Prevalence of self-medication practices among pregnant women in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Self-medication practice among pregnant women is a global concern. However, its understanding in the Indian context is limited due to a lack of comprehensive studies. PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehensively assess the prevalence of self-medication, the medications used for self-medication, diseases/conditions associated with self-medication, and the reasons for self-medication among Indian pregnant women. METHODS: This study was carried out following the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A thorough search was done in PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to find articles that were published up until May 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised observational studies reporting self-medication prevalence among pregnant women in India. Data were extracted using a standardized sheet, and a random-effects model was applied to determine the overall prevalence of self-medication using R software. The I2 statistic was employed to assess the heterogeneity among the studies. RESULTS: This study analyzed eight studies with a collective sample size of 2208 pregnant women. The pooled prevalence of self-medication among pregnant Indian women was 19.3% (95% CI: 7.5%-41.3%; I2 = 99%; p < 0.01). Common self-treated conditions were cold, cough, fever, headache, and stomach disorders. Antipyretics, analgesics, antihistamines, and antacids were frequently used for self-medication. The perception of mild ailment, immediate alleviation, convenience, time savings, and advice from family, friends, or the media were all reasons for self-medication. Local pharmacies were the most usual source for obtaining drugs, and pharmacists, family, friends, and past prescriptions were common sources of medicine information. CONCLUSIONS: A low yet substantial number of pregnant women in India are engaged in self-medication practices. Appropriate strategies need to be planned to reduce self-medication practices to attain sustainable developmental goals for maternal health in India.

Nonadherence to antiepileptic medication and associated factors among persons with epilepsy in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nonadherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is a prevalent issue in India, contributing to suboptimal seizure control, higher morbidity and mortality, increased hospitalization rates, and a substantial effect on the overall quality of life for individuals with epilepsy. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to measure the prevalence of medication adherence among individuals with epilepsy in India and to identify factors associated with nonadherence. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar for studies on AED adherence in India. Quality assessment employed Newcastle Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. Pooled prevalence was ascertained using a random-effects model in R software (version 4.2.2), with a 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity was estimated with the I2 statistic, and publication bias was appraised via a funnel plot. Subgroup analyses, based on study region and adherence measurement tool, were done to investigate heterogeneity. RESULTS: Nine cross-sectional studies with 1772 participants were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of adherence to AEDs in India stood at 49.9% (95% CI: 39.8%-60.1%). Subgroup analyses showed comparable adherence rates in the South (50.9%) and North (46.5%) regions of India. However, adherence rates varied substantially based on the measurement tool: Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-4 (MMAS-4) reported 71.3%, MMAS-8 indicated 45.9%, and Morisky Green Levine (MGL) adherence scale exhibited 42.0%. Factors contributing to non-adherence to antiepileptic therapies involved poor socioeconomic status, lower education levels, polytherapy, drug-related side effects, and substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of persons with epilepsy in India were non-adherent to their AEDs. This underscores the importance for healthcare professionals to pay greater attention to improving the adherence rate to AEDs within the healthcare service.

Diversity of Antimicrobial Peptide Genes in Bacillus from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Untapped Island Microbial Diversity for Disease Management in Crop Plants.

Taxonomic and functional characterization of a total of 90 bacterial isolates representing bulk and rhizosphere soils of diverse niches of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India were carried out. Twelve bacterial isolates were found promising for the biological suppression of agriculturally important fungal and bacterial plant pathogens such as Ralstonia solanacearum, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed their identity as belonging to Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Lysinibacillus sphaericus. The isolates were positive for plant growth promotion (PGP) traits including siderophore production, and nutrient solubilization especially phosphorous, zinc, and potassium. Interestingly, the PCR test confirmed the presence of 62 antimicrobial peptides (AMP) biosynthesis genes specific to the genus Bacillus. Whilst all tested species of Bacillus harboured the bacD biosynthesis gene, the B. subtilis (Ba_Abi), and B. amyloliquefaciens (Ba_Abi) harboured the maximum AMP biosynthesis genes analysed in the study. Upon in planta evaluation, the biocontrol potential of the bacterial isolates against leaf spot disease of chilli was observed. The study culminated in the isolation and identification of diverse Bacillus species for exploitation as bioinoculants for plant health management programmes.

Co-Infection of Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) in the Wild Crustaceans of Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, India.

The present study was intended to screen the wild crustaceans for co-infection with Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) in Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, India. We screened a total of 607 shrimp and 110 crab samples using a specific polymerase chain reaction, and out of them, 82 shrimps (13.5%) and 5 (4.5%) crabs were found positive for co-infection of IHHNV and WSSV. A higher rate of co-infection was observed in Penaeus monodon and Scylla serrata than other shrimp and crab species. The nucleotide sequences of IHHNV and WSSV obtained from crab in this present study exhibited very high sequence identity with their counterparts retrieved from various countries. Histopathological analysis of the infected shrimp gill sections further confirmed the eosinophilic intra-nuclear cowdry type A inclusion bodies and basophilic intra-nuclear inclusion bodies characteristics of IHHNV and WSSV infections, respectively. The present study serves as the first report on co-infection of WSSV and IHHNV in Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, India and accentuates the critical need for continuous monitoring of wild crustaceans and appropriate biosecurity measures for brackishwater aquaculture.