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Biomedical subjects

V K Nagaraj

Publications and source records attributed to V K Nagaraj.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Perception of severity of acute respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea in children under the age of five in rural India: utilization pattern of health services.

A cross-sectional survey of 970 children under the age of 5 in 870 households showed a biweekly incidence of acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) and diarrhoea of 9 and 8.7%, respectively. Ninety per cent of the mothers, irrespective of their educational status, could identify correctly the severe forms of the illness. When perceived as severe the majority (75%) of them went to unqualified indigenous practitioners and only when perceived as mild did they use the government services. This shows that the user preferences for acute healthcare services vary with their perception of the illness and unqualified practitioners are the main source of healthcare providers especially in the rural areas.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Knowledge and practice pattern of non-allopathic indigenous medical practitioners regarding tuberculosis in a rural area of India.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and practice patterns of non-allopathic indigenous medical practitioners (IMPs) regarding tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: Seventy-four IMPs practising in Naraingarh block, a rural area of Haryana State, India, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. RESULTS: Fifty-four per cent (40/74) of the IMPs saw two to five TB patients every month. Sixty-one per cent (46/74) reported that they based their diagnosis of TB on symptoms alone, whereas 38% use diagnostic tests such as chest X-ray, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and sputum examination. Forty per cent of the IMPs reported that alcohol was the cause of TB, 36.5% cited smoking and 17.6% reported infection as the cause. Only 34% (25/74) of IMPs reported that they treated TB patients, while the rest said that they referred such cases to nearby hospitals. Anti-tuberculosis drugs used by IMPs were isoniazid, rifampicin and streptomycin, but none of them knew the dosage of the drugs, the duration of treatment or the correct regimen. Sixty-four per cent of the 25 IMPs reported using ayurvedic medicines. CONCLUSION: Considerable proportions of TB patients seek IMPs for cure of TB, while the knowledge and practice of IMPs is inadequate.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Factors predicting the non-utilisation of immunisation services using logistic regression technique.

A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the variables which have an individual predictive power on nonutilization of immunisation services using logistic regression model. Children between 12 and 23 months of age were assessed and enrolled using a pretested interview schedule. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics, univariate analysis using Chi Square tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Of the 200 children studied 56% were fully immunised. Only illiterate mothers (p < 0.05) and poor access (> 3 km) to health facility (p < 0.001) were found to have an independent predictive power on the nonutilization of immunisation services. Sex of the child, parity levels, socioeconomic status did not independently influence the utilisation pattern. It is possible to identify these still existing small pockets of nonusers of immunisation services through the predictive variables and target them through special efforts.

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