International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 10 (1), pp. 001-013, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

 Does illiteracy influence pregnancy complications among women in the slums of greater Mumbai

Vijay M. Sarode

Mulund College of Commerce, Mulund (West), Mumbai–400 080, India. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 18 October, 2018

Abstract

This paper examines utilization of health services available to the women in the slums on hilly area in Mumbai and also checks whether non utilization of antenatal care (ANC) and having reproductive health problems during pregnancy create complications during child delivery vis-à-vis standard of living index constructed from household amenities, housing quality, drinking water, electricity and toilet facilities. This study uses primary data collected using cluster sampling of a sample size of 346 reproductive women who have given at least one live birth prior to the survey on the education of the study women, antenatal care indicators, antenatal check-ups and reproductive health problems during pregnancy and complications during child delivery among the slum dwellers of Ramabai Nagar was studied. The findings using logistic regression reveal unimaginably low level of utilization of health services by illiterate women in the study area. Besides these, there is evidence that these respondents did not go for ANC and faced reproductive health problems during pregnancy which created problems during child delivery, particularly to illiterate mothers. This paper suggests that awareness is very much required at every stage of ANC particularly to illiterate women with low SLI category in the slums in order to ensure reproductive health during pregnancy.

Key words: ANC, pregnancy complications, illiteracy, Mumbai slums.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 10 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Prevalence of self-medication and health-seeking behavior in a developing country

Shahzad Hussain¹*, Farnaz Malik¹, Kazi Muhammad Ashfaq¹, Ghazala Parveen², Abdul Hameed³, Safia Ahmad³, Humayun Riaz⁴, Pervaiz Akhtar Shah⁵ and Tarik Saeed⁵

¹Drugs Control and Traditional Medicines Division, National Institute of Health, Islamabad-45500, Pakistan.

²Quality Control Laboratories, National Institute of Health, Islamabad-45500, Pakistan.

³Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad-45500, Pakistan.

⁴University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.

⁵School of Pharmacy, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

Accepted 24 June, 2019

Abstract

A randomized, cross-sectional, multi-center study in five cities of Pakistan was under taken amongst a sample of randomly selected urban and rural household to ascertain the health seeking behavior and self-medication by members of the community. Modern drugs were available in 64.2% of households, other drugs, 32.7% had no drugs and 4.1% no drugs. The common drugs available in the homes of urban areas were 66% analgesics as compared to 34% in urban areas (p>0.001), 38% antibiotics in rural as compared to 62% in urban areas (p>0.001), cough syrups 31% in rural as compared to 69% in urban areas (p>0.001) and oral rehydration salt was available in 52% of rural areas as compared to 48% in urban areas (p>0.212). In the rural area, there were 1.9 episodes of illness as compared to 2.3 episodes per household (p>418) in urban areas. Amongst the short duration of illnesses, the most common were 41.2% fever, 14.5% upper and lower respiratory infections, 8.4% gastroenteritis, 8.6% skin problems and 21.2% aches and pains. Most common chronic diseases were 24.1% diabetes mellitus, 25.8% hypertension, 9.3% hepatitis B and C and 7.0% cardiovascular problem. In rural areas, 28.4% drugs were acquired from Pharmacies as compared to 64.6% in urban areas (p>0.001), 14.2% from GPs by rural residents as compared to 23.4% of urban residents (p>0.001). Self-medication was reported in 15.7% of urban areas as compared to 8.3% of rural areas (p>0.001) . The present study reveals that a large number of people are using medicines in urban and rural areas and difficult to stop self-medication. Educational interventions can improve “quality use of medicines” in developing country like Pakistan. Measures are needed to be taken to make health care delivery accessible at primary health care level.

Key words: Health-seeking behavior, self-medication, rural, urban, Pakistan.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 9 (5), pp. 001-004, May, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Pilot study of DNA extraction from archival unstained bone marrow slides: comparison of three rapid methods

Gari MA¹*, Abuzenadah AM¹, Chaudhary AG¹, Al-Qahtani MH¹, Al-Says FM² and Dmanhouri G²

¹Genomic Medicine Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center; King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21412, Saudi Arabia.

²Hematology department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21412, Saudi Arabia.

Accepted 15 January, 2019

Abstract

DNA can be isolated from a variety of human sample sources including anti-coagulant whole blood, bloodstains, hairs, tissue samples and buccal epithelial cells. The purpose of this study was to compare yield and quality of DNA samples obtained with the use of three different methods. The ability of these procedures to provide DNA for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification from archival unstained bone marrow slides was tested on 35 different patients’ slides. Boiling in distilled water (A), proteinase K/Tween 35 method coupled with simplified phenol/chloroform isoamyl alcohol protocol (B) and modified commercial nucleon extraction and purification protocol (C, Amersham Life Science) gave extraction efficiencies of 57, 74 and 100% respectively. Our results demonstrate that rough DNA extraction methods have decreased efficiencies compared to complete DNA extraction protocols and that the latter are required to ensure highly reproducible results from archival unstained bone marrow slides.

Key words: DNA, polymerase chain reaction, bone marrow slides, reagent kit.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 9 (4), pp. 001-003, April, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Short  Communication

Basal metabolic regulatory responses and rhythmic activity of mammalian heart to aqueous kola nut extracts

Chukwu, L.O*, Odiete, W. O. and Briggs, L.S.

Aquatic Toxicology and Ecophysiology Laboratory, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos.

Accepted 25 January, 2019

Abstract

Preliminary investigation on the effect of aqueous extracts of three species of kola nut; Cola acuminata (P. Beav), C. nitida subsp. rubra and C. nitida subsp. alba (Vent), on the rhythmic activity of mammalian heart and metabolic rate was carried out using male albino rats, Rattus sp. Low concentrations of kola nut extract stimulated the heart by increasing rate and force of contraction as well as metabolic rate. Higher concentrations reduced rate and amplitude of beat resulting, at still higher concentrations in heart failure.

Key words: Kolanut, extract, basal metabolic rate, mammalian heart

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 9 (4), pp. 001-007, April, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Genetic and histopathology studies on mice: effect of fenugreek oil on the efficiency of ovarian and liver tissues

Aziza M. Hassan¹, Wagdy K. B. Khalil^1*, Kawkab A. Ahmed²

¹Cell Biology Department, National Research Center, 12622 Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

²Pathology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

Accepted 05 January, 2019

Abstract

There is a growing interest in understanding the biological effect of medicinal plants. In the present investigation, the effects of fenugreek oil administration on the liver and ovarian activity genetically (i.e., meiotic progression in collected oocytes as well as changes in DNA and RNA content in the liver and ovarian tissues) and histopathologically (i.e., alterations in the liver and ovarian tissues) were examined in mice. Swiss albino female mice were orally administrated with different doses of fenugreek oil for 10 days. The mode and magnitude of effect were found to be depending on the dose of fenugreek oil and type of tissue. Administration with fenugreek oil at 0.1 and 0.15 ml/mouse increased the total number of cumulus-oocyte complexes as well as improved their quality. Cytogenetically, fenugreek oil was able to stimulate the oocytes collected from treated mice at all doses to progress in meiosis. Levels of nucleic acids content in all groups did not significantly change neither in the DNA nor RNA in ovarian - or liver-tissues. Histopathological examination of the ovaries collected from untreated mice as well as from mice treated with 0.05 ml/mouse of fenugreek oil showed no histopathological alterations. However, ovaries of mice treated with 0.1 or 0.15 ml/mouse of fenugreek oil showed improvement in several tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first study that suggests significant stimulating effects of fenugreek oil on the ovarian activity in mice.

Key words: Fenugreek, mice, ovaries, oocytes, meiosis, DNA, RNA, histopathology.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 9 (3), pp. 001-003, March, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Efficacy of certain fungicides against Phomopsis theae under in vitro conditions

P. Ponmurugan¹, U.I. Baby² and C. Gopi¹

¹School of Biotechnology, K.S.Rangasamy college of Technology, Tiruchengode-637 209, Namakkal District. Tamil Nadu, India.

²Division of Plant Pathology, UPASI Tea Research Institute, Valparai-642 127; Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India.

Accepted 16 January, 2019

Abstract

Four contact fungicides, Blitox (copper oxychloride), Kocide (copper hydroxide), Mancozeb (dithane M-45)   and Bordeaux mixture and four systemic fungicides, Baycor (bitertanol), Calixin (tridemorph), Contaf (hexaconazole) and Bavistin (carbendazim) were evaluated against Phomopsis theae under in vitro condition. The results indicated that carbendazim was found to be the most effective in suppressing the growth followed by dithane M-45. Among the different concentrations tested, carbendazim at 4 ppm and dithane M-45 at 8 ppm were found to be optimum for the control of pathogen’s growth.

Key words: Phomopsis theae, fungicides, in vitro screening, phomopsis canker.