Background The Government of Nepal introduced the family-based health insurance program in 2016 t... more Background The Government of Nepal introduced the family-based health insurance program in 2016 to increase financial protection and improve access to health care services. The aim of the study was to assess factors associated with the utilization of health insurance among insured population in an urban district of Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional survey using face-to-face interviews was conducted in 224 households of Bhaktapur district of Nepal. Household heads were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression with weighted analysis was done to identify predictors of service utilization among the insured residents. Results The prevalence of health insurance service utilization at the household level in the Bhaktapur district was 77.2% (n = 224). The number of elder members in the family (AOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.09–7.07), having family member with chronic illness (AOR 5.10, 95% CI 1.48–17.56), willingness to continue health insurance (AOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.47–3.25) and m...
Nepal Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology
Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the diseases that are transmitted by sex... more Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the diseases that are transmitted by sexual contact if a partner is infected with agent known to cause infection of genitalia. This group of diseases pose a huge public health problem. This study aims to provide an insight on the prevalence of STIs in a tertiary care center dedicated to civil servants. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. All patients diagnosed with STI in a dermatology out-patient of Civil Service Hospital, a tertiary care hospital situated in Kathmandu over a period of two years from January 1 2018 to December 30 2019 were included in the study. The diagnosis was made by clinical and laboratory investigations. Results: The total number 157 cases of STIs were enrolled in this study, of which 119 (75.8%) were males and 38(24.2%) were females. The mean age of patients was 27.8±8.8 years, ranging from 15 to 60 years. Seventy three (46.5%) patients were married, while 81 (51.6%) patients were u...
WORLD FAMILY MEDICINE/MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL OF FAMILY MEDICINE, 2019
This article explores patient consultation practices of physicians at Patan Academy of Health Sci... more This article explores patient consultation practices of physicians at Patan Academy of Health Sciences-Teaching Hospital. We assessed the communication practice of physicians when interacting with patients.
Introduction: Evidence based practice (EBP) is the use of current best evidence in making decisio... more Introduction: Evidence based practice (EBP) is the use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The aim of this study was to explore the practices, attitudes, knowledge and perceived barriers in relation to EBP among faculty members at Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), Nepal. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. Participants were faculty members (both clinical and non-clinical) at PAHS. The main outcomes were attitude towards the usefulness of EBP, the frequency of use of EBP in practice, and the barriers to carrying out EBP. Results: One hundred and seventy-two faculty members participated in this survey. Ninety five percent knew it was used for clinical decision making and the majority used it for teaching. Senior faculty spent more time on searching for evidence and reading compared to junior faculty. There was no difference between clinical and non-clinical departments. The main barriers to EBP were inadequate teaching learning support by 49% (85/172) followed by inadequate time 30% (52/172). Conclusions: The study showed that faculty at PAHS had a generally positive attitude towards EBP. EBP could be better facilitated by proper teaching and allocation of dedicated time.
Undernutrition in young children is a major public health concern in countries like Nepal. Despit... more Undernutrition in young children is a major public health concern in countries like Nepal. Despite high rate of chronic malnutrition in young children, very less focus has been given to reduce it, thus affecting the lives of these children during adolescence. To assess the nutritional status of young children aged between 6 to 12 years in Dukuchhap village in Lalitpur district of Nepal.
Objectives: This descriptive study of 219 undergraduate medical students at Patan Academy of Heal... more Objectives: This descriptive study of 219 undergraduate medical students at Patan Academy of Health Sciences in Nepal was conducted to evaluate the relationships of their demographic variables with a health-promoting lifestyle profile. Methods: The Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) questionnaire was used to study students' lifestyles. We compared the HPLP scores according to gender, residence type, school background and year of study. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison test were conducted to identify significant differences among university year (first, second, third and fourth) groups. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of various demographics on the overall HPLP score and the six health-promoting lifestyle subscales. Results: The overall HPLP mean score of participants was 2.60 ± 0.29, with the highest mean scores being for spiritual growth (2.99 ± 0.42) and interpersonal relations (2.90 ± 0.35), and the lowest mean scores being for health responsibility (2.39 ± 0.39) and physical activity (2.25 ± 0.54), respectively. The overall HPLP score of the students was the highest for the first year students at 2.65 ± 0.26. The male students had a better overall HPLP score, although female students obtained better score in some sub-scales such as health responsibility, interpersonal relations and nutrition. The students from a public school background had significantly higher scores for health responsibility, physical activity and stress management than those who graduated school level education from a private school. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal that the status of health promoting behaviors among the students was acceptable with ample room for improvement. Implementation of health education and promotion programs with an
Introductions: Child health indicators of under-five and infant mortality has improved in Nepal b... more Introductions: Child health indicators of under-five and infant mortality has improved in Nepal but neonatal mortality remains high. The aim of this study is to assess neonatal care practices among mothers in rural Nepal.
Introduccon Many Nepali adolescents (10-19 years) are undernourished, which increases the risk of... more Introduccon Many Nepali adolescents (10-19 years) are undernourished, which increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Inadequate nutriion during adolescence can retard physical growth and sexual maturaon and increases the risk of adult lifestyle diseases. There is a dearth of research on the socio-demographic factors associated with the nutrional status of adolescents in Nepal.
Disability is an accident waiting to happen in population. Large numbers of population in world a... more Disability is an accident waiting to happen in population. Large numbers of population in world are disabled and its prevalence is on the rise. Disabled people have to face two additional challenges namely, limitation in body and social stigmatization on top of other social happening to general public. The stipulation of disability will be subjective because social and physical condition is directly related to it. The study was also envisioned to develop a disability screening approach. The objective was to focus on how disabled has been included in the government's health plans in Nepal. The study has presented data of 894 disabled people from randomly selected seven VDCs of Makwanpur district. The total population in studied VDCs was 87,502. The study was conducted in coordination with local governing bodies and health development partners during August-October in 2012. The study revealed 1.02 percent prevalence of disability among study population. The majority were suffering physical disability (60.6 percent) followed by deaf (19.7 percent). Based on age group, young adults (15-19 years) group was more (31 percent) vulnerable. Out of total, the number of male was higher due to their high exposure in external environment and risk taking behaviour.
Background The Government of Nepal introduced the family-based health insurance program in 2016 t... more Background The Government of Nepal introduced the family-based health insurance program in 2016 to increase financial protection and improve access to health care services. The aim of the study was to assess factors associated with the utilization of health insurance among insured population in an urban district of Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional survey using face-to-face interviews was conducted in 224 households of Bhaktapur district of Nepal. Household heads were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression with weighted analysis was done to identify predictors of service utilization among the insured residents. Results The prevalence of health insurance service utilization at the household level in the Bhaktapur district was 77.2% (n = 224). The number of elder members in the family (AOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.09–7.07), having family member with chronic illness (AOR 5.10, 95% CI 1.48–17.56), willingness to continue health insurance (AOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.47–3.25) and m...
Nepal Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology
Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the diseases that are transmitted by sex... more Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the diseases that are transmitted by sexual contact if a partner is infected with agent known to cause infection of genitalia. This group of diseases pose a huge public health problem. This study aims to provide an insight on the prevalence of STIs in a tertiary care center dedicated to civil servants. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. All patients diagnosed with STI in a dermatology out-patient of Civil Service Hospital, a tertiary care hospital situated in Kathmandu over a period of two years from January 1 2018 to December 30 2019 were included in the study. The diagnosis was made by clinical and laboratory investigations. Results: The total number 157 cases of STIs were enrolled in this study, of which 119 (75.8%) were males and 38(24.2%) were females. The mean age of patients was 27.8±8.8 years, ranging from 15 to 60 years. Seventy three (46.5%) patients were married, while 81 (51.6%) patients were u...
WORLD FAMILY MEDICINE/MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL OF FAMILY MEDICINE, 2019
This article explores patient consultation practices of physicians at Patan Academy of Health Sci... more This article explores patient consultation practices of physicians at Patan Academy of Health Sciences-Teaching Hospital. We assessed the communication practice of physicians when interacting with patients.
Introduction: Evidence based practice (EBP) is the use of current best evidence in making decisio... more Introduction: Evidence based practice (EBP) is the use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The aim of this study was to explore the practices, attitudes, knowledge and perceived barriers in relation to EBP among faculty members at Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), Nepal. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. Participants were faculty members (both clinical and non-clinical) at PAHS. The main outcomes were attitude towards the usefulness of EBP, the frequency of use of EBP in practice, and the barriers to carrying out EBP. Results: One hundred and seventy-two faculty members participated in this survey. Ninety five percent knew it was used for clinical decision making and the majority used it for teaching. Senior faculty spent more time on searching for evidence and reading compared to junior faculty. There was no difference between clinical and non-clinical departments. The main barriers to EBP were inadequate teaching learning support by 49% (85/172) followed by inadequate time 30% (52/172). Conclusions: The study showed that faculty at PAHS had a generally positive attitude towards EBP. EBP could be better facilitated by proper teaching and allocation of dedicated time.
Undernutrition in young children is a major public health concern in countries like Nepal. Despit... more Undernutrition in young children is a major public health concern in countries like Nepal. Despite high rate of chronic malnutrition in young children, very less focus has been given to reduce it, thus affecting the lives of these children during adolescence. To assess the nutritional status of young children aged between 6 to 12 years in Dukuchhap village in Lalitpur district of Nepal.
Objectives: This descriptive study of 219 undergraduate medical students at Patan Academy of Heal... more Objectives: This descriptive study of 219 undergraduate medical students at Patan Academy of Health Sciences in Nepal was conducted to evaluate the relationships of their demographic variables with a health-promoting lifestyle profile. Methods: The Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) questionnaire was used to study students' lifestyles. We compared the HPLP scores according to gender, residence type, school background and year of study. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison test were conducted to identify significant differences among university year (first, second, third and fourth) groups. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of various demographics on the overall HPLP score and the six health-promoting lifestyle subscales. Results: The overall HPLP mean score of participants was 2.60 ± 0.29, with the highest mean scores being for spiritual growth (2.99 ± 0.42) and interpersonal relations (2.90 ± 0.35), and the lowest mean scores being for health responsibility (2.39 ± 0.39) and physical activity (2.25 ± 0.54), respectively. The overall HPLP score of the students was the highest for the first year students at 2.65 ± 0.26. The male students had a better overall HPLP score, although female students obtained better score in some sub-scales such as health responsibility, interpersonal relations and nutrition. The students from a public school background had significantly higher scores for health responsibility, physical activity and stress management than those who graduated school level education from a private school. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal that the status of health promoting behaviors among the students was acceptable with ample room for improvement. Implementation of health education and promotion programs with an
Introductions: Child health indicators of under-five and infant mortality has improved in Nepal b... more Introductions: Child health indicators of under-five and infant mortality has improved in Nepal but neonatal mortality remains high. The aim of this study is to assess neonatal care practices among mothers in rural Nepal.
Introduccon Many Nepali adolescents (10-19 years) are undernourished, which increases the risk of... more Introduccon Many Nepali adolescents (10-19 years) are undernourished, which increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Inadequate nutriion during adolescence can retard physical growth and sexual maturaon and increases the risk of adult lifestyle diseases. There is a dearth of research on the socio-demographic factors associated with the nutrional status of adolescents in Nepal.
Disability is an accident waiting to happen in population. Large numbers of population in world a... more Disability is an accident waiting to happen in population. Large numbers of population in world are disabled and its prevalence is on the rise. Disabled people have to face two additional challenges namely, limitation in body and social stigmatization on top of other social happening to general public. The stipulation of disability will be subjective because social and physical condition is directly related to it. The study was also envisioned to develop a disability screening approach. The objective was to focus on how disabled has been included in the government's health plans in Nepal. The study has presented data of 894 disabled people from randomly selected seven VDCs of Makwanpur district. The total population in studied VDCs was 87,502. The study was conducted in coordination with local governing bodies and health development partners during August-October in 2012. The study revealed 1.02 percent prevalence of disability among study population. The majority were suffering physical disability (60.6 percent) followed by deaf (19.7 percent). Based on age group, young adults (15-19 years) group was more (31 percent) vulnerable. Out of total, the number of male was higher due to their high exposure in external environment and risk taking behaviour.
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Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. Participants were faculty members (both clinical and non-clinical) at PAHS. The main outcomes were attitude towards the usefulness of EBP, the frequency of use of EBP in practice, and the barriers to carrying out EBP.
Results: One hundred and seventy-two faculty members participated in this survey. Ninety five percent knew it was used for clinical decision making and the majority used it for teaching. Senior faculty spent more time on searching for evidence and reading compared to junior faculty. There was no difference between clinical and non-clinical departments. The main barriers to EBP were inadequate teaching learning support by 49% (85/172) followed by inadequate time 30% (52/172).
Conclusions: The study showed that faculty at PAHS had a generally positive attitude towards EBP. EBP could be better facilitated by proper teaching and allocation of dedicated time.
To assess the nutritional status of young children aged between 6 to 12 years in Dukuchhap village in Lalitpur district of Nepal.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. Participants were faculty members (both clinical and non-clinical) at PAHS. The main outcomes were attitude towards the usefulness of EBP, the frequency of use of EBP in practice, and the barriers to carrying out EBP.
Results: One hundred and seventy-two faculty members participated in this survey. Ninety five percent knew it was used for clinical decision making and the majority used it for teaching. Senior faculty spent more time on searching for evidence and reading compared to junior faculty. There was no difference between clinical and non-clinical departments. The main barriers to EBP were inadequate teaching learning support by 49% (85/172) followed by inadequate time 30% (52/172).
Conclusions: The study showed that faculty at PAHS had a generally positive attitude towards EBP. EBP could be better facilitated by proper teaching and allocation of dedicated time.
To assess the nutritional status of young children aged between 6 to 12 years in Dukuchhap village in Lalitpur district of Nepal.