Wealth-based inequality in underweight among Scheduled Tribe women in India: a regional analysis.

Background: Despite widespread undernutrition among tribal women, there is limited understanding of wealth-based disparities in underweight within this group and how these inequities have changed over time across different regions of India. This study aims to explore trends and patterns of wealth-based inequalities in underweight prevalence among Scheduled Tribe (ST) women across various regions of India.

Methods: The study analysed data from the fourth and fifth rounds of the National Family Health Survey, covering 113,549 and 121,326 non-pregnant ST women aged 15-49, respectively.

Geographic disparities and determinants of full utilization of the continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare services in rural India.

Background: To further reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, it is essential for mothers and newborns to fully utilize all essential services within the continuum of maternal and newborn care. However, research on maternal and child health services in India has not sufficiently examined geographical disparities in the full utilization of these services and the factors influencing the full utilization, particularly in rural areas. This study aims to address this critical gap.

Spatial heterogeneity in unintended pregnancy and its determinants in India.

Background: Understanding the geographic variation of unintended pregnancy is crucial for informing tailored policies and programs to improve maternal and child health outcomes. Although spatial analyses of unintended pregnancy have been conducted in several developing countries, such research is lacking in India. This study addresses this gap by investigating the geographic distribution and determinants of unintended pregnancy in India.

Mental health problems raise the odds of cognitive impairment in COVID-19 survivors.

Background: COVID-19 survivors around the globe are suffering from mental health issues. While mental health problems can be an early warning sign of dementia, they may also increase the chances of developing the disease. In this study, we examined the mental health of COVID-19 survivors and mapped its associations with cognitive and demographic variables.

Spatial clustering of overweight/obesity among women in India: Insights from the latest National Family Health Survey.

Background: Overweight/obesity has become global health concern with increasing prevalence. This study examined district-level disparities and spatial clustering of overweight/obesity among women of reproductive age (WRA) in India using the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021) data.

Method: Information of 623,656 women aged 15 to 49 from the NFHS-5 (2019-2021) were analysed in this study.

Wealth-based disparities in the prevalence of short birth interval in India: insights from NFHS-5.

Background: Short birth interval (SBI) has profound implications for the health of both mothers and children, yet there remains a notable dearth of studies addressing wealth-based inequality in SBI and its associated factors in India. This study aims to address this gap by investigating wealth-based disparities in SBI and identifying the underlying factors associated with SBI in India.

Methods: We used information on 109,439 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019-21).

Understanding the association between intimate partner violence and sexually transmitted infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women can significantly impact their overall health. While numerous studies in developing nations highlight the association between IPV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the evidence available within the Indian context remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the relationship between exposure to different forms of IPV and the occurrence of STIs, using a quasi-experimental approach.

Prevalence and determinants of anaemia among women of reproductive age in Aspirational Districts of India: an analysis of NFHS 4 and NFHS 5 data.

Background: Over one-third of women worldwide suffer from anaemia. The prevalence of anaemia is particularly pronounced among women of reproductive age (WRA) in developing countries, such as India. No prior study has ever exclusively studied the prevalence of anaemia across the Aspirational Districts of India.

Tuberculosis Diagnostic Delays and Treatment Outcomes among Patients with COVID-19, California, USA, 2020.

We assessed tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic delays among patients with TB and COVID-19 in California, USA. Among 58 persons, 43% experienced TB diagnostic delays, and a high proportion (83%) required hospitalization for TB. Even when viral respiratory pathogens circulate widely, timely TB diagnostic workup for at-risk persons remains critical for reducing TB-related illness.

Decomposing the rural-urban gap in hygienic material use during menstruation among adolescent women in India.

The use of hygienic materials (sanitary napkins, locally prepared napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups) during menstruation among adolescent women in India has improved over the years, yet a significant rural-urban gap in the usage persists at the national level. This study investigates how this rural-urabn gap varies across different states and union territories (UTs) of India and uses Fairlie decomposition to quantify the contribution of various factors to this gap. The study uses data on 114,805 adolescent women (aged 15-19 years) from the fifith round of National Family Health Survey (2019-21).

Assessing the link between hygienic material use during menstruation and self-reported reproductive tract infections among women in India: a propensity score matching approach.

Background: Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) present a substantial health concern for women, especially in developing nations such as India, where inadequate access to proper sanitation and hygiene facilities frequently results in suboptimal menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), exacerbating the risk of RTIs. In this study, we analysed the self-reported prevalence of RTIs among young women in India and evaluated the impact of hygienic menstrual material usage on these RTIs.

Methods: The study used information on 27,983 women aged 15-24 years, from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) (2019-21).

Spatiotemporal variations and determinants of overweight/obesity among women of reproductive age in urban India during 2005-2021.

Background: India has witnessed rapid urbanization in recent decades, leading to a worrisome surge in non-communicable diseases, particularly overweight/obesity, which now present a critical public health concern. Therefore, this study seeks to examine spatiotemporal variations and determinants of overweight/obesity among women of reproductive age (WRA) in urban India and its states during 2005-2021.

Methods: The study used 44,882, 171,443, and 135,272 WRA aged 15-49 from National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 (2005-06), NFHS-4 (2015-16), and NFHS-5 (2019-21), respectively.

Spatiotemporal change in socioeconomic inequality in hygienic menstrual product use among adolescent girls in India during 2015-2019.

Background: The use of hygienic products, such as sanitary napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups, to absorb menstrual blood is vital for the health and well-being of adolescent girls in India. However, the degree of inequity in the use of such products among this subpopulation remains inadequately explored. To fill this critical knowledge gap, this study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of hygienic product use among adolescent girls in India from 2015 to 2020.

Trait anxiety modulates the detection sensitivity of negative affect in speech: an online pilot study.

Acoustic perception of emotions in speech is relevant for humans to navigate the social environment optimally. While sensory perception is known to be influenced by ambient noise, and bodily internal states (e.g.

Is the burden of anaemia among Indian adolescent women increasing? Evidence from Indian Demographic and Health Surveys (2015-21).

Anaemia is a significant public health issue, particularly affecting women in India. However, little is known about the burden of anaemia among adolescent women in India over time. This study aimed to analyse the change in the prevalence of anaemia among adolescent women in India from 2015 to 2021 and identify the factors associated with anaemia in this population.

Efficacy of Yoga for COVID-19 Stress Prophylaxis.

Background: The global COVID-19 lockdown restricted daily routines due to the psychological fear of infection, which imposed an unknown universal threat on female college students, affecting physiological health and well-being. However, scant information concerning the efficacy of yogic practice on female college students during the stressful COVID-19 pandemic situation is available.

Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (n = 74, age = 21.

Time series analysis of groundwater quality at selected sites of Purba and Paschim Burdwan, West Bengal, India.

The Water Quality Index (WQI) is used to monitor the health and usability of a water body. In this study, we aimed to construct time series prediction models using groundwater WQI (GW-WQI) at four sites: IISCO-Asansol, Durgapur Town, Burdwan University, and Burdwan Station. While statistical spatio-temporal analysis has been reported earlier, no time series analysis of the data or predictive modelling has been done.

The scope of using pragmatic language tests for early detection of dementia: A systematic review of investigations using figurative language.

Introduction: Dementia cases are expected to rise to 81.1 million in 2040. Efforts are underway to develop diagnostic methods to facilitate early detection of the disease.

Intra-urban differentials in the exclusive use of hygienic methods during menstruation among young women in India.

Menstrual hygiene among women is a critical public health issue in urban India, but it remains understudied and under-researched. However, to our knowledge, no national level study in India has yet examined the differentials in the exclusive use of hygienic methods among young women (aged 15-24) in urban India. This study attempts to fill this gap by analysing biodemographic, socioeconomic, and geographic differentials in the exclusive use of hygienic methods among these women.

Spatial heterogeneity in the exclusive use of hygienic materials during menstruation among women in urban India.

Background: Menstrual hygiene is essential for women to live with dignity. However, a large proportion of Indian women still suffer from unhygienic menstrual practices leading to reproductive tract infections. To understand the socioeconomic and bio-demographic determinants of menstrual hygiene practices, various national or local level studies have been conducted in India and around the world, however, no previous study has tried to understand the spatial heterogeneity across Indian districts in the use of hygienic materials among young urban women.

Trait Anxiety Influences Negative Affect-modulated Distribution of Visuospatial Attention.

Visuospatial attention allows humans to selectively gate and prioritize visual (including salient, emotional) information for efficiently navigating natural visual environments. As emotions have been known to influence attentional performance, we asked if emotions also modulate the spatial distribution of visual attention and whether any such effect was further associated with individual differences in anxiety. Participants (n = 28) discriminated the orientation of target Gabor patches co-presented with distractors, speedily and accurately.

Wealth-based inequality in the exclusive use of hygienic materials during menstruation among young women in urban India.

Background: The exclusive use of hygienic materials during menstruation (sanitary napkins, locally made napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups) among urban women in India has been increasing over time. However, little is known about the wealth-based disparity in the exclusive use of hygienic materials during menstruation among these women. This study, therefore, measures wealth-based inequality in the exclusive use of hygienic materials during menstruation among urban women in India.