FAHS 2024

Factors associated with practice on self-administration of eye drop instillation among glaucoma patients attending Eye clinic, Teaching Hospital Jaffna

2024-07-22T08:36:31Z

Factors associated with practice on self-administration of eye drop instillation among glaucoma patients attending Eye clinic, Teaching Hospital Jaffna Meera, S.; Ameliya Rachel, J.A.; Jegapragash, V.; Malaravan, M. Background: Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Which requires almost life-long topical medication therapy. Unlike oral medications, while using eye drops the pharmacological action can be greatly diminished by undermedicated and overmedicated. Inadequate dispensing can also lead to bacterial infection. Adequate practice about self- administration of eye drops instillation is crucial for successful glaucoma management. Objective: To assess the practice of self-administration of eye drop instillation and the associated factors among glaucoma patients attending Eye Clinic, Teaching Hospital Jaffna. Methodology: A hospital-based observational descriptive study was carried out from September 2023 to October 2023. A systematic random sampling method was used to select 184 participants. An observational checklist was used to assess the practice of eye drop instillation. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 27. The chi-square test was used find to the associated factors. Ethical approval was obtained from ERC, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. Results: Glaucoma patients who attended the Eye clinic, Teaching Hospital Jaffna, were approached and the respondent rate was 87.5%. The age of the participants varied from 26 years to 83 years old with a mean age of 58.93 (SD=15.398). More than half (54%, n=87) of the participants were female and the majority of them were married (76.4%, n= 123). Only a small portion of participants have educational qualifications above ordinary level (33.6% n=38). Practice on self-administration was categorized as poor practice and good practice. Two-thirds of the participants were having poor practice in self-instillation (67.7% n=109). The factors associated with the practice were the frequency of eye drops per day (p=0.038) and Knowledge (p=0.006). Conclusion: The practice of self-administration of eye drop instillation was poor among glaucoma patients who attended Eye Clinic Teaching Hospital Jaffna. The health care providers should be more attentive towards patients’ practice regarding eye drop administration. Interventions such as asking patients how they take their eye drops and observing individuals’ administration techniques are recommended.

Dietary supplement usage and their association with sociodemographic factors among gym male participants in selected areas of the Jaffna district

2024-07-22T08:34:04Z

Dietary supplement usage and their association with sociodemographic factors among gym male participants in selected areas of the Jaffna district Ananthakrishnan, G.; Rajeevan, S.; Thabotharan, D.; Ahilan, B. Introduction: The prevalence of dietary supplement usage for fitness objectives is rising, particularly among gym participants, and is influenced by diverse sociodemographic factors. Recognizing these connections is important for planning interventions to enhance health outcomes and facilitate informed decision-making within this demographic. Objective: To assess dietary supplement usage and the association with socio- demographic factors on supplement utilization among male gym participants in the Jaffna district. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among gym attendees in Jaffna, including Nallur, Kopay, Chavakachcheri, and Point Pedro. Male participants aged 18 to 60 years were randomly selected. Data was collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20 software, and ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. Results: The study comprised 422 participants with a 100% response rate. A majority (50.7%) were classified as overweight, and 62.8% were aged over 35 years. Most participants did not utilize supplements; among those who used supplements with the primary focus on bodybuilding. Dietary supplement usage exhibited significant associations with age (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), and education level (p<0.001). Conclusion: Gym attendees use various supplements, predominantly for general fitness purposes. Sociodemographic factors such as age, BMI, and education level significantly influence supplement usage patterns among participants.

Knowledge on febrile convulsion among the parents of under-five children attending for vaccination in Jaffna MOH clinics

2024-07-22T08:31:12Z

Knowledge on febrile convulsion among the parents of under-five children attending for vaccination in Jaffna MOH clinics Marin Difna, M.; Dileetha, E.; Kamalarupan, L.; Sanchayan, K. Introduction: Febrile convulsion, a common neurological disorder in under-five children, can be distressing for parents. Inadequate awareness of parents may hinder effective management. Objective: To assess the knowledge on febrile convulsion among the parents of under- five children attending for the vaccination in Jaffna MOH clinics. Methodology: An institutional-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 422 parents of under-five children attending for the vaccination in Jaffna MOH clinics. A pretested and validated interviewer-administered Tamil questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 27 and presented through mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. Results: The mean age of the participants was 31 years (SD- 5.237). The male-to-female ratio was 1:3. The mean knowledge score of them was 20.41 (SD- 3.948) out of a total knowledge score of 36. Notably, 36.5% reported that they had personal experience with febrile convulsions, mostly coinciding with their child's experience. The most common age of occurrence of febrile convulsion is from 6 months to five years was identified by half of them. The common risk factors identified by them were: high fever (71.1%), viral infection (48.1%) and family history of febrile convulsion (43.8%). Major symptoms identified by many were: teeth clenching (77%), saliva drooling (77%), muscle twitching (59%) or stiffening (61.6%), and loss of consciousness (50.2%). Nearly half believed every child with febrile convulsions would experience a future episode. Misconceptions regarding management techniques, such as position the patient to the left lateral side (alongside other actions like immobilization, shaking, using metal rods, and mouth-to- mouth resuscitation), underscore the importance of specific and focused education on these topics. Conclusions: Study findings emphasize the crucial requirement for focused education to improve parental comprehension of febrile convulsions and its management.

Knowledge and practice on muscle cramps and their influencing factors among the school cricketers in Jaffna Educational Zone

2024-07-22T08:29:03Z

Knowledge and practice on muscle cramps and their influencing factors among the school cricketers in Jaffna Educational Zone Abeysinghe, A.H.M.C.I.; Abayasinghe, B.T.S.; Thabotharan, D.; Sabaananth, S. Introduction: Cricketers often face muscle cramps, leading to considerable pain during games. School cricketers, with limited knowledge and practice, are particularly at risk; therefore, evaluating their knowledge and practice on muscle cramps is essential to prevent muscle cramps during competitions. Objective: To assess the knowledge and practice on muscle cramps and their influencing factors among the school cricketers in Jaffna Educational Zone. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among 382 school cricketers who played for the school teams of Jaffna Educational Zone. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, and the participation was selected after getting informed consent. A pre-designed and validated self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the participants' knowledge and practices related to muscle cramps over one month. The data was analysed by using SPSS 27 and a Chi-Squared test was performed to identify the influencing factors. Results: The mean age of the participants was 16 (SD=2.244). All the respondents were male and played under 19 cricket teams. Among the participants, 87% had good knowledge of muscle cramps while. 61.3% had good practice. Furthermore, 45% of participants experienced muscle cramps in their cricketing career. A statistical significance association (p=0.027) was found between muscle cramps and warm-down or cooling exercises. However, stretching exercises, conditioning exercises and recovery sessions were not statistically significant with muscle cramps occurring in cricketers. Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of muscle cramps among school cricketers in the Jaffna educational zone are 87% and 61.3%, respectively. It is recommended to do an awareness program among school crickets to further improve their knowledge and practices on muscle cramps to prevent them from muscle injuries.