Indian Journal of Community Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Sociocultural Determinants of Tobacco Usage among the Tribal Population in Jharkhand, India: An Analysis of Global Adult Tobacco Survey India 2016-2017.","authors":"Vinayagamoorthy Venugopal, Pratima Gupta, Saurabh Varshney","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_526_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_526_24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is limited literature on tobacco use among tribal communities in Jharkhand, despite the state having a significant tribal population. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of current use of any form of tobacco (AFT) and identify associated sociocultural factors using nationally representative data.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-II were analyzed, including 488 tribal individuals aged over 15 years. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages. Modified Poisson regression was used to assess associations between sociodemographic and cultural factors with AFT use, reporting adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence of AFT use among the tribal population was 55.4%, with 18.5% smoking and 50.8% using smokeless tobacco. AFT use was significantly higher among those aged 45-64 years [aPR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1-1.5], males [aPR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.7-2.6], unemployed individuals [aPR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.2], and Hindus [aPR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.3-2.9]. Additionally, individuals with limited knowledge about the harmful effects of tobacco had a higher risk of use [aPR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1-1.5].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Tobacco use remains high among the tribal population in Jharkhand. Sociocultural factors such as age, gender, religion, employment status, and knowledge gaps significantly influence usage. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored interventions and awareness programs to curb tobacco use in this vulnerable group.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S81-S87"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068399/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating Health Care: A Study on the Healthcare-seeking Behavior and Barriers Faced by the Transgender Community in Bhubaneswar, India.","authors":"Amisha Yadav, Shyama Devi, Hepsi Bai Joseph","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_222_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_222_24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In India, the transgender community encounters numerous health and well-being challenges. Discrimination, stigmatization, and a lack of acceptance often lead to suboptimal healthcare-seeking behaviors and limited healthcare access. This study investigates the factors influencing healthcare-seeking behavior and identifies barriers faced by transgender individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This descriptive phenomenological study focused on healthcare behaviors and barriers among transgender people. Fourteen participants, including eleven trans females and three trans males, were selected through purposive sampling. Participants were over 18 years of age and willing to participate. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, with thematic analysis conducted using MAXQDA software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: prevalent health issues, healthcare-seeking behaviors, barriers to healthcare access, and suggestions for healthcare system improvements. It was found that transgender individuals often hesitate to seek medical help, preferring home remedies and self-medication for minor illnesses and communicable diseases. Influences on their healthcare decisions included factors, like time, disease severity, trust in immunity, access ease, and reliance on others. Preventative measures noted were good personal hygiene, a healthy lifestyle, regular screenings, and spiritual practices.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study highlights a preference for nonprofessional healthcare approaches among transgender participants due to various influencing factors and identifies key areas for healthcare system improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S94-S101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068395/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kumbh Mela 2025 as a Case Study for Road Safety: A Public Health Model to Reduce RTA-Related Trauma and Deaths in India.","authors":"Preeti Tiwari, Nishtha Chauhan, Narendra Kumar Tiwary, Vaibhav Pandey","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_409_25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_409_25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>India has one of the highest rates of road traffic accidents (RTAs) globally. Mass gatherings significantly amplify this burden due to increased vehicular movement, crowd congestion, and infrastructural strain. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of Kumbh Mela 2025, one of the largest documented human congregations, on RTA-related injuries. Retrospective, hospital-based study at a Level-1 trauma center comparing trauma cases in a 15-day Kumbh period versus a 25-day pre-Kumbh baseline. Poisson regression on baseline data estimated expected case counts for the Kumbh period; observed versus expected cases were compared. The Kumbh period saw 202 trauma cases versus 181 predicted (12% surge). RTAs were the predominant cause of injuries, contributing substantially to maxillofacial trauma cases. National projections assumed 400-600 million pilgrim journeys. Based on regression projection model, there was a 42% injury reduction from safety interventions. Trauma incidence rose modestly during Kumbh Mela 2025, but targeted road safety measures mitigated potential harm. Mass-gathering preparedness with evidence-based interventions can yield significant public health benefits, informing policy for safer large events in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S243-S245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068409/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Monthly Flower Blooms and Sheds off\": Awareness, Hesitancy, and usage of Sustainable Menstrual Products among College Students of Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.","authors":"Lakshmy Sankar, Anushri Premchand, Sangeetha M Varghese, Pramod Thomas, S Jyolsna Nair, Anoop I Benjamin, George M Chandy","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_867_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_867_24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sustainable menstruation refers to using environment-friendly products such as menstrual cups, menstrual discs, period underwear, and reusable pads to benefit the nature around us and for our economic benefits. Although it has been several years since menstrual cups came into the market, there is a paucity of data related to their usage, awareness, and hesitancy in the Indian context. This study aims to explore the proportion of young adult menstruators who use sustainable menstrual products, the level of awareness and hesitancy in using these products, and the reasons associated with hesitancy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1200 female college students in both medical and nonmedical colleges in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala. Among three medical colleges and 17 arts colleges in Pathanamthitta District, two medical colleges and four Arts colleges (clusters) were randomly selected and all students who were willing to provide consent for the study from the selected colleges were interviewed using a structured interview schedule.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of the students was 20.65 ± 3.2 years. The majority [88.8% (1065/1200)] of the students were aware of sustainable menstrual products. However, a vast majority, 94.25% (1131/1200), still used sanitary napkins, and only 5.75%, (69/1200) used menstrual cups. Despite having adequate knowledge about menstrual cups, only 33.6% (403/1200) were willing to switch from sanitary pads to menstrual cups. The reasons cited for hesitancy in using sustainable menstrual products like menstrual cups were fear of pain during insertion, anxiety, and lack of adequate knowledge and confidence in introducing a foreign body into the vagina.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Most college students were well aware of sustainable menstrual products, including their environmental and economic advantages. Notably, all medical and nonmedical students who used menstrual cups (100%) reported that they made menstruation easier and more cost-effective and expressed willingness to continue their use. However, actual usage remains low, reflecting a gap between knowledge and practice. The reasons cited were anxiety and fear of pain during insertion, which may be addressed by regular awareness campaigns in colleges.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S198-S202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068404/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fivefold Cross-Validation Approach in Evaluating the Robustness of Machine Learning Models for Prediction of Esophageal Cancer.","authors":"Biraj Kumar Kalita, Kshetrimayum Anand Singh, Manoj Kalita","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_454_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_454_24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Esophageal cancer is a significant health concern worldwide, accounting for 3.1% of all cancer burdens and 5.5% of all cancer-related deaths. Due to its impact, interest in adopting advanced methodologies has increased. Machine learning techniques offer a promising approach for gaining a deeper understanding of this disease.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>The study is based on a case-control study design, with a total of 400 case-control subjects equally distributed. The study examined various machine learning-based prediction models, and for each model, several performance metrics, including accuracy, precision, F1 score, recall, and ROC-AUC, were evaluated. To optimize each model and determine the importance of the factors, a fivefold cross-validation technique was employed, and the ranking of feature importance was performed based on the weights in each model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study identified the Extra Tree Classifier model as the optimal approach for predicting esophageal cancer, with a model accuracy of 87.50%, a sensitivity of 92.5%, and a specificity of 80%. Compared with the top 10 risk factors on the basis of weight of feature importance, the model yielded an ROC-AUC value of 0.913, representing a substantial improvement of 10.1% over the baseline value of the traditional risk prediction model (ROC-AUC 0.812; 95% CI 0.59-0.94).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The extra tree classifier model exhibited higher predictability and accuracy in identifying significant predictors of esophageal cancer. The incorporation of this machine learning-based model presents exciting opportunities for policymakers to focus on specific risk factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S180-S188"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068405/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Chandrayana Vrata and Selected Yogic Practices on Holistic Health and Wellbeing: A Preliminary Exploratory Study.","authors":"Deepti P Bhat, K Krishna Sharma, Pailoor Subramanya","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_541_25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_541_25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this exploratory study (<i>n</i> = 10), participants followed <i>Chandrayana Vrata</i>, a lunar-phase-based dietary practice from India's yogic tradition, combined with daily yoga for 30 days. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed a significant reduction in BMI (mean difference = 1.75; <i>P</i> = 0.007) and improved well-being scores (OAWBTY: <i>P</i> = 0.006; HPYQ improved but did not reach statistical significance: <i>P</i> =0.080). Mild changes in blood pressure were observed, although they were not statistically significant. No meaningful changes were observed in the control group. These preliminary findings suggest that integrating traditional fasting with yoga may support improvements in physical health and subjective well-being; however, the very small sample size warrants cautious interpretation of the results. Larger, well-controlled studies are required to further validate these outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S214-S219"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068415/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Complementary Feeding Practices and their Determinants among 6-24 month old Children: A Cross Sectional Study.","authors":"Sunvir K Rai, Simmi Oberoi, Shahirajpreet K Gill, Ravneet Kaur","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_841_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_841_24","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Context: &lt;/strong&gt;Children under two years should be provided with sufficient and suitable complementary foods and breastmilk to ensure proper growth and development. However, their diets fall short in quality, quantity, and frequency.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aims: &lt;/strong&gt;To assess complementary feeding practices and their associated predictors in children aged 6-24 months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and material: &lt;/strong&gt;A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 2023 and December 2023, where mothers of 400 children of 6-24 months of age were interviewed. Previous day diets of children were recorded using the open diet recall method on a pretested, validated, and semi-structured questionnaire. Nine indicators given by the World Health Organization were subsequently calculated. The factors influencing complementary feeding were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The mean age for the introduction of solid, semi-solid, and soft foods was 6.05 ± 1.676 months. Timely initiation of complementary foods was reported in 73% of subjects. Minimum acceptable diet (MAD), minimum diet diversity (MDD), and minimum meal frequency (MMF) were achieved in 15.5%, 16.5%, and 82.25% of subjects, respectively. While a substantial number of children consume unhealthy foods (52%) and sweet beverages (24.5%), a notable percentage does not consume fruits or vegetables (43.5%), eggs (6.8%), or flesh foods (0%). A smaller proportion of females receive a timely introduction of complementary foods compared to males [AOR: 0.321 (CI: 0.199-0.518)]. Mothers who completed higher levels of studies introduced solid foods timely compared to others [High school AOR: 1.937 (CI: 1.097-3.418); graduate and above AOR: 2.569 (CI: 1.132-5.833)]. MDD is significantly associated with the age of subjects [9-12 months AOR: 8.05 (CI: 1.02-63.41); 13-24 months AOR: 13.85 (CI: 1.84-104.36)]. MMF is significantly linked with age of subjects [13-24 months AOR: 14.364 (CI 5.89-35.01)], mother's occupation [Working mothers AOR: 0.29 (CI 0.09-0.89)], live births [≥2 live births AOR: 2.07 (CI 1.10-3.89)], hours away from child [&lt;5 hours AOR: 3.96 (CI: 1.11-14.14)], and socio-economic status [Upper middle AOR: 5.29 (CI: 1.54-18.15)]. MAD is significantly influenced by the age of subjects [13-24 months AOR: 13.72 (CI: 1.81-104.01)] and the type of family [joint family AOR: 2.04 (CI: 1.09-3.81)].&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;There is a concern about the critical importance of timely initiation of complementary feeding and the adequacy of diets provided to young children. One-fourth to half of children under two years consume more sweet beverages and unhealthy foods while missing out on micronutrient-rich foods. Being male and having a mother with higher education significantly influence the timely introduction of complementary foods. As the child's age increases, so does their meal diversity, frequency, and adequacy. Working mothers with more ti","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S45-S52"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068425/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diabetes Distress and its Associated factors among Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Center in Eastern India.","authors":"Ayan Roy, Sarika Palepu, Aniruddha Basu, Taurja Saha, Jayaprakash Sahoo, Mahyua Chattopadhyay, Shivani Sidana, Sibashis Sahoo","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_855_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_855_24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Diabetes distress (DD), a negative emotional state, significantly impacts glycemic control and self-management of diabetes. The prevalence of DD is estimated to be high and needs a better understanding of the modifiable factors. However, scanty data are available.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>We have recruited type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients aged 18-65 years attending Endocrinology OPD of a tertiary health care center (THC) from June 2022 to September 2023. Participants with comorbid psychiatric illnesses or use of psychiatric medications were excluded. DD was determined by a language-validated diabetes-specific distress-17 (DDS-17) scale, and depressive symptoms were screened by patient health care questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Screening was done for various microvascular complications, and associated clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify the association of various factors with overall diabetes distress and its subdomains.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 443 participants were recruited. The overall prevalence of DD was 39.3%. In the multivariate logistic regression, duration >5 years, diabetic nephropathy, and depressive symptoms (>10 score as per PHQ-9) were found to be associated factors of DD.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The prevalence of DD is high in tertiary care settings. Younger age, higher HbA1C, disease duration of more than 5 years, and depressive symptoms are significant associated factors. Regular screening and measures to combat diabetes distress are required, particularly in the young-onset diabetes group.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S88-S93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Complicity to Protection of Children? Contradictions in India's Tobacco Control are a Global Issue.","authors":"Alain Braillon","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_449_25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_449_25","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S252-S253"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147676394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Family Planning Methods and HIV Prevention among Antenatal Women in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Goa.","authors":"Vanita G P Da Silva, Arya Ravi, V C Aswin, Ronald Robin, K K Vishal, Jagadish Cacodcar, M S Kulkarni, Lalitha Umraskar, Sulaksha Galyekar, Sandesh Bhagat","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_883_24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_883_24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>India, with the third-highest global burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), faces significant challenges in combating the epidemic. There is a need for enhanced interventions, since Goa's HIV prevalence is higher than the national average. To study the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of family planning methods and HIV prevention among antenatal women in Goa. A hospital-based cross-sectional study with a convergent mixed-method design was conducted from August to December 2023 at a tertiary care hospital in Goa. Most participants, 318 (93.5%), were aware of HIV, with 301 (88.5%) understanding transmission routes. Support was high for HIV disclosure, 305 (89.7%), and sex education, 310 (91.2%), but lower for buying condoms, 110 (32.4%). Awareness of family planning methods was high, 305 (89.7%), but only 218 (64.1%) knew that they were free at government hospitals. Knowledge of side effects was low, 57 (16.8%), and only 171 (50.3%) felt comfortable discussing family planning with partners. HIV prevention and family planning practices were observed to be low due to barriers such as spousal disapproval, socio-cultural norms, and misinformation about HIV transmission. This study highlights the gaps in the adoption of family planning methods and HIV prevention practices. Therefore, strengthening HIV integration in antenatal care and promoting targeted education and gender-sensitive programs are essential to enhance family planning adoption and HIV prevention efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"51 Suppl 1","pages":"S229-S234"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13068412/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147677319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}