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Prevalence of common menstrual problems and their association with psychological stress among female medical students of University of Jaffna

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Prevalence of common menstrual problems and their association with psychological stress among female medical students of University of Jaffna Authors: Dilshan, A.G.P.; Nishahari, E.; Minoli, H.E.; Nibal, M.F.A.; Ahamed, F.R.R.; Shivaganesh, S.; Sritharan, A. Abstract: Background and objective: Variations in menstrual patterns due to several factors are frequently observed among young females. Common menstrual problems and stress are two very common complaints among female medical students. This study aims to describe the prevalence of common menstrual problems, levels of stress and the association between common menstrual problems and stress among female medical students of the University of Jaffna. Methods: This was an institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study. Data was collected from November to December 2022 from female medical students in the University of Jaffna using a self-administered questionnaire. Perceived stress level was assessed using PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale). Perceived stress above 27 was considered as “with perceived stress”. This study was analyzed by SPSS (26th version) using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Among 389 students, 97.4%, 67.9%, 23.1%, 13.9%, 11.1%, and 6.4% reported having dysmenorrhea, heavy menstrual periods, abnormal menstrual intervals, abnormal extra light period, abnormal bleeding and intermenstrual spotting, and three or more missed periods in a row, respectively. More than half of the students were affected by premenstrual symptoms. In total, 36.5% of participants were stressed on most occasions on a usual basis. There was a significant association (<0.05) between psychological stress and heavy menstrual bleeding (p=0.009) and abnormal menstruation intervals (p=0.041). However, there was no evidence of a statistically significant association between psychological stress and abnormal bleeding or spotting between menstruation, abnormal extra-light periods, three or more missed periods in a row during the last 4 months, any of the premenstrual symptoms or dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: The study found a statistically significant association between psychological stress and heavy menstrual bleeding, as well as abnormal menstrual intervals. However, dysmenorrhea, despite its high prevalence among menstrual abnormalities, did not show evidence of a statistically significant association with psychological stress. Even though common menstrual problems in the target population were not strongly associated with psychological stress, all medical faculties should make arrangements for the identification of students with psychological stress and menstrual problems and implement ways to overcome these issues.

Factors related to visual impairment and its association with day to day living activities among elders in the State Elders’ Home – Kaithady, Jaffna

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Factors related to visual impairment and its association with day to day living activities among elders in the State Elders’ Home – Kaithady, Jaffna Authors: Sivapriyan, S.; Nayanamali, C.P.T.K.; Rajapaksha, S.H.; Theshmaie, M.; Sulochana, T.M.; Rajeev, R.; Kumarendran, B. Abstract: Introduction and objective: Vision impairment is a common problem among the ageing population. There are a few studies on factors associated with vision impairment and its effect on day to day living activities of elders. The objective of this study was to describe the sociodemographic and medical factors related to visual impairment and the association between vision impairment and daily living activities among elders. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study using non-probability sampling was carried out among 139 elders in the State Elders’ Home Kaithady, from February 2022 to October 2023. An interviewer-administered questionnaire and a data extraction sheet were used for data collection. We assessed how activities of daily living (dependent variable) are affected by visual impairment (independent variable). We measured the activities of daily living by using the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire and the scoring system provided by the National Eye Institute. Vision impairment was categorized according to the classification of distance vision impairment for the better eye (by WHO). Chi square test and t test were used to analyze the data. P value ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: More than half of the population had either mild, moderate, or severe vision impairment. About a third of the elders had normal visual acuity with no vision impairment (36%), while 5% had blindness. Sociodemographic factors did not show any statistically significant association. When considering age and educational level, elders above 80 years (77.3%) and elders who had studied less than O/L (69.6%) had highest vision impairment. Only about half of the elders had medical records. No medical factors showed a statistically significant association with visual impairment. Elders with hypertension (65.5%) and diabetes mellitus (68.2%) had higher vision impairment. Among the elders without medical records, majority had vision impairment (62.3%). There were no pronounced differences in mean scores for the 11 scales of the NEI-VFQ (SL). Eight scales showed statistical significance and association. Conclusion and recommendations: More than half of the population had vision impairment. People with advanced age, low educational level and co morbidities such as diabetes mellitus showed a higher visual impairment. Vision impairment was inversely associated with activities of daily living.

Assessing the prevalence of selected cardiovascular risk factors of stroke among known hypertensive patients admitted to the medical wards at Teaching hospital Jaffna

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Assessing the prevalence of selected cardiovascular risk factors of stroke among known hypertensive patients admitted to the medical wards at Teaching hospital Jaffna Authors: Sujeevan, N.; Afra, M.A.; Rupasinghe, S.R.D.H.; Rathnayake, R.M.N.M.; Kumara, K.N.D.H.; Surenthirakumaran, R.; Vinojan, S. Abstract: Introduction and objective: Stroke, a leading cause of global disability and the third most common cause of death, is largely influenced by cardiovascular risk factors with hypertension as the main contributor. Sri Lanka has a hypertension prevalence rate of 10.4 per 1000 population with a 2:1 male-to-female ratio. This study describes the prevalence of known selected cardiovascular risk factors of stroke and assesses the association of socio-demographic, lifestyle and healthcare-related factors with the presence of selected cardiovascular risk factors of stroke among known hypertensive patients admitted to the medical wards at Teaching hospital Jaffna Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from Feb 2022 to Jul 2023 among 455 hypertensive patients admitted to the medical wards of Teaching Hospital Jaffna. Data were collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires and data extraction sheets and analysed with SPSS. The analysis includes descriptive statistics such as percentages, frequency distributions, median, range. The chi-square test was used to test for associations. Results: Of the 455 participants, 80.7% had more than one selected risk factor and 65.1% had 2-3 selected risk factors with a median and range of 2 and 7, respectively. The distribution of the selected risk factors were as follows: 58.9% diabetes mellitus, 36.5% dyslipidaemia, 9.9% with alcohol intake and 5.5 % with vascular disease & smoking habits. Being a male (p=0.001) has a significant association with having more than one selected risk factor. There was a significant association with family history, unhealthy food practices and healthcare-related factors such as drug compliance and regular clinic follow up of diabetes mellitus. Family history of dyslipidaemia and regular clinic follow up were significantly associated with dyslipidaemia at the p value of 0.05. Conclusion and recommendations: Majority of patients had more than one risk factor of stroke. Among the 7 selected risk factors, there is a two-fold increase in the distribution of diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia over 8 years. Multi-comorbidities (more than one selected risk factor) are common, certain lifestyle factors are contributing and health-related factors like compliance must be considered in management.

Depression and loneliness among elders at the State Elders’ Home – Kaithady, Jaffna

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Depression and loneliness among elders at the State Elders’ Home – Kaithady, Jaffna Authors: Jacob, M.; Mohanathas, D.; Niranjan, N.; Asfaq Ahamed, M.L.; Ilangakoone, P.; Sivathas, S.; Coonghe, P.A.D. Abstract: Background and objective: Physical diseases, psychological illness, and adjustment problems are frequently encountered in aging. In Sri Lanka, 12.3% of the population is aged 60 years or above—the highest in South Asia. The proportion of institutionalised elders is rising with attendant mental health problems such as depression and loneliness. Institutionalized elders lack community resources, heightening their vulnerability to depression and loneliness. This study aimed to assess depression, loneliness, and their associated socio-demographic and health-related factors among elderly people in the State Elders’ Home – Kaithady, Jaffna. Methods: An institution-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 127 elders at the State Elders’ Home – Kaithady, Jaffna. Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee at Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. Data collection utilized interviewer-administered questionnaires and data extraction sheets, including the Geriatric Depression Scale and a locally prepared loneliness scale validated for content by a psychiatrist, using the Kobocollect Toolbox. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, including Chi-square test, Independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and correlation coefficient test. Results: In the sample, males comprised 56.7%, with a mean age of 72.46 years (SD 9.63). Among the elders, 56.7% were depressed; females had higher mean Geriatric Depression Scale scores. Over a third (40.2%) experienced moderate loneliness, similar across genders. Visual problems, hypertension, and diabetes were common. Depression was significantly associated with occupation (p=0.002) and loneliness (p<0.001). Marital status, presence of children and duration of stay were neither associated with depression nor loneliness. Conclusion and Recommendation: Depression and loneliness among institutionalized elders are often underdiagnosed and untreated. The results of this study indicate the need to enhance the mental health and quality of life of institutionalised elders. Recommendations include a detailed evaluation of depression and treatment of those affected, and ensuring that residents of elders’ homes receive improved social services.