Aflatoxin exposure is associated with an increased risk of gallbladder cancer.

Gall bladder cancer (GBC) is common among the socioeconomically deprived populations of certain geographical regions. Aflatoxin is a genotoxic hepatocarcinogen, which is recognized to have a role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the role of aflatoxin in the pathogenesis of GBC is largely unknown.

Head and neck cancer burden in India: an analysis from published data of 37 population-based cancer registries.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a major public health problem in India. This article presents the HNC burden in different regions of India. The published population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) data from the National Cancer Registry Programme, Bengaluru, and the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India, were utilised.

Pediatric Cancer Burden in Different Regions of India: Analysis of Published Data From 33 Population-Based Cancer Registries.

Objective: To provide the regional pediatric cancer (age-group 0-14 years) burden and pattern in India utilizing published data of population-based cancer registries established under the National Cancer Registry Programme and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.

Methods: Based on the geographic locations, the population-based cancer registries were categorized into six regions. The age-specific incidence rate was calculated using the number of pediatric cancer cases and population in the respective age-group.

Effectiveness of health promoting schools: A comparative health profile assessment of higher as compared to low accredited schools in Chandigarh, Union Territory of North India.

Objectives: To assess and classify all private and government schools located in a northern city of India for accreditation as health promoting schools and comparative health profile assessment of selected higher accredited schools with lower accredited and non-accredited schools.

Design: Quasi experimental study with pre and post assessment with comparison of higher with lower accredited schools.

Settings: The current study was conducted in 206 schools of Chandigarh City of Northern India.

Progress and challenges in achieving noncommunicable diseases targets for the sustainable development goals.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015 recognizes noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as a major public health challenge. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 includes target 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one-third by 2030.

Need of Palliative Care Services in Rural Area of Northern India.

Background: Palliative care is comprehensive care that provides symptomatic relief and enhances the quality of life for people experiencing serious health-related suffering. There is an increasing need for palliative care services in India. Estimates for population requiring these services are essential in order to meet the increasing need for palliative care services.

Dietary Patterns and Breast Cancer Risk: A Multi-Centre Case Control Study among North Indian Women.

Evidence from India, a country with unique and distinct food intake patterns often characterized by lifelong adherence, may offer important insight into the role of diet in breast cancer etiology. We evaluated the association between Indian dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in a multi-centre case-control study conducted in the North Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Eligible cases were women 30⁻69 years of age, with newly diagnosed, biopsy-confirmed breast cancer recruited from hospitals or population-based cancer registries.

Cost effectiveness of mHealth intervention by community health workers for reducing maternal and newborn mortality in rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

Background: A variety of mobile-based health technologies (mHealth) have been developed for use by community health workers to augment their performance. One such mHealth intervention-ReMiND program, was implemented in a poor performing district of India. Despite some research on the extent of its effectiveness, there is significant dearth of evidence on cost-effectiveness of such mHealth interventions.

Effectiveness of targeting the health promotion settings for non-communicable disease control in low/middle-income countries: systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Settings-based approaches to health promotion, involving holistic and multidisciplinary methods, which integrate action across risk factors are important. Major advantage of focusing on these settings is the continuous and intensive contact with the participant. Despite the apparent advantages of addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) using targeted interventions for several developed country settings, a relative lack of evidence of effectiveness of such interventions in low/middle-income countries has led to poor allocation of resources towards these interventions.

Inequity in access to inpatient healthcare services for non-communicable diseases in India and the role of out-of-pocket payments.

Background.: Growing evidence suggests that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) result in considerable economic burden for individuals and households. With the poor facing a greater burden of NCDs than the rich in India, we undertook this study to analyse the horizontal equity in utilization and vertical equity in out-of-pocket expenditure for NCD care.

Alarmingly high prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension in North India-results from a large cross-sectional STEPS survey.

Objectives: The study was primarily aimed at estimating the prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension and the risk factors of hypertension in the North Indian state of Punjab. It also aimed at assessing the magnitude of undiagnosed cases of hypertension in the community and ascertaining the blood pressure control status of those on treatment.

Methods: A non-communicable disease risk factor survey (based on WHO-STEPS approach) was done in the state of Punjab, India in a multistage stratified sample of 5127 individuals.

Impact of m-health application used by community health volunteers on improving utilisation of maternal, new-born and child health care services in a rural area of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Objective: To raise the quality of counselling by community health volunteers resulting in improved uptake of maternal, neonatal and child health services (MNCH), an m-health application was introduced under a project named 'Reducing Maternal and Newborn Deaths (ReMiND)' in district Kaushambi in India. We report the impact of this project on coverage of key MNCH services.

Methods: A pre- and post-quasi-experimental design was undertaken to assess the impact of intervention.

Is Focus on Prevention Missing in National Health Programs? A Situation Analysis of IEC/BCC/Health Promotion Activities in a District Setting of Punjab and Haryana.

Context: Health promotion (HP) has been an integral part of all national programs although it has been a low priority in India, which has resulted in a failure to achieve the desired results.

Settings And Design: Situation analysis of information education communication (IEC)/behavior change communication (BCC)/HP activities within the existing national health programs was undertaken in the district of Hoshiarpur in Punjab and the district of Ambala in Haryana during 2013-14.

Materials And Methods: Facility-based assessments were done by conducting in-depth interviews with stakeholders, program officers, medical officers, health workers, and counselors.

Impact assessment and cost-effectiveness of m-health application used by community health workers for maternal, newborn and child health care services in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: a study protocol.

Background: An m-health application has been developed and implemented with community health workers to improve their counseling in a rural area of India. The ultimate aim was to generate demand and improve utilization of key maternal, neonatal, and child health services. The present study aims to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of this project.

Developing and implementing an accreditation system for health promoting schools in Northern India: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The "Health Promoting School" (HPS) is a holistic and comprehensive approach to integrating health promotion within the community. At the time of conducting this study, there was no organized accreditation system for HPS in India. We therefore developed an accreditation system for HPSs using support from key stakeholders and implemented this system in HPS in Chandigarh territory, India.

Socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of smoking and smokeless tobacco use in India.

Background: Tobacco consumption has been identified as the single biggest cause of inequality in morbidity and mortality. Understanding pattern of socioeconomic equalities in tobacco consumption in India will help in designing targeted public health control measures.

Materials And Methods: Nationally representative data from the India Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in 2009-2010 was analyzed.

Epidemiological trends of RF/RHD in school children of Shimla in north India.

Background & Objectives: There are no active surveillance studies reported from South East Asian Region to document the impact of change in socio-economic state on the prevalence of rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease (RF/RHD) in children. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine the epidemiological trends of RF/RHD in school children of Shimla city and adjoining suburbs in north India and its association with change in socio-economic status.

Methods: Active surveillance studies were conducted in 2007-2008 in urban and rural areas of Shimla, and 15145 school children, aged 5-15 yr were included and identical screening methodology as used in earlier similar survey conducted in 1992-1993 was used.

Integrated healthy workplace model: An experience from North Indian industry.

Background: Keeping in view of rapid industrialization and growing Indian economy, there has been a substantial increase in the workforce in India. Currently there is no organized workplace model for promoting health of industrial workers in India.

Objective: To develop and implement a healthy workplace model in three industrial settings of North India.

Performance of audio-assisted confidential voting interview for assessment of sexual behavior among young adults in Chandigarh Union Territory.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chandigarh Union Territory to evaluate the performance of an audio-assisted confidential voting interview (AVI), for assessing the sexual behavior among young adults aged 20 - 34 years. Using systematic random sampling 625 males and 630 females were interviewed alternately, either by AVI or by face-to-face interview (FFI). More men revealed having sex with men in AVI (2.

Persisting malnutrition in Chandigarh: decadal underweight trends and impact of ICDS program.

Decline in malnutrition levels has been dismal since the 1990s. We ascertained decadal trend in childhood nutritional status between 1997 and 2007 in Chandigarh, India and assessed impact of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) on childhood undernutrition. A total of 803 under-five children, 547 children between 12-23 months age, and 218 women with an infant child were recruited for the study.

Adverse reproductive and child health outcomes among people living near highly toxic waste water drains in Punjab, India.

Background: Environmental influence plays a major role in determining health status of individuals. Punjab has been reported as having a high degree of water pollution due to heavy metals from untreated industrial effluent discharge and high pesticide consumption in agriculture. The present study ascertained the association of heavy metal and pesticide exposure on reproductive and child health outcomes in Punjab, India.

Pilot testing of WHO child growth standards in Chandigarh: implications for India's child health programmes.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of underweight as calculated from Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) growth curves (based on the Harvard scale) and the new WHO Child Growth Standards.

Methods: We randomly selected 806 children under 6 years of age from 45 primary anganwadi (childcare) centres in Chandigarh, Punjab, India, that were chosen through multistage stratified random sampling. Children were weighed, and their weight for age was calculated using IAP curves and WHO growth references.