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Background: Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the commonest occupational disease globally. However, literature on ONIHL in airport employees of developing countries is scarce. Aims: To assess the burden of ONIHL and its associated factors among employees working at an international airport in Eastern India. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 212 such airport employees who had been working in the airport for >1 year. By stratified random sampling, participants were recruited from airfield, terminal, and administration sections. ONIHL was measured using a portable audiometer and noise exposure using a sound-level meter. Results: The mean age was 34.1 ± 9.2 years, 89.2% were men. The mean year of working in the airport was 7.6 ± 6.3 years. The 8-hour-time-equivalent noise exposure ranged from 56.6 to 86.5 dBA. Approximately 50% of the employees do not wear any hearing protection equipment when working. Prevalence of ONIHL was found to be 7.6%. On multivariable analysis, higher noise exposure and use of hearing protection equipment were found to be positively and negatively associated with ONHIL, respectively. Conclusion: ONIHL was found to be prevalent among employees working at the airport, and focus should be given on reducing noise exposure levels and ensuring use of protective equipment among the employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Alapan. Bandyopadhyay, Rishav. Ghosal, Pallabi. Dasgupta, Abhijit. Mukherjee Introduction: Exposure to high levels of noise is a problem among tea factory workers worldwide, but it is poorly studied in [...]

Background: Appropriateness of admissions and inpatient length of stay (LOS) are important factors controlling health-care expenditure. The current study was conducted to assess the proportion of appropriate admissions among 29-day to 12-year--old aged patients admitted to pediatric wards of a tertiary health-care center in one month and evaluate inappropriate LOS among them. Materials and Methods: An observational longitudinal study was carried out for two months among patients admitted to the pediatric inpatient department using Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PAEP)-II tool. All patients admitted to the institution during the study period were included in the study. Results: Among 495 children, 438 (88.5%) were appropriately admitted. Inappropriate admission was mostly found in children aged 1 to 5 years (29, 16.6%), those who lived >5 km from the hospital (45, 15.2%), and those who presented with other systemic illnesses (13, 31.7%). Among the appropriately admitted children, 333 (76%) met the criteria of appropriate LOS during their hospital stays. Multivariable logistic regression showed that the age of the children (AOR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.98, 0.99), age-appropriate feeding (AOR = 2.12;95% CI = 1.30,3.47), and hematological disorder (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.52) were found to be associated with the children being kept at the hospital inappropriately. Conclusions: The current study observed a high proportion of appropriate admission in children. However, a higher proportion of inappropriate LOS among them was seen. The younger age group, age-appropriate feeding, and type of illness were found as the primary predictors for inappropriate LOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite opinions regarding safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy, they are approved for pregnant women. However, little is known about attitudes and perception of pregnant women toward COVID-19 vaccination. Objective: To find out COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, its predictors, and perceptions, among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in a tertiary care hospital of India. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 pregnant women during 2021 using a predesigned, pretested questionnaire consisting of vaccination, obstetric history, and perception about COVID-19 vaccination. Those who took at least one dose of vaccine was considered vaccine acceptor. Chi-square test was performed to check association with independent variables for vaccine-acceptors and nonacceptors. Results: About 126 (70%) women were vaccine-acceptors and 54 (30%) were nonacceptors. Higher proportion of vaccine-acceptors were noted among those aged >20 years (P = 0.003), with previous pregnancy loss (83.3%) and problem in conceiving (71.4%), working mothers (72.7%), lower socioeconomic status (71.1%), and lower literacy (71.2%). Favorable attitudes toward COVID vaccine were present in most of the participants (72.8%). 74.6% of vaccine acceptors and 61.1% nonacceptors agreed to take vaccine on recommendation of health-care provider (P = 0.009). Significantly higher proportion of acceptors (43.7%) agreed to recommend another mother to take vaccine than nonacceptors (24.1%) (P=- 0.044). Significantly higher proportion of acceptors (84.9%) agreed to get vaccinated with precautionary dose if vaccination camp is organized (P = 0.039). Conclusion: A high level of vaccine acceptance was seen mostly because of the trust on health-care providers. Targeted efforts are required for health-care workers and public regarding vaccine literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite efforts to motivate all reproductive age women to avail cervical cancer screening services, many still do not utilise them. Most researchers have universally identified barriers like the lack of knowledge and lack of accessibility as the reason for not availing services. However, additional barriers also prevent women from making use of these screening services. Aim: To explore the barriers to and facilitating factors for cervical cancer screening beyond the lack of knowledge and accessibility of services. Materials and Methods: This qualitative research was conducted among tribal women residing in the Kiranchandra Tea Estate and Atal Tea Estate (two tea gardens in the rural Naxalbari Block) West Bengal, India, from July 2018 to February 2019. Women aged 30-59 years, living in the garden for at least the last 5 years, not suffering from obstetrics/gynaecological disease during last two years and willing to participate in the study were included, based on a purposive sampling method. Information Education Campaign (IEC) on cervical cancer and screening were undertaken and screening services arranged in the gardens on garden holidays for two consecutive weeks. Four (4) Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) in each garden were conducted, with each FGD consisting of 5 to 6 participants (N=49). Data obtained was recorded and logged with the participants' permission and consent. A manifest content analysis was used to explore the perceived barriers and facilitators of cervical screening. Results: The major barriers identified were lack of support, burden of responsibility and the lack of felt need. The facilitators found most frequently were provision of information, social motivation, easy accessibility and affordability of screening services. Conclusion: This study revealed that there are various actual and perceived barriers to cervical cancer screening among tribal women in tea garden areas. Even after imparting knowledge and increasing availably and accessibility of a free program, familial support, burden of responsibility and lack of felt needs hinder increased uptake of the services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leprosy has been affecting the human race since millennia, characterized by widespread, slow-healing lesions that lead to severe physical deformities. Along with its communicability, leprosy patients have therefore been subjected to widespread social stigma all over the world. Even though a largely effective national program has reduced the incidence of cases substantially in India, stigma has persisted. The present study aimed to assess the perceived stigma among leprosy patients living in rural areas and receiving care in a rural leprosy clinic of Northern West Bengal, India and to determine different factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 61 leprosy patients over the month of January 2021. The Explanatory Model Interview Catalog (EMIC) stigma scale was used to measure the perceived social stigma. Descriptive statistics and a multivariable linear regression analysis were used to present and explain the data. Results: Illiteracy and low socio-economic status were prevalent among the patients. The perceived stigma scores ranged from 4 to 35, with a mean of 23.36 ± 9.13. When adjusted for predictor variables such as age, sex, marriage, education, and socio-economic status, it was seen that perceived social stigma increased significantly (P-value=0.029) with increasing age. Female sex (P-value=0.022), illiteracy (P-value=0.017), and Grade 2 disability (P-value=0.009) were also significantly associated. Conclusion: The study observed that the overall perceived stigma levels among leprosy patients in this region were still high. This signals an enduring persistence of the problem. It is of urgent need to develop and implement stigma reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Successful identification of emotional expression in patients is of considerable importance in the diagnosis of diseases and while developing rapport between physicians and patients. Despite the importance of such skills, this aspect remains grossly overlooked in conventional medical training in India. This study aims to explore the extent to which medical students can identify emotions by observing photographs of male and female subjects expressing different facial expressions. Methods: A total of 106 medical students aged 18–25, without any diagnosed mental illnesses, were shown images of the six universal facial expressions (anger, sadness, fear, happiness, disgust, and surprise) at 100% intensity with an exposure time of 2 seconds for each image. The participants marked their responses after each image was shown. Collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: Participants could identify 76.54% of the emotions on average, with higher accuracy for positive emotions (95.6% for happiness) and lower for negative emotions (46% for fear). There were no significant variations in identification with respect to sex of the observers. However, it was seen that participants could identify emotions better from male faces than those from female faces, a finding that was statistically significant. Negative emotions were identified more accurately from male faces, while positive emotions were identified better from female ones. Conclusions: Male participants identified emotions better from male faces, while females identified positive emotions better from female faces and negative ones from male faces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]