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Background: Mothers and children’s comprise greater portion of the population. Hence they are the major beneficiaries of health services, and also considered as vulnerable group or special risk group. The Government of India had launched Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) on April 12, 2005 as a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), to ensure safe motherhood and to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge regarding JSY among postnatal mothers registered and delivered in the Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC) of BMCRI and assess the utilization of JSY among postnatal mothers. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 120 postnatal mothers at UHTC of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), Bangalore during period of 2 months from 1 st May to 30 th June 2015. All the postnatal mothers who had registered and delivered in an UHTC BMCRI, Bangalore. Pretested, predesigned and a semi structured questionnaire was used for interviewing the study group of postnatal mothers. Results: Out of 120 postnatal mothers, 78.3% were aware of JSY scheme among which the majority (63.3%) came to know through the local ANM. 76.7% had attended ≥4 ANC visits, 82.9% had received cash assistance under JSY and only 58.3% women consumed hundred IFA tablets. Conclusions: The awareness and utilization of JSY in the study area was found to be satisfactory.

Background: Obesity has also been seen as the product of gluttony. It is difficult to know what control eating in different human beings, as it involves many learned responses and basic physiological drives for eating and satiety, as well as psychosocial factors . Methods: The sample size of the study was 1718. After taking consent from the school authorities, a pre-tested semi structured questionnaire was self-administered to the students in the classroom and asked them to enter the relevant data, weight and height of the students were recorded following standard protocol and BMI was found. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is high among study subjects who eat food from fast food centre (21.8%) compared to those who do not eat from fast food centre (10.7%) which is statistically significant . Conclusions: It has been found in this study that sweets, egg, meat, and snacks are highly significant in increasing the prevalence of overweight/obesity.

Emergency contraception (EC) refers to methods that women can use to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse, method failure or incorrect use. Unwanted pregnancy followed by unsafe abortion can be avoided by using different contraceptive methods including emergency contraceptives. Inadequate awareness of EC leads to its misuse among the youth, as it may lead to avoidance of condoms which places them at risk for STIs/HIV. The objective of this study is to assess knowledge about emergency contraceptives among M.B.B.S. students. This is a cross-sectional study. Data was collected from Second year medical students of Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bangalore using Pre-tested semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. The total number of participants was 86 out of this females were 48.8% (42). 97.6% (84) participants heard about EC, 50% (43) said their source of information about EC is health professionals and 58.2% (50) knew EC to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. There is a lack of complete awareness about EC among studied population. As they are the health care providers in future, their knowledge regarding EC will be useful in educating public especially youth.

A school survey was conducted to study the epidemiology of intestinal parasitic infestations. Among school children in Bagepalli Taluk, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, a total of 438 stool samples were collected from school children selected from 5 rural and 3 urban schools. The stool samples collected were examined for presence of parasitic infections by direct microscopic examination. Prevalence of intestinal parasites was 19.8%. There was a significant difference in prevalence between urban (16.3%) and rural (23.0%) school samples. Giardia lamblia (12.6%), Ascaris lumbricoides (4.3%) and Entamoeba histolytica (1.8%) were the commonest parasites isolated. The results indicate that intestinal parasitic infestations among school children are mainly water-borne. The burden of parasitic infestations among the school children, and poor sanitary conditions in the schools, should be taken seriously by public health and school authorities. Our survey results show the need for school periodic deworming, health education and improvement of school sanitation under school health program.

Background : Lymphatic Filariasis is a mosquito transmitted disease, caused by parasitic worm Wuchereria bancrofti. Global Programme for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis was established in early 2000. The strategy recommended by the World Health Organization is annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of single-dose of Diethylcarbamazine 6 mg/kg (DEC), distributed to inhabitants of Filariasis endemic areas, excluding children below 2 years of age, pregnant women, and seriously ill persons, and Morbidity Management. The health system distributes the drugs by a door-to-door strategy. Objective : To assess the coverage and compliance of MDA in Bidar district during the campaign in November 2008. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional population-based house-to-house visit. Outcome is assessed as actual coverage and compliance, in Percentage and proportions. Results: Eight clusters, total eligible population of 1 131 individuals were interviewed. The coverage rate was 78% with variation across different areas. The compliance with drug ingestion was 68%. Conclusion : The effective coverage was below the target (85%). Side effects of DEC were minimum, the overall coverage was better in rural areas compared with urban areas.

Background: Worldwide tobacco usage is described as the single most important preventable cause of mortality and morbidity. Its rapid spread and widespread acceptance characters the addition. Only the mode of delivery has changed. In spite of the knowledge and proven association of major diseases with tobacco, its continued use is an important public health issue. The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of tobacco abuse among adolescent age group in urban field practice area under Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at H. Siddaiah road, urban field practice area under Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute (BMC & RI), Bangalore during the period of August 2016- October 2016 among adolescents (both boys and girls) residing in that area. Sample Size was calculated to be 115. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire by interview method. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.Results: Out of 115 study individuals, 71 (61.73%) have used some form of tobacco. 64 (55.65%) individuals have used a smoking form of tobacco, of which 42 (65.62%) were boys and 22 (34.37%) were girls. 28 (24.34%) individuals have used a smokeless form of tobacco, of which 19 (67.85%) were boys and 9 (32.14%) were girls.Conclusions: Tobacco has posed a major threat to the upcoming generation. Health education should be given to the adolescents regarding health hazards due to tobacco use.

Background: Mental health is an important factor in medical student’s career. But unfortunately many are suffering from some form of mental problems. Like other young adults, under graduate medical students are similarly vulnerable to turmoil due to academic and social stress which often hampers their education achievement. The objectives of the study were to assess the prevalence of psychological morbidity (depression, anxiety, stress) among under graduate medical students and to find the association of these psychological morbidity with personal dataMethods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bangalore among Under-graduates medical students during November 2016- January 2017. Sample Size was calculated to be 151. Data was collected using a self-administered, pre-designed, pre-tested anonymous questionnaire, DASS 42. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and chi-square test.Results: Out of 151 students, 80 (52.98%) were males and 71 (47.01%) were females. Out of 151, 64(42.38%) had some form of depression, 83 (54.96%) had some form of anxiety and 69 (45.69%) had some form of stress.Conclusions: It is important to detect medical students who suffer from psychological morbidity at an early stage, so that treatment in the form of counselling could be initiated.

Background A slowing in the decline in neonatal mortality in India has hindered progress made in reducing overall child mortality. The persisting use of unsafe home deliveries and harmful neonatal care practices may contribute to this stagnation in neonatal mortality rates. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study of mothers residing in rural Bangalore, India, who had given birth within 42 days of the day of home visit was done during 2013-2014. Trained health workers interviewed women who delivered at home about perinatal care practices. The questionnaire used was adapted from previous studies assessing perinatal care practices according to World Health Organization guidelines. Descriptive analyses of perinatal practices were reported as frequencies. The association of various factors with the outcomes clean cord care, thermal care and early initiation of breastfeeding were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results Of a total of 2230 deliveries, 945 (42.4%) took place in hospitals, while the remainder were at home (57.6%). Among home deliveries, only 30.6% were attended by a skilled worker; a safe-delivery kit was used in 40.6% and 47.1% of attendants had washed their hands before delivery. In most cases (94.6%), the umbilical cord was cut after delivery of the placenta and a non-sterile instrument was used in 26.6% of births. Harmful practices of applications on the cord stump (35.0%), bathing within 6 h (61.6%), pre-lacteal feeding (30.8%) and delayed initiation of breastfeeding (73.3%) were reported. Wrapping was usually delayed, and most (64.7%) neonates were wrapped between 10 min and 60 min after birth. Being Hindu was positively associated with good perinatal care practices, and attending antenatal care at least once was associated with clean cord care and early breastfeeding. Having a trained birth attendant at delivery was associated only with clean cord care. Having a medical doctor/nurse in attendance was associated with only early initiation of breastfeeding. Being a member of a scheduled caste/tribe was positively associated with clean cord care and thermal care. Conclusion Appropriate and culturally acceptable behaviour-change communication strategies are needed to improve delivery and neonatal care practices in Bangalore.