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Articles 1 - 30 of 318
Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
National Digital Infrastructure And India’S Healthcare Sector: Physician’S Perspectives, Rajesh Chandwani, Saneesh Edacherian, Mukesh Sud
National Digital Infrastructure And India’S Healthcare Sector: Physician’S Perspectives, Rajesh Chandwani, Saneesh Edacherian, Mukesh Sud
The Qualitative Report
Patient-centric digital infrastructure can potentially enhance the efficiency of healthcare systems. However, even in developed nations, evidence suggests low adoption rates for such infrastructure and lack of support from clinicians is considered as one of the most critical hindering factors. In this study, we examine physicians' perceptions of the proposed large-scale information technology initiative in India that aims to transform the health sector and provide universal health coverage to all residents of India. We employed the information ecology lens to understand the broader changes in the healthcare system that could result from the initiative. We use focus group discussion and …
More Than Brides Alliance—Marriage: No Child’S Play, Endline Evaluation Brief, Population Council
More Than Brides Alliance—Marriage: No Child’S Play, Endline Evaluation Brief, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This brief summarizes key results from the endline evaluation of the More than Brides Alliance (MTBA) project “Marriage: No Child’s Play” (MNCP) in India, Malawi, Mali, and Niger. The MTBA consists of partners Save the Children Netherlands, Simavi, Oxfam Novib, and the Population Council, along with 25 local implementing partners. The MNCP project—which took place from 2016 to 2020—aimed at being holistic and targeting pathways to child marriage on multiple levels simultaneously, treating communities as either having the full MNCP package or no intervention. The Population Council’s MNCP evaluation was designed to estimate program impact and trends among girls at …
Female Infertility In The United States And India: An Analysis Of Treatment Barriers And Coping Strategies, Devneet Singh
Female Infertility In The United States And India: An Analysis Of Treatment Barriers And Coping Strategies, Devneet Singh
Honors Theses
This research studies barriers to accessing fertility treatment in the United States (U.S.) and India, as well as the coping strategies infertile women use. Barriers include reproductive health knowledge, cost, and politics, while coping is affected by cultural stigma, family, and religion. These two countries were chosen for their different cultural contexts, healthcare systems, and political infrastructure. Ten fertility specialists across both countries were interviewed as expert informants. Reproductive health knowledge was the most important barrier to accessing care in both countries, with similar gaps in understanding when and what type of care to utilize, though social media can educate …
Effects Of Covid-19 On Nutrition In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Effects Of Covid-19 On Nutrition In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
An extended nationwide lockdown and stoppage of economic activities resulting from COVID-19 caused substantial loss of income for many families in Bihar, India. One of the significant implications is a food shortage in households and a reduction in food intake. This nutrition shock may hit females harder than males due to the deep-rooted gendered culture prevalent in India. This study's key objectives are to understand the extent of food shortage in households, any changes in food intake, and coverage of government nutrition schemes. Half of the households in Bihar reported food shortages in the past month, causing most to reduce …
Are More People Adopting Covid-19 Prevention Measures?, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Are More People Adopting Covid-19 Prevention Measures?, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Drawing on data from two rounds of COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) telephone surveys conducted in Bihar, India, this research brief sheds light on the socioeconomic differentials and changes over time in the adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures. Though the adoption of preventive measures has increased, around two-fifths of males and one-quarter of females reported that they were currently practicing all four standard preventive measures. The better educated, wealthier, and those belonging to privileged castes were more likely than others to practice these measures, as were those who perceived moderate or high risk of COVID-19 in their neighborhood. Social …
Awareness Of And Receiving Social Protection Measures During Covid-19 Lockdown In Bihar, India, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Awareness Of And Receiving Social Protection Measures During Covid-19 Lockdown In Bihar, India, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Economic hardships caused by the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been reported across India. Social protection measures have been announced by the state and central governments to ease these hardships. The key objectives of this research brief are to examine the awareness and the social protection measures received during the COVID-19 lockdown in Bihar, and the socioeconomic differentials in receiving these measures. The majority of respondents (64%) reported a family member losing their job/income-earning opportunity and lacking resources to survive for long. Awareness of social protection schemes was high (88%). Among households, 68% reported having ration …
Effects Of Covid-19 On Livelihood, Employment, And Financial Resources, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Effects Of Covid-19 On Livelihood, Employment, And Financial Resources, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
COVID-19 and steps to break the chain of viral transmission led to certain economic challenges that triggered loss in livelihoods and income and constraints on financial resources in Bihar, India. Often, these effects were disproportionately experienced among the most marginalized. The key objective of this study is to assess the loss of income, livelihoods, and jobs among households in Bihar to help with program planning and implementation. Data were gathered May 13–22, 2020, from the existing study cohort of households under the UDAYA study. Interviews were conducted with a total of 794 participant households. About four-fifths of respondents said their …
Covid-19 Times: Study Protocol For Rapid Assessment Of The Situation Of Women And Children In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Covid-19 Times: Study Protocol For Rapid Assessment Of The Situation Of Women And Children In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India reported its first COVID-19 case on January 30, 2020, and numbers began to rise in late March 2020. The containment measures implemented by the national and state governments, particularly the nationwide lockdown, have helped keep the COVID-19 pandemic at a relatively low level in India. Bihar, being one of the poorest states in India, is at particularly high risk of adverse health and economic effects of COVID-19 and the lockdown. The Population Council Institute, in partnership with UNICEF Bihar, is conducting a rapid longitudinal study that aims to inform the design and development of locally relevant suitable response mechanisms …
Demand For And Access To Family Planning Services Among Young Married Women During Covid-19 Crisis, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Demand For And Access To Family Planning Services Among Young Married Women During Covid-19 Crisis, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In Bihar, India, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown and men returning home in large numbers and spending more time at home in high stress conditions, the need for contraceptive services could get greater. March to May are considered the “lean season” when demand is typically low for family planning (FP) programs in states like Bihar. However, higher demand caused by the lockdown and lack of access to health facilities has created a gap between demand and uptake. This could have negative consequences such as high numbers of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality. Current use of modern …
Self-Help Groups: A Potential Pivot Of Bihar's Response To Covid-19, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Self-Help Groups: A Potential Pivot Of Bihar's Response To Covid-19, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
More than 10 million women in Bihar, India, are members of women’s self-help groups (SHGs), run by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, Government of Bihar. The SHGs play a crucial role in the community by providing livelihood support and income-generating activities to their members. The key objectives of this study are to document SHG leaders’ engagement in community awareness and infection-prevention activities and the extent of support they give to their members through different funds and loans for livelihoods and income generation during the COVID-19 pandemic. About half of the SHG leaders were engaged in COVID-19–related community-awareness and prevention …
Returning Home: Effects Of Covid-19 On Migrant Households In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Returning Home: Effects Of Covid-19 On Migrant Households In Bihar, Unicef, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Many migrants from metropolitan cities in India began to return to their native homes with the rise in COVID-19 cases in the cities and the extension of the lockdown. With relaxation of travel restrictions, Bihar started receiving migrants who were returning home. The government made arrangements for them to be quarantined before they traveled to their villages and homes. The key objectives of this study are to understand the extent of return migration, the impact of lockdown on migrant household livelihoods, and the opportunities for household economic revival through social protection schemes. Among migrant households, about half may experience return …
Use Of Mobile Health In Infant And Young Child Nutrition: A Formative Study In Rural Maharashtra, Samreen Sadaf Khan Dr., Archana Patel Dr., Amrita Puranik Ms., Priyanka Kuhite Dr., Yamini Pusdekar Dr., Michael J. Dibley Dr., Ashraful Alam Dr.
Use Of Mobile Health In Infant And Young Child Nutrition: A Formative Study In Rural Maharashtra, Samreen Sadaf Khan Dr., Archana Patel Dr., Amrita Puranik Ms., Priyanka Kuhite Dr., Yamini Pusdekar Dr., Michael J. Dibley Dr., Ashraful Alam Dr.
The Qualitative Report
Undernutrition is a major public health problem for under 5 years of age children in India. Approximately 41% and 21% of under 5 years of age children are stunted and wasted respectively. Despite the known importance of age appropriate infant and young child feeding practices for child nutrition, the rates of these practices remain poor in India. The major determinants for inappropriate IYCF practices are beliefs and knowledge of parents and caregivers. These can be effectively addressed through counselling by mobile Health technology as mobile phones are widely available and have a high penetration across the country. This formative research …
Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Adolescents And Young People In Bihar And Uttar Pradesh, India: Study Description, Rajib Acharya, Mukta Gundi, Thoai Ngo, Neelanjana Pandey, Sangram Kishor Patel, Jessie Pinchoff, Shilpi Rampal, Niranjan Saggurti, K.G. Santhya, Corinne White, A.J. Francis Zavier
Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Adolescents And Young People In Bihar And Uttar Pradesh, India: Study Description, Rajib Acharya, Mukta Gundi, Thoai Ngo, Neelanjana Pandey, Sangram Kishor Patel, Jessie Pinchoff, Shilpi Rampal, Niranjan Saggurti, K.G. Santhya, Corinne White, A.J. Francis Zavier
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
To control the spread of COVID-19 in India and to aid the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), the Population Council and other non-governmental organizations are conducting research to assess residents’ ability to follow sanitation and social distancing precautions under a countrywide lockdown. The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys to collect information on knowledge, attitudes and practices, as well as needs, among 2,041 young people (ages 19-23 years) and/or an adult household member, sampled from an existing prospective cohort study with a total sample size of 20,574 in Bihar (n=10,433) and …
Migration And Covid-19: Uttar Pradesh And Bihar, Population Council Institute
Migration And Covid-19: Uttar Pradesh And Bihar, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
To control the spread of COVID-19 in India and to aid the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Population Council and other nongovernmental organizations are conducting research to assess residents’ ability to follow sanitation and social distancing precautions under a countrywide lockdown. The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as needs, among 1,237 young people. As noted in this brief, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar are two of the highest out-migration states in India. Migration is mostly to metropolitan areas in Delhi, …
Low Perceived Risk: A Challenge To Adoption Of Preventive Behaviors For Covid-19?, Population Council Institute
Low Perceived Risk: A Challenge To Adoption Of Preventive Behaviors For Covid-19?, Population Council Institute
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India, with 13,387 cases reported as of April 17, currently accounts for just 0.6% of the COVID-19 cases worldwide. The nationwide lockdown may have helped contain the initial COVID-19 outbreak. However, until testing rates improve, the size of the outbreak remains unclear, and the risk of spread remains. It is critical to ensure ongoing adherence to current social distancing and handwashing behaviours to protect the population from a larger outbreak. An ongoing COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes and practices study implemented by the Population Council Institute in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh sought to assess the extent to which study participants felt personally …
Contraceptive Use Dynamics In India: A Prospective Cohort Study Of Modern Reversible Contraceptive Users, Arupendra Mozumdar, Elizabeth Tobey, Kumudha Aruldas, Rajib Acharya, Aparna Jain
Contraceptive Use Dynamics In India: A Prospective Cohort Study Of Modern Reversible Contraceptive Users, Arupendra Mozumdar, Elizabeth Tobey, Kumudha Aruldas, Rajib Acharya, Aparna Jain
Reproductive Health
This report highlights the contraceptive use dynamics among 2,699 married women in India who began using one of four reversible contraceptive methods over one year. Women aged 15-49 were enrolled into the study from Odisha and Haryana states within one month of starting their reversible method—interval intrauterine device (IUD), postpartum IUD (PPIUD), injectable contraceptive, or oral contraceptive pill (OCP)—and were interviewed at four time points: at enrollment into the study, and three, six, and 12 months after enrollment. Study findings include the quality of care received at the time of method adoption, experience and management of side effects, reasons for …
Arjun Kukreja - Covid-19 Journal, Arjun Kukreja
Arjun Kukreja - Covid-19 Journal, Arjun Kukreja
Personal Journals
EIU History of Illinois (HIS 3810) student outlines personal impressions of the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Impact Of Cleft Lip/Palate And Clp Surgical Intervention On The Social Integration Of Adolescents In India, Mustafa Zahid
The Impact Of Cleft Lip/Palate And Clp Surgical Intervention On The Social Integration Of Adolescents In India, Mustafa Zahid
Master's Theses
Cleft Lip/Palate, a congenital orofacial anomaly, carries an incidence rate of approximately 1 in every 1000 births. In addition to the stigma associated with the condition, the varying levels of cleft severity might result in lower life outcomes which could include lower cognitive ability, physical and psychological well-being, social and behavioral outcomes of adolescents. This paper focuses on the social integration element of life outcomes, which is composed of the social inclusion and prosocial behavior of the adolescent. Despite the affordability of restorative surgeries, patients in rural areas of Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) such as India face accessibility and …
Does Household Capital Mediate The Uptake Of Agricultural Land, Crop, And Livestock Adaptations? Evidence From The Indo-Gangetic Plains (India), Sameer H. Shah, Courtney Hammond Wagner, Udita Sanga, Hogeun Park, Lia Helena Monteiro De Lima Demange, Carolina Gueiros, Meredith T. Niles
Does Household Capital Mediate The Uptake Of Agricultural Land, Crop, And Livestock Adaptations? Evidence From The Indo-Gangetic Plains (India), Sameer H. Shah, Courtney Hammond Wagner, Udita Sanga, Hogeun Park, Lia Helena Monteiro De Lima Demange, Carolina Gueiros, Meredith T. Niles
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
Farmers in the Indo-Gangetic Plains produce much of the wheat and rice grown in India. However, food production and millions of farm-based livelihoods in this region will continue to be adversely affected by hydro-climatic change and variation, reduced land productivity, and declining groundwater levels. Thus, agricultural adaptations are essential for protecting and improving upon intersecting goals of food security, poverty alleviation, and wellbeing. Household “capital” (e.g., natural, human, financial, physical, and social) is commonly cited as an indicator of livelihood adaptability and innovation. We develop a series of mediated structural equation models to empirically evaluate the validity of capital as …
Examining Early Marriage In India: Qualitative Findings, Neelanjana Pandey, Komal Saxena, Andrea J. Melnikas
Examining Early Marriage In India: Qualitative Findings, Neelanjana Pandey, Komal Saxena, Andrea J. Melnikas
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The More Than Brides Alliance (MTBA) implements the “Marriage: No Child’s Play” program (2016–20) in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan. The MTBA is a holistic program that addresses early marriage through multiple strategies, including: sexual and reproductive health and rights, livelihoods, education, and prevalent community social norms around marriage. Furthermore, the program operates at multiple levels (girl, family, community, block, and district) to address individual, familial, and structural barriers to reducing child marriage in these communities. This report first looks at the legal environment in which programs operate by examining participants’ awareness of laws, acts, and programs related to …
More Than Brides Alliance: Midline Evaluation Report, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Santosh Kumar Singh, James Mkandawire, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin
More Than Brides Alliance: Midline Evaluation Report, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Santosh Kumar Singh, James Mkandawire, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The More than Brides Alliance (MTBA) was formed to bringing together the strengths of a diverse team skilled in adolescent program implementation and research. The goal of the research presented in this report is to promote an evidence-based programmatic approach to delaying marriage in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan by gathering detailed quantitative and qualitative information from the program areas over time to examine the impact of the present intervention and inform future strategies. This report highlights data from the midline survey on a set of outcomes approximately midway through the MTBA intervention and compares them with the same …
Experience As Counterpoint: A Qualitative Study Of Home, Happiness & Aging Amongst First-Generation South Asian Migrants In The U.S., Angela Singh
Theses and Dissertations
Susan Stanford Friedman writes that “Home comes into being most powerfully when it is gone, lost, left behind, desired and imagined” (202). My dissertation addresses notions of home, nostalgia, happiness and aging often found in South Asian diasporic fiction, and from the results of a qualitative study I conducted in which I interviewed five migrant couples who moved to the US from India for educational and professional purposes in the 1960s and 1970s. This project draws on and contributes toward the fields of Migration and Diaspora Studies, Transnational Studies and South Asian Studies. My research aims to explore more uncommonly …
Allopathic Medicine’S Influence On Indigenous Peoples In The Kumaon Region Of India, Eliana M. Blum
Allopathic Medicine’S Influence On Indigenous Peoples In The Kumaon Region Of India, Eliana M. Blum
Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research
This paper focuses on the use of western medicine in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India. The goal of this research is to understand which healing practices are preferable in rural villages. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 participants, including two spiritual healers, two doctors, and one pharmacist. Results indicate that allopathic medicine, otherwise known as modern medicine or western medicine, has become the go-to remedy for even the most remote people in India. Nearly all participants use allopathic medicine, but less than half of the participants experiment with other forms of healing, such as Ayurveda, homeopathy, meditation, and yoga. …
Dynamics Of Postpartum Iud Use In India, The Evidence Project
Dynamics Of Postpartum Iud Use In India, The Evidence Project
Reproductive Health
Evidence suggests that in India, compared to married women in general, postpartum married women have a much higher need for family planning that remains unmet. India’s postpartum IUD (PPIUD) program aims to help postpartum women space pregnancies and prevent mistimed or unwanted births. The majority of PPIUD users in this study were young, educated, and had one child. Most were involved in making the final decision about which family planning method to use after discussions with the provider, and most had spoken with a frontline health worker at least once about family planning methods in the three months preceding birth …
Dynamics Of Injectable Contraceptive Use In India, The Evidence Project
Dynamics Of Injectable Contraceptive Use In India, The Evidence Project
Reproductive Health
This brief describes a research study by the Population Council, with support from USAID/India, whose purpose is to provide evidence that can be used to strengthen the family planning program and meet the needs of reversible contraceptive users who want to prevent pregnancy in India. Understanding the experiences of the small but growing population of women choosing the injectable is important as the Government of India continues to roll out injectable contraceptive methods in the public sector. The report’s key recommendations include: disseminating messaging about potential side effects of the injectable, institutionalizing quality of care in pre-service trainings for all …
Baseline Evaluation Of Project Mesha In Bihar: Factsheet Results 2017-2018, Population Council
Baseline Evaluation Of Project Mesha In Bihar: Factsheet Results 2017-2018, Population Council
Reproductive Health
This fact sheet presents baseline results for an evaluation survey among women who were the primary decisionmakers in the rearing of goats in Bihar, India. The study underpins the Aga Khan Foundation’s implementation of “Project Mesha,” a community-based program to develop the potential of goat farming among women goat rearers in four blocks of Muzaffarpur district. The aim of the project is to increase the income and empowerment of women goat rearers through the implementation of Project Mesha in JEEViKA-run self-help groups. The fact sheet includes data on demographic and household profiles; goat ownership, rearing, income, and productive resources; access …
Community-Level Assessment Of Floods And Cyclones In Coastal Odisha, India: Impact, Resilience, And Implications, Sangram Kishor Patel
Community-Level Assessment Of Floods And Cyclones In Coastal Odisha, India: Impact, Resilience, And Implications, Sangram Kishor Patel
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India is among the countries that have been severely affected by both floods and cyclones. In 2012, the Government of India estimated that nearly 12 percent of India’s land is prone to floods and river erosion. The Population Council conducted formative research in the state of Odisha to explore the people’s perceptions on impact and resilience to cyclones and floods, and to examine the state-level infrastructure and institutional initiatives to strengthen responses to these events. Findings reported in this brief indicate that flooding and cyclones have had a disproportionate affect on vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, and disabled …
Dynamics Of Interval Iud Use In India, The Evidence Project
Dynamics Of Interval Iud Use In India, The Evidence Project
Reproductive Health
The IUD is an important long-acting, reversible contraceptive method, and an alternative to permanent female sterilization that does not carry the risk of regret. In India, as the government aims to expand the basket of reversible method choice available to women, understanding the experiences of those who use the interval IUD is paramount. This brief describes a study by the Population Council, with support from USAID/India, which found that overall there is room to improve the quality of services clients receive. The report recommends disseminating messaging about potential side effects of the IUD, training frontline health workers on four domains …
Dynamics Of Oral Contraceptive Pill Use In India, The Evidence Project
Dynamics Of Oral Contraceptive Pill Use In India, The Evidence Project
Reproductive Health
The purpose of this brief is to provide evidence that can be used to strengthen the family planning program in India, particularly for community-based and facility-based distribution of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), use of which remains low despite their availability. Understanding women’s interactions with frontline health workers while obtaining the method and during follow-up counseling can help the Government of India improve its National Family Planning Program. Based on its findings, the report recommends that all providers, especially frontline health workers, receive training focusing on four domains of quality of care: 1) respectful care, 2) counseling to enable appropriate method …
Community-Level Assessment Of Heatwaves In Odisha State, India: Effects, Resilience And Implications, Sangram Kishor Patel
Community-Level Assessment Of Heatwaves In Odisha State, India: Effects, Resilience And Implications, Sangram Kishor Patel
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Heatwaves constitute a potential threat to many of India’s states, including Odisha, and their impact could become acute without adaptive capacity. This research brief explores the perceived causes and experiences of climate change and heatwave by stakeholders in the district. It summarizes reported effects on livelihoods, food security, and livestock; water and sanitation; and health, and reviews coping strategies offered by respondents. The report includes a number of recommendations to meet the needs of the population as indicated by the findings.