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Biomedical subjects

M Lakshman

Publications and source records attributed to M Lakshman.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Focus group discussions in medical research.

Qualitative research methods have recently started to gain popularity in social and health sciences for determining a more holistic view of peoples' perceptions about health. Focus group discussions are frequently used to obtain perspectives and attitudes of people about issues, seek explanations for behavior, triangulate data obtained through other qualitative methods and generate hypotheses. To facilitate clinicians to comprehend the use of focus group methodology in the clinical field, the meaning, purpose, advantages, limitations and quality assurance measures of focus group discussions are described. The general requirements and the method for conducting focus groups are briefly explained. In addition, key issues that could be addressed by focus group methodology have also been highlighted.

Focus Groups↗
PubMed2000

Quantitative vs qualitative research methods.

Quantitative methods have been widely used because of the fact that things that can be measured or counted gain scientific credibility over the unmeasurable. But the extent of biological abnormality, severity, consequences and the impact of illness cannot be satisfactorily captured and answered by the quantitative research alone. In such situations qualitative methods take a holistic perspective preserving the complexities of human behavior by addressing the "why" and "how" questions. In this paper an attempt has been made to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both the methods and also that a balanced mix of both qualitative as well as quantitative methods yield the most valid and reliable results.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2000

Contamination of medicine injection paraphernalia used by registered medical practitioners in south India: an ethnographic study.

While considerable attention has been directed at the important role of intravenous drug use in the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B, little research to date has been conducted on the role of medicine injections in disease transmission. This is the case despite the fact that (a) the number of medicine injections is several orders of magnitude greater than injections of illegal drugs and (b) the networks of people potentially affected by contaminated medicine injection paraphernalia is far wider. In this article we examine the medicine injecting practices of a random sample of 40 registered medical practitioners (RMP) who have not had formal training in allopathic medicine (do not have MBBS or MD degrees) in Tamil Nadu, India. Attention is drawn to: (a) the lack of vigilance practitioners exercise in maintaining hygienic needles and syringes, (b) their perceptions of what constitutes acceptable hygienic procedure and (c) how patients respond in contexts where they are able to purchase disposable needles and syringes directly from practitioners or from the open market prior to visiting a practitioner. Study results are a cause for alarm and indicate widespread contamination of injection paraphernalia as well as common reuse of disposable needles. The study was confined to RMPs and the researchers strongly suggest that future studies of MBBS trained doctors practising in the public and private sectors be carried out. A structured observation instrument developed to record needle and syringe contamination during the process of injection administration is provided.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Risk factors for malnutrition in south Indian children.

Protein energy malnutrition is a major health problem in India and it affects the growth and development of young children. This study investigated the impact of hygiene, housing and sociodemographic variables on acute malnutrition in children aged 5-7, living in urban and rural areas. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that the overall prevalence of severe malnutrition was 8.2%. Older age, male sex, mother's poor education, lower family income, higher birth order of the child, use of dung or fire wood as fuel and defecation within the premises were significantly associated with malnutrition. Appropriate intervention programmes should be formulated to educate and support these families.

Child↗