Factors Associated with High Prevalence of Multibacillary Leprosy in West Bengal: A Case-Control Study.

Background: High proportion of multibacillary (MB) among newly diagnosed leprosy cases poses a public health challenge.

Objectives: This study aimed to find out the factors associated with the high burden of MB leprosy in West Bengal.

Materials And Methods: This case-control study was conducted from August 2020 to December 2022 in three high-endemic districts (annual new case detection rate ≥10/lakh) of West Bengal.

Critical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning in Undergraduate Medical Course: A Mixed-Methods Study in a Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Critical thinking is considered as the essential set of skills for medical practice, particularly during emergencies. However, there is lack of conceptual clarity around it and it was not explicitly included in the undergraduate medical curriculum in India. The present study has been planned to assess the critical thinking disposition and clinical reasoning skills among medical undergraduate students in a medical college in West Bengal, India.

Are household food security, nutrient adequacy, and childhood nutrition clustered together? A cross-sectional study in Bankura, West Bengal.

Background: Research on different measures of food security and their interrelation in order to identify vulnerable households are scarce in India.

Objectives: The objective was to assess household food security (HHFS), nutrient adequacy, dietary diversity, and nutritional status of under-five children along with their interrelation in the slums of Bankura Municipality, West Bengal.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2016-2017 among 240 households using two-stage 30-cluster random sampling.

Use of Social Networking Site and Mental Disorders among Medical Students in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Background: Use of social networking sites (SNS) and prevalence of anxiety and depression among the young population is on the rise.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the pattern of use of SNS and the prevalence of anxiety and depression among medical students as well as to examine the relation, if any, between the use of SNS and anxiety and depression.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate students of a medical college in Kolkata, West Bengal during 2017.

Stigma towards mental illness: A hospital-based cross-sectional study among caregivers in West Bengal.

Background: Stigma among caregivers of people with mental illness has a serious impact on the disease outcome and lives of people with mental illness as well as other family members.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were (i) To determine the level of self-perceived stigma toward mental illness, (ii) To measure perception to it among caregivers of people with mental illness, and (iii) To identify the factors associated with self-perceived stigma of caregivers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a structured interview was conducted among 200 caregivers of people with mental illness in the psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India.

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among women of Bankura District, West Bengal.

Background: Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) is the process of planning for normal birth and anticipating the actions needed in case of an emergency which is critical in averting maternal morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: To find out awareness and practices regarding BPCR among pregnant and recently delivered women in Bankura, West Bengal.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based study was carried out among 120 pregnant women and 235 recently delivered women.

Nutrient adequacy and its correlation in a sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal, India.

Introduction: Nutrient adequacy is the level of intake of an essential nutrient in relation to the nutrient requirement for adequate health, which is expressed as the percentage of recommended dietary allowance. To develop an effective nationwide preventive program to combat malnutrition, it is necessary not only to assess the nature and magnitude of the problem of nutrient inadequacy but to identify factors affecting it especially at the household level.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of nutrient adequacy in a sample of households in a rural area of Darjeeling district and to find out the factors associated with nutrient adequacy.

Taking stocks of antimalarial activities: A study on knowledge and skill of health personnel at primary care setting in the state of West Bengal, India.

Background: Early diagnosis and effective treatment are the key areas in malaria control in India.

Objective: The present study was carried out to assess the knowledge and skill of health personnel at primary care level and the logistic support related to the program at subcenter (SC) level.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among medical and paramedical personnel working at primary health-care institutions in two districts of West Bengal.

Students' perception of quality of medical education in a medical college in west Bengal, India.

Background: Students' perceived quality of educational service is an important field of educational research.

Objectives: To identify the gaps in the quality of educational services as perceived by students in a medical college in West Bengal, India.

Materials And Methods: In a cross-sectional study, educational quality was measured using validated SERVQUAL instrument between two randomly selected groups of undergraduate medical students (n = 179).

Does Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram ensure cost-free institutional delivery? A cross-sectional study in rural Bankura of West Bengal, India.

Background: Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) was launched in India to ensure cost-free institutional delivery.

Objectives: 1) To assess the awareness of recently delivered women regarding JSSK 2) To estimate the cost of institutional delivery and its differentials.

Materials And Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural community in Bankura, West Bengal, India in 2013, among 210 women who delivered babies in the last 12 months.

Hypertension, Prehypertension and Normotension among Police Personnel in a District of West Bengal, India.

Objectives: We conducted the present study to assess the prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension, normotension and the associated factors along with awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among police personnel in Bankura, West Bengal, India.

Methods: We collected information on individual, lifestyle, service-related and anthropometric characteristics of 1817 police personnel. We also measured blood pressure (BP) and plasma glucose level of the participants.

Status of birth preparedness and complication readiness in Uttar Dinajpur District, West Bengal.

Context: Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) is crucial in averting maternal morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: To find out awareness and practices regarding BPCR among pregnant and recently delivered women in Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal.

Materials And Methods: This is a cross-sectional, community-based, mixed methods study.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and its correlates among police personnel in Bankura District of West Bengal.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among police personnel (N = 1817) in Bankura District, West Bengal, India to estimate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and its correlates during July-November, 2011. Participants were enquired about their age, gender, physical activity, and predominant occupational activity. Diagnosis of DM, IFG, and IGT was based on a history, fasting, and 2-h post-load blood glucose estimation as per World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.

Are institutional deliveries promoted by Janani Suraksha Yojana in a district of West Bengal, India?

'Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)' was implemented in India to promote institutional deliveries among the poorer section of the society. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bankura district among 324 women who delivered in last 12 months selected through 40 cluster technique to find out institutional delivery rate, utilization of JSY during antenatal period and relation between cash benefit under JSY during antenatal period and institutional delivery. Overall institutional delivery rate was 73.

Enduring starvation in silent population: a study on prevalence and factors contributing to household food security in the tribal population in Bankura, West Bengal.

Background: Strengthening food security enhancement intervention should be based on the assessment of household food security and its correlates.

Objectives: The objective was to find out the prevalence and factors contributing to household food security in a tribal population in Bankura.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 267 tribal households in Bankura-I CD Block selected through cluster random sampling.

A study on care seeking behavior of chest symptomatics in a slum of Bankura, West Bengal.

A cross-sectional, community based study was undertaken in Patpur slum of Bankura to determine the prevalence of chest symptomatics, their health care seeking Behavior and its correlates. Prevalence of chest symptomatics (cough for 3 weeks or more) was found to be 5.5%, three fourths of whom sought relief from a health care provider.