Indian Journal of Community Medicine最新文献

{"title":"\"I Would Rather Die Drinking than take the Medicine\": Role of Alcohol Use Disorder in Loss-to-follow-up of Tuberculosis Treatment in a Rural Area of Ballabgarh, Haryana.","authors":"Anwita Khaitan, Sanjay K Rai, Anand Krishnan, Sanjeev K Gupta, Shashi Kant, Gopi C Khilnani","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_211_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_211_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) treatment loss-to-follow-up (LTFU). This field-based study was undertaken to understand the role of AUD and TB treatment LTFU and the reasons behind this association in a rural area of Ballabgarh, Haryana.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>TB patients who had completed their treatment and who had been LTFU were included in the study, along with the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) staff, healthcare providers, family, and community members from Ballabgarh block of the north Indian state of Haryana. In-depth interviews (IDIs) and focused group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to gauge the perceptions of stakeholders regarding reasons for LTFU, especially in the context of alcohol use. Inductive analysis of the transcripts was done in keeping with the grounded theory, and themes with their sub-themes were identified. A conceptual framework of TB-AUD was constructed, and potential areas for intervention were determined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifty-eight IDIs and four FGDs were conducted in mid-2018. Almost all key informants and many patient participants believed that alcohol use makes TB patients highly susceptible to treatment LTFU. Key themes identified were shared personality traits and attitudes, combined side effects of anti-tubercular drugs and alcohol use, lack of family support, and an adverse financial situation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings call for a change in NTEP's approach to AUD-TB. Interventions may include collecting alcohol use information at patient enrolment and closure, integrating brief interventions for alcohol cessation in NTEP, and linking patients to deaddiction centers with the provision of appropriate dietary and financial support.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"152-156"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900456/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997791","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":"Utilization of Untied Fund and Factors Affecting the Utilization at Sub-Centers of Rural Odisha: A Mixed-Method Study.","authors":"Annu Antony, Arvind K Singh, Dinesh P Sahu, Abhisek Mishra, Swayam P Parida","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_120_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_120_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The untied funds at sub-centers provided flexibility for local action at block and down below levels. Effective utilization of untied fund can strengthen the healthcare. So, our study aims at assessing the knowledge of health workers, male/female (HWF/M), and effectiveness of utilization of untied funds at the sub-center (SC) level.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>A mixed method (cross-sectional study and qualitative study) was conducted at Tangi Block, Khordha district, Odisha, in the year 2020. Health workers, male and female in sub-centers, and local stakeholders were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The tool comprises financial records, a semi-structured questionnaire, and an in-depth interview guide. Universal sampling was adopted. For the cross-sectional study, 24 health workers were male/female, and for the qualitative study, all local stakeholders and 24 health workers female/male were interviewed. The study was conducted as a part of an academic program, and ethics approval was approved by AIIMS Bhubaneswar Institute Ethics Committee.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven out of 24 sub-centers did not spend any money, with a median unspent amount of 4260 INR (Q1-0, Q3-17300). As many as 36.8% of sub-centers had a delay of 9 months to get the untied fund, which significantly affected the utilization of funds. 37% of HWF/M utilized the fund inappropriately. None of the health workers had complete knowledge regarding the appropriate usage of untied fund. Communication gap, multiple engagements, non-cooperation from officials, delay in technical processing, and irregular Garam Sabha meetings were found to be barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study found out under-utilization of money in untied fund. Communication gap, non-cooperation form village leaders, poor knowledge, overburdened health workers, improper reporting, and lack of felt need were found to be barriers for prompt utilization.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"131-137"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900452/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997801","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":"Drawing the Linkage Between Women's Reproductive Health, Climate Change, Natural Disaster, and Climate-driven Migration: Focusing on Low- and Middle-income Countries - A Systematic Overview.","authors":"Fahad Afzal, Arindam Das, Soumitra Chatterjee","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_165_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_165_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>One of the most important aspects of women's well-being and welfare is RSH (reproductive and sexual health). Reproductive health is not an exception to the threat that CCC (climate change and climate crisis) poses to numerous facets of public health. Firstly, the present review seeks to identify the influence of climatic changes, natural disasters, and climate-driven migration on RSH. Secondly, to identify knowledge gaps regarding the same.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Two databases (Scopus and PubMed) were scanned using Boolean operation. The literature search aimed to find records pertaining to topics of RSH and climate change. Using the PRISMA-ScR method, records were screened and shortlisted based on established inclusion criteria. This literature search was carried out in November 2022. In the shortlisted records, preference for the comprehensive review articles was given.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The present review is based on 38 records that collectively revealed that climate crisis and natural disasters have many negative impacts on female reproductive health. These effects are observed in different phases of life, ranging from teenage to menopause. The unique strength of the present review is that it draws a relationship between female reproductive health and the direct as well as indirect effects of the CCC. The available literature about LMICs is predominantly confined to drought, flood, and earthquake. Disasters like tsunamis, cyclones, and avalanches remain unexplored.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>From the available literature, it is quite evident that CCC has an adverse effect on a woman's reproductive life as well as a bearing on future generations' health. Filling these knowledge gaps is pivotal for designing more effective disaster and health policies. Policymakers should take into consideration these detrimental effects while designing health schemes and policies for females.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"28-38"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900460/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997816","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":"Extent of Smartphone Addiction and its Association with Physical Activity Level, Anthropometric Indices, and Quality of Sleep in Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Sathish Kumar, Rajalakshmi Rajasegaran, Soundararajan Prabhakaran, Thenmozhi Mani","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_706_22","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_706_22","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Smartphone addiction among young adults is a growing concern that is often underestimated despite its significant health hazards. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of smartphone addiction and its association with physical activity level, anthropometric indices, and quality of sleep in young adults.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 allied health sciences undergraduates of a tertiary care medical school in Puducherry, South India. The participants' extent of smartphone addiction, physical activity, and sleep quality were assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Anthropometric indices (body mass index [BMI], waist-to-hip [W: H] ratio, waist-to-height [W: Ht] ratio, Conicity Index, and A Body Shape Index [ABSI]) were also measured following standardized procedures. Correlations between smartphone addiction, physical activity, anthropometric indices, and sleep quality were evaluated using Pearson's/Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Over 50% of participants showed smartphone addiction and poor sleep quality. Although a significant negative correlation was observed between SAS scores and physical activity levels, significant positive correlations were noted between SAS scores and BMI and SAS and PSQI scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Smartphone addiction is associated with decreased physical activity, increased BMI, and poor sleep quality in young adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"199-202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900446/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997768","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":"Family Adoption Program for Undergraduate Medical Students at a New Medical School of Jharkhand: An Experience and SWOC Analysis.","authors":"Swati Shikha, Abhishek Kumar, Jarina Begum, Syed Irfan Ali, Sunita Tripathy","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_954_22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_954_22","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Family adoption program (FAP) incorporated into the undergraduate medical education curriculum is beneficial to all stakeholders involved. Many medical colleges have started FAP at different times and various levels based on resources availability, feasibility, and accessibility. This article is intended to cover the process of FAP implementation, the strength, weakness, opportunities, and challenges at various levels, and its scope in future.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>FAP was launched by adopting a hamlet 17 km away from the college. During the foundation course, orientation lessons and logbook discussions were conducted online before the actual field visit. During the initial visit, families were assigned, which was followed by collecting sociodemographic information, a plantation drive, and organizing medical camp/ door to door screening in the last visits for phase one students.</p><p><strong>Observations: </strong>The strengths perceived were early community exposure of students and leadership skills, and the weaknesses were allocating adequate number of slots in the curriculum, adopting families far away, etc., Similarly, FAP has an opportunity to achieve the larger goal of Heath for All in terms of identifying, following up, and managing various socio clinical cases in the adopted families. However, few challenges can pose as it progresses across other phases, such as language problem, allotment of problem families, existing social pathology in family, cultural taboos, etc.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The article suggests that once a student leaves, another student should continue the cycle of adoption and provide continuum care of services to prevent the family from being orphaned.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"218-222"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997770","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":"Manipur's Journey Towards the Health SDGS: What's Achieved and what more is Needed?","authors":"Veda Yumnam","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_196_23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_196_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>India and its constituent states are committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) as a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 by strengthening primary healthcare (PHC). The National Health Mission (NHM) has been a landmark effort at health systems strengthening, aiming to reboot both the architecture and service delivery. Manipur ranks fourth out of the eight states in the North East Region in the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog's ranking for SDGs. The available evidence, drawing upon secondary datasets and available primary data, aims to unpack the progress made in health systems strengthening to interpret the journey toward achieving UHCs and SDGs. The progress made and the gaps in terms of human resources, infrastructure, service utilization, and reduction of out-of-pocket expenditure are interpreted in terms of critical social determinants such as geographic and ethnic divides. Newer policies, such as the Act East Policy and medical tourism, are examined in the context of current disparities and the potential to accelerate the journey towards achieving SDGs.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"18-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900465/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997778","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":"Prevalence and Severity of Periodontal Disease and its Association with Type-II Diabetes Mellitus and Smoking by Using Periodontal Screening and Recording: A Retrospective Study.","authors":"Oinam Monica Devi, Shaveta Sood, Jyoti Gupta, Ashish Jain","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_642_22","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_642_22","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Periodontal screening recording (PSR) is considered a quick, reliable, reproducible valuable screening tool for periodontal disease. This study aims to find the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease and its association with self-reported diabetic status and smoking history of the patients by using PSR codes over a period of 2 years.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>This was a cross-sectional retrospective study in a dental hospital in Chandigarh. Data of 10,882 patients comprising self-reported history of smoking (893) and diabetes (725) patients were assessed for the prevalence of periodontal disease by using PSR codes. Pearson Chi-Square test was used for statistical evaluation of PSR codes data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of a total of 65,292 sextants assessed, the maximum and minimum reported PSR codes were 2 and 4, respectively. Gingivitis was found to be the most prevalent, followed by periodontitis and periodontal health in the total assessed population (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Mucogingival problems and complete edentulism were found to be more prevalent in posterior sextants in comparison to anterior sextants. Both self-reported smokers and type-II diabetes mellitus patients presented gingivitis as the most common clinical presentation, with the highest prevalence seen in the 55-74-year age group, which also comprised the group with maximum mucogingival problems and edentulism.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study gives an overview of patients' general oral health status and reflects the burden of periodontal disease in the Chandigarh region, thus contributing to the national oral health data.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"56-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900450/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997794","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":"Strengthening of District/Taluk Level Hospitals Through Implementation of Post-graduate Medical Courses in Karnataka, India.","authors":"Parimala S Maroor, B S Pushpalatha, Sangeetha Kodkani, Lourdu Shruthi, Damaraju Ashwini, Anjali Sharma, Himanshu Negandhi, Suresh S Shapeti, Sanjay P Zodpey","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_125_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_125_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the requirement of human resource for health (HRH) stands at 44.5 skilled health workers per 10,000 population. WHO recognizes India as one of the countries which has HRH crisis. Karnataka, a southern state in India, has the highest number of medical colleges yet faces the shortage of specialists in the public hospitals. We conducted desk review to understand the HRH crisis, particularly the medical specialists in India. Simultaneously, we conducted secondary research to explore the initiatives taken by the Government of Karnataka (GoK) to mitigate the shortage of medical specialists in the rural areas. GoK scaled up the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) postgraduate and super-speciality courses such as Diplomate of National Board (DNB), Diploma, and Doctorate of National Board (DrNB) in district hospitals (minimum 250-500 bedded) and taluk hospitals (minimum 100 bedded) by utilizing the existing resources. Karnataka is the first state in India to expand the NBEMS (DNB and Diploma) courses in taluk hospitals and to begin DrNB courses in district hospitals. The paper documents the process of implementation of the NBEMS courses at district and taluk hospitals of Karnataka, which has supported in strengthening these hospitals in the state.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"11-17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997799","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":"Complementary and Alternative Medicine/Therapy for Tobacco Cessation in India: A Secondary Analysis of GATS-1 and 2.","authors":"Shivam Kapoor, Anushikha Dhankhar, Garima Bhatt, Sonu Goel, Rana J Singh","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_188_23","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_188_23","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>India has nearly 267 million adult tobacco users, with a slowly improving quitting rate. Among the many approaches to quitting the habit, such as counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine patch or gum, and prescribed allopathic medicines. Complementary and alternative medicine/therapy (CAM), a thousand-year-old practice in India, may also prove to be a potential method in tobacco cessation; however, there is scarce literature on the extent of use of CAM among tobacco users who attempt to quit the habit. Therefore, this study attempts to examine the potential of CAM as a strategy for tobacco control in India.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>We undertook a secondary analysis of the data from both rounds of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS 2009 and 2016). The dependent variable included in the analysis was the use of traditional medicine as a method for quitting tobacco in three types of users-smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and dual users. The prevalence of CAM use was reported, and Chi-square test was applied to find the factors significantly associated with the use of CAM among tobacco users considering a <i>P</i> value of 0.05 to be statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence of traditional medicine use for GATS-1 was observed to be more among dual users (4%), while for GATS-2, it was highest among smokers (3%). For both rounds of the GATS survey, the use of traditional medicine was found to be higher among males, rural residents, users with no education or less than primary education, and the eastern region.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CAM has a promising potential for supporting tobacco cessation provided a concerted effort is undertaken to standardize pharmacopeia and establish robust clinical evidence. In addition, there is a need to create awareness, build the capacity of healthcare providers, and foster academic-industrial research in indigenous Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"144-151"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900453/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997814","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":"Social Factors Influencing Utilization of Old Age Homes by Elderly in Urban Area of South Chennai, Tamil Nadu.","authors":"Sujitha Pandian, Swetha Naik, Umadevi Ramachandran, G Angeline Grace, S Gopalakrishnan","doi":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_295_22","DOIUrl":"10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_295_22","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Currently, most old age homes in India are completely occupied. Nowadays, nuclear families are more than joint families, and due to various factors such as urbanization, the elderly are deprived of essential care at home and are moved from their own homes to old-age homes. With the increasing geriatric population, this study explored the various social factors influencing the elderly to reside in old age homes.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The study was conducted among 330 elderly in old age homes using simple random sampling. The study population included elderly above the age of 60 years and residing in old age homes, who were willing to participate. A pretested structured questionnaire with data on sociodemographic characteristics, family, financial support, and various other social factors was collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the respondents, 20.6% were supported by children financially and 18.5% had a pension. Almost 70% of the elderly were left unattended by friends and family. Care and support through means of calls, letters, and visits when analyzed showed that 27.3% were provided care and support through children and 33.6% were left unattended.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Family members, friends, and relatives should be encouraged to give regular visits and spend time with the elderly so that the bonding will have a positive effect on their mental health. Aging and geriatric health should be considered sensitively and should be made mandatory for schools and colleges to arrange visits to old age homes, thereby keeping the younger generation aware of the issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":45040,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Community Medicine","volume":"49 1","pages":"41-45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10900463/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997797","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}