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Background: Depression among medical students is still a neglected public health problem in India. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to find out the prevalence of depression and its correlates among undergraduate medical students of a medical college of eastern India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 336 undergraduate students of a Medical College during October 2022–January 2023. A predesigned, pretested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire incorporating Beck’s depression inventory scale was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using the trial version of SPSS software version 20.0. Mean, standard deviation, proportion, or percentages were calculated. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical significance as necessary. For all statistical purposes, P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the total of 336 students, 205 were male and 131 were female. The mean (SD) age of the study participants was 21.04±1.75 years. More than one-third (39.3%) of the study participants were suffering from depression. Bivariate analysis showed that there was a significant association between depression with certain variables such as gender, quality of relationship with friends, major catastrophic events in the past 3 months, broken relationship, and not opting for MBBS by their own choice. Conclusion: Regular screening for depression, identification of contributory factors of depression and implementing appropriate measures, and follow-up of the affected students are vital. Analytical studies aimed at identifying the risk factors and the effects of depression on the undergraduate medical students are need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infant feeding practice in first 6 months of life is a major determinant of growth, nutritional status, and morbidity. Aims and Objectives: This study conducted to assess the infant feeding practice in first 6 months of life and to determine its effect on growth, nutritional status, and morbidity of study participants. Materials and Methods: A population-based longitudinal study was conducted among 49 infants in slums of Bankura Municipality within 1 week of their birth and they were followed up to the age of 6 months. Results: Proportions of male and female infants were almost equal. Proportions of exclusively breastfed infants at 0, 3, and 6 months were 87.8%, 79.6%, and 46.9%, respectively. Mean weight and length gain at 6 months were significantly higher in infants with increased duration of exclusive breastfeeding (P=0.008 and 0.042, respectively). Mean cumulative infant feeding score (at 6 months) was higher among normal babies (115.6±0.7.3) than the underweight babies (110.0±3.7). Mean cumulative morbidity score at 6 months was lower in infants who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months (7.2±2.5) than those who were exclusively breastfed for <6 months (7.8±2.6). Mean weight gain (at 6 months) was significantly increased with higher maternal education (P=0.030). Linear regression showed that weight gain and length gain had significantly positive linear relation with cumulative infant feeding score at 6 months, whereas cumulative morbidity score had negative but not significant correlation with weight gain and significantly negative linear relation with length gain. Conclusion: This study identified that various components of infant feeding practice in study participants were suboptimal. It was also observed from this study that feeding practice was important determinant for growth, nutritional status, and morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diarrheal diseases are an important cause of mortality and morbidity globally in children under 5 years of age. Objective: To find the prevalence and risk factors of diarrhea among children under 5 years. Materials and Methods: A population-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the urban slums of Bankura, West Bengal on the prevalence of diarrhea and feeding practices, nutrition, and immunization among 152 children under 5 years (69 males and 83 females). Results: Overall prevalence of diarrhea was 22.36%; 21.73% males and 22.89% females were affected with diarrhea. There were 57.69% diarrhea cases in children of 7-12 months age group, followed by 25.71% in those of 13-24 months age group; with increasing age, the prevalence of diarrhea gradually decreased. Diarrhea was noted to be 20.33% in exclusively breastfed children and 31.57% in children who were breastfed for less than 6 months. In bottle-fed children, the frequency of diarrhea was 26.08%.The prevalence of diarrhea was 21.83% in completely immunized children and 30% in partially immunized children. Risk of diarrhea was 19.80% in normal participants and 27.45% in undernourished children. Conclusion: The present study identified a high prevalence of diarrhea in children under the age of 5 years. Findings of the study also revealed the demographic features, feeding practices, immunization practices, and nutritional status as risk factors of diarrhea, which can be tackled by effective education of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary care physicians should be aware of the alarming population growth in the developing countries including India., Objectives: To find couple protection rate (CPR) and risk variables that affect contraceptive practice among eligible couples in an urban slum of Bankura district., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study of 3 months was undertaken on 200 eligible couples in Bakultala urban slum, Lokepur, Bankura district, West Bengal to get relation between various factors that could affect contraceptive practices., Results: Majority of the study population (59%) was young adults (20-29 years age); 65% belonged to nuclear families; one-third were married in less than 18 years of their age. CPR was 67.50%; 49% used permanent methods. Among contraceptive users, significantly higher numbers of couples were married during 18-24 years of age (75%), belonged to nuclear family (70%), literate up to class 10 (73%), having three or more living children (77.50%), and from socioeconomic status of class II (80%). Female literacy rate was higher than national average; 92.50%wives of eligible couple were literate; and tubectomy was commonest contraceptive methods., Conclusion: CPR was high, though different factors like age at marriage, type of family, number of living children, literacy status of female partner, and socioeconomic status significantly affected contraceptive behavior of the study population.