Nirupama A. Y.

• MD Community Medicine
• Faculty at Indian institute of public health- Hyderabad (PHFI)

Background SNORE (Sleep deprivation among Night shift health staff On Rotation- Evaluation) was a hospital-based observational study conducted to study the effects of sleep deprivation on healthcare professionals working night shifts on rotation. Aim This study determines the burden of sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness and also the relation...

Introduction Pathogenic germline mutations in BRCA (gBRCAm) genes can heighten the risk of breast cancer (BC) among carriers. Economic constraints and patient testing hesitancy challenge adherence to hereditary germline testing guidelines. As a result, clinicians prioritize hereditary BC screening based on patient willingness, affordability, and th...

Background Sleep is essential for cognitive function and overall well-being, yet healthcare providers often experience sleep deprivation due to long hours and night shifts. This study evaluates how sleep deprivation affects Quality of Life (QoL) and job satisfaction among these workers. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study at a tertiary he...

This study is an economic evaluation of total knee replacement (TKR) in comparison with non-surgical management in India. Cost-utility analysis and budget impact analysis (BIA) were conducted on individuals aged ≥ 50 years with osteoarthritis of the knee (OA knee) Kellgren-Lawrence grades 2 and 3 using a provider’s perspective. Three scenarios were...

Background: Immunization is a vital public health strategy to protect children from infectious diseases, achieved through the administration of vaccines. India's universal immunization program (UIP) provides free vaccines against 11 life-threatening diseases for children under the age of five. Despite its importance, immunization coverage in many a...

Background: Perimenopause is the body's natural transition to menopause, signaling the end of the reproductive years. Changes in a woman's menstrual cycle, vasomotor changes, psychological changes, and vaginal health and sexuality are all symptoms of menopause. This study's objectives are to describe perimenopausal women's quality of life, and enum...

Li–Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is defined by the early emergence of tumors and is associated with mutations in the tumor suppression gene known as tumor protein 53 ( TP53). Information is scarce regarding the psychosocial challenges encountered by individuals with LFS and how it affects their treatment decisions. A 21-year-old woman developed multiple...

Aim: This study investigates the national and regional distribution and trend of undernutrition among non-pregnant reproductive age-group (15-44 years) women in India based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data round 2 (1998-99) to round 5 (2019-21). Subject and Methods: Undernutrition was defined as a body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m²....

Purpose We present a methodically devised protocol for conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at ascertaining the prevalence of BReast CAncer gene (BRCA) mutations in breast and ovarian cancer (BOC) among women in India. The review will include cross-sectional, cohort, case-series, and registry-based studies focusing on females clin...

Abstract Background: Integrated child development services (ICDS) include supplementary nutrition, nutrition and health education, health check-ups, immunization, preschool education, and referral services targeted at beneficiaries including pregnant and lactating mothers, children below six years, and women of reproductive age. Specific intervent...

Introduction: Improved breast cancer treatments have increased survival rates, but prolonged and costly therapies strain survivors financially. This study addresses the dearth of research on financial difficulties among breast cancer survivors (BCS) in India. Methods: A mixed-methods study was employed; we assessed financial hardship (FH) using the...

This research was done to learn the impact of pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) on subsequent risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in a tertiary care teaching institution in North Kerala, India. A descriptive study in a tertiary care teaching institution in Kozhikode, North Kerala. : 296 singleton pregnant women with BMI categorise...

Background: The prevalence of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) in India ranged from 11% to 17%. A combination of intravenous (IV) pertuzumab, trastuzumab and docetaxel in HER2+ BC reported a significant increase in the overall survival rate. However, the time taken for infusion of these drugs is lengthy....

Background: The prevalence of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) in India ranged from 11% to 17%. A combination of intravenous (IV) pertuzumab, trastuzumab and docetaxel in HER2+ BC reported a significant increase in the overall survival rate. However, the time taken for infusion of these drugs is lengthy....

Prophylactic HPV vaccines are one of the most effective methods of prevention against cervical cancer. However, their effectiveness reduces in the presence of existing HPV infection. This review aims to underscore the potential of therapeutic HPV vaccines in alleviating the burden of cervical cancer in India. An extensive search was performed in Pu...

Literature suggests that there is poor awareness and uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in India. The role of cancer patients as potent advocates for HPV vaccine in their community is vital due to their first-hand experience with the turmoil that accompanies cancer. Hence, we have developed a study tool to measure the psychometric con...

Ample literature exists which time and over has established the association between overweight/ underweight and fertility problems. Further in this context, it should be noted that there are very few studies in the Indian context regarding the effect of body mass index (BMI) on infertility in women. To evaluate the association of BMI with infertili...

Background Caesarean section (CS) is considered to be a life-saving operative intervention for women and new-borns in certain antepartum and intrapartum conditions. Caesarean delivery may be accompanied by several complications including surgical site infections (SSI). However, there is a significant lack of uniformity in the administration of anti...

Background: Adolescent girls often lack adequate knowledge and comfort when accessing reproductive health care and information. A woman’s health at different stages in her life is interconnected, such that the state of her menstrual health at present can influence her reproductive, sexual, and maternal health in the future. Therefore, possessing ad...

Background: Adolescent girls often lack adequate knowledge and comfort when accessing reproductive health care and information. A woman’s health at different stages in her life is interconnected, such that the state of her menstrual health at present can influence her reproductive, sexual, and maternal health in the future. Therefore, possessing ad...

India has the largest number of children between the ages of 0-18 years globally with a child population of over 400 million. Developmental delays affect a minimum 10% of preschool children, preventing them from reaching their full development potential. The studies to estimate the prevalence of disability and its association with socio-demographic...

India has the largest number of children between the ages of 0-18 years globally with a child population of over 400 million. Developmental delays affect a minimum 10% of preschool children, preventing them from reaching their full development potential. The studies to estimate the prevalence of disability and its association with socio-demographic...

Mental health disorders were reported in more than 33% of stroke survivors, which lead to increased comorbidities, delayed care, affect recovery, and impact physical and social functioning. Furthermore, it diminishes the quality of life and has impact on the well-being of both their families and caregivers. However, existing screening tools availab...

Background Self-care practices in diabetes are deemed as one of the mainstays of management, but often poorly practiced by people with diabetes. Aim The study describes self-care practices among adult diabetics registered with a primary health-care setup. Methods This was a community-based cross-sectional study based out of the Ramaiahguda primar...

Background: Globally, several cases of mucormycosis have been diagnosed in patients with COVID-19, and the entity is described as COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM). CAM is an emerging problem necessitating increased vigilance in COVID-19 patients, even those who have recovered. The objective was to study this cluster of cases admitted to KIMS...

In India, the incidence of breast cancer accounted for 1,78,361 cases, whereas ovarian cancer accounts for 45,701 cases, according to Globocan Report 2020. These cancers are known to have a hereditary basis, and >10% of them are associated with pathogenic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 varies across various Indian stud...

Background: Caesarean section (CS) is a considered to be a life-saving operative intervention for women and new-borns in certain antepartum and intrapartum conditions. Caesarean delivery may be accompanied by several complications including surgical site infections (SSI). However, there is a significant lack of uniformity in the administration of a...

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: Diabetes is acknowledged as a key public health problem with the prevalence rate increasing globally and reaching epidemic proportions. It is high time that screening programs are implemented at the community level for early detection of the population, who are at risk of having diabetes mellitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comm...

Background: Adherence to healthy diets favouring seafood, poultry, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, are related to better fertility in women and better semen quality in men. Along with pharmaceutical treatment, the role of a proper diet and lifestyle has been highlighted in many diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Likewise, the role of die...

Objectives Data management and statistical analysis are integral parts of any research. But there is difficulty in cleaning, organizing, and maintaining data in a systematic and meaningful way for accurate analysis without any tool. Hence, there is a need to learn a tool such as SPSS, STATA, R, SAS and so many for understanding the data. This study...

BACKGROUND SNORE (Sleep deprivation among Night shift health staff On Rotation Evaluation) study is conceptualized to study the effects of sleep deprivation on health-care professionals working night shifts on rotation. Sleep deprivation has been suggested to have a dele-terious effect on health workers who are involved in multitude of life-saving...

Background: Even though India has a very high burden of non-doctor prescription practices, there is no regulatory body governing the availability of OTC drugs unlike the Western countries. This study was aimed at evaluating the non-doctor prescription practices and the factors keeping the population away from healthcare facilities.Methods: This was...

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led to the disruption of medical teaching nation-wide and pushed the institutions to explore the probable role of online teaching methods. The aim of this review is to identify the untested perspectives and help in strategizing based on evidence generation for the preparation for future. Methods We followed the P...

Background: According to WHO statistics, close to 3 million deaths occur every year due to harmful use of alcohol of which 3.2 lakh people are aged between 15-29 years. College students are more prone to experimenting and risk-taking behaviour. Keeping this in mind, our study was aimed to assess the alcohol use patterns and factors associated with...

Excess ovarian activity, chronic anovulation, and androgen excess are the common traits of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Several advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology in the process of finding quicker and more effective management measures. Androgen excess in PCOS was found to correlate with markedly elevated luteinizing...

Background Hypertension is a crucial health problem worldwide, and its snowballing epidemiology demands stern caution to increase the focus on this silent disease. Evidence exists that a considerable decline in salt consumption decreases blood pressure (BP) by around 5–7 mm of Hg systolic, in patients with increased BP. Materials and Methods A cro...

Old age is viewed as a challenging and vulnerable period of one's life when they become progressively dependent on others. Depression refers to a heterogeneous set of phenomena ranging from simple mood swings to severe affective state. The study explored the effect of age on mental health status along with the mediating effects of various socio-dem...

Ethics, even though not legally binding, are vital to practice of both medicine and journalism. An inappropriate or incorrect reporting of a health-related event can in times be as dangerous as an incorrect therapy. Understanding the challenges of medical journalism starts with the differentiation of medical journalism into that for the healthcare...

Sleep deprivation has been hinted to have a deleterious effect on health workers who are involved in multitude of life saving tasks, which often require more attention and concentration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the national health portal (Government of India) have now recognized sleep deprivation as a public health epidem...

Studies have shown that a significant proportion of healthcare professionals were unaware of the universally recognized bioethical principles. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude towards bioethics among undergraduate medical students of a Medical College and also to find out the association between knowledge and attitude to...

Introduction: Rabies is a fatal viral disease which is transmitted to humans through animal bites, most commonly via dogs. Fortunately, this disease is preventable through timely pre and postexposure vaccination. Aim: To study the seasonal predisposition and trend analysis of dog bite cases attending the anti rabies clinic. Materials and Metho...

Introduction: Rabies is a fatal viral disease which is transmitted to humans through animal bites, most commonly via dogs. Fortunately, this disease is preventable through timely pre and postexposure vaccination. Aim: To study the seasonal predisposition and trend analysis of dog bite cases attending the anti rabies clinic. Materials and Metho...

Background: It has always been suggested that sleep deprivation has a deleterious effect on the ability of health workers who are involved in multitude of life-saving tasks, which often require more attention and concentration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the national health portal (Government of India) have now recognized sl...

Background: Amid the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases, risk of infection from patients, isolation, and other factors are taking its toll on the mental health status of the healthcare professionals. The frontline health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic are undergoing psychological turbulence handling the corona situation. Objectives: The present study a...

Background: Adolescent girls constitute about 1/5 th of the total world population 13 and almost 47 percentage of the Indian population.A key priority for the female population is to have the necessary knowledge, facilities and the cultural environment to manage menstruation hygienically and with dignity. Methodology: A school based cross-sectional...

Background: Plastics have become part of our modern lives and the amount of plastics produced in this decade equals the amount produced in the last century. Unless we control the production and usage of these plastics, the consequences will be drastic. The study was planned to find the perception regarding the hazards of plastics and also to assess...

Telemedicine has emerged to be key player in healthcare delivery in underserved areas. Successful telemedicine projects in India like the Aravind tele-ophthalmology network, the Kerala Onconet project and the Amrita mobile telemedicine unit are an inspiration for future endeavors. While improved access to healthcare, decreased healthcare costs and...

Telemedicine is considered to be the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology, thereby providing substantial healthcare to low income regions. Earliest published record of telemedicine is in the first half if the 20th century when ECG was transmitted over telephone lines. From then to today, telemedicine...