Validation of Mobile Messages for an mHealth Intervention for Smokeless Tobacco Cessation in India.

BACKGROUND: With the growth in use of mobile messages for behaviour change, the need to incorporate personal needs and cultural characteristics of target users has been promoted. The study aimed to describe the findings of content validation of mobile messages designed to promote smokeless tobacco cessation in primary care. METHODS: This study used a concurrent mixed-method approach with 13 patients who were tobacco users at urban primary care clinics. The clarity and appeal of 32 messages were rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 10. A mean clarity and appeal score per message was generated. A 5-item discussion guide was used for in-depth interviews and data was analysed using framework analysis. RESULTS: Participants found the content of the messages useful, and preferred shorter and audio formatted messages. The clarity scores for the messages ranged from 7.9 to 9.4 with an average score of 8.7 (SD 0.5). The appeal scores ranged from 7.3 to 9.2, with an average score of 8.5 (SD 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-six from a total of 32 messages were found appropriate and finalised for use. This methodology can be used when developing contextually relevant mobile message interventions in other low resource settings.

Serosurveys to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among high-risk groups in six urban cities of Odisha, India.

INTRODUCTION: Personnel involved in essential services or residing in high-risk areas during the COVID-19 pandemic are at increased risk of getting infected. We evaluated the proportion of personnel infected in several high-risk groups in Odisha using seroprevalence studies. METHODOLOGY: During July to November, 2020, individuals from multiple high-risk groups in 6 urban cities (Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Cuttack, Malkangiri, Paralakhemundi, and Rourkela) in Odisha, India, were recruited to the study after obtaining written informed consent. Blood samples collected from the study participants were tested for IgG antibodies against COVID-19 in Roche Cobas e441 (Roche Diagnostics, Rotkreuz, Switzerland). Information on socio-demographic variables, association with a confirmed or suspected case, and other details were collected using an electronic data capture tool and analysed with a statistical software. RESULTS: The overall COVID-19 seroprevalence was 34.9% (95%CI 33.6-36.2) among the 5434 individuals. The seroprevalence varied from 21.8% (95% CI, 19.6-24.1) in Rourkela to 54.9% (95% CI, 51.5-58.2) in Bhubaneswar. Seropositivity was maximum among prisoners (47.7%), followed by municipality/ sanitation staff (43.5%), and other office going staff (40.8%). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that participants aged 18-29 years, 30-44 years, residents of slums and vending zone, municipality staff, prisoners, residents of urban cities Malkangiri, Cuttack, Paralakhemundi, Bhubaneswar and those with previous history of COVID-19 were independent co-relates of seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of COVID-19 varied among the high-risk groups of Odisha. Periodic seroprevalence studies in future are essential to protect the high-risk personnel involved in frontline activities during the pandemic.

Systemic Markers in Ophthalmic Manifestations of Post Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19).

INTRODUCTION: Corona virus disease (COVID-19) has been associated with ophthalmic manifestations which can occur during or following the infection. PURPOSE: To explore the systemic status in ophthalmic patients who had a recent history of COVID-19 or those with positive COVID-19 antibody status. METHODS: Retrospective case series. RESULTS: 30 patients with history of COVID-19 infection and positive COVID-19 antibodies were included in the study. The median age was 49 years (mean 48.7 ± 13.7 years), 20 were males (66.7%) and 10 (33.3%) were females. Patients with VA>/= 6/60 were included in group 1 and those with VA<6/60 were included in group 2. D-dimer/serum Ferritin levels were raised in group 2 compared to group 1with (p=0.013)/(p=0.018) respectively. CONCLUSION: Serum D-dimer and ferritin levels were statistically significant and were higher in patients with sight threatening ocular manifestations. ESR and CRP were raised even after recovery from COVID-19 although they were not statistically significant.

Effect of feeding practices on nutritional status of infant and young children residing in urban slums of berhampur: A decision tree approach.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in the early years of life will ensure optimal growth and development of the child. However, many children are not fed in the recommended way. OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk of malnutrition as a result of various feeding practice patterns among the children with the application of the decision tree algorithm. METHODS: It was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in the urban slums of Berhampur Municipal Corporation in Ganjam District, Odisha, India, from January to December 2019. Among a sample of 360 children of 6-23 months, nutritional status and feeding practices were determined. Data were analyzed using R version 3.6.1 developed by R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. The effect of IYCF practices on nutritional status was explained with the decision tree method with the use of a Chi-squared automatic interaction detection algorithm. RESULTS: The prevalence of children with early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF), exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), minimum meal frequency (MMF), and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) was 62.2%, 59.7%, 41.9%, and 19.4%, respectively. The prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight among the participants was 36.4%, 31.1%, and 35.3%, respectively. The significant factors which classified and predicted wasting were EBF, EIBF, and MDD, for stunting factors were EBF, MMF, and MDD and for underweight, significant factors were EBF, EIBF, and MDD. CONCLUSION: With the decision tree approach, the probability of malnutrition in relation to various feeding practices patterns can be easily explained to the mothers and health workers as compared to interpreting odds ratio and strict adherence to IYCF guidelines can also be ensured.