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19. The subjects had a mean age of 37.3 (± 15.1) years and 1,805 (60.3%) were males. A regression analysis revealed an adjusted odds of 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2, 2.1) for testing positive for males as compared to females. For every one year increase in age, the odds for testing positive increased by 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.03). Of the 2,592 individuals for whom data was available, 201 (7.6%) were found positive on RT-PCR analysis. Those testing positive were significantly older (41.0 years vs 36.8 years; p = 0.001) and more likely to be male (number: 138; 9.0% vs 6.7%; p = 0.05). Cough, followed by fever, was a common presenting feature. A survival time analysis using data from 54 participants documented 455 days of the total observation period. A median time of eight days was required for the test to convert from positive to negative if the patient remained mildly symptomatic and did not develop a severe complicated illness. The time to conversion did not differ with age or sex. Conclusions Our analysis shows that patients with COVID-19 have presented with milder symptoms and have recovered well. The low test positivity rate is indicative of the early phase of the pandemic in the country and is a reflection of active infection control measures.
